St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1916-12-02
RUMORS OF new
RAILROADS HERE
Prosperity Wave Wakes Up the
Sleeping Rail Capitalists and
Something is to Drop
TWo OR THREE LINES
LOOKING TOWARD HERE
Division and Shops of Frisco May
Be Had if People but Go
After This Important
Development

There has been little or no rail-
road construction in the United
States for several years. Tight
ness of the money market and a
general stagnation in business
caused its stoppage. A few years
ago Louisiana was almost the
center Of the universe, SO far as
railroad building was concerned
and many hundreds of miles OF
steel were laid within the state s
borders. Then all construction
stopped and there has been moth
ing doing since.
Prosperity struck the state, as
well as the rest of the union, a
few months ago and since the
wave there has been an awaken
ing all along the line. Even the
long-sleep.ng rail magnates have
begun to rub their eyes and look
around for more worlds to con-
quer. The recent recelvershlp OF
the Gulf Coast Lines (Frlsco1
system has left that young giant
il a better condition than it was
ever before and since It's divorce
ment from the parent system it
is branching out in quest OF busl-
ness and looking to the future
with a view Of building itself IN
to one Of the south s great rail-
systems.
The food last spring left it al
most paralyzed and a number of
miles of it's troek in the Atchafa-
laya swamp was washed out and
had to be rebuilt and reballasted
at a heavy cost. The work was
accomplished in record time and
is now one Of the best road beds
in the state. Lately rumors have
been in circulation to the effect
that this road would rearrange It's
divisions and locate its repair
shops at more suitable point on
tie line midway or nearly md
way between New Orleans and
Houston. Opelousas is the iogi-
cal place for the location OF tue
division and shops and if the peo-
pie here but exert themselves
they stand good chance to get
4 great industry located within
our midst.
It is also said that the Santa
Te which has had its terminal N
Oakdale for many years; ana the
Rock Island, which terminates al
Eunice are both casting then
ewes toward New Orleans. In
order to reach that city these two
bio and important systems VIII
have to build their lines from
their present terminals or ar
range trackage rights with the
Frisco or other roads. 1t IS pos,
sihle that the Santa Fe will bulo
to Opelousas and use the Frlsce
tracks from this point on to New
Orleans If this be the common
meeting point Of several ol2
- th;s will he the Logical
point for general division ane
the repair shops Of the group
I1et Opelousas go after these
roads, the division and shops ane
if It is successful it will mean tn
future upbuilding and prosperity
Of this city, its people and In
surrounding territory.
Another rumor, long IN clreulla
tion and which may possess some
element of truth, is that " IA
Bdenborn, president and SOL
owner of the Louisiana Railway
and Navigation Company VII
build his road south from Man
sura to either 0pelousas or FOR
Barre and use the Frisco track
from the junction point on to NJ
own main line at Baton Rouge
The river transfer of the Enden
horn line at Angola issaid to hay
always been a matter OF deia'
and trouble as there is eight Q
nine miles break in the track
and II consumes much valuahl
time IN crossing trains from Wat
er Valley to Angola. In cas-
the Fndenborn road is built souf
to the meet the Frisco it woul
be only natural that It woul
come TO Opelousas, if this city $
clnes the division terminals
shons. etc. of the latter road, q
well as the ACQUISITION Of tn
Santa F'e and Rock Island sv
TENS. Hence, these things ar
all well worth going after and q
there seems to be something -
the air. at present now wonl
be the proper time TO get bus
and try and land the whol