| From the Houston Telegraph |
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| April 16, 1861 |
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| The Railroad Connection |
| The editor of the News,
writing from Austin, and giving an account of Mr. Potter's speech
urging the passage of a charter for a railroad to run around Houston,
connecting the Galveston{, Houston &
Henderson} and {Houston & Texas} Central
railroads, says: |
| Mr. Potter supported the bill
by a strong argument, giving a full history of the various impediments
that have been thrown in the way of making a connection between these
roads, by the Houston City Council, and the serious injury inflicted
on the people of the country for the want of such connection, in the
additional expense of transportation and delay occasioned by having to
employ drays to transfer all freight, whether the produce of the
country going out, or merchandise coming in. He also showed the still
greater (if possible) injury in the delay of all the mail coming into
the country from New Orleans, by far the most important mail to the
whole country, and also, a like delay of the mail going out, both of
which are now generally detained in Houston twenty-four hours for the
want of this connection. The additional tax on all transportation from
this cause, amounts to many thousand dollars annually, while the
injury in the delay of the mails cannot be estimated in dollars. |
| The impediments referred to
were to the road passing through Houston, in such a way as to cut off
the bayou from all chance at competition for freights, and thus give
the railroad a monopoly -- a thing which, both this city and the
country, were equally interested in, and which was eventually
supported by all who understood the matter, except persons especially
interested in the Galveston road. The Legislature has manifested even
less sagacity than usual in suffering itself to be so far mis-led. And
while it may appear to be a matter of little importance now, the time
will come when, should this junction road be built on any plan that
looks to monopoly, the people will call those who granted the charter,
to account for their blunders. |
| As for the mails, a simple
statement of facts is due to the public. The mail schedules for the
various parts of the interior, through this office, were made up,
years ago, and the connections were all so managed, that, by leaving
here in the morning the mails would go through to the remotest part of
the State without stopping. The New Orleans steamers arrive in
Galveston at from 6 to 10 A. M. When the mail was brought up on the
boats, the New Orleans mails were fully distributed in Galveston and
arrived here next morning, and were dispatched at once to the
interior. All the railroads, the stages and the horse mail routes went
by this schedule. |
| When the railroad from
Galveston to Houston began carrying the mails, it brought up two mails
per day -- one in the morning and one in the evening. By that plan the
New Orleans mails should have been, and sometimes were, distributed in
time to come up on the evening train, and were then distributed over
night and forwarded by the morning trains hence to the interior. But,
after a while, the Company found it unprofitable to run two trains per
day, and so took off the evening train. By this arrangement the New
Orleans mails were kept over twenty-four hours in Galveston. Leaving
there at 8 o'clock the day after their arrival, the reached Houston at
half past 11. Of course there was then no connection in Houston. The
matter was laid before the President and Directors of the Galveston
road, and they were urged to make this schedule conform to those of
the balance of the state, either by starting 3 hours earlier from
Galveston, or by running their trains up in the evening and down in
the morning, thus giving ample time to change and make up the mails at
both points. Their reply was "The present arrangement suits us,
and we shall run by it. We shall consult only our own interest and
convenience." This was the end of the argument. The Central
company then endeavored to change their schedule so as to accommodate
themselves to the Galveston road. This they did by leaving here at
half past 11 A. M., the schedule time for the arrival of the Galveston
train, being half past 10. This enabled passengers to go on, and gave
the postmaster here time to forward the through mails only, which was
done, the distribution mail for this office requiring rarely less than
three hours to be assorted. |
| But this change worked well
for the stations along the Central road, but put every body else out
of gear. The stages and minor mail routes were unable to adapt
themselves to the new schedule, and the consequence was that
passengers and mails oftener than otherwise were detained two days at
some disjointed connection, instead of as before, one day in Houston.
The plan would not work, and the Central company were obliged to fall
back upon their old time tables, and give up trying to connect with a
road that demanded that all other routes should yield everything,
whilst it was willing to yield nothing. |
| It will not probably be long
before the railroad hence to New Orleans will be in operation, when of
course it will carry the mails. When this is the case it is to be
presumed that the mail distribution will be changed to Houston, and
all this trouble about broken connections avoided. The New Orleans
mails for the interior of Texas will then doubtless go forward in from
two to four days less time than now. |
| In the meantime we hope and
trust that an arrangement, such as our leading railroad men have long
desired to make, can be effected, whereby all the railroads connected
with Houston will be brought to a common central depot, at which such
a connection may be had as shall best accommodate the people. We are
satisfied that this project is now viewed with favor not only here;
but by the more liberal minded of the railroad men at Galveston, Such
a plan is demanded by the interest of the stockholders in all the
roads, and as the time is now not far off for the annual elections of
the Directories we do not doubt that the policy of the new boards will
be shaped accordingly. |
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