The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-04-05
or EHz|EEfERNA-
TsONAL RAILWAY.

to complete his road to Weatherford
during the summer and it seems that
the International has a small ''chunk
OF fire on its back" in the shape Of this
clause from the railway compromise
act of March, 1875, which provides:
Section 4. That If said company
0nterustionaD shall fail to complete
the construction of said railroad from
the CITY of Jefferson to the terminus OF
said road on the Rio Grande at the
rate Of at least forty miles each year
or eighty miles every two years, count
ing from the first day OF July, 1875,
they shall forfeit all rights to the land
granted by this act upon that portion
OF the road which they thus fail to
construct.
It will be observed that the Interna-
tional company must begin its com
pulsory task at Jefferson. 1t has ex-
tended the highway, since this act
was passed, from Rockdale fifty miles
to Austin, and since the two years
contemplated will expire in July, thir-
ty miles Of the road, from Longview
towards Jefferson, must be begun at
once. The construction Of the statute,
however, Is almost as difficult as that
OF the highway. Must not the com
pany begin at Jefferson or can it, I'M
der the law, bridge the Colorado at
Austin and move towards San Antoniol
II Pieroe's road had not been finished
the necessity for the extension of the
international 10 San Antonio would be
Imperative; but the branch lnterna-
tional from Palestine to Houston, con-
Meeting with Plerce's road to San An
tonic, is virtually part and parcel OF
the main line and tributary to it and
therefore the probability that the road
to Jefferson from Longview will be be-
gun. Then arises the imperative ne
cessity for an independent route to
the system of roads converging at
Memphis from the older Eastern States.
The shortest possible route from Aus,
tin and Houston and Galveston and
from San Antonio to New York lies
through Jefferson, Chattanooga and
East Tennessee and Virginia. The
wealth of Southern travel and traffic
should be given to Southern railways
Louisville and Nashville and Richmond
are deeply interested in this extension
of the International to Jefferson and
thence to De Walls Bluff, the point Of
Intersection in Arkansas of the road
from Memphis. Such road from
Jefferson penetrates the richest farming
districts of Arkansas, while Aliens
Iron Mountain and St. Louis Road
makes q desert waste accessible. From
Texarkana to Little Rock the land
could not be sold for ten cents an acre,
while on the direct route from JcfTer-
son to Memphis the farms are worth
from five to twenty dollars per acre.
Every railway company whose road
reaches Memphis from New Orleans,
Charleston, Norfolk, Louisville and
Nashville must of necessity cooperate
with the International in elfecting this
revolt against the autocracy of the Iror
Mountain road. The Jimplecute say
that learned lawyers of Jefferson are O
the opinion that the charter of the In
transitional and conditions of its lane
grant require that 'after two years thu
State shall inquire If the company hav,
complied with the terms of the com
promise. When that inquiry is insti
tuted the engineers who may be EN-
powered to examine the work will b,
constrained to ascertain whether eight,
miles of road have been constructed
from Jefferson westward. This is be
lieved to be the true construction o
the charter, and it was so understood
and accepted when the law was passed
We cannot force the company to builC
the road. They can forfeit thei
rights if they see proper, but we ca
insist that if the road is to be built
shall be done in accordance with tn
charter. The people of this sectio
are friendly to the company, and great
" desire the construction of this road
and will do nothing to retard it. Will
this is the fact the Governor of thi
State will be expected to maintain tn
rights OF all sections interested in az
cordance with the term, of the charter.