The Washington herald., 1909-07-11
FL PASO, GATEWAY
OF The SOUTHWEST
Grows Rapidly in Commerce
and Industry.
NO LONGER AN ADOBE TOWN
Has Miles of Paved Streets, EIee-
trfe Lights, Six Trunk Line Rail
rORdS. and All Evidences Of Pro
gressive City - Chamber OF Com
merce Enters It's New Home.

Fl Paso. Tex. July l0-The handsome
new home OF the Fl Paso Chamber Of
Commerce was opened on June T. II is
the first organization OF its kind IN the
State Of Texas 10 erect its own building.
Some people have an idea that FL Paso
is an adobe" town. and their surprise
on visiting it IS sometimes amusing.
There Is no city Of fits size in the United
States that presents a more metropolitan
or cosmopolitan appearance Miles Of
paved business and resident streets. my
riads OF systematically arranged electric
lights. twenty miles OF macadam roads
through the country anording the farm
ers easy access 20 market with their prod
uce and TO make their purchases. eight
railroads converging here. six Of which
are trunk lines; $4,000 invested in
schools: S250.O00 in churches: clubhouses.
S435, 600. and the chamber Of commerce
building. erected at a cost OF $4,000. all
speak for the attractions OF this city.
Position Makes IL Prominent,
The military. strategic. and geograph-
zeal importance OF this point was recog-
nized by our government and as early as
1855 a prominent and important military
post was established and has ever since
been maintained here. The natural ad-
vantage OF the place, geographically and
commercially. were further strongly indi-
Gated BY the passage OF the trade routes
from the north into Mexico and from the
east 10 Arizona. New Mexico, and Cali
fornia.
The railroad companies saw this com
mercial advantage and in 1881 were at
tracted here. not II avail themselves OF
any business or tradr that already exist
ed. hut because or tie fine prospect for
large and profitable business.
The Rio Grande valley. in the heart or
which FL Paso is situated. has been pro-
nounced by government experts as having
soil as rich as any IN the world. Nearly
all the products OF the temperate zone
can be produced here in abundance and
perfection, Wheat, corn. oats barley. and
rye, yield as much 70 the acre and OF as
good quality as in any part OF the United
States.
Alfalfa Grows Rank.
Alfalfa may be cut four or I'VE times
each season. aggregating four to six tons
an acre.
Vegetables Of nearly every known va
riety, especially those grown on vines. do
well here.
The soil and climate are perfectly
adapted to the growth OF apples. pears.
peaches, pluns. aprieots, grapes. ounces.
prunes. Strawberries. gooseberries. and
blackberries. Especially are the condi-
tions adapted 10 the growth Of the pear
and grape.
Small farms are preferable to large
ones. The land can be doubly cropped
each year, so that one acre here answers
as well as two farther north.
The completion Of the irrigation dam
now being built by the United States gov
ernment at a cost Of $4,000 will add
over 100000 acres OF cultivated lands. the
beneficial results OF which cannot be es-
timated in the growth of FL Paso.
There is no end TO the mineral wealth
Of this country The copper fields Of Ari-
zona and the coal deposits Of New Next
CO. with Mexico perhaps the greatest un-
developed mineral section Of the Western
continent. assures FL Paso the brightest
future
Industry Well EstabIIshed.
Ten per cent Of the property valuation
Of S5o0o0,O09 is invested in FL Paso in
manufacturing, industries. and over sixty
wholesale houses cover the trade district
tributary TO this city
During the past five months Of the cur
rent year 225 building permits have been
issued, aggregating sSo2 503, or nearly $500
coo more than for the same period OF 1905.
Postal receipts steadily increase every
year. and the importations through the
United States custom-house during the
eleven months OF this fiscal year were the
greatest IN the history OF the port. Ex-
ports from Mexico average 100000
month
The South and Southwest, generally
speaking. and in which El Paso shares
her part, produces much OF the raw mate
rial that Is made UP by Eastern factories,
which are gradually moving westward.
realizing the vast trade Of the West and
Central West and that of the South