The leader., 1900-04-25
THE TRUNK LINES
into new ORLEANS
Are Awake to the Ports Ever-Growing
Importance,
And Are Adding to Their Facilities
and Equipment,
To be Prepared for the Vast Volume
Of Business.
New Territory Being Constantly
Added, and New Business Seek
ing this Favored Gateway.

| railroad officials seem to believe tn
future is much brighter with proms'
of greater opportunity than the pas
has ever presented.
The lines entering this city have beer
feeders to this ports commerce fol
years, but there is every indication tina
there will be other lines entering here
before many more years have rolled
around. 1t Is generally conceded tha
one other big trunk line Is due here
| from the west during the next ten years
and there are found plenty Of railroad
| men who will wager that another big
trunk line from the east will knock al
| this city's doors for entrance long be
fore ten years have elapsed. Just what
roads these are will be shown as time
comes on apace.
New Orleans Is particularly interested
just now in the lines already enjoying
| privileges within its gates. Some OF
| these, working hard for the advance
| ment of their traffic. are, in doing
lance of the city. Others seem to be
| more welded elsewhere. and hence dc
not enjoy at the hands of the New
Orleans public such a warm welcome as
they would otherwise receive were they
more inclined to modulate their corpo-
rate lives upon the good old doctrines
contained in the give and take adage.
A line doing much for the advancement
or this eitys commercial prosperity is
THE ILLINOIS CENTRAL.
a. road which traverses the great Mis-
sissippi valley country, section where
the future feedstuffs of the United States
have been said to exist. The Illinois
Central'S facilities are exceptionally
good, and every year additions are made
TO them. In the handling of the enor-
Vrgff flAN 70 4 l..I b. h Is
road, abundant facilities must be ere
ated. The Illinois Central's work in
the development of this port from the
rank of fourth or fifth in grain ship
portance. has prominently Identified 1t
as New Orleans line, and four big ele-
vators loom skyward, attesting to the
stability of the business. This grain
until now, where formerly shipments
were made only during the cooler sea
sons. not day passes the year round
that signs of activity may not be seen
& Stuyvesant docks, where is located
the largest elevator of the four. The
making of this port for all the year
round shipment of export grain was
never realized by the eastern competi-
ton, which believed that on account of
the hot weather here-not half as hot as
New York-only brief season Of the
year could be utilized in handling that
business. The Illinois Central people,
however, have disproven this theory, and
are exporting grain every day.
Necessarily in doing such an immense
business additional track was required,
and this the Illinois Central has secured
The company is now beginning the cree
ton OF track down the river front
from its two elevators at Southport,
above the city some distance, connecting
with the one at Stuyyesant docks, and
when this is completed the company will
be in much better shape for taking care
OF the grain business
This company, too, has some well-de
nned plans with regard to the building
up Of packing house products as an ex-
port Item through this port. Prepare
tory for this business, the largest docks
and wharyes In the city have been built
along the river front at the head of Lou
lslana avenue, and recently q warehouse
which ranks second to none in point Of
superiority of construction and capaci-
ty. The Illinois Central has had these
warehouse facilities provided with
view not only to Dermanency but econ
omy of space, insurance. and handling,
being located alongside the wharves, so
that trains can be loaded or unloaded
with the greatest ease.
In order TO take care Of all this ex-
pected business and all the traffic that
Is now being enjoyed by the company,
better facilities for caring for cars have
been provided. At Harahan. point
some miles above the city, on. the river,
recently, has been completed what Is
tributing and gravity yards in the coun-
try. These yards are well equipped
with some fifty miles or so of side tracks,
and when the connecting link is made
with the -theriVer tracks to the
Louisiana avenue terminals, the company
Will be in a position to care for all ex-
port business in most expeditions man
ner. This company has shown liberality
In its dealings with the city, and the
commercial interests, to which it ever
caters. evidence spirit Of reciprocity,
such lberality on the part of a railroad
being always appreciated.
In the handling of local business, at
the Government yards and along the
river front, the company owns mile after
mile of track, has many warehouses; and
systematic operation of inward and
outward local freight sheds, where there
Is order and dispatch in the handling of
all local business. In the way of pas
senger facilities the company excels.
For the past twelve months the I'LL
nois Central has been introducing better
rolling stock, new engines with greater
capacity, and improved refrigerator cars
for taking care of the immense banana
and fruit traffic. Indeed. this company
Is said to be operating into New Or
leans the best engines used anywhere in
the country.
In the
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
Railroad, New Orleans has a line which
Is calculating upon doing a great deal
of new business, and road whose IA
is, specially interested in the business
which is due from the recently acquired
territory in the south. Cuba and Porto
Rico. Already has the company begun
outlining Its plans for developing this
new business territory through New Or
leans, and, aside from the facilities be-
ing added in the way of new steamships
for the trade, the warehouse and depot
accommodations are being augmented.
The freight depots at Bienville street
have recently had their storage capacity
greatly increased, and those at Poydras
street have been placed in better shape
for business. The Southern Pacific Road
while seemingly interested in developing
Galveston, having recently purchased
property there, yet, as matter Of fact
company has no idea of lessening Its ca
pacity here, but rather Is 1t the inten
| ton to add more and more TO the ia
cilities in New Orleans. For the accom-
ness, which is. growing. all the time
| President Huntington, when in the city
a few weeks ago, was said to have rec
commended certain extensive improve
glers, such as raising them and adding
new hoisting machinery, etc. This Mr.
Huntington did not deny. Certain 1t /
that the company has recently acquired
bly, for the purpose of making other i'm
provements In Its facilities.
This company has decided to put int
the Cuban service right away, With
the next month or two, two new steam
ers, the Chalmette and the Excelsior
The schedule time Of these ships is to b
reduced TO forty-five or forty-six hours
This will greatly increase the receipt
here of Cuban traffic. These ships
too, will have passenger accommodation
for. some forty or fifty people. In ad
dition, four new steamers, to supplan
purposes, will be inaugurated In til
New York business. and they will be 81
perior to those which were formerly 1