The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1913-11-07

the Colorado river '' This uitv NILS, ,vb, on
Is justly the pride of loval .tevans
was not selected haphazard nor accord;rr 80
sAe wnim or caprice Of any man or set Of
men put our forefathers, men whom all TEX.
ans are proud of appointed commission 70
naTci over TINS great empire. called Texas
nnu 10 select for them and posterity n civ
tnat comblned all the requisites of n canital
"yk worlny OF the empire it would represent
tnls committee of men of intelligence and
pa.rlollsIh aller travelling far and wide and
viewing the highlands and the lowlonds tbe
prairleS and the woods the lakes and tbe
sea, tiIAlly came up from the south and rest
"a up91the hills just south of where Austin
Is TODAY and about where ST. Edwards col
lege pr stands. Their eyes also rested ON
panNama that was pleasing and, with one
acclalfi, they all said Eureka" Spread
DefoIA them was the rugged Colorado river
withVts fertile valleys.
yt beyond lay the prairie, glistening like
anNeherald sheen in the suns rays. To the
west Icy the mountains, following the Colo
RADIOS stream. studded with the cedar and
the oak and the elm.
AT tins place they found the timber, the
stone, the water, drainage. the elevation. the
mountain view and, withal. a place which
really emphasized the word Capital" With
one accord they all decided that it was use
less to look farther and hence the report
was made, the capital had been selected. and
1t was Austin.
In this connection it might not be amiss TO
quote from John Henry Browns History
of Texas in which he recouns the action of
the Texas congress under President Lamar.
which led to the selection of the site now oc-
cupied by Austin for the capital of Texas
fIrsf ttnaar
In January, 1899, passed law providing for tho per-
manent location Of the seat Of government II was
question u deep interest and excited less
sectional feeling The whole West upper from
tier wished II located far ln the interior practi-
cable that II might become the grand Of frontier
protection Messrs William Menefee Of Colorado James
Kerr OF jackson. Cornelius Van Ness Of Bexar and
John Caldwell Of Basrop the especial champions
OF the measure After many propositions the law,
finally passed provided for the election by Joint vote
OF congress Of five commissioners who should select
the location and purchase lands FOR townsite upon
which action upon their part the president au-
horized TO appoint agent TO plat and lay Off the
town, and have public buildings erected. Tho
missoners restricted the territory bounded
by the Brazos by the Colorado and south by the
old Nacogdoches road crossing Cat Basrop the Colo
rado) and Nashville on the Braz0s The commissioners
elected Albert O. Horton or Matagorda Isaac W Bur
ton Of Houston county William Meuefoe Of Colorado.
Isaac Campbell Of san Augustine ana Louis =. Cooke
OF Brazora All excepting the first named were then
members OF the house ~ representatives,
ION the 18TH OF April 1889, the commissioners
ported lnextenso 10 President Lamar their examlna-
lions OF both rivers and the country between. and the
purchase Of 7135 ncrcg of land having a front NJ
three miles tho enst bank Of the Colorado river
,,us or two below the base or foothills of the high
lands usually designated the Colorado mountains
The price paid for this site $4,000 IN the treasury
notes Of the republic II Intended by congress that
the next Session 20 assemble ON the first Monday IN
November 1889 should De held nt the site. Pres
idont Lamar os frontier measure. was IN favor Of
tho change and lost time u carrying the law into
efsect ITO appointed Edwin Waller as agent 10 lay
of the town AZ that time only two families Chose
~ Harrei ana Hornshv) yed on the site and one or
two families three miles below beyond them TO The
north and northwest lay nm unbroicn wilderness To
the northeast n was sixty and eighty miles 10 few
settlements on the Brazos ana Little river Southwest
IN san Antonio. eighty four miles. there was not a
human hahItaton and road for tho first thirty
miles II, was bold enterprise thus to plant tho cap
tai NJ the young republic 100 the very teeth ana the
travelled passwey OF tho wild soyaFes on the spot