El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-03-30
LAREDO. TEX.
An Account Of the Settlement And
Progress Of This Gateway Tt
Mexico.

Special Correspond nce OF the HERALD.
LAREDO, Tex. March 26.-Sar
Augustine de Laredo was founded in
1857, under royal decree of the Span
ish crown, kings commissioners, by
Don Juan Fernando de Palacios,
knight of the order of Santiago and
commander of the same, brigadier
general in the royal armies OF his
majesty, and lieutenant captain geaer-
al of the colony of New Santander,
Sierro Gordo, its missions, garri5ons
and frontiers.
This noble gentleman with so many
titles honorsbly won and acquired, was
assisted In the work OF founding this,
now one OF the prominent gateUays to
the Mexican republic, by Don jose
Ossorio Llamss, secretary OF the
royal council.
The com missions of these two
grandees just named were signed by
no less a noble parsonage than his
exoellency, the marquis of Croix,
viceroy governor OF all this country,
at that time known as New Spain.
After the Mexican war, the newly
organized Republic of Texas became
a part of the United States, by annexa-
tion, 1t having already declared its in
dependence as such republic In the
year 1886. Laredo was incorporated as
The population of Laredo in 1890 was
l,1l9 souls and Jan. l, 1900, about
$4,000, showing an increase in ten
years of about 1000
The transportation facilities of
Laredo are: Q) the Int rnational &
Great Northern railway; ~ the Mex
lean National: (3) the Texas National !;
az the Rio Grande & Eagle Pass rail-
way.
TIE Ia.dI,r i,d,s>r;as of arado ara.
!. Mercantile, the Laredo merchants
having an extensive stretch of country
on both sides of the Rio Grsnde. and
extending far into the interior of Mex
leo, for their trade. The imports and
exports ofIme rchandise passing through
the Port of Laredo during tie year
ending June 30th, 1899, aggregated
more than twelve millions of dollars in
value.
2. Manufactures, the most important
of which Is that of the Mexican Ma
tionsl railway company, which manu-
features IN its shops at this place every
ing In the shape OF railway supplies
from coupling pin to passenger car
or locomotive, and gives constant en-
ploy to more than four hundred
employees.
Another important manufacture is
that of brick, which employs several
hundred men, and supplies not only
the local dem and but there is shipped
from Laredo many millions from this
manufacture annually. There is also
q wagon, carriage and buggy manu-
factory: two or three cigar manufsc-
tories, on small scale: q hat manu-
factory: vermicelli mandatory, and
several small enterprises in other
lines. There is also an electric light
and power plant, which operates four
miles of street railway, and supplies
the 1.-TWO Laredos,' LAREDO, Texas,
and Nuevo Laredo. Mexico,) with
light.
The openings for new lines
of business, are. among others,
a steam laundry, -four mill, cigar
mandatory, on large scale, cotton
mandatory, wooden manufactOry,
vitrihed brick and drain pipe manufac-
tory, srtesian well.
The special advantages which should
commend Laredo to intending settlers
and investors, are:
/. The climate makes Laredo es-
pectally desirable as winter resort
for persons suffering with throat or
lung trou bles.
2. An abundant supply of steady
lsborers, both male and female, to-
gether with its healthy climate, an
abundance of cheap fuel, should COM
mend it to persons desiring to engage
in any OF the industries above men
toned.
3 The mining Interests consist at
present of the 'Sauto Tomas" and
"Cannel Coal" mines, located a few
miles from the city, the output of