San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1880-10-09
TuiE ly,rEmNATuONAs..
An InteresiIss Review Of The
Progress Of che w OrI<-san
Marcos And Aler Railway.


Marcos And Aler Railway.
SAX Marcos, Ocr. 4, 1880. y
Editors San Antonio Express:
1t my last, 1 promised to keep you
posted on railway matters. But,
Texas ike, wo have been subjected
TO one extreme or the other, either
marching on double quick, or stuck
in the mud. Under such extremes,
it WAS not convenient for me to give
You the information you desire. But
I hope that giving you summary OF
our last months progression will sui
flee.
On the first of September, the
track was laid across Onion Greek,
distant from this place about II
miles, and the first of October found
us on the San Marcos, running o
special train of two passenger cars
with Col. Hayes, Col. Hoxie, Maj.
Goodwin, and nearly all the notables
of the International railway com
pany. Also Mr.. Harris, the contract
or, and other gentlemen from Austin,
inspecting the road prior to to re-
ceiving it and before running pas
senger and freight train between
Austin and this place, Mr., j. Ross
was prospecting the country some
distance from here for some large
rocks, to finish the bridge piers on
Yorks Greek. Therefore he did not
participate in the reception given
here ON the occasion OF entry. If
there is any truth in the old adage,
che that by the plough would thrive
himself must eithe hold or drive"
then the firm of Ross & Harris has
few compeers. .F
They laid seventeen miles last
month, or thirty one miles from Aus.
tin, in spite of the unfavorable
weather and many other obstacles,
known only to railway men, when
the farmers and outdoor mechanics
have scarcely earned their board.
We had seventeen consecutive days
when it rained more or less each
day. Besides many other showery
days throughout the month. In the
thirty-one miles laid there are over
two miles of bridging and trussel
work. The next bridge Of inpor-
lance, south of Onion, is the Blanco
bridge, distant from this place about
FIVE miles. Having the honor of be-
ing one of the first on the ground,
I had the pleasure of seeing a space
of 1,450 feet between dump and
dump, and fifty feet above water,
finished in one week from the time
they commenced raisingit. Imagine,
there were $4,000 feet of timber oc-
cupied in its construction without
saying anything about bolts, spikes,
&c, pony.bents and everything con-
structed in such way that the iron
bridge can be put up without NOV
ing stick or stopping the running
of the trains. 1t seems more like a
dream than reality. Thirty years
ago to cover an opening of this des-
cription would have invited a comb
nation of engineering and mechani-
cal skill of no ordinary repute, and
would have been considered good
piece of engineering, whereas, now,
a simple sketch is drawn up, and can
be executed in a short time by men
of but ordinary capacity. The prin-
cipal part of the work was raised in
five days.
Onward we go. The first four
miles proceeding from San Marcos
bridge there are over seventy bents
of tresle work outside of cattle
guards. The bridge itself is but 153
feet, outside of the northern ap-
proach, and $50 feet of trestle work.
Close to the bridge is cistern of
$4,000 gallons, supported on heavy
frame work of cypress timber, and
connected with this a steam engine.
smoke burning, improved, connected
with horizontal pump, to raise the
water from the San Marcos, COM
plete and in running order.
Now, turn your eye to the west
side Of the track and you will see a
small tent, with telegraph poles and
cross-heads, conducting two wires in
to the tent. This is the operator s
house for the present. Now mount
the bank, and you have before you
four tracks, side by side, for nearly
one quarter of mile in length in
the town of San Marcos. Here will
be central station between Austin
and San Antonio. At the lower or
south end will be q turn table. Next,
but not least, is the intermediate
point between earth and hcaven-a
chasm SPAWNED by nineteen bents,
and called Purgatory; and it has
certainly proved a Purgatcry to both
employer and employed.
As 1 before stated, those seventeen
days of rain left us in a mud hole,
aud it seemed as though we were
never to see dry weather 20 cross it.
SO you need not be surprised that
we have not reached San Antonio.
Now we have got strong foothold
on her southern banks, and are NOV
ing rapidly ON to lork's creek. SO
You had better look out for the cars
when the bell rings. We move our
camp tomorrow to York's creek,
eight miles south of this.
Everything here is moving with