The Republican., 1925-12-17
A LETTER FROM THE
RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Garrett COuntianS Are Well and
Quite COntented In Their
Adopted Homes.
La Faria, Texas, Nov. 27, 1925.

! day morning, August oath, 1925, at
about $50 o'clock in our Overland
Sedan packed with all necessary
camping equipment to accommodate
family of three.
We arrived at Uniontown, Pa, at
500 o'clock the same morning and
camped the first night at GAINESVILLE,
Ohio, stopping a little early on ac-
count of being inexperienced in pitch
ing our tent and cooking out Of doors.
We Jared very we'll the first night,
having fine camp ground with good
spring water and plenty Of fresh milk.
Our next days run found US camp
ed at Indianapolis, Ind. This is a
very fine and beautiful city. One of
the many things there to be seen is a
monument erected in memory of the
soldiers and sailors who fought in the
Revolution. We were witnesses of som
wonderful scenes, but none to equal
that of Garrett county.
The next day we drove to st. Louis,
Mo-, with the expectation of continu-
ing our journey on Route No. ,, which
is the National Trail, but on account
of repair work being done it was ad-
vised by the State road patrol to de
tour leaving the macadam for the first
time during our travels thus far.
From this point on through the entire
State of Missouri we had sand and
gravel roads to contend with Due to
the fact that the entire State was
suffering from drouth, the roads were
terribly dusty. The most barren sec
tions we passed through were Mis-
souri, and Oklahoma, both States hav-
ing poor farm houses and barns. The
corn crop of Missouri was an entire
failure, as it simply burned up for
want of rain.
We passed through ten States.
Some of the cities and towns we mo-
tOred through we've Washington, Ia. ),
Wheeling, w. Va; st. Clairsville, o.;
Columbus, Springfield and Dayton.
o.; Richmond, Terra Haute and
Greenville, Ind; Jefferson City, Seda-
liza and Nevada, Mo-; Miami and Ca
madam, Okla; Fort Worth, Waco, San
Antonia, Laredo and Corus Cristi,
Texas. We camped at farm homes
all during our trip with the exception
Of one night when we stayed in the
tourists camp at San Antonio.
The most desolate place we encoun-
tered during our entire trip was when
passing over the road which extends
for 65 miles through the King Ranch
in the State of Texas. All we saw
from nine o'clock in the morning until
twelve o'clock noon was grazing land
and cattle. 1t was a very rough road
and only wide enough for one car. In
all this distance we did not meet a
living soul or see any sign of life ex-
cept large cattle and scavengerS. AS
we drove onward toward the Gulf we
saw things looking more prosperous.
We arrived at La Faria, Texas, on
Friday, September 4, at noon, having
had but two punctures and eXperienc-
ed the burning out of coil. We av-
eraged 20 miles to the gallon of gas
and the most we paid for the fuel was
% cents per gallon.
I NAV noncn bo,n 6, , Il IL,
scription of the Lower Rio Grande
Valley. In reality this valley is a
delta of the Rio Grande River. 1t is
in the shape of triangle with the
apex at Sam Fordyce and the base
along the Gulf Of Mexico. 1t is the
most southerly portion of the main
land of the United States. If you in
clude the strip of land along the river
between the stream and the highlands
up to Rio Grande City and Roma as in
the valley, it takes on the shape of a
cornucopia and from an agricultural
standpoint itS'is indeed horn of
plenty.
Originally this was great ranch
ing country, divided up in portions
upon basis of river frontage by
grants of the Spanish Grown. Irriga-
ton and transportation have trans
formed it into the winter garden of
America
The soil varies with the valley
ranging from heavy silt near the
river to a black, sandy loan in the
northeast portions and lighter san
dy loan in the second life lands of
the western portion. All of these are
extremely fertile and productive and
Of great depth. They are suited to
almost an unlimited variety Of crops
There are approximately 100000
acres under irrigation in the valley
The Rio Grande River is the sourc,
Of the water supply.
In regard 10 climate, it has beer
IDEAL ever since our arrival in the val
ley. There is rarely a day that we
don't have a fine Gulf breeze blowing
which makes it very pleasant at all