The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-05-19
TEXAS AND ST. LOUIS NARRow.eAUaE

Thursday morning we had an editoria
briefly discussing, or more properly speaking
calling attention to the importance OF Dai
las securing branch of the Texas " 81
Louis narrow.g uge railroad. The views w
advanced, we are pleased to know, attracted
attention at once, and the consequence wa
that meeting of citizens was forthwith
gotten up.to meet Ex-Governor Hubbard tne
attorney and Representative Of the road II
this state at the board OF trade rooms yes'er
dav afternoon. Governor Hubbard wSs
promptly on hand at A o'clock, the appointeo
hour. and he found the rooms filed with the
lasdine business men and citizens CT the city
awaiting him and showing that tney were
Interested in what he might have to say. Ii
il not our purpose to make
roport of Governor Hubbard's remarks, but
we shall give.the salient points thereof WIN
comments of own upon them. Inc
olestion of this branch narrow gauge ROAD is
one ia which we feel deep interest, becau Q
wa realize that it is of vital Importance 20
Dallas. We are thoroughly and profoundly
impressed h,tbe superiority OF TINS system
of roads, and the more we study them and
gain information as to their utility ana their
caespness, not only Of CONSTRUCTIONS ous Oh
oneration. the more is our confidence in them
and admiration for them strengthened and
Increased. The governor set out IN his
remarks by stating that the meeting was
simply on informal one; that lie was IN
Dallas for the purpose of this conference puI
on other and much less pleasant business;
that he was not here to submit any DELI
mite proposition. He wildly portrayed
the history'of. the Texas q st. Louis narrow
gauge from its inception 10 the present 'ime'
A brief resume of that history here, we take
It. will not be inappropriate nor without
wei in conveying an idea of the impor-
lance. even of short line of this character
of road. Tyler and Smith county were
ambitious for railroads. To secure the
international & Great Northern road some
quarter of million of city and county
bonds vera donated to the road, provided 1t
would come to Tyler. The company
accepted the subsidy and built branch line
from Troupe on its main line through Tyler
to Mineols. When this ROAD was completed
the people found out they were no better Oh
than they had been before. Freights On
cotton and merchandise were just as high rs
when they had 20 road at all. For
the sake Of competition lac citizens OF
Tyler organ ed q company and built what
was known az the Tyler zap, connecting
their town with the Texas & Pacific, at big
Sandy, a distance of twenty-one miles. Tbs
gave them composition, ard the consequence
was that freight on cotton to Galveston ieii
fro n five dollars bale to one dollar and
half snd return freight ia the same proper
ton. This was the benefit that this little
twenty-one miles of narrow gauge rendered
the PEOPLE of Tyler, an immense reduction OF
freight, indeed, in years business. But "
might be said that a standard gauge wouid
have effected the same thing. This is true,
bu. twenty one miles of standard gauge
would have cost not less than three times
a, much as the narrow gauge,snd the cost OF
running its trains would have been at least
fortv psr cent. more. This is the argument,
and it mus. be plain and forcible
to all. 1t is not necessary Tor
tho purposes of this article that
wa should give in detail the efforts OF Gov
Hubbard two years ago in St. Louis, to in
duce the business men of that city TO form a
company for the construction OF
the Texas s. st. Louis narrow
guage, Tia! they might have a line OF tseiF
own to Texas to transport millions of trade
to and from this great state. Suffice 1t to
say, that he awakened the interest OF those
sbrewi, wide-swaks business men at once
and inside of thirty-six hours from the time
he spoke to them in the hall OF their ex-
change building, the measure had taken root
and they had begun action. The result was
that in a few months not only had company
been formed, bat work had commenced and
has never ceased from that day TO this, and
now they have line Of two hundred miles
of road or whereabouts from Texsrksna to
Corscsns, with the line beyond that point
q, far progressed as TO enable
them to run their cars into Waco
in a very short time. We see what deter
mins,ion will do, what practical business
s,gacity will accomplish. st. Louis was al
ready great city, claiming then half million
population, and would not bsve decreased
one lot or title il importance IL every dollar
of IL Texas trade had loft it and gone sone-
where else, but the merchants there, the men
who meet daily sharp business encounters on
change, who knoR the wisdom and appreciate
the common sense of investing one dollar
that it may multiply itself into two or four,
TO keep this trade of Texas, 70 cause i 70
expand and grow in bulk year BY year, did
not give q subaay 10 railroad company, as
Dsllss business and noaeyel men are simply
asked 10 do, but they vsas 10 work and built
tbe railroad themselves The Iron Mountain
rosa was q great ST. Louis enterprise,
he, brinOing 0rist 10 it, commercial