The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-29

tfH(S HefhS very taio itud oeLutHui.-
The Colorado river, at what is known
as Marble Falls, makes an abrupt de
scent Of about one hundred feet over 9
solid bed of marble"
| OF Mason county the Commissioner
says ne-half Of the county is suscep.
tible of cultivation, the land in the
river and creek valleys, and at the foot
of the mountains, the soil of which is
a dark rich loan being preferred fol
farms, though the black lime land
prairies, and the sandy post oak up
lands are cultivated to some extent.
The population of this county in 1870
was CTS and in 1880 it was 1855, and
in 1882 the assessed value of property
was S1,214,59s. "Surface indications
of gold, silver, iron and copper are
found. Mining for copper was prose-
cuted to some extent some years ago,
but lack of adequate capital and rail
way transportation compelled q sus-
pension Of the work" The Llano and
San Saba rivers in this county afford
water power of large capacity.
Kimble, the last organized county
going west on the proposed line, in
1870 had a population of only 70, and
in 1880 it had 1343. The assessed
value of property in 1882 was $780,
s66. With railroad facilities the coun-
try along the proposed road from the
Colorado river to junction City and
beyond would offer great Inducements
to immigrants. The unsurpassed health
of the country--its pure air, mild cli-
mate, rich and cheap lands, through
which flow clear bold streams, fine and
abundant building stone, its nutritious
native grasses, on which stock can
live the year round, would induce
thousands to seek homes in that high
ly favored and picturesque region, the
Switzerland of Texas. In 1882 the
three counties Llano, Mason and Kim
BILE had an aggregate of 14,24S horses
and mules, 132,S49 cattle and 75,527
sheep. Besides the inducements offer
ed by this portion Of the State to i'm
migrants desiring to engage in farm
ing and stock raising, the minerals and
valuable stones and water power of
the country would attract capitalists
to engage in mining and manufactur-
ing. In addition to the counties Of
Llauo, Mason and Kimblc, west of the
Colorado river, the counties of San
Saba, McCulloch, Menard, Kerr, Gill
lespie and Blaco would be tributary
to it. From Mason, the county seat Of
Mason, to tho nearest railroad north,
at Brownswood, is about seventy miles,
east to Burnett, in Burnett county, is
sixty miles, and south to San Antonio
one hundred and twenty miles. The
nine counties above mentioned contain
an area of about nine thousand square
miles-larger than the State of Massa-
chusetts-within which there is not a
foot of railroad.
From Junction City the road would
run up the south fork of the Llano to
the north line of Edwards county, and
thence through the northwest corner of
Edwards and the southeast corner of
Crockett to the Rio Grande, distance
through Texas from the Sabine to the
Rio Grande of about AIS miles. Some
Of the advantages of the road through
middle Texas may be thus summed up:
First-It will not run parallel with
any Of the main lines but will cross
them, thus compelling them to become
feeders and distributors instead of
competitors.
Second-.Running as it will through
the centre of the finest pine region
west of the Mississippi river and
thence through the middle portion of
Texas, and crossing as it will the
roads leading ont into all those parts
of Texas where tue demand for lumber
will always be greatest, no other line
OF road can successfully compete with
it in this immense business.
Third-Its line across the State
will traverse the timber, cotton, corn,
oats, wheat, wool, stock raising, and
mineral regions of the State, thus as
suring a diversity of local freights and
business at all seasons of the year.
Fourtb-1t will attract a population
which, added to what it now has, will
be greater than that of any other route
east and west that can be selected.
Fifth-From different points along
its main line branches may be con |
structed extending into and tapping
the best towns and richest portions Of
country on each side, all of which will
be valuable tributaries to the main
line, both for local and through
business.
Sixth-1t would make the line to
New York the great thoroughfare for
the freight and travel between New
York and middle and northern Texas. |
| need not say what the advantages
of road over the route herein pro-
posed would be to the people of Alex
The intelligent business men
of that future railroad centre and beau.
tiful embryo city fully understand and
what those advantages
would be. They know that by afford
ing outlets to markets east, north and
west for their lumber, it wonld give to
their pineries a value that no other