The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1911-04-07
Letter From San Benito
San Benito, Texas, March Is, I9lI
Editor Democrat:

| AAAAbOA A(SAAOOAUNt
Having promised a few friends that
would write them from here, ]
shall with your indulgence, widen the
circle. This place is as far south as
Miami, Florida, aud has about the
same temperature, but is much dryer
the rainfall averaging about 25 in.
ches as against go inches at Mama
The rains are not distributed evenly
through the year nor through the
growing season, but come in torrents,
mostly after a long dry spell. This
explains why irrigation Is necessary.
There are several irrigation COM
panies in the territory. The soil is
alluvial, very fertile, nearly level,
but sloping gently back from the
river, making canal building easy,
The chief engineer Of the San Benito
Company is the originator Of lrriga-
tion in the Rio Grand valley He
built the railroad from Houston to
Brownsonia, and In taking his leVees
to set grade stakes he discovered
that the bank where San Benito
stands was rs feet lower than the
banks of the Rio Grand river. The
rest was easy. Capital was interest
ed, a company formed, a very large
tract of land bought and work begun,
Land that was worth SO per acre
sold readily at from $40 to 300 when
water was assured. This company
now prices its lands at from $85 to
$3.50 per acre, in the brush, guaran-
teeing water and drainage. l speak
OF this company and town because |
know more of 1t than of the others
(Which are all right, as my son,
Richard, has been here in the employ
of the company for two years,
The chief crop is cabbage, though
there are also grown successfully po-
tatoes, lettuce, cotton, sugar cane,
beans, also alfalfa and what we In
Kansas know as "teed"- sorghum,
KatIlr and maize, Grapes California
whlte), figs and oranges are being
planted with prospects of success
On January End an unusual cold
spell covered this coast, the tempera-
ture falling to 10 degrees. This near
ly ruined the cabbage crops then
growing, one half to three fourths
being killed outright and the balance
injured so that 1t did not head prop.
erly. Immediately after this new
plants were set and the second crop
is now maturing and being shipped.
Three tOurths of the sugar cane that
was intended for planting was ruined.
| think / did not hear of anything
else being injured.
The town of San Benito is growing
rapidly and substantially, though only
two years old the store buildings are
as good as those in Liberal and when
those now in course OF construction
are finished there will be about the
same number of brick buildings in
the two places. No such large stocks
of goods are carried here as in Liberal,
as the trade is local and retail only.
There are now nearly finished a
canning factory and an ice plant.
A contract has been let for sugar
mill to cost Sl5O,GOO.
Like all new countries, this has at
tracked numbers of people who did
not appreciate the difficulties of pio-
neering. People who had never farm
ed and were dazzled by the glowing
descriptions of real estate agents, and
who were carried away by the hope
of immense and immediate profits.
One has to learn farming here just
as he does in other places. There are
a great many more successful people
than dissatisfied ones, and the count
ny is not in all cases to be blamed
for those who are dissatisfied.
Beside San Benlto the towns here
that have successful irrigation CON-
panies are Harlinger, Mercedes and
Mission. Brownsville, a town on the
Rio Grand, ALSO has irrigated land and
is one Of the old towns Of Texas. Mat
amoros on the other side of the river
Is one of the interesting places of
Mexico. Before our civil war 1t had
a population of from 10000 to 10000
now 1t has dwlndled to between 10, 900
and $1,000. Brownsville was also the
headquarters of Diaz before he was
president and while still q revolutions
list. A fine railroan bridge connects
the two places, but local commune
cation is by row boats-fare three
cents American or six cents Mexican.
The river is now so low that foot
way has been built to about the mid
die Of the stream.
One of the oldest railroads in Texas
connects Brownsville with the coast