El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-03-22
CAPITAL BEGINS DEVELOPING THE
MARBLE QUARR|Es NEAR ALPINE
Valuable White Building Stone Also Lies Near There
State Mineral Law Would Greatly Benefit That
Region Irrigation Being Practiced for Farm
ing and Fruit Trees Are Being Put
Into Orchards.

well viii be used to supply the town.
The water will be pumped into a reser-
voir on the hill above the town (already
completely and from there distribute
through SIX inch mains The system
will be so arranged that there will be no
dead ends" and so that it can be flush
ed at will, this assuring both the supply
and the quality.
New Public School.
Another splendid public Improvement
to the public school building is now being
erected at cost of $4,000 It will have
IL class rooms and an auditorium seat
ing 500. This auditorium can later be
cut up into four additional class rooms.
A contract has been closed for $4,000
worth Of furnishings for the building,
and it will be completed in time for the
summer normal.
Private enterprise is preparing TO con-
struct II room dormitory for the use
of teachers and pupils in the immediate
vicinity Of the new public school build
ing, which will assist in making Alpine
one Of the educational centers of west
ern Texas
Mineral Laws Needed.
The failure OF the Texas legislature
to promote proper laws for the exploita-
ton and development of the mineral re-
sources of the state is retarding the de-
velopment and growth Of Brewster coun-
". Tributary to Alpine there are
number of districts where mineral is
known to exist in paying quantities, but
the discoura gements, expense and uncer-
tainties of acquiring title under the
present laws are so many that no ex-
tensive development will be possible I'M
til legislation is secured. The opening
Of the districts tributary to Alpine will
add thousands to the population Of the
The Mineral Region.
The opening of the mineral districts
already known would make Alpine the
center of a system of stages, mail and
auto routes, supplying thousands Of peo-
pie and returning an immense amount
of cash trade. The people Of Brewster
county want better mining laws, and
want them right away.
Pumping for Irrigation.
J. F. Miles, a merchant, is demon
strating the agricultural and horticul-
tural possibilities of the Alpine valley.
He has installed a centrifugal pump,
gasoline power. on a large well and is
lifting water rs feet into a large reser-
voir. from which it is taken to his land
He proposes TO finally put $50 acres I'M
der cultivation and will install additional
pumping facilities as needed. His pres
ent capacity is $50 gallons a minute. He
has put in 500 fruit trees and will cul-
tiyate melons, beans and other crops.
The value Of his work lies in the deTei-
opment of an ample water supply at
depth of 20 feet, and by putting down
additional wells will further demonstrate
the possibilities of the section.
Mr. Miles is not the pioneer in this
kind Of development, however, as taking
advantage of bounteous underflow
ar a shallow depth and numerous
springs, and several orchards have been
put in
Planting Fruit Trees.
J. D. Jackson has 500 apple trees and
Mr.. Edwards 1000. all doing well, while
H c. Atchison has 500 in bearing
T. B. Templeton has in an apple
orchard of Is acres, which has been
bearing for Is years He irrigates dur
ing the winter months and has not
missed crop in eight years.
There are a number of land owners
with as many as 500 apple trees out
and doing well Apples do well and al
ways give q crop while other fruits, such
raaaohaS and NIL sometimes fail