St. Landry democrat., 1890-10-18
Why Not Do It?

|. lie country around us seems Oh t
# alert, and to be up and doing. r
rapid increase of the rice crop, and j
gravitation to this town as the mo
accessible and Therefore convene,
! shipping point, has secured to onr me
;, chants the customary profits arisir
from the handling of it.
I by multiplying the inducements
the farming community the produt
ton may he increased ten, or twent
told within very short period of time
Lake Charles is exe1tiDg every eflor
and using all available means, to exten
its tcntacles into every producing dis
trlct OF country accessible to il. W
lind 1t running railroad to tie west o
Opelonsas, at no great distance from us
which is intended and destined to draw
the products of the country to it
Farmers will naturally carry their pro
ducts to the most convenient points
/ Capital will follow the railroad lust a,
certainly as the wires of the telegrapl
and telephone. A moments's reflection
must teach onr merchants that, if the,
sleep until aroused by the whistle of the
Lake Charles Road as the train passes
on its way to Alexandria, or, from Alex.
andrla to that town--:hcy must lose the
freight that it will attract.
We have not the space for an extend
ed article on the subject, but, ncvcrthe-
less we venture to suggest to them, the
present necessity of taking similar steps
to retain the trade they already have,
and to secure its increase.
Call a meeting gentlemen, appoIDt n
committee to confer with the magnates of
MorSau's L. q I. Road, aud as speedily
as possible. project road to run west,
to some advisable terminal point. You
may thus hold your trade. If yon ne
glect tit will soon or late leave you.
we can see DO reason why Opelousas
should lag behind the Surrounding
towns on the road to prosperity. By
proper efforts, methndically directed, it
can be made to rival New Iberia, or
even out-strip it. The country west
and northwest is widely extended.
The soil is fertile and the air salubrious.
We need cnterpriSin2 citizens to de-
Telope its capacities, and if they are not
% be found, Opelousas, will wither like
paralyzed limb.
A few months ago, some of our mer-
'hants prudently undertook to make q |
|irt road from here to Prudhomme city, |
distance Of fifteen miles. 1t was COM
'leted recently, and the benefits to the
own OF Opelousas, resulting from it, are
cknoWlcdged. We may hence con-
lude that llilroad extending beyond
here with all its superior advantages
! expediting freishts, would prove pro-
ortionably advantageous, and in ad-
ition to this, secure the trade last
Ugly. l
Merchants do you not see it, Then ]
G up and doing. Time is flying and
'e lancet of competition is about being I
uck in the veins that carry the vital
ing commerce to the heart of st. Ian i
~. Morgan's L. s. T. Road could I
adily be made to see how it can he c
,nefited, if not a great deal at present, '
in the near future. The DOS t
bic resources of the magnificent t
untry through which such a feeder
uld be extended are simply incalcula- d
e at this time, We sincerelv hona il
is opportune moment may not be un- Fl
allied OF. The poet tells us, "There's Ii
tide in the affairs of men, which taken d
the flood, leads on to fortune" e