Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-01-22
ENGINEERS WIND
UP EPOCHAL TRIP
THROUGH VALLEY
GIVE MANY EVIDENCES OF FACT
THAT THEY WERE EVEN MORE
THAN IMPRESSED.
DECLARE THAT INFORMATION GIVEN
MORE AND MORE VALUABLE
THAN At OTHER HEARINGS.

L
er Rio Grande Valley in the interest Of
government should expend about $780,
600 in the creation of an ocean port at
Brazos Santiago. the members of the
board of engineers for rivers and harbors
were motored through the Valley Satur-
day aS guests of committee comprising
prominent Brownsville and other Valley
citizens. They visited the gigantic pump
ing plant at IIdalgo, from which point
they could see the skyline of the Mexican
town of Reynosa.
They were shown miles and miles Of
ground under cultivation. they motored
across and along many miles Of irrigation
canal and were shown thousands of acres
Of land being gotten ready for planting in
sugar cane-in one place the new sugar
cane acreage being planted by one inter
est amounts TO 5000 acres.
Passing through the towns of McAllen.
Pharr--where thew had spent Friday
night and had held the acknowledgements.
! Donna and others. they were impressed by
the substantial nature of the buildings, the
general air of prosperity and above all the
excellent type of schools being erected.
under construction that will cost about
100000 when completed.
| Dinner was eaten at Mercedes where full
Justice was done to spread that would
! have engendered envy of hosts for such an
occasion in any city in the country where
home products comprise the bill Of fare.
Magic Valley lettuce. celery and other veg
etables. the first in whole, crisp heads,
were exceedingly decorative MS well as
good TO eat.
! The engineers had intended making an
| inspection of the country around Mer-
cedes. but when the arrived they were al
ready well tired out from the mornings
trip. They were anxious TO get 10 their
Pullmans for rest and the trip home.
The trip was completed at Iiarlingen in
| time to take the east bound train for their
return home. all leaving OH that train ex-
cept Colonel ". Y. JudSon. who came IN
TO Brownsville to spend Sunday with rela..
tives.
| Without positive commitments Of com
|
evidences Of the fact that they were much
more greatly impressed with what they
saw on the trim than they anticipated.
Captain A. IT. Weber. secretary of the
board. for instance, made an omen propc
| sition 70 q prominent Pharr citizen who Is
not in the realty business thae he will
sacrifice 4 200-acre farm Just outside Of
q \ an Ia pyh
and will invest the proceeds-which he
estimated would he around $4,000 in &c
farm III the Valley, the Pharr citizen to
select the farm and put through the deal.
At Point Isabel the day before Colonel
j. r. Shrunk. senior member Of the board,
and acting chairman. stated that the inn
Iportance Of the Point Isabel fish industry.
from his ocular knowledge Of 1T, had as
tonished and impressed him.
The members of the board stated that
the definite information furnished them by
the citizens was in kind and quantity all
that they could have asked for and much
more than they usually get at hearings of
this nature. They left the impression that
their experience upon the trip bore sim
Sheba when she told Solomon that in the
Iprevions news she had heard Of his great
ness ''the half had not been told her"
As an instance of the modestv ohserv-
led nv the member Of the Vocal committee
in furnishing the members of the board
with statistics. Commodore Cobolini stated
that the port Of Galveston each wear
saves about S29. 600, 900 as the result Of
the improvements made there by the gov
ernment. or nearly the total amount spent
by the federal government on harbor and
waterway improvements in the entire state
lColonel Judson stated that the saving he'd
been very much under estimated and that
according to his figures, which took in a
wider scope Of investigation than that OF
Figures applying to Texas traffic alsne
the port operates a saving of more than
$40. 100000 annually.
The saving resulting from the Calves
ton port was brought up to illustrate the
vast saving that may be expected from