The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-12-09
THE TEXAS AND PACIFIC RAILROAD
AGAIN,

fTf' - ~ 800 f'"'f'I ''''
the people of Texas was attracted to
this grand enterprise. In 1850, when
there were only twenty'Six miles OF rail
way west Of the Mississippi river, the
people of Texas enlisted with an ardor
and lberality worthy Of the great work
in the Mississippi and Pacific railroad
and, though postponed by the eyentlul
period which has interviewed, at no time
has il ceased to be m object Of great inN
tercst TO her people and the construc-
ton through her borders Of railway
to the shores of the Pacific the subject
of proud expectation.
The settlement of north Texas since
the war, and the expose Of the valuable
and varied resources OF the vast counN
try along the line of this road in our own
state with soil and productions similar
to those in theGounties of Collin, Dallas,
rarrant, etc, give to this railroad rs Il
home institution, magnitude never
before known For hundreds of miles
west, with o margin of from one humid,
red and fifty to two hundred miles
south, and still wider margin north
and northwest, is q region almost un.
peopled which the extension of this
railroad would in few years fiji with
farms, towns, cities, and population as
dense as any portion of the state. The
value of such consumation, to the
entire state, and especially its value to
commercial centres, in north Texas, is
too obvious for eXpatiation, and too
weighty to be overlooked or lightly
considered
This is home feature and only a
glance at that--as if we were able to
cast the eye over this wide expanded
and magnificent land, and behold it as
it will be IN the tuture-whethe this
generation has the lone right to grasp
for itself its reali2ations or not, the
home of prosperous millions But there
is another aspect in which we propose
to consider the subject, more extended
but not less intimately connected with
our interest as state, and especially
with the interest of northern Texas
When Columbus started upon the voy
age which resulted in the discovery OF
new hemisphere, his object was
not to find new countries but {
western passage to Asia. The ther
recent discovery 10y the Portuguese
of the passage around the Cape o
Good Hope from the Indies, anc
the immense advantages Portuga
had derived from it had directed the
attention Of Europe in that age of ad
venturous navigators to the subject of
more direct and acile route to the Eas
Indies Asia,Sby nature the most ia
vored portion of the globe, had beer
peopled, states and empires had beer
established, cities in size and grandeu
never since equalled had been bull
and passed away to desolation. !
mighty civilization had crowned he
with its utilities and adorned her will
its graces, before Europe had place il
history or was recognized as part of tn
known world. The products of he
soil and the rich material and exQuisit
finish Of her fabrics, the countless mum
bers and unequalled skill OF her hand
crafts men has made the trade wit
Asia the support of the commerce c
the world as FAR back in time as con
merce has history, For tire
thousand years the people VIII
have been the carriers, the natio
which has conducted the trade of Asi
to Europe, has grown rich and power
-ful and great; it gave to Tyr
the strength which enabled her I,
check for nine months the conquerin
career of Alexander, to Carthage Tn
wealth and the power which so lon
held suspended between her and Rome
the future dominion of the worlc
the stopping of the caravans, that 70
a long time carried this trade overland
to get water from her wells, built u
Palmyra, in almost fabulous SPLENDID
in the Syrian desert; it gave to Venic
her merchant princes" and marbl
palaces, and made her for centuries tn
bulwark of christendom against the in
fidel Turk; it lifted the Netherland
from their sandbanks and driitwood /
the ocean to the naval power which $
long contended with England for tn
mastery of the seas, and it constitute
to-day the chief constituent of the worlC
girdling commerce of England.
We might trace it more infinitely, an
in every age demonstrate from histor
that the nations who have controlle
this commerce have been the leadin
commercial nations of the world, an
that without an exception they hay
grown rich, and powerful, and great
This trade now offers itself to the pee
pie of the United States. The inspira
ton of Columbus was prophetic, an,
though lost sight of for time in tn
splendors of fortunate results, afte
near four centuries il passes to its uni
iication, ioreshadowing consequence