The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-02-28
The TOWN OF BALLINGER,
Its Enterprising Business Men,
Public and Private Institu-
tIons-Future Prospects.
Shipments-Runnells County Soil
and Productions.
BALL1NaER, Tex, February 10

BALLINGER, Tex, February 10.
Special Correspondence of the Statesman.
The changes are 80 rapid in this por-
ranger and hunter loses his bearings and
gets all a-ssas. Only few years ago Run
nels county contained a solitary ranch on
the banks of the Colorado, and the buffalo,
deer and antelope ranged undisturbed
over the everlasting prairie. Here, where
this prosperous city now Aourishes, at the
confluence of Elm creek with the Colorado
river, was favorite camping ground of
both Indians and rangers. Now you see
nothing but busy commercial mart with
all the advantages of modern civilization.
A great railroad has penetrated the vast
wild and city has grown into existence
within the last thirty months.
On the Goth day of June, 1886, the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe railroad being
completed to this point, the town of Bal
linger, named after an honored citizen of
Galveston, sprang into existence, and the
sale of town lots on that day
will long be remembered in the annals of
western Texas. Moro than 100000 was
invested, sum that far exceeds the sales
of any other new town in the state, and
the young town at once gathered within
its folds men of enterprise from almost
every state of the union, foremost among
whom we take pleasure in naming d. P.
Gay, Messrs. Willingham, Harris and Win
tiers, A. Watkins, Davis d Parks, McAlpine
d Bradford, Joe s. Cotton, G.. R. Crews,
DIR. j. A. Oliver, j. Y. Pearoe,
Walker g. Erwin, F. M. Hornsby, Captain
Dan Sullivan, Rose d Rogers, Powell g.
Smith, Johu ]. Quinn, W. Duase, Joe s.
Clark, W. N. Weeks, Searcy Baker, Geo.
Bond, @. j. Copeland, W. j. Miller, J.P.
Moran and w. F. Boswell.
The bar and press are ably represented,
it's lawyers taking first rank in their pro-
fessiop.
The press is represented by the Balm
ger Leader, an eight column folio weekly,
full of life and news, and faithful ex-
ponent of Ballinger and Runnells county.
One of the leading institutions is the
First National bank, with capital stock
of $4,000 and w. S. Davis, presi-
dent; d. M. Baker, cashier; A. Matthews,
vice president, and A. L. Reed, book
keeper.
W. J. Miller has just completed a very
fine threestOry rock building for general
milling and gin purposes.
There is now being built a fine rock
courthouse at a cost of $50 900, and on its
good substantial jail, which
will be fully equal to any in west Texas,
will be erected.
substantial iron bridge across the
Colorado has just been completed at cost
of $4,000.
There are four churches and all the diff
ferent denominations are represented. |
A fine graded school, presided over by
Prof. L. T. Baldwin, contains $50 pupils. |
Within the next year the school trustees |
of Ballinger will erect school building to |
cost $4,000. The freight depot and plat
form is 173x61 feet, passenger depot |
50x20 feet, with a platform 16O feet. |
From the cupola of this building you
have fine view of the surrounding coun-
Try. Two hundred yards to the south is a
round house and water works.