The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1905-10-26
COTTON BELT IMPROVEMENTS.
From Arkansas Gazette.]

from Arkansas Gazette.]
Among the general improve
ments going on with the railroad
systems operating in Arkansas
those of the Cotton Belt are not
the least. Within a very short
time more than S., 900, 0O0has been
spent in the betterment of tracks
from Texarkana east and north,
and many new and expensive
stations have been erected. At
Camden new station in keeping
with the Importance of the place
has been completed, and is the
pride of the city and the road.
At Jonesboro also a new station
has been erected, which, it is
thought, will care for the increas-
ing business of the road for sew
eral years to come.
The tracks from Texarkana east
have been relaid with 75-pound
steel, the grades have all been
ballasted with cut stone, and the
condition of the entire property
greatly improved.
At Pine Bluff, where the shops
are located, additions have been
made which will operate to greatly
increase the output of the plant.
New machinery has been estab-
lished there, more room has been
provided and the shops generally
enlarged.
| At Texarkana the yards have
been increased until at this time
the work of the road can be done
rapidly and with ease. The COM
pany hospital at Texarkana is one
of the most complete in the coun-
try. Here all the sick and injured
employees of the system are taken
care of and the building, which
is new one, is fitted with all the
modern appliances for the best
care of these cases.
The Shreveport branch, from
Lewisville, Ark, to Shreveport,
La, has been relaid with 75-pound
steel and the road generally inn
proved. At Shreveport the
Shreveport Bridge and Terminal
Company, which is controlled by
the Cotton Belt, is erecting steel
bridge across the Red River. The
stage of the river has delayed the
work on the structure, but salts
| factory progress is now being
made in the construction of the
PIERS. of which there will be eight,
and the raising and setting of the
superstructure will begin at an
early date. Most of the steel fol
the bridge has been delivered and
there will be no cessation in ope-
rations after the lower part of the
structure has been completed
The engineers hope to have the
bridge open for traffic some time
in the early part of December
next. The upper part of the bridge
will consist of one 150-foot span
two 300 foot fixed spans and one
draw span 296 feet and nine inches
in length. It's capacity will be
equal to the heaviest loads which
can be sent over it, and will NEAR
much, not only to Shreveport ane
the Eewisville branch, but also t.
! the entire Cotton Belt system.
While the improvements in Ar
kansas have been great, the cree
ton of the mammoth bridge a
Thebes has been of particular in
terest to the business life of tn,
) State. At limo the road has ex'
pended mint of money, in con
I nection with the bridge, and tn
heretofore congested condition
! incidental to the lack of means o
. crossing the Father Of Waters a
t Memphis and st. Louis has beef
! relieved by the new bridge at tina
point.
I. While the Cotton Belt is saying
. little, its management has beef
I, saving wood, and it is now in
position to make itself felt in tn
g industrial development of tn
n State. 1t has we'll been said tina
: the railroads are the arterie
]: through which pulsate the com
1 merce of the nation, but it is ais
t often true that the railroads fur
e nish the primary cause for tn
Q commerce. In the case of tn
4 Cotton Belt this is true in til
: present instance. It is the inten