The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-08-05
SLEEPING LIVES AWAY.
Long 400 the srArEsMAN cave

SLEEPING LIVES AWAY.
Long ago the STATESMAN gave up,
as hopeless effort, any attempt to
induce the property holders of Aus
tin to protect themselves against
the damages, each year entailed up
on them by the loss of commercial
influence. Had merchants of Aus.
tin been its real estate owners, the
result would most probably have
been somewhat different, since mer-
chants in all communities are liberal
in efforts to secure and command
trade for the locality in which they
do business. Through nine years
the STATESMAN has attempted
to show these people the inn
portance of easy means of
communication with sections tribu-
tary to Austin, and once in while
there has. been a spasmodic move
ment among a few live business men
to accomplish some such end, but at
the very outset, in all instances, they
have been met with the declaration
from real estate owners that they
would do nothing, and without
such aid it has been folly to
attempt to do anything. 1t was
shown, years ago, why this section
should place itself in independent
communication with the sea, south
of this point. A little money, seven
or eight years ago, would have
brought the road from Indianola di-
rect to this city, and its completion
to this point would have forced rail-
ways of Texas to point towards Aus
tin to find competing transportation
to the ocean. The effort failed, and
then, when $4,000 would have in
duced the International railway to
run direct line from Rockdale to
Austin, when acceptance of the prop
osition was urged, the idea was
laughed at, and this road made
its detour to the northward, by
which Austin property holders
have annually lost four or five times
this sum in reduced rentals and de-
preciated property. Time and again
we have urged the construction of
lines of railways towards the north
west, by which the trade of a large
and productive section could be
held, and just so often has
the STATESMAN thrown away its
means in an attempt to convince
these property holders that their
pending condition was precarious.
Some of these men even said they
had been making too much money
on business property, and that they
could afford to make less, and that
they would not do sbetter if they
could. To ask one to avert impend-
ing danger, by paying out a little
money for the community's good,
was viewed in the light of lunacy,
and those who attempted to do
something were frowned upon, and
the cold shoulder was turned upon
them until they probably lost faith
in their judgment; and now no man
has the courage to moot such ques-
tions in our midst, ,and the town goes
ON in its old way, having first tier
of counties here, and then a tier of
counties there removed from its trib-
utary list, and Austin is quiet and
inactive, while the balance of the
world is full of life and vim and
force. The STATESMAN is led to re-
fer to these things because of the
extension of the International rail-
way and the consequent further
effects upon our trade. 1t is said that
wagon roads in Hayes; Blanco, San
Saba, Llano and other counties are
to be opened and improved to San
Marcos, and if this be done, and
roads leading to Austin remain
as they now are, there is no
doubt our city must again lose
vast deal of its trade. Is
anything to be done about it, or
are these people, of whom we have
been writing, going to control the
destiny of Austin until it becomes a
mere way station on railway lines,
without channels of communication
to bring to us trade and influence
and wealth.