The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-10-21
PROGRESS.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF AUSTIN
AND HOW To DO 1T.
AUSTIN, TEX, October 16, 1856.

SIB:-Though it may be but one year
since l came to reside and work in your
midst, l already feel very much at home
and take an interest in any scheme tend
ing to improve and develop the city of
our habitation. have observed the zeal
with which you take up and advocate any
feasible scheme, and 1 have sometimes
thought that l should communicate to
you few observations which have sug-
gested themselves. At the present time
when Mr.. Woodbridge has just laid an i'm
portaGt line of action before the citizens,
aEd the council has decided to put the
question of sewers and water works to
the vote, any observations, however triv-
ial, on how to develop the city, may not
be without some value.
have heard some of our young orators
style Austin the Edinburgh of Texas, and
also the Athens of Texas. Let us con-
slider what is meant by this smile, for
there may be something in it whichpoints
out the natural line of development of
this city. l shall restrict my
attention to Edinburgh, and, indeed,
it is not necessary to consider Athens, for
Edinburgh being the modern Athens, if
Austin can be developed into an Edin-
burgh, it will thereby be developed into a
modern Athens.
First, they are both unique in site.
Edinburgh is built on a group of hills
separated by deep ravines, and Is nearly
surrounded on three sides by higher hills.
1t is the central picture OF landscape of
great beauty. The site of the city is the
chief source of its peculiar characteristics.
Nature has supplied fine building ma
terial in abundance; the citizens have an
eye to architectural effect, and aim at
making the city unequaled as residential
city. The city council does not encour-
age any manufactures which would inter
fere with the amenity of the city, and this
policy meets with the approval of all
classes of the community.
Nature has been kind to Austin. Many
persons from different parts of the state
and from beyond the state visit the uni
versity; they all express but one opinion
of the site of Austin as seen from the top
windows "There is no finer site for a
city in the United States" Here, also,
there is an abundance of fine building ma
terial, and IN the neighborhood granite
equal to the Peterhead granite of Scot
land. In both cases the rocks in tho sur
rounding district are of great geological
interest.
Second-They are both the seat of a
university. The university of Edinburgh
is 300 years old; till fifteen years ago it
was really the Towns college, so much so
that its professors were appointed by the
city council. Even now the university
receives but small support from the state
Recently new building was erected for
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100000, more than one half of which was
obtained by subscriptions, principally
from the citizens of Edinburgh. The
number of students in attendance reached
5000 several years ago, and 1t is still in
creasing. OF those one half are medical.
The university has succeeded, in spite of
its scanty endowment, mainly by the
talents of its professors, who have given
it prominent rank among the European
schools of science and letters. Here, at
Austin, the state has erected and takes
care of fountain of learning, whittier the
youth of Texas are invited to come and
drink as freely as at fountain of water
At the beginning of the fourth session
the number of students is upwards of 200.
We may safely predict that not many
years hence the number will equal that of
Edinburgh.
Third-They are both the metropolis Of
state. Edinburgh was once the capital OF
an independent nation. At the union the
Scottish parliament was removed to Lon
don, but the supreme courts of justice
still remain. 1t is still the resort of those
whose means enable them to enjoy in ease
and comfort its social amenities without
indulging in the costly gaities which a
London season involves.
Austin was once the capital of an indie
pendent republic, and is the capital of an
empire state. Once the capitol and uni
versity are completed the city will assume
a metropolitan appearance, and all its APP
pointments ought to be brought by de-
grees to the same standard
Fourth, they are both braced up at a
certain season of the year by cold winds.
At Edinburgh, during the spring and early
summer, cold winds blow from the east,
which brace up the strong, though they
are somewhat trying to the weak. They
are similar to nOrthers, only much more
steady and continuous.
The citizens of Edinburgh have long had
a clear perception of the strong points of
their city, and have developed it accord.
ingly. They spend yearly large sum
in improving the streets, parks and drives;
they have adopted stringent laws to clear
the city of every form of vice; they have
adopted thorough systems of water supply,
lighting and sewers; they guard carefully
against all nuisances, and they are always
ready to support, encourage and build up
the university, the academies and public
schools. The consequence is there resides
at Edinburgh population which is re-
markabe for its literary and scientific
culture, and which pays a larger amount
of income tax than any other city in
Great Britain, with the single exception
of London. ALEX. MAoFARLANE.
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