Chapter 178: Layout of Texas

Both Congress and the federal government have always been encouraging of the telegraph and railroad industries that had just started. Google search reading

Especially for the laying of telegraph lines and railway lines in the central and western regions, the federal government encouraged private telegraph companies and railway companies to lay telegraph lines and railway lines in these places.

Politicians with any brains know that efficient communications and convenient transportation are conducive to the unification of the United States.

As long as the decision-makers of the federal government have no problem with their brains, they will not get in Liangyao's neck in this regard.

In fact, due to the sparsely populated area and low development level in the central and western regions of the United States, it is unprofitable to lay telegraph lines and railway lines in these places, and there are very few companies willing to lay telegraph lines and railway lines in these places.

"In this visit to Texas, in addition to representing California and the Americas Group, I also have another identity, that is, the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. As the president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, I hope to set up a Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Texas to It is convenient for businessmen from the Huaxia Chamber of Commerce to do business in Texas.”

Liang Yao made his second request.

“This state welcomes all friendly business people who come to Texas to do business.”

Governor Bell said without thinking.

Even if Liang Yao doesn't make this request, California businessmen still have the right to open guild halls and clubs in Texas.

Liang Yao specially said hello to him, simply hoping that the Texas authorities would take care of the businessmen of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce.

Some businessmen from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce also purchased cotton and other commodities from Texas plantation owners.

For this reason, Governor Bell has no reason not to welcome businessmen from the Chinese Chamber of Commerce to do business in Texas.

"The last request may be more difficult, and you may have objections. My railway company hopes to obtain priority for the construction of railways in Texas."

Liang Yao said in a very firm tone.

Unlike California's complex terrain, the terrain in Texas is relatively flat, making railway construction technically difficult and cost-effective.

As a new state that has just joined the United States less than five years ago, Texas's industrial base is very weak, almost equivalent to a blank sheet of paper. There are only a few railway lines in the country, and the quality is very worrying.

It is blunt to say that the industrial base of Texas is not as good as that of California. California at least has the industrial and mining enterprises that Liang Yao transplanted directly from the east for more than a year. It can produce steel, steam engines, shipbuilding and even its own railway company.

And Texas has nothing.

Although the population of a few large cities in Texas, such as Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, has exceeded 10,000.

But in general, Texas is still as sparsely populated as the western states. Building railroads in Texas will not bring much benefit in the short term.

However, when Liang Yao built the railway in Texas, he was more interested in the resources of Texas. Texas has rich reserves of oil, coal mines, gypsum, and salt mines.

These resources alone make it worthwhile for Liang Yao to plan ahead and build a railway in Texas so that he can more easily obtain Texas resources in the future.

Liang Yao hopes that Texas can become California's future supplier of raw materials, contribute to California's industrialization, and at the same time use economic ties to bind the interests of the two states together.

What's more, building railways in the United States can automatically obtain ownership of the land along the railway. This is a policy support provided by the American federal government to encourage railway companies to build railways.

"Mr. Liang, the current population of Texas is only a few hundred thousand, and the economy is not developed. Building railways in Texas will not bring you much commercial benefits."

Sam Houston said with a hint of alarm.

Sam Houston, 58, is no ordinary plantation owner in Texas.

He also has a more prominent identity: the first and third president of the Lone Star Republic and the first governor of Texas.

Houston was not just a politician but also a soldier.

When Texas declared independence from Mexico, Houston, who had extensive combat experience, was elected commander of the Texas Army.

The highlight of Houston's military career was when he defeated Mexican President Santa Anna, who led his troops to conquer Texas, in the Battle of San Jacinto, and captured Santa Anna, who had a strong Mingbao legacy. president.

Houston himself was wounded in the battle and signed a peace treaty with Santa Anna despite his injuries.

The Battle of San Jacinto was of decisive significance to the Lone Star Republic. The Texan army's victory at San Jacinto forced Mexico to recognize Texas' independence.

The weakness and incompetence shown by the Mexican government and army during the Texas independence process also gave the United States hope of annexing Mexican territory, paving the way for Mexico's subsequent failure in the U.S.-Mexico War.

In order to commemorate Houston's contribution to the independence of the Lone Star Republic, the people of Texas named the city of Houston after Houston.

Austin, the capital of Texas, is also named after Stephen Austin, Secretary of State of the Lone Star Republic, but the Secretary of State of the Lone Star Republic passed away as early as 1836.

"Mr. Houston, Mr. Liang's willingness to invest in Texas is a blessing to the people of Texas, and there is no reason why we should shut out an ambitious entrepreneur."

Before Liang Yao opened his mouth, Bell started to disagree with Houston.

This is not because Bell is on Liang Yao's side, but because Texas is now opposing Houston, the former founding father, which has become a kind of political correctness.

In terms of his contribution to Texas, his qualifications and his military exploits in the war, Bell was not as good as Houston.

Bell was able to become the governor of Texas because he complied with the will of the people of Texas, or in other words, the will of the slave owners of Texas.

Houston was also a slave owner, but Houston, who was born in Virginia, was oriented to the north and hoped that Texas could become a free state.

In the territorial dispute between Texas and New Mexico last year, Houston firmly opposed Texas's sending troops to New Mexico and tried his best to maintain the unity of the United States of America.

This put this founding father with many merits on the opposite side of the Texas slave owners, and the Texas slave owners became increasingly dissatisfied with this founding father, believing that he was a traitor to the Texans.

The cold reception Houston suffered in Texas today was not formed overnight.

After the Lone Star Republic gave up its independent republic status and joined the United States of America, becoming a member of this big family, Texas did not get the corresponding benefits from the United States, but the interests of Texas were damaged everywhere.

This is the real reason why Houston is not welcome in Texas. It was Houston who ran around to facilitate Texas' joining the United States and becoming a state of the United States. Texans are also angry with Houston.

Now Texas is still dissatisfied with the federal government and Congress, and hopes to be independent again, and even restore the territory of the Lone Star Republic.

Restoring the status of an independent republic, Texas can set its own tariffs and formulate measures that are more conducive to the development of Texas. This is the general view of Texas politicians at this time.

Since they could break away from Mexico and become independent, they can also break away from the United States now.

There are very few voices in Texas that firmly maintain the unity of the United States like Houston.

"Four years ago, the non-Indian population in California was less than 10,000."

Seeing that Bell and Houston were about to quarrel, Liang Yao spoke up.

"But the current population of California is about 200,000, and this number is still increasing year by year. No one can predict the future.

As far as I know, during the Lone Star Republic, the population of Texas was only about 70,000 people, but now the population of Texas has more than doubled.

I believe in my vision and the governance level of the Texas rulers. I am optimistic about the future development potential of Texas. Texas will surely become one of the richest states in the United States in the future.

Of course, I also know that investing in Texas requires certain risks. As the saying goes, wealth and honor are sought in danger. I am willing to take the risks."

As soon as Liang Yao finished speaking, warm applause rang out in the reception room.

"Mr. Liang, you are a man of good words and you have successfully convinced us. But we know very little about your railway company and don't understand it."

As he said, Bell turned his head to look at Vanderbilt, who had been silent all the time, and asked Vanderbilt.

"Mr. Vanderbilt, I heard that you are making great efforts to enter the railway industry in the United States. I think you must have conducted research on the major railway companies in the United States and have a good understanding of them."

The northern railway companies have built several railways in Texas, but the quality of the railways is hard to describe and accidents occur frequently.

Either a locomotive derails or kills Texans' livestock or even people every other day.

The people and authorities of Texas were once very opposed to building railways in Texas.

Some even believed that the roar of the locomotives would scare their livestock and even make them infertile.

Although this idea is absurd, there are many people who believe it. After all, the Americans in this period were not well educated.

And Texas is also a frontier area, and the people in the frontier areas are often more ignorant.

Everyone focused their attention on Vanderbilt, who replaced Liang Yao as the focus of the reception room.

Vanderbilt pondered for a while, then said: "In the railway transportation industry, Mr. Liang's railway company will be my biggest competitor in the United States, without a doubt. The railway technology he has mastered is at least one generation ahead of my railway company.

I hope that in Texas, my railway company can also obtain the same rights and interests as Mr. Liang's railway company."

"Of course, my old friend, Texas welcomes you and Mr. Liang."

Seeing that Vanderbilt gave Liang Yao such a high evaluation, Bell felt very relieved.

"It's just that many places in Texas, especially the areas around the city, are not unowned land. I want to build a railway, and the railway tracks will inevitably pass through these lands. I wonder how Mr. Liang plans to solve this problem?"

This time, the question was asked by another Texas senator, Espy. Not to mention other places, Espy has a lot of cotton fields and pastures in the suburbs of Houston alone. This matter concerns his vital interests, and he dare not be careless.