The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1890-10-02
WONT THE LLANO ROAD STOP
IT ALL?

Have you ever taken the map of
Texas and quietly at home or in your
office given half hours close study to
the question of Austin's railroad facil-
tiles, possibilities and actual condi
ton? If you never have, in the name
of all you hope for our city, read this
article and then take down your map
and see for yourself what a deplorable
condition we are in and how much
worse it soon will be if we sit idly by
and let others put into effect plans
they have already formed. Note that
we have one railroad running through
the city from the north to the south
west. Note that this trunk line is
crossed east and west both
north and south of US, so that
but the smallest territory is drained
through Austin on its way east over
our ore little branch line of the
Houston and Texas Central railroad
Note that there is really but one
railroad feeder for Austin-the eighty
mile road extending northwest, known
as the Austin and Northwestern.
This is the present lamentable condl-
ton of affairs. This was not quite SO
bad few years ago, as then by wagon
train goods came here from Bastrop
and Caldwell counties and we're
shipped East from here. But we al
lowed the Missouri, Kansas and Texas
to run its line down to Bastrop instead
of building there ourselves, and now
all that trade is gone. But what OF
the future? We seem to be in con-
dition of blissful innocuous desue-
tude, but our neighbors to the
north of us are exceedingly busy.
What is on foot there but project
that will be disastrous to us beyond
compare. Somerville, Taylor, George
town, Burnet and Liar ohave project
| in process of incubation that, II
Matched, means that most Ill shapen
birds will come home to us to rOost.
They purpose to pool issues and build
from Somerville, in Burleson county
at the intersection OF the main line OF
the Santa Fe with its Montgomery
branch, directly west through the
towns above mentioned, straight on TO
Llano. When that railroad is finished
our condition will be truly enviable.
We have had one feeder in the Austin
and Northwestern but even that road
will then be lost to US. We have
no way of getting out to the
gulf except by the Houston
and Texas Central, while 10y
this new route all that western Sec
ton will drain past us on the north
over a line that has not only this
Houston and Texas Central conneo-
ton, but also the Arkansas Pass al
Lexington and the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fe at Somerville. What esti-
mate will you place upon the loss 81
the trade of all that western country
lis it worth $4,000, or $4,000, OF
100000, or 100000 TO us? Take
one factor in the discomfort that has
made those towns band together foI
this new railroad. Would not LlanC
be appeased if it had the Austin and
Northwestern extended out there
We were asked to help do this, but we
drew back saying the bonus asked was
too large. Was that bonus $4,000
or 5000, or 100000, or $5OO,OOO'
Couldn't we afford to give even the
latter sum rather than have this roac
built? Wouldn't that extension iron
Marble Falls to Llano put an etfectua
ouietus on this new road? What II
it not worth to us in present gain ant
future extension to try if it would
not?