The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-08
TEXAS RAILROADS
 ARE DEVELOP New Line Opens With Good
 Business GREET FIRST TRAIN People Gather From Miles About Me- nard To See First Train Roll
 Into Station-Opens Up
 Rich District

San Antonio, Tex, March 7.-(Special.) )- Railroad building goes steadily forward in Texas. especially in the San Antonio country The development in this partic- ular during the past year was greater than anticipated at the close of l9O9. Among the new lines recently put in oper- ation is one from Gardendale, in LaSalle county, to Crystal City, in Zavalla coun- ty1 This line passes through the great artesian belt in Texas, and while it has only been in operation a few weeks, finds it's rolling stock and power made auate to meet demands Three days after the line was formally opened two entlre trains of IS cars, each containing house. hold equipments and farming utensils Of immigrants who were going to points along the line, were delivered to the road by the International and Great Northern. The completion of this road has started q new era in one of the most fertile fruit and vegetable belts in the southwest and more than 1000 families have settled in the country tributary to this road within the past six months, many coming to the sec ton before the line was completed.
 A few days ago one of the most unique celebrations in the history of Texas took place at Menard, in Menard county, joyous outburst on the part of the people over the completion of road from Brady to that city. People came by the thou sands from all parts of the country to see the first train as it rolled into Men ard. This line taps one of the rich agri- af ba st tn utad great development of a locality where soil and climatic conditions insure suc- cess.
 In addition to the lines already com pleted in the past few months, efforts are making for a line from this city to the Brownsville country, passing through one of the most promising sections of the stae where both vegetable and fruit pro- auctions have been tested and proved eminently satisfactory. The work of pro- noting this road is in the hands of some of the best known men in the southwest section of the state, and there is assur- ance that it will be pushed to a success full termination.
 Another effort, too, in road building is that of a line from Beevile, in the "Orange Belt" to Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande, where great coal fields all ready under operation exist. The work of a permanent survey of this line has already been begun and those promoting the undertaking say that active building operations will be in progress by the mid dle of March. This line will pass through the great ranch sections of the southwest, where tracts of 5000 acres under one ownership are not uncommon. The result of the completion of this road will be the opening of these large ranches to agricul tural purposes, much of the contributory territory lying in the fertile bottoms Of the famous Nueces river. Already in an- tcipation of this line great irrigation plans have begun along the Nueces, and settlements made upon the more promis- ing parts of the higher land. The terri tory through which this road and the pro- jected line to Brownsville will pass is contributory to San Antonio and the com- pletion of the two means a wide trade in- fiuence for this great wholesale center of the southwest. Added to the Improve ments already enumerated may be men, toned that of the work of building rail- way terminal at Aransas Pass, on the Gulf Coast, made necessary by the as- surance of deep water at this gulf port the national government having appro- priated a large sum for the purpose named.