The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1882-03-09
Texas Railroad News.

spondent is well posted ON Texas
railroad matters. In a recent letter
from Galveston he speaks as follow S
of Austin's new road, and the two
great managers of the Gould sys-
tenn
THE AUSTIN AND NORTHWESTERN,
which is now Oelng rapidly pushed
through sixteen of the northw es' ern
counties of the state, was chartered
only six months ago, and at this
time sixty miles have been graded,
and track is being laid at the rate of
one and half miles day. The in
itial point of the road is Austin.
From thence it goes on to Burnet,
Lampasas, San Saba, Menard. Ma
son, Brown, Coleman, Concho, Tom
Green, Jones and Runnells counties,
connecting with the Texas and Pa
cific at Abriene, in Harvard county !;
with the Gulf, Colorado and Santa
Fe at Lampasas, and the Interna-
Iional and Great Northern and
Houston and Texas Central rail-
roads at Austin. This road is open
ing up five hundred miles of new
country, which already has a popu-
lation of 100000. and is destined to
become a famous farming region
and the most thickly populated por-
ton of the state. 1t is a singular
fact that, with the extensive railroad
building in Texas the past few wears,
this rich and prosperous section of
country should so long have escaped
the attention OF the railroad mag
mates. The building stone of this
portion of the state has long been
known as among the best to be
found anywhere, but on account of
the lack of means for transportation
these quarries have not been gener-
ally opened. The completion of the
first division ofthis road will devel-
op this interest, and it is
no exaggeration to say that in no
scope Of country of the same size
can there be found such fine, varied
and immense deposits of stone.
These beds comprise marble, all
kinds of limestone and sandstone,
which was put to the test by the
architect of the new capitol build
ing and stood crush force greater
than that of any other stone ever
known. Of the same high quality
are the granite, slate, soapstone and
alabaster found so abundantly in
this region.
This road, in opening up the in
comparable rich soil of these north
western counties, will add thou
sands of dollars to the taxable
wealth of Texas, build up villages
and towns, where otherwise none
would have existed, and create
commerce and values in sections
that would have remained worth
less.
The fine water power also offers
to the manufacturer place for the
investment of his money, and al
ready q syndicate has been found
to establish large wOolen and cot
ton mills at Marble Falls. The
WATER POWER ON THE COLORADO
is enough to drive hundreds of
mills, and Northern capitalists are
now coming in, and the time may
yet come when Texas will not only
be the greatest stock country in the
world, but rank well up as a manu-
featuring state. The building stone
for the new capitol, which is now in
process of construction, must also
come from Marble Falls.
The builders of this promising
railway enterprise are Senator j. X.
Graves, of Iowa; III w. Men eill,
formerly of the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul road, and j. A. Rhom-
berg, of Iowa. These gentlemen
are extensively known throughout
the northwest as men of
great energy and ability. This is
their first operation in Texas. Mr..
Mcneil, the general manager of the
road, who is now in Austin, expects
to have the first division completed
in few months, and open for busi-
ness. 1t is also his intention to have
the finest road. bed in the state, and
the equipment all first-class. Presi-
dent Rhomberg, who lately arrived
from New York, will, as soon as the
weather changes, start for Oberlin,
for the purpose of examining the
country and determining upon the
most feasible route. The building
of the Austin and Northwestern
gives the International and Great
Northern a very valuable feeder, as
the amount of freight coming from
these upper counties will be enor-
nous.
MANAGERS TALMAGE AND HOXIE,
of the Gould southwestern system.
81 remember Hub Hoxie when he
was working on a farm in Iowa"
said one of the gentlemen. ale
was one of those quiet, but ambi-
tious boys, always breaking his head
in trying to study up some scheme
to send him forward notch or two.
His first office was constable of his
| district, and from that time on he
advanced rapidly. He was naturally
smart, and his ability as an organ
izer was soon recognized by the Re-
publicans of the state, and he was
made chairman of the state central
committee. From that he stepped
into the United States marshaPs
shoes, and next assumed a position
with the Union Pacific railroad
His career from that time on you
are well acquainted with, and if any
young man deserves praise it is
Hub Hoxie.
"Then there's A. A. Talmage
manager of the Missouri Pacific
the same kind of a man. He made
himself, and doubt if a finer rail-
road man can be found. L knew
him as a brakesman running out
from Elmira, New York. When 6
boy he was always a crank on rail
roads, and a few dreamed that he
would ever become one OF the lead.
ing managers in the country. From
brakeman he was elevated to the
position of conductor, then division
superintendent, and finally manager
Indeed, both managers may well b'
proud of their records, for both arr
the architects of their own for
tunes"
Streak of Honesty.
There Is a streak of honesty in th'
Austin STATESMAN that will asser
itself at times and shine out al
brightly as new silver dollar in
mud-hole. Referring to the matte