The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1876-09-12


the mean center geographically and
agrlculturally Of the productive regions
Of the United States | would give the
following result Of rain fall in inches
from September, 1871, to September
lS15-a period of four years:
Total Annua
States inches. average
Missouri st Louis. l57,O3...,............,. 10,
Illinois Chicago 5000, '2B.l5-"o..,,.,,...., 3l5
Texas Galveston" ,. 2O2 g. ,ono,,,,,a,,, 800
In the opulcnt and delightful city o.
SAN Antonio, the center Of what ha,
been miscallcd the dry section tn,
following results have been obtaincr
from carefully prepared table, extend
ing over period of six years ohscrya
ton: Mean temperature for the sea
sons--spring, 604l; summer, $3.50 au
tumn, 6S.9j; winter j29t year. o.. So
mean annual rain fall (siX years., s. go
Italy may IN vain be- challenged t.
produce so extraordinary table of
mean temperature relative humidity OF
air and rain fall, rs is furnished by this
historic city of Western Texas and
which may be pronounced one Of the
heaIthiest cities in the world--resting.
like our capital on tine Colorado amid
beautiful valleys, bv crystal waters, and
under the shadows Of themountms.
INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS.
Prior to the advent of the Anglo
American settlers in Texas, the pack
mule furnished the only means of trans
portation. Withtheir coming, hoof and
wheel We're introduced; Supphntcd in
turn by the iron horse. In 1858, the
first mile Of railway was constructed in
the State. Under pressure alone of in
creased production, five thousand miles
have been built, and are now in active
operation. Texas, | believe to-day is
the only State in the Union where the
construction of railways has rot been
discontinued. In the extension of
main trunk lines and independent
roads her activity keeps pace with her
march of progress in every department
of human industry. In the encour-
agemcnt of works Of internal
Improvement in removing OBJ
structions from her nayigablc
rivers, in the irrigation of her Western
plains, and especially in the construc-
ton of railways, Texas has extended the
most magnificent bounties. Though
among the youngest OF these States, she
has outstripped them all in the princely
gifts she has offered her own and citi-
zens of other lands to build these great
public works.
Within the next decade her lntcrna-
tional Railway will doubtless traverse
the entire State to the Rio Grande-into
the heart of Mexico Her Sunset"
road will soon form with the road from
Houston to Beaumont, two main links
between New Orleans and Mexico, The
Texas Central--buiIt by the energy Of
our own railroad city OF Houston,
now passes through the whole State to
Red River. connecting with the SPLEEN
did system Of the Northwest, The
Texas and Pacific, iostercd alike by the
State and General Government, is now
completed from Louisiana to Fort
Worth, and from Marsha via Jefferson,
and through the magnificent Rcd River
region of North Texas, to Sherman in
the West
MAY we not indulge the hope, ere this
decade shall pass away along this Trans
Continental and Inter-Oceanic line the
commerce Of the Orient and the Occi'
dent shall roll in wealth and splcndor
making our deserts and wilderness bios
som as the rose?
Cexas grants, under her general rail
road law, Ii sections, or lO2iO acres OF
land for every mile of road constructed
and nut in running order, To this date
fine State has donated, for internal i'm
proyemcnts, as follows
No OF acres granted TO railroad 49,.
COmpanieA ,,''''''''''''" ~ i''i"
M of acres granted to riNrrSm",...,u l,,hU, ~
No OF acre, granted to brighton. IU' ,5'O
"a Ol6, SSl
Agarcgating over twcnty-Iour millions
ofarrcs. In addition to all this munifl-
cont nrant, she loaned, before the recent
war; of her school fund to railways
81 SI5 600, nearly two millions in gold
The consequence has been, while her
generous bounty may have been now
and then abused these great railway
lines have brought millions of wealth,
hardy and Industrious populations, ana
extended our frontiers westward two
hundred lies in twenty years.
upucArIoN--pR SCHOOLS,
It has always been the policy of Texas
to encourage liberal system of educa'
ton. Early in the history OF the he
nublic. in 1886, there was ample provis.
ION made for common schools, and for
one great State University, Ofour pub
liz domain there has been surveyed and
set apart, more than Il quarter OF Il cen
fury az"
For State university ,".""..,.,.' III wv acre'
For each county In state" ...".". F,7l2 acres
We have l6S organized counties, thus
,ivinc to the counties for free schools
over twenty millions of acres. The
older counties located their lands years
oan and they are now in the settled sec
t;ons If the State, and worth ~ 5O per
acre or SOL Q02 to each county. Al
nresent rates, the University lands al
the same figures, are worth the princeiy
sum of $774,9OOO, -,
In a few more years, this splendid en-
dowment, made by the early patriots o
Texas will become millions OF dollars
In addition to this, each alte nate sec
ton granted to railroads is reserved 10
the school fund, and by the pres,ein'
Constitution, une-half of all the pupIl
lands and ore.fourth of all the genera
revenues are solemnly set apart Tor
perpetual fund for common free school
Sor the children ofTexas. The numbe
Of acres of our public school lands wi
now approximate twenty million acre
worth over thirty millions of dollars
By the late Constitutional ConVentlo
Of Texas there has, in additi9n, ,See
granted to the University one miiIio
more of acres of the public lands. I'm
University, we intend, shall stand 0
the Harvards and iales OF the S .h
and the Trinitys and Oxiords oil III
. IA World .,..,,
Irndar wise legislation, our unrlVale