The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-05-05
WHO WILL BE FOUND OUT OF THE
RANKS?

II 10 duuOuHCcu budJ rEcu 0TuuI
has been made president of the
Western Narrow Gauge railway, a
charter for which was obtained the
other day. This road begins at
Houston, and runs in the direction
of LaGrange, and is now completed
to the Brazos river. 1t is the old
road that has been struggling for so
many years for existence, and it was
owned and controlled by Hous-
tonians until a short time ago, when
it was sold to satisfy mortgage, and
was bought in for company by Mr..
Grant, who has, since the purchase.
been looking over the proposed
line, with the object of at once be-
ginning active operations. The
charter calls for the line of this road
to run through Fayette and Cald-
well counties, and its prospective
terminus is in Sherman county, one
of the extreme northern counties of
the Panhandle, line of seven hun
dred miles, making it one of the
most extensive railways in the
state, and destined to make its
connections beyond the state
with vast narrow gauge system
now penetrating the territories and
rapidly filling them up with popula-
ton to the magnitude of states.
Seven hundred miles of narrow
gauge railway developing q vast re-
giOn in the northwest is big thing
to contemplate, especially when it is
considered that it is backed by capi-
tai and energy, that will build and put
in operation two hundred miles of
railway within twelve months from
the time of beginning operations. 1t
would not be unreasonable, there
fore, to conclude that, before the
end of 1888, this road will be fully
completed and equipped, and that
along its line will be conducted a
vast and profitable trade. Who is
going to be benefited? Houston
certainly deserves benefits, and it is
going to have them. Austin might,
it appears to us, secure vast advan-
tages from this line, and the
question is, will it make the
necessary effort to absolutely
have them. The charter for this
railway calls for this line to pass,
probably, fifteen or twenty miles
southwest Of us. 1t will touch La
Grange and Bastrop, and then the
charter calls for movement across
the Colorado to traverse the county
to the southwark of Austin. 1t
would strike the International rail-
way somewhere in Hayes county,
probably, or at New Braunfels, and
thence pass onward to the Panhan-
die. When this road reaches Bas-
trop it will be in forty miles of AUS
tin, and between Bastrop and
Austin lies one. of the very
richest bodies of land in the
world. 1t is capable of pro-
dncing incalculable crops in
great variety, but allowed to grow
up alone in what is known as "Bot-
tom Grass" which produces the
best hay known, and the yield of
which is immense, it would produce
vast transportation for q narrow
gauge railway, and its producing
population would find ready sale
and most satisfactory profits upon
production. Between Bastrop and
Austin lies this rich valley, capable
of producing enough corn and oats
and hay to supply the demands of
Houston and Galveston with a nice
balance thrown in for Havana.
Would Austin and such an agricul-
tural region as this loose the advan-
tages to be gained from such line
of railway as this, of the building of
which not a doubt can be expressed.
1t would add great wealth to farm
ing interests, and it would certainly
make of Austin what would be of
great advantage to its property hold
ers, q commercial and business center.
To secure this road would not only
give us such immediate advantages,
but it would place our city a good
many points in advance of other
places on the location of the State
University, for this and other enter
prises like it favoring Austin would
popularize the place and add many
thousands of votes to its strength.
Nota stone should be leftunturned in
making attempts to procure this line
ofrailway. The people of Austin and
the Colorado valley should be up and
doing without delay. Mr.. Grant is
now at the North perfecting all that
is needful in the direction of push
ing this work. He will shortly re-
turn to Texas, with engineers and
material and force, to locate and
build the line. There is going to be
no delay. Two months from now
the lines will be located, and the
road builders will be moving dirt
all the way from the Brazos to the
Colorado, and probably beyond it,
unless these people use means to di-
vert the line in this direction.
1t is grand. alternative to
contemplate in one direction,
a poor finale to reflect on in the other.
To command the first makes the
valley of the Colorado as beautiful
and attractive and popular az the
famous Chester valley, of Pennsyl-
vania, and Austin railroad center.
The building Of this road to Austin
would bring to this place the road
from Cuero, the Missouri Pacific, the
Austin g. Northwestern, the Texas
& st. Louis and others not yet
thought of in this age of progress
for Texas. The place or community
that does not help itself now, at this
food tide of Improvement in the
new southwest, will be forgotten in
the development of places display