Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-15

side, and are inclosed by high banks OF
silt and sediment deposited by the waters
during the floods in ages past.
The river has a fall Of ten to fifteen
feet to the mile. and while Sam Rob-
ertson was rejecting upon this phenom-
enon Il occurred to him that II he could
divert a portion of the water from the
present channel into the ancient resacas
he would have the nucleus of an irriga-
ton system that would reclaim large
tract OF productive territory. The first
thing he did was to get options on 1000
acres Of land. The next thing was to
in railroad construction in the brush
and clear the resacas Of the chaparal,
that had been growing in them for CEN
turtles.
Extensive Irrigation Plant.
Sam kept at it until his money gave
out, when he called for assistance upon
Alba Haywood, formerly popular actor.
who had retired from the theatrical world
to make a fortune in the oil district. Hey
wood and his brothers. o. w. and W.
Scott Haywood. saw the point promptly.
organized company. bought as much
land as they could secure and carried
out Sam Robertson's irrigation scheme
until they now have one Of the finest ir-
rigation plants in the world, with thirty
seven miles OF main canal and seventy
five miles Of laterals. A considerable part
Of their tract has been taken up and the
rest IS being rapidly sold to large and
small farmers, mostly from the northern
states, who are building comfortable
houses and are taking off three crops a
year of anything they care to plant. Forty
acres here will produce as much as 1G0
acres without irrigation, and the crop is
sure. There Is never failure. because
the Rio Grande is reliable as far as ir-
rigation is concerned and the water sup
ply is inexhaustible.
The Gem Of the Rio Grande Valley is
the trade mark OF the town Of Mercedes,
which lies In the center of tract Of 49,
Geo acres belonging to st. Louis syndi-
Yoakum. 8. W. Fordyce. John F. Shep-
ley. Edward Whitaker, T. w. Carter ".
X. Bixoy. r. B. Bookings. S. P. Silver.
T. II. West and J. II. Allen. They have
main canal carrying water from the
Rio Grande through their tract. nineteen
miles long. 14o feet wide and from 10 to
20 feet deep. with fifty or sixty miles of
laterals. and have already sold about
5000 acres to northern farmers. who are
growing cotton. cane. fruit, garden truck
Of various kinds and realizing from $40
to $500 an acre, or twice as much as their
land cost every year.
Mercedes is another duplicate of Kings
Vile and San Benito. and 1t SUR Uses
ticular. which is an attractive anV we'll
kept hotel-the best hotel. I am told. south
of Houston and San Antonio, and that is
the most effective advertisement a new
town can have.
Mercedes Is the town de luxe OF the
coast. The owners of the town site will
not sell lot to any one who will not
agree to put up a building that will cost
provision that no liquor shall ever be
sold on the premises. That is perma-
nent prohibition. These restrictions have
not retarded growth in any respect. The
advertisements possible, because they at
tract the best class Of people. and keep
away spectators and adventures.
There are other attractive towns, too
numerous to mention, and the land sur
rounding each of them is being rapidly
taken up by practical farmers from the
northern and central states in tracts that
will average forty acres. which is con-
from vegetables. fruit cotton and berries.
Several investors are buying larger tracts
for the cultivation of cane.
Control of Rio Grande Waters.
An interesting question has just arisen
concerning the control Of the water of
the Rio Grande. One Of the land COM
panies whose property is on the banks
OF the river, has brought friendly suit
in the United states district court for
an injunction to prohibit another land
whose property does not lie
upon the bank of the river, from taking
out waters for irrigation purposes on the
ground that ii will be violation OF its |
riparian rights In other words 1t is |
that the water belongs to the |
land that abuts upon 1t. This right was |,
recognized by the Spanish government, |
which made generous grants called Dor
cions." each OF which had a narrow 'front.' |
age on the river and extended back for |
a. long distance. sometimes for thirty and !
forty miles. Land in the interior was !
disposed of in a most liberal manner. al /
most without limit. but water rights were |
distributed among as many people as pos
sible The present owners are trying |
to have their status defined by the courts |
before any more money Is invested in
irrigation projects.
''GaiIy the Troubador." fourth in our
series Of old songs. illustrated by Arthur I
Becher, In our Sunday Magazine tomor- |