The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-05-08
RGUMENT FOR AURORA.
WANTS ARoAD FROM DALLAS
/. exhaustive Presentation of the Merits
- hat Route as Compared to
Decatur Line 60 Thence
m to JacksborO.

"a -
,ence the survey of line from Dallas
"A GRAPEVINE and from there to Jacks
8oro.p that they "were undecided
bicb route they would take from
rspeyine. Decatur and Aurora were
Mentioned, also Bowle.'
f The Democrat says: "To our mind,
fbacatur is the point in view, as Aurora
K too near Fort Worth, and Bowie too
5ar north to reach the coal fields Of this
Mounty"
|W While the people Of Aurora and Yicin-
ty feel as great interest in the prosper
In of Decatur, our county seat, as the
fjtlzens Of any otner portion of the rich
Eonnty OF Wise, yet there is limit to
<<the feeling, in that we do not see that
the citizens Of the county will be so
Greatly benefited as by running this
line by Aurora-Ihe shortest, most prac-
q ticable and best route in
Neyery particular. The prosper
# ity OF this county does not hinge
+ oii the size nor wealth of its county seat
Is as true as that railroads are built tor
the money that is In them. The short
est rOute,the cheapest road bed to make,
n the finest country to traverse that will
give the greatest amount of freight and
X passengers to transport is by Aurora TO
n Jacksboro.
81 II Spaight's official map of Texas is re-.
e liable, Aurora is but little north of az air
q line from Grapevine to Jacksboro. De-
q catur Is 10 miles north of Aurora. A
8 road from Aurora to JacSsboro could
n penetrate the great coal fields of Wise
A west Of Decatur. This coal area is
4 positively placed al not less than $500
n acres, and 1t Is thought that 5000 or 10,
+ 600 acres area may be developed IN time.
4 The Aurora route would be- the best,
A even if Decatur should offer solid in
4 duC6mtnt In the shape of bonus to
Il overcome any difficulties in the way.
4 This bonus would only enable The man
agemeut TO build q longer, more expen-
siVo and not so we'll sustained road. as
4 railroads are run at great expense it
A would require but short time 10 sink
A the bonus in the difference of the re-
ceipts OF the road over a
4 longer and more expensive route 10
maintain than itrun through r better
country over shorter route. Citizens
well acquainted with the topography oil
the county and that Of Jack affirm that
jack 5bOrO can be reached from Aurora
4 over a lar better and cheaper route Than
from Decatur. While the money sub
scrD6d or voted by an out-of. the-way-
town might pay wholly or in part the
difference in cost OF constructing the
line by n longer route, it is certainly as
true that this longer and in every way
worse route must be kept up by the
company rs long as used and that the
swear and tear" Ofeverythiug pertaining
TO the line, the interest on the money
constantly invested on this increased
distance of road would soon outweigh
the most solid iuducement Decatur
could give. Decatur promised $4,000 to
the Fort Worth d Denver City railroad
to run by her gud worked most indus
triOusiy even TO get the road away from
Aurora. When did Decatur pay her bo-
nus? We heard something about suit
for tho money.
A late railroad meeting in Aurora was
well attande1 and her citizens ex-
pressed themselves as anxious Tor
road and willing TO contribute freely
toward securing right Of way, and u
"solid iuducement."
Says the Democrat: "Aurora is too
near Fort Worth" We fail to
see the argument If the road isI
built 10 Nll certainly he Tor the
benefit Of Dallas. Fort Worth is 25
miles south Of Aurora. The greater the
area OF rich prairie and valley land
caught away from Fort Worth in ii
northwesterly direction the greater will
putt is not Invested in "a ridiculouslv
t0r,uous and expensive road. Dscatur
and Bowie are too far from Fort Worth,
lftlere Was q richer country to drain IN
running over these longer, Out-Of-the-
way routes IL might be deemed by good
business meu as moro than an offset.
But, in the language of the Scotch court:
at is not proven Aurora Is lar more
favOrlbly located thau Decatur, H. is !
generally believed that had the Fort
Worth Il Donyer City railway run with |
IN the limits Of Aurora that IL would
have been larger and more ilOurishing
than amy town north, northeast or north |
Wcsi 90 Fort Worth, except Gainesville.
AbuuJmtly supplied with good and
lesJiug water, rich garden spots, and
situated ON tI3 verge OF the fine valley
west OF it with prairie on tho east, the
LOCATION Us exceptionally good.
The COR missioner Of statistics in his
report lo Gov. Roberts in 1852 said Of this
cuuntry: "fhe timbered portion INCLUDE
ing the belt of woodland known AZ the
Upper Cross Gimbursi which extends
through the country nearly north and
south, occupies tW0-thirds of the area
(ol Wise county, and consists of seve ral
varieties OF oak, az post, pin, burr, water
aud red oak, while along tho streams
there is usually largo growth OF black
walnut, pecan, cottonwood and elm, and
In the cross timbers the low, heavy top
pea post oak, interspersed with hickory
ana black jack. Good water for drink
ing purposes Is to DO had from springs,
winch are found In many portions, ana
IL Wells at adepth Of 20 TO 40 feet, while
inc West Fork and benton Fork OF tho
trinity river aud their tributaries fur
nlsh an abundant supply OF running
water well distributed over the ooun
uy' The soil of tho prairias Is the black
WaaXy earth, esteemed alike for It's dura-
putty, fertility and its property Of resist
ing The effects OF drOuth. OrChe valleys,
a dark or brOwnish alluvinm, and OF the
um0ered section u reddish or gray
sandy land. The first Two named soils
reach to u great depth and yield large
ulopSoi hll the ordinary crops Of the
country viz:cOrr, wheat, barley, oats
AUG cotton, and the yield per acre
VphpsloS favO ably with that of
tne best agricultural counties in
noEth Texas, garden vegetables Of all
antly.
Many persons now have great vari-
eyof fruits. The valley Is divided into
humorous rich, well TILED farms. A
aoa9 by Aurora would gather all the
gram and stock sold from that region,
una along the road at its depots; gather
W netween 1000 and 5000 bales Of cot.
mn mat now drift on wagons through
pecetur to Denton or Gainesville, or
SWUun anu southwest to Fort Worth and
,meWneHurd. A direct line by Aurora
n mOuiu not rdn far from the entire
S soa boundary of Parker county
p pnn nearer the northeast corner OF
h o flnto county than would direct
t ne rom Decatur to Jacksb0ro. Addi-
sn ohhaiy II would be more convenient
co nu uirect outlet from Jack and Young
IVsnues' Decatur is too far north. That
NEIGHBoR,