The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-09-30

ancient city of Tucson. Onward
again it passes through towering
mountains and deep gorges to the
line of New Mexico. ia miles dis
tant from Ell PasO. To make fair
guess at the cost of this great conti-
mental railway would be impossible.
and its magnitude may be conceived
of when il is stated that the stock
holders ofthe road. out of their own
| pockets, and without the sale of
bond, paid into the building fund, at
one time, to push the construction
to the eastward of Fort Iouma,
$2OOOO.0OO The rails for this road
are conveyed around Cape Horn in
sailing vessels, and are taken on the
cars for over land transportation
at Los Angeles, and all the cross
ties are brought from Oregon at
E9reat expense. while work has pro-
gressed over habitless and woodless
and watcrless wastes. AT Shak-
l.spcre. l30 miles west of El-Paso, the
line of this road will cross that Of the
Atchison. Topeka and Santa Fe rail-
way. which is moving onward from
Kansas to Guyamas, on the Pacific
coast. This line. however. is in
no way connected with the great
work of these California capitalists.
who are looking for an outlet into
the seas somewhere on our gulf
coast Already il is understood that
the Sunset road. running from
Houston and Harrisburg to San An
tonic, is to be a continuation of this
Southern Pacific railway. The Cal
ifornia surveying party has already
passed over a great part of the line
between San Antonio and FL PasO,
and il would be sheer folly to be-
lieyc that the Southern Pacific Com
pany. after its road reaches FL Paso,
will disband its perfectly organized
working force, with purpose only
half completed. Hence. it appears
to be arranged that thePierce road
shall push its way towards Ell Paso,
while the California party moves
southward, on this side of the Rio
Grande, towards a point of con-
junction, and instead of waiting un-
til 1882 for one of these lines to
reach the Texas border, the grand
accomplishment of real Southern
Pacific railway may then be areality.
Where this trans-continental line
will make its harbor, on the coast
of the Gulf of Mexico, is impOs-
siblc to tell. 1t will hardly fix upon
Houston or Harrisburg or Calves
ton as point for harbor improve
ment. 1t may make its ocean con-
nection at New Orleans, but, if the
Texas coast be fixed upon, it will
more probably select the mouth of
the Brazos river than any other
point. The International Railroad
Company, composed of Interna-
tional railway stockholders, is large
ly interested in lands about the
mouth of this river and along the
river to the terminus of the Interna-
tional railroad, thirty miles from the
Gulf. and it may be that different
railroad interests may combine to
make out of the mouth OF the
BraZos the best harbor west of New
Orleans, at a cost barely pominal in
comparison with what would be re-
quired to make deep water at Gal
weston. At Eagle Lake. or at Ber-
nard station, few miles below Co
lumbus, on the Sunset road, the line
of this railway passes within few
miles of a completely graded line of
railway, running from Columbia,
now the terminus of the Interna-
tional railway, to the town of Whar-
ton, ou the Colorado river. From
Bernard station to Wharton. and
thence to Columbia. over this old
grade. a road could be built and
thoroughly equipped, forty-seven
miles in length. for $4,000, and it
would traverse one of the garden
spots of tho world, and open up to-
commerce the products of the richest
alluvial lands known. Over this
line the Southern Pacific could pass
TO the Brazos, and combined rail-
ways, with trifiing expense, could
load and unload great ships, trading
with the commercial nations of Eu-
rope. South and Central America,
bearing richest cargoes from five
continents. Ii is with peculiar pride
that ali Texans should contemplate
this great trans-continental thor
oughfare. over which in one direc-
ton the products of Asia viii be
transmitted from the Pacific Ocean
10 the Gulf of Mexico, while in the
other viii pass those of the wealth.
lest and most advanced communities
of the globe. Vast cotton and grain
fields, not long hence. viii be culti-
waited along the line of this thor
onghfare, and adjacent to il will be
collected herds of beeves and NUT
tons to DC transported 70 England
and to continental Europe in the
hulls of the Great Eastern and her
consorts. Is this picture eoverdrawn.
and are we not on the very eve Of
accomplishments, which are 10 add
wealth to the capital OF most worthy |
railway projectors, and grandeur.
that cannot be realized, 10 fexasg
THE election in Georgia comes