The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-06-02


:. zens of Austin.
You are further requested to repor
your conclusions to the full board, a
your earliest convenience, for such &C
ton as they may deem best.
Respectfully,
A. p. WOODBRIDGE,
President Austin Board of Trade
Mr.. Mexican called his committee
up as follows: Messsrs. E. M. House
S. X. Morley:
GENTLEMEN-This being matter
of so much interest to the public,
would be glad to have you meet me a
the office of Jno. Mcdonald, at 4:3(
this afternoon, for such expressions a:
you may deem best. Yours, etc.,
A. II. MCKEAN.
To this committee the following
communication was submitted, sup
ported by great amount of data too
voluminous to publish:
A. p Woodbridge, President Austin Board Of
Trade:
AT the request of your honorable
committee, and with the entire con-
currence of the parties interested in
the project, an examination has been
made, and the following report is sub
mitted as to the matters of the Lake
Navigation company, chartered cor
poration, for the purpose of navigat-
ing the lake to be formed by the dam
in course of construction across the
Colorado river above the city of Aus
| tin:
1t is a matter about which the
writer, while not claiming to speak as
an expert, may still assume some de-
gree of assurance, given by an init
mate knowledge of and familiarity
with a passenger and freight traffic
similar to that under consideration,
for term of several years.
The papers submitted herewith,
prepared by Captain Shepherd, refer
to the current (estimated) expenses
and earning capacity CT an elegantly
furnished, staunch, well built boat,
with strong engines, capable of max
ing fifteen miles per hour, and of q
capacity for 1900 to 1900 passengers
with perfect comfort, away from the
heat and ordor of the machinery, and
above all, absolute safety; boat that
every citizen of Austin can and will
take pride in, to cost complete with
furniture, $37 800, contracts already
made assuring that that sum will be
ample for completion.
The suggestion has been made that
this boat is too large and expensive
for the prospective traffic, criticism
from which the writer respect
fully but decidedly dissents.
Ten to twelve hundred excursionists
at a trip has been a not intrequent ex-
perience, and the boat should GER
tainly be large enough, not only tor
every day traffic, but for any proba-
BILE demands.
Comfort, convenience, safety, and
economy in it's best sense demand
this. Elbow room and fresh air often
make all the difference between an
enjoyable trip and the reverse, and
wise foresight that provides for the in
evitable growth of the traffic, and
forestalls the damaging competition
that would soon follow if the boat
should fall short of the public needs
is the height of prudence.
Referring more particularly to the
estimates of receipts and expenditures
herewith submitted, the writer has
attached pencil memoranda of his in
dependent estimates, showing several
changes toward the side of conserva-
tism, as compared with Captain Shep-
ards figures and an increase in two
items which it is believed is fully justi-
fed by the probabilities.
When we reflect that trip over
our quiet lake will have infinitely
more attractions than the excursions
on the gulf that attract crowds to
Galveston, and will be free from the
nausea that makes life burden to
many salt water eXcursionist; when
we remember that ours is absolutely
the only inland navigable water with
in hundreds of miles, and consider
that this is the central point of popu-
laLion of more than $780, 900 people, and
in a measure Of the whole state-that
the encampment, summer normals,
the legislature, and greater than all,
the chautauqua, can be counted on
regularly to bring their crowds-that
conventions of dozen kinds,
singing societies, secret societies,
firemen, schools, etc., will find
their most pleasant diversion,
as holiday, anniversaries, etc.
may occur-considering all these ex-
traneous sources of income the re-
venue from passenger traffic can not
fall much if any below the figures
given.
The freight traffic, it is believed,
may largely exceed the very couser-
vative estimate inserted, as the head
of navigation will be the nearest &C.
cessible point for shipments to and
from all that wide region between
there and those points more conven-
lent to Marble Falls, embracing
numerous country stores in addition
to the little town that will almost
surely build up at the head of naviga-
ton, Just as the extension of the rail
road to that place made town at
Marble Falls where nothing was be-
fore.
All the building up along the lake,
which will doubtless be considerable,
will also be dependent on the boat for
transportation facilities.
The lunch, lemonade etc, item
could be sold outright for figure in
excess of that placed in the estimate