The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1902-12-06
IMPORTANT TO LAFAYETTE
Southern Pacific to Make
Through Connection
With Red River VAL
ley at Alexandria.

Tuesdays States, will be read
with interest," by the people of
Lafayette:
There is Il very well-grOunded
belief in well-Dos.cd railroad cir
cles that within the next twelve
months the Southern Pacific will
be a competitor of the Texas and
Pacific Railroad in the North
Louisiana business, owning or
controlling practically direct
line between New Orleans and
Shreveport.
Several facts lead to this be-
lief. AS it at present stands the
Southern Pacific needs only to
build a gap of 25 miles between
Cheneyville and Alexandria to
connect with the Shreveport and
Red River Valley Railroad to
close the link that would give
New Orleans a new direct rail
connection with the thriving
North Louisiana city, passing as
we'll through the most abund-
antly fertile and productive
agricultural section of the State
with particular possibilities in
the matter of controlling i very
large amount of cotton hauling.
The Southern Pacific's line from
New Orleans to Shreveport, if
put into effect, would be over the
main line to Lafayette: from La
fayette the Cheneyville branch
runs almost due north to Cheney
vile, where a junction with the
Texas and Pacific is made
From Cheneyville to Alexandria
the Southern Pacific at present
uses the Texas and Pacific, but
if the 25 miles gap were closed,
the Southern Pacific's rails would
connect with those Of the Shreve
port and Red River Valley on the
Southern side of the Red River.
From there the Shreveport and
Red River Valley crosses it's new
steel bridge and follows the
eastern bank of the Red River
into Shreveport and thus the
new through line between New
Orleans and Shreveport would
be formed.
A fact most significant in sub
sanitation of the report that the
Southern Pacific would make
this move, is that the Southern
Pacific has sold tickets from
New York, via the Morgan
steamship line to New Orleans,
and through to Shreveport over
the Shreveport and Red River
Valley Railroad. Mr.. Edenborn s
road is a valuable property and
has been in operation since last
May and there can be no ques-
ton but that either the Texas
and Pacific would like to own or
control it to get the Southern
Pacific out of the field, or that
the Southern Pacific would like
to own or control it so as to gain
an entrance into a very rich and
prod ctive territory. By the
fact that tickets sold by the
Southern Pacific to Shreveport
are routed over the Shreveport
and Red River Valley it would
appear as if the big transcOnti-
line had gotten the inside
track and if it does not own, it
at least has very close traffic
with the Edenborn
road.
It may have been that the
Texas and Pacific had this pos
in view when it began to
it's new line between
Cypress and Shreveport along the
west bank of the Red River, the |
S. & r. r. V. running along the |
eastern bank. When this road |
is completed, which it is expected |
TO be in less than year, the
Texas and Pacific not only will |
traverse another splendid cotton
section but will have a water |
evel route and as well be able to
avoid the heavy grades now ne
cessary to overcome on the main
line between Cypress and
With water level