The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1922-11-18
TEXAS CITY ONCE
WORLD CAPITAL
Austin Was Seat Of Government
Of 0ne-Time Independent
Republic Of Texas. j..
HAD ENJOYS and EVERYTHING.

When Washington Was Little More
Than Village Of Mud Streets Be-
@'--' tween fe36.1e46 Austin Was -"
Similar "HorId Capital"
Washington, D. C.-"Austin, third
Texas city to be imperiled by the
forces of nature In little more than
week, has played an important, but not
generally known, part in American his
tory" says bulletin from the Wash
ington, D. c., headquarters Of the Ma
tional Geographic society, in regard
to the capital of Texas, the outskirts
of which were struck by a cyclone.
"When Washington, capital of the
United States, was little more than
village of mud streets between 1885
and 1885," says the bulletin, "Austin
was similar world capital the seat
Of government Of the independent Re-
public Of Texas, which for ten years
existed as the fellow nation Of the
United States. Ministers and special
ENJOYS were accredited to the re-
public by the United States and half
q dozen or more of the leading nations
Of Europe; and the forms and ameni-
ties of world diplomacy were carried
out punctiliously in the little capital
"Most of the legations have been
torn down now to make way for nod
ern buildings, but traditions still lin
ger of the efforts Of the French and
British ministers to gain the greater
influence with the young republic, and
Of the watchfulness of the representa-
tive Of the United States to see that
no loopholes were created to facili-
tate an attack on the Monroe doctrine.
Descendants of some Of the families
of the diplomats are residents of the
city today. .-.....
Selected Like District Of Columbia.
Like the District of Columbia, Aus
tin was located by special commits
sioners charged to select creditable
site for the future seat of the re-
public's government. This was i'm
mediately after independence had been
won from Mexico. They chose a tract
on the Colorado river among gently
rolling hills just below where the
stream breaks from a range of low
mountains. So the modern city, set on
it's series Of heights, has for back
ground great sweep of purple hills
that adds greatly to its scenic attrac-
tiveness.
"But these hills have a more utili-
tartan aspect than that of pictur-
esque setting for the capital Of Texas.
In past geologic times a tremendous
cataclysm occurred which formed 500
foot cliff for 500 miles across Texas
along the line of the eastern edge Of
these now rounded hills. This is the
BALCONIES escarpment, fast becoming a
commonplace term in financial dis
tricts; for along its line have been dis
covered nearly all of the great Texas
oil fields that have spouted and are
spouting their millions of barrels of
petroleum.
"Austin preserves memory Of the
only republic to enter the United
States in the name of it's principal
street: Congress avenue. Along this
thoroughfare were situated the con-
gressional halls of the nation. At the
head of this avenue, on the crest of
a commanding hill, is the present state
capitol. Its architecture, like that Of
many other state capitols, is largely
borrowed from the capitol at Washing
ton, and it is almost as extensive, be-
ing the largest Of the 48 state houses.
"Texas, being sovereign nation,
was the only one of the states to re-
serve for itself its public domain. One
OF the important state functions, there
fore, has been the maintenance of a
land Office like that of the federal gov
eminent. The state capitol is monu-
ment of this unique condition, for the
state was able to obtain it's huge gov
eminent building without the expendi-
ture of a cent Of money by 'bartering'
to a construction syndicate tract Of
100000 acres. This was negligible
portion Of the public domain, though
it covered an area more than twice
the size Of Delaware. It was kept in
tact for years by its private owners
and constituted the most extensive
cattle ranch in existence.
Has Huge Dam.
"The present-day Austin is credited
with resident population of $4,000,
but the presence Of 5000 students of
the State university and the inmates
Of more than half dozen state insti-
buttons carries the total during the
greater part of the year close to the
$4,000 mark. -r
Across the gorge of the Colorado
river just west Of Austin is one Of the
largest of American dams, which
forms in the mountain-rimmed can
yon lake 80 miles long. It was con-
structed by the municipality as
source Of water and power, but with
the numerous mountain streams empty
ing into it, it constitutes popular
playground as we'll. The breaking of
the dam a decade and a half ago Is
the only other natural calamity that
has befallen the city. The losses were
confined to the river bottoms. Since
then the structure has been replaced
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