Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-09-28
and not be dwarfed by any shrivelled

seek simply to impress upon the country
the urgency of the need. and the magni-
tude of the movement. It would
! be extremely unfortunate ii
its efforts in this great cause were be-
lttled by seeming to degenerate into a
boom for some particular locality
In a pamphlet recently issued by a
| committee of the convention il is urged
that All appropriation by the government
| of SO. 600 900 to open up a harbOr be
asked for The country viii probably
see many congresses come ami 90 be-
fore single grant of SO 600 900 for one
harbor will be made. There is 10 question ;
of course, of the righteousness of the
demand The matter is one of moment
Gus concern to a large part of the South
and the entire West, and these actions
have had. in comparison with the terri
tory east of the Mississippi and north of
the Tennessee, meager share of the
money expended for public improve
ments, yet the fact remains that if the
country is to wait for this harbor until
the United States shall have constructed
1t, If will wait many decades. The gov
eminent has had before it for genera
ton n plea for money TO build q ship
canal across the Maryland and Delaware
peninsula, project in which il has been
amply shown the whole West and North
west is Interested by reason Of the
cheaper ocean freights that would be
secured, and yet every congress has de-
clined to appropriate dollar, and the
work, if ever carried out, will have TO
be undertaken as private enterprise.
Texas and the West cannot afford to wait
for congressional aid. Without regard
to the claims upon the government, it
would be policy to go ahead and build
the necessary works independently of
the government Aside from the bene-
fits to accrue from the immediate con-
struction of harbOr facilities, and which
should be a sufficient inducement to cap
ital in the territory most concerned, the
undertaking could unquestionably be
made extremely profitable as a
business venture. One such enterprise
has already been inaugurated and is pro-
crossing rapidly towards complete con-
summation. | mean the work now GO
ing on at the mouth of the Brazos river,
which, indeed, may settle the whole
yexed question. This work was under
taken by number of prominent gentle
men having large interests in Texas
Believing that the state would undergo
more rapid development and their
valuable if Texas had an adequate sea-
port, they took upon themselves the work
OF seeing that this need be supplied.
AS preliminary step in the movement,
they employed competent engineers to
explore the whole Texas coast and report
to them the most feasible point for the
construction of such works as would Sc
cure a large, safe and permanent deep
water harDor. The place fixed upon by
the investigating commission was the
mouth of the BraZos river. Here the
projectors were confronted with the fact
that the United States engineers
had reported unfavorably on the Brazos.
They consulted Mr.. e. L. Corthel
of Chicago, who had been chief
assistant and resident engineer i'll charge
of the construction of the Eads jetties at
the mouth of the Mississippi, and is one
of the most able and eminent members
OF his profession in America. When first
approached he advised against the pro-
ject, basing his belief that harbor at
the BraZos was not practicable on the re-
ports of United States government en-
gineers. On being shown, however Ger
tain palpable errors in these
reports, as determined by inyes-
LEGATIONS of practical men, he con-
sented to make personal investigation
of the locality and the difficulties to be
overcome. HIS examination of the river
for thirty miles and of the conditions at
its mouth convinced him that the selec-
ton of this point had been wise, and
that the claims made for it were amply
The inauguratOrs of the
movement, therefore, decided finally
upon the mouth of the BTaZOs, unde-
tered by the formidable obstacle of
an adverse report by United States engi-
neers. And not only had these reports
been made, but their claims were Teiter-
ated after Mr.. Corthell and other engi-
neers had shown the entire feasibility of
the plan The ancient and traditional
hostility and contempt for civilians en-
tertained by officers of the army seems to
have created and fostered as a sort of
rule of ethics among the latter
refusal to recognize merit in any
thing coming from the former. The
selection of the Brazos was made on
the Judgment of engineers as able as any
IN the United States employ and of prac-
teal knowledge and experience. MIR.
Corthell IS report has since been endorsed
by Sir Charles A. Hartley, of England,
who is chief engineer of the European
appointed jointly by Austria,
England, France, Prussia, Russia, Sar-
DINA and Turkey, and charged with
the execution of the work necessary to
clear the mouths of the Danube.
It will be remembered that when De
Lesseps promulgated the idea of canal
across the Isthmus Of SueZ, he was
laughed at by the government scientists,
who proved by lengthy and labored argu-
ments, and elaborate arrays of figures,
that the thing was impracticable; and
the Mississippi jetty idea, when ad
yanced by Eads, was denounced as
1 wild and visionary scheme, wholly
1T variance with all rules and nat
lral laws. During the progress of both
hese great works, the learned officials of
the government stood off and pointed out
With pompous confidence wherein they
must inevitably fail. and yet they stand
o-day as monuments of successful
achievement, triumphs of practical judg-
nent and skill over theories of wiseacres,
If the broader genius and the common
sense of civilians over the rules and dog
mas OF official dignitaries.
This condition was aptly described by
he Hon. Carl ShurZ, in speech deliY-
cred in the United States senate in advO-
sacy Of the bill granting to Eads the
light to construct the jetJies: