The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-12-03
THE AUSTIN AND PACIFIC SHORT
LINE RAILROAD.

@
THE AUSTIN AND PACIFIC SHORT
LINE RAILROAD.
By act Of the Legislature Of the State Of
Texas, passed May 81, 1873, the Austin and
Pacific Short Line Railroad Company was
chartered to construct a line of railroad from
the city of Austin northwest, running with
the course Of the Colorado river to point
Of junction with the Texas and Pacific
Railroad at or somewhere west Of the one
hundredth degree Of longitude. BY amend
atory act passed May IA, 1874, the privilege
and power to construct was extended from
Austin, on the most eligible route to India
nola, on the Gulf Of Mexico. The usual
land grants, right Of way, and other grants
Of power are included with the franchise
We learn that the company has been duly
organized, and is ready for active field
operations.
An examination Of the map viii show that
the natural course of the route of this
proposed railroad is through the coun-
ties on the east side Of the Quad
alupe river to Austin, and from
Austin by way Of Burnett or Lampasas
and Brentwood, on the east side Of the
Colorado river, to a point Of intersection
with the Texas and Pacific Railroad, about
the one hun0redth degree of longitude, lies
through one Of the most fertile and desira-
BILE portions of Texas, of immense and
varied productive capacity, and promising,
with the rapid and inevitable increase Of
population and industries, to supply a bust
ness that will ultimately make such road
paying investment on its cost Should
the route above indicated be adopted, an
examination of the map shows the remarka-
BILE fact, that on the entire distance OF
about $50 miles there is but one river to
bridge-the Colorado, at Austin. Another
advantage from this will be, that the route
preserving its course on the dividing up
lands between the Guadalupe and the Colo.
RADIO and Lavaca rivers south of Austin,
and between the Colorado and the tributa-
ries Of the Brazos north of Austin, will
place the track above the reach of the peri
odical overfows, and require but small
proportion of tresseling. These features
are favorable to economy, both in construc-
ton and operation.
The main object of the projection of this
line of road is to complete, with the Texas
and Pacific road, the shortest feasible route
from the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the
Gulf of Mexico. From San Diego to In.
dianola, by this route, is about fifteen hun.
bred miles-the shortest distance ovel
United States territory from ocean to ocean,
as the map shows. From point on this
line of road, about Burnet to Lampasas, q
northeast branch would soon follow through
the counties of Coryell, Bosque and John.
son, to Fort Worth, thus making north.
east connection from Austin and Indianols
over the Texas and Pacific, and the Mis-
souri,, Kansas and Texas railroads. Also
the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, now con,
structed from st. Louis to Vinlta, in the
Indian Territory, will be pushed forward
through Fort Sill TO the same point of In
tersection on the Texas and Pacific road
with this, about the one hundredth longi-
tude, thus making new and complete con-
nection for Indianola and Austin with
St. Louis, and a through line will
ultimately follow to Santa Fe. The Austin
and Pacific road once built, will also open
up to the large territory, adjacent to it, the
trade Of Galveston by the Texas Central and
Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio
roads, and Of San Antonio in the Southwest,
and of Shreveport in the Northeast, by the
International road. No other road pro-
jected so fully supplements the railway
system Of Texas, and makes each line so re-
ciprocally beneficial to the Others, while
tributary to all, itself.
For combined productiveness in raising
corn, cotton, wheat and live stock, no
country in the world surpasses that ira
versed by the route of this road. 1t is as
good for all other products of the State.
North Of Austin it will drain 90, 900 square
miles of country unsurpassed for wheat
raising as well as corn and cotton. North
and south of Austin, it is unsurpassed for
producing corn, cotton and fine stock.
The great need of this country is popula-
ton, and this the road viii bring.
The advantages of Texas as a wheat-rais-
ing country are not yet appreciated. It's
only rivals for producing wheat for future
expectation are the Northwestern States
Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, etc, and Cali
fornia. Texas wheat natures and is ready
for market from one to two months earlier
than that grown in the Northwestern States,
These latter have to transport by railroad
1000 miles to the Atlantic seaboard to find
a market, or to ship to Europe. They must
pay thirty to fifty cents bushel for this
carriage by rail, and this onerous tax has
made the question Of cheap transportation
one Of vital import to the farmers of the
Northwest. Against this, Texas wheat car
be transported to the Gulf ports within dis
tances Of from 100 to 400 miles, at one
third this cost. The difference in cost o.
water transportation from the Gulf ports L
Europe and the ports Of New York, Phila
delphia, etc, is but trihiHg, while the ear
lier maturity win put Texas wheat in Euro
pean markets one month earlier than tina
Of the Northwestern States. OF course
all the markets Of the coast country Of thu
Gulf Of Mexico must be supplied from
Texas, including Central and South Amer
lea, the West Indies, etc.
The comparative cheapness Of waite
transportation is shown in the fact that tn
bulk Of wheat exported from California Il
Europe Is carried in sail vessels around tn
South American continent some 1900
miles, in voyages Of four to SIX months, a
cheaper rates than from the Northwes
States to Europe Thus Texas can b
made without a rival fer tie early marke
and in eheapness Of transportation t