The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-04-06
NOT DIVERSION
BUT INCREASE
Striking Evidences Seen in Recent
Activities on Texas Gulf Coast
Millions Expended as Bases
for Great Port, City and Pleas
ure Resort.

GALVESTON, Tex, April 5.-Per-
haps the most striking evidence of the
growth of this country in general is to
be seen in the trend of commerce and
immigration in recent years, and par
ticularly in the movements now in
progress, comm ercially, industrially
and agriculturally, along the gulf front
of the state of Texas.
When the improvement OF Calves
ton harbor was undertaken in 1890
Galveston folk figured that large
volume Of business would shift from
Atlantic ports to the new gulf out
let as soon as the big ships could come
up to the Wharves, as Galveston would
furnish the line of least resistance
But in this they were disappointed
for a time. Water can be made to run
up hill. Railroads leading from the
"granary of the nation" continued to
take products for exports to the At
lantic ports. albeit rates slumped. The
dream Of diverting commerce was not
realized.
Within the last few years the com
merce of the port of Galveston has
grown enormously. 1t is now So
per cent greater than in 1890. Growth
of the west and southwest. growth
of the business of the country in gen.
eral is the cause. Atlantic ports are
still doing business at the old stand
But they have become crowded. To
expand their terminal facilities and &c
build to them new lines of railroad
would involve enormous expenditures
1t is cheaper to build to the gulf, and
the great railroad systems of the wes'
have been putting out lines to thai
body of water as the cotton plan
sends its roots to moist soil in a dr.!
season. Upon the surplus commerce
Galveston is growing The Atlanti,
reservoir is full Galveston and hel
sister ports of the gulf have become
the spillway for the nations foreign
commerce.
Influence of the Big Ditch.
Some diversion will in all likeli
hood come with the completion ant
utilization of the Panama canal-no
because the gulf ports are so much
nearer the Atlantic portal of the can
al than are our Atlantic ports, but be
cause the gulf ports viii then be a
| favorable situated as are those o
of the Atlantic seaboard in respec
to Oriental and other Pacific coas
commerce. At the present time the,
are the least favorably situated of al
American ports in that regard, il
consequence of which Oriental bust
mes moves by rail to Pacific and At
| lantic ports even out of Texas.
Taken Out of the Back Yard,
A railroad traverses the coast from
end to end, following the trail whicl
General Taylor made on his march t
Mexico. This road was built five year
ago. partly to establish a new .shor
line to the City of Mexico. Benjami
f. Yoakum, the railroad magnatt
projected it. He is a Texas product
grew up as a farmer boy; raised an
sold fruit trees, and knows a lot abou
soils, agriculture and horticulture
When in training for his big work h
learned that some of the pioneers i
the coast country We're successful
growing oranges upon a small scale
He stored this information away, anC
when he got out upon a larger stag
and next TO the money boxes, he bull
the Gulf Coast Line and placed an
other garland of orange blossom
upon the brow of Columbia.