San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1891-02-16
AT THE COAST.
THE WORK THERE AND IN
PROSPECT.
Pan American Railway Deep
Water the Great Desideratum-
Col. Ropes Returns
From the East.

Col. E. H. Ropes, the moving spirit
of all improvements that cin'ter
round the name of Ropes Pass, ana
Corpus Christi and Pan American
railway is in the city enroute from
east, accompanied by his family
The Colonel paid his respects to the
LIGHT as usual, and in an interview
with its representative expressed
himself very confidently as to re-
suits.
To the enquiry. What was the
real object of your visit to the east
and how far was 1t successful? The
Colonel replied.
II had two fold object in view.
One special and the other general"
"My special work was to put
our Corpus Christi and Pan
American railway scheme on
q solid basis and prepare to push
that work as it could not be pushed
under the local arrangements which
originally provided for q road from
Corpus to Brownsville. In this work
I succeeded, and the Pan-American
Construction company is now organ
lied with q capital OF SIC, 900, 600 to
push work from Corpus Christi across
the border, through Mexico and the
Central American states of Guatama-
Ia, San Salvador and Honduras to
Panama. The construction company
Is composed of men of ability, keen
foresight and abundant capital. The
Mexican government Is particularly
friendly and all needed concessions
are now assured. To secure o milar
concessions from the Central Ameri-
can governments l will visit those
countries i'm person next month. Ar
ranyem ents for bonding the road be-
yond the border are still In the future,
but on this side the Rio Grande it
will be bonded for 5000 per mile.
The new construction company
takes the work OF building
entirely off the hands of the
Corpus Christi and South American
road. Our route lays through the
richest section of Mexico and will be
q road of immense value to the I'm ted
States in opening W a market for our
home manufactures. This work Is eli -
rirely in accord with the resolutions
passed by the Pan-American cohgre.
and endorsed by the president anu
his secretary of state"
Chow about Ropes Pass, colonel,
have you slowed down OH THAR"
"By no means. Deep water is with
us question of even more vital inn
portance than the railway. We have
been sadly disappointed In the pro-
gtess of this work, and solely on &C.
count of the failure of the drege which
we bought and paid cash for to ac-
complish the W Ork it was guaranteed
to DO. Had those guarantees been
met we would have been In the Gulf
months ago. Our work of cutting the
pass Is going ON as rapidly as Is
possible and under the arrangements
made while at the East for increased
dredge power, We will not long re-
main outside of the gulf. This delay
has caused me excessive annoyance
as it has led many to suppose that 1
did not mean what said last sum-
mer about being in the gulf within
ninety days"
"How about that general object of
your visit of which you speak ?"
THAT was concerning the work of
ESTABLISHING cotton mills in the State
Of Texas. This state raises one fifth
Of all the cotton raised in the country,
and manufactures none. She should
manufacture every pound she raises.
! took particular pains at the East TO
try and interest capital In the plant
ing of cotton mills all over Texas.
But 1 cannot go into that now, az /
must be off,
A grasp of the hand, hurried fare
we'll and the Colonel was off.