Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-06-15

Galveston, sabine q 81. Louis.
correspondence OF the Gazette.
LoNayIEw, Tex, June 1i.--NOw that
tn southern extension OF the Galveston,
Sabine & 81. Louis railway has been de-
cded 10 be pushed forward, 1t will not
be considered In the light VI buncombc,
or o. having been written 10 catch the
eve OF the capitalist In the hope Of IN
duclng aim TO invest In the enterprise,
to give 2 short history OF the road from
its uclpieucy to the present and a brief
outline OF the sources OF income TO IL
from tho various counties through which
the extension TO the gulf will be built.
With no thought OF the future save to
hrlo. logs from distance too great 70 be
hauled hy wagon, the track was laid out
two miles and added to "a the timber
dsappelreJ Per apps -four or five miles
were thu. built with wooden rails,
when, ia the fall OF 1876, the
BarHer Bros, owners Of the tram
way, conceived the idea Of building TO
Sabine Pass, aud the Longview & Sabine
Valley RE,Hay company was organized,
January x, 1877, under the then general
railway laws OF the state, being soon after
located and built to Sabine, twelve miles
southeast Of Longyew. Ordinarily line
SO shut as twelve miles does not even
pay The operating expenses, but the in
come from the business Of the Longylew
& Sabine valley was not only sufficient o
pay IT'S operating expenses, but IN addi-
tion more than sufficient to pay the inter-
est of bonded debt OF $1,000 per mile,
the net earnings averaging over $500 per
month Unincss and apathy Ia railroad
building had the effect of stopping the
further extension 81 the road, and In
1883 the charter for the Galveston, Sabine
& 81 Louis road was obtained, the Long.
view Sabine Valley being merged into
the new company Work was now begun
IN earnest The Sabine bridge was built,
Iaeton was teuChed, and the road began
% stretch Itself for rapid move toward
the gulf
About a mile beyond Easton sudden
malt was called, and not until the fall of
1884 did work again proceed, this time
carrying it twenty-one miles southeast OF
LougvieWi where its extension was again
stopped
There seems TO have been lack Of
confidence on The part OF those WHIP were
turnishng The money Tor pushing forward
the enterprise, in the management of the
road aud IN he construction, and this
lack 81 confidence eliminated 10 re-
quest Tor receiver which was granted
by the United States court, and Hon.
John NJ Duncan was appointed receiver
for the road and took charge % its af-
fairs on the 18th Of January OF this year
The track was at that time In Il deplora.
bic condition, there not having been, for
n mile beyond Longvlew To the river, a
shoyeltul OF dirt touched or q rotten tie
replaced by new one, except when an
englue or car left the IRA ek--and not
oft thcn-inr nearly year, and the
train was run at so slow speed as TO In
teIfere with It's proper control by the en-
gineer The entire road Is now In good
condition, Trains make twenty miles an
hour with case and safety and the engines
and other rolling stock have all been re-
paired and made seruceable
As 10 the source OF income
to she road when 1t Is built, the
following brief summary of the counties
through which the road is projected, with
AN allusion 90 their sol and products,
agricultural and mineral, aud to the great
lumber and timber interests OF this, the
largest amount Of pine in one body in the
United States, aud through which this
road Is 10 pass from ono OF It's extreme
points 70 the other, cannot fan to show
that no other road now being built, or
spoken Of has so great income-deriving,
Nalpe-enhaucing and prontproduclng re.
sources rs the Galveston, Sabine 4 st.
LOUIS Will have when completed The
present terminus OF the road IL at Tatum,
near the, llne OF Pamela county, and this
Is the iirst county the extension win pas $
through Then follow Shelby, san Au.
CUISINE, Saolne, Jasper, Newton and or.
ange, The area OF these counties is 1921
square miles, or l2G square miles larger
than 'he state Of Connecticut, and nearly
as large "a two states the size of Della.
ware with Rhode Island added
Nearly this entire area, except in
the extreme southern portion, has no
railroads over three-tuurths of the soil
prouuoes well, and as great q percentage
OF the best Of land Is found In these
counties as In others aud even more as
Tho alluvial OF the second bench lands are
lar greater IN extent. The population OF
this portion OF the state has been greatly
retarded 0y reason OF lack of commuidca.
uon, bUt u has yearly Increased In both
Wealth aud population, the latter being
now something over $4,000, aud the
iormer IN assessed valuation, sic, DOC. 600
Upon this area stands to-day as grand a
boay OF pine AS can be found, Ii being
calculated that, In the counties men,
TONED, no less than 10, 800, O00, 900 feet OF
merenan&ole pine lumber, board meas,
ufe, besides vast amounts OF oak and
other hard woods, now stand silently
awaiting the coming OF this road: and Il
VIII be built through tho heart of this
vast forest. The Income from this
source alone will pay the cost OF con.
struetlon Unless than ten years, besides
paying the operating expenses. This a
proved IRON the fact that with the com.
pafauveiy small amount OF business OF the
present short lire, lrayerslng Tor fourteen
miles stretch OF country ffom which an
forests have entirely disappeared, andtoo
close TO Longvlew for town Of any i'm.
pnTtance 20 exist, with M Passenger
traitc CHE rosd Only began running 10 !
polit where the travelling public could