28 LETTERS FROM TEXAS. 



thence by Hempstead, Navasota, Bryan, Hearne, &c., to Groesbeck, 

 in Limestone County, soon to be extended to Corsicana, in Navarro 

 County (say 250 miles from Galveston), witli a branch from Hemp- 

 stead westward across the Brassos through Washington County to 

 Giddings, 55 miles, soon to be extended 50 miles further to Austin, 

 the State Capital, with another from Harrisburg, 6 miles below 

 Houston, through Foi-t Bend and Colorado Counties, across both 

 the Brassos and Colorado to this point (84 miles) : such are about 

 all the pieces of i-ailroad now in o^jeration in the State. The 

 piece from Shreveport, Louisiana, westward through Hariison and 

 Smith Counties to Hallsville (56 miles), is rather a suggestion than 

 a practical road. And these are about all that are in operation to- 

 day. The work of providing this people with necessary railway 

 communication is barely well begun. 



But that is half the battle. At last, nearly every line seems 

 to be in the hands of solvent, capable, upright men, who are backed 

 by ample capital, and is pushed with vigor and clear-sighted reso- 

 lution. The Texas Central is going right on north by west to meet 

 one of the Missouri-Kansas roads at the north line of the State, 

 near Gainesville or Sherman. A new road (" The Great North- 

 ern "), well backed by Northern capital, pushes directly north 

 from Houston, crossing the Southern Pacific near Tyler, strikes the 

 Red Eiver near Fort Towson, and connects with the Missouri, Kan- 

 sas and Texas from Kansas near that point. The " Chattanooga 

 and Mobile " is now pushing due westward through Louisiana, and 

 expects to reach HoiTston before this time next year. These, with 

 the Southern Pacific, now certain to be vigorously prosecuted, will 

 give Texas not less than 1,000 miles of completed railroad -wdthin a 

 year, and 1,500 within two years. 



But the most important and efiective single line of railroad in 

 the State is " The International," which is to connect at Fulton, Ar- 

 kansas, on her north-eastern border, with one from Cairo, 111., and 

 thus with Chicago and New York, running diagonally through 

 Texas from north-east to south-west, crossing the Southern Pacific 

 and " The Great Northern " near Tyler, the " Texas Central " at 

 Heame, and thence pushing straight for Austin, the capital, and 

 hence to San Antonio, and so to the Bio Grande not far from 

 Laredo. This road, though begun last November at Hearne, 

 where it crosses the " Texas Central," and impeded by the necessity 

 of importing Corn at a cost of |2.1() per bushel and Hay at $85 per 



