El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-30

GALVESTON, Texas, June 30
Away down here on the Gulf of
~ Mexico. several hundred miles
west OF the mouth of the Mississippi
and in about the same latitude as
Cairo. in Egypt. lies a little island
which has become Of great Importance
on account of the war. The island is
a spit of sand three miles wide and a
little more than 80 miles long. You
could walk across IL in an hour and
from one end to The other IN a day.
1t lies close to she snCre, and II 5ne
place so near IL that q. causeway, over
which the trains 90 in three minutes,
connects II with the mainland of Tex
as The island lies at the mouth Of a
great bay almost half as large as the
state of Rhode Island : guards the
entrance and thereby furnishes har-
Dor from which viii go out vast guam
titles of goods to our allies in Europe.
Chief Cotton Export Point.
This island is Galveston Island, and
the harbor is the chief export point
for the vast shipments Of cotton.
which will be sent abroad to feed the
textile factories OF England and
France and to supply the munition
plants of those. countries. The modern
soldier is largely clad in cotton. and
500 pounds. turned into explosives, to
fire big gun.
Last year Galveston shipped be-
tween 100000 and 100000 bales OF
cotton, and more than half of that
went to England. Notwithstanding
forth in steady and unbroken
stream. Vessel after vessel. each car
rying from 5000 TO 10000 bales, has
crossed the Gulf Of Mexico and made
OF destination The value of such cot
ton sent abroad last year amounted
all told to over SIS3. Zoo. 00e. and Of
that more than s40.e09.000 worth has
gone to Italy and France.
War IEterferes.
Just now the business of the port IS
somewhat restricted on account of
the war. but when the Eeason is en-
there will be 20 arrivals and Depart
ures OF steamers a day. The wharves
will be covered with cotton bales and
hundreds of men will be packing them
so tight into the holds OF the steam
ers that upon starting out each will
be a solid mass Of cotton.
The cotton comes to Galveston on a
half dozen trunk lines, which meet at
the causeway. 1t crosses from there
to some of the largest cotton ware
houses Of the world-warehouses
which cover a ground space of 80 or
40 acres and which during most of the
year are piled high with cotton These
warehouses are known as cotton
presses They can store upward of
loo, 600 bales at a time and a white
stream OF these fibers moves in and
out of them all the year round.
The most Of these bales come from
the cotton fields of Texas, which pro-
duce more of this staple than any
other state OF the union The cotton
has been gathered on the farms, run
2 IA IN n
great bales which are pressed on the /
After il reaches Galveston /
the bales are again pressed in the 1
They go through high /
density machines which squeeze the /
white lint together into slabs as hard l
as iron two feet square and five feet
in length They are now about half as /
large as when they came in, and will /
take that much less room in the \
steamers. They are taken down to the
by rail. or on motor trucks
and mule drays. and in some cases
upon long pulley conveyors by means
Of which one mule can haul a large
number Of bales.
$50 n Week for Loading.
The loading of the steamers is done
oy skilled men, negroes who receive
As much as $50 a week during the
reason. They use great screws to
squeeze the bales into place and the
packing is so carefully done that a
single large vessel may carry as much
Is 10000 bales. That means 10000
100 pounds Of cotton. or enough to
make cotton shirt Tor every soldier
low fighting our battles in Europe
md leave some to spare. / know this
5 not an overestimate, for I have
ust weighed one of my own cotton
ihirts to find out. The scales kicked
he beam at eight ounces
Grain Chute of Southwest.
Galveston is not only the chief cot
on port of the world. but il is also
he grain chute of the southwest. We
10 not look upon this part of the {
United States as a grain raising CEN !
er, but it is fast becoming so and
With diversified farming it is bound
o be more and more one Of the big
-est bread baskets Of the North Amer
can continent. Texas alone is now !
aising 10000 900 bushels OF wheat ev-
~ year. and last year something like ,
100000 bushels were shipped out of !
ialveston. The grain comes in also
rom Kansas, Nebraska. Oklahoma :
nd states farther west, and il goes ,
Ut across the Gulf Of Mexico and IN q
through the Atlantic to Europe. Of |
he shipments last year more than
ah went to England and about one Z
iXth to Italy and France. During the
oming season such exports will be :
ushed and a large part of our for {
ign food supply will be sent out from :
ere List year IdlNESlOU mad sea- =
Ding trade worth more than quar-
sr OF billion dollars and the bulk :
'ent to our allies. !
Texas Has Three Important Ports. :
In addition e. wheat and cotton thu nav, >
Galveston T. fast becoming an cyp,-r
Pint for iurais- and ircn- On other sides y
the bay are tie two ports Of Texas civ 4
I'd Bolivar. TsSas CITY is six miles from :
alveston. on the mainland OF Texas and &
oliver. on the opposite side Of the nav Il
about four miles from Galveston Rot ?
ar is now shipping quantities OF lumber n
nd many OF the wooden ships that viii | 7
: built to carry the overseas trade will =
Il their lumber from here. II is aIs-, II
lie port for the shipment of the iron ore h
this region and II has the latest ar
ngement for handling such cargo.
All OF these three ports. as well as n
custom. are in a certain sense tributary n
Galveston bay. Houston. although II Il =
miles inland. has a ship canal which G
proposes to widen and deepen so that d
lie largest Of the ocean steamers can O.
'entually make their way to its wharves. ii