65 
The Present Texas Railway System. 
December, 1855, the road was in operation to Richmond, 32 miles. Here 
the problem of bridging the Brazos river confronted the engineers and 
the first bridge was a pontoon or floating bridge, which was operated with 
great difficulty, especially during the flood seasons. By December, 1859, 
the line had reached Eagle Lake, 67 miles, and in 1860 was completed to 
Alleyton, within two miles of the Colorado river, opposite Columbus. 
It had early been the intention of the company to extend the line up the 
Colorado valley to Austin, but it was seen that the natural course was in 
the direction of San Antonio and an extension was chartered February 
16, 1858, under title of the Columbus, San Antonio and Rio Grande Rail- 
road from the Colorado river near Columbus west via. Gonzales and San 
Antonio to the Rio Grande river near Eagle Pass. To connect the B. 
B. B. & C. Ry. with the C. S. A. & R. G. R. R., the Columbus Tap Rail- 
way was incorporated by act approved February 2, 1860. 
Ho further construction' was done on any of these lines until after the 
civil war. In accordance with an act passed at the called session of the 
12th Legislature, approved July 27, 1870, the Galveston, Harrisburg and 
San Antonio Railway was chartered to succeed the B. B. B. & C. Ry. ; also 
to acquire and succeed to the corporate rights of the Columbus Tap Rail- 
way and extend same west, via San Antonio-, to El Paso with branch lines 
to Austin and Eagle Pass. Construction began again in 1874 and in 
1875 the line had reached Luling, 109 miles from Harrisburg. On 
March 1, 1877, the road was in operation to San Antonio, 207 miles. 
In 1880 the branch from Stella to Houston was opened and also the 
Austin branch as far* as LaGrange. On September 1, 1881, the com- 
pany was reported to have 100 miles in operation east of El Paso. Con- 
struction proceeded as rapidly as possible and the gap between San Anto- 
nio and El Paso was closed in 1883. The Eagle Pass branch was opened 
from Spofford to Eagle Pass about same time. 
The G. H. & S. A. Ry. is one of the best constructed and most efficiently 
operated railways in the state and constitutes an important link in the 
great Southern Pacific Transcontinental Railway System, one of the most 
powerful and successful railway systems in the world. The B. B. B. & 
C. Ry. borrowed $420,000 from the public school fund to aid in its con- 
struction and with its successor, the G. H. & S. A. Ry., received from the 
state 1,460,104 acres of public land as a donation. Its present mileage 
in the state, main line and branches, is 918.16 miles. 
Houston and Texas Central Railroad. — The H. & T. C. R. R. was char- 
tered by act approved March 11, 1848, under the name of the Galveston 
anld Red River Railroad, to- construct from Galveston to- the Red river. 
Work did not begin on this line within the time specified and the charter 
was forfeited, but was renewed by act of the legislature February 14, 
1852. Work began at Houston in 1853, and by act approved February 
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