The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-12-20
LOCAL INDUSTRIES
The Necessity for building Up Home En-
teIprises.

The Necessity Tor Buildlng Up Home En-
terprises.
To the Editor OF the Herald.
DALLAS, Dece,Lber l9.-The Legislature
will meet in special session some time in
February or March; one of the important
matters to be submitted to that body will
no doubt be the subject of railroad legis-
lation. That is a subject in which great
deal is said and very little known |, with
the rest. would like to have my say, not
that it would amount to anything but
simply 10 crafty u desire to hear myself
talk.
Years ago, when we had only one or two
railroads they charged whatever rates they
pleased, acted pretty much as they pleased,
and the people never complained. Even
during the sitting of the present Legislature
such thing as railroad competition was
very much CT stranger in the State of
Texas The railroads and the people were
very much interested in the proposed legis-
lation then pending before that body. The
legislation failed and it is of the result that
| would speak. The result is
this, Texas has experienced in
very short time system OF railroad build
ing hitherto unknown in any State. Rail
roads are running and being projected to
almost every place Of Importance in the
State, and not only one line, but competing
lines, and in consequence thereof our State
is experiencing prosperity to which she
has been perfect stranger. immigration i S
pouring in; capital is finding its way here
with great rapidity, and Texas, known
only to the outside as place
OF refuge for criminals, is now heralded as
the Eldorado of the Southwest. Our farm
ers. our merchants have been enabled to
bridge over short crop by the prosperous
times caused thereby.
And the end is not yet Texas is only
in her swaddling clothes as compared to
the future if this era of railroad bilding con-
tinues
Situated as we are, next to Mexi-
60, that only awaits development
to pour into our Golfers untold
wealth and take in exchange therefor
the products Of our SOIL Situated on the
most direct line from the Pacific coast to
the Eastern world, what is to hinder us
from dividing, at some point on our coast,
the trade that has heretofore been con-
trolled wholly by New York?
In the southwestern portion OF our State
we have the finest lumber forests in the
world. Heretofore they have been utterly
useless and worthless. At the present
rate Of railroad building but little time
will elapse before they are opened to
the world. They will bring wealth and
thrift to that hitherto lifeless portion of our
State And instead of the constant drain
that has been taken from us to other quar-
tiers for such material there will be cores
ponding influx of wealth. In the north
west, west and southwest are immense
coal and copper fields, to say nothing OF
silver. In short time unless uniriendly
legislation intervenes, these will all be
opened up. The money that
has heretofore gone abroad will
be expended in our midst for these articles.
Its cheapness will enable manufacto-
ries to be established in our midst to work
up the raw material, and the railroads can
grow rich Off of the products then to be
conveyed and instead of as now the mate
rial shipped into oui State Let the empty
ears be coming instead Of as now going.
Will our Legislature, at its special
session, by. unfrisndly and un'
wise railroad legislation cut Off this
era of prosperity before we have had time
TO reap any benefit from it; lock up our
immense lumber forests OF the southeast,
our coalfelds and pay tribute to the out
side world for these necessaries; rob us of
the luxury of having manufactures; stop
railroad building and enable some syndi-
have thus enabling them to Cypress
our people2 Or will they allow the
good work to go on2 Utilize our
forests our coal fields and the vast resources
of our State, and instead Of paying tribute
accept it from tho outside world? Estab-
fish manufactures in our midst to work up
the raw material produced here, and in u
very short time make Texas, instead OF
New York, the great emporium, the life
giving artery, Of our country. Our vast
wealth will cause taxes to be nominal.
The future will tell. ii.