The Opelousas courier., 1898-10-15
New Railroad for OpelOusas.

The following from the Crowley
Signal of the 9th will doubtless be
read with interest by our readers
as it concerns projett that is of
vital Importance to Opel ,usas and
St. Landry as well as CrdtHley and
Acadia :
A meeting of representative cit
liens and business men was held
Monday night at the Office of W.
w. Duson s. Bro. for the purpose
of perfecting a permanent organlza-
ton for the promotion of the new
proposed railroad from NatcheZ or
Alexandria to Opelousas and
Crowley. The meeting was the re-
suit of a call made by Jude L. Ii.
Lewis of Cpelousas, president OF
the projected line.
Miron Abbot was on motion sell
ected as chairman OF the meeting
and Capt. j. NJ. Taylor and ). Il.
Nixon secretaries.
Judge Lewis was called upon,
and exclaimed the history of the
projected line of road, it's incorpo.
ration, the provisions OF its char
ter, amonnt of capital stock, shares,
etc. Tie said the contemplated in
itial point of tho road was Natchez,
Miss, giving it connection there
with the great trunk line of the H.
linoise Central and it's feeders, to
run south via Palmetto OH the Tex
as Pacific thence by Opelousas to
Crowley, and eventually to the
Gulf near Southwest Pass. Or If
satisfactory arrangements could not
be made with the lllinoise Central
managers, the road could be made
to connect with the Iron Mountain
trunk line, of the Gould system, at
Alexandria, which had connections
with several other roads OF the
west. Either of these routes were
feasible ones, passing through rich
agricultural lands and timber belts
that would give large freights and
travel to the road.
Mr.. Lewis said according to lines
already run that the gradients
would be light Oh either route,
which statement was confirmed by
civil engineers Foote and Bradford
who were present; Mr.. Bradford
having already made a survey OF
the line from Crowley via Opelousas
Washington on to Palmetto. On
an approximate estimate Of the cost
of building the road, MIR Foote said
that the grading would be about
$1,000 to the mile, ties 81, 600, steel
rails $4,000, right-of-way, twelve
| acres to the mile, aggregatlng
$4,000 per mile for building and
$4,000 for equipment.
The distance from Crowley to
Natchez is 127miles and from Crow
lev to Alexandria is about 90 miles,
both routes passing through q level
| country that would assure the build
ing of road at a minimum expense.
Mr. Lewis said:
"Both the Illinois Central con
Meeting at Natchez, and the Iron
Mountain connecting at Alexandria,
| would be strong competing lines OF
| the Southern Pacific or Huntington
System, and put down freights to
such low figures that new industries
would spring up all over the
county. Both of these continental
lines have bnilt up and promoted
truck farming and fruit growing in
dustries along their lines i'll Louisi
ana, giving new resources of revenue
to our fasmers and enhancing the
value of our lands two-fold above
former prices. With the building
of this projected line either to Nat
chez or to Alexandria the farmers
of Southwest Louisiana will enjoy
same cheap increased facilities o1
transportation and lands will more
than double in value. Then your
people will have new outlet fol
their rice at greatly reduced rates
sure market for all their veg
etables and fruits that can be raised
and be relieved of the eXtOrtiOnatt
monopoly of one railroad tha
charges what it pleases and take!
it's own time to deliver Shipments
Mr.. Lewis paid high compliment
to the push, enterprise and liber
ality of the citizens of Crowley ant
Acadia parish, and said from thes'
very facts the movement to built
this projected line Of road shoult
be inaugurated and led by our pro
gressive citizens. In his town, Ope
lousas, the.capital was in the hand
of a few persons who preferred t
loan money on purely local invest
ments, and who were too shor
sighted to foster larger enterprise
that conducted to prosperity OF tn
, whole country.
10 this end he suggested that
| motion be made for the appoint
ment of committee of representa-
tive citizens to take full charge c
ag1tating the enterprise and to ca
; a general meeting at all early da
ITO put the ball to-moving" and Il
cal papers give their valuable assi'
tance. 1t will be the duty of thi
committee to gather data and stats
tics, showing the rapid developmer
OF our immense resoupses, our can'
system, rice acreage and larg
shipments of rice to markets OF tt