The weekly Iberian., 1911-09-02
WHO KILLED
COCK ROBIN?

The closing days of December
1909. were frOught with an inter
est colOreG by the deepest enthus
lasm Of the eutir- population o
this city. 1t was the occasion o
the bringing the first locomotive
into the corporation OF New Iberi;
over the rails of the New Iberia 4
. Northern Railroad-a thing TIN
Ipcoplc had long desired.
On Wednesday evening. De
cember Goth, 1909. under the aus
pices of the New iberia Board Of
. Trade, u splendid banquet was
given al the Alma House az the
liEale of the celebration of the
day. The occasion was hOnOred
by the presence of his ExcclIency,
Gov. j. Y. Sanders, u. s. Senator
VI, !. Foster. Albert L. Perkins of
st. Louis, T. M, Johnston, the
contractor who built the road,
Hon. Jules Drryfus, President OF
the New iberia Board of Trade
and toast master at the banquet,
l.. L DuIany, City Attorney,
Hon. +. X. Burke who made the
presentation address, Hon. H N.
Pharr, A. B. Romero, Secretary Of
the N. |. e. N. X. r.; DIR. A
Mayer. Of Opc,ousas; Hon. j. w
Eckart, Secretary Of the N. L
Board of Trade; Hon. w. }
Burke, Judge LEO. Hacker, Roy
Terrell, GEM Ft. Agt. for the
"Flisco" Lines, and scores of other
prominent people.
A conspicuous feature of the
decorations Of the banquet hall
was a life size portrait of Hon.
Frank nj. Welch, tho President Of
the New Iberia & Northern Rail.
road Company. 1t hung in the
center Of the rear wall.
Among the after. dinner speak.
ers was the Hon. p. K. Burke,
who praised tho promoter Of the
road just then finished IN the high
est terms, stating that he had sur.
mounted all barriers and had
brought to frui,iOn long cherished
hopes Of this place. He then pre-
senled Mr.. Welch with a hand
some gold watch as token of the
esteem in which he is held by all
lberians and closed his remarks
with an invitation to give "three
cheers for Franklin nj. Welch."
The assemblage only needed the
prompting and it Justify res
ponded. Mr.. Welch replied. His
manner and words showed that he
was deeply affected by the token
of appreciation of his services.
As further recognition OF the
services of Mr.. Welch in bringing
the N. l. & N. Il. II. into New
Iberia a resolution was adopted
unanimously by the City Council,
on March 7th, 1910, reading az
follows: "That the rights Of the
City OF New Iberia, in aud to the
$1,000 appropriated by the Mayor
and Board of Trustees on the 23rd
day Of April, 1907, to assist in ob
tanning a railroad from Port Barre
to New iberia, be now turned over
to Mr.. +. Nj. Welch."
A similar surrender of like
amount was made by the Police
Jury of the Parish of Iberia, as an
acknowledgements Of the service of
Mr.. Welch in completing the N. l.
a. Nor. Il. Il. into the parish and
New Iberia.
The above review is made per-
tinent by the fact of a recent pub
licatiOn in the "SOuthern Com
mercial and Industrial Review" of
New Orleans, in which the follow.
ng statement appears beneath q
splendid portrai. of Mr.. A. &.
Barrow: '.rhe man who was in.
in getting the "Frlsco"
nt0 New Iberia, via the New Ibe-
ia u Northern Railroad"
During the years OF 1909 Mr..
Barrow was, it was generally IN
ierstood, entrusted with solving
he problems of acquiring q right
If way for the projected road. |
That he encountered, in the prose 9
;utton Of this work, many serious :
difficulties, which were enough to q
rave deferred less ardent spirit I
han his. is freely admitted; and |
here IA no disposition TO deny the :
gentleman any honor or credi, I
hat is his, for any part he per.
Ormed in the great undertaking
# giving to New iberia another
ailrOad-anOther avenue to new
md distant markets. There was $
lonor enough in the accomplish
nent for all of the many who con- i
ributed much or little in the J
hree years fight But &bis com !,
nunity was under the impression
hat it was Welch who shot cock
Obin.
MOSS, CLtB SAUCE.
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