The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-17

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city OF New Orleans and the State OF Louisi-
ana. As to the present condition Of the road
1t is stated that Mr.. Clarke, vice president of
the Chicago, st. Louis and New Orleans Rail-
road, who made trip over the line last fall,
gives 1t as his opinion that the road could be
completed In twelve months, and that, In any
event, the time should not exceed eighteen
months. The road is now ready for the rails
| short distance below Pleasant Hill, some
sixty miles from Shreveport, to q point eight
miles above Bayou Goula, and work
will be commenced at both ends Of the
road as soon as the necessary preliminaries
| for pushing 1t can be entered into. It is
said that no valid claim against the company
will be left outstanding, and for this purpose
Messrs. Gould and Scott have authorized
Messrs. Palfrey and Schneider, OF this city, to
receive and audit such evidences OF Indebted
ness. In addition to connecting with the
Texas Pacific at Marshall, this road will form
the connecting link between New Orleans and
Mr.. Jay Gould's system OF Western and
Southwestern railways, a leading branch Of
which is the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, ex-
tending from Hannibal. Mo-, through the In
dian Territory. to Denfson. Texas. The i'm
preston at present seems to be that cross
Ing Of the Mississippi river will be made
below Baton Rouge. and thence to Kenner-
Vile, where deep water may be secured. It
is further stated that Mr.. Gould Is having
built large number of barges for the
transportation OF grain and other products
grown near the watercourses, while the new
railroad line is expected to drain the interior
country west of the Mississippi. This intel
ligence, coming upon us "all of q sudden"
would seem almest too good to be true, but
the signatures of such men as Jay Gould and
Tbos. A. Scott attached to the contracts are
sufficient guarantees that our long talked. OF
connection with Northeastern Texas may be
regarded as among the probabilities of the
very near future. With this road completed,
and the one leading to Southern Texas, New
Orleans will have placed at her disposal the
increasing trade Of our own State as ell as
that OF the great empire OF Texas, and IL its
merchants fall to reap rich harvest from
the fields thus opened to them 1t will
be their own fault. Within three months we
shall have continuous line OF railway
through Southern Texas to San Anton 10.
while at Houston, Texas, connection will be
made with the entire railway system of the
Empire State OF the Southwest. Then Will
follow the New Orleans Pacific, which, after
developing the richest sections of the Sta te
Of Louisiana. will give us almost an air Il ne
to the great grain-growing regions OF the
West. The completion of the Texas Pacific
from Fort Worth to Ell Paso, and of the San
Antonio road to the same point, where they
i will meet Hartington's Southern Pacific road
from California, will give New Orleans
two direct connections with the Pa
clfic coast, while the Chicago, st.
Louis and New Orleans and the New
Orleans and Mobile Railway and their con-
nections, on the east side Of the Mississippi
river, will render our railroad system COM
plete. The facilities having thus been placed
at their disposal, 1t will devolve upon the
business men of the Southern metropolis to
show themselves equal to the opportunities
presented. There is no question that New
Orleans will now become the outlet for the
grain products OF the great West, but 1t
should also become the grand distributing
point for foreign commodities destined for
consumption In the Interior. The merchants
and manufacturers OF the Mississippi
valley must be induced to purchase their
supplies here as we'll as seek market for
their products. The trains and barges that
reach us laden with grain and cotton must
carry back such articles as the people OF
the West have been accustomed to look to
New York and other Atlantic ports for. To
convice the people that 1t is to their interest
to deal with New Orleans our business men
must be up and doing. Even Texans, 80 long
our friends, are not going to overwhelm us
with their patronage unless we convince
them that they are as much interested In the
matter as ourselves. In short, although 1t
looks just now as though the long anticipated
business boom" is nearly within our grasp,
We must stand ready to seize and make fast
10 1t when 1t arrives.
| POLITICAL.