The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-02-02
PROMISES FULFILLED.

Yesterday the STATESMAN con-
tanned an item regarding the real
purpose of G. p. Huntington to build
and maintain purely Southern Pa
cific railway. 1t was good many
years ago that the STATESMAN made
this promise, and it based its ex-
pressions upon the personal repre-
sentations of Mr.. Huntington, who,
when he placed himself in opposi-
ton to the subsidizing of the Texas
and Pacific railway by the federal
government, told the people of this
country that it was unwise to thus
force public capital to open such a
line, when private capital stood
ready to do what some wanted the
federal government to do. Colonel
Scott, it will be remembered, piled
congress for many sessions for a
subsidy, once asking in bonds, what
would have amounted. in cash to
about fifty thousand dollars per mile
to. build the Texas and Pacific rail-
way from the Mississippi TO the
Pacific. Mr.. HuntingtOn's COM
pany was then building the
Southern Pacific railway in
Lower California, and the line was
making rapid advances toward the
Colorado river at Fort Yuma. There
were those, at that time, who OBJ
jected to the course of the STATES
MAN, in adopting the theory that
public money should not be used in
building the transcontinental line of
railway, and it was said that the de-
feat Of any southern line would be
secured if such opposition prevailed.
Colonel Scott, the head of the great
Pennsylvania Central, was strug-
Cling for the enormous subventiO on,
and it really appeared that his COM
pany was unable to arrange for
building even the smallest section of
the Texas and Pacific. Mr.. Hunting
ton finally came before con-
gress, in 1877, and offered
to give bond ..or to deposit mil L.
lions in the federal treasury as Il
forfeit, if the discriminating subvcn-
ton were not granted the Scott
company, that this road would be
built across the continent within a
given time. His theory was that it
would be unjust for the government
to build line for private persons
when private persons stood ready
to build and were really building a
transcontinental line without ask
ing public aid to the extent of one
dollar. The STATESMAN, holding
to the theory that public money
should be put alone to public uses,
not converted into private
funds, opposed the proposition
i'll favor of the Texas and Pacific,
and the result has shown that to
have given what was asked would
have been the height of folly, for, so
soon as the government subsidy was
defeated, private capital took hold
of the construction of the Texas and
transcontinental operating railway.
Not only does it have its southern
connection with the gulf, but the
Gould railways towards ST. Louis
and New York make it more than q
southern route. But we see that
this line is indebted to the conn &C.
tion, on this side of the Rio Grande
with the Southern Pacific, whereby
this transcontinental linels establish.
ed. But the Huntington line pro-
crosses, and is to be speedily
built, is apurely southern trans.
continental line, with q gulf con
nectiOn somewhere on tho
Texas coast, another at New
Orleans, while the third deep water
connection is to be at Newport
News, ON the Atlantic seaboard. ThC
Southern Pacific line extends south
ward from its connection with thu
Texas and Pacific through Preside
and Pecos counties, towards thu
mouth of Devils river, where i
flows into the Rio Grande, anC
thence it follows the so-called "Sun
set" route TO San Antonio and tC
Houston. Here Mr.. Huntington has
secured another continuing line
the Texas and New Orleans road
through which deep water is sough
at the mouth of the Mississippi
river. Colonel Creary has beer
building road from Sa
bine into the pine lands of eastern
Texas. This road connects will
Mr.. Huntington's New Orlean
route, and is striking northwart
towards Shreveport. 1t has been fin
ished to Liberty, while it also ha
now become the property of Mr.
Huntington, and it is his purpose t.
run it as a connecting link to Mem
phis, whence this silent railway
builder already has his line almos
entirely completed to New
port News, on the Virgin
ia coast. What magnifi
cent conception! This great trans
continental line bends, as it were, t.
the grandeur of Texas; it sweep
down through the rich pastura
lands OF western Texas 10 give ant
take tribute from the hemammOth mea
house, as it were, of North America
il makes a grand circle through on
wool and cotton and sugar belts I
, find raw material for the factorie
and refineries of the world and las
: but by no means least, it penetrate
that greatest of timber regions
where primeval forests lie in all thei
grandeur, awaiting the cunning de
vices of machinery, not only to pre-
duce great and solid industrial work
but to build up palaces, and to thro'
around the hearthstone of the west
r ern man and the Mexican the civil
: izing influences of pine planks, AM
n to snatch them from the barbarisI
of adobe walls and matched roof