The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-06-14

sociates of the 5000 acres which
are to be placed under canals and
bitches under the present contract.
This land was purchased before
the building of the road into
Brownsville. 1t is stated that the
price paid for most of the land was
IS per acre, or an initial invest
ment of 100000 on the part of
Mr.. Yoakum and those associated
with him. It is claimed that the
land will produce anything that
can be grown in seni-tropical re-
gion aud that several crops per
year can be raised upon the same
land. The headquarters of the
irrigation project are at the new
town of Mercedes which is located
near Harrington. The place IS
growing rapidly. 1t is interesting
to note that offers of as high as
$3.50 an acre have been made for
some of the land belonging to the
Yoakum syndicate. None of it
could be bought for less than $40
per acre. A jump from S. per
acre acre to $3.50 per acre or to
even $40 per acre, within the short
space of four years, shows what
the newcomers think of the re-
gion in an agricultural way.
Lon c. Hill is another man who
has done much to bring about the
development of his valley country.
Mr.. Hill prides himself on the In
dian blood that flows through his
veins. He come to Brownsville less
than FIVE years ago. He says that
when he reached the border town
he was worse than broke. Not
only did he not have any money or
property but he was in debt. His
wealth is now conservatively esti-
mated at 100000. He says he
owes but a few thousand dollars.
He is the owner in fee simple of
100, 900 acres of Rio Grande valley
land. He got his start by acting as
the agent of Mr.. Yoakum and as
sociates and others in the purchase
of lands that are now embraced in
the various irrigation enterprises.
He struck the Brownsville region
at a time when land could be pur-
chased for a mere song. He says
persons who owned land adjacent
to the river begged him to take it
off of their hands for prices ran
ging from s. an acre. With what
money he could command he began
buying this land or his own &C
count. He was on the ground floor
when the rush of investors began
to pour in after completion of the
railroad. He made many big deals,
always netting. large profits, and
gradually added to his possessions
until he is now one of the largest,
if not actually the largest individ-
ual Ian owner on the lower Rio
Grande. He has started to work
building an irrigation system that
will almost equal the Yoakum pro-
ject in size. The main canal will
run all the way from Harrington tc
the riven near Brownsville. Not
only his own holdings of 100000
acres, but large adjoining tracts
will be irrigated by Mr.. Hill s
system.
P. E. Blalack is a pioneer alo- 6
with Mr.. Hill in the development
of the valley lands. Mr.. Blalacb
visited this region when he learned
that it was to be connected witt
the outside world by means of {
railroad. He purchased large bodi,
of land, situated close to Browns
vile, and has established irrigation
systems thereon. He has three
hundred acres in sugar cane ant
will increase this acreage each yea
until all of his land is brought iucul
tivation. He has organized com
pauy with a capital stock Of $500,
900 to grow sugar cane and refine
sugar. A large sugar mill and SUI
gar refining plant will be erected
near Brownsville.