The Beginnings of the Texas Railroad System. 47 
In the East many States undertook to further the construction of 
railroads by extending the aid of the commonwealth. New York 
voted to her railroads something like $8,000,000, $5,000,000 of which 
was granted to the Erie Railroad. In addition, $30,000,000 was 
granted by the cities and counties. 1 
Presumably patterning after this policy, Texas passed an act in 
1850 permitting the cities and counties along the route to subscribe 
to the capital stock of the San Antonio Railroad. Under the terms 
of this .measure, $100,000 was subscribed by the city of San Antonio 
and the county of Bexar, making the first substantial bonus offeree! 
to a railroad in Texas. 2 
8. Land Grants. 
In 1850 Congress granted to Illinois 2,500,000 acres of public 
domain, to be applied to the construction of the Illinois Central Rail- 
road. By this means, this road was soon completed. 
Texas followed the example of Illinois. She had an immense pub- 
lic domain of her own. In this respect she was unique in the sister- 
hood of States. 3 It is estimated that upon her entrance into the 
Union, she had 181,965,832 acres of unappropriated land. 4 
Realizing the necessity of aiding the private companies, she donated 
to the Henderson & Burkville Company in 1852, 5,120 acres of land 
for every mile of road it constructed. Similar donations were made 
to fifteen of the twenty-three railroads chartered between this date 
and January 1, 1856. 6 To the San Antonio Railroad, the La Salle 
& El Paso, the Buffalo Bayou, Brazos & Colorado, and the Galveston 
& Red River, all of which were chartered prior to 1852, 5,120 acres 
were also granted by subsequent acts. 7 
It was soon evident that these subsidies would not be sufficient. In 
view of this fact, the law of 1854 was passed granting 10,240 acres 
in alternate sections to the mile to every railroad that should con- 
struct twenty-five miles of road within the two succeeding years. 
9. Causes of the Failure. 
These measures did little to relieve the situation. Of the thirty- 
seven railroads chartered before 1856, twenty were entitled to receive 
land from the State. Of these twenty, only two were built by 1856. 
Of the 18,37 4 miles of railway in operation in the United States at 
that time, only forty were in operation in Texas. 
This disappointing condition of affairs was almost entirely due 
to the scant settlement. In 1860 the population did not exceed 
604,215, or 2,3 to the mile. The metropolis numbered 8,235 people. 
