The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-03
SPEECH OF PIX EWING
Eloquent Texan Addresses
the Congress
ON THE GULF OUTLET
Big Audience Gives Loud and
Frequent Applause.

The finest orator in Texas, Mr.. Presley
K. Ewing, spoke on the Gulf Outlet" as
follows:
The city of Houston at the head Of nav
igation, bosomed on an arm Of the high
seas, reaching out with her fifteen rail-
roads to the bulk of Trans-Mississippi ter
ritory, sends to this congress not only her
friendly greetings. but glad tidings of
it be true that prosperity of the farming
interests is the vital principle of the pros
perity Of a country, and if il be true that,
in the philosophy of commerce, the re-
quital for toll Of the producer is height
ened by the quickest route of his products
to the navigation Of the high seas, then
is it true, indeed, that you Of the great
northwest must enlist with lis the power
Of your energies to the accomplishment OF
deep water at the port Of Houston. Let
US, then, in this cause, which we have
declared common cause, laying aside the
usual fattery OF a ceremoniOus exordium,
and unretarded by furbelo, frill or -four
ISL, approach directly what Gil Bias would
term the stubborn facts.
Tradition has it that a rival city, few
years ago, made map vouched for as
true to geogra ply, but, under some sort
of hypnotic influence, forgot that Hous-
ton, the leading city of Texas in popula-
ton and commercial Importance, was a
part of that empire state. Did any Of you
ever see that map, or bear witnes sto that
satanic-or, should I say, seraphic-sin of
omission? However that may be, bries
reference to the resources, location and
adaptability, as a deep water port, of the
city of which We feel justly proud, will
not be amiss. Houston's estimated popu-
lation today is 10000, doubled in the last
few years; her taxable wealth, of esti-
mated value Of thirty-ive millions, rapid
" increasing. A national bank reserve
city, her bank clearances for the year
just ended reached closely to three hun
dred millions, over twenty-six millions in
excess of the previous year. Tributary 10
forty million acres Of pine land, lying to
her east and north, her neighboring mill
owners, under the pressure Of absolute
necessity are clamoring at her doors for
ocean going vessels to the markets of the
seas The tidal railway center of Texas,
her fifteen railroads. radiating from her
heart, reach out TO the great dominion of
the northwest, traversing practically the
entire field of Trans Mississippi territory,
coursing even down the Pacific slope from
Oregon, extending to the City of Mexico,
and shortening by over one hundred and
twenty miles the distance from the gran
aries Of Kansas and cognate points to any
equally available deep water port exist
ent. The pulsating influence of cotton
prices in the leading markets of the seas,
one-third Of the cotton OF the United
States and one-fifth of the crop Of the
world being raised within $50 miles of her
mart, her receipts for the year last ended
of the three million bales of the Texas
crop alone were in excess of one million
and seven hundred bales, being six hun
dred and thirty-two thousand more than
the previous year, and larger during the
three busy months than any other city in
the world. Blessed with unusual natura!
advantages for an interior harbor, safe
from strife of war or storm Of sea. point
ing with pride to twenty miles or more of
embankment adapted to illimitable ter
minal facilities for trackage, congresses,
grain elevators and the like. her port out
let is down Buffalo Bayou and San Jacinto
river, through the ship channel of Gal
weston bay, reaching at only fifty-eight
miles the deep water of the Gulf
Recognizing the force of the facts thus
far family reflected, 1t may be inquired
at this point, by some unfamiliar with
the project of deep water at Houston, is
it practicable? That question, happily, is
foreclosed of speculation, and even of ar
gument BY act Of the United States