Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-11
THE NEW ORLEANSPAClrIC.
Railroad Communication with n"t.
on Refuge an Assured Fact.

tho following dispatch from Gen. Leon
JaAtrcMski mayor Of Baton Rouge:
II IL 'rumored that Gen. Dodge aud
the engineers Of the New Orleans
Pacific Railway arc about to locate
their line 10 ~ deprive the people Of
North Louisiana and New Orleans Of
the long looked for and needed
railway communication with this, the
capital city. Such q course would DO
n public calamity. ~ ''
Upon tlle receipt Of The telegram
Gov. Wilt addressed u letter to Mr.
y. b. ,Wheclock, present Of the New
Orleans Pacific Railway Company,
conveying the substance of the tcle-
gram, and expressing his concurrence
In the hope That communication by
rail with Baton Rouge might be &C.
cured at IN early day. The letter
concludes: 5- a-I I ..i "n. .r. tI
In behalf of tho citizens Of Baton
Rouge, Of New Orleans, and of all the
northern and western parishes, !
respectfully Join Mayor Jastlenski IN
the request that lifeline of your road
may be 30 located Us to give ensy
communication with tho capital Of
Our, State, where tho State government
must soon bepermanently established,
as our constitution provides.
Your influence IN promoting the
interests ola very large number Of
our fellow citizens, by providing the
desired railway connection with their
capital, Is earnestly requested.
] further request that you will obligc
mo by stating what tho purpose of the
Now Orleans Pacific railway may be-
respecting the location of their road.
Visiting the office of the company u
representative Of the Democrat was
assured by the officers Of tho company
that they had no intention Of changing
the line of the road. The river would
be crossed mt u point between five
and twelve miles below Baton Rouge,
und arrangements would be made to
place tho capital and New Orleans in
direct rail communication.
During the afternoon tho Governor
received tho following answer from
President Wllcelock .#
NEW ORLEANS, January0, 1881.
To His Exccllency Gov. Louis A.
Witt, New Orleans:
Dear Sir--f have the honor to
acknowledge the receipt OF your favor
Of this date, with reference to our
railway connection with Baton Rouge.
] have shown your letter to Con.
Dodge, and no authorizes me to say
that Baton Rouge is to have % direct
communication with this city by the
New Orleans Pacific.
Very respectfully yours,
u Il. b. WHEELOCK, President.
Upon the receipt OF the above, en-
closed IN q letter from Gov. Wilt,
the Mayor addressed him IL reply ex-
pressing in their name, tho thanks Of
our citizens for the promptness with
which he had urged tho consideration
Of tho needs Of The people in the mat
tor Of direct railway communication
with the State Capital. ,... ...
The Mayor further represented to
tho Governor, that IL branch road
from Baton Rouge to the main line
would prove u source of incOnvcni-
ence, delay md additional expense to
all those whose business would bring
them to the Capital. Members of the
General Assembly, Tax Collectors
on their way to make their settle
ments, Sheriils conveying prisoners
to tho Penltentitry, and citizens gen.
orally having to visit Baton Rouge to
attend to their affairs with the State
officials or with tho U University would
be subjected to the annoyance of
changes of cars, etc, all of which
would be avoided were the main line
to cross the river at Baton Rouge.
Ho further stated that little doubt
existed in his mind but that the poo-
pie of Clinton, La., and Liberty,
Miss, would at once connect them
selves by rail through Baton Rouge,
with the Pacific road, thereby in
creasing largely the revenues of the
road, while at the same time the re-
sidents of that rich and populous Sec
ton would be enabled to obtain quick
and cheap transportation to New Or
leans.
He also stated that it was well
known fact that the West Baton
Rouge swamp offered higher level
above Baton Rouge than where the
presentline is laid through places
where the water sometimes reaches u
depth of some ls feet; and where too,