The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-07-12

UDe11na Cyrrespondeuce New England
Newspaper League.)
oHRHvEPoRT. La. June s-rhs city
81 Shreveport. Caddo Parish. La. stands
sL the west bank Of the big Red river Of
che South. On the same spot moro than
- years ago shreveporrs building enter
prdsss began with Q los cabin Today
hundreds OF big public buildings. ware
Nouses. factories and handsome resi-
Asnces are within gunshot Of the site OF
The nrst log cabin. and 5000 human be-
ings live and work on the land that Cap
tain Shreve q Kentuchian, thought was
. good place to found . city. The begin
ming was small, present results are large.
but the future OF this rapidly growing city
s 90 full Of rich promise that there is
be donA- Shreveport has men Of enter
prise and they have never hesitated at
dollars when the advancement Of their
city was to be aided.
Shreveport is S2s miles from New Or
leans by rail and 600 by water. 6N miles
by rail- from st. Louis and 345 miles from
the Mississippi for river connection with
miles from vicksburs. $50 miles from
Dallas and $50 miles from Houston.
Tho city is admirably situated a. .
place Of business and OF residence. The
BLUFFS on which the city is built give ad-
mirable protection against foods and at
the same time give the city . fine natural
drainage through depressions that lead to
~
mits Of the bsauifying of residences and
grounds IN the residential part Of the
oity. In its central territory Shreveport
u very compactly built big business
houses standing side by side In the bust
ness streets.
The incorporated area Of Shreveport,
1000 acres. was originally q part of the
lands owned by tho Caddo Indians who.
In provision OF their treaty with the
government, gave $40 acres to Larkin
Edwards . friendly white man who had
aided them. in 1885 Edwards sold his
claim to Angus McNeil for 5000. and the
latter located the claim on the present
site Of Shreveport, then known as Cane
and Benefits Bluff. and occupied by the
single log cabin, very likely q trading
post May ~. 1886. Captain Henry NJ
ehreve and others became associated with
Mcneil In the Edwards land and agreed
60 build thereon. Thus the building of
Shreveport was begun. Settlers COM
msnosd to crowd into the district before
che end of 1885, and soon the country
around was covered with plantations. On
March 20. 1899, Shreveport was named In
honor OF Captain 6hrevs and chartered
~ the Legislature.
6hreveport's situation on the Red rfvsr
at the then head Of navigation. gavs Il
me greatest commercial Importance and
made Il IN sntrepot Of North Lou
is!ana, Southwest Arkanras and North
eastern Texas, and each added to the
sutsrpriss and capital which was at
tractsd to the city. The products Of
three states and OF Mexico were brought
20 Shreveport by river and wagon train.
The arst railroad OF Shreveport was be-
gun in iHs. and when the civil war
stopped construction there were ss miles
Of track In operation. At this time the
population was about 1000.
This bit OF history gives an idea of |
Shreveport as II was and furnishes an /
interesting and edifying comparison with
Shreveport AZ Il Is. Shreveport OF today |
has six railroad systems with two more |
booking eagerly for q share Of the city's |
Business; Its river is fourth In length |
Of navigation and commercial importance
In the United States. and an enormous
tonnage is annually transported on Its
waters; IL handles annually more than
10000 bales OF cotton and is taking a
foremost position In the market for the
staple; Il has two lines Of electric rail-
way which cost Sl5c.0oo to equip; 1t has
q $4,000 schoolhouse. an $4,000 court
house, a $4,000 city hall and market
Q. $4,000 parish prison building. q
$4,000 government building. q s55.ooo
opera house. q s5c.Ooo charity hospl.
tal and several churches which cost from
e2o.0oo each: II has bridge over the Red
river which cost S25O00o; II has q water
system on which y250.0oo was expended;
Il has Ss.50o.0oo valuation on the land
which Edwards sold for 5000 in 1895: n
has . paid IRE department; II has the
first sewerage system Installed I'm the
Southwest, and Il is being constantly I'm
proved, and IL has six public schools.
four sseminaries and many private
schools. But above all. Il has the men
Hho made all these things poesible.
Shreveport owes nearly everything Il
3as today TO It's young men They have
bUHked for Shreveport without cessation
Cor the last 10 to 20 years. and ell Of
- cifys great progress has been