Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-01

Wichita Valley; ;........'..''..''''''' 30 20
Rio Grande Railroad ...'..''.''.''''''-''' a46
Atlantic and Birmingham. .-.....-..-.''.'' SAY
Gulf and Interstate Railroad. ...........s..s 10
Total, Observation-Disclosures. ~ 'o"o
To complete and round up the system
Mr. Yoakum has some comprehensive plans
and, within the next two or tnr rec years, eHo
poets to construct between 5000 and 4,Voo
miles of additional track, which Will make
the termini of the Rock Island-F'rfsco com
bination at st. Paul and Waterfowl 3. u
in the north, Ell Paso and Denver In the
west and New Orleans and Brownville,
Texas in the south. He proposes to build
along the west bank of the MISSISSIPPI river We.
from Memphis to New Orleans ana from %.
Louis to Burlington, which, with the ROCK
Island connections, will give through
tracks from St Paul to New orleans, 10
Brownville and Ell Paso. Texas. From
Brownvlle. the southernmost town In the
United States except Key West, at the
mouth of the Rio Grande, he Is building
along the gulf coast northward toward
Galveston; along the north bank OF the
Rio Grande to Laredo, and directly north-
ward to San Antonio and has planned a
line from, Brentwood, In the center of the
state to Eagle Pass, on the Rio Grande, to
connect with the Mexican roads
Mr.. Yoakum's Irrigation Scheme.
Numerous short lines are already under
construction, which will be the nucleus OF
this system, and in connection with IL MI
Yoakum has a big irrigation scheme by
which he proposes to bring under cultiva-
ton the narrow tongue of land between the
Gulf of Mexico and the Rio Grande south
of the Nueces river, which the Mexlcahs
used to claim was the boundary between
the two countries. To determine that ques-
ton the war of 1867 was fought. This is
a mi-tropical region capable OF producing
immense crops OF . GotIor' rri sugar f'o'
The American Rio Grande Irrigation
Company, of which Mr.. Yoakum is presi-
dent. has tract OF 10000 acres OF land
along the north bank of the Rio Grande
and il now putting in a 1900 horsepower
plant to pump water from the river for IT.
rfgation purposes. He proposes to nave
four such plants upon the tract and they
will be constructed as rapidly as they are
After the Mexican war this strip of ter
ritory, extending about 100 miles from the
tin end of Texas northward along the gulf
coast and about an equal distance along
the Rio Grande was organized into two
counties called Hidaigo and Cameron.
Fully two-thirds Of the area is composed
of what is known as bottom land allu-
vial soil deposited by the overflow of the
river for countless ages. 1t Is as deep as
fine soil of the Yazoo valley and as rich as
that of the Nile. The river Is below the
frost line, and the climate is said TO be
healthy. The average rainfall is about
twenty-five inches per annum, but 1t Is SO
uncertain that 1t cannot be depended upon
for crops, and hence irrigation is necessary.
The LANDS along the river Will NC Suppiiou
with water from that source, and in the
uplands artesian wells will be drilled
wherever they are needed.
Vast Underlying Artesian Basin.
The discovery that water might be OBJ
tanned anywhere In this section OF Texas
was supremely important to the welfare
of the people. This part of the state has
a vast arteslan basin underlying the SOIL
In 1901 there was very severe drought
and the cattle died by thousands. In their
desperation the ranchmen. last resort,
attempted to dig wells, and. to their great
surprise Mr.. Kleberg, manager of the great
King ranch. found pure, cold water within
Foo feet of the surface. 1t bursts out like
fountains and there is limit to the sup
ply. On the King ranch alone are now
ninety-seven artesian wells ranging in
depth from 3T5 to 1,178 feet flowing from
go to / 100 gallons of water a minute.
Not only were the cattle saved by this
remarkable discovery. but 1t has made the
ranges immensely valuable for agricultural
than 70 or so cents an acre Is now selling
for So.
These were the conditions when Mr. Yoa-
hum came into the country with his plan
for a railroad running north from Browns
Vile, and Mrs. King and Mr. Kennedy, who
Cwn two of the largest tracts of land in
Eexas, subscribed to large blocks OF stock
in the road, but each gave 1900 acres of
land for town sites and farming settle
rGents within the limits of their ranches.
Several towns have sprung up and are be-
ing settled with Industrious and prosperous
truck farmers. each with his arteslan we'll
! nd a tank or reservoir for irrigation pur-
Toses. Spanish onions and are the
staple crops, and they propose to alternate
them. although they have not settled down