The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-07-20
RAILROAD MEN
DENY RUMORS
ABOUT CHANGE
Report Division Would Be
Moved Here Said to Be
Buncombe
WOULD ENTAIL GREAT
EXPENSE TO COMPANY
State it is Settled That De
Quincy Will Retain G.
C. L. Shops

springs up that the Gulf Coast Lines
is contemplating change in its di
vision and a new location for the
shops of the eastern end OF the sys
TEN from DeQuincey to some other
point east. Every time the rumoI
gets under headway and Opelousas
people begin to believe there is some
hing to it, some railroad man con
nected with the system comes along
and knocks down the house of cards
and destroys the expectant hopes Of
OpeIouseans. This has happened SO
many times that we have at last be-
come accustomed to it.
Last week, during the presence in
this city of large number of Off
cials and employees of the Gulf Coast
Lines the rumor got under way again,
it being stated in connection there
with that the employees of the company
domiciled at DeQuineey were not sat
isfied with living in that small vii
Iage in the pine woods and would re-
lish a change in location and this
fact was being considered by the COM
pany while contemplating the change
of division and shops from that point
to a larger town or city on the east
ern division of the system.
Efforts were made to locate the
source of the rumor and ascertain if
there was any truth in it, and the
best a newspaper reporter could find
was that the rumOr was discounted
by every official and employe spok-
en- to on the matter. Several stated
positively that no such change had ev-
er been thought of and that the divi-
sion and shops would remain at De-
Quincey permanently. They said that
to move the shops from there would
entail a tremendous expense which
the company couldnot see its way
clear to shouldering, as the cost OF
installing the shops there had mount
ed I'D into high figures and the con-
seouent loss entailed by such move
would also mount up into thousands.
Engines and engine crews do not
cross the river at the Anchorage
transfer and only operate between
that point and DeQuincey. Trains
east of the river are handled by en-
eine crews of the Yazoo and Missis-
sippi Valley road, but the conductor,
brakeman and other trainmen go
through from Houston to New Or
leans. The run from Anchorage to
DeOuineey is about one hundred and
forty miles and constitutes division
There is another division from De-
to Houston of less mileage,
and two divisions between Houston
and the southern terminus at Bronws
Vile. Besides the shops at DeQuin-
cev. there also shops located at Kings
Vile. on the Brownsville end OF the
system.
Should the Gulf Coast Lines event
ualIy buy the Edenborn road or build
its own tracks from Baton Rouge IN
to New orlenas, there may be some
reason for a change of division and
of shops, for the division run
from New Orleans to DeQuincey
would be much too long, according
to railroad standards, the run being
under such conditions approximately
two hundred and thirty miles.
Recently there have been no fur
ther rumora Of an immediate sale
Of the Edenborn line and the G. c. L..
has made no statement as to its In
tentions of getting into New Orleans
over its own tracks. On the con-
trarv. minor officials of the system
have always maintained that the pre-
sent arrangement with the 7. & NJ
v. whereby the latter handles the
formers trains from the Anchorage
crossing into New Orleans is very sat
Isfactory and to build its own line
would cost several millions, an ex-
oenze which would not be iustifiable
- : ss--.A &t,.n
So, once again. the rumor that op-
slousas might get the shops and d.
rision of the system has been laid,
perhaps only to bob up again at some
future time when someone gets
notion that such change is to be
made by the company.