Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1856-09-27
When Shall We Have Railroads :

urf Whlcn We nave tue Ilshl 10 rkprcl COM
siderble prngress in the construction Of rail.
roads in our State Amongst the vari Gus plans
which have been proposed, aud the unsettled
sta Of public opinion US to the extent Ind
mode by which the State should accomplish
something in the way Of internal improve.
rnenis, for the development Of her immense
resources, mineral and agricultural we cannot
hut admire the earnest, consistent, aud states.
manlike course pursued by the member from
Collin, Dr., j. W. ThrockmorIon. No selfish
or sectional views have governed his action
Comprehending at a single glance the great
future Of Texas as the empire State OF the
south, every interest aud every section have
had the benefit Of his liberal and far.seeng
views OF just aud necessary Legislation. His
able report of last winter on the "oan bill"
which has since become n law, was extensively
read, and undoubtedly y did more to bring about
the verdict Of the people and Of the Legislature
in favor of this policy, than any other docu-
ment published
But when will we have uiroads3 Whe
company completes twenty-five miles of road
and has the same in running order, and tven.
ty-five miles more graded, il can borrow $4,000
per mile from the State, They also have IL
land bonus OF 10 sections per mile, which niay
be used under the laws as an add luna source
OF credit, after borrowing the $4,000 from the
State. This is the substance OF our system,
and it certainly justfes the hope of success
Ii must be rccolecied, however, TINT our pop
ulation is sparce, extending over AN immense
area, requiring great eeihs of road to reach
the surplus products of the country which
must iurnsh the business :or these roads. TO
construct railroads through dense y populated
districts is II matter now Of no great t.ffrulty;
il cal be done Oh stock subscriptions alone,
without loans of money Or land DO muses. from,
the State or Federal government; bur TO real
ize these great public facilities in State like
ours, in advance of population as il were, on,
! legislators have at length become wise en- ugl,
10 perceive that unusual inducements mus, b..
held out TO cause foreign capital 10 aoN in'o
our Siaie-!or capital, it is well known, goes
where the greatest profit is promised with nosl
certainty of realization, with the same obcdl-
ence 10 inevitable law as water by the law of
gravity aows down hill. Popuat,on, too, not
only follows railroads in dense settlements, bat
preredes and anticipates them while in course
vi construction; so that as our roads are con-
structsd under the and FURNISHED By The S;a,e,
there is every probability ihut paying bu<~
ness will be done on the leading routes from
the very beginning
As 10 the roads in cur immediate section,
though we have no connection on their eastern
termini with navlgable water, except a, certain
periods, and these periods irregular and unre-
liable, still we have everything to encourage
US in the hope of their early construction. The
two charters extending from the eastern and
northeastern border of the State, westward,
under the liberal action oil the Legislature, have
privileges suitable to their peculiar necessi,ies
The "Memphis, Ell Paso, and Pacific" char.
ter has an exempted belt of territory of eight
miles on each side of the trac, of its road from
It's designation by survey,) to be aterna,ed
between the company and the State. The
late "Texas Western" now "Southern Pacific"
road has also similarly exempted belt, though
only SIX miles wide. A bill was introduced
IN the Ho@se by DR., Throrkmorion, and re.
ported upon favoraby by the committee, cs-
tablshing junction of these two roads, and
the GALVESTON aud Red River road, at some
point not south or west of Fort Worth, and
not east of the East Fork OF Trinity. Il also
provided that from the junction west, to Ell
Paso, common trunk road should be con.
structed, and that there should be exempted
from location or sale sixteen sections of land
on each side of said road, to be alternated be.
tween the company and the State. Had this
bill passed, and it was probably only lost for
want Of time, it would have added great
strength to the parties endeavoring to construct
this great work and, a. the same time it would
have secured to ihe State and the school fund,
in the increased vnue of her alternate sections
of land, probably ten million of dollars. This
was one of DR.. Throckmorton's favorite meas.
ures, but could not be reached and acted upon
at this session.
In this connection, it is but justice to allude
to two bills proposed IN the Senate BY the
Senator from the Collin District, Hon. M. w.
Allen. One proposed to secure the pre.emptor
his claim in the Pacific reserve at 80 cents per
acre, and TO offer for sale the residue at 81.
per acre; the proceeds Of all sales TO be added