The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1906-09-01
The Louisiana Railway
VIII Enter Crescent 6itu in a
Few Weeks,
And VIII be One of the Most ImDOr-
tant Lines in the South.
IN. 0. Plcayune, Aug. %. ]

tant railroad, the Louisiana Rail-
way and Navigation Company. At
the present time the entire line
between New Orleans and Shreve-
port is constructed except for a gap
of twelve miles. This is being
rapidly built, and within a few
weeks trains will be running into
and out of New Orleans over this
artery of commerce.
When completed the Louisiana
Railway and Navigation Company
will be one of the most important
short lines, not only in Louisiana,
but in the entire South. It traver-
ses one of the richest sections of
the country, running from Shreve-
port down the Red River Valley
to the Mississippi River. Crossing
there, a good hill country is trav-
ersed to about Port Hudson, when
the Mississippi Valley is entered,
and from that point to New Orleans
it traverses section than which
there is none richer. In handling
cotton and general business, and
in furnishing short route through
Shreveport and Alexandria from
the Northwest, the Louisiana Rail-
way and Navigation Company will
originate and handle a business
which it is believed in railroad cir
cles will soon average as much per
mile as that handled by any other
railroad line entering the city.
At the present time the con-
struction is all completed and
trains are in operation between
Shreveport and Water Valley, or
Naples, where the Mississippi riv-
er is to be crossed. The transfer
across the river will be made by
the William Edenborn, a powerful
towboat, which has just been COM
pleted and which will reach Naples
about Sept Is.
The William Edenborn is named
for the President and owner of the
road, and was built in Cincinnati.
It is one of the largest vessels of
its kind on the river and will tow
barges handling the cars across.
At the same time facilities will be
installed for furnishing meals to
passengers while the transfer is
being made, the crossing being at
a point about halfway between New
Orleans and Shreveport.
The eastern landing of the trans
fer will be Angola From that
point to a point in st. Charles par
ish opposite Sarpy Station the
Company's line has been complet-
ed, and most of the side tracks
have been put in and most of the
station houses built or nearly So.
From New Orleans northward
the road has been completed for a
distance of fifteen miles, leaving a
l2-mile gap in st. Charles parish.
The grading of this portion of the
line has been completed, and all
that now has to be done is to lay
the steel.
In order to have everything in
readiness for the opening up of the
line at the earliest possible time
the Company is now having its
telegraph system constructed, the
poles having been placed and the
wires strung for the entire distance
between New Orleans and Shreye-
port. The line between Shreve-
port and Mansura has been in serv-
ice two years.
Pending the completion of the
line and the operation of the en-
tire road the Company has adver-
tised the operation of the following
divisions: The Alexandria diyis-
ion, between Shreveport and Alex
andria; the Naples division, be-
tween Alexandria and Naples; the
Winfield division, between Winn-
field and Aloha; the Angola-Eden-
born division, between those two
points. The only service out Of
New Orleans is at present the con-
struction trains, but a freight serv-
ice is operated in connection with
the other lines connecting with the
completed portion of tho road.
tits the expectation OF the Com
pany to have the entire line COM
pleted by Oct. ID, in time to take
care of the fall business, and espe-
cially to participate in the move
ment of the crops. With this idea
in view, arrangements are being
made to occupy buildings now on
the terminals, pending the out
come of several appropriation suits
that will be tried in the near fu-
ture, and the construction of the
|depots and freight sheds. All
of these structures are to be Of the
most modern construction, and
equipped with all the latest appli-
Il