The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1881-06-25
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: Eaisor Lake Charles Echos
In my fgrmer communication sr0k
Of Lake Charles rs il IS. and droppei
I a few thoughts IN regard 10 shade Il
this I viii try 10 portray what II MICA
be made. Having water communication
with the o1fside world through seyeTa
lakes aal q deep river. with gOoa pros
poets Of hsFiag the water on The bar
al the mouth OF the nver, despenes
very soon, vessels OF hight draft, AMI
those 81 deeper draft, can and do piy
constantly between TINS place and Gal
weston. and other Texas perzs. and alsC
: Mexican ports. Supplying, as far a
they can. the great demand for lumber
In addition 10 TINS water ronte there j
tine raiiroad winch transports an INA
mense amount of lumtssr. These twC
routes give Lake Charles great facili-
ties for shipping. making il name as
! q lumber mart, known and appreciated
!. throughout the great west and south
west.
Nov. sir, these facilities can and
world be greatly increased by buildinp
a tap road IRON here HortAwarl through
the pine regi1 N, 10 some point on Red
River. Some viii perhaps hoot at this
idea, bnt The time is not far distant
when the vast pine region viii be reach
sd asT a railroad from another direction
and the l1rniser trade taken from Lake
Charles to a vast amount. and other
/ points m another State will reap the
benefit thereof. The great demand for
J G'alcassen lRnlser. coming from Texas
and Mexico, Calls for additional means
of Transportation far beyond what we
have now, and not only so, bat calls
+ for better facilities for procuring logs
and lRnabe1. 1t Is well known fact.
T that al certain seasons Of the year, tie
Eater in the tributaries of flie river is
SO low that logs cannot be 6oated ont,
and fiie result is the mills on the river
and lake frequently have to shut down
for want Of logs. This has been the
ease with some already this season.
Nov, If there were a narrow gnage
road bui from here into and through
the pine region, saw mills would be b1ilt
and others removed to the pineries, and
the road wouid soon be ore of the
greatest lumber roads in the South.
The timber eoGld be cat into lumber
and brought here on the cars, 81 ring
delay and vexation OF low water, and
here il could be shipped by rail or sail
to any point desired, Thus making Lake
Charles one of the greatest lumber
mqrts in the South, bringing hundreds
OF thousands of dollars here that other
wise would never reach us.
This. Mr.. Editor, is no idle dream,
for the day is not far distant when a
road from Beaumont, or some other
point on the Texas and New Orleans
road, viii be bnilt to the pineries OF
Louisiana, and on 10 Red River; and
when that is done, land it will be done
If Lake Charles does not bestir herself,
it will take great, if not the greater,
part Of trade away from this point
That there will be n road built from |
Texas TO the pine regions of this State,
is almost fixed fact. The scheme has
been quietly talked of for some time,
and is gradually taking shape. Will
the men of capital here take hold of
the matter aud secure the control Of
the lumber trade, or will they let others
quietly take it away from them? If
there should be move in this direc-
ton by our business men, there would
be little trouble in getting NIL the money
necessary to construct the road. La
this day of railroad building help can
he found very easily. The matter is
within reach of our business men, and
the time prOpitious to make the effort.
The demand for timber for railroad
purposes is very great. Companies
building roads must and will have tim
Der, if they have to help bnild tram
roads TO reach it The stage Of water
at the present time is so how that some
mills have difficulty in procuring logs
from which to fill orders, consequently
companies building roads will look ont
other ways to reach the pineries If
they have 10 build road, they will not
build from here, bnt from some point
on more direct line.
Now, sir, just think for moment OF
the vast importance to this place OF
q road. IL WRnld bring in hardy hard
working people, increasing the popnla-
ton and trade, and causing general
prosperity. As have said, this is no
idle dream; / know whereof i speak. 1t
is Of vital importance to the business
men and property holders of Lake
Charles. The time is not far distant
when the people OF Lake Charles will
realize the truth Of the above, and it
viii result either in their veal or woe.
Situated as Lake Charles is, having a
good water outlet aud one railroad al
ready, it could, by bnilding tap road
TO the pineries, control the lumber trade
for all time to come. To accomplish
this much needed route, it needs
only the move TO be made BY the lead
ing business men of the town to give
it start, when it would be taken hold
of by capitalists and the road soon
built. There is a vast amount of CAPT
tai waiting for favorable Investment.
and IL the men having this capital
could bnt see the vast pine region of
this part Of the State. they womb readi-
~ invest their capital in road that
would open the pineries TO the market
for it created by railroad building.
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The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES sAdyo-
cate contains a note from DIR. Il. III.
Day, stating that the genuine cater
4 A =.