The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-03-27
OF the San Antonio an
railroad. in a position


and officers of the Austin and North
western Railroad company to get them
to extend to Llano. Failing to get
any proposition from them we finally
proposed to them we would give them
right OF way and depot grounds and
grade the road for them from
Burnet to Llano if they would
completely equip and operate
their road to LlanO, and after they
had had our written proposition to
that effect in their hands for months
without replying to it We wrote to
them withdrawing said proposition.
Myself and Judge VIM. w. Hammond
of Fredericksburg went TO San
Antonio and called on Col. Uriah Lott,
the railroad king of the southwest,
and informed him that the people OF
Gillespie and Llano counties wanted
railroad connection, and asked him to
make to our people proposition upon
which he would build a branch OF the
San Antonio and Aransas Pass rail-
road to Llano by way OF Fredericksburg.
Il minute and it was ii the people
of San Antonio, fredericksburg
and Llano would secure right OF way,
depot grounds and grade the roads
from where the Berrville extension
crosses the Guadalupe river, distance
of sixtv-seven miles to Llano, the
San Antonio and Arkansas Pass Rail
road company would complete, equip
and operate the road. Our neOple,
that is the citizens OF Llano and Gil
lispie county, had an engineer to
make preliminary survey to ascertain
the cost OF grading said road, who re-
ported that said grade could be fin
Ished for Sl25,000 and believing his
estimate correct we went to work and
secured $4,000 in San Antonio, $780,
0J0 in Fredericksburg and $40, 600
ia LlauO. On the 25th day Of March
u. d., 1882 at 2 O'Clock p. III. dirt was
broken on the grade of said
extension on the Guadalupe river. All
the right OF way has been secured
and little over forty-eight miles out
Of total of SixGy seven miles graded,
leaving less than nineteen miles to
grade. The work already finished
and right OF way purchased consumed
the $l25, 600 and it will take about
$500 or $4,000 more to finish said
road. The work on said extension
ceased about December 10, 1889, but
would have been resumed long since
had not Col. Lott been absent from
the state. Col. Lott will be at San An
tonic us soon as lie makes satisfactory
arrangements for,deep,water al; Aransas
Pass. Work will be resumed Oh the
Llano extension Of the San Antonio
and Arkansas Pass railway before May
l next.
AS to the great cost, | VIII say The
material is soft limestone. 1t il 1900
feet long and IS feet deep for 100 feet.
The rest OF the distance will not aver
age over 20 feet deep. There has al
ready been expended on it $4,000.
The distance between Llano and
Fredericksburg is sixteen miles, be-
tween Fredericksburg and the Guada-
lupe, three miles. THE people of Llano
and that section have not given up all
hopes of seeing trains on the Arkansas
Pass road. The people of Llano and
Fredericksburg fully appreciate the
great and magnanimOus assistance
the citizens Of the grand old city Of
San Antonio have already rendered us
in this railroad undertaking, and know
that iefore they will see us fail
in this our life and death struggle to
secure railroad and business connec-
ton with them, they the citizens Of
San Antonio will contribute $4,000
more.
1t is said: "While the light holds
out to burn the vilcst sinner may re-
turn" SO NAV Austin in time "get a
move on her." but | am sure there is
nothing in her past history to inspire
hope that she will originate and carry
to a successful termination any enter
prise which will develop and buill up
herself or any other section. We have
our eyes and hopes fastened upon the
Alamo City, are in her tender
embraces and are happy.
San Antonio has given some
substantial evidences of her affection
for us Ito the amount of $50,000).
Having lived in Austin ten years, |
like her and her good people, and want
to see her develop into a great city
like San Antonio, but until she reaches
out and does something substantial
Tor this section will never quit my
old love, Fan Antonio. And say to
you now that, SO sare as san Antonio
stands and live, The Sal Antonio and
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