The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-15
THE TEXAS PACIFIC ROUTE.

| lib IbAAS fAUlf1U hUu III,
The recently consummated arrangement
| with the Texas Improvement Company, by
which the speedy completion of the Texas Pa
| citc Railway from Fort Worth to 1s Paso Oh
the Rio Grande Is assured, may be regarded as
| having definitely settled the long mooted and
holly contested problem of a competing trans
continental Southern line, and IL will now re-
| main to be seen whether single road, under
| the auspices of Gould and Huntington, will
| result In bringing about the era Of prosperity
| In the South 50 long and stoutly maintained
| In the past as the inevitable sequence of the
| completion Of either Of the proposed compet-
| ing enterprises. At the first glance 1t would
seem at though shippers ud thus be placed
| entirely Mt the mercy of n powerful monopoly.
which will undoubtedly be the case II
Mr.. Gould should succeed In getting
| control of the Atehison. Topeka and
| Santa re Road, now being vigorously
pushed toward the Pacific coast.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, speaking of
the Meeting recently held In that city, re-
marks that although the interest Of the Scott
party In the Improvement Company Is small,
no immediate change In the management OF
the road is contemplated, and that as the con-
tract was made with capitalists outside of
the company. the latter will not for the pres
ent have any voice In tho afr sirs Of the rail
way company. There seems to be no doubt
as to Mr.. Gould's having endeavored to get
control Of the Atohison, Topeka and Santa
Fe Road; but having failed In the attempt,
the probability is that he will exercise a
greater influence In tho syndicate than APP
pears from the statements already made.
Thus, with the control OF the Central and
Southern Pacific roads In the hands OF Mr..
Huntingdon, and the Union and Texas Pacific
roads In the possession of Mr. Gould, the new
combination will have the power to dictate
such freight and passenger rates rs they
may choose. unless, rs previously inti-
mated. the completion OF the Atchison,
Topeka aud Santa Fe Road should
force them to more liberal tariffs. In
any event, the new combination promises
the beginning Of 4 harmonious eff oft TO give
the South what she has long and ardently
wished fora direct highway to the Pacific
ocean "fhe cost oil completing the road to
El Paso," says the Enquirer. will bring Its
total b md aud stock capital up to an amount
per mile but little more than one-third that
of other roads, particularly the now completed
transcontlnentai lines. 1t will have over
twelve hundred miles OF road and a total en- |
cumbrance Of less than SAC, 900 per mile. There |
are now In operation three branches OF road
one from Texarkana, on the Arkansas line, to |
Sherman, Texas. a detanee OF 1874 miles; one
from Junction to Marshall. Texas, sixty
eight miles, and the main line from
10 rfE
222 miles. The road is also completed |
thirty miles west of Fort Worth, making
a total completed road OF 474 miles, The
large floating debt contracted for construction
has either been liquidated or provided for by
refundng. The entire indebtedness of the
company WAS $16,s12 366 at the beginning OF
the year 1877. Its exact amount at the pres
ent time Is not known. but 1t Is understood
that considerable reduction has been made
The earnings Of the six months ending No
vember 80, 1872 were 81 1877, ITO 76 and the
expenses 5000, 59s 49," The completion of the
Southern Pacific Road to Ell Paso, and OF the
Texas Pacific between Eel Paso and Its West
ern termini, will at once connect the Pacific
coast with the Texas system Of railways. and
by means of the road from New Orleans to
|
and OF the New Orleans and Pacific
and Vieksburg and Texas roads, the Crescent
City's prospects will be largely enhanced. To
this picture Of coming prosperity may be
added the almost certain, II not speedy, con-
struetion OF railway line from San Antonio
to I'll Paso, which, In connection with the
Southern Pacific, would form an uninterrupted
route with New Orleans as it's Eastern and
Southern outlet In this connection 1t is notie-
able that the December returns OF exports
from the Bureau of Statistics place New Or
leans second only to New York In exports,
the exports Of New York amounting to $685.
'5O. 522, while those of New Orleans reach
BIZ 343, 382 With the completion OF the rail-
way connections above referred to and others
already contemplated, and the necessary i'm
provements to facilitate the navigation Of the
river at all seasons Of the year,
there Is no reason why New Orleans may not
soon be classed second to New York In point
u population as well as In the matter of ex-
ports.