The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-18
NARROW GAUGE ROADS.
THE PRESENT SYSTEM IN TEXAS
How 1T Has Reduced Freight Rates
Why Dallas Should Avail Her
self OF Desirable Conuec-
tions-The Trunk Line.

tions as to the narrow gauge system
Of roads in Texas, and / do SO, not be-
cause of any pecuniary interest in the
the system, but. because of my general
interest in the development and pro
gross Of the State. / spen. last week
at Tyler and Rusk; travelled the mar
row gauge road between the two
places, and | was not only pleased but
delighted with the trip. | have trav-
eled over the best roads in the United
States and | think the ride on that
road equal in smOothness to the best,
although the coach was of second class
with inferior springs. | could read
fine print witk ease while the mixed
train made 80 miles 10 the hour part Of
the trip. The road bed is wide and
the ties wide and long, The track is
well laid and surfaced. There is no
jolting or rocking motion in the NOV
ing train. Upon inquiry aud obssrva.
tlon, found the joints of the rails were
made directly opposite each other on
the center Of extra wide ties and on
the same tie, supported and fastened
by the double-flapge fish bar, making
the joints az solid and smooth as the
cenlers OF tho rails; hence, the
great smoothness and rapidity OF
the motion of tho moving train, 1t
passes through very fine section Of
farming lands susceptible of dense
population in tho near future. Even
now the local traffic more than pays
running expenses.
1t penetrates about the center OF the
richest beds Of iron ore in tho State,
which has been recently thoroughly
examined and tested by experts sent
out from Pennsylvania and they re-
port 1t in abundance and OF the best
quality. This road also penetrates the
pineri6s and connects with the Bre-
mond Narrow Gauge, With this con-
nectiOn the two roads have not only
the best, but an almost inexhaustiblo
supply OF the best pineries in the
State. This connection with Bremond
connects at Houston with the Narrow
Gauge, thence to San Antonio and will
doubtless soon force u narrow gauge
connection with Galveston. Now, IL
occurs to me to be OF tho greatest inn
portance to Dallas to connect with
this--the X. d &. s. Lino--at Tyler;
not so much because of the superior
character OF the rosd itself, nor OF the
superior country traversed by II, but
because by building road TO Tyler
you there form better connections
with the whole system of narrow
gauge roads. There you connect, not
only with the Texas & ST..
Louis, bnt also with the
X. & 6. S. L. which, with its connec.
tons, not only gives you competing
lines to tho gulf, but also brings the
Bremond road in competition with
the Texas IL st. Louis, northward,
and these two narrow gauge roads In
competition with the Gould and Hunt
inglon systems and south. IL
seems TO me these connections would
DO worth far moro to Dallas than n
new road from Dallas to Sabine Paes.
1t Is true this road would intersect all
three of the narrOw-gauge roads above
mentioned, but 1t would be handi-
capped at both ends and in tho middle
by Gould aRd Huntington and it could
make no terms with the narrow
gauge roads that could not be more
than cOnnterbllanoed by Gould and
Huntington. This Is not moro as
sertioD, we kuoW IL from experience
tho treatment Of tho Texas Il s..
Loui5 by Gould aiew years ago proves
#, ana the same secret power welded
by these maRnatos has Mt last forced
tho santa Fe into the pooi. But hy
connecting at Tyler you have at once
Independent outlets both north and
south and can then extend to Sabine
Pass or TO New Orleans with better
facilities for q paying Investment than
TO run direct from Dallas to either
point IL Goos seem the above con-
nections at Tyler arc so plainly
and pglpablY of such vital
Importance TO Dallas as that
10 is strange Dallas has not
before this moved heaven and earth to
accomplish the end. Why, sir, what
has given Waco her boom In improve
ments and hor commercial Importance
but tho Texas Il ST. Louis narrow
gauge2 Although badly constructed
and BADLY managed, yetit has caused
agenoral reduction OF freights through
out the State, and to day, by its work,
Waco has lower freight rates than any
place In tho state, Tyler and CorsI-
cana nearly as good, and what else has
given them thor present commanding
importance save tho little narrow
gauge? In consequence OF these rates
WACO has drawn considerable trade
heretofore giyon TO Dallas, and will
continue 70 draw moro and moro OF
her trade rs long as Waco enjoys the
benefit OF tho independent narrow
gauge aud Dallas remains in tho
clutches OF Gould and Huntington,
There Is no question but what tho little
narrow gauge at Waco has been very
thorn in the side Of Gould and Hunt.
ington, Notwithstanding its mlsior-
tuno3 and bad management. Had 10
been properly built and managed IL
would Doubtless have exceeded all
other roads IN the transportation OF
cotton last season. as 10 was IL only
fell little short OF tho great Missouri
Pacific railroad, and ahead OF
oil others. What more can
any ono want in proof Of Tho
capacity and ability of tho narrow
gauge 20 compete successfully with the
WIDE gauge than what has transpred
az WacOY
II was tho pride and hope Of Texas
that the Santa Flo would remain indie
pendent OF tho magnates, but having
no northern outlet IL Yves at last fortol
into the pool, But being wido gauge
IL could not while Independent cut
irolghts like II would have done had IL
been narrow gauge, hence Dallas de-
rived but little benefit comparatively
from this road in competition with
Huntington southwark. Certainly il
Is good policy IN Texas to favor as far
as possible all narrow.gauge roads.
Ihero ~ less probability OF a oombina-
49, bNsNNNh AhNhl Nuu luO WHO
gauge and hence will continue TO
cheapen ireights. Dallas already has
her Trunk Road TO Kemp. In view Of
the above suggestions, II would seem
lar better for Dallas to build tho Trunk
Road to Tyler, where in.
dependent connections both north
and south could DO readily
formed with the whole narrow-gaure
system and thus secure cheap rates.
not only on the narrow gauge, but
with this thorn in the sides OF Gonij
and Huntington force reduction on
their roads, from which point, bv the
addition OF another rail, the cars
OF tho narrow gauge could
DO tunAdireotly TO Dallas. This
would SECURE for Dallas far better IA.
cilties than Waco has ever had, and n
would seem, result in 80 much tho
greater benefit for Dallas,
Besides considering tho character of
we country from Kemp 20 Palestine,
the local traffic would 90 little or noth-
ing While tho route from Kemp TO
Tyler IS through good fsrmisg coun-
Try, tho whole distance ana Tho local
traino would al leaBt nav running ox-