4 
Transactions Texas Academy of Science. 
roads and the people on account of which the same had become neces- 
sary. It is well known that this legislation was but the continuation of 
a movement, as a protection against corporate greed and oppression, 
organized in the older States as soon as the problem of railroad trans- 
portation began to assume important proportions and when the effect of 
unjust rates and discriminations made itself felt and their influence on 
trade was appreciated. 
Succeeding the Civil War a period of activity in railroad building was 
inaugurated throughout the United States, unprecedented in the history 
of the world. The possession of a large and fertile interior domain, 
practically undeveloped, prompted the people, and through them the gov- 
ernment, to offer every inducement to promote railroad construction, and 
large tracts of land, valuable franchises and other property were do- 
nated by them. The railroad, in but a few years after it had been dem- 
onstrated to be a practical success, had become a commercial necessity 
for the speedy and economic transportation of freight and passengers. 
Without the railroad it had become apparent that the unoccupied terri- 
tory could not be developed, and everywhere legislation, state and na- 
tional, was enacted granting every favor and consideration to the rail- 
road companies. 
The cupidity of financial adventurers soon attracted them to this 
most fertile field of speculation, and companies were organized for the 
•construction of a network of railroads covering the continent. Their 
prime purpose was to secure the valuable bonuses and donations offered 
as profits for the work. The prospects appearing for easy and rapid 
gains, with little outlay of capital, were flattering and no time was lost 
in securing the most favorable franchises. The services of the best and 
shrewdest legal and political talent were engaged and powerful lobbies 
were organized to aid in securing favors for the railroad companies from 
the several State Legislatures and from Congress. • Perhaps a more 
clever, cunning, unprincipled and skillful set of manipulators never 
graced the arena of speculation. It was truly an era of gain. State 
Legislatures and Congress were lavish with their donations of large 
areas of the public domain; counties and municipalities granted issues 
-of bonds and valuable properties ; and cities vied with each other in offer- 
ing bonuses of land and money-. A legislator who would have advocated 
measures of control that would have in any way hampered or hindered 
the granting of a failroad franchise or donation would have been con- 
sidered as an obstacle to public improvement and would have been upheld 
as an enemy of the public good. 
It may be considered as but natural that the companies should have 
faken advantage of the sentiment of the times and endeavored to secure 
for themselves all of the favor and concessions possible, and also that the 
