Louisiana capitolian., 1880-07-31
THE NEW ORLEANS PACIFIC RAIL-
WAY VIA BATON ROUGE.
An Interview With President Whselook

An Interview with President Whselock.
While in New Orleans, on last
Thursday morning, we heard it cur
rently rumored that the Directors Of
the New Orleans Pacific Railway, had
arrived at the wise conclusion to To-
cate the crossing for their line over
the Mississippi river, at the State
Capital. In view Of this, We conclu-
ded to call on Col. Wheelock, the
President Of the road, in order to OBJ
tain news at the fountain head.
We were courteously received by
that gentleman, to whom we at once
made known the object of our visit.
In answer to our inquiries Col. Whee-
lock stated in substance:
"Though cannotyet, positively say
that our road will cross the river at
Baton Rouge, can state that the
management have not lost sight Of
the fact that your city, now the Capt.
| tai of the State, is point which we
find a most desirable one to connect
with, as a great deal Of travel must
necessarily he drawn to it. Travellers
| from New Orleans, if we cross at
Baton Rouge, could reach you with
out having to cross the river twice,
as they would have to do, in theevent
that the western side of tho river is
selected for our route, which would
be a great inconvenience; one that
should be avoided, if possible
TO our observation, that the enter
prise of our citizens will soon bring
about the construction of an interior
road, from Baton Rouge, through
Clinton, Louisiana, to Liberty, Miss.
a section Of country that sends from
twenty to thirty thousand bales Of
cotton to the Mississippi river, annu'
ally, for shipment, besides all Of it,
passenger and ether traffic, which
would naturally seek New Orleans
via the Pacific road, should this lin'
have its crossingat Baton Rouge, Col
Wheelock replied:
! III can assure you that the consid
Grafton you speak Of has not beel
overlooked, in our present intention
to select your city as the crossing
} point"
In addition he remarked: $50
several years, made every effort t
impress on the people Of New Orlean
the Importance Of constructin
the road, with the assistance Of it
i. own capital, so that the trade OF til
J road might be controlled in their ia
vor. l failed in so doing. Nov
) the line is to be built by cap
: talists who will not favor any part
cular point; they will run it to thel
best advantage. consider, said III
f that the Pacific road, will be the be'
paying one in the South, because
: trayerses most fertile and tllicl
r " settled section of country. W
e have not to carry cmigrants to Great
a trade along our line. The trade
G there already, awaiting our coming.
We could not but express to Go
Wheclock the hig appreciation whit
the people entertain for him, in vic
of the extraordinary courage and pc
sistcnce he has exhibited amid diff
:, cultics which would have unnervt
almost any man, and have caused Il
abandonment of the great undertal
: ing for the success of Which he h'
sacrificed SO much. To his zeal al
determination will the people Of Nc
Orleans and the State owe the ACHE
r ment of so magnificent railway e
e terprisc. We hoped to welcome t
=, Pacific line ut Baton Rouge, the c
! pital Of the State, to-day, through t
:, determined energy and unabat
i" work of some of it's citizens.
NrIV AnVEpTTS MENTS