Evening star., 1917-05-20

~ TAND with me on TIL roof OF
the huge elevator which the
state of Louisiana is building at
W the end of the grain chute of the
Mississippi valley. and take a look at
New Orleans and what it is doing along
the lines of industrial preparedness. OF
all the cities of the United States, there
is none more awake to the needs of to-
day. There is none which has broad
err view of the possibilities of the flu
ture and none that has gone farther
along the lines which shall develop its
industries and make it safe port for
handling the national business.
You have read the story of the old
New Orleans. The mighty river below
US was explored by fernando de Soto
about fifty years after Columbus dis
covered America. 1t was 235 years ago
that the Frenchman. La Sale, came
from Quebec down the Mississippi and
claimed all the land washed by the
Father of Waters for King Louis XIV
vast territory Louisiana, and thus gave
us the title of the greater part of the
west which we bought of Napoleon
Bonaparte in 1903 for $15,0oo,0oo.
=
Many of you know that New Orleans
was established as the capital of the
French possessions just about 200
years ago, that the territory was once
in the hands of Spain and that today
d large part of it's people are of French
and Spanish descent. You have read OF
the growth of New Orleans, how Tor
generations it has been the greatest
city of the far south. and how it is even
now one of the richest and gayest towns
of the hemisphere. You have probably
looked upon it as frivolous and eXtraVa-
giant, with a spice of wickedueSS
thrown in. but you have never consid-
cred it model for civic virtues equal
ing and SURPRISING your own town IN
itsS city spirit and municipal upbutldlng
and progress.
Nevertheless, it is of that New Or
leans that 1 am writing today. This
mighty elevator above which we are
standing is being built by the state, IN
order that this port may handle grain
SO cheaply that it will flow here from
the bread baskets of the Mississippi
valley. as well as from the great states
of the west. Right under us is the
vast concrete warehouse. built by
Louisiana for the cheap handling of
cotton. and looking up and down the
great river. which, like a mighty yell
low boa constructor. winds its way
through the city. are wharves. docks
and warehouses constructed by the
municipality and operated for con-
sumers at a minimum cost. If you
will look closely at the expanse of
buildings below you may see two iron
bands which girdle the heart of New
Orleans. Trains are flying along them
and they connect with the many syS-
TENS of railroads that come down TO
this gateway to the ocean. That is
the Public Belt railway. which was
constructed by the citizens in order to
reduce freights and bring about the
economic handling of goods. Before it
was established every carload of
freight that was delivered or trans
ferred cost from IS to So2 Today any
car from any road may be brought
right to the warehouse or store of the
consumer along the eleven miles of
this track at cost of only 81. Fur
ther on 1 will show you something of
the enormous reductions which are
made by the warehouses and by the big
cotton and grain establishments right
under our feet.
But first let us take a look over New
Orleans. II extends for miles back
from the river, which here runs in a
great crescent about the heart of the
city. The buildings cover almost as
much ground as Chicago They are
spread out over Il great fiat plain, the
most of them lying between the river
and Lake Pontchartrain. The city is
gradually crawling toward the lake
The swamps are being redeemed, and
within short time there will be a
seventeen-mile boulevard running
dloHS lne elnDankment OF that mag
nificent body of water
The city of New Orleans is more
beautiful from an aeroplane than most
other American municipalities. 1t has
but few skyscrapers. and the main
thoroughfares. some Of which are more
than two hundred feet wide. have a
broad strip of green in the center.
through which the electric cars run.
The residence section has many beau
tiful gardens filled with date palms and
other tropical trees. and 1t is only in
the old French quarter that the houses
are crowded along narrow streets, with
galleries running from block to block.
The New Orleans of the future will
probably have more large Buildings.
The foundations of the city have been
changed by the municipal improve
ments of sewerage and drainage. Only
few years ago. the ground upon
which the city Is built was soaked to
the grass roots The level of the tbwn