The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-03-13
Marvellous Transformation
Wrought Valley Within by Irrigation.
ThiryFOm Canals iere Now.

DStH WlOQSul III LnC i4ONCA ANAO
Grande Valley within the past few
years by the construction of irriga-
ton enterprises. which appeared in
the Manufacturers Record of March
4. furnishes one of the ablest and
most comprehensive statements on
the subject that have ever been pub
lished. 1t was written by Albert
Phenis of New Orleans. we'll known
contributor to the Record, after a
careful and leisurely survey of the
valley from end to end Its value
to the various interests of this sec
ton, coming from such source and
appearing in medium of such high
standing as the Record will be almost
inestimable.
AS a matter of fact there are "a
land and irrigation companies oper-
ating in the district between Mission
and Point Isabel, all strictly within
the irrigation belt, and their invest
ments in land, irrigation plants,
townsites and sugar mills will foot
up total of more than S14, 250, 600.
These 81 companies represent an
ownership of over 430, 900 acres of
land, and so actively have operations
been conducted within the past few
years that about 135, 900 acres have
water on them today, and are in
stages of cultivation ranging between
recent clearings of mesquite and cac-
| tus and the production of record
breaking crops of cane, alfalfa and
truck.
Newcomers are here from every
part of the United States. and from
Canada, British Columbia, Nova
Scotia. Germany and elsewhere, and
it is notable that the most enthus-
iastic of them are those who have
had experience with irrigation pro-
jects and fruit and truck growing in
the best portions of the irrigable dis
tricts of the West. They know the
possibilities that irrigation presents,
and whether as promoters of enter
prises or purchasers of lands, they
take hold in the most enthusiastic
way. Land with water on it ct 500
an acre is taken by them without the
batting of an eye, even though this
same land might nave been pur-
chased not over five years ago for 80
cents or. 81.
1t is the character of the people
who are coming in here that forms
the most significant feature of the sit
uation. They are not ragged and
penniless pioneers who usually COM
pose the vanguard of the developers
of communities in general. These
people are successes where they are
at home; they have money in bank
and the crowds who come in here
are likely to bring an automobile
along with their trunks. In the Sara
togas of their women folks are gowns
and hats of the latest mode, and all
| the grotesque pastors that are accum-
ulated by the traveller to foreign
parts are likely to be found on the
grips of the chappies and their sisters
who drop down here for visit or a
stay. 1t is easy to see that with such
population as basis, with knowl-
edge, experience and money the uni
versal rule among those who form
the ranks of the incomers, it will be
possible to do more in five years
| time here than would be required in Il
couple of generations where every
thing must proceed from elemental
and primitive conditions.
In trip-I have just taken through
the country around Brownsville,
along the Harlingen-For branch
! of the st. Louis, Brownsville & MeXi-
co Railroad, and over lands adjacent
thereto, have seen much of the de-
the best portions of the irrigible. dis
have met and talked with the people
who are promoting the various enter
/ prises, as we'll as those who are till
ing the soil. and l am prepared to
state that nowhere in the United
| States today is there more interest
ing and important development going
on. or one mere likely to effect a
complete transformation from COM
paratively unoccupied and unproduc-
/ tive region to one of the most highly
productive and thickly settled to be
found anywhere.
There is a perfect avalanche of
development, until it would seem in
eyitable that within ten years-pOs-
sibly five-there will be popula-
ton of 100000 people in this partic-
ular neck of the lower Rio Grande,
with an annual crop production of
fully 100000, 900.
1t is calculated that in the triangu-
lar-shaped tract, having its apex
around Mission, so miles or so north
west of Brownsville, and having as
its base a 30-mile stretch along the
coast to the north of Brownsville,
there are on the American side of
of the river 5000 acres of the fin
est alluyial land outdoors, which
have easily available never-failing
supply of irrigation water from the
Rio Grande All of this is adapted to
sugar-cane, and it is considered like
ly that fully 400, 200 acres will be
utilized in this way. AS much as SO
tons to the acre have been raised; AZ
tons is regarded by some as feast
bic average, and a Bottom average has
been demonstrated as certainty in
the case of one grower who has been
operating in a small way for more
than 80 years. Furthermore, the
: cane is very rich in sucrose; freezing
weather is rare, so that the season is
long tcane sometimes goes to seed
here which il never does in LOuisi-