The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1913-05-30
THE euLFPoRT AND WESTERN
Road Will Be Run From GuIfport,
Miss, to covlnaton, La.


Miss, to covlngton, La.
Covington.-A large and represents
alive gathering of citizens met in the
New Southern hotel few days ago
Judge w. H. Hardie, president of the
Gulfport and Western Railway Com
pany and organizer of the New Or
leans and Northeastern railroad, Gulf
and Ship Island and other railroads
in the South.
Judge Hardie outlined his plans for
the building of the Gulfport and West
ern, which road will run from Gulf
port, Miss, to Covington; the route is
through country endowed with nat
ural resources as yet undeveloped,
and this road will connect with prac-
tically all of the principal railroads
now running into New Orleans, and
will put them in touch with the fin.
est harbor on the gulf coast A steam
ship company has been organized and
will operate in connection with this
road, which will make the Gulfport
and Western a transcontinental road.
Judge Hardie wished to interest the
citizens of the country through which
the road runs in order to make it a
local enterprise as far as possible,
and with this end in view he suggest
ed that special tax be voted in the
different wards through which the
road will run; the tax to run for ten
years, and not to exceed $4,000. To
raise such an amount less than 2
mills will be sufficient. Judge Hardie
further proposed that all persons pay.
ing this tax be reimbursed by giving
taxpayer stock in the railroad com
pany, the stock to equal the amount
of the taxes paid. This stock will be
fully paid and nonassessable. In a
word, the tax paid is not bonus OF
loan, but is subscription to stock
in the company.
Judge Hardie further proposed thai
Ill W lHLCISSL lOSdl Sdplldl III Liz
t road $4,000 in debentures would bt
! offered for sale at 75c on the dollar
+ these debentures to bear per cent in
4 terest. The earnings of the road arr
: pledged to pay the interest and princi
r pal of the debentures as they mature
I. and this should be an attractive prop
: osition, as it will net the holders o
f the debentures s per cent on thei
v money. Judge Hardie further states
/. that not a dollar was to be PAID
a either for debentureS or in taxes
+. until the road was built and in OF
Grafton, and if the road was not bull
and in operation within two year:
then the tax and all subscriptions t
debentures were to be Cancelled.
: All surveys have been made an
- practically all the right of way 81
:, cured, and the negotiations for tn
:, sale of the bonds have been closed.
.. Judge Hardies suggestions met wit
IS enthusiastic approval, and were il
k dorsed.
d The chairman of the meeting, M
n Frederick, was authorized to appoil
y. an executive committee from til
at Third, Sixth and Tenth wards, throug
or which the road runs, said committe
to have full power and authority
take UP all matters pertaining to II
bringing of the road into this sectio
ID Among those present were: E.
n Frederick, P. J. Lacroix, t. e. Bre'
n ster, w. J. Warren, Harvey E. Eli
an Hardy H. Smith, J. S. Jones, E.
TO Del Corral, Judge Thos. NJ. Burns,
v J. blanche, C. E. Schonberg, L.
ed Perreand, R. L. ALBERT, j. E. Misc
eli M. Christoffer, C. C. Champagne,
ed ]. Ostendorf, A. c. Mccormack,
i'll R. Smith, S. P. Watts and N. II. FL
ID, simmons, secretary.