The Washington herald., 1909-05-09

cad the Xazco and 4llsslSslppi valley j
sbsidia-y branch Of the Illinois Central
.sihin the past eighteen months enc new
INK line. The Louisiana Railway and
,ayigation Company, has built through
e city from Shreveport 10 New Orleans.
he Illinois Central has made direct con-
ection from the East over the Baton
-.ouge. Hammond and Eastern. The
frisco and the Rock Island are rushing
= completion their construction work to
nter over the Colorado Southern from
exas
The Hartman lines are racing with the
}avidson interests 10 beat them into
-ztua Rouge before autumn over the
afayette-Bston Rouge short line from
e West. and the Texas and Pacific, on
e western bank Of the Mississippi, Is
aiming ard working 10 put into effect
e long dreamed Of trunk line from New
-leans 10 St. Louis, paraileling the great
yer
Two years ago Baton Rouge was on q
ELF, with DO outlet either 70 the East or
-e West. River traffic was dead. The
euIy railroad touching the town was a
lbline. and the Illinois Central ignored
.-le city's existence.
All that Has Changed.
By autumn Baton Rouge viii be located
4 the shortest Iow-grade rail route from
"a Atlantic 10 the Pacific. and can ship
l-eight direct over seven trunk lines Ac-
lording TO the standard statistics OF the
-1st CT moving freight by rail and wafer.
Z eight tons Of freight OF a given class
ere originated in Baton Rouge next au-
.lnn. destined one for Los Angeles, one
II Savannah. one for Chicago, and one
or Pittsburg. one for Liverpool and one
t-r Hongkong, one for BUenos Ayres. and
re for Cape Town. the total cost on the
c.ght tons would be less than on eight
,ons OF such freight so destined from any
,.her point on the Mississippi River from
IS source 10 its mouth
Tlis expansion in rail transportation
facilities. with unsurpassed water trans
yortatIon advantages. attracted the alter
ION Of the Standard Oil Company early
d 1903. Two months ago this corpora
Ion purchased % acres OF land above the
ity for S4S,Ge0. and Is building what its
fhcers say viii be its largest refinery
nd distributing plant in the Southern
states. from which il win conduct not
only its domestic, but its trans-sea ex.
ort business. Ire plant calls for a per
i.lsnent investment here Of S2,o09.600 and
90 workmen are busy al the great task
I'ipe lines are projected from the Stand
s,rdfs holdings in Southwestern Louisiana
n the Caddo field near Shreveport, and IN
oklahoma
VIII Pipe Natural Gas.
Within six months the Busch -Everette
ayrdicate Of St Louis. with vast holdings
4 the Caddo natural gas fields, has OBJ
tzined a ffty-year franchise to supply the
city Of New Orleans with natural gas.
Their right Of way lies through Baton
Rouge, and Il IS planned 10 establish here
a substation and crossing under the Mis-
sissippi River. thus guaranteeing 20 Baton
2ouge the same advantage in cheap nat
lral fuel that New Orleans viii possess
Indeed. being nearly one-thIrd the total
distance nearer the source OF the gas. the
position Of Baton Rouge should insure her
even better terms for factories and indus
trial enterprises.
Something over one year ago the Stone
Webster Company, Of Boston. purchased
the street railway. the electric lighting
and the gas plant in Baton Rouge. re-or-
ganized au into the Baton Rouge Electric
Company, and has since then spent over
500 90 II betterments and improvements.
Il has planned extensions which VIII
make the Baton Rouge electric road one
Of its most extensive Southern proper
ties. There are low on foot several tenta-
tive propositions looking 70 interurbaa
electric roads 70 connect Baton Rouge
with other points
Its Advantages Advertised.
During the year the Baton Rouge board
OF trade he's inaugurated and pursued
With what means It had az It's disposal, in
the face OF the financial depression and
the uncertainty preceding the Presidential
election. e campaign Of publicity TO put
before the people Of the entire Middle
States. as wei as prospective investors
everywhere. the advantages and facilities
this community has TO offer.
Us artesisn wafer, % Per cent pure; It's
death rate OF 3 per Loo, its Louisiana
State University. already smulating the
University Of Wisconsin; It's splendid sys-
ten OF public schools. its drainage, its
sewerage system. IFS paved streets, good
hotels. and beautiful location on high
land. far above the alIuvial valley 70 the
west and south, have all been advertised
through the medium Of the Chicago news
papers, through class publications,
through circuiarizing, and through the
columns OF the Southern press.
Good Results Follow.
This work has borne good results. and
besides being largely instrumental in call
ing Baton Rouge 10 the attention OF the
Standard Oil and 70 the Busch-Evererre
syndicate, has resulted IN a mass Of COR
respOndsnee from prospective investors
and homo seekers.
Among the enterprises which have had
their eyes turned 70 Baton Rouge IS the
Louisiana Feed Products Company, which
has purchased an extensive tract Of
ground here. and IS planning z great fac
tory 70 utilize the by-products Of the
sugar plantations and Of the cotton oil
mills in connection with the better known
foodstuffs. such as alfalfa, lespedeza. and
t-tA--r ~ WILL AoAA4lcLS " lLlls SecLloT
have turned since the invasion OF the boil
weeviL
4 canning factory has been inaugurated.
and the Planters about Baton Rouge are
this year experimenting on q large scale
II truck and fruit growing. Inquiry look
ing % The establishment here Of knit
ting mill, Of an overall factory, and OF a
furniture factory is now being attended 10
by the board OF trade.
F. B. McQUEETY.
SeTetary. Boo1d q Trade