The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-23
To taxpayer In Yesterdays Com
merciRl.

mercthI.
To the Editor of the Dallas Herald
Dallas is n young and beautiful city,
because railroads have made her so.
"TaXpayer' sees, ten years hence, a
railroad running out northwest from
Dallas eleven and II half miles, and n
city impoverished with the expense of
operatingit. The taxpayer often years
hence will see a railroad running in
that direction to Denver City, Colorado,
and continuation extending southeast
to Sabine pass and New Orleans, aud
WILL If he resides in Dallas, be a tax
payer in city of fifty thousand souls.
Now, the company have not asked
and do not now ask that u dollar of
bonds be issued to them until the grad
ing and bridging is completed for each
section of five miles or more. If "Tax-
payer" owned property in Dallas five
years ago, he will recollect its valua-
ton, and there is no doubt whatever
but he knows its present valuation.
He may be an enemy to the Dallas and
Wichita railroad; he may be opposedto
all railroads, but he must know that
railroads have produced the astonishing
change we have seen in the last five
years.
Dallas, if she ever becomes wealthy
and populous, will become so through
the agency of railroads, moi one or
two, but numerous ones, as Atlanta,
Georgia, indianapolis Indiana, Kansas
City, Missouri, and many other cities
that might be named; and every in
telligent man comedies that the Dallas
and Wichita railroad will be road
most essential to the prosperity of Dial.
las of any she has now or may have
hereafter.
In regard to "Taxpayers," ignorance
of the geography of Dallas county, or
the usual method of combination of
capital used in the construction Ofrail-
roads, have nothing to say. The Tex
as Central would never have been
built by such men as he, for that was
built less than eleven and one-half
miles at first. Is Taxpayer waiting for
men to come along with the millions
of dollars in hand that will be required
to construct the Dallas and Wichita
railroad hence to the Canadian river?
Is the donation of over ten thousand
acres of land to the mile not to be
utilized in the construction of the road?
Does not every railroad in the
country look to its capital
stock and mortgage bonds as
sources of means to construct and
equip its road? Let all of us taxpayers
look carefully to this matter and see
where our interest lies. Let us scrutin-
ize this ordinance and see if the inter-
ests ofthe city are fully protected. l
apprehend that the Dallas and Wichita
railroad company had in mind the
Texas and Pacific railroad transactions
with the city when they asked that
this ordinance be passed by the old
council, as the city Is something like
year behind time in complying with
her agreement with that road. The
city was also in default for some three
months in her paymentsto Pat. O'Don-
nell and other contractors. Such de-
tentions were not SO serious matter u
year ago as they are since the financial
crisis of last October.
In regard to the present personnel Of
the Dallas and Wichita railroad COM
pany, some of us know several Of them
as men Of indomitable energy and per-
severance, and we believe them en-
titled to encouragement and favor in
stead Of opposition and abuse. or
course, they hope to make money out
of their business, as we all do out Of ours,
so let us not consider them common
plumber and deem ourselves sharp and
shrewd when we have sold them bill
and got our pay, but let us give them
fair consideration and award them
just that degree of praise or censure we
find them entitled to.
There is much apprehension In regard
to this matter. and l suggest that we
find just what this company do ask,
and not take street rumor or hearsay
upon which to found our opinions.
Although plain statement of the
facts can be readily obtained in regard
fo th La m, "a - a4ill lRra pa..a.,i $4,000.