The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1880-04-17
MORGAN R. R. ENTERPRISES.
Aiming for the Pacific Via H0us'
ton and MARSHALL.
"A Sketch of the Aims and Claims OF
the Company-The Fight for
the forfeited Land Grants.

and Texas Railroad and Steamship Company,
had q hearing before the House Committee on
Pacific Railroads in behalf of bis road, In
which he endeavored to show that the for
feltipg OF the grant OF lands In aid Of the con-
struction of the New Orleans. Opelousas and
Great Western Railway Company, now
known as Morgan's Louisiana and Texas
Railroad and Steamship Company and the
I.ouIslana Western Railroad Company, was
unjust; that the original corporation and Its
successors were unremittiDg In their efforts
to extend the roads aud comply with the
terms OF the grant, and that at the earliest
practicable moment the extension OF both
branches was commenced aud is now being
vigorously prosecuted. Gen. Sypher. who
appeared as counsel for Mr.. Whitney, gave
history OF the New Otleans, Opeousas and
Great Western Railway Company, to which
the original charter for the construction OF
the road was granted. from which 1t appears
that prior to 1860 the company had completed
and equipped eighty miles Of Its road and had
eighty miles more ready for the cross-ties
and iron; that In 1852 the United States took
possession of the same and held 1t and oper-
ated 1t for four years, deriving large reve-
ntas from II. and when restored to the onm-
pany 1t was complete wreck. The land
grant made by Congress to the State OF Lou
siana, In June, 1855, to aid In the construc-
tion OF the road, provided that 1t should be
completed within ten years, otherwise the
lands not disposed Of should revert
10 the United States. This original
grant comprised about 10000 acres,
OF which the company would have
been entitled TO about fifty.one Thousand
acres for Its eighty miles OF constructed road,
but for the reason that Congress had by pre-
vious acts of 1s49 and 1850 donated all the
swamp lands to the State for levee purposes,
and had expressly reserved from the opera
Mon OF the railroad grant all such lands, and
as all the public lands within the limit Of the
railroad grant for eighty miles we're swamp
ands, there we're none available under the
graEs which could inure to the company. In
consequence, up to this date. the road has not
had the benefit OF one acre Of the grant of
1866. After recltIng the circumstances under
which Mr.. Charles Morgan had purchased the
road for S2,050, 900. and reconstructed 1t at an
outlay OF over two millions more, Gen. Sypher
proceeded to particulars concerning the SUBJ
sidies granted the New Orleans, Mobile and
Texas Railroad Company by the Legis-
ature OF Louisiana. in spite Of the
fact that Mr.. Morgan proposed that IL
they would pass an act confirming the charter
OF the Berwick's Bay and Texas Company,
] aorganized by notarial act with a capital
stock Of $4,000 900. he would subscribe for the
remaining stock not taken by citizens, and
guarantee the completion Of the road within
three years, under penalty Of S5oOOOO In case
OF failure. Subsequently, yielding to the
public demand and urgent necessity for this
road, Mr.. Morgan had accepted propositions
to unite his interests with the Mobile COM
pany and build the road together to Texas,
from which union he subsequently withdrew,
being satisfied that the New Orleans, Mobile
and Texas Company did not intend to comply
with the terms of their contract, Morgans
company having obtained from the Legisla-
ture new charter, under the title and name
by which 1t is now known, was organized
with Mr.. Whitney as president, and entered
into arrangements with the Louisiana West
ern Railroad Company, of which Mr.. ). J.
McComb Is president and these two compa-
MES are now engaged In constructing their
lines from Ber wlck's Bay to the Sabine river,
over che former route Of the original COM
pany. the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great
Western Company. The Morgan Company,
+ was stated, has In the last eighteen months
aid eixty-fve miles Of steel rails, upon which
Che cars are now running from Morgan City
! % Vermilionville. At this point they con-
saect with the Louisiana Western Railroad
sCompany. which has In the last year laid over
seventy miles OF steel rails, and In less than
three months will have completed their road
70 the Sabine river, distance of one
hundred and six miles. These roads
$1noe completed, through connection will
soe made from New Orleans to Houston
Texas. distance OF 355 miles, an achIeye-
ment accomplished without one dollar of aid
from either the State or national government.
Gen. Sypher then invited attention to the
histor. OF the grants of land made by Con-
Gress In 1866 In aid OF railway enterprises,
showing that Of the twenty y-eight grants
made In that year every one lapsed on ac-
fcc~nt OF the Interference OF the war, and all
out two OF them have been renewed. and the
time Tor the completion Of the roads extended
by Congress. The Morgan read, 1t was said,
runs through the land which was forfeited
10y the act Of July IA. 1870 almost the en-
tire length. From New Orleans to Ope-
siousas, q distance of 165 miles, the Nor
gan company's road lies through the
kand on the original line of survey; from Yer.
Hmilonville to the Texas line, a distance of LOG
niles, the Louisiana Western Company's
Ifoad runs through large portion of the
srant. The company claim the original One
Housas grant Of June 8, 1855. intact as a whole
amounting to about $4,000 acres, or six Sec
ions to the mile on each side of the road.
rhe original grant Of June 8, 1856, 1t is
lafmed, was rightfully made; 1t lapsed by
10 fault or dereliction of the company, but
congress unjustly and wrongfully took away
Eom 1t the grant by the act of July Il, 1870,
antrary to every precedent In the case of all
pads similarly situated. Addressing him
Hef to the claims put forth by the New Or
eans Pacific Company, Gen. Sypher,