The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1908-12-29

| when the Trinity and Brazos Valley
was constructed through a territory
| which had been for years the exclu-
siye territory of the Houston and
/ Texas Central, thus entering the
rich local territory of the Central.
I That the Houston and Texas Central
| people felt this invasion was eviden-
| ced by the construction of the Nava-
sofa cutoff. This, while ostensibly for
| the purpose of shortening the dis
! tance from Houston to North Texas.
i was really move to offset the Trim
| ity and Brazos Valley.
| Prior to the construction of the
Trinity and Brazos Valley the Inter-
| national and Great Northern con-
ssructed the Waco and Fort Worth
branch and also became competi-
tor Of the Houston and Texas Cen
trail for a large slice of that road s
local territory.
Then the Hill or Burlington inter-
ests gobbled up the Trinity and Bra
zcs Valley, giving that road trunk
connections, and on top OF this there
is report to the effect that Hill has
purchased q control of the Katy.
Notwithstanding the fact that the
Katy has southern outlet, the
Houston and Texas Central hereto
fore has enjoyed quite tonnage
from that road which was routed
over the Katy to Denison and then
down over the Houston and Texas
Central. 1t is stated that if it be true
that Hill has secured control of the
Katy that much of his business will
be diverted and will come down over
the Trinity and Brazos Valley. In
other words, that unless the Houston
and Texas Central secures an outlet
north from Denison that it will be
hemmed in and in the future will be
nothing more than a local line, with
even her long controlled local terri
tory split up by competing lines.
That the Texas coast is the Mecca
to which every big system is travel
ing is evidenced by the moves in the
railway world during the past couple
of years. The development of the
Texas coast country, while yet in its
infancy, promises great strides in
The future. The roads coming to the
Texas coast are after not only the
tonnage incident to the development
but are also wide awake to the fact
that there is to be a great port in
Houston and for that reason they are
heading toward Houston. The great
development of the country is not
confined to the coast country, but to
the great west and northH est, and
the products of that territory will
seek short route to port.
Railway managers have begun to
recognize that the campaign for wa
terEays will soon result in the i'm
proFement of the country's harbors
and the construction of more har-
bors, and while in the past the rail-
way managers have contrived for
long hauls it is recognized that in
order to get the business the line
with the shortest route to port will
win. For these reasons it is stated,
it is not to be wondered at that Har-
riman would desire a short route
from his Union Pacific to Houston
Railway managers are beginning to
recognize the fact that Houston is
destined to be great port and they
are anxious to get in on the ground
floor. Such line would give Harri-
man a short haul and a down grade
from the great northwest to the port
nearest the Panama canal
Hence, it is stated for two impor-
tant reasons it is imperative that
Hartman bring the Union Pacific
South-one giving the short route
to port with the tonnage of the
great west and the other giving
northern outlet and a feeder for the
Houston and Texas Central, whose
local territory is being narrowed.