Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-10-22
THE MID.LoUIsIANA RAILROAD.
CnArMGgfGR, Posr 0prIcE, [
st. Landry, La, October IL, 1851. )
astromski, ESQ.,, Editor CArrroLiAN :

a.
Railroad, as projected BY your Compa-
ny, if carried from Opelousas dne west
between the 800 and 3lo OF Latitude IN. J
will pass through upper Plaquemne
ridge, directly to this spot (Chataignier)
Ia miles from Opelousas, section oi
country which ships 5000 bales of cot
ton, $50, 900 of rice, eggs, poultry, wool,
etc, annually, by Washington boats and
the Morgan Railroad. This would all
prefer your road. Twenty miles from
Opelousas, still due west, the road would
strike the Grand Prairie Monmouth
the edge Of the great stock country
thence to Bayou Nez Pique--arrays the
great pine region Virgin yellow pine}
through Prairie S0ileau Settlement to
Hickory Flat Settlement, and into the
stock ranges of Louisiana, until it strikes
the fork Of the Calcasieu river--the
Darbonne and Whiskichitto, the centre
Of the pine region--from Opelousas TO
the forks of the Calcasieu, in straight
line, due west, is, | think, about fifty
miles on the Meridian. The road would
then 90 through heavy pine forest, in
tersected by small creeks and dotted by
small settlements, farms and homesteads,
to the Sabine river. about 100 miles from
Opelousas, in an air line.
This road, so projected, would pass
about fifty miles north of the western
division of the Morgan Road aud paral-
lei to it.. 1t would take all the freight,
fat cattle, lumber, fat sheep, hogs, rice,
considerable cotton, poultry, eggs, wool,
etc, from the Louisiana Western for
twenty-five miles along the ronte of the
latter and above it, north.
Your road would be in the centre of
the vast lumber region, whose products
support Lake Charles and fl DIS its rail
road--with it's large traic in lumber
to Vermillionville, st. Martinsville, New
Iberia, Franklin, Morgan City and New
Orleans and way.settlers.
An immense lumber trade, not only in
pine, but in cypress, beech, hickory,
oak slaves, hoop poles, etc, would
quickly spring up along the line of your
rOad--and no doubt that the resin and
turpcntne trade would be added to the
other products of these virgin forests.
Population would soon precede or follow
the road-a new impetus will be gwen
to the cultivation of rice in the immense
Darbonne Prairie, little to the South
five mlles)of the road--for there is good
rice land sufficient along the line above
mentioned to produce 100, 900 barrels of
rough rice. This is also good sheep
range.
Upon this route own the finest wa
tering place in the State Eighty springs
Of every variety--iron. sulphur, alum,
stc., which would be n great attraction
10 pleasure and health seekers there is
here very large bsds of the finest kaolin
,r porcelain clay, and | am certain %
very extensive deposit OF sulphur, al
most pure, and of sulphuret of iron.
These springs have . great reputation
or the cure of skin diseases, sore eyes,
liarrhpa, dyspepsia ETC., are resorted to
by hundreds of persons for
,ealth and fishing and hunting, as they |
IRE in the centre of both. They are sit
lated about thir y-tive miles from Ope-
ousas, near the Bayou Nez Pique, and |
lue west from Opelousas. The health of |
he localities and the abundance of wa
er, would make it fine spot for the
'epot, railroad hospital and machine
hops.
If you were to obtain the right of way
rom the State, United States and from
ndiyiduaIs--the road would pay its ex.
lenses from Opelonsas to this place dur
~ its construction-by its way traffic
aw mills should be erected along the
proposed route to prepare, in advance,
be lumber needed for it's construction.
tc. Each mile, says an old Railroad
Engineer, costs on an average s., 600 for
ed and ties, etc. a good saw mills ON
he route t16O miles) would Costing but
25,O0O) furnish the whole amount of
lumber needed
Mr. Chas A. Whitney in answer-to
'tter from me over a year ago-describ-
lg the adyantages--to the Morgan road
-of this branch road as u feeder for lnm-
crete SAID that he wonld pay attention
Tue matter as soon as the Morgan road
'as completed to Alexandria.
tonfdeRce in the public mind of It's
'onr road) early construction, with the
ertainty of sufficient capital would be a
reat aid in obtaining the right Of way.
eople want to know whether any of