The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-10-11

among the different counties to work
upon the roads. But some of the counties
may not want them. They may have con-
victs for petty offenses of their own in
sufficient numbers to supply this demand,
without the expense of hiring the peni-
Tertiary convicts. Then, the policy OF
quartering these "hard cases" in every
neIghborhood in the state to frighten the
women and children may we'll be doubted.
l doubt if this plan can be made to work
successfully,
In this connection l wish to make
suggestion, and will state in advance that
1 have no individual or practical kno~l-
edge of the subject and merely throw 1t
out with the hope that it will attract the
attention of wiser heads than mine.
If there is any question of policy or
craftsmanship in which the whole people
of Texas are deeply interested, and for
the accomplishment of which l believe
the people to be unanimous, 1t Is the OBJ
tanning of a
DEEP WATER PORT AND HARBoR OF REFUGE
at the most suitable point upon our gulf
coast.
Such a port and harbor is per
fectly feasible and easy of &C.
com plishment. 1t is an absolute
necessity, and must be accomplished. We
have been passing resolutions at the Dem
yer convention iDstructing, begging and
imploring not only our own senators and
representatives in congress, but those of
Missouri, Kansas, Colorado and all the
northwestern states, to use their influence
and votes in getting the general govern
ment to give US deep water port. Now
let me tell you that if we wait until the
general government digs us ont port
and harbor, say of thirty feet in depth,
into which the largest sea- going vessels
may take refuge during a storm, we will
not receive the news of its COM
| pletion until long after Cab.
riel has sounded his trumpet. Then,
let the state Of Texas go to work at once
and accomplish this job herself. Single
handed and alone she can do it and never
feel the want of dollar; for grand
boom will set in as soon as the work is
commenced, and will continue to boom
until after our population shall ex-
coed 100000 of inhabitants. By way of
commencing let the legislature pass an
act providing for the appointment of a
commission composed of men of the high
est probity, and free from any interest or
bias toward any locality, which commission,
with the assistance of the best engineering
ability that can be obtained, shall proceed
to examine carefully the coast line and
ascertain the most suitable point for ocat-
ing the port, harbor, etc, and, upon the
approval of the governor, ETC., a sufficient
quantity of land shall be condemned for
public purposes, paying the owners thereof
q reasonable and just price therefor.
In case the point thus selected should
happen to be distant from any of the
present ports of entry it might be made
the duty of the governor to cause city to
be laid out, offer lots for sale, ETC., as was
done at Galveston. feel no interest in
any of these details. The only idea wish
to impress is that the sooner the work is
commedced the better, and that the next
legislature should provide for all con-
tingencies, looking to vigorous prose-
cution of the work aud its early COM
pletion, for it will be of vsft Importance
to the state and her citizens.
A friend of mine, in whose judgment l
have great confidence, informs me that
the statistics show that deep water port
on our gulf coast would result in
saving at least So on each
bale of cotton sent to market. Estimating
our total crop of cotton at 100000 bales
will show a saving in one years crop of
$60OO,OOO. The same gentleman figures
the savings on our shipments on beef at
SO 100000 per annum. Just think of IT.!
Nine millions of dollars per annum saved
to the people of Texas on these two arti
Giles alone. With a deep water port on
our coast;with secure harbor of sufficient
depth to accommodate the largest ships,
and 1t would be almost impossible for the
mind of man to realize the vast wealth
that would accrue to the state of Texas
within very short time after the compile
ton of such port of entry.
An examination of the charts of the
coast survey between the mouth
of the Brazos and Corpus Christi
will show the fact that there
that ten fathoms of water cannot be
reached at the distance of about one mile
from the gulf shore. All, therefore, that
is necessary for US to do to secure a
first-class deep water port and harbOr is
to select some point where the waters Of
the gulf wash the shores of the main land
not the shores of sand islands with shall
low bays in the rear-but commence on
the main land, and dredge channel as
wide as necessary one mile ont into the
gulf, when a depth of sixty feet of water
will be reached. This part of the chan
mel will have to be protected by strong
and iudestructible breakwaters of stone
on both sides. The channel can be
dug as far into the country
as may be necessary. Basins of sufficient
size may be dug in connection with this
channel to protect from storms thousand
ships of the largest size. The cost of
which will be but trihing, las the work can
be performed with dredge boats. 1t will
open up a splendid field fer the employ
ment of our penitentiary convicts. They
can perform nearly all the manual labor
req uired and conflict with no one, but will
benefit every man, woman aud child in
the state.
This is no Utopian or visionary scheme.
It's perfect practlcability and successful
operation has been fully demonstrated by
the people of Holland, who in 1876 com
| pleted ship channel from the city of
Amsterdam, on the Zuider Zee, clear
across the peninsula of North Holland
1 L 80 IL 80