The daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1892-1897, 1897-05-03


southern county of Texas. It is
separated from Mexico by the Rio
Grande on the south and has about
100 miles of gulf coast as its east
ern boundary. 1t was organized in
1913, and contains 1908 square
miles. Farming and stock raising
arc the principal industries of the
people the location, climate and soil
being admirably adapted for both.
The greater portion of the soil is a
rich loan, and produces an exceed
ingly heavy yield Of both cotton
and corn the chief farm products.
Two, and sometimes three crops of
corn, averaging from fiftv to seven-
ty bushels per acre, are raised year
Iy, while cotton will easily yield
from one to two bales per acres.
Grasses grow all the year, and stock
find pasturae without being fed or
sheltered during the winter. But
the soil and climate OF the Lower
Rio Grande Val ey are by nature
best adapted for the production of
vegetables and fruits. Vegetables
of all kinds grow all the year
around, and northern people are as
tonished to lind tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, English peas, etc, served
fresh from the gardens iii midwIn-
ter. This is undoubtedly the par
adise of track gardeners, and SO
soon as rail transportation IS Oh
tanned Cameron county vegetables
by the car load viii be shipped to
northern markets during winter and
early spring. and will obtain the
highest prices, as there will be no
ompetitien. This IS due to our
ceedingly mild climate. Free
qdently the entire winter passes
without single frost, and there is
rarely ever any cold weather before
Christmas. Fruit culture has not
been attempted in this county on a
large scale, bat there IS one large
banana plantation on which this
delicious fruit yields most abund-
antly and in the greatest perfection.
Grapes are also raised extensively.
growing IN almost every yard. fihey
ripen from two to four weeks ear
lier than in any other section.
Many planterssSere make all of
their own table wines. Oranges
aud lemons also grow in profusion,
and this section conld easily be
made to rival Florida in the pro-
duction of oranges. Sugar cane is
also one Of the most important pro-
pucts Of this valley. The Rio
Grande plantation of Mr.. Geo. Bru-
Law and The Rabb Starek plantation
produce great Quantities of cane,
which is all manufactured on the
Rio Grande plantation This cane
makes sugar which is pronOuneedby
experts to be even superior to the
best Louisiana product. Havana
tobacco has also proven a success
here, Col. j G. Tucker having
made some most successful expert
ments with it; his samples were
classed BY New York buyers as
equal to the best Havana.
The county is watered by the Rio
Grande with It's ample flow along
tie southern boundary, and nam
erouS small streams ca led arroyo"
and 'reSacas.
The population; of Cameron conn
ty according to the census of 1890
is 1924. Brownsville, the county
seat, has population of about
1000, Point Isabel; the seaport of
the county. has about 400 inhabi-
tants and Santa Maria, growing
little river settlement, has about250
Improved lands sell for from So
to S25 per acre. unimproved for
from g to SIS per acre. The aver
age taxable value of land is 81.
There are S2.240 acres of school
land in slie COUNTY. The county
hasa total school population of
400, and gives employment to so
teachers The average length of
the schonl term is live moaths. The
total tuition revenue received from
the State is Sf3 600. There are
number of pnhlic schools Ia the
county, affordihg ample educational
vantageS:
Homeseekers are gradually be-
ginning t6 end their way to this
land where farmers can work in the
open air 365 days in the year. but
it is comparatively undevelopeJ as
vet. With the building of the
railroad to Corpus Christi. however,