LIFE

Atchafalaya Voices: New railroad sparks tax debate

William Thibodeaux

Construction of the Colorado Southern, New Orleans and Pacific Railroad had been proposed to run from Dequincy, in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, to Baton Rouge. The work was to begin by March 1, 1906.

A 5-mill tax was proposed for 10 years to help pay for the rail line, which was to begin by March 1, 1906, according to a Sept/ 30, 1905 publication in The St. Landry Clarion. Voters would decide on Oct. 5, 1905, and the railroad promised to be operational by March 1, 1908.

A mass meeting was called on the courthouse steps in Opelousas one week before the election. The principal speaker was honorable E. B. Dubuisson, a prominent St. Landry Parish attorney, who spoke for 30 minutes.

Dubuisson told the gathering that the railroad had their eye on Opelousas. He mentioned that he had recently been in contact with interested parties from outside the state inquiring about the resources of the country and the feasibility of a line to run through Opelousas and on to Baton Rouge.

He cautioned the group that because of its geographical location and superb advances in the area, it was not a given that the railroads were guaranteed to come through Opelousas.

“They are not, and can very well afford to skip us. Look at the case of Lafayette in the matter of the extension of the Abbeville branch. The citizens of Lafayette held a mass-meeting to consider the request of Southern Pacific for some inducements to run the line from Lafayette to Abbeville. The wise ones asserted boldly that the road had to start from Lafayette - and it was the only place it could start from.…”

With this assurance, the meeting was abruptly adjourned without offering any inducements whatsoever. The citizens of Iberia Parish took the matter up, offered inducements and as they say, the rest is history - Iberia had their railroad to Abbeville.

Dubuisson cautioned the citizens: “Even though the town of Washington is only six miles from Opelousas, and probably better located geographically for the proposed roads, refuse to vote the tax, you commit an error that perhaps can never be corrected.”

The 5-mill tax was nearly unanimously approved by the citizens of Opelousas. According to The Opelousas Courier, the rail line was finally operational and trains were crossing the “iron and stone” bridge over the Atchafalaya River by the end of Nov. 1908 - after eight months of delays due to high water river stages.

The delay brought questions from Opelousas of whether or not the Colorado Southern Railroad had forfeited its right to the special tax since it had failed to comply with their obligation of completing the rail line by March 1, 1908.

The railroad countered by pointing out that the high water stages were beyond their control and that equivalent time should have been allowed. And, since it was “an act of God,” as the law read, should have relieved the company from the effect of the forfeiture clause in the ordinance.

A lawsuit was filed - suit No. 18297, which had been pending in court for some time awaiting final determination. The case involved $70,000 when dismissed by the Colorado Southern on the 19th day of Oct. 1910.

The city of Opelousas refunded the money to the taxpayers. The Colorado Southern rail line eventually became part of the Beaumont Subdivision which is currently owned by Union Pacific Railroad.