Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-07-24
100 AUTOMOBILES
DAILY WOULD USE
DIAMOND LOOP"
MANY AUTO TOURISTS WOULD MAKE
THE 65O-MILE TRIP THROUGH
SCENIC BORDER COUNTRY.
TOURISTS WOULD VISIT LAREDO.
BROWNSVILLE AND CORPUS.
POINTS OF INTEREST.

San Antonio. July 2i.-If the proposed
Diamond Loop highway i completed . ~
to JOIN san Antonio. Laredo. Brownsville
and Corpus Christi into 900 miles of con
tInuou4 hard surfaced road. there would he
m average II 100 ~automohilcS travelling
the highway daily. This J. the estimate
made by ID. f.. Colp, secretary of
on present traffic over the San Antonio
Corpus Christi portion of the highway.
IAN average of fifty automobiles a day
has been maintained between San Antonio
and Corpus Christi Guring the last three
weeks" Mr.. Colp said. These travellers
comprise tourists on their way To the coast.
and South Texas folk coming 10 san An
tonia. With the completion Of the high
way from San Antonio To Corpus Christi,
and ON To Brownsville and Laredo. 1t i
apparent that the traffic would be doubled.
Each person who would make the over
land trip will spend ON an average of al
least - Il day. Some business men have
figured the daily expense i - y day. But
figuring - a day and five passengers IL the
ear. would mean 81 900 a day, or more than
N30o ,oo0 a year expended IN each of the
larger cities on the highway. IT, say moth
IN. ui the gasoline and oil sales. and re-
par work at the various stops along the
scenic route. But a. u matter of fact. the
amount which would - expended would
exceed 500. nnO annually. and such cities
I s,, Gu. 80. Du. III. go. ~.
are attractive enough 10 held the interest
Of tourists iIr several laN-. The money
tha. world be spent for hotel accomoda-
ton, bathing. boating. ,ouvcnir~. motion
pictures. bull fight and similar cxprndi-
turr~ prohahlv would exceed that expended
on the - 4 day calculation.
"Thc completion of the loop will be- one
OF the most prariicahlr means nf Secinc
America first. Since more than 5000 .nnn
tourists visit Europe every year. a major
ity of whom are Americans. the tendency
will he for more American travel during
the next few years. In fact II viii scarce
~ be safe IN Europe after the war.
at l. estimated that 50.GG0 tourists will
pass over the old National Trail on their
way ~ san Francisco. The Diamond Loop
would offer an opportunity for one of the
most attractive side trips for a week a.
may be- found IN America. II will be 4
highway which touches the Gulf, the plains.
mountains, valleys. and IA foreign country.
IL will give the tourist q graphic idea Of
Mexico and ~" social and industrial life
81 her people. and IN the same time permit
tourists Ia battle in am uudcrtowlc~~ beach
fish for tarpon. or roam about among the
Juin~ more than ,vo centuries old.
'The only drawback to the highway NJ
Corpus Christi l. the preSe,,ce of a gap IN
Nuece~ county which will cost about $40
600 10 fill. Corpus Christi business men
are Awakening to the need of having this
part of the highway improved. since il
would he the most profitable investment
they could make.
Between Corpus Christi and Browns
Vile lies u vast sand waste which either
must he crossed IN Willacy county or IN
Brooks county. A sand clay road which
was tried out in Willacy county a short
time ago has proved successful. and the
experiment may give the highway move
ment some impetus. Between Brownsville
and Jared" there are numerous sand dunes
and mountainous country. particularly in
Zapata county. The road from Laredo Ia