Page 18 - Industries_of_San_Antonio

COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES. 17

by the promise of transportation facilities; for after the long day of gloom,
which shrouded the homes and hearts of our nation's people, softened into
the western glow of a calm summer's evening, bringing "peace, content-
ment and good will to all men," that western glow guided the hearts and
hands of thousands in its own direction, to enter anew into the occupa-
tions of advancement and prosperity.
We say they went westward, and the broad lands of Texas invited
industry with the most lavish promises, never failing to grant the peace
and prosperity pledged to those who came and acted out their duty.
Soon the historical "Sunset" route appeared in the suburbs of the city,
and many of the citizens now recall with pleasure the ovations caused by
that event. None among them failed to recognize the dire importance of
quick communication with the rest of the world, for the welfare of their
city and its natural resources. All the world has concurred in the opinion
that a market is necessary to the disposition of our labor's fruits. The
precious metals of the earth are naught without a hand to take them from
the soil; and the people of San Antonio, even at that day, when the popu-
lation did not exceed 10,000, were awake to these facts, hailing with joy
the advent of those facilities which should in a few years develop the
bounteous resources of a country and city. She claims to-day a popula-
tion second to none in the State, and a location whose importance is rec-
ognized and catered to by the capitalists of Europe and America.

THE "SUNSET" ROUTE (GALVESTON, HARRISBURG & SAN ANTONIO RAILWAY).
This road, which has recently proven itself to be one of the most im-
portant in the United States, originated practically in the mind of Mr. T.
W. Pierce, whose exertions in its behalf called the attention of many of
the Eastern magnates in corporation enterprises to the wonderful advant-
ages to be derived from its construction; which, however, must at first
cross a country miles in area and thinly populated. But the resources of
the lands it should traverse were such as to teach the rational minded that
in a short time the country would be thickly populated; and a system of
emigration would bring those of industrious proclivities to
and
cultivate and call from the richest lands in the State all the cereals and
other staples natural to a fertile soil and tropical climate.
With San Antonio as an objective point, work was begun at Harris-
burg in a directly western line, aiming continually toward the "setting
sun;" from which fact it derived the name of Sunset route, though its
incorporated title is as seen at the head of this article.
In 1879 it was completed to San Antonio, and the boom occasioned in
that section of country has been unsurpassed in business history. Pros-
perity and abundant returns for capital invested have, since that day, been
the portion of all classes.
The road was then built, intersecting Houston, eastward to
Vermillionville, La., there connecting with the Morgan interests, and giving
direct and perfect connection with New Orleans and New York.