Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-05-04
LAREDO's PROSPECTS.
What that City is Doing and What She
Means to Do in the Future.
Boom Setting In and Bull ding of All Kinds
Going on ExtensiveIy-The Country Trib-
utary the Finest in the state.

William Oliver. assistant secretary of
the Laredo board of trade, is in town and
stopping at the Pickwick. Last night a
GAZETTE man ran across him and asked
him few questions about the place.
It's going to be great center of ex-
ports and imports, he said, aud every
thing q on che. boom there. The town is
hustler.
But how much population is there to
hustle, was asked.
There has been rapid growth, Mr..
Oliver replied. In 1888 the population
was under 5000; 1t doubled in 1889 and
now there are estimated to be Is ZOO
and over. And to show you that
they are hustlers, let me tell you what is
being done just now IN the way of i'm
provemenrs IN the town itself. A large
wooden mill is beng put up, along with
securing mill and a knitting factory.
There is large foundry and
machine shops in process of
construction as well as a tannery
are going up by the dozen, and an i'm
mense electric plant IS being put in. You
know we are now connected with Neuva
inRStreet railways in the state. There is
a largs Masonic hall just being built at
cost ofR3o, 900.
''WeI, that'l do for city of 13, 900,
but what's going to support it when you
get it buifE"
Suppof6lt2 why, tell you, we've
got the finess agrieuItural country tribu-
tary to LAREDO that there is in the South
west. When BeaIne up saw better corn
growing there tkAn I've seen anywhere
in the state aud that's saying
good deals 1--WE can grow two
crops yeak there without
irrigation. Alifofaia IS capitalists are
becoming iaferested in the property
around thee, and say that the soil and
climate e3Seeds that 6 California for
fruit growing Purposes. %Qnly last week
knew o1B600 acres of raw land that
was put sHnder cultivation Here is q
country ling tributary to Latedo that is
larger tim the combined states of Ohio
and IllinSE. -
But how are your railroad facilities,
was asked.
All right! We have four good lines
now, and a new one is going TO be built to
Brownsville which will pass through the
center of the richest part. The Texas
and Mexican will be widened to broad
guage within the next ninety days. Ten
heavy engines and an en-
tire outfit of rolling stock
has been ordered. Concessions are being
obtained by Capt. Thomas G. Walker of
London, Eng, from the Mexican gov
ernment, for the construction of q road
from Laredo to Mazatlin, on the Pacific
coast. This will be the shortest route
to Australia from England and the
United States. and traffic that now goes
to San Francisco will be diverted through
Laredo. Even now it imports and ex-
ports more than all other frontier
cities combined They amount
ed to $1,000 200 during the
first three months + 1890; $40, 500 200
last year, while tn year before they
only amounted to So 900 900.
Capitalists are investing heavily now
in all kinds of property, both for bust
ness and residence, but as vet prices are
low. A boom is setting in, however, and
people who buy now Will make good
deal of profit. Laredo is the coming city
down there.