The Present Texas Railway System. 
69 
in 1870. On August 4, 1870, an act was passed by the legislature author- 
izing the consolidation of the S. A. & M. G. R. R. with the I. R. R. and 
reorganization of both under the name of the Gulf, Western Texas and 
Pacific Railway. This line was open for traffic to Cuero on May 31, 1874. 
The extension was completed from Victoria to Beevilfe, 55 miles, in 
This line received land donations from the state as follows : 
S. A. & M. G. R. R 264,898 acres 
Indianola R. R 171,520 acres 
G. W. T. & P. Ry 299,520 acres 
Total 735,938 acres 
Its present mileage is 111.2. 
Texas and Pacific Railway. — The T. & P. Ry. was formed by the con- 
solidation of the Memphis, El Paso 'and Pacific Railway, the Southern 
Pacific Railway and the Southern Transcontinental Railway. 
The M. E. P. & P. Ry. was chartered by act 'approved February 7, 
1853. This charter, which was forfeited, was renewed by act approved 
February 4, 1856. IThe railway was projected from the state line near 
Texarkana west to El Paso. Construction began on February 1, 1857, 
near Texarkana. It was proposed to bring the rails and track material 
up the Red River by boat to Texarkana, but on account of the forming of 
an immense raft in the river below about this time, a branch line was 
projected to Caddo Lake, near Jefferson, to bring material over for the 
main line. Five miles of this branch were built and 57 miles of the main 
line graded before operations were suspended by the war. Construction 
was renewed in 1869 and by March 1, 1870, 50 miles were in operation; 
by June 15, 1870, 100 miles were complete. 
The Southern Pacific Railway was chartered as the Vicksburg and El 
Paso Railroad or the Texas Western Railroad by act approved February 
16, 1852. An act approved August 16, 1856, amended the above act and 
changed the name to the Southern Pacific Railway. This line was pro- 
jected from a connection with the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas 
Railroad at the state line west, via Marshall, to Dallas. Work began in 
1856 on a branch line to Caddo Lake, over which track material could 
be brought for the main line. By February 10, 1858, 20 miles were in 
operation, and by October 1, 1859, 27.5 miles. In 1866 connection was 
made between Shreveport and Marshall and the Caddo Lake Branch was 
abandoned. By 1871 the line was in operation to Longview, 23 miles 
from Marshall. 
The Southern Transcontinental Railway was incorporated in accord- 
ance with terms of act approved July 27, 1870, which also granted it 
