El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-12-16

west of Fort Worth, south to the gulf |
of Mexico.
The census growth of this section Of
the state, composing all Of west Texas |
shows an increase for the entire coun- |
try west of that line of approximately !
$50 percent, as against a total increase
for the entire state of only 27-6 per-
cent. These figures bring out the fact
that outside of the cities there has been l
a very small population growth in east !
Texas, while an astonishing growth |
has occurred in west Texas. An !
analysis of this growth in west Texas |
reveals the fact that it has been due to
three causes:
Reasons OF Growth.
First@The proving of the fact that
the Panhandle is adapted to agricul-
tural conditions, accounting for the
almost phenomenal growth Of 324.4 per-
cent in that section
Second-Like conditions prevailing in
central west Texas and southwest Tex
as, account for the growth there.
Tbird-To the development Of irriga-
| ton farming in the Trans-Pecos coun-
| try is due the accountability for the
| growth there.
| OF these three sections composing
| west Texas proper. the growth of the
/ TransPecos region, while not so large
/ as that of the Panhandle, is the most
| astonishing and perhaps the most per-
| manent of the three sections, because
in 1900 it was thought to be the one
| section of west Texas where no actual
development could be expected. where
| as today ii is almost universally con-
| ceded to be the portion of country
! where the most may be expected.
In 1900 the average citizen of the
| Trans-Pecos country had little to ex-
pect so far as great future for his
section Of country was concerned, and
yet the United States census reveals
growth of more than 10e percent in
this territory, and many people claim
that great inaccuracy has occurred in
the enumeration of the territory.
Big Irrigation Schemes.
Today there is a large and increasing
number Of capitalists who are putting
vast sums of money into great irriga-
tion projects and many thousand acres
of land are, as result, being put into
cultivation. The cost of the operations
of the 10 irrigation companies that have
4 done construction work in the Pecos
valley in 1910 totals the high sum of
s3,564. 1000, and these plants are in vari-
Gus stages of completion; some of them
being as near as 90 percent completed,
while others are only 20 percent COM
pleted- Among the largest of these is
the Pecos and Toyah Lake Irrigation
company. which is capitalized at $780,
600. Other large companies building
irrigation plants here are:
Orient Irrigation company, cost $780,
II 600; So percent work done.
Arno Cooperative Irrigation company
cost s350,000; 20 percent work done.
Grand Falls Mutual Irrigation COM
pany, cost 100000; 90 percent work
done.
Porterville Canal company, cost s215.-
600; 20 percent work done.
| Toyah Valley Irrigation company,
cost 100000; s5 percent work done.
Imperial Irrigation company, cost
i 100000: 20 percent work done
I Fort Stockton Lands company, cost
$4,000; 25 percent work done.
; Red Rock Canal company, cost sS4-
600; so percent work done
Big Valley Irrigation company, cost
S6S.00O; IS percent work done.
Farmers Independent Canal company
cost $50, goo; SO percent work done.
! All of these companies are procuring
water from the Pecos river except the
/ Toyah Valley Irrigation company, which
j Is getting its water supply from Phan-
tom lake. A large acreage is being put
under irrigation from the artesian belt,
| the proved districts being:
AT Pecos City, $4,000 acres; at Fort
Stockton, $4,000 acres; at Toyah, $4,000
acres.
AS development and cultivation ex-
tends from these towns, wells are be-
/ ing put down and the proved belt is
! constantly being extended. In addition
TO the flow of the above supply of wa
ter, third supply is being developed
/ over vast district of the Trans-Pecos
| country by water which is being
pumped to the surface and used for
irrigation.