Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-01-04
IN OUR
VALLEY

railroad. now New Orleans, Texas
& Mexico. missouri Pacific) property
went out of receivership the night of
December 81. 1t Immediately came un-
der Missouri Pacific management, and
with that comes new railroad efficiency
for Southwest Texas, since the Missouri
Pacific has announced single line rates
for its related properties in Texas
What the single line rate means is
indicated on the savings of $18 car.
load on citrus fruits between Browns
vile and San Antonio
In these single line rates are includ-
ed the Rio Grande City railroad, the
San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf. the Sugar
Land railroad, the st. Louis, Browns
vile Mexico, and the International
Great Northern.
There has been another railroad
change in this territory that may have
some bearing on the future of Browns
vile. The National Linas of Mexico
are again under the direction OF the
private owners, the government having
Telinquished control Desa1nber 81 after
some eleven years of government op-
Grafton.
This change may prove an incentive
to the resumption Of railroad construc-
tion in the Republic of Mexico Per-
haps there will be something definite
in the not distant future in connection
with railroad from Matamoros
straight south to Victoria or Tampico.
An oil field somewhere down the
coast from Brownsville might bring
such development
A party of geologists, said to repre-
sent the Dutch Shell interests, are
gathered in Matamoros awaiting favor
able weather for scouting trip some
100 miles southwest of Matamoros.
There 25 or more in the party
A veil of mystery surrounds their ac-
tivities. They refuse to talk, for pub
lication or otherwise.
Probably it's good sense, if they ex-
pect to hold their jobs.
The report continues that salt is
bothering the Tampico fields That is
why activity is being resumed in other
directions. They are drilling in the AL
damas region.
The Southern Pacific charges that the
Missouri Pacific wants to "hog the
whole works" down here on the Rio
Grande.
The Missouri Pacific charges that the
Southern Pacific has had "silent SEN
tinel" at Falfurrias for these many
years, watching the Gulf Coast Lines
develop the territory, so it could later
pounce down and "get the grapes"
Now that both have mad say, we
wonder what the Interstate Commerce
Commission is going to do about it, af-
ter argument that begins January p,
is heard.
Sunday The Herald mentioned some
men Of national prominence who have
forecast great development on the low
er coast, which includes the Lower Rio
Grande Valley.
There is still another man, known
best perhaps throughout the electrical
world. He is Martin j. insult of Chi
cago, head of the Midwest Utilities
company. owners of electrical proper
ties in the Valley and Southwest Texas
for which the insult interests paid $2O,-
OO0,000-and insult never even saw the
properties he bought.
That's betting strong on the future
of Southwest Texas and its most pro-
ductive area, the Lower Rio Grande
Valley.
Out in the Salt River Valley, irrlga-
tion farmers have voted to cement line
their canals They have eben troubled
by seepage, their lands becoming water
logged. They have taken the best
means to stop it.
At McAllen the other day water users
voted to undertake similar construction.
Concreting canals does more than
prevent water-logging of lands. 1t also
conserves the use of water, reducing
the cost of irrigation, both to the far
mer individually and to the district
that pumps and distributes it.
Other districts in the Valley have
similar plans in view. They are FL Jar
din and La Feria, and others.
Although more than 100000 acres un-
der irrigation is the increase since 1919
water engineers assert that less water
is being used in the Valley than siX
years ago. Users are learning rapidly
not to over-water.
Miss Mamie Price, connected with
The Brownsville Herald. is developing
(Coutinued on Pare Two1