San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1885-05-07
Communication OF San Marcos Railroad
Committee to Major Converse. OF
the Sunset Route. and His
RaoIx
Reply.

mittee appointed by meeting OF tho eiu'
gems OF the town OF San Marcos, Hays eoun.
~, Texas, 20 formulate the construction Of
a line Of railway from the Sunset road from
the town Of San Marcos, beg leave to ad,
dress YOU in reference to this matter aud 10
beg your favorable aud careful oonSidera'
ton of the matter We here present
The committee have been at considerable
mains TO gather tho statistical information
herein presented, and assure you that tho
same ia not exaggerated, but that II Is rather
under than over the true status.
The following estimate OF tho mercantile
business done in the town OF San Marcos il
for the year 1884, a hard year for the farmer
and merchant, and of course presents a
largely decreased volume OF business under
what would generally DO done in tho town
of fair crop and business year.
Amount o. sales of dry goods and gro
ceries for 1884, 5000, 900.
Blacksmith, wood wagons, saddles and har-
ness, $50, O0J.
Business done by the San Marcos Water
Works company, for 1854, Siz'ooo'
| Onttlc, kOtth, uoBn hiu sANNP busN4N'sA
in the town for 1884, 1900 head.
There is IN apiary now established in this
place which in the last few months has had
shipped to this place 40, 900 pounds of gums
and bee fixtures, and the business gives
promise of rapid growth.
Number bales of cotton OF fair crop year,
from the acreage now IN cultivation shipped
from this point (San Marcos), $4,000.
Number of loads of grain, including corn,
oats, wheat, etc., 100. 49,.
Wool-75, 200 pounds hides, 10000
pounds.
Horses and cattle, 100 car loads
Lime and cement q car loads.
We would further state that the prime
cost of lumber shipped to this point to
Messrs. Ed. Christian " Co. for the year 1854,
was SIG, 2lO, and freight paid on same was
in cash ST., 347. We feel justified in saying
that rs per cent. of the lumber business here
would pass over the contemplated line OF
road Messrs Christian Il Co. have fine
lumber yard, and are supplied with the most
approved machinery for dressing and shap-
ing lumber for all the purposes of building,
and we feel safe in saying that the construc-
ton of the road would soon quadruple the
amount of business done by them by making
this distributing point for lumber for the
cOuutltb VI DiuhCo, uhu Paito "a So"A s'A"
Gillespie.
We estimate from what we think is relia-
BILE data the amount of business that may
naturally be expected from Blanco immedi-
ately on the completion of the road, this
place now being the principal shipping point
for Blanco county: Wool, 100000 lbs
cotton, 5000 bales hides, 100, 600 lbs;
general merchandise, $3.50, 900, besides u
large increase from this county in the way
of shipment of cattle, horses and lumber.
We beg leave to call your attention to
sketch map marked A, showing the section
of country that, on account of locality and
distance, would naturally be tributary to the
line of road when constructed. There is
now good wagon road from San Marcos to
Blanco City, and from Blanco City to Fred
rickburg in Gillespie county.
We enclose you, and call your attention to
portion of the Texas Land and Railway
Journal, which discusses the capabilities,
natural, etc., of Hays county, and which we
believe in the main is accurate, the same
having been prepared i'll 1880; and we also
amend a statement obtained at this time
from the assessor of Hays county, marked
b, showing the progress and development
of Hays county as to taxable property since
$780,
IODultJiUu lubltio Va Clio WI pchoeAoh Va
the town of San Marcos at this time is 2, 800;
taxable values inside of the corporate limits
is 800, 900, being but little more, if any,
than ole-third of the real commercial value
of the property inside the limits of the COR
poration of the town.
We have III our town system of water
works in successful operation; also an ice
factory The proprietors of the factory say
that with favorable rates of transportation
they can manufacture ice and put it on the
cars for shipment at $500 per ton, and
make handsome profit, The ice is made
out of the water of the San Marcos Springs
than which no purer water can be found.
The same parties have q mill for the manu-
facture of corn meal in oil of it forms, and
no better article is made in the United States.
They have recently been shipping this meal
at the rate of a car load per week.
We call your attention to the printed mat
ted inclosed, page 3, in reference to the
facilities offered by this locality i'll the way
of water power, which is waiting the faclll-
ties for transportion and cheap rates to in
duce its development. We feel safe in say
ing that this natural power is unsurpassed
and must in time induce on the San Marcos
river the seat of a great manufacturing
community.
We call your attention to the fact from |
careful estimates made by the contractors
and builders, that in the past eighteen |
months the sum of 1916, 200 has been in
vested in building inside the corporate limits |
of the town of San Marcos.
There is in the town the Coronal Insti-
tute, a school under the supervision of the
Methodist Conference, that now has an at
tendance of $50 pupils and ten teachers.
The patronage of this school is scattered all
over the state. Value of buildings and
grounds belonging to said school, S15, 900.
There is also another school in the town of
20 pupils. Our town is not surpassed for
churches and schools nor in the morality
and business push of the people.
The people inside of the town have just
voted for the corporate authorities of the
town to assume the charge of the public
free schools inside the corporate limits.
We have in the town well organized fire
company with hooks and ladder. hose car
rage and 600 feet of hose with necessary n.y.
drants.
1t is unnecessary for us to call you attention
to the fertility of the SOIL and the capabili-
ties of the same in Hays county and along the
line of the contemplated road, for these are
matters within your own personal knowl-
edge.
From the position Of San Marcos, the ter
minus Of the contemplated road, it is easy
to see that it will, on the construction Of
this road, become a distributive point and
centre of trade for a large scope of sur
rounding country; and under the stimula-
ting effects of competition in transportation
and the ability Of shippers to procure rates,
every branch of business, agricultural, mer-
camille and manufacturing will be given an
- - 4.