El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-12
No More

sidered useless except for cattle
ranges Arid" Texas has long since
ceased to exist n vast plain OF dry
grass having given place to miles ana
miles of corn, oats, cotton, forage, ana
almost every other crop grown TO al
vantage in the southwest.
IT is a fact but little known even
here in Ell Paso, that a vast section
of country actually in the trade terri
tory Of the city, as determined by geo
graphical location and railroads either
actually constructed or projected, and
heretofore generally considered as
'arid" and of little account beyond the
value of cattle ranges, has developed
into one of the most fertile sections
Of the United States, and at the present
rate Of settlement will support a popu-
lation OF millions within a very few
years, producing millions and millions
of dollars Of agricultural products. Fur
thermore, and this Is the greatest and
best piece of information for the bust
ness men and residents Of the city, this
same section of country heretofore
cosidered arid" and yet regarded as
such by many Of the business men in
El Paso believing themselves to be
fully informed, is now producing mil
lions of dollars worth OF agricultural
products annually, and that its pro-
duction shows an annual increase of
much more than that.
For the purpose OF considering the
counties of that part OF Texas which
are now in or can easily be put into,
the trade territory of lei Paso, they
can be divided into three sections
those connected directly with Eel Paso
by railroads having terminals in the
city; those naturally feeding those rail-
roads, or roads actually constructing
or projected, and in q fair way to be
built into Eel Paso, or to some of the
city's direct railroad connections; those
connected with Eel Paso by railroads
or their connections, and while prop
erly a part OF the Eel Paso trade terri
tory at present either entirely neglect
ed or for some reason temporarily con-
troled by some jobbing points.
These three divisions will include
those counties Of western Texas and
the Panhandle reached by rail directly
from this city, and those counties near
est to these Eel Paso roads where not
in closer connection with some other
jobbing point in rivalry with this city.
For the purposes Of this article, the
lei Paso trade influence Is supposed
not to extend any further east on the
c., II. q S. A. than Valverde county;
no further east on the Texas &c Pacific
than Sweetwater; and to be only those
counties closely connected with Dalhart
those Texas counties south of Amarillo
are now trading into points directly
connected with El Paso, and within
few months many Of them will have
their own railroad connections into Eel
Paso. so they are very properly placed
in the Eel Paso trade territory.
Actual Production.
In the showings of actual production
In 1908, and the estimates made for
1909, it Win be noticed that number
of important counties of the Ell Paso
congressional district have been omit
ted, and that is because they are sup
posed to have closer trade relations
with other cities or better railroad
facilities to other points. The object
is to show only the production of those
counties now actually trading with Eel
Paso jobbing houses, or not doing so
because Of Eel Paso influences neglect
ing the field. The guide generally fol
lowed is the we'll established rule that
in all western manufacturing and job
bing centers, the trade follows the
leading newspapers, and 1t Is judged
that wherever The Herald can hold the
field against all other big newspapers
OF the west that the railroad connec-
tions are such as to give Eel Paso
manufacturers and jobbers the same
advantages as are enjoyed bp The Her
aid, Investigation has disclosed the
not kept up with The Herald in that
section centerlng around Dalhart and
Amarillo, both being legitimately in
lei Paso territory, and for that reason
a number of counties In that section,
and to the south, have been left out
OF the estimates given.
Wonderful Revelation.
During the year 1903 the Texas Com
mercial Secretaries association caused
to be compiled, from carefully gath
cred data, the products Of the counties
of Texas and at the conclusion Of that
work 1t was discovered that the So
called arid" counties OF west Texas
and the Panhandle had made most
wonderful record Of production 1T Is,
of course too early in the new year
to be able to present the Official fig
ures Of that association for the year
just closed but The Herald has caused
to be made a careful estimate of the
agricultural production Of those coun-
ties in the Eel Paso trade territory for
the year 1909, using the II. G. s. A,
report as a basis, together with much