The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-07
20 PER CENT A YEAR
The Rapid Growth of Ell Paso, Tex.
as, the Most FIourishing City of
the esOuthwest--Effect OF Irrigation
on New Mexico valIeys--FOur or
More Crops of Hav in Year..E.
r. n N. II. II. II. Progressing One
and One Half Miles Day.

Ell Paso, Texas, Feb. 26.--The pub
fishers of the new directory for this
city have just sent out advance sheets
of their PREDATORY notice in which they
say
"Wondrous changes have taken place
since our first work. on every side we
| found evidences of thrift and substan-
| tial improvement. Beautiful new resi-
| denceS, handsome business blocks and
| improved conditions met our gaze on
| every side, and today we can honestly
say that Ell Paso possesses more of the
| elements of progress than any other
| city in the State of Texas. We know
whereof we speak, for we have been
around during the past two years and
our mingling with the people gives us
| opportunities in this direction that are
! denied others.
"As is our custom in all cities where
| we publish directories we have taken
an accurate, painstaking census of FL
Paso 1t is gratifying to announce that
| her population today is 1887 against
| 15,46O in 1S96-a clear gain of 1859. No
| other city in Texas can show such a
| record, in proportion to it's population.
Far removed from the cotton belt,
| El Paso has not felt and will not feel
| the depression that exists in that re-
| gion, and this of itself should be a
| source of congratulation. On the other
| hand the mineral country tributary to
| Ell Paso is only being opened up, and
| from our point of view the advantage
to Ell Paso from this source alone is
beyond computation. With the rail-
roads now under construction as feed
ers, we would not be surprised on our
coming, two years hence, to be able to
announce a population of twenty-five
thousand people.
| I'VE would emphasize today the
| statement we made two years ago, that
| what ST. Paul and Minneapolis are to
| the Northwest and Denver is to the
| West Ell Paso is destined to be to the
| Southwest. Its matchless location al
| the great pass of the north, through
which commerce has passed for cen
turies, will ever give her supremacy
She is the natural and logical center
| through which the vast trade between
| Old Mexico and the vast North and
Middle West must pass. She will al
ways be the great railway center, with
no rival in sight. With no competing
city nearer than Dallas, more than SOC
miles away. Denver or Pueblo 700 miles
| Los Angeles SUO miles distant, Wha1
must her future be?
Irrigation will make the valley oi
the Rio Grande blossom as the rose
This is not only feasible, but the day is
not far distant when that important
element, agriculture, will he added tC
the many blessings which this city now
enjoys"
No one who is familiar with condi
tions hereabouts will dispute the jus
tice of these deductions. We of e
Paso feel that nowhere in the South
west is there so. much activity or 81
much promise of permanent growth a!
right here at the principal northern
gateway of Old Mexico. Since worl
was begun on the FL Paso & North
eastern Railroad everything seems t,
have conspired to make that projec
more attractive and now the feeling il
universal among those well posted a!
to the physical resources of New Mex
leo that not only this road but the en-
tire proposition of the New Mexic,
Railway & Coal Co. will prove ever
more attractive than their promoter
have at any time alleged.
Word comes today from the Jarilla
that the copper developments there ar