| From the Houston Telegraph |
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| May 29, 1861 |
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| The Texas & New Orleans Railroad |
| On Saturday last the Texas
Division of the Texas & New Orleans Railroad was completed to this
city. It may not, perhaps, be considered out of place to direct public
attention to some important features of this great enterprise. |
| The whole distance from
Houston to New Orleans is about three hundred and forty miles. Of this
distance there are now one hundred and eighty miles of completed road,
and forty miles more (Brashear to New Iberia) ready for the iron,
leaving but one hundred and twenty miles to be built. |
| Houston, as the railroad
centre of Texas, will, when the whole road is completed, pour a trade
over it of enormous proportions. Already there are spreading out in
four directions from it, railroads in the aggregate 280 miles in
length, besides this under consideration, striking to the heart of the
great sugar region, the great stock region, the great cotton region,
and ultimately the great wheat region of this State. Other roads are
projected to become the channel of trade for all Eastern Texas, and
all these roads must be the feeders of the New Orleans road, when once
it goes into operation. As the connecting link between the railroad
system of Texas and the commercial metropolis of the Confederacy, the
importance of this road cannot well be over-estimated. As giving the
people of Texas a means of rapid communication inland with the rest of
the world, its importance comes home to every citizen. But there is
another feature of it to which we have before directed public
attention, and which must not be lost sight of. |
| The project of a Pacific
Railroad has long occupied the attention of the people. Such a road is
regarded of high importance, not only to the people of this continent,
but to the commercial nations of the world, and it has ever been
believed that when such a road should be built, it would become the
channel of the world's commerce. Four years ago we began discussing
this matter, and in articles in this paper from that time to this, we
have time and again set forth the considerations by which we were led
to regard the T. & N. O. R. as a link in the line of roads which
would first reach the Pacific Ocean. These considerations were briefly
that this route was shorter by thirteen hundred miles than any other;
that the various links were in the hands of local Companies, none of
them having an unwieldy enterprise in their hands, and each link
promising to be profitably operated on its local business; that each
of these links being the work of private corporations, would be more
rapidly and more satisfactorily completed than a lengthy road,
depending on the public purse for its means of construction, that the
eastern half of the road was in immediate connection with not less
than three thousand miles of the Atlantic coast, to all parts of which
great trunk railroads would be to it but branches over which the
wealth of the whole world would flow; that the Western terminus of the
route (Guaymas) is the most central point on the Pacific coast, alike
accessible to the North and South Pacific, and to Asia, Australia and
all the rich islands of half the globe; that of the whole length,
one-fourth part would be built before any other route would be
practically commenced, and that the whole would, in all probability,
be completed before any other route could be put into operation five
hundred miles; and finally, that whatever public attention was given
to other routes, and public aid voted, all would be absorbed by
managers, who, without a reasonable hope of living to see the
enterprise completed, and of realizing anything from their labors,
would fill their own pockets one after another, and successively leave
the work more and more exhausted, while this enterprise would be all
the while vigorously pushed ahead, its managers knowing the success
awaiting them, very well affording to let the public attention be
turned where it would. The reader can say whether we have judged the
matter correctly. |
| The fact is that from New
Orleans to Brashear 80 miles of road are in operation. From Brashear
to New Iberia 40 miles are graded. From New Iberia to Madison a link
of 116 miles is wanting. From Madison to Houston 100 miles are in
operations. From Houston to Columbus 80 miles are in operation. From
New Orleans to Guaymas is 1340 miles, and Columbus is 420 miles on the
direct road. |
| But leaving the ultimate
object out of view, as a military matter the completion of the 156
miles now wanting of this road in Louisiana should have the most
immediate attention of the people. The cost of this road would not be
more than two millions of dollars. Texas, in the present war may
have but little of the attention of the enemy. What little they
promise on our Northern frontier, will not afford enough exercise to
our hardy people of that region to keep their hand in. Meanwhile we
have 30,000 men who are eager for the fray. Should New Orleans be
threatened the advantage of having these 30,000 men at hand ready to
go at the call of government, but not on expense to the government
while waiting is most manifest. The completion of this road and the
establishment of a line of telegraph over it and from this point to
the centers of population in the interior, would enable us to throw at
least 20,000 men into New Orleans in ten days time. The expense alone
of keeping these 20,000 men by the government six weeks would pay for
the railroad. |
| But while this may be
the case, the Government and the public should not shut their eyes to
the certainty if the war is continued, of Texas being made one of the
principal theatres of the conflict. If the war is continued, it can
only be with the object of destroying our institutions. The idea of a
cordon of free population around the slave territory has long occupied
the attention of the black republican statesmen. The United States in
pursuit of this policy, intend to throw troops into Mexico, ostensibly
to defend that country from filibusters. Mr. Corwin, of all others,
was the man to go to Mexico for this purpose. This done, and a war
between Mexico and the Confederate States will be shortly fomented.
Besides this, the landing of troops on our coast may be more readily
accomplished than anywhere else in the Confederacy. The completion of
this link of road, hence becomes a military necessity of the first
magnitude, and one that cannot fail to have the attention of the
Government. |
| It does seem to us that the
commercial advantages to be derived by New Orleans by an immediate
connection with us, should be doubly sufficient to lead the
capitalists there to put this enterprise at once through. But if not
this, as a guarantee of having a large force at hand for the defence
of their city, this work greatly demands their attention. And if these
things are not enough to build the road, the government at Montgomery
owes it to its own safety to take it in hand, and in some way put its
early completion beyond a peradventure. That this will be done we
cannot now doubt. |
| While the capitalists of New
Orleans have been pouring thousands into the "Southern
Pacific" speculation, without securing the completion of a
visible mile of the 2800 miles of that road, and while that road, even
if completed, would be of little practical advantage to that city, our
enterprising railroad men have actually built a 180 miles of a Pacific
road, having New Orleans as a terminus, and which, with all the rest,
promises to pour the trade of the whole empire of Texas into their
laps! And now the enterprise wants a little aid from them. Will they
give it? |
| They now have eighty miles of
Railroad running West. Let them build 150 miles more, and they will be
in immediate connection with 410 miles now built in Texas, making in
all 644 miles of railway. As a matter of comparatively local commerce,
the importance of this road is very great. As a matter of more
extended commerce, its importance to New Orleans is of vast magnitude,
while as a military necessity to the Government, it throws every other
enterprise into the shade. |
| We cannot close this article
without paying a just tribute of praise to the man who originated, and
has pushed this enterprise thus far towards completion. Regarded by
many as a schemer, he has alone and without money, built up an
enterprize which has made him famous. In the face of opposition, and
coldness from many who should have been most ready to aid him, he
obtained his charter, organized his company, and has built his road.
He has as yet but begun to realize the object of his ambition. Future
years will point to A. M. Gentry, as one of the most farsighted and
practical of the railroad men of the age, while the whole world will
rejoice in the reality of his great projects. |
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