Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1914-05-29
RAILWAYS PASS
INTO HANDS OF
LOCAL PEOPLE
ID. \. O'BltlEN giOMOTER or RAIL
ROAD To O. - 7. CONFIRMS PIE
CHASE Ofs&lO GEANpE AND
BROWNSVILLE RAILWAYS.
PRICE IS NOT PUBLIC
DEAL FINAlLfa CLOSED IN 81.
LOUIS YES IiDAY BY a..
BROWNE-N ANS MTGII To
CITY AND srTrNTRY.

ID. \. OBrics. promoter Of the stand
ard gauge rsilrS Al from Townsville ~
the coast. tol;~ confirmed the report
that local capitz sts ave closed a deal
for the purchase 4 the Rio Grande Rail
way company Cooperating twenty-five
;silc~ Of narrow gauec railway from
brownsville Ia Point Isabel. and the
Brownsville ~ Ut n I%nteeurbaa rail
way. opcratinssiArc miles ~ standard
gauge street r~iiNay in the city o.
Brownsville. t. deal was closed in 81
Louis ycstcrda, Ia Mayor a. Albert
Browne. one az TEX urine movers in th-
proposition. VIII EFT Brownsville for -
Louis last Monctt afternoon for the pGr-
pose.
This annom& ami also confirms q ~.
port recently Isnlishcd IN The Herald
that an option = the property was held
by local people. asid that II was believed
the deal was al Il "a be closed.
II is announnsi tskiy that IL was
probable that IT, physical properties ..
the lines will i~ finally Transferred ~
the local rcopls within the next week.
This will incluir the terminals nj Point
Isabel AMI BrfAn~viflc of the Rio
Grandc raiirs. two railroad engines
built about fort, wears ago. and which
have boen in alDSt constant service dur
inc that time. avn y number 81 ears. also
the right 81 wsr Tlr rolling stock ~
the Rio Grand, read Is not considered
Of value. The iinr il due In ~ entirely
rebuilt standar rcd anil equipped e..
operation by ncs' April.
The ent II the closing 80
thr deal for tn Rie Grandc aud The
Brownsville strr~F railway line definite
~ kills al rcpo~ss that tie proposition
TO build = line from Brownsville fn tia
coast has faAH1lhrongh. II il the L.
ginning Of a SCI " of plans by A. Albert
Browne which have IN object the up
building Of the city Of Brownsville as
rs 4 corHiAcrcisl ccHtcr. and the making
~ il one ~ the i%rrgest. II not the largest
city in the Sta sf Texas.
In addition A. meaning The ~inausura-
tisn ~ u modcFr railroad 10 cc.ll-ct
Brownsville WIS The coa.t and fhc
proposed Braz Santiago harbor. the
deal just close means also the %clcctri-
Tying nf the BxswnSvillr street railway
and the cstsb& amcnt 81 4 street ear
system that wis give service. Thi. an
nouDrcmcnt i ut obtained from I'M IT
fetal source bui Ii l. known that plans
have been undef way for some time fer
using electric r,rs here instead of the
motor ears. whr&h have proven a failure
for street railway service.
The purchase of the Isio Grande means
also. il is stated ~ good ~outaority. that
Point lSalrls great advantages ~ i
summer resort will he taken advanauc
Of. The Point commands n stretch of
beach that IL declared Ia he smonp the
finest on the Gulf coast. needing onlv
the hand II man To- take advantage Of
It's natural advantages.
Besides MI the improvements that are
certain 10 ensue froln this sale. there j.
also c%ntailed the wrccking Of the oldest
aud most nnialc railroad ia Texas. The
Rio Grandc railroad was built M l>1a
Nv the late Simon Cclaya basksci Ia M
a.soeiation of spanish capitalists. IT.
rails came from Belgium and the engines
were hrunght down ~ steamer from the
northeast.
From 1872 until 1901 when the II.
Louis. Brownsville 4 Mcxicn built into
Brownsville. giving this section H. first
connection with the outside world hv
railroad. the little Rio Gramdc railroad
hauled I'm immense tonnage annually. III
brought freight from the roast ~
brownsville aud llatamoros. the latter
city for manis Years having bees the Iis
t~ributine ceif;er for an immense terri
tory ia Northeast Mexico. II il declared
To have hers a diviScnl producer from
the start. and l. said to have more han
repaid IT, stockholders for IT, building
The l;ie t;randc passed into the hands
If the larger line that built into Browns.
Vile. and with this property n few years
later Was takcr over nv the Frisco IN.
t~ercsts. IL also went into the hand. If
receivers last year along with the other
Frisco properties.
IL r said that the Frisco for several
wears had in view the rebuilding of the
line. and actually did SEINE trrstlc ~iaul
ardizinr II. anil "A few Other Improve.
nesfs. However. with he rrcriverShip
this work was gi,cr ur. and later tho
line was orlrrci sola Nv the federal
court M ~. Louis.
TtII- Ilar~a~ 49, sI.@ - -