Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-13
RAILROAD NEWS
EXPECTED SOON
WITH RETURN OF II. VI. SKEYTON
RI'MOR ARISES THAT RIO GRAN
DE RAILROAD AND STREET CAR
LINES MAY BE TAKEN OVER.
lOPMENTS CERTAIN
POINT ISABEL RAILROAD TERM
INAlS ARE CONSIDERED TOO
VALUABLE PROPERTY. LINKING
CITY WITH BRAZOS HARBnR

Following the return NJ Il Nj. Skel
ton from trip ~ ~. Louis. reports be-
came current that q definite proposition
y under consideration IN which the per
sons backing the proposed railroad from
Brownsville a. the west coast of the La
guna Madre will take over the Rio
Grande railroad. and the Brownsville
Street x Intcrurhan railway Mr. Skel-
ton when seen today would make no
statement concerning the report. but
| il j. believed that developments can be
looked for within shorI time.
Though II j. declared that the phv-
steal properties ~ the Rio Grande rail
road are of little value. the terminals
both ~ Point Isabel AMI Brownsville
are considered valuable ~ any line pro-
posed - b. buiIi between Brownsville
and M, coast The railroad terminals
~ the coast command an excellent loca-
Ition. " " claimed. with regard 10 the
BrazoS Santiago Pass and harhor. AMI
would therefore ~ nf great value IN the
event the harhor ~ improved by the gov
rrnmrni. An Improvement that will br
materially boosted hv the building Of
a standard gauge rairuad 81 the coast.
The Brownsville Street 4 lnterurbRn
Railway Co. with about three miles Of
excellent standard gauge track. was Of
Tered for sale some time ago Nv sam
Robertson. ~ San EcnIto president ~
the company. II Is reported here that
the railroad promoters have practical.
ly dccihcd that f they can put through
a deal for the street railway property
they viii do 81.
The experiment W operating motor
ears on the street railroad has proven
4 failure. - " admitted Nv the street
railway men Two ears were purchased
over year ago M an OUTLAY ~ nearly
800 nnu and one If these D. already ont
Of commission. much If its machinery
having been used on repairs ON the oth-
cr ear. The second ear s constantly out
~ service leaving mo outward evidence
Of street railway except the tracks.
\ Persons who have had more or less
10 do with street railways believe that
the present system could bc made "a at
/ least paws its costs Of operation IL elec-
ltrIc ears We're put into service One eler-
tric ear could br purchased they say at
less than half the cost ~ one of the
motor ears now owned bY the company
The success from an investment
standpoint of street railway here ,le-
pcndS upon the final construction ~
street ear system connecting Browns
Vile and Matamoros. More than a year
and half ago. before the beginning of
the revolution. franchise were secured
from the state of Tamaulipas for the
construction and operation Of an cleo
itric or motor ear line IN Matamoros 20
fireplace the present mule ear system.
II was the plan ~ the meh securing
the concession 10 run connecting lines
between the two cities. using the In
ltcrnational bridge for transfers by snr-
cial arrangement with the Brownsville
and Matamoroa Bridge Go.
The mule ear concession MatapOros
ran ont more than seven wears ago. the
ihnes having been permitted 10 contin-
~ operation because there was no 9TH
cr service available. The proposed line.
IN the event revolution ems and for
mcr concessions are recognized by the
new government would w. given right
If way over he mule ear system. yhirh
would he done away with entirely.