St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-11-16
l Union Railway Line.

I
and freight, as we'll as for the con
venlcnce Of the passengers and tn
shippers, and to save time and ex
peIse, union depots have been es
tablished at important points
Upon the same idea, air line road
have been constructed III man,
States, and SO apparent is tn
utility of these union depots ant
air line roads, thai, usually, it suf
fees to point out favorable points
for their operation, to secure their
construction.
1t is passing strange, therefore,
that the rule in these matters which
appears to have been quite gener'
ally followed in the greater part Of
the country, has SO far defaultej
in the case of a railroad that would
link East and West Louisiana with
the entire railroad system of the
State. In saying this we have
reference to the projected road
running East from Baton Rouge to
Hammond and Covington. Gov
ington would be reached by Baton
Rouge with only IS miles of rail.
From Cov,ngton there is already a
branch road of about 20 miles
which joins the Northeastern rail-
way known as the Queen and
Cresceat.) An addition of 20 miles
to this branch road, would give a
connection at Bay st. Louis with
the Louisville and Nashville rail-
road aud Mobile. Thus, only IS
miles of railroad would unite Baton
Rouge with the Illinois Central,
the Northeastern and the Louisville
and Nashville, and at the same
time give TO these various roads a
short line connection with each
other; also with the Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley, the Texas Pa
citic, and the Mississippi river, at
Baton Rouge, TO which point it is
as navigable as at New Orleans,
the year round. Going westward.
road of only 50 miles would con-
necb Baton Rouge with Lafayette,
which lies on the Southern Pacific
at the distance of l46 miles from
New Orleans.
We can thus see how this short
line which requires only 1877 miles
of roadway for its completion,
would he a verltable cut off for an
elbow in our railroad system, and
a short line uniting all Of our trunk
fines. The saving to travellers and
shippers, aud to the roads, would
pay for the construction Of the
new line inside of six months. 1t
shoul,, also be considered that the
50 miles OF road between Lafayette
and Baton Rouge, can be built
above the flood lines, and that the
rest of the line from Baton Rouge
to, say Bay st. Louis, OH the Louis
vile and Nashville, would natur-
ally rest upon ground that is be-,
You'd the possibility Of lnanda-
tion, from crevasses IN the levees,
or from the storms III the gulf
VIII oh occasionally interfere with
the operation OF the Louisville and
Nashville.
We have no hesitation in assert
ing that no existing. nor any other
projected line in the United
States, of equal length, presents
so many advantages. or certaintles
Of paying dividends, as does this
line, for the construction of which
the city OF Baton Rouge offers a
subsidy Of two mills upon its taxa
BILE property for4ten years.
We have no doubt that, with a
proper canvass beginning at Hous-
ton, and extending through Beau.
Lake Charles, Jennings,
Lafayette, Beaux Bridge,
Baton Rouge, Hammond, Coving-
ton, Bay St Louis and Mobile,
enough money would at once be
10 the stock to build a
section Of the line offering enough
security for a loan with which the
rest could be easily finished. This
matter il of lncalcuable concern to
the oil and rice interests Of South
west Louisiana, which would be
given an outlet 10 the Mississippi
shorter by 80 miles than the one
they now have, and which would
strike the great river 100 miles
above New Orleans. Of equally
vast Importance would this line be
to the great lumber interests in
East Louisiana and Mississippi,
and, as Baton Rouge would be a
large beneficiary in this road, we
would suggest t. our leading citl-
GEMS that they form committee to
visit the places referred TO, TO en-
ist the aid and CO. peration Of their
vide awake people in this enter