Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-11-01
RAILROAD TO a5
POINT ISABEL
d. A. OBRIEN AUTHORIZED TO GO
AHEAD WITH DETAILS BY
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
MONTHS AGO.
O'BRIEN STARTS WHEEL
BROUGHT PROJECT BEFORE BODY
WHEN HE RETURNED FROM A
VISIT TO PASS WITH UNITED
STATES SURVEYORS.

4 proposition To build n railroad to
Point Isabel within few III nths and
I 10 1T once take advantage Of the 9-fo0t
depth of water through tho BraZos San
4 tiago Pass. il il learned j. already under
way. The matter was broachcd to the
Chamber Of Commerce by Secretary ID.
\. OBricn after trip to Braz : Santi'
ago Pass with United States surveyors
four months ago and Mr.. O'Brien has
been working on il since that time.
1t has been pointed ont that one of the
main objections tl the construction of
harbor at Brazos Santiago has been the
fact that there was no standard gauge
railroad TO the point with which to haul
material. This objection was made IN
report on BraZos Santiag1 recently made
TO the Board of United States engineers.
70 further the interests If the pro
posed harbor III Brazos Santiago il has
been considered that the construction OF
Il railroad fir. nj Brownsville 10 Point
Isabel IL one of the most necessar. pro-
iccts at this time. The fact that Il rail
road is under construction 10 the Point.
or in operation. il il said will be one OF
the chief fact rs in making the plea be-
fore the rivers and harbOrs board ana
other legislative bodies for the appro-
pFIation necessary for the improvement
Of the harbor.
AS one man interested in the harbor
project stated ~thc .vcrnmcnt - Will
ino ~ help those who help themselves
and if it is seen that the Brownsville
and Valley people want harbor az
Brazos Santiago by doing what they can
10 further its interests, there is al the
m,re likelihood that the necessary ap-
nropriations will be forthcoming.
A 9-foot channel now at Brazos Santi-
ago win permit the operation OF schoon-
crs of equal size to those now entering
Corpus Christi. and in fact one man has
already agreed to operate schooner with
Il capacity of 100 tons If the necessary
transportation facilities on land are to
bc had. -tAM
Regarding the necessity. Of a railroad
to Point Isabel. Congressman John y.
Garner. who lcf this afternoon for San
Bcnito said:
"The people of Brownsville are stand
inc in their own light by not having tax
en advantage Of the water they now have
nt hand at Rrazos Santiago by building
\ railroad there. 1t ought to he built
rieht now. and in fact it will have to
bc If the government agrees 10 the I'M
movements of Brazos Santiago harhor
IF Won had a railroad To Brazos Island
right now YOU would already be enjoylng
thc advantage Of better freight rates and
these would become still better when YOU
have spent say three quarters or mil
ion dollars for the deepening Of the y
foot channel at the pass to 1ofoot
channel.
Your people have GOT 70 show that
tbcy are anxious for the improvement
for which vou are asking. and that Won
are making use of what you have already
cot. You are going to do il some day and
vou had lust as well build that railroad
now The right interest ought to be taken
in the matter right now | am looking ut
this proposition from an impartial
standpoint
I'D be the happicst man in the State
of Texas if | could do something that
would insure the improvement OF this
harbor ut Brazos Santiago.