Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-06
TEXAS KINGS.
The Only Way to Bring Texas Lines
to Time is to Work on the Owners.
Il Any Change for the Better is Made it
viii Have to be Brought About by the
People-Effect of a Commission.
Foar wonrH. tx, July 3, lssa.

Fort WORTH, Tex, July 8, 1889.
To the Gazette.
From an article in your paper of June
80, headed Railroad Problem 1 clip
the following paragraph:
Every man who is good citizen viii
wish to see the country prosper; every
man who is thoughtful viii see that the
interests of the railroads and of the
country at large are identical and inter-
dependent-that what affects one must
affect the other-no man not fool Will
believe that railroads operated by intel
ligent beings will willingly do that
which they know viii injure the section
of country through which those roads
pass, and to which they must look for
support. Therefore, when wise men
and good citizens undertake to speak or
act upon the subject of railway legisla-
ton, they viii endeavor to do so in
way that will hurt neither, but rebound
TO the benefit of both.
There are many men in Texas who are
not fools, - and the writer is one of
the many who know that certain rail-
roads of Texas do not want the state de-
veloped, and that everything is done
in the background by said railroads.
What is said in the above paragraph
would apply to railroads in most statess
but il viii not apply to Texas, or st leffst
several railroads in Texas. When rail-
road owners undertake to bear or
wreck a railroad the work Of ''wreck-
ing'' is just as Systematically carried
out as it is when the management is
interested in ''bulling'' or building up.
For some years past IN Texas, with some
of our leading lines, their interest has
not been identical with that of the peo-
pie 1t is directly opposite. 1t is simply
a case of the big fish eating up the little
ones with the railroads, and when this
game is finished the interest of
the railroads and the peo-
pie will be identical. Until
Gould, Huntington, ct al, accomplish
their purpose, viz: freezing out the
small stock holders, no relief need be
looked for from that source. Hence, If
any change for the better is made it Will
have to be brought about by the people.
There are a few small railroads in
Texas that are willing and anx-
ious to join hands with the peo-
pie and push Texas to the front
rank where she should be, but the
minute the small roads make move
they are bulldozed and squeezed by the
strong lines. This is apparent to all who
know anything of the situation. If we
had dozen commissions our state would
not be squeezed any more by Gould,
Huntington & Co. as it is now, or has
been for some years past. The people of
Texas are charged by those men and
their officials with being hostile to rail-
roads and are called mossbacks, fossils,
ETC.. whenever Texas is mentioned
by those kings and their officials.
Texas has had for several years past and
has to-day at least two kings, who live
in New York, and if the people of Texas
knew or realized this, they would not
rest till they were given relief. A COM
| mission could certainly make matters no
| worse We now are charged with every
| thing but being progressive and liberal,
| and we have the name without the game.
Perhaps it would be well to have a little
of the game and give those kings some
cause to complain. They really have
| no Just cause to complain of Texas
or her people, for the state and people
| have been liberal to a fault with all rail-
road and other legitimate enterprises.
Land enough has been given by the
| state TO certain railroads to build the
! roads, and those same roads are loudest
in their cry of "'Texas being hostile to
railroads - Roads that received no
| land from the state are trying to settle
\ and develop the state, and those roads
that did receive large land grants are
doing all they can to set down. on
them. For proof of this note their work
| during the Texas Spring Palace.
In conclusion l will say, if my criti-
sim of the paragraph referred to is cor
rect, which 1 know it is, there is little if
anything to be said in behalf of the bal
ance of the article, Railroad Prob
lem - 1 don't claim to know anything
of the freight business, but common
sense will suggest that unless the present
situation is changed at headquarters,
very little if anything can be accom-
plIshed. In my humble opinion, the
| proper place to look for relief is from the
owners of Texas lines, and by convincing
/ them that we have been misrepresented,
much good would be accomplished.
ONE WHO KNOWS.