The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1897-10-30

The Projected Palmetto Railroad.

We hear of no diversity of opinion
concerning the building of roat
from Opelousas, via Washington t.
| Palmetto station on the Texas Pacifi
Railroad. The necessity is appare n t
| OpelOusas and Washington must be ul
and doing, or we will ere long find our
selves in helpless condition, Othe
towns are on the watch tower looking
out for themselves and caring very lit
tie what becomes of others. The peo
pie of Opeiousas and Washington anC
of the eastern side of St. Landry are
deeply interested in what is about to
take place in respect to railroad enter
prises.
We hear from what we believe to be
reliable sonrc6a that the people OF
st. MartiDsvi'e tnd Iberia parish are
making efforts to get road run via
Arnaudville and the other towns east of
us, to Palmetto. If such Il project be
successful, everyone mast see that all
the trade, or at the least, rery much will
be diverted from Opelousas and Wash
iDgtOn where it now comes, and trans
ported to St. Louis or New Orleans,
thus depriving these places of all their
benefits. 1t is useless to mention other
. .weighty reasons at this time, why Ope-
.ousas and Washington should exert
themselves to retain the benefits of this
trade. We may do so later on, should
it be necessary.
At present, the enterprisng citizens
of these towns and vicinities are ap-
pareDtly more concerned about tie
most advisable way of going about the
work. We have heard several theo-
ries proposed. One says the Parish of
ST. Landry should build the road and
own it. Should this plan be adopted,
its government, management and con-
troll would necessarily belong to the
Police Jury. We have the proof that
mon dirt road Of any length in good,
lasting order. And we know, further,
that the road would be made political
concern and be managed to suit fac
ton or party, regardless OF other I'M
portant considerations.
Another plan Is to take as much
stock as we eau and offer the balance
to Jay Gould or to some other railroad
king, he taking care to take no less than
go per cent. of the stock. This would
place the railroad virtually, and in fact,
entirely under his control and manage
ment. Should this plan be accepted,
we may as we'll place or leave the mat
ter in other hands and thus place our
selves at the mercy OF monOpOilSt.
In this event, we might be no better off
than We are, as to rates of transporter
tion. Our facilities might be multi
piled, but our dependence would re-
main the same.
Another suggestion is, that the citi-
zens of the viciDities of Opelousas and
shall take q majority of the
stock OF the road and the merchants of
st. Louis the balance. Thus those
most interested would have the con
troll of the operations of the road. They
would certainly protect themselves,
whilst the merchants of St. Louis
would derive advantages from the pat
ronage offered them for trading with
the people OF St. Landry. These com
would be direct and
speedy and the cost of transportation
would he placed on basis of competi-
ton with M0rgan's Louisiana r. r. and
Company.
We mention, without arguing, these
different suggestions, trusting that the
people interested will give them due
in time for desirable re-
suits.
1t behooves us to do something of a
nature, and it is essential that
t be done promptly.