Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-02
Geographic News
Bulletins by the
National Geographic Society

lmperlled by the FORCES OIL nature IN
little more than a week. has played
an important, but not generally
known, part in American history,
says a bulletin from the Washington.
ID. c., headquarters OF the National
Geographic Society, in regard to the
capital OF Texas. the outskirts Of
which were rue by a cyclone.
when Washington. capital OF the
United States, was little more than a
village OF mud streets between 1886
and 1s46." says the bulletin. Austin
was a similar world capital the
seat of government Of the indepen-
dent Republic of Texas. which for
ten years existed as the fellow ma
ton of the United States. Ministers
and special ENJOYS were accredited
to the Republic by the United States
and half a dozen or more OF the
leading nations of Europe; and the
forms and amenities of world diplo-
macy were carried out punctiliously
in the little capital.
Nj Of the legations have been
torn down now to make way for
modern buildings, but traditions still
linger of the efforts of the French
and British ministers to gain the
EEtdltE lluutuCc Will IL SOuIe ~
public, and of the watchfulness of
the representative of the United
States to see that no loopholes
were created TO facilitate an attack
on the Monroe Doctrine. Descen-
dants of some of the families of the
diplomats are residents CT the city
today.
Selected Like District of Columbia
sI fGa che niofriRf of Colin m hin
Austin was located by special COM
missioners charged to select a credit
able sit for the future seat of the
republics government. This was
Immediately 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
set on its series of heights. has for
pie bills that adds greatly to its
scenic attractiveness.
But these hills have a more util-
itarian aspect than that of a pictur-
esque setting for the capital of
Texas. In past geologic times a tre-
mendous cataclysm occurred which
formed a 500 foot cliff for 500 miles
across Texas along the line of the
eastern edge of these nov rounded
Ellis. Thu as the BALCONIES Escarp-
ment, fast becoming a commonplace
term in financial districts: for along
its line have been discovered
ly all of the great Texas oil fields
that have spouted and are spouting
their millions of barrels of petro-
leum.
Street Preserves Memory of Repub-
lie
Austin preserves a memory of
the only republic to enter the United
States in the name of its principal
street: Congress VENUE. Along this
thoroughfare were situated the con-
gr~essional halls of the nation. At
the head Of this avenue, on the crest
OF a commanding hill, is the present
State capitol. Its architecture. liz
that of many other state capitols, ia
largely borrowed from the Capitol at
Washington. and it is almost as ex-
t~ensive, being the largest of the As
State houses.
Texas. being a sovereign nation.
was the only one of the states to re-
serve for itself its public domain.
One of the important state func-
tons, therefore, has been the main
tenance OF a Land Office like that OF
the federal government. The state
capitol is a monument TO this unique
condition, for the state was able to
obtain its huge government build
ing without the expenditure OF a
cent of money by 'bartering TO a
construction syndicate a tract of 81
900. 900 acres. This was a negligible
portion of the public domain,
though il covered an area more than
twice the size of Delaware. 1t was
kept intact for years by its private
owners and constituted the most ex-
tensive cattle ranch in existence.
Has Huge Dam
1.-The present day Austin is cred
tied with a resident population OF
IS, 900, but the presence of 5000
students of the State University and
the inmates of more than half a
dozen state institutions carries the
total during the greater part OF h
year close to the $4,000 mark.
Across the gorge of the Colo
RADIO river just west of Austin is m
of the largest of American dams.
which forms in the mountain-rim-
med canyo a lake 80 miles long.
1t was constructed by the munich
pality as a source of water and pow
er. but with the numerous noun
tain streams emptying into H.
constitutes a popular playground as
well. The breaking of the dam a
decade and a half ago Is the only
other natural calamity has befall-
en- the city. The losses were con-
fined TO the river bottoms. Since
then the structure has been replac-
cd and heightened"