Washington telegraph., 1853-10-05
Ifr00i Me .dustin (Tsras State Go-e,,c c., . /,
Texas Railroads.

Sara TO the Galveston and Red River Rail-
road A letter to the editor of the Ca
zette, dated August Goth, saws W.
nave this day concluded contract with
/ Zen Orvllle Clark for the construction of
a hrst class Railroad and all the necessary
| oehots at Houston, to cost $25,0OO. a ma
/ chihe shop, SIX passenger cars for sixty per
( sons, twenty freight cars, ten cattle cars. ten
Platform cars, all the necessary wood-sheds
Water-tanks etc, with two twentv-ton en-.
glnes, three sixteen-ton engines. and heavy
L or I rails. fifty miles to be finished and
'faih shaii pass over that space in one
hour for the sum of $4,000 per mile, part
ID cash aud the balance in stock and bonds
OF the company. Sixteen miles are also
contracted for to be finished and in running
order by The 1st of August next"
This contract as we understand it, is to
comprise the main trunk road, and from its
terminus will start the branch to Austin. the
main road to continue on between the Bra
zos and Trinity, to intersect the Pacific road
at the parallel of 80 deg. This we gather
from an article in the Telegraph of the
Goth ult. That paper says:
eve understand that the company intend
to extend the main trunk Of the road, agree
ably to the provisions of the charter, about
one hundred or one hundred and twenty
miles, in a northerly direction, with a view
OF ultimately connecting il with the great
Pacific road, which will, in all probability
extend through Texas on or near the paral
lei of 81 degrees. Indeed it would be i'm
possible to induce northern capitalists to in
vest funds for the construction of this road
unless 1t were to be connected with the great
road that Is to connect the Pacific with the
Atlantic, The branch extending from Hous-
ton, or the nayigable waters of Galveston
Bay, will enable the contractors to transport
road directly from the port of Galveston to
the main road on the parallel of 80 degrees
and the distance from Houston to the main
trunk of the Pacific in direct line will
scarcely exceed l30 miles There is not
single large river on the whole route, and
the surface ascends so gradually from the
coast to the parallel of 81 degrees, that the
expense OF grading will scarcely exceed
1000 per mile y
The writer of the letter from which we
first quote above says :-"Should the Lcgis-
lature take such action as is required
in order to enable northern capitalists to
push these works forward, we shall have
them extended as fast as the labor can be
performed. But Texas must take the mi
tiative: she has it in her power to secure
the great highway to the Pacific, and trust
that one of the first acts Of that body will
be to cause a survey to FL Paso" This we
! deem unnecessary, as that portion Of the
route is already well known to be without
distractions to the speedy and cheap con-
struction of road besides it has been sur
veyed at least twice, and that is the true
reason why the survey of the United States
Government was ordered to begin at Ell
| Paso and 90 west, instead of commencing
on Red River Gen. Rusk and Gen. Clark
both, we understand. express it as their
opinion that no survey of this portion of the
route is at all necessary.
In regard to the Austin branch of this
road, the writer says I've shall direct
our road to the Brazos in as direct line as
practicable 1t is the intention of General
Clark to send out at once full corps of en-
cineers to 90 on the route The sixteen
miles added to our contract Will go on IN
| the direction of Anderson. As soon as we
can get competent agent, we shall send
him en- to Washington county and to Aus
tin, visiting the intermediate counties. If
the citizens of those counties will subscribe
$500. 900, the road will be taken to Austin,
or with 1000, il will reach San Anto-
nio. We shall endeavor to get the Legisla-
ture to allow permanent bridge across the
Brazos; if we can do so, one of the great
est objections to that line will be overcome.
When across the Brazos, our progress will
be rapid and easy
1.-The President OF the road will leave for
the Brazos on the 24th instant, to afford
the planters there an opportunity of lend
ing to this great work. Our road is costing
more than we contemplated: but Gen. Clark
gives us, and the contract calls for road
of the first class, as that term is understood
at the North and East. They will not IN
vest in any other; these cheap roads cost
more in the end He has instructed the
engineer to get heavier timbers than we de-
signed. We were building according to the
means in hand.
These facts, coming as they do from an
official source at Houston, and confirmed by
the paper there, are worthy the serious con-
sideration of the people in the valley OF the
Colorado. To secure the benefit of this
road, we have something to do of more
substantial character than mere words and
good wishes That i; shall pass through
the valley of this river to the city of Aus
tin, and thence to connect with the great
Pacific road above US, is an object of the
highest importance to this whole section of
country Are we able to secure the boon,
without aid from the State, now that the
first fifty miles is contracted for at Houston!