Brenham weekly banner. [volume] (Brenham, Tex.) 1877-1907, 1879-06-06
CITY CHARACTERIZATION.

authorizing the city 10 issue
bonds to the amount of SIS 900
to be used in buying the right
OF way and depot grounds for
the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe railway and to put the fire
department on a firm and efec-
tive basis; only so much, how
ever, of the $4,000 bonds are
to be issued as will suffice to
accomplish the purpose named.
A very few persons are opposed
to the issue of the bonds, though
some are disposed to doubt the
validity of the act. Several of
the most eminent legal gentle
men of the city have made
careful examination of the laws
and give it as their opinion that
the city is fully authorized I'M
der its charter and under the
constitution to issue the bonds
in question. That the bonds
will be issued and will find tax
ers is a settled fact. The peo-
pie of BRENNAN want and must
have the Santa Fe road. The
BANNER has been a steadfast
and consistent advocate of this
road from its inception and now
we are about to have it at our
very doors. All that the road
asks is the right of way and de-
pot grounds. The constitution
of the state requires that when
ever county seat shall grant
this, the road is compelled to
pass through the town, or not
within three miles of the court
house. 1t must occur to any
one who will give the matter
moments thought that, the only
equitable manner in which to
secure the right of way is for the
city to buy it and grant it to the
railroad company. By doing
this all the property in the place
is made to pay its pro rata in
the way of taxation. If the
money had to be raised by do
nation many, who would be
vastly benefited by the advent
of the road, would not contrib
ute a baubee toward if, allowing
their neighbors to pay while
they enjoyed the benefit.
Under the new constitution
cities of less than 10000 inhabi-
tants are prohibited from levy
ing and collecting more than
one-quarter of one per cent. for
. all purposes. 1t will thus be
readily seen that the city by
issuing. these bonds cannot in
the least increase the burden of
taxation, while on the other
hand the advent of the Santa
Fe road is calculated to and will
add materially to the taxable
value of property in the city
1t IS proposed to issue 2o-year
bonds, bearing interest at the
rate Of s or oper cent. Atthe
latter rate the interest would
amount to $500 per year. The
railroad company will own two.
miles of track through the city,
besides side tracks and depot
buildings, the aggregate value
of these alone will be say s2o,-
900; and, in addition to the
above the company will, if pro-
per inducements are held out,
locate its machine shops here.
On account of the saltwater
atmosphere at Galveston it is
wholly impracticable to have
them at that point. Brenham
is about half way to Bolton and
just about the proper distance
from Galveston to make divis-
ion of the road. By securing
the location ofthe shops here we
would add to our population
not less than one thousand per-
sons, including shop hands, rail-
road men and their families. all
these persons would need houses
and would at once become Gus
toners, thus adding immensely
to the business of the city and
making a great market for all
kinds of farm products. Taking
all these matters into considera-
ton we feel satisfied that the
citizens of Brennan need have
no fear of being burdened by
any additional taxation. We
here venture the prediction that
should the machine shops be
located here BRENNAN will have
a population of 5000 within two
years, and we would not be at
all surprised to see her city of
10000 inhabitants within that