The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1874-03-19

Missouri, Kansas and Texas road completed
Its line to Denison, and since then that
place has become the centreing point for
the Texas ranchmeu To reach this they
have been compelled to drive their stock 200
miles through a desOlate country. It is
true that it could have been taken to Aus
tin and put upon the cars there, but that
would necessitate a roundabout ride 5iG
Hempstead. a distance which would be more
fatiguing to the stock and cOstlier
10 the owner than the DIVE to Deni-
son. For this reason the Texas Cen
trail Railway, which runs north from Hous-
ton and connects with the Missouri, Kansas
and Texas at DenisOn, has never done the
collaborating business which Il had reason
to expect. The completion of the Inter
national and Great Northern Railroad to
Rockdale furnishes an almost airline route
70 st. Louis and Chicago Cattle shipped
at Rockdale will have III miles less dis
lance to travel than if shipped at Austin,
while it is only about thirty miles further
from ROckdale 10 St. Louis than it is from
Denison. Rockdale 10 about thirty-fTe
miles east of Austin, and the stock men pre-
fer to drive their stock this distance than to
ship by route so much longer. Indeed,
distance is great item TO the stock shipper.
One hundred and seventy-One miles is some
thing over twenty hours run for freight
train, and as the cattle are not fed nor
watered from the time they are put in the
cars until they arrive at their destination, a
days starving and thirsting, with the IA
tigue of travel, makes tremendous differ
ence in the aggregate weight when they
come to the scales.
The new line has only been finished to
ROckdale since the second day Of February,
and the company has not had time to COM
plete the extensive stock yards which it is
erecting yet application has already been
made by owners for the transportation of
over so, 900 bead Of cattle. The yards
understand, will be finished within the next
week, when Rockdale must necessarily be-
come busy place and great cattle centre.
In fact, see nothing to prevent its becom-
ing one of the most important cities in the
State. 1t has already, in its short two
weeks existence, become lumber market
for region of 100 miles around. The In
ternational Road runs. through the heart OF
the great pineries of Eastern Texas and
brings to this place about twenty carloads
of lumber a,day. There are already three
lumber yards here doing thriving business.
Thepeople in this section have had hereto
foreEnothIng but oak lumber, which has
cost them from $50 to $40 a thousand.
Now, since the completion of the railway,
they can get the best pine for $25 The re-
suit is that the planters are putting up ele.
CANT residences and abandoning the old log
cabin of two rooms and passage way be
tween, in which they have spent their lives.
The professional wagoners, who haul the
cotton from the plantations, sometimes fifty
% of har cd
buy a load of lumber and sell it on-the way
back, thus doubling their income of the
ante railway time. This place must become
a considerable lumber market, as well as
centre of supplies for the rich counties that
lie northwest of here, there being no Other
railway point within their reach.
Rockdalo is situated in Milan county,
thirty-fve niles west of the Brazos, and in
the heart of the cotton region, known as
the BFazos uplands, which average bale tc
bale and half to the acre. 1t is in the
most thickly settled portion of Central
Texas, the famous lands and wealthy popu
latiOn of Bell county lying on the north,
and whose market and outlet Rockdale
must be- From o'clock until noon to-day
counted 100 odd bales of cotton brought
by wagons into the town and sold
for shipment over the International and
Great Northern to Galveston. And the
town not twoweeks old The cotton plant.
ing interest of the region, which must make
this shipping point, will alone be sufficient
to maintain considerable city, leaving out
the cattle and lumber handling, which must
be its main business. l am not writing up
mushroom town. am telling what
see as go along; aud think see another
Denison, though / don't own any corner
lots. When Texas becomes a great and
populous State, as she must within the
next few years, am satisfied that Rock,
dale will one of the big lettered names on
her map. ENoCH