The Texas Almanac, for 1860, with Statistics, Historical and Biographical Sketches, &c., Relating to Texas. Page: 219
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HOUSTON TAP & BRAZORIA RAILROAD. .19
tance of 871 miles from the city of Houston. It crosses the Brazos at Colum-
bia, the chief point on the river that has ever had, or will have, importance
as a shipping point. The distance from Galveston to Columbia is fifty miles.
Six miles West of the Brazos the road crosses ;he San Bernard river at the
head of steamboat navigation. This river is now being cleared out under the
direction of the State Engineer, and will form an important auxiliary to the
railroad.
Operations were commenced by this Company in June, 1857. Since that
time, the Company has made 250 miles of surveys, cleared and grubbed more
than 200 acres of wood-land and cane-brake, graded 54 miles of road-bed,
procured more than 100,000 cross-ties, constructed 1500 lineal feet of bridg-
ing and procured the delivery of timber for one thousand feet more, purchased
seven miles of Railway, complete and in operation, purchased iron and roll-
ing stock for 431 miles (f road, nearly all of which has been delivered to the
Company, and the balance to arrive shortly, and laid about 28 miles of track
and constructed several depots, and other buildings. There is now in onira-
tion 35 iNiles of the road, and the balance to Cokumbia will 'be in operation
in a fen weeks.
The Division West of the Brazos (Columbia and Wharton) is progressing as
rapidly as the extreme heat of summer will permit. The grading tieing,
bridging, &c., in Brazoria and Matagorda counties is nearly half done The
work in Wharton county has not yet been commenced, but will be com-
menced vigorously in the course of a few weeks.
A large increase is soon to be made in the force now employed in Brazoria
and Matagorda counties and every part of the work pushed rapidly forward.
The Company confidently expect to complete the road to Wharton in time to
take off the crop of 1860.
The road has been built entirely by the planters and others on the line of
the road, and directly interested in its construction,-except, indeed, for the
purchase of iron, the means for which was obtained on the credit of the Com-
pany, backed and sustained by the good faith of the State.
On the let of January 1860 we shall have fifty miles in operation, and at
least twenty-five more entirely ready for the iron.
The road completed one hundred miles will cost about $10,000 per mile,
making an aggregate of $1,000,000.
As to the financial condition of the Company, the business and earnings of
the road, the reports that have been made, &c., I am not prepared to give in-
formation. The records of such matters are kept at the Company's office in
Houston, from which such information should properly emanate.
OFFIFas.-E. W. TAYLOn., President, Houston ; J. D. WATERs, Vice-Pres-
ident, Houston; JomE DicansoN, Secretary and Treasurer, Houston; Jonx
ADRIANCE, Agent Western Division, Columbia; J. W. SrumP, Chief Engineer,
Houston.
DmEcToRs.-Con. ENNIs, HY. SAxPso, JOHN ADRICE, E. W. TAron, W.
J. HUTCHEs, JOHa D~CKniSON, J. D. WATERS, W. R. TaomAs, JOHN DUNcA , A. J,
TERRY, T. W. HoisE, A. JACKSON, JOHN W. BROOKS, T. S. LUBBOCx, A. UNDmEE.
WOOD. Very respectfully, S. C. WEST,
Ass't Eng'r H. T. & B. Railway.
SAN ANTONIO AND IEXICAN GULF RIRAOD.
The work on this road has been suspended for some time past, but favor-
able accounts are now received from Hon. I. A. Paschal, who is now in Eu-
rope endeavoring to secure the means to prosecute it to completion. A letter
lately received from him, gives an encouraging account of his success. He
states that the road will be certainly completed to Victoria by January next.
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The Galveston News. The Texas Almanac, for 1860, with Statistics, Historical and Biographical Sketches, &c., Relating to Texas., book, 1860~; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth123766/m1/221/: accessed June 1, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.