The Present Texas Railway System. 
61 
The following table gives the approximate railway mileage in the 
world at the end of same periods : 
At End of Year Miles in Operation. Increase Over Previous Year. 
1830 
206 
1835 
1,502 
1,296 
1840 
5,335 
3,833 
1845 
10,825 
5,490 
1850 
23,625 
12,800 
1855 
42,340 
18,715 
1860 
66,413 
24,073 
1865 
90,280 
23,867 
1870 
131,638 
41,358 
1875 
182,927 
51,289 
1880 
231,190 
48,263 
1885 
303,172 
71,982 
1890 
385,000 
81,828 
1896 
426,465 
41,465 
1900 
500,000 (estimated) 
73,535 
RAILWAY LEGISLATION IN TEXAS. 
The legislators of the State of Texas earlv recognized the advantages 
of the railway in solving the important question of cheap transportation 
without which it was evident that the magnificent 'agricultural and in- 
dustrial resources of the state could not he successfully developed and 
they inaugurated a policy of liberality toward railway companies that 
stands without a parallel in the history of the world. With great 
prodigality, large areas of the fertile 'and valuable public domain were 
generously donated to encourage the building of railways. In addition 
to these, moneys were loaned from the public school fund at a low rate 
of interest to aid these enterprises in their infancy. The donations of 
land by the state to the railways in Texas amount to the enormous sum 
of 34,179,055 acres or about 53,405 spuare miles. This area which is 
equivalent to about one-fifth of the total area of the state, would form a 
territory as large as the state of Arkansas and is larger than the states of 
Pennsylvania and Yew Jersey combined. 
It is with great regret that we have seen such generosity as was dis- 
played to the railways unappreciated by their promoters and builders. 
In many cases the gifts of land and money were appropriated by them 
and in addition, the railways were loaded with fictitious issues of stocks 
and bonds, which were disposed of at almost any figure for cash. The 
proceeds of such sales were as a rule pocketed by the promoters and the 
properties permitted to lapse into a state of hopeless ruin and bank- 
