Hide Article Text (OCR)
On The Other Side of The Wooden Axle Is the Lions Club of Anson and all other organizations and individ uals who have been protesting the removal and abandonment of the Abilene Southern railroad would just reverse their activities and aid in its abandonment and the track junked they would be doing the town a service instead of a disserv ice as they have decidedly been doing. When this road was being built into this town, owing to the way it was routed and located, it was justly and rightfully opposed by a substantial element of its citizens. The same objections that were of fered then obtain to this day and have obtained twenty-four hours a day ever since it was built. ‘The service that it ever did the town, if any, has been very largely counter acted by one feature alone. That objectionable feature is that it damaged the usefulness and prac tically destroyed the commercial value and economic use of one of its then best residential streets— Haskell avenue, which therefore, with one exception, is the only 100 foot street in the town. Had this railroad not ruined it for the pur pose it would today be one of the best residential streets in our little town. If it were then expected and hoped that by turning this street into a railroad it would become a great industrial district and thus compensate for its destruction of residential property, it is only nec essary to make a casual survey at this day to see what became of such illogical and visionary fore casts. The observer will find noth ing but a cotton gin located on a lot 70 feet from the post office and on a block the front of which faces the public square--all this in on county seat town with ‘the COUD 1 court House on said public square. Well, aside from that, too, will be found one other industrial plant on this same street--aroup of oil storage tanks about one block from the court house. These are the in dustrial enterprises planted in An son by virtue of the equally great riginal enterprise of the building of this trunk line, locally known as the “Wooden Axle”, and now that railroad is to be abandoned—and here are my thanks to the railroad commission—it is suggested to the opposition that the Commissioners Court be petitioned to exchange locations with the gin company. If the ein people decline such a proposal a committee could be ap pointed to look into the merits of the proposition; and if the gin, with its dust, smoke, oil, noise and lint threatened to move out of town, another movement should be initiat ed contesting and protesting such an injury and loss to the town. This idea is suggested that there may be consistency in the activity of those who oppose the removal of a nui sance. No Commissioners Court, however, is to be held responsible for the location of the gin. That is chargeable to the city authorities at the time and those before them, in not zoning the city against such potentialities. In justice to the management of the gin, it should be said, however, that the premises are kept as clean and tidy as it is possible about a plant of its kind, much more so than several other places in town still closer in. But a cotton gin never should have been allowed to locate within the busi ness district. But back to the Wooden Axle. About the only good it does for this town and Jones County now, grant ed it ever did, is its taxable value and the employment of a few peo ple. The fight protesting its aban donment is based mainly on this argument. It hus not carried a mail bag for eight or ten years. Its wooden axle gear shift is not mod ernly streamlined for that class of business. So, since when and by whom was it decreed that a railroad is supposed to exist for the sole purpose of paying taxes and furn ishing employment? That is more than even the New Deal has put out either by fiat or by legislation. And now since the company has shown that it is operating at a loss and has been for years past it is only just and reasonable that the I. Co. C. has granted it permission to discontinue operation. A forty mile railroad paralelled by forty miles of concrete cannot afford to operate for the sole benefit of tax rating agencies. And it is now evi dent the commission is well on to this racket—and racket it is—of clubs and other organizations of towns trying to hold a little old worn-out railroad in order to bleed it for taxes. Besides, in this par ticular case, the road is emphatical ly more a nuisance than an asset. With two exceptions, every street crossing on this road in town has been built and maintained by the city, and some of the crossings are now and always have been practi cally impassable; and at many oth er streets in the western part of town on this railroad the crose Street ends at the track. Of course. if a fellow just has to cross he can £ 0 around by Roby and make it fairly well. There are a great many things that active, organized effort could accomplish for Anson but this is decidedly not one of them. In this instance the best thing that can be done is to do nothing, and let this road expire and go back to its maker; let Haskell Avenue revert to its originally intended purpose— as therefore for the use of the public—and restore lost value to abutting property and open up a street for practical use and benefit to its citizens. Respectfully, G. A. GRAY. Anson, Texas.
Newspaper Details
Anson Western Enterprise
Anson, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 11, 1937
Page 4
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 06 Jul 2026
Other Publications Near Anson, Texas
Anson Jones County Observer
Anson Western Observer
Anson Weekly Observer
Anson Weekly Guide
Anson Western Enterprise
