It was a dark day for Fort Worth. The news fell upon this city like a thunder bolt from a clear sky. From the highest point of expectancy the people descended into the lowest depths of despondency. When the work of the road had reached a point west of its eastern terminal this side of Marshall, Fort Worth commenced to grow. People came to the city from all points, but more numerously from Kansas and Missouri. But they came from everywhere and bought property, built houses and engaged in business. From the fall of 1872 to that of 1873, Fort Worth grew from a little hamlet of a few hundred into a bustling city of three or four thousand. Rents were fabulous and business in all lines was active. Fortunes were made in real estate and corner lots would double in value in a night. But the first day of September, the day of the suspension of Jay Cooke & Co. told another story. Values declined with as much rapidity as they had grown up. People who had invested their money and paid a part in cash and gave their notes for the remainder; who had commenced the erection of houses that they were never to see finished; who had ordered and in many instances received stocks of goods for which there was no market saw bankruptcy staring them in the face. Professional men from all over the country had left comfortable homes and good business to come here and begin their fortunes anew, faced inevitable ruin. The population dwindled as rapidly as it had grown. Stores and dwellings were vacated by the score. Business was at a standstill and gloom and despondency was everywhere visible. The road to the eastward was filled with people who were leaving the town in as large numbers as a few days previous they had sought it. Meanwhile the road to which so many looked with expectancy and hope was nearing Dallas. It was completed to about Forney, east of Dallas, and the work was continued until the road reached Eagle Ford, six miles west of Dallas, when it was discontinued and the forces disbanded. Eagle Ford which had sprung into a town of more than a thousand was as quickly depopulated—the people for the most part moving back to Dallas. It was the opportunity for that city. Had the panic broken thirty days later so that it would have been practicable to have completed the road to Fort Worth before suspending operations, Dallas would have been a good county seat town instead of a thriving city and Fort Worth would today have been a city of a quarter of a million population.