The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-12-08
WESTERN rExas-Irs FUTURE.

The pepetnAtion of western
Texas by lines of railway, under the
control of these powerful railway
builders, gives constant food for re
Election A few years ago the BIC
Grande border, north of Laredo, wai
almost terra ihcogRitd. In thi;
respect there is vet but little change
but events are now transpiring
crowding thick upon each other
which, in a very short period, will
lay il open to the wide world
Twelve months hence a portion OF
the greatest trans-contincntal line oi
railway on the North American
continent will span the country
lying between Ell Paso and San An
tonic. Down through the mountain
passes of FL Paso and Presidio and
Pecos the Southern Pacific will
thread its course, and second
southern line between the two
These great achievements were but
oceans will then be grand reality.
the other day dreamed of NOW they
are real things. We are told that
one iron bond, uniting the Texas
coast line directly with the Pacific,
is now completed. The Texas and
Pacific and the Southern Pacific
unite on Texas soil, and within
thirty days great trains Of passen-
gers and freight, between New Or
leans and Galveston and Houston
aud Dallas, will pass out Of Texas
by way of FL Paso, to San Fran
cisco. But this one route does not
suffice. Capital saw what was In
store for it in the great west, and
though one transcOntinental line
now traverscs Texas another aud an
other, and even fourth will soon
follow. Between FL Paso and Eagle
Pass, on this side of the Rio Grande,
there lies a vast mineral and grazing
region, which may give employment
to hundreds of thousands of men,
and yield nOurlshment for millions
of horses and cattle and sheep. In
this region miners will some day
take from the bowels of the earth
precious ores in countless tons
while therefrom will be gathered
meat aud clothing for much of tie
civilized world. Through this region
the Southern Pacific finds reason to
penetrate, and, debouching into the
rich valleys and plains of southern
Texas, it will pass through fertile
grain and cotton fields and amid its
aliuvial coast belt, IL will traverse
the finest sugar lands of the world.
To say that this country, from the
Sabine 10 FL Paso, nine hundred
miles in extent, with nearly six hun
dred miles beyond San Antonio,
must not soon become the dwelling
place for millions OF human beings,
actively engaged in the paying pur-
suits of life, would be absurd. The
keen financial intellect of a Hunt
ington told that to span this
region with tran-scontinental
railway would add millions in gain
to millions already won; that this
line would become the most popu-
lar one between the oceans; that it
would secure to the gulfcoast an en-
treport for the moving millions of
the old world, and that along the
line of this railway, where nature
has dwelt with lavish hand, there
must soon be found employment for
hundreds of thousands of men, pro-
ducing vast stores for tratlc. These
things were ioreseeu, ana coadjutors
in developing the west follow, until
there arises struggle for influence
there, the like of which has been
heretofore unknown in the develop
ment of any portion of this vast
republic. Not long ago the home
OF the bison and his companion, the
aboriginal man of America, western
Texas shifts into another period,
one in which wild wastes vanish be-
fore the shrill whistle of the railway
engine, in which tho fierce Mexican
lion lies not down with the lamb,
but when the latter chaseth him
beyond the great river dividing the
two republics, to be again driven,
even there and by the same agen-
eies, from jingle to mountain top, in
wild flight beyond the terrors Of
civilization. God never made u
more loSely land than this In west
ern Texas. Green fields and verdant
mountains and endless grassy
plains stretch from the borders of
New Mexico to the Mexican gull,
atfording pastures that would have
QuadrUpled Jacobs wealth, giving
minerals that would have dszzled
the eye of CrOesus, and yielding
crops that would make Ceres weep
for shame at the paucity of Roman
fields. Western Texas gives prom
ise Of becoming one OF the grandest
regions of America; and the world
begins to pay it that homage indica7
tive of most rapid advancement,
Its soils are rich, and in spite
of an attempt to produce
the opinion that western Texas
is alone suited to grazing, the mois-
ture of this region is now known to
be great enough for almost any ag-
ricultural production, while its rain
fall increases in the same ratio in |
which eiyiliz alton advances upon it. |
Properly, it is field for varied and |
profitable speculation and industry. |
Millions of acres of rich land lie |
there, waiting for capital and labor
TO extract from II fortunes for own
ers and operators. Hence the state |
of Texas has vast undeveloped |
wealth--millions of acres OF land |
that will, after while, pass into the
possession of settlers, thereby con-
veying scores of millions in
money TO the states educa-
ffonal fitn1 ond ont of rrh;ok