The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05
OUR UNDEyELOPED RESOURCES
A GREAT PORTION OF TEXAS Is
PRACTICALLY UNEMPLOYED.
Interesting Address Delivered NJ
Fort Worth by Prof. III. i. Att
water of San Antonio.

fore the Texas real estate convention d.
Fort Worth by Prof. II. P. AttWa'er Oh
San Antonio. Texas;
A great portion OF the state Of Texas is
today unexplored. so far as the natui a.
products and resources are coneerne''
West of San Antonio, extending south "
the mouth OF the Rio Grande and nortn 70
I'll Paso. is vast stretch of country Dig
enough to form two or three good sized
States. East OF Brownsville the southern
winds bring rain clouds from the gulf, but
west of the ninety ninth meridian they are
more or less depleted of their moisture De-
fore leaving the hot lands OF Eastern Mex"
leo. Consequently lie rainfall throughout
great portion Of this region Is always uh-
certain The great washing rainiioods,
which frequently sweep over this territory
do not always come at the needed time Ior
the farmers crops, and while TINS dlsau-
vantage will eventually be overcome IN
many parts of this particular portion OF
the state by the inauguration OF Immense
irrigation systems. water storages ana ar
tesian wells. the territory in question is AT
present chiefly occupied by stockmeh. IL
embraces some of the lurgest cattle anu
sheep ranches in the world contains a
| score of counties untouched by railroads,
and abounds In valuable natural resources.
which viii no doubt some day attract at
tention and prove Of great value In coll
nection With commercial and industrial en-
| terprises
The plants and vegetable products NJ
this particular region. known to have use
full properties or TO be OF value 10 COM
merce or industries are Of special import
ance. Resides the trees of medium or
larger size, which are used in construction
and for fuel, fencing, posts etc, the coun-
try supports a growth of smaller trees OF
many varieties, with a hard. rich colored.
close grained wood. suitable for cabinet
making furniture, etc, Some of them fur
nish edible fruit, nuts, etc. Many of them
produce valuable gums and dyes while
others yield sap and costly oils aud per
fumes. There are fax plants, hemp plants,
tannin plants, paper plants soap plans,
pepper and spice plants, tea and coffee
plants and an endless variety of medicinal
plants and those which contain antidotes
against poison and the bites of poisonous
animals. Then there are numerous orna-
mental and hedge shrubs, also pasture and
hay grasses and forage plants Some OF
the commonest weeds which grow wild on
thousands of acres produce valuable coul-
mercial fbres.
This great country is the natural home
honey in the canyon caves and hollow
trees. Every month and every rain pro-
duces fresh crop OF bloom. Some nf
the rare plants and flowers TO be seen in
the Northern lighthouses and European
conservatories grow wild in profuson, and
during some months OF the year paint the
landscape red, white and blue, before being
trampled under foot by cattle and horses.
The silkworm thrives and the climate and
conditions are exactly suited to the silk
industry.
Besides the vegetable products the unde-
veloped resources OF this region include
much other raw material of more or less
value and Importance. In the upper Rio
Grande region rich silver mines are now
being worked and gold has been recently
discovered in paying quantities. Other
valuable minerals are known TO exist 10
which az yet very little attention has
been given. In some localities coal oc-
ours. IneXhaustible supplies of the finest
white flint sand are found for the manu-
facture Of glass, aud great deposits of
kaolln have been found for making china
and crockery ware There are beds of
clay miles Ions by miles wide. suitable for
brick, sewer pipe and earthenware; sand
stone, limestone and rock which furnishes
ithe best cemcnts and plaster Of paris 10
! unlimited quantities. Then there is rock
salt and aEphaltum. and along the coast
miles Of mari and phosphate beds awaiting
development In the interior gypsum mica
and ochre are found in many places aud
! valuable mineral paints have been dlscov-
| cred at many points where wells have
been dug or bored
sulphur and other flowing wells Of min
eral water arc constantly being obtained,
and in one Of the Rio Grapde counties ar
tesian water comes so near the surface
that flowing wells have been started by
simply driving gas pipe into the ground.
Much other useful and valuable raw ma
terial could be mentioned which exists
| throughout the territory referred to and
intelligent investigations would doubtless
result in new discoveries,
We are undoubtedly letting millions OF
dollars worth of valuable raw material go
to waste every year Take for example
the ibres II we had the mills to work
them up we could supply the whole world
with paper, rope twihe. carpets, mating,
buraps sacks and bagging IL
In regard to this waste OF raw material
II will not be out OF place here TO call
attention to a somewhat similar case in
| q neighboring State. | refer to the zinc
mining industry in Missouri. For years
zinc ore was taken out of the mines Ia
the Joplin district in connection with
lead ore and thrown on the dump pile as
worthless. The miners did not know what
|
has taken hold OF 1t. and it is now devel-
opng into one of the greatest mining in
dustres in the d-praetically all the
zinc ore in the United States is mined in
| southwest Missouri, and the zinc ore which
! The early miners cursed as a nuisance now
/ brings TO Joplin more than million dol
lars month, and the output is steadily
| increasing.
| In regard 90 the raw material to which
have called attention, in the vast region
referred to, It requires but the touch on
the capitalist, combined with energy and
enterprise to start the wheels in motion in
a thousand mills and factories and the
day will come when the smoke will rise
| from thousand chimneys and mingle with
the clouds which float over millions a,
acres, where now the buzzard sereneIv
scars. where the cowboy rides, and where
the coyote sneaks through the brush. nm
disturbed by the shrill whistle of The
factory aud locomotive.
During The last few years il annsars ~.
az last some OF our Southern States bsw.
Deen getting move on themselvas :,
BESIDES the mills and factories which s,a
starting up all over the South. there az
other signs OF progress South Csro,ins
Is now raising tea successfully. NE oaa
40 the same In Texas. Marble ana go
ne from Georgia ann Tennessee r.
laiely been used for many OF tho me-,
magnificent buildings In Northern c,tias
Z nh