The Opelousas courier., 1883-02-03
Our Great Route to the Pacific.
NO. City item.

The filling up of all the gaps, and tho
final completion Of the Southern racine
(Huntington's) Railroad, have given a
clear. unbrokeD, open route to the Die
en- Gate for New Orleans shippers and
passengers. The Morgan railroad, at
this end of the route, will have the con-
troll and handling of the New Orleans
receiving and forwarding business. The
road of this company, extending to Yer
milionville. forms the important link
which for the present connects the Cali
fornia, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas
systems of roads with the great trunk
lines of the North and Northwest.
AS soon as the proper arrangements
can be completed for stocking this
great stretch of railway with sleeping
and drawing-room cars, the bulk OF the
winter travel between the Pacific and
| Atlantic States will come by way OF
New Orleans. Passengers will thus
avoid the rigors- of the more Northern
latitude of the Union and Central roads.
and escape the discomforts OF the SHOWS
which so frequently obstruet the passes
of the Rocky Mountains. We are aware
that IL great highway. attractive TO
travellers, popular and remoneTative by
reason of its large business, a not be
built up in a season; but We have a
hopeful beginning which may be al
ready regarded as a guarantee of sue
cess.
The completion of this route, to-
gether with cur own New Orleans and
Pacific, and the roads now in operation
.~ - Az rSn,nt IF hninn GrinEpH on
the east side of tho Mississippi, will
make this city one of the greatest rail
way centres in the country, and change
our heretofore business seasons of five
months duration to prolonged activity
throughout the year. W. just begin to
realize what the sanguine people ofNew
Orleans a generation ago only dreamed
of. To secure, partially, the advan-
tages we already possess, the Legisla-
ture of the forties and fiftles granted ia
vorable charters and liberal assistance
in the way of subscriptions, loans of
bonds and in other ways. The war and
fulfllment of all the rosy hopes, and
many of the men, who were distinguish
ed for their public spirit and influence,
have passed away forever. Few or none
of those who originated the idea OF
building the Nashville road, the New
Orleans, jackson and Great Northern,
or the Opelousas and Great Western,
own an interest in the roads which have
since been built, and probably not one
of them holds an important position in
one of the existing companies. But their
example, in trying to do and doing what
they could with the limited means al
command, has borne its appropriate
fruit. New Orleans has been converted
from q great steamboat landing, where
the products of a limited jurisdiction
were received and shipped to Europe
and sent coastwise and up the river, te
a general entrepot for goods from al
parts of the world, and especially al
sections of the North American cont
nent. None of our great roads are likel,
to be of more value to US in the future
than this Southern Pacific, Including
the Morgan Company's importan
section. We have not yet begun Il
experience the magnitude of the trad,
and travel it will eventually build ny
between New Orleans and all the town
and cities as far away to the westward
as the continent stretches, and those OF
the lines of its numerous connections.