Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-02-05
A FEASIBLE AND TIE BEST BAIL
WAY ENTERPRIsE.

We have discussed Of late the rail
road interests OF Baton Rouge in their
every phase, and have described how
the line to Poncbat0ula and another
To Clinton would make our city m
important receiving and forwarding
depot,
Considering every difficulty that
appears to stand in the way OF tho
realization OF these enterprises, the
idoa has sprung up in our mind That
an undertaking Of greater magnitude
shows greater chances OF success
than the less ambitious schemes that
have been spoken Of
What We mean Is simply to make
The effort Of reyiying the project Of
constructing what was known IN the
Backbone Road. That is, a line from
ponchatoula to Baton Refuge, thence
TO Clinton, thence through Liberty,
Miss, the counties OF Amitc, Frank
lin, Jefferson, Claiborne and Warren
to Vicksburg This line would strike
The heart Of one Of the richest cotton
(. producing sections in she South,
which now lies without facilities Of
transportation, between the jackson
Railroad and The Mississippi river,
II would be difficult, without close
examination Of statistics, to compute
the large mass Of bales OF cotton and
ether freight, as also tho thousands OF
passengers that this road would carry
annually, to and through our city,
Nowhere does the need Of a railway
exists more than through the section
we have named md nowhere, In the
south, could limo he builtthat would
pay better,
There are no Typographical Difficult
ties in the way, no streams of any
importance to be traversed. Now, rs
to the means to reach the end in view /:
We would suggest the formation Of
"A company having its headquarters at
Baton Rouge. This done, energetic
men should BE- sent forth through the
section to be travcrsed, with the OF
ject of notiug what donations OF lands
money and privileges the people re-
siding along the proposed route would
be willing to offer to the company
This having been ascertalncd, ou'
Representative in Congress could b'
urged to have tho public lands, pre-
yiously given to the Backbone Road
Transferred to tho new company.
Can any one doubt, that upon thu
exhibit That's can be obtained, an,
great difficulty would exist in floating
the first mortgage bonds, with tn
proceeds Of which the road could b.
built
The ohly question in our mind Il
the way of realizing this procc
is whether we have in Baton Roug
and in the section to be benefited,
sufficient number of plucky, go-ahoad
energetic men, who will undcrtak
TO carry through the work before us.
We have business men in Batol
Rouge, who, if they will engage j
this enterprise, need not use an
considerable amount of their capital
gentlemen, who with little risk {
Directors of the movement, by jud
cious management, will reap agolde
harvest from the profits that will b
earned by the road, not to speak
the immense increase Of trade whic
they would bring to their stores an
counters.
We submit the above to the COZ
sideration of the live men of Bato
Rouge, that they may think II
whole matter over.
Whatever our citizens may col
elude to do, in connection with OF
,aitroad interests, we assure the
that the humble support OF the CAP
ToLAN will be heartily given thel
The Shrcveporters are making e
scnsive preparations to receive X
on Mardi Gras. Statutes, iiium'n
iions and flying banners will be t
adjuncts of the grand parade IN co