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

BREMoND, TEXAS, |
Sept. Cd, 1856. {
L. V. MARYE, Esq, Alexandria, La
Dear Sir - When in Alexandria ]
promised to write to you giving q de.
scription of that part of the route Of
the proposed railroad from Alexan.
dria through Texas, by way of Hous-
ton to the Rio Grande, and also of the
route through middle Texas, crossing
the Brazos river in Robertson county,
and the Colorado in Burnett county,
and thence up the Llano river.
l have taken the pains to collect
the population of the sixteen counties
in Texas through which the road would
run from the Sabine river to Laredo
on the Rio Grande, via Houston and
find that the aggregate population in
1880 was IS, ISL, and of that number
Harris county, in which the city OF
Houston is located, contained 1S,64G,
leaving for the other fifteen counties q
total Of $3.50. The increase of pop
ulation from the Sabine to the Brazos
river since 1880 has been very slight,
except in Houston, while that West Of
the Brazos has rather decreased.
The country from the Sabine to
Houston is timbered one-on the
streams the growth being that common
to low river and creek bottoms subject
to overflow, and on the hills mostly
pine. The route inclines all the way
to the lower flat lands of the coast,
much of which during the wet seasons
of the year, is submerged by water,
rendering it sickly in the dry season,
and totally unfit for cultivation.
From Houston to Victoria, in Victo-
ria county, it would run through low,
flat prairie coast country, destitute of
natural drainage, and, except along
the narrow belts of alluvial lands on
the larger streams, unfit for cultivation,
producing only q coarse grass, suited
for nothing except the raising of long
horn Texas cattle and Spanish ponies.
Beyond Victoria and to the Rio
Grande, the country is a little more
broken and better drained. The soil
and quality of the grass is better, but
the lands are owned in large bodies
by individuals and companies extern
siyely engaged in raising cattle and
sheep. A large proportion of the soil
is not adapted to farming, and the
country can never become densely
populated one. The population be-
tween Houston and Victoria has not
increased since 1880, and beyond there
it has decreased, owing to the fact that
wealthy cattle and sheep men have
bought up and fenced the country in
large pastures, thus driving out the
small farmers and stock raisers.
At Houston the proposed road would
make connections with eight other
roads. But all of these would be
competitors instead of feeders. The
Texas and New Orleans, the Houston
and Texas Central and Galveston,
Harrisburg and San Antonio (Suuset
Route) belong to the Huntington syn
dictate and are interested in diverting
the trade and travel to and through
New Orleans. The Houston and
Great Northern, and the New York,
Texas and Mexican road, completed
to Victoria, about 1870 miles) belong
to the Gould system, interested in the
st. Louis and Chicago trade. The
Gulf, Colorado and Sante Fe, owned
by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe, having its terminus in Galveston
is deeply interested in building up
that place. 1t will thus be seen that
the New York road, via Natohez and
Alexandra, would at Houston, be
forced into direct competition with all
the great controlling railroad systems
of Texas.
From Houston going West, the pro-
posed road would run along and par
alel with the New York, Texas and
Mexican road to Victoria, a distance
of 1870 miles. The Gould syndicate
intend building a road from Dallas to
Hillsboro, to connect there with the
Missouri Pacific running through Wa
co to Taylor on the International
They have also bought the road from
Taylor to Barstrop, and intend extern
ding it to Goliad and thence to con-
nection with the San Antonio and
Arkansas Pass in Bee county. This
will require the extension of the New
York, Texas and Mexican to Goliad,
which will prolong the length of the
competing line from Houston to dis
lance of more than two hundred miles.
The sixteen counties on the pro-
posed route through Middle Texas,
composed of Sabine, San Augustine,
Angelina, Trinity, Houston, Leon,
Madison. Robertson, Milan, Falls,
Bell, Williamson, Burnett, Llano, Ma
son and Kimble, had population in
1880 of 1913, $50, nearly double that Of
the sixteen counties on the coast route.
The country along this route from
the Sabine to the Trinity will compare
fayorably for agricultural purposes