Louisiana capitolian., 1881-10-01
THE MrD.LOUIsIANA RAILROAD.

The following from our able Clin-
ton contemporary, the Southern.
Watchman, answers so well the
strange arguments with which the N.
0. Democrat is opposing the construc-
ton of the Mid-Louisiana Railroad,
that we submit it to our readers in
lieu of any additional comment from
the CAPIToLIAN. 1t is well to re-
member, too, that the town Of Clin-
ton lays twenty miles north of the
proposed line. Our contemporary
taking the proper view, feels that
railroads, no matter where built in
our State, will benefit even the people
whodon't resideexactly "on the line: :"
The line OF the road will be East
and West on the air line between
Houston, Texas, and MobilG Alaba
ma. There are twenty five miles of
road already built and perfectly
equipped on the line west of Baton
Rouge. Under the recently adopted
policy of throwing out lateral feeders
for the New Orleans, st. Louis and
Chicago road, a lateral will be at once
commenced from Ponchatoula to Ba-
ton Rouge, that will give the Mid
Louisiana forty-one miles OF COM
pleted road on it's Eastern extension
toward the Pearl River. Although
when it reaches the Pearl, it will find
no sea port, on any large entrepot of
commerce, it will nevertheless have
contributed more to the development
of the agricultural industries of the
State than any other rail enterprise,
for the simple reason because it ira
verses regions which no other rail
roads affect in the least. 1t tshould be
borne in mind that it plumbs the air
line between Houston and Mobile,
and may in time become an impor-
tant part of the great trunk line be-
tween the city of Mexico and New
York. 1t is in the hands of some of
the worthiest and most public spirit
ed citizens of the Commonwealth.
"They have Incorporated the road
under the State law; they propose to
reach the extreme western border of
louisiana on the banks of tile river
Sabiue, and they propose to go to the
extreme eastern limit of Louisiana on
the banks of the Pearl river. They
go east and west as far as the law will
allow them to go and when they have
covered the route proposed within the
limits of Louisiana, they reserve in
their charter the right to connect with
other roads upon any business basis
which may appear to promise the most
available means for the attainment of
the ulterior objective points which
have influenced the corporators III
perfecting their carefully drawn Act
of Charter. The scheme is feasible
and we think we have demonstrated
it to be much needed factor to sup
ply the commercial and material
wants of the metropolis OF the State,
and the most important factor yet
proposed for the development of the
agricultural greatness of the COM
monwealth. "Even if it begins and
ends nowhere" even if in its projec-
tion the city of New Orleans is un
fortunately secluded by her laying
too far South to be embraced, and
this last act of disloyalty may possi-
bly, be the inspiring cause of the
failure, of our usually public spirited
and airminded contemporary, the N.
0. Democrat, "to discover raison
Gere for the Mid-Louisiana. The
'enticing chimera" which begins
and ends nowhere," will, notwith-
standing the rifed artillery Of the
great Thunderer, be constructed all
the same: not so mucn because it is
great need of the city of Baton
Rouge, nor perhaps because of its
great intrinsic importance to the de-
velopment of the productive wealth
of Louisiana, but because it is an in
dispensable link in the great chain
which is to connect New York and
Mexico. And when the Democrat
has sweated out the bile and ill-na-
ture generated into its system by the
fHtid atmosphere Of an unparallel-
ed hot summer and the unsavory
smells OF a crowded city, we expect
to hear its thunder 'whooping up the
Mid Louisiana even if by its Metro
politan exclusiveness, it has already
been classified as a provincial enter
prise and therefore to be sneered at.