Year: 1872

/ buiS uaTV6I0us empire, so rlcl IN all the


gifts OF bOunteOus and bOuntiful PrOvi-
| dence, there was one painful thought, that


the Queen City, the Empress City of the


S9Hth, was literally shut out from this great
| natural cOr1tuc0pid; that New Orleans was


unapproachable, save from a tempestuous


and uncertain gulf, or along the tOrtuOus


ways of river which, however convenient,


we shall remember as a most dilatOTy


means, and, therefore, when Colonel Scott
| comes to you to present to you a practical
| remedy by which you may reach these
| treasures, not only for yourselves, but that


they may be returned to you in generous
| reciprocity, may | be permitted to say you
| ought to accept his proposition and follow
| his counsels. May be permitted further


more to add that had such an empire had


such stOfehouse of jewels laid so near
great Northern city they would not have
waited so IOng-naY, not calf, nor quarter
so long as you have waited to penetrate and


possess these incalculable riches. [Cheers]


| believe | have said my say, except to


tell you not only how deeply we have been


impressed by the experience through which


we have passed, but how glad we shall be


to return TO our homes and say how, here


in this great city, seen almost for the first


time, we have received an honest, old


fashioned Southern welcome. ICheers
And that, however divided among your
selves, however separated in these days Of
may politics, when partisans are seeking
for candidates, each man constituting him
self a sort of Christopher Columbus and
doubtful whether the candidate he intended
to vote for is the right man, torn as you are |
by local dissensions, disputing as you are
among yourselves, there is one common |
platform upon which we can meet, and that |
is, the revelation of our resources, the |
utilization of our wealth and the restOra- /
ton of peace between two sections lately |
divided. [Cheersl.


General Cyrus Bussey, chairman of the |
railroad committee of the Chamber of Com
meree, being called upon first, urged the
citizens of New Orleans to contribute $l0,- |
100000 to build an independent line to
Shreveport from this city, though the con-
tributiOn might not be made at once. The
remainder of his remarks were simply laud-
ing the enterprise of the Southern Pacific
railroad and its connections. On the close
of the remarks, Colonel Scott again took
the stand and said:


From some remarks made by the gentle
man the impression may have been created
by what / said that $4,000 900 would be ex-
pected to be raised in New Orleans to build
the road to Shreveport. What / meant to
say was that the entire road ought to be
built for Sl0,000,000; and | believe if New
Orleans will take hold of the enterprise and
raise not exceeding $2,000000, the work
will be constructed. [Cheers


General Bussey again came forward and
said:


The statement is just made that two mil
lions subscription on the part of New Or
leans would secure the building of the road
to Shreveport. That is less than two per
cent of the taxable property of our city Is
there any business man in the city of New
Orleans, or property holder here, who is
not willing to shoulder his part of that
amOuntl Now, in order that We may have
something practical, move that a commit
tee of fifty be appointed by the president of
this meeting to permanently organize this
matter. have had only moment to think
about it, and do not know what shape to
put it in; but my object is that committee
Jf fifty be appointed to keep this matter be-
fore the pubic-tO organize a permanent
'ailrOad organization; that the city of New
Orleans should work in cooperation with
he managers of the Southern Pacific rail
'oad.


General Bussey's motion was put by the {
president, and passed unanimously. The {
Meeting then adjourned