The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-10-13
Important Part the Railroad sys-
TENS Have Played in the Rapid
Development Of South and
Western Texas.
NEW REGIONS BROUGHT
INTO EASY ACCESSIBILITY
Much Of the Speedy Growth Of
San Antonio Easily Traced to
the Superb Trade Facilities thus
Afforded.
Special to The Journal.

Special to The journal.
San Antonio, Texas. Oct. 1.-The
progress of the twentieth century has
given rise to hundreds Of new problems,
social, Industrial, and economic. which
cross and recross each other in so many
different ways that it seems almost i'm
possible to separate one from another
and learn the. true Importance Of each.
There are few great questions, how
ever which, because they touch upon SO
many Of the vital interests of life, force
the general public to recognize their i'm.
portance. One Of these Is the relation
Of transportation to Industrial develop,
ment Of every character If we include
under the head Of transportation not
only the travelling to and fro Of individ-
uals and the shipping of commodities. but
also the communication of ideas, We are
confronted by question which Is one
of the mainsprings Of modern civiliza-
ton. Certainly all will agree with Presi-
dent Roosevelt in his statement that
1.-The question Of transportation lies at
the root Of all industrial success" even
If we do not choose to consider it in tbs
wider scope just suggested: In southern
Texas today we have an excellent ex-
ample of the part taken by rail-
roads in the growth and. development
of the natural resources Of a country. +
San Antonio Is the Oldest city in Texas,
having been settled In 1889, by Spaniards.
It slowly grew from a struggling settle
ment to a beautiful, quaint town, but 1t
was remote from the world in far
f%e f,,4,
was felt only in the near by sections.
The last fifty or sixty years have seen
marvellous changes. and today San An
tonic stands away up on the list OF
Texas cities in the number Of her popu-
lation, having $4,000 inhabitants.
An Energetic, Modern City.
This picturesque. old city, with its
wealth Of historic charm, is also a hust-
ling, energetic modern city, contradictory
as this may seem to one who has never
visited it. It stands as the gateway be.
tween the east and Mexico, between the
northern counties Of this great empire
state and the southwestern section. L
Is. the great distributing point for tn,
enormous cattle business of the centra
and southwestern counties. Its whole
sale. traffic in wool, cotton, hides, ant
| other raw materials is stupendous, 1T
manufacturing and retail mercantil
activities are very extensive. - What i
the secret Of this, marvellous growth i
a question frequently iaskEd by the new
corners, and g the almost ir1variable an
}swer is, The taiff8Ads II asvte been and d ar
the most Important active element. Fin
location, fertile soil, earnest, enthusiastic
citizens, all these have played importan
parts, but, after all, it Is the .transporta
ton facilities offered by. the railroad
which have made it possible for the cit
to attain its present proud position,
Take a good map Of Texas and stud
out. the possibilities, which the five rail
road systems entering the city give to sa
Antonio. One Of the great transconti
mental lines passes through the city
bringing the East, North and West
the very doors. The other railroads Civ
direct communication with the coas
with all the important cities Of the stat
with the great markets of other state
a q11;1 With Wit, Mexico Not content with a
are planning new roads, which shall,
the very near future, radiate to the Yves
and Southwest and make San Antoni
r,c market for much h Of the
from the semt-arid regions just befn
: opened to the farmer AS the resource
of, the vast southwestern section of tt
state are developed, San Antonio will (
able to increase its activities, and doub1
less will become one of the most i'm
portant distributing centers in the Soutl
.r Work Of tho Railroads.
The work Of the railroads in developin
| 10 ORC 10 fhyrYoC g. ND t@1l-
as, can hardly be estimated They a,
quite unique in the history of railroadir
for in the majority Of cases the return
on the capital invested are very small