The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-05-10
F. S. White Tells of a Trip
Through the Southwest
BUILDING NEW RAILROADS
Some of the Ranches Cover More Than
Million Acres-All Travel
10 BY Stage
coaon.
BY FULTON g, WHITE,

Iexasi yet this would give to them no
idea of what the country is like or how
far apart, or what lies between these
towns. propose to give our readers a
few pointers on the country between Cor
pus and Brownsville.
But want to say In the beginning that
am not writing this to boom Texas or
to advertise this section, for I am only
here to make a study Of Soils agricul-
tural and hort .ural conditions, and to
write Of Their. the same as 1 do Of Ala
bama, Mississippi or of Illinois, or any or
all of the states through which our lines
run. and where 1t is to our best inter-
ests to acquaint ourselves with all these
general conditions, for we cannot treat
these subjects intelligently unless we ac-
quaint ourselves with all the existing con-
ditions
But before starting out on this section
l will go back a little and start from
home. l left Birmingham on Sunday,
April "a, stopped over night at Aberdeen,
Miss, spent the next day, Monday, at
Starkville. description of which is given
elsewhere; left Starkvile Monday night
for New Orleans. reaching there early
Tuesday morning, where | made close
connections with the Southern Pacific for
the west.
Met Tourist Party.
| At New Orleans | met with an agree
| able surprise A tourist party in a private
car going to San Francisco and other
western points was made up of Birming-
! ham and Atlanta people, with few scat
| tering from other points So soon as they
10. a l,o I iptrf faH MT n
| their private car, where I was most pleas
antly and Hospitality entertained.
| The day was lovely one, and the crowd
! all merry and we had a most pleasant
trip The good ladies of the party served
refreshments at intervals, such as straw
berries and cream, ice cream ana cake
oranges and other fruits.
We had a good rain all the way over
from Mississippi and the air was cool and
refreshing. We greatly enjoyed the seem
| cry, especially the great rice and cane
| fields of louisiana. and this was new to
most of our party. AS the sun was setting
/ in the west and when the shades of night
began to thicken, we came to and crossed
the Sabine river and were In Texas
We passed through the great oil fields
and the wonderful city of Beaumont,
which has sprung up like mushroom In
the night But amid all our enjoyment
we were brought to realize that all earth
ly pleasures have an ending, and l had
to get off at Houston and leave these peo-
| pie to journey on to the farther west.
| But I am sure none of us will ever forget
| the day. In the morning early / was out
and off for Corpus Cristi, passing over
beautiful farming country, including
the great rich Brazos river bottoms.
| reached Corpus Cristi at night, and on
reaching here met gentleman who said
|
train out for Brownsville, and that the
| train would go out on new line to the
front and from the end Of the line we
could have stage meet us, and that he
would wire Brownsville and have the
stage come out.
Accepted the Invitation.
So accepted the kind invitation to go.
We got up early Thursday morning last
| and had to go out sixteen miles to
reach this end, and of this new line this
"trip we could make by taking another
line. l expected of course that there
! would be a passenger coach attached to
this train. or at least freight caboose,
out when we got out there the conduc-
/ tor pointed out a fiat car with board
shaped something like a chicken coop,
nailed up to furnish shade and shelter.
Well. would not back down and leave
my host, SO I went aboard.
The conductor came In and said: "Y on
! fellows had better take along blankets
and lunch. for there Is no telling when
we will get to the front" Well | had
neither, and no chance to secure either.
| | saw at once that our car was coach,
diner and sleeper, so / thought | had
better secure my lower berth for the
night and In looking over the lowers the
only one | saw unoccupied was a cracker
i Ill. I my a. ~
for a reserve of my right. We started
| out about in the morning and were UNI
! til $3.50 next morning getting to the front.
| 165 miles, where we were met by the
| stage, which we boarded, and started for
| Brownsville at once. We made good time
and reached Brownsville, about thirty
five miles, in a few hours. did not sleep
any during the trip, and eat but little,
SO I was pretty well done for when we
! got through. The country from Corpus
| Cristi to Brownsville is one vast en-
pire Of ,undeveloped wealth. the soil as
! rich as the Nile.
Was Great Revelation.
| Although had seen much of Texas be-
| fore, yet this my first trip into this great
| southwestern part of the state was a
| great revelation to me. No one can ever
| conceive of the vastness of this section
| until they come out and see it. Those
| of us who grew up In the small narrow
| valleys Of the east are entirely too small
| and narrow in our makeup to ever con-
| ceiye of the greatness of this section I'M
III we come and see for ourselves Why
as much as / travel. had not dreamed
of such a thing as man being able to
travel anywhere In the United States
! over 125 miles of country where there
was not single farm or farmhouse to
he seen and where a furrow has never
vet been turned except for railroad work
Yet THE is what I have been able TO do
/ In the last few days
/ II Ia about 200 miles from Corpus
| 10 brownsville, the way we mad to 60.
/ and II is all a great dreary stretch. not
settlement for 100 miles until we get down
| to the Rio Grande. where We begin to
| find Mexican ranches. In coming down
we passed through two ranches of over
/ I mr., 600 acres zach. Why, just think of
one man owning 100000 acres Of land as
rich as the great Mississippi delta. The
! King ranch Is said to contain 1900, o0o
acres. while Mrs. Kennedy owns 1,100, 900
acres / saw thousands or fat cattle on
! these ranches. as well as all through the
country. These big ranches and the want
Of transportation has Kept this country
from being developed, But now railroads
ars heinr built and great changes are
taking place.
Examination OF Coll.
made a careful examination of the
al, n this section and found soil TWEEN
~ feet deep. Sail building has been GO
10 ~ hare undisturbed fer ages until
ne 7nS this great accumulation and won
Ssrf,i depth and this soil will last under