The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1900-08-25
A New
Rail Road
Project for New Iberia of
Great
Importance to the Town, and
Which Deserves
The Greatest Attention From
Our People.

On Saturday last an IBERIAN
reporter met Hon. Overton Cade
on the west bound local. Mr.. Cadc
was going to High Island, Texas,
for a few days to rest and recupe-
rate. During the course of CONVEX
satiOn Mr.. Cade said, "a positive
movement has been begun to get a
railroad from New Iberia out to
the Hunter Canal section" Feel
ing at once interested the IBERIAN
man asked the following questions
and Mr.. Cade made the answers as
given.
Where Will this road begin,
what will be its course, and where
will it end!
We want it to begin at New
Iberia, going west through the Fifth
ward of Iberia. the Fourth ward
of Lafayette and two wards of
Vermilion, | think they are the
Sixth and Eighth, along the Hun
ter Canal, terminating at Westcr
Ogle. The distance will be about
81 miles.
Who is at the head OF this move
ment!
l suppose Mr.. Gammille, the su-
perintendent of the Hunter Canal,
and myself are at the head of it,
but it is very popular out our way.
What plans have you outlined
to enable you to build it9
So far we thought we would get
the above four wards to vote a )
mill tax for ten years. We esti-
mate this will give us between
$40, 900 and $50, 900; then we think
the New Iberia capitalists will
give us help III the matter. Mr..
Gammille and myself wish to go
to New Iberia soon to consult with
them about the matter. We think
with the above start, bonds can be
issued and the work gone on with.
You do not expect New Iberia
to vote five mill tax, do You!
No, we do not. But as the road
will be of the greatest Importance
to New Iberia. we feel that her
business men will probably see
that it will be to their interest to
help put it through.
What will be the immediate
benefits to accrue to New Iberia
from such road!
There will be the biggest ton
mage hauled over it of any road OF
that length in the state. The Hun
ter Canal the first year has ID,
900 acres Of rice in cultivation and
will have $4,000 in the next three
years. At 10 sacks per acre this
will be SOC, 900 sacks OF rice alone.
Then there will be cotton, cane,
chickens, eggs, lumber, groceries
aud other general freight. Then
the Hunter Canal people would get
all their coal brought in barges up
the Teche to New Iberia, trans
ferred and hauled to them. They
use an enormous tonnage OF coal
The road would pay a handsome
dividend from its inception. All
this rice could, and probably would
be milled in New Iberia, making
that town rice centre which
would rival or surpass Crowley.
Mills would be erected there just
as they have been at Crowley. This
would mean much for your town,
and then there are other benefits.
Your banks, wholesale houses, IN
fact every branch of business
would feel it Immediately. There is
already a good deal of immigra-
ton OH the Hunter Canal and there
would be much more.
Is that country susceptible OF
much more developement!
Yes, very much more.
You say your people are interest
ed. DO you think the four wards
you name will pass five mill tax
for that purpose9
I am satisfied that three OF them
will not only do this, but that the