The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1891-10-22
THE ONE THING NEh'DFUL'

THE ONE IHING NEhDrC L'
In new and developing country
those towns grow the most rapidly
that have the greatest numbero OF ran
roads. Asa center of net WORK Vi
railroads they are the hub IN tEe
wheel of progress. Austin may ha'o
her dam with its wealth Of power lor
Gift or sale to manufacturing enter
prises, her perfect sites for their ioc"-
tion and all inducements OF cliill"Ve
and surroundings most sulCeu W
creation of great manufacturing
town, but if she has not the most am
nile railroad facilities for the bringing
in of raw material and the carrying
ont of manufactured products hef
growth will not be what is expected
We NAV as well rouse to the reallza-
tion of this fact now as at any time III
the future. 1t is not good business
FORESIGHT TO wait until the dam IS I'M
ished, until the water is all stored up
readv TO turn the wheels OF factories,
and capitalists are here on the ground
nrenared to take hold and then have
them tell us, yes everything is all
right as you promised, there is power
plenty. the site is perfect and your
terms satisfactory, but gentlemen
there is no future in Austin Tor US
with YOUR present railroad facilities.
We know this fact now and right now
is the time for us to get to work to
rectify the evil.
Already we have made an excellent
beginning. The extension to Llano
was the wisest of moves. Through it
we gain world of raw material, now
we must have railroad that Will
bring in the all-necessary element IN
the manufacture of iron-coal. Not
only so, but we must have more rail-
roads over which to carry out our iron
nroducts. But more than that, too,
we must have roads tapping the
regions of other raw material and CIV
ing us new fields for the sale OF our
manufactured goods.
Our great desideratum now Is the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad
Think for a moment what that line
means to us; first, over it will come
the coal from the Indian territory for
working up our Llano iron, and this
is a big thing as we want no compli-
cations of interstate with state rates at
Taylor; second, this road secured and
we have two competing trunk lines
over which we can take our choice to
bring in our goods from the north;
what will that be worth to our con
sinners and our merchants? third,
and perhaps the most important OF
all, with that line and its branch
from Granger to Trinity and
on through East Texas we
omen territory for trade ana
of raw product supply that has I'LL
now been locked and barred
AGAINST us. 1t will put Austin on an
equality with Waco, Dallas ana fort
Worth in bidding for the trade ofthat
section due east and on u line drawn
half way between here and waco
What is the value of the trade OF that
rich section of Texas? Simply enor-
nous.
But beyond the value Of that trade
comes this consideration. The manu-
facture of wooden products is pecu-
liarly the product of water power.
In such manufacture must be our
stronghold. Now, under our state
commission rates. distance is the
GREAT consideration. This proposed
Missouri. Kansas and Texas route Will
hiring timber much nearer our doors
than does the International and Great
Northern. Don't we want this adj
vantage? Most assuredly.
Now what of the cost Of securing
this great railroad, which we have
seen is of such infinite moment to us?
Will it be great, will it bear even the
remotest proportion to the profit Its
securement promises? We answer
emphatically, no. With the ROAD
from Granger to Georgetown COM
pleted, as it undoubtedly will be III
the very near future, we are only
about twenty miles from juno
ton with it. What VIII
it cost to bridge the gap? The an
swer to this question has not come Of
ficially, but we are reliably informed
that a tender of a 100 foot wide right
of way, properly graded, together
with depot grounds; will secure the
road. So far as depot grounds in
Austin are concerned that should
seem a very easy matter to settle, as
nv IL