Lindsey Graham

Well, it's certainly impressive to see you all bounce back so quickly.

When I was in Houston last week, the local business league made it seem like Galveston was doomed.

Well, they underestimate us.

Galveston is just as sound an investment as it ever was.

Hodges scratches his beard and shifts his way from one foot to the other.

Still, I wonder if I might be better off investing in Houston.

I won't lie to you.

I like the idea of placing my money further inland, closer to the major railroads.

Well, that's understandable, but Houston doesn't have a deepwater harbor.

Here, the Gulf is on our doorstep.

Houston's a full 50 miles from the shipping channels.

Its sole connection to the sea is a narrow, muddy bayou.

Shipping your goods there will add extra cost to your business.

Yes, that may be true now, but there's talk in Houston of dredging the bayou.

They're planning to carve out their own deepwater channel.

Oh, that's a fantasy and an expensive one at that.

I assure you, nothing is going to change the fact that Galveston is home to the premier deepwater port in Texas.

Yes, but your coastal setting is still precarious, isn't it?

Even if you manage to rebuild the city and recover your population, the ground we stand on is still barely above water.

What happens if, God forbid, another hurricane comes and wipes out Galveston for good?