Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-04-12
UNITE IN BIG BOOM
Farmers and Railway Com
Z panies Develop Gulf Coast.
SPECIAL PROGRAM FOLLOWS
Cooperation Of Business Men in Ad-
vertising the Advantages.
NEW HOMES NUMBER $4,000
Thousands of Settlers Attracted to
Section Between Houston and
Brownsville, Tex.
NEW HOMES NUMBER $4,000
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
K1NGSVILLE, Tex, April ., 1911.
AS an illustration of what judicious
newspaper advertising will do more thar
$1,000 new homes and farms have been
located since 1907 on the gulf coast O.
Texas along the line of the st. Louis
Brownsville and Mexico railroad. between
Houston and Brownsville. the sleepy ole
city at the mouth of the Rio Grande, and
with the exception Of Key West. the
southernmost town in the United States
This great development has been accom-
plished by a close cooperation between
the railroad company and the large land
owners.
AS soon as trains were running in 1901
a systematic and comprehensive plan OF
advertising the resources and possibilities
of this country was begun by A. Hilton
general passenger agent Of the Frisco
system, which constructed and controlled
the new line that runs parallel with the
coast from New Orleans to Brownsville
Exaggeration, Misrepresentation and
highly colored statements were forbidden
and, convinced that the truth would pre-
vail, Mr.. Hilton censored every publica-
tlon In order that the advertising might
could be verified by investigation.
Papers by Experts.
Attractive literature setting forth the
advantages of the new country was pre-
pared by experts in agriculture, horticul-
ture. truck gardening. irrigation and
similar subjects and distributed judicious-
ly through the northern states. Liberal
u-or soI 10,
circulated daily and weekly papers and
magazines. and particularly the high
class farm journals. which evoked thou
sands of inquiries from every part of the
country and from every class Of people,
These were answered with great care
by personal letters and publica tons de-
scriptive of the country. The large land
owners and irrigation companies OH the
coast and along the line of the railway
established agencies throughout the north
many inquiries were turned over to those
nearest the residence of the inquirer
with instructions to secure personal in
tervtews, and II the character and cir
cumstances of the person justified such
course, to urge him to make the Journey
to Texas and see for himself.
such persons and other homeseekers
were organized into parties and sent
south from Chicago. st. Paul, st. Louis
and Kansas City in special trains OF
days Of each month and personally con-
Quoted to their destination by representa-
tives Of the railway or the land COM
panies. Excursion rates from Chiea go,
round trip to the Rio Grande, were $50,
from st. Paul $32. and from st. Louis
and Kansas City S25
These excursions became a part of the
train service and have been running reg
ularly for four years. On the first and
third Tuesdays of every month several
hundred people pass through the gates
OF the railway station of the cities named
bound for Texas. and they ride in tourist
sleepers with dining cars and all the
luxury that modern railway science can
furnish. the theory being that 1t is easier
to sell man farm when he is in a
state of contentment and satisfied with
his surroundings than when he Is hungry,
sleepy or uncomfortable.
During the last four years hundreds OF
thousands OF farmers and other home
seekers from the central states and the
northwest have made this trip. Many
of them have taken their wives and fami.
lies with them. The railway company
encourages them to do so. because the
opinion of the wife usually settles the
question. and if she is pleased and salts.
fed with conditions, the land agents
know that the husband will be easier te
convince