St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1890-11-08
The Great Agricultural Outlet of the
World.
THE SHORT ROUTE BY SEA AND LAND TO
THE SOUTH AMERICAN STATES.

THE SHORT ROUTE BY SEA AND LAND II
THE SOUTH AMERICAN STATES.
The whole agricultural Northwest lying
east of the Rocky mountains is looking fol
cheaper outlets for the food supplies o.
the millions The farmers have besiegee
the railroads and Railroad Commissioners
demanding reductions from the common
carriers who take our supplies to the At.
lantic seaboards
All these things are of the utmost i'm
portsnce; but the practical farmer seems
till recently to have lost sight of the fact
that there is an outlet to the sea of less
than half the distance from the centers OF
travel west of the Missouri river to New
! York. This point is at the most northern
projection of the Gulf of Mexico. About
due south of Kansas City, the Gulf has its
northern point, and there it is free from
storms so dangerous, to shipping.
The point that this article intends to call
attention to is at the mouth Of the Calca-
sieu river in Western Louisiana
The construction work OF the E. c. w.
& &. Ry. is now completed, almost the
whole length between Lake Charles and
Alexandria, distance of ninety six miles,
and will he pushed on to Kansas City in
the near future.
Taking Kansas City IS center of busi-
ness it is but about five hundred miles to
the Gulf on this most direct of all routes.
The Calcasieu river Is large stream,
navigable for $50 miles. At its mouth the
shipping enters Calcasieu Pass, which is
800 Ieet wide and a little more than seven
miles in length, with an average depth Of
sixteen feet. Official reports of Govern
ment engineers show that $500, 900 will
open this Pass to depth OF twenty five
feet, and remove the bar in the Gulf.
The K. G. w. & G. R. runs through
district of timber unexcelled by any SINH
lar body in the United States 1t is almost
unbroken for $50 miles. The road now
connects at the south with the Southern
Pacific at Lake Charles, and at the north
at Alexandria with the Texas Pacific, and
thence northwsrd with other roads to
Kansas City, Wichita, Topeka and all the
regions of supplies of cereals.
The grade Is almost level thus far, and
the whole route to Kansas City is Of an
even surface unparalleled for ease of loco
motion by any route on the American con-
tinent.
The timbers consist of all varieties of
oak, ash, cypress, hickory, the long leaf
pine and other useful species. The pine
timber is unexcelled of its character for
useful as we'll as ornamental work. Much
of it has been transported to Mexico for
railroad work; and the ornamental or
curly pine lumber has been transported to
France and made into furniture sets, COM
$1,000 per set in Paris
To the agricultural interest of the tree
less plains, this timber supply is in
And while trains are carrying |
it to the North, their return csrgoes will |
take the productions Of the Northern fields |
TO the seaboard for transportation to the
foreign ports of the world. In sea trans
portation distance is but q small fraction
If expense compared with railway carriage;
but all there is Of that is in favor of Gulf
points in considering our opening trade
With South American States. II we are
% have reciprocity of trade with these
States the West wants to be ready to reach
he Gulf with its supplies. In these States
here is but little to compete with our pro-
luctions.
This is the first practicable point west OF
New Orleans az miles) and opens up
lew port, the, easiest of access from Kan
as City of all the ports on the Gulf. In
conjunction with the Missouri river trade,
makes the quick outlet to sea by rail in
ompetition with water transportation,
nd the short route with both that and the
all to the Atlantic.-Jotnsos County
R1u.) Democrat.