The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-09-04
VIVA. a Osrre.pondss, ssJ. About
81. F1x,. No. S p.tmber /. ,7e.


have been deeply interested IN
your discuss on of railroad interests
and in ,ur eff TT 10 stimulate an in
terest III the minds of = ur city resi-
dents 10 behalf OF the importance q
~ oDce taking initIstory s-eps for the
procur, ment of some OF the lines tn.
are now held IN contemplation, or are
70 process of cOlst uction. l. " 1uld
sppesr that your couOseis and sdmO-
rIIIons isll uIoa sterile or, uhd, ss
you give US DO statement of spy hing
Ike definite or clncsIt ii action in the
UutteT. believe that low is the
golden moment, ard that the future
veal or woe of your fair city depende
upon the action or insction OF your cit
Ems at the present time. There has
II been known in the history of our
couI try q me when all circumstances
couspIre to Ieodrr the building Of rail-
roads so feasible and SO cheap as the
present Trere is 4 surplu. of labor
al over the lsnd that imp'oringly
acts 10 be set TO work, snn
3! may be employed cheslly
~ ana ali the tquipage and para
r7ad are sold down to bottom prices.
Capitalists are noting these facts ano
are prosecuting the work of building
railroads wIth vignr never before
knowp. The fair fSce Of Texas will
+pnl be checkered with the iron track,
aud it is for US TO |,cIde st once
whit we will invite more of them H.
our midst. The Northern States are
rxtending lines, sending out branches,
'naugurating new route till there Cal
hardly be found a settlement that is
not accomm odatsd with a raiIr )ad.
Central and S Uthern Illinois, teemIsg
to-day with vast multitude OF thrifty
aud intelligent men and women, with
is lovely valleys and fertile fields, its
we'll fenced farms, lite N, tchless herds,
Is stately houses and it's cspacious
oarns, would be but barren wat
md wilderness, gr0snlng under Its
weight of potential possibilities, where
the red savage left it, had it net hsep
rendered accessible by railroads. The!
rendered it poss bic for the resi-
ess spirit of enterprise TO find
Odgment there. They rendered il
It possible for the Courageous
emierant to go many a league from
city, from t0w0, from village and even
rom timber and establish for himselfa
htm me. These roads Carried to hum the
in.ierial for shelter, lumber to fence
MS fields, implements with which to
Ill the soil and all the luxuries of
civil I'd life, aud IN xchauge for all
his took from his hands at his very
ioor any and sill surplus that he might
produce. The great, tusy, clustering
city of Chicago owes by far the lsrges'
share of her unprecedented thrift ard
prosperity TO the net work of RAILROADS.
hat converge the mighty currents of
""mmrrce t. point within her own
order.
I dad here in Texas not 6 little pref
ice Iu king ia the minds of many.
Pr jIdice against raIlro ads. 1t IL
':l-imed that they brought on hsrh
times, knoC ked the bottom out of all
values, etc. | have thought 1t pro a.
ole that what roads we have were bull,
and put in OPP ration about the TIM
Lhat combination of universal causes
woi ked prostrstion in each aud every
commercial and Industrial department
all over the continent and brough;
down simultaneous Y the values #
bat we buy ami Consume as we'll 8
whit we sell. L. Is rather a nsturai
conclusion to accept that il railroads
and hard times make their debut at
about the same time that railroads are
the cause of the hard times THIS is
putting coincident for cause, but it
<ati les such as cannt aft 'rd to care
fully snd logically trace back
from IF ct to t1e il fl1ences
hat produce it. Railroads, like
mar uf ctorIes, er: cansumers. They
T 9uire an army of men TO bull
them, and q larger force to operate
them after completion, and the men
who perform these l:hors are from
our midst, aud the monthly pay gm
into the packets of our own cit me,
and thereby materially augmeLts the
circulation of money, helps trade and
all other industries. They adj mate
rally t the taxable property of each
md every county though which they
ruu hence they help to eur the our
dens that are laid upon the shoulders
of the tsxpsyer. The land en- bra"ed
in the right Of way, the track, the de-
pots aud the rolling stock are taxable
property.
The city of Austin, If she would
save herself from ar ply and the co.
| mulative mould of ruin md death
must shake nff the daBgerou, Int. xic =
ton of languid content, and be
brought to resIzs the fact, that vigil
ant, dangerous rivals are 9, eking to
pluck her l4urels. Austin needs tn
send out railroads for the cotton, the
grain, the cattle and the hogs and iIu t
that are produced in localities too re-
mots for team transportation; and in
return she can suFpy the merch tn-
disc aOd all implements of rural indus
try. The cou"try that is and may b
rendered tributary to your beautiful
city is blessed with lnexnaustible fer
tility; with diversified resources, with
q genial cl mate that psints the besuti-
full picture of health on the far coun-
nance, OF Its generous cit ms. Blu
she NEEDS more rsilro 'ds to entice i'm
migration, to enhs &c the value of GU
farms, to help pay our taxes, to eff d
speedy and cheap transportation fuI
our surplus.
Why do not the JEALOUS supporters
of the enterprise iDaugurate initiatoTy
stensS Call meetings and discuss thu
issues. Ag'ta,e the qIes'lon. G
your men together and awaken feel
ing of enthusiasm. NJ 81. n