Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1872-04-13
Tne- Uenlrml mnlIlelal .ErIIra.

Southern extremity OF The gill llhty 40 go
TO the eastern extremity anl to do this,
they hive taken the worst ground they
could pick out, where. In wet weather, the
mud will be knee deep, when nearer aud
opposite 10 the Court House squnre, at tho
end Of the streets running laereiIom
most excellent location for their depot
could have been found, high and dry. Is
any comment needed
II seems that the Central Railroad
thought tia some. comment was needed,
and it has proceeded, through it's auIhoriz'
cd and faith ful agent, iomake 1t. The arti
Gle in question was founded on our own
personal Inspection of the ground and the
information Of disinterested gentlemen of
standing and character, who pointed ont
10 us the various locations, From the
statement Of the agent, founded we pre-
sumo on the measurment and calculation
of the engineer of the company it would
appear that we were not exactly correct as
to the precise location of the depot but We
enthusiastically and practically so, nc
tording to his own admissions. We did
not profess to be exact az to feet aud
inches-we had not measured the land
with mathematic'l instruments our aim
was to show the injustice of the railroad
towards the people Of cid Dallas, who had
made the donation, as we said, for their
supposed benefit, not their serious injury.
The facts of,ihe case, even as presented by
the Oompanys agent, fully justify us, and
we have not particle of regret for its
publication. The only rebuttOl attempted
is MS to the distances from the depot TO the
extremes of the land donated. Nothing is
said in denial of the badness of the ground
selected, and the injury to the old town o +
Dallas, likely 10 result therefrom, rs well
as to the public generally. 0fthat here
after The agent states that he told the
Committee that "the pot would be locn-
ted as near the center of the ll5 acres rs
the shape of the ground would allow" Has
this been done What are his figures?
According 10 them the depot has not been
located as near The center as The shape Of The
ground tcouH allcw The figures given are
| 1000 feet from the South linc--l550 feet
from the North line--a difference of 500
feet TO the disadvantage of poor old Dali
las, who gave he land 1t must be borne
in mind that every foot further South
! from the center increases the distance of
the depot from the Courthouse square, and
puts it at point more difficult of access,
in the way the streets of the old town run.
Now for the figures, East and West. They
are given as 1000 feet from the East and
1850 from the West, at which side the old
city lies, difference of 100 feet Is that
central? No, it is not, and a child can
see it. But then we are told that the land
grant is irregular awkwarlly shape1,''
the agent says,) and by throwing it into a
square, it is assumed that the result is at
tanned, and the railroad vindicated. This
ingcnils device is something like that
praci;ccd by infantry who, when hard
pressed, throw themselves into hollow
| square to rcpel an attack Of cavalry. We
give the agent full credit for this, but even
this fails. i is not the center even then,
for though, by these nice calculations, the
distance East and West is made out to be
tho same, the difference North and South,
which is the great point against the old
town, is 400 feet-the one being 900, the
other 1900. So there is a fearful opening
left in this hollow square, and the posi-
sit ion taken is not tenabl,. II must be
abandoned. Four hundred feet North OF
the present location, nay be found land
far more suitable for a depot, and that
much nearer to the public square, and
that much less hurtful 10 the old town OF
Dallas. Toes not the shape of the ground
allow of a depot there Is there not .sufii-
cieaL room IL cannot DC denied.- Why
then is the depot put further awdy and on
,corSe ground? Because the pecuniary Sin
teresis Of the company arising out of the
gift, would not 'justify it,, we suppose.
These interests must be considered with
ont regard TO the interests of the town OF
Dallas, which made the gift. This is the
very selfshness of which we complain.
The depot is placed and the streets run to
enable the company, possible, to build
up new town in opposition to tie old,
and to realize as much money as can be
from the sale of lots That is ii, and moth
irg more nor less. We wish we could fur
nish our readers with q correct map OF
both the old and the new town, as laid of
into streets, and with the depot as located
1t would then appear, at single glance,
what has been the object of the Railroad
Company, and no argument would be
needed 1t would speak for itself. 1t
would be seen that, besides the distant To-
cation of the depot from the public square,
South of it instead, of abreast of 1t, the
streets Of fhe railroad gift are SO run as 10
prevent the nearest approach TO it from
the square, which would be had by q con
tinuance Of the streets of the old town d.
rect to the railroad. They are so run ns
TO make the distance still greater, and 10
facilitate the building up Of the new town
to the detriment of the old. Is this
right7 But the Railroad Company plant
themselves on their naked legal rights.
They have violated no contractl We new
ner said they had--we never supposed
they had. They are too smart for that.
They managed to secure an advantage over
the ubsuspecting people Of old Dallas, who
we're eager to get railroad, and gave
them the land 10 be used, perhaps, for
their own ruin. We hope not, but il may
be We have striFen to prevent il, aud we
shall still strive to prevent this mournful
contamination.
The whole matter may be summed up
thus; The land was given for the suppos-
ed mutual benefit Of the railroad aud the
old town Of d llns--it was not for the
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