El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-15
TORREON THE
WONDER CITY
Springs From Indian Town
To American-Like City
Z in a Few Years.

Washington, D. c, July 15.-Torreon,
the scene Of a recent VIOLENT outbrea k
by Mexicans against American citizens,
had a population of $4,000 and resem-
bled a thriving American manufactur-
ing center before the outbreak of the
0ladero revolution. says a national
geographic society bulletin.
IN the midst of the most fertile
agricultural districts of Mexico, and en-
joying the advantage Of railroad con-
uections north, south, east and west,
Torreon has enjoyed a phenomenal
growth during the last 20 years" says
the bulletin.
The CITY is situated on the south
western edge Of the border state OF
Coahuila, only a few miles from the
rich mining state Of Durango Here
Mexican lntern2 tlOnal cross BY the
former il is 51q miles TO the Texas Dor
der at FL PasO. and by the latter 80
miles to Eagle Pass. Mexico City lies
7O7 miles 20 the southeast The near
est point TO the American border Is
due north of Torreon. about 230 miles
in an air line The city of Durango IS
$50 miles to the southwest by rail and
Tampico on the Gulf of Mexico. Is $50
miles to the southeast
Grows From Indian Village to City.
With such exceptional railroad Ia
cilities and with an enormously rich
inning district from WHICH 10 tEd W
as well as n highly productive farming
section, il is not surprising that Tor
d. reon has grown from an insignificant
indian village in 1896 20 one OF the
1h6st progressive centerS of population
in northern Mexico. As recently as
1857 the site Of the present town was
the FL Coyote ranch. The name Tor
re0n was taken from a watchtOwer
which the ranch owner erected as
precautiOn measure against maraudins
Indians who infested the region
Is Modern City
To-day TOrreon has substantial brick
and cement business houses. electric
lights and telephones. several big cot
ton factories the largest soap factory
- the southern republic, important
-four mills and gigantic shelters which
reduce ores from mines hundreds OF
miles distant
The cotton factories are supplied I
with raw material from the great La
guna district which produces nine
tenths of all the cotton raised in Mexi- Z
Co The size of the crop depends +
largely each year on the amount Of Z
rainfall during the wet season. which :
higgins in June and continues until Oc- !
ltaber. During the fall months. follow :
ing the rain. the streams of the Laguna /
district overflow their banks. cover
ing the valleys with water to depth /
OF several feet After this has soaked +
into tho land the farmers pillow the
&Fied crust Of soil and leave il until
February or March, when the cotton Is
painted
Cotton Perennial in the LagUna-
The less progressive natives. who
are content with Il smaller yield do /
not find il necessary TO plant their
crops oftener than every eight or ten !
years for cotton is perennial in this
region The plant was found in Mexico
by the Spaniard Columbus, recOgniz-
ing il off the mainland of Yucatan. in
1902 The Aztecs and Toltecs knew its
uses and not only did they weave beau
AfuI garments Of t. but they used 1t in
quilted form 10 make breast plates
which were proof against arrows.
-'Torreon has quite IN extensive trade
with the outside world. importing
electrical. mining and agricultural ma
chinery ad exporting gold. silver. lead
and the rubber manufactured from the
Guayule shrub which grows in this re-
giOn-
Tt is a ride Of . minutes on the
electric cars TO the large suburban
t1T Of Bcrdo. lust over the border Of
q @huila in Durango. Here the rents
= much cheaner than in the larger
CIV Gomez Palacio. an important |
RAJ, Dad center. which has an immense
cot.C1 oil and SOAP works is lust across I
the river Nszas from Torreon-