The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-01-14
Corpus Christi, Tex, Jan. sth 1909.

Corpus Christi, Tex, Jan. 8th 1909.
Editor Pioneer:
Since my last letter I have covered
several hundred miles. left Kings
vile week ago going direct to Brows-
vile and found both a quaint old
town and an American progressive
town. The old part of the town is
built something after the old Spanish
style the street narrow and poorly
kept, but in the past three years they
have built some nice residences and
good public buildings one of which is
the federal building, post Office etc.
About four miles from town COM
pany is putting in a sugar mill at,
cost of 5000, 100000. saw some pref
ty fair sugar cane. 1t wasn't as tall
as expected to see, but they told me
it was only planted last April and
that next year it would be far better.
The crop was making about 25 tons to
the acre and they think they won't
have to plant only about every seven
years.
saw some pretty fair alfalfa grow
ing near McAnen IS miles north from
Brownsville and as pretty land for
irrigation as ever laid my eyes on,
just about as level as floor, of course,
it has pitch of about one and one
half feet to the mile. Just enough
fall for water to run. The soil is rich
alluvial, chocolate colored and OF
about 10 feet in depth. I believe that
in time this will be, to large extent,
a citrous fruit country, but there are
going to be some large sugar cane
plantation in fact, they can grow
most anything on these lands. | saw
some heavy corn and sorghum. They
raise sorghum for fodder. l saw to-
matoes hanging on the vines, day be-
fore yesterday and we have green corn
and onions, radishes everywhere.
Wednesday left Brownsville at ex-
actly 7:45 q. NJ, and arrived at Nc
Allen at 10 O'Clock and from that time
until in the afternoon we had cover
ed thirty or forty miles of road and
had stopped at numberless fields and
places to investigate conditions and
soil. We visited two pumping plants
and travelled several miles on the old
military road along the Rio Grande.
Visited the old town of Hidalgo, an
ancient town and for years the county
seat of Hidalgo county. This old
place is largely built of brick and the
brick was made and burned here years
ago (they are not adobe bricks either
but of course when the place was built
it was next thing to impossible to gel
lumber. The pumping plant of this
company at McAllen has capacity
for pumping water enourh to irrigate
25,OOO acres at all times of the year
saw hundreds of men (Mexicans
clearing the land and planting hun
dreds of acree to onions, cabbage
alfalfa, orange trees, lemons anc
sugar cane. The old military road
extends from Brownsville to Ell PasC
distance of 1900 miles. It is this fal
on account of the road following tht
river and we owe our success In gett
ing to take such tour of investiga
ton to our new-made friend, Mr.
Briggs, president and practically th'
owner Of this irrigation system ant
25,OOO acres of this land all in on
body, and his new touring car. JUS
above this tract is another plant an,
a town plated and called Missio,
owned and promoted by Mr.. Conway
Dakota man, and who told me tina
he had spent over $500, 900 on hi
canal and that his payroll was $500
week right now. The same Mr.
Conway is typical Dakotan and toll
me the history OF his ups and down
during the dry years Of Is years ag'
and who at the present time owns So
sections of land in Dakota and he toll
me no longer ago than Wednesda;
morning that if he had the cost out o
that same land that he would plan
every dollar Of it down here in tn
Rio Grande valley. This Mr.. Conwa
is the man of whom our William Jen
nings Bryan bought five 40 acre tract
Of. Four of which are close to th
proposed town of Mission and abou
three miles distant. I am told tha