The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-06-15
THE COLUMBIA TAP
viii Probably Be Extended from
Columbia TO Bay City.
1T MAY GO TO MEXICO CITY.
Mr.. Gould Figuring on a Mexican Line
Down the Texas Coast.
HOUSTON WILL BE GREATLY BENEFITED
BY the Extension Of the Short Line into
the Sugar Bowl and the Great
Rice Country.

General Manager Leroy Trlce will recon-
| mend to President George Gould that tha
Columbia Tap branch of the international
/ ana Great Northern be extended from,
Columbia to Bay City, Matagorda county.
ror many years have the people of that
| section OF the State been asking that the ox
| tension be built, but ii is only now that thn
matter has been reached. 1t is we'll known
that Mr.. Tr'ce commands the greatest con.
! hdence Of Mr.. Gould, so the probabilities
are that the road will be built in the near
future, and 1t will be the finest thing tbo,
could happen for Houston, for 1t will omen
and develop country richer than the val
ley of the Nile, and will make it IN large
part tributary to Houston The famous
Sugar Bowl Of Texas will be given an on
portun'ty for development and the greatest
rice-growing country in the world will be In
direct communication with us
All the country needs is TRANSPORTATION
facilities, and when The Texas Road" IS
sent through it it will have an opportunity
to show what it can do There Is small
doubt that it will come up to expectations
~
That is not all, for 1t Is learned from
source other than the Texas officers that
thtAN - q pOSoibllity ludl lut NtluUDld
Tap will be developed into trunk line
extending from Houston to Mexico city
Mr.. Gould is said to have had in mind TOR
some time past the building Of road
through Mexico to the capital, Mexico City.
The extension Of the Columbia Tap may
be the beginning of that line The most
probable route is road running down the
| Texas coast to Brownsville, down the Mex
team coast to Tampico, thence across to tha
city. Such a route would shorten the dis
through Mexico to the capital Mexico City.
200 miles or more, and would give the
shortest route from the East to the capital
of the sister republic. However, as stated
above, this road is still matter for future
consideration.
! In his trip over the country through which
the Columbia Tap is to be extended NJ.
Trce was accompanied by Mrs. Trice and
Mr.. Horace Booth, both Of whom were as
greatly impressed with the country as he
was. They saw corn that can not be beaten
IN Kansas; cotton surprising that raised In
the delta OF the Mississippi and rice in all
stages Of growth They saw thousands OF
acres which now lie idle that will in few
years support many thousands OF people
NHtu an lue LOICtS now "bIhllS 10 lAG
develor ment of the country have borne
fruit. They agreed that there was nothing
TO surpass the country in its virgin rich
ness and they came back enthused with the
pictures of the future they drew.
Bay city people saw TO it that all the
advantages and possibilities Of the country
were shown One point that was lnpres
sive was the manner in which things work
out for the best. At the mouth OF the
Colorado river a great raft has formed aud
for many years there has been a demand
that it be removed. Congress and the
State government have been appealed 10
to aid the people In removing the obstruc
ton to navigation, though the navigation
was problematical. But now they would
put in a safe place the man who suggests
the removal OF the raft. 1t forms Il nat
ural dam which keeps out salt water and
backs up the fresh water. enabling the II
rlgation companies to obtain . plentiful
supply of water with comparatively slight
lift, whereas If the raft were not there the
| lift would be much greater and the cost u
the rice farmers would be heavier.
~
While 1t may not be positively stated
that the extension is assured, there Is small
| likelihood of the recommendation being
turned down Nj. Trice was not ready In
say which route he would indorse, but 1t -
certain that the road will take in Brazoril
If it Is built. The State sugar farm lies
near that town and the road will make a
| connection with the short line the State Is
building. Thence the road can be built N
an air line to Bay City, the country offer
/ ing few obstacles and those being easily
| overcome.
| with the International, Bay city viii
! have three roads, for the Cane Belt has al
/ ready been built in and the Capey valley
| otherwise the Southern Pacihc) is moving
I across the prairie from Van Week very rap
! idly. A few months ago Bay City was cry
/ ing for railroad and telling what 1t could
/ do If 1t had one. Il has proved its asser'
/ tions, for the town is rapidly building mp
| as told from time to time in the news col
umns Of The Post.
+ ~
! Mr. Trice has not yet determined as 10
whether the Beaumont-orange road WIZ
run from Spring or from Houston, He wili
NOT be ready to announce for some days the
| ro,,+ which he considers the better. WORK