The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-10-17
INTERURBAN INVASION
OF SOUTHERN TEXAS
Stone & Webster Engineering Cor.
poration Trying to Buy the
Mcmillan Syndicate.

The following dispatch from Aus
tin. Texas, win be of nteres, to read
ers OF The Gate City on account OF
the identity of the Stone & Webster
people with the water power and the
public utility concerns of Keokuk:
AUSTIN, Texas. October iS.--An in
yasion OF the Austin and San Antonio
territory by strong interurban electric
railway interests is about to be made.
Upon application of e. ". Brown, q
wealthy lumber manufacturer OF
Orange. Tex, and associates, the
commissioners court OF Travis county
has just granted franchise for the
use of the new bridge across the Col
orado river at Austin by proposed
interurban electric railway to be con-
strucied between this city and Lock
hart, about thirty miles, Interested
with Mr. Brown in the project are w,
b. Dunlap. a banker OF Beaumont; j,
NJ. Abbott of seguin, Tex: Walter ].
/ Crawford OF beaumont and others.
! John W. Maxey OF Houston is chief
/ engineer.
| These men are said TO be identified
with the Stone & Webster Engineer
! ing Corporation of Boston in the own
ershfp of the Beaumont electric plants
and the proposed construction of an
+ interurban line between that city and
Port Arthur. This fact gives color to
! the report tSat the Austin Lockhart
project is backed by the Stone-Web-
i ster interests Mr.. Brown and asso-
ciates have also formally notified the
city commissioner of Austin that they
will apply for franchise for the use
OF a number OF streets of this city for
a proposed system of electric railway.
The city system will be in the form
of loop and will extend to the site
of the large dam being constructed
west OF town. The same interests
have been very active during the las,
two years in acquiring all the water
power rites OF the Guadalupe river
between Seguin and New Braunfels
1t is their purpose to install hydro
electric plants at a cost of about $500.
600 and to develop sufficient electri
cal energy to operate an extensive
system of railways as we'll as to sup
ply power to nefghboring towns. FREQ
Hornaday of San Antonio acted as
the representative of the syndicate IL
contracting for the water-powel
rights,
1t is known that the Stone & Web
lster Engineering Corporation has
been negotiating for several months
for the purchase of the street railwa!
system of San Antonio from the Nc
MILAN syndicate and 1t is said tina
this deal Is practically consummated
Besides connecting Austin and Lock
, hart with an interurban line, the syn
, dicate's plans call for the construc
, ton of line from San Antonio to Sc
gum. thence to Lockhart, and
branch from Seguin to New Braun
fels, ALI told. the project involve
i the construction of about 100 miles o
track. Under the terms of the fran
chise granted Mr.. Brown and assc
ciates by which their proposed lin,
secures an entrance to Austin owe
the Colorado river bridge, the syndi
5 cate must pay an annual rental o
J $1,000 for the use of that structure. I
: binds itself to begin construction
work on the Austin-Lockhart lin'
! within six months The territory tina
J is to be traversed by the proposed
: system of railway is thickly settle'
by prosperous farmers and there ar
t number of thriving towns scatteret
along the route.