San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-03-16
RAILROADS IN TEXAS.
Va, Amount Of Building and Prospecting
In Progress.

Globe. Democrat

Globe'DemocrAt
c,tyEsToS, Tex, February IA -The
-, YEAR has been wonderful one in
history of Texas. Great changes
,nv taken place, and the Lone Star
S Sa has enjoyed height OF prosperi-
~ seldom attained by any one State
~ twelve months time. Her extraor-
s;nary progress must be credited to the
uua;lroad. which rejuvenated old lands,
isasolate of habitation, and started them
unon new era of prosperity. Less
.bsn forty years ago the entire COM
Dance of Texas was carted over the
nid aSan Antonio road, thirty day be-
;ng consumed to travel 800 miles. Now
almost every town of any commercial
importance has railroad communion
t;ops, and in few years if railroad
huilding continues as it has the past
rear. Texas will be gridironed.
The commercial year just closed finds
,be International and Great Northern
Railroad completed to the Mexican
border. and the Texas Pacific Railroad
tbrough to Ell Paso, making an unbroken
line from New Orleans to San Fran
cisco During the year fifty eight new
railroads were charte red and 1000 miles
If roads constructed, opening over
1900 miles of new country to the set
tier. Two years ago but sixty.four
noints OF commercial importance were
reached by rail, now over 25C CONNER
cial depots of consequence have the
advantage of communication by the
OH Of oil hae
been magical upon the resources and
appearance of the State.
THE AUSTIN AND NORTHWESTERN,
which is now being rapidly pushed
through sixteen of the northwestern
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 a
half miles Il day. The initial point of
the road is Austin. From thence it
goes on to Burnet, Lampasas, San Sa-
ba Menard, Mason, Brown, Coleman,
Concho, Tom Green, Jones and Run
nells Counties, connecting with the
Texas and Pacific at Abilene, in Taylor
County; with the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fe at Lampasas, and the Inter
national and Great Northern and Hous-
ton and Texas Central Railroads at
Austin. This road is opening up 500
miles of new country, which already
has population of 100000, and is des-
tined to become famous farming re-
gion and the most thickly populated
portion of the State. 1t is singular
fact that, with the extensive railroad
building in Texas the past few years,
this rich and prosperous section of the
country should so long have escaped
the attention of the railroad magnates.
The building-stone of this portion of
the State has long been known as
among the best to be found anywhere,
but Oh account of the lack OF means
for trans portation these quarries have
not yet been generally opened. The
completion of the first division of this
road will develope this interest, and it
is no exaggeratlon 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
lime stone and sandstone, which was
put to the test by the architect of the
new capital building, and stood crush
force greater than that of any
other stone ever known. Of the same
high quality are the granite, slate, and
alabaster found SO abundantly in this
region.
This road, in opening up the incom-
parable rich soil Of these northwestern
counties, will add thousands of dollars
to the taxable wealth of Texas, build
up villages and towns, where otherwise
none would have existed, and
created commerce and values in
sections that would have remained
worthless.
The fine water-power also offers to
the manufacturer place for the in
Vestment OF his money, and already a
syndicate has been found to establish
large WOODEN and cotton mills at Marble
Fails. The water-power of the Colora-
DO is enough to drive hundreds of mills,
and northern capitalists are now COM
ing IN, and the time may yet come
Wnen Texas will not only be the great
est stock-country in the world, but rank
well up as a manufacturing State. The
building stone for the new Capitol,
which is now in process of construc-
non, must also come from Marble Falls.
1t is now settled beyond doubt that
1ne International and Great Northern
railroad will be pushed into Mexico.
Two months ago. when Laredo was
reached, the engineering corps were
GSlsbanded, and it was stated that the !
new York parties had decided to take {
a rest and fully study the matter before s
crossing the Rio Grande. Yesterday I
one OF the engineers formerly on the
read, received word from Engineer
Trlndle to report to him at once at San t