Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-12-16
TEXAS AND PACIFIC ROAD.
Completing "a System that will
Open mp a New Empire I'm the
Southwest.
Now York Worla.l


New York World
81 have just got back from a five
weeks trip over the roads of the
Southwestern system" said General
e. Nj. Dodge to a World reporter yes
terday, 'and Tn full OF the country.
Major ID. w. Washburn, Chief Engi-
neer of the Texas Pacific, with head
quarters at Fort Worth, was with me
most of the trip, and Colonel Il. B.
Wheelock, President Of the New Or
leans Pacific, joined me at New Or
leans. First we went over the line
from New Orleans to Shreveport-the
New Orleans Pacifc-which will be
completed by January / and will be
the outlet Of the system to the great
Southern port. The part of the road
built is in fine condition, and it runs
through the old Red river, a fertile,
thickly settled and most prosperous
region, which will furnish q great
local trade from the start, with large
possibilities in the forests Of long leaf
pine aud cypress. These people have
hitherto been dependent on the river
for an outlet to New Orleans. BY
the way, when at New Orleans | ex-
amined the terminal facilities there.
They are magnificent on both sides of
the river, aud it matters not how great
it becomes we will have difficulty
there in handling the business of the
NV Orleans Pacific and all the rest
Of the roads.
THE TEXAS AND PACIFIC PRAIRIEs.
"We went over the Texas and Pa
ci6c from Fort Worth to Blanco
junction, where connection was made
on the first of this month with the
Southern Pacific. Trains now u
over the joint track under the recent
Could Huntington arrangement to Ell
Paso. The and Pacific is ad-
mirably built. 1t is equal to most
Northern roads in that respect, and
considering its newness it is in a on
derfully good condition. From Fort
Worth to the Guadalupe mountains
the country is one Of the finest sgri-
cultural regions. 1t is not dry, as peo-
pie very often think. Water is OBJ
tainable by digging wells everywhere,
aud the rainfall is abundant. | do
not think there is an u%noccupied
stretch of country in the land that
surpasses it. 1t will not be unoocu
pied long. for people from the North
and South and foreigners, all valuable
inhabitants, are pouring into it, The
immense grazing interests are already
giving way to agriculture. The
'Staked Plains so called, are rich
prairies capable OF being made the
greatest grain fields in the Southwest.
Along the western section the road
has brought many new towns into be-
ing. among them Big Springs, Baird,
Abilene, Colorado City and Toyah.
Foyah is at the end ofthe line. To
show how substantially the road has
been built, we came back from Carissa
Pass to Fort Worth, a distance Of 50(
miles, in twenty-fou hours, of which
several hours were given to stopplges
for inspection. 1t was as easy riding
as any road in the Southwest can at
ford. The Southern route to Califor.
MIA will be so pleasant in the winte,
months that it will certainly attrac'
the bulk of the travel.
THE MEXICAN EXTENSION.
"The International & Great North
ern road will be completed to LAREDO
by the middle of the present month
and as soon as the road gets there W,
will begin work on the Mexican OK
tension of the Southwestern system.
went through to Laredo, which is
busy little city. Work is to be pres
emily begun on a handsome iron brigd,
over the Rio ttrande, and before lon
our construction forces. now at worl
in Northern Texas, with trains, dis
cipline and everything else, will b.
moved into Mexico. We have thI
route selected from Laredo -almos
an air line-700 miles to the City o
Mexico. 1t will be shorter by 20l
miles from the Rio Grande to th.
Mexican capital than BIZ any otbe
, line. 1t goes through a most i%nvitin.
country-irst, the grazing lands of h
Rio Grande valley then thesugar am
coffee regions back of TamDico, tn
} most fertile in the world, producin
two crops a year, even with the print
tive sharp sticks for plows then int
! the rich mining regions Of the State Z
Hidalgo, where will be sixty or sew
, enty miles of heavy work and then t
the City of Mexico. The %concessio
! gives us the right to build variOu
branches, several of which are bein
) considered. The traffic of Mexico
4 larger than people think it is, an.
e those who suppose that the Mexican
are not awake to their need OF Amer
= can manufactures and methods al
lacking in information on the subjec
e They take an intense interest in tn
. proposed road.
r TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS.
! The Texas and Colorado ImprovC
r ment Company is also constructor
t the Fort Worth and Denver City roa
: from Fort Worth to the Canada
{ river to form a connection with th
I Denver and New Orleans road, thu
to make a through line from tn
s Rocky Mountains to Underwater
Many of the men engaged on the con
4 struction Of the Texas and Pacific wi
D be released shortly by the completiO
r ofthat road, and will be put to wor
!, on the Fort Worth and Denver Cit
0 line. This Pan Handle country
r Texas through which this line runs
fertile, well watered and already yer
g largely occupied by cattle men, man
] Of whom have come with their i'm
. mense herds from the Northwes
! driven thence by the rough exper
! ences Of last winter. More are comm
I down every day into this bette
' climate. 1t is a country that will Dc
: velop more rapidly than any other Dal
8 Of Texas. | also went over the Kar
e sas and Texas road, which is very we.
e built, and every foot of its increase
C mileage rs through a productive cour
D try. 1t will be completed from Hill'
bOro. above Waco, to Taylor, on tn
& international and Great Northern.
a "All over the Southwestern syster
| found that the various operations