70 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. — 1906. 
n Aet of February 20, 1856, Ibid, Vol. 4, p. 414. 
12 The data for this history have been taken from “A Letter on the Condition 
and Prospects of the San Antonio & Mexican Gulf Railroad Company,” dated New 
York, December 12, 1856, by William J. Clark, its President, to Messrs. George 
S. Waters, and Samuel J. Beals, New York; an “Exhibit of the San Antonio & 
Mexican Gulf Railroad,” published in New York, 1860; and a “Letter of Messrs. 
Paschal, French and Wheeler to Messrs. Brassey, Wise, Napier, Simpson and 
Robinson,” published at Austin, 1860. 
13 Debates of the Sixth Legislature, Regular Session, Vol. 1, p. 191. 
14 “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 4, p. 329. 
15 Texas Almanac for 1858, p. 124. 
16 Second Annual Report of the President and Directors of the Houston Tap 
& Brazoria Railroad, Houston, 1859, p. 4. 
17 Act of August 16, 1856, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 4, p. 622. 
18 Report of the Committee of the Southern Pacific Railroad on the Present 
Condition of the Company and its Causes, Marshall, 1858, pp. 2-5. 
19 Report of Mr. Post to the Stockholders of the Southern Pacific Railroad, 
Jane 8, 1858, p. 3. 
20 Texas AJmanac for 1859, p. 222. 
21 Ibid, 1860, p. 330. 
22 Act of February 7, 1853, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 3, p. 1433. 
23 Texas Almanac for 1868, pp. 136. 137. 
24 Report of the Memphis, El Paso & Pacific Railroad Company to the Comp- 
troller for the year 1860. 
25 Debates of the Sixth Legislature, Regular Session, Vol. 1, p. 191. 
26 Act of January 22, 1858, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 4, p. 1255. 
27 Report of the Washington County Railroad to the Comptroller for the year 
1859. 
28 Texas Almanac for 1858, p. 129. 
29 Acts of January 17, 1859, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 5, p. 47. 
30 Vide my paper on “Land Grants to Railroads in Texas,” p. 14. 
31 Texas Almanac for 1851, pp. 231, 232. 
32 “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 4, p. 744. 
33 Act of December 24, 1859, Ibid, Vol. 5, p. 49. 
34 Texas Almanac for 1869, p. 213. 
“Act of January 22, 1858, “Laws of Texas,” Vol. 4, p. 1232. 
“Act of February 10, 1852, Ibid, Vol. 3, p. 1145. 
37 Act of January 27, 1854, Ibid, Vol. 4. p. 32. 
“Act of January 24, 1856, Ibid, Vol. 4, p. 331. 
“Act of January 21, 1858, Ibid, Vol. 4, p. 1181. 
40 Act of February 14, 1852, Ibid, Vol. 3, p. . 
41 Act of February 16, 1858, Ibid, Vol. 4, p. 1328. 
VII. CONCLUSION. 
This completes the account of Texas railroads before the Civil War. 
Fifty-one companies were chartered, but only fourteen roads were 
built. During a period of twenty-four years 284 miles of railway 
were constructed out of a total of 30,626 in the United States. 
This survey should make clear the causes that occasioned these 
mediocre results. The lesson to be drawn from the narrative is the 
folly of the attempt to build railroads before a country is ready 
for them. Capital will not seek them until they are profitable. Lim- 
ited State aid but serves to^ attract speculators. A few scattered 
miles of railroad are built, but the great percentage of chartered 
mileage is not. The people are defrauded of their scant wealth, 
and exorbitant issues of stocks and bonds eat up the profits of their 
produce. 
