The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-05-06
WORDS or WISDOM.
SOME OF AUSrIN's NEEDS, AND
WHAT SHE OUGHT TO DO
TO GET THEM.
AUSTIN, May l, 1886.

TO GET THEM.
AUSTIN, May l, 1886.
1t has been said that every good thing
has some offsetting evil, and vice versa.
Austin illustrates the truth of this prop
osition. We have class of citizens who
believe our natural advantages to be so
great that no effort of the people, as a
community, is necessary. They believe
that somehow we are exempt from the
necessity for earnest. united, manly effort
to promote the common good; that some
how we will be borne upon the tide and
kept up with the progress of the age
without toll or effort. Another class,
having ample of this worlds goods, and
either too misery to risk dollar unless
fully assured of its safe return with a
very large interest, or their souls are too
narrow and selfish to care aught or do
aught for the good of the community in
which they live. Every good citizen
should pray for a speedy deliyerauce from
this class, for of all the evils Austin has to
bear they are the greatest. They stand
as a stonewall in the way of all progress,
for if any public undertaking, which re-
quires money is proposed, energetic men
of less means will not assist, because they
tn nix the "mossbacks' should head the
list with large contributions; whereas,
they will Go nothing, and thus the prospect
dies natural, or rather unnatural, death
killed by few selfish cormorants. An
other class is always bilious, always dys-
peptic, always croaking and always
looking to the future with most gloomy
forebodings. Let US throw the mantle of
charity over these croakers. They de-
serve our sincerest sympathy. The hid
eous Nightmares they conjure to torture
themselves and Others is ample punish
ment. They will never find a place or a
people this side of heaven that would
please them, and of course they will never
go there. Another class has enterprise,
perseverance and brains. They know
they are eager to make her what she
ought to be. Every worthy public or
private enterprise has their hearty sym
pathy and support, and such of them as
can do no more are always ready to give
hearty god-speed to every undertaking
calculated in any way to benefit
the Capitol city of Texas. This
class is the leaven of the entire
lump. But for them there would
not be one ray of hope for the future of
Austin. 1t has been, and is now supposed
that this class constitutes only small
minority, but this is mistake they, in
fact, constitute a large majority of our
entire population, as we believe will be
shown in the very near future.
Within a very few days the people OF
Austin will probably be called upon to
subscribe money to induce a railroad
from Bastrop; and we believe there are
very few of our capitalists, bankers, pro
fessional men, merchants, business men
mechanics, or of any other class, who will
be willing to write themselves down as
being either Safeguards" "moss- backs,
or "croakers" by refusing to subscribe
literally to this enterprise. Let us con
siler for moment, what Austin woulC
gain by surveying this railroad, and what
she would lose by failure to secure it
The assessed valuation of Austin rea
estate in 1885 was over $5,000,000, and i
is we'll known that the assessed value il
much below the real market value; bu
taking the assessors figures, much les
than one per cent on this valuation will
secure the proposed railroad. Now, M
well informed person can doubt that rea
estate in the city of Austin will immedi
ately advance, at least ten per cent, i
this railroad is built, or that it will i'm
mediately decline at least ten per cen4., i
the proposed railroad boom, Bastrop t,
Taylor, becomes fact. Thus it will b,
seen, that the real estate owners of Aus
tin must suffer an immediate, inevitabl
loss of, at least of one million dollars, i
we fail to secure the proposed road
And this immediate loss of one million
dollars to the real estate owners of Aus
tin is mere bagatelle-a drop in tn
bucket-to the constant permanent los
:. of revenue from the trade, that would b
lost to this city for all future time; to sa
nothing of the still greater and equal
permanent loss, that we would sustain b
failure to secure other lines of railway
which the Austin & Bsstrop road woul
ultimately bring here.
This is mere outline of the case. Yer
much might be said, showing how Austi
would gain in hundred ways by the con
struction of this road; of how she woul
lose in hundred ways, if said road
not built. But this letter is already nue.
too long, though hope the importanc
and gravity of the situation will be con
s1dered sufficient excuse. ALABAMA
At no place in the CITY is there kent