The Gonzales inquirer. [volume] (Gonzales, Tex.) 1853-current, 1853-11-19
General 1usk's Views on the Pacific
Railroad.

General 1usks Views on the Pacific
Railroad.
Delivered It Austin, November 4, 1858, At
. barbecue given by the citizens Of Travis
county:
suppose, however, the subject upon which
you most dcsire 70 hear me, is that great and
wsil /. The dated sates-the Pacific Rail.
road. Fine - our country =. with tn genial
clmateA fertile soil, and vast capabilities Of re.
warding the labors Of the hnsbandmen. he has
few inducements to come within our borders, for
he knows there are but few Abilities Of get
ting his produce to market We have compar-
ativcly no nayigable streams, our rivers afford
ing poor means Of intcrcommunication, and
perhaps Y Is better for us that we do not have
them In this ago Of astonishing progress. this
go Of railroad improvement.
When railroads were Rrst proposed. they
met with strong opposition; those that were
first made met with determined resistance
They meet with It now, perhaps not 30 deter
mined. but In many instances quite "a effect
i've; then, II MAS said that they would bank.
rupt tho country aud ruin those who made
them. Notwithstanding all these anathcn,as
thundered against them, railroads have been
extensively built With immense outlays Of
capital and almost superhuman exerGons, in
the last 90 years, $1,000 miles Of railroad. at
a cost Of about $500, ,000, 900, have been I'm.
ished in tho United States and Il has turned
out that tho profits have exceeded tho most
sanguine expectations Of tho projectors and
buildcrs Railroads have been run where
there was before no commerce; but as they
were constructed through q country Of capaci-
ty, they created trade and travel. and will
always generate trade whenever they run
through country that has proper agricultu.
raj capacity. They arc tho most potent means
OF developing It's resources and Of encourage
ing settlements. Thcro In no country In tho
world, certainly not IN the United States, where
railroads are needed so much as in the State Of
Texas: no country capable Of 30 much im,.
provement for tho various agricultural protuc.
tons. We have emphaticaily tho garden spot
OF tho nation. There Is no country whcro
railroads can bo moro chcaply built, notwith-
standing the cry Of tho want Of water, want
OF timber &C.; as to water, found it in great
abundance and OF excellent quality, In my rc.
cent journey Of about eight hundred miles..--
Although timber is scarce in somo places, there
Is an ample supply Of 1t to build : railroad,
and for all economical farming purposes. Tho
expense Of hauling when it would DO nccessa.
ry to do SO for road, would not equal tho OK.
pcnsc OF clearing timbcred obstructions from
2 densely wooded country. Further, am full
ly convinced that thcro Is no country where
railroads, IL constructed, would nav 80 we'll "A
in our own State. Tho subject OF q railroad
to the Pacific few years ago, was thcmc for
4th OF July orations, and for lcttor writing,
and suppose | did my share Of both. "
II was subject talked Of much, but bclicy-
cd to be : thing far OF In tho future; one
sagely spoken Of its being likely 70 be built in
30 years Aftor much consideration and lit.
tic time, Il came down to 20 years, then It was
provided the energies Of the United Stats were
concentrated upon It. Last winter, at Wash.
ington, In bill before Congress, II camc down
to six years. and from that ume Il has been re-
gardcd - . practical measure, to bc accom-
plishcd at an carly day There is much talk
and excitement In Tcxas upon tho subject oil
Railroads, but my friend, Gen. Hunt, who has
just returned from Now York, will toll you that
II Ia greater in Nsw York and throughout the
whole cast, than Il is hero. The 4adminislra.
ton have sanctioned the project Of Pacific
Ra.road as matter Of national defencc; the
great question then, with us Is tho routc which
shnll DO adopted. Some persons think thcra
will DO two or thrce roads built, but Il IL my
opinion if ono IL finished, il viii bs long DO.
soro we get another. Several routes have boon
Eronoscd, but the paramount qucation will,
Texas Is, which one shall DO seiectcds The
newspapers tell us wo have the shortest, choap.
est, and best routo through our own border.
and also that II Ia bettor Tor national 1efSncc'
which 10 all truei Thcy tell also that tho
northern route will DO moro expensive, and
that tho profits cannot DO 90 largo. Ali this
IL true. Somo go 10 far a. to nay that che
northern route Ia impracticablo; but that will
not do to rest upon for tho gvvatcst difficulties
may DO and havo been removed with capital
and energy; sifcient capital AID energy might
bc enlisted TO construct tho read on any af tho
routes proposed ltwas predicted at an carly
day OF this republic, that the southern portion
OF the United Statca would contain tho bulk
OF tho population and wealth Of tho country
st no distant day as.hc nerthern portion was
considered less productive, and tho climate
moro severe. Did that prediction prusc true
Whsrs do wc SEQ the bulk of ths population
and WEALTH. In the Soath. Do We ac< find
ourselves Ia tho minority IN svgard 20 pcpula.
tsoo, ~ welt - ~ regard 10 wesiths When
we &c, CAPITAL where are wc "a s,,I The ~.
aiily has hssiaed the prophecy. What il the
cause 81 thiss Il Is hScaase they al She Nossh
have cheysd this .svvperahis taw II nAsusc..-
that man shall cat his hsssa IN the swsat u
tss Aee all the days ef his life," This cam
mand we hare di<swssris<i, ana the result kxs
efovsn thai they have the ysseaiaiina aasi
~s&'sh There u no aneF csunsry than that
Which ws fc~seas. 10 liner ecsi, het sais@s re
can gvs sesvsss 10 snask<ss, IA xan ssusAin ssss,
pAsshveiy uselsn 10 sA II ve sssM IA he
real tAs~sxA car State ~ essst sxest aslss
ssissS ~ eaAess srv e~Aiss k~ sNasseal@sbe
rsats~ We have "a sasFAAsEi sinsatsinsssn,
asd u Aas des%t<a th>< shs rA<tae rpad 4 re-.
s*AAsy - sssssss a sAtiepAi dse~ce. rk<a
sAs sGsaHtAsee see etah "a Ash say aa;tAsy
us4A sAseh II ~ rrcyn<rA yessss se4d hs
hsSs fa< sAAt pxzyss>e TIE m~a ne<sAxsn
rsstss ~ rrssess tsss rssAa esessss II sas
tsesbe - caass th<a ss 4 sssstsx III 3e4tsste
ssey wcaA 10 see ssstsshse Sary~sNe Ne
stASt hcm ~ wamn%sspy& ts~~f aesp sANa
n nsn - - -. So -, ! ~. - - - = :