San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-06-30
LETTER FROM DEL RIO.
VAL VERDE County. Texas,
June 2Sth. 1886.

county seat OF Val Verde county, your
correspondent on this occasion deems II
advisable TO make further mention OF
this section of the country, in order that
the same might come under the notice
OF capitalists and others who are at the
present time seeking opportunities to
present themselves wherein they may
invest with safety.
Ii is a fact which cannot be disputed
that II great field lies open here for men
Of means and energy to invest in various
enterprises either In mining, stock or
agricultural pursuits, and in order that
your readers may fully understand bet
ter what those inducements are, Ii will
become necessary for me to give, as far
as my brief time will permit, short de-
scription Of Del Rio and its surround
ings.
Del Rio, formerly known as San
Felipe, 10 situated on fhe Southern Pa
CitiC railway, about 10 miles west from
San Antonio, 40 miles from Bracket, or
Fort Clark, in Kinney county, and two
miles from the Rio Grande, which Is at
present the boundary line between Mex
leo and the United States, but q great
many are under the impression out here
that this boundary line will In time be
changed to more natural one, viZ-the
chain of mountains which lies at some
distance from the great river, and which
can readily be seen by looking at the
geographical position Of both countries
on the maps Of the Two Republics.
But the fact Of establishing this new
boundary line, would have a terrible eff
| feet on the stock stealing industry
which has been carried on SO SUCCESS
| fully for years, and we have no doubt
| that not q few Oh both sides would be
very much opposed TO it and would use
all the influence in their power to defeat
such a measure, as thereby they would
be compelled to degrade themselves by
working for living.
Our present governor Is accused of
saying not long ago in an article in one
OF the magazines on Texas, that our
state would soon become so thickly
populated that the people would elbow
each other into the sea, but it seems to
be the impression that the elbowing
business will be somewhere in the
neighborhoOd of the Rio.Grando, instead
of going all the way down to the gulf.
1t Is to be hoped that no wrong con-
struction will be placed on this sugges-
ton, as the writer does not think that
this new addition Of territory will be
acquired by force, but is presumed that
the same will take place sooner or later
by purchase or other fair means, and
which will prove satisfactory to both
sides.
But as this is an international ques-
ton, we will return to Del Rio, or, as
the citizens call it 1.-THE future great city
which contains at present $500 people.
has eight stores OF general merchandise,
three grocery stores, one furniture store,
two drug stores, two butcher shops, the
principal one being that OIL. +. Garner,
which does the principal town business,
while the other furnishes the post,
which contains one company of cavalry,
under command of Captain J. +. Ran
dalet there are also three doctors, four
lawyers, two blacksmith shops, two real
estate offices, three hotels, the principal
ore being the Hotel Val Verde, which is
situated one block from the depot of the
Southern Pacific railway, on an eleva-
ton overlooking the town and surround
ing country for miles, and which is gain
ing quite Rotoriety as a summer and
health resort, under the sole manage
ment of Mrs. +. V. Close, a lady who
has made 1t a study to please all those
who may come under her hospitable
roof, and your correspondent conversed
with several invalids from the north and
different places, and they all expressed
themselves as well pleased with the
choice they made In coming to this hotel
and section of the country, because its
high altitude above the level of the sea,
the atmosphere being dry and invig-
Grating and free from dews, fogs and
malaria.
Referring to the subject Of what
chances there are here for capital, it will
be necessary to state that right here a
magnificent opportunity is offered for
some company to come and erect a
| smelling works, as the surrounding
| country Is vastly rich In minerals, sam
pies Of which are brought in daily, and
the same can be seen at the Office of Mr..
4. M. Phelps, who is the collector of GUS
toms for this port and the principal
stores in town.
There is also another great field open
for more capital. and one which would
pay immensely, and that Is the forma-
ton of an irrigation company to utilize
the water from the DEVILS river which
| is situated from Del Rio IL miles, and has
great fall Of rapids from the head to
the mouth.
There is strip Of country that Is at
least II miles wide at the west end of
said track, the length of which is 20
miles, and the east end is about 40 miles
wide, where there are thousands of
acres of the very best lands for vine
yards, orchards, gardens and farming
purposes that can now be bought at a
mere nothing, but IL irrigated would
readily sell from ten to fifty dollars per
| acre.
This tract lays east of Del Rio and runs
to Bracket and to Eagle Pass, the rail-
road running through the entire length
of said lands.
There are other water privileges that
cannot be surpassed in any part of
Texas, viz-the San Felipe creek, which
Is one Of the finest water privileges in
the world, as there Is fall enough IN the
creek to have q water power every 800
yards for heavy machinery from the
head to the mouth Of said creek. The
finest lands for farming. gardening and
other purposes, as there can be two
crops raised on the same ground in the
same season where it Is irrigable, and at
the head Of said creek is some of the fin
est springs ever seen in any country.
A ditch from DEVILS river and San
Felipe creek, will irrigate this whole
range OF territory that Is now almost
worthless at present, and all that is
wanted is company Of q little capital
and enterprise to make one Of the best
enterprises in the State OF Texas, or in
the world to the amount Of capital in
vested.
There is published in this thriving
| town newspaper which has q very d.
minutive cognemen, namely 1.-The Dot"
which Is large weekly devoted to the
interests Of the county at large, which is
editedby two very estlmable young ladies
] possessing rare scholarly attainments.
who are credit and an ornament to the
community in which they have cast