New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-06-28


ness The company has built two east and west lines
about Go miles apart-one from Texarkana to
Sherman, on the route of Fremonts FL Paso line,
n distance of 154 miles, and one from Shreveport to
Fort Worth, 212 miles. These lines are connected
by north and south road, rs miles long, from
Texarkana to Marshall. In operating the road
however the line from Texarkana to Fort Worth
is treated as the main stem. Summarized, the total
IN 'leage now in operation, is as follows:
Texarkana to Fort Worth: 22S
Texarkana Junction to Sherman. ...-...-...li9
Shreveport 10 Marshall.
ro,a, -...................4l2
THE COUNTRY TRAVRRsED BY THE ROAD
A very pretty piece Of railroad property, If ITS
length is alone considered! More than 200 miles
of the road passes through barren pine country
very thInly populated, afording considerable
freight in the way of lumber shipments TO the
prairie regions but very little other business Al
ter the two east and west lines get out OF the pine
woods. they strike the broad, rich belt of black
rolling prairie country which extends through the
State from the Red River nearly to the Gun. lhls
region is entered about sixty miles west OF leAar
kama and Marshall. The southern line Is the
one destined 10 be extended through TO connec-
ton with the road building east from California
and the northern line WILL according to the pres
ont nlan he DETECTED southwark from Sherman
10 unite with the main stem at Fort Worth or some
point further west If the finances OF the COM
pany are put in prosperous condition the pan lor
this line will probably be changed, ana IL VIII DC
pushed at least hundred miles west OF SHERMAN
TO reach the coal fields, before bending OH 10 the
southwark for junction with the nam ste'h'
These coal fields are believed to be very extensive
Two Pittsburg operators examined the tract rev
weeks AGO calculating to get possession of it, but
4I,,A, Nnnn
possble and so gave up their project. According to
their report the coal is of similar quality to that
foupd in the Indian Territory, which now partially,
supplies the Texas market.
PROSPECTS OF AN EASTERN EXTENSION
Looking at the eastern termini Of the Texas IA
cific we find that the prospect of an extension 10
the Mississippi is about remote as ever be
tween Shreveport and Vicksburg there Is only a
gap of ninety miles to fill-an old road from Mum
roe to Vicksburg filing the rest of the distance
The Texas Pacific Company has made repeated ell
forts TO get possession of that line, with a view OF
bujlding the connecting link, hut II is tied up with
questions of title and complicated legal proceed
inos 60 as to be inextricabe at present. From
Sbrevoport TO New-Orleans the distance is 1886
miles. An attempt was made about eight years ago
70 build this line as a New-Orleans enterprise and
State aid was granted to a liberal amount Inc
subsdy was squandered and there Is nothing 10
show for 1t but about sixty miles OF shoddy road'
running from point on the Mississippi ten miles
above New Orleans 70 DOnaldsonville. The compile
ton of this road will not be witnessed until New
Orleans tokes new start. gets ont of debt and has
money TO spend. Next year the Morgan line VIII be
comnleted to Orange, on the Saline, which will
rive through rail route to Houston, and draw the
trade Of Southern Texas TO New-Oreans. A road
Tnya mi directly
he needed Tor ten or twenty years to come. The
trade Of this section goes nOrtherly to St. LOUIS,
o,,d connot he diverted southwark. | do not see
that the Texas Pacific managers need care much
fnT either the New-Oreans or Nlcksburg
feeder. The latter might eventually De OF
voInr in irving them a competing freight line
:" tho Fast and releasing them from necessary
yassalage to the ST. Louis Iron Mountain ana
southern Road, which is now their only northern
co,nnction Int il would bring them very little
odd;t,onoi busness Indeed, the value OF the South
IN a Southern Pacific line, and OF such me TO tle
south, il greatly Oyerestimated me SOUTH has
n0tb;n, ~ shin 10 the Pacific COast-her products
go tn tbe North, and 20 Europe-nor Is there any
thing she wants to buy on that coast. EeItuIG 10
say that the City Of St. L9nis alone VIII iuitsI
Tna wLcn II is completed. than all the Southern
Statas nnt together Ii is vanity, more than real
interest that the South TO support the lexis
Pacific project with so nuch sohdl'y'
THE RAILROAD LANDS.
4 zoo 600 acres of land from the State of Texas,
and has decided away 900 acres of this grant to
tho French creditors of Fremonts Memphis and FL
sobo,re IFS vast landed domain has not, how
- ho, a source of income to II thus far on the
contrary, the Land Department of the company has
rrn hebind $500 O0O-the expenses of surveying
ord selling having exceeded by that sum the re
coints from the lands sold. The company not only
has IN select and survey its own lands In order TO
get possession of them, but lscCmpelled TO survey
The alternate sections which are reserved LOT scho0s
W. L,,osteeding Thus far the land grants OF all she
TO- zoo S have been a source OF expense instead
of income An officer of the INTERNATIONAL ana treat
Northern told me the other day that the receipts OF
49, Iand office last wear were S1O,OOO and the ex
49, Ga 500 One of the Texas Central officials
aid an hearing this statement, that he wished his
company had done no wo IS ,be, Test lands VIII
~ obI, ~ make good deal of money from them,
but as long as State warrants can DE bought 1or
from so cents to dollar an acre, the railroad grants
haye practically no value. save as they enable the
c,,nan,es 10 settle the country along their lines
and secure business for the roads,
VIII THE TEXAS PACIFIC REACH THE RIO GRANDE,
E,,;dentlv the Texas Pacific managers must come
to am important resolution before long Their fall
pre IN pet Congressional aid brings them face to
face with question involving the future OF their
anternrlse Either they must raise money speedily
IN pnsh their main line westward across Texas and
Mexico, or they must make up their minds to
rest content with their position as an important
local road, building westward only as ilst rs the
settlement of the country Will warrant, and trusting
IN Mr. Huntington to JOIN his California line TO
theirs al such point in Western Texas rs they may
be able 10 reach Perhaps he will do So but he may
prefer to 90 north and unite with the Atchison and
Sante F6 line, OF go south and make junction
with the san Antonio Road. The former course
will give hin through route to st. Louis and the