The Opelousas courier., 1894-05-05
A Railroad from Port Barre to ST. Mar
tinville and Abbeville.

actton Will ItlcltuCe W lue plOpUStu
extension of the T. & P. branch from
bay, by way of Port Barre, Leonville,
Arnaudville, Breaux Bridge, st. Mar
tinville or Lafayette and Abbeville.
A~rnaudville, La, April 18th, "a.
Pursuant to a call Il meeting of the
citizens of Arnaudville. La, was held
ON the 18th day Of April. at which were
present 43 interested parties.
On motion it was resolved that Hon.
Charles Clay be appointed president,
and A. Z. DuriO, Esq, secretary.
meeting which was to take place to Sc
cure, if possible, the passage at this
place of a proposed extension of a
branch road by the Texas Pacific, which
is to run from their main line in St.
Landry parish to Port Barre, Leonville,
Arnaudville and Breaux Bridge and
then the road to 60 either to st. Martin
vile or Lafayette.
The chair appointed a committee Of
fouT, m tssfs. e: n n fs3gaf; 2. = Ber=
nard. Q~uebedeau and A. A. Durio to con-
fer with similar committees, which will
take place at st. Martinville OF the Goth
day of April.
(sgned) A. P. DuR1o, Secretary.
The proceedings of the st. Martin
Vile meeting appeared in the last issue
of the Messenger and read as follows:
st. Martinyille, April 26, 1894.
Pursuant to a call made by the citi-
zens of Arnaudyille, st. Landry parish,
La. this meeting was called to order by
Robert Martin, Esq.
The following were the duly accredit-
ed delegates: From Port Barre, DR.. j.
P. Saizan from LeonviIle, DR.. H. Cha
Aler6, Emile Robin, Ovignac Dore,
Frank Qu6b6deaux from Arnaadville,
D. H. Bernard, A. 2. Durio, A. A.
Qu6b6deaux and L. M. Roger; from
Breaux Bridge Cyprien Melaneon, DR..
Louis Fourgeaud, Judge j. 0. Bourdier
and Albert D~omengeaux; from St.
Martin Vile, Q. M. Nelson, James Simon,
Frank T. Guilbeau, Felix Bienvenu,
Robert Martin.
The meeting was permanently or
ganized by the unanimous election of
Robert Martin, Esq, Chairman and AL
bert F. Domengeaux, Secretary.
The Chairman then stated the object
of the meeting and welcomed the dele.
cations in the nsme of the Board of
Trade of st. Martinville, incidentally
stated that he had received a letter
from DR.. Saizan, delegate from Port
Barre, saying that they would be here
by the evening train, but the meeting
having been called for noon this day, on
motion it was decided that it proceed
to business.
After the general debate and discus
sion on the subject matter of this meet
ing the Chairman called Mr.. James ST.
mon to the Chair and offered the fol-
lowing resolutions which were unanim-
ously adopted.
Whereas, the fertile Valley Of the
Teche from Port Barre to St. Martin
vile, the head waters of navigation of
the Teche, a distance of forty-fve miles
on an average width of miles of
full Of developed and undeveloped re-
sources, easy Of drainage and cultiva-
ton, free of overflow and of untold pos
sibilities, if the sugar industry Of this
country be in the least protected by
legislation, thickly Inhabited by peace
full and industrious small farmers, is
most of the year deprived of the means
of transportation for the shipment of
their produce to market;
And whereas the produce coming
| from said section and now finding its
way to market through primitive means
Of transportation, exceeds in freight
alone, over $4,000, the facts and figures
of which can be produced if necessary ;
And whereas owing to the natural
formation of said country which is level
and free of sWamps, ponds and cOulees,
the construction of a railroad would be
Of minimum cost in proportion of the
revenues which it would derive the first
year, without taking into consideration
its future development;
And whaPeaS if ia the desire Of the
people living in said Valley of the
Teche to be given the facilities of trans
%portatiOn and easy communication with
the markets of the world;
Be it resolved, that it is the wish Of
the people living in said country, repre-
sented at this meeting by duly ac-
credited delegates, that a committee Of
five, one from each section, be appoint
ed, whose mission it shall be to give aid,
encouragement, help and assistance to
any corporation that will construct a
standard gauge railroad from st. Mar
tinville to Port Barre or from Port Bar
re to st. Martinvelle, following the
Bayou Teche or as much thereof as
possible.
And to place before their proper au-
thorities the statistics, showing the ex-
tent of the territory cultivated and not
| subject to overf1ow-the extent Of Guilt
vable land not subject to overflow
| the extent of cultivated land subject to
| OverflOw-the extent of timbered land
| easy Of accessible small division Of
property which is cultivated mostly by
farmers owning their own lands and
the population of said country;
Resolved that said committee proceed
at once and place these matters before
the officials Of the Texas Pacific rail
road, the Southern Pacific railroad or
any other company, and invite them to
visit this section and see for themselves
that these allegations are true to the
letter.
Resolved that if for any cause, said
companies will not undertake to COM
mence building said proposed road
that said committee is hereby requested
companies and offer to them the same
advantages, free right of way, depot
grounds, our good will, ETC., as far as it
lays in their power;
Resolved that copies of the proceed
iDgs of this meeting be forwarded to
the papers of st. Landry and st. Mar
tin parishes and to the Times Democrat
and Picayune of New Orleans, for pub
LEGATION.
In accordance with above resolutions,
the temporary Chairman appointed on
said mentioned committee-RObert
Martin, Albert F. Domingeaux, DR.. Ell.
Chachere, J.. M. Roger and DR.. j. p.
Saizan.
On motion Of Frank T. Guilbeau,
Esq, and seconded, it was resolved that
a committe of two from each locality,
chosen by the delegation from each To-