Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-07-15
I'm OUR
VALLEY

SELF STYLED statisticians EN-
ployed by northern financial houses
II one sort or another are proving a
constant source of irritation TO the
managers Of the Valley chambers of
commerce.
Manager Richardson of the Browns
willie chamber and Manager Toolan
of the Harlingen chamber recently
straightened out the United States
chamber of Commerce on their bust
ness map of the Valley. That job
done, Manager Richardson now dis
covers map issue by a Chicago
house which purports to designate
the important products Of various
sections of Texas.
II indicates that in the section
.om a point at or near Raymond
lie TO point at or near Corpus
hristi is potato and rice growing
district. Any Valley man could look
that and laugh out loud.
Then il designates the Valley as a
itrus fruit and sugar cane growing
section, which can also bring a laugh,
but not quite so loud.
So far as this writer could observe
here was only one accurate desig-
sation on the entire map. That was
Il San Angelo which is mohair and
sool district, as the map states.
THE VALLEY was, at one time, a
considerable sugar cane growing dis
fict. There are several monuments
20 that dead industry, one at
Bf townsville. one at San Benito which
rs functioning in a new way, one at
kHai lingen, one near Donna.
A former large sugar cane planta-
ion at Llano Grande has been con
serted into typical Valley farming
|1ection, or is being so converted.
Several things combined to kill the
sugar industry here. One was the
aiiff. Another was the fact that
the land proved to be too valuable
Tor sugar cane.
And still another important factor
was the cane borer. lie dealt the
death blow.
The late Augustus w. Heintze. the
"copper" magnate, sunk something like
"A half million dollars in an enGeavor
10 develop sugar cane growing near
Brownsville.
Hiram U. Hart. for many years one
of the most enthusiastic believers in
THE possibilities Of sugar cane here,
went broke" finally landed in
hn 4
come fabulously wealthy.
HART, by the way, once treated
/ this writer to a two hours discussion
of the possibilities OF sugar. lie
overlooked with enormous figures
and facts. He created a railroad, in
| his imagination, from Brownsville to
Tampico, alongside il one long
i stretch OF sugar cane.
In this 225-mile long plantation he
foresaw tens of thousands of work
ers. He foresaw scores Of sugar
mills, their products being gathered
by this railroad and brought to
Bi ownSville for refining in great re-
fineries constructed here.
1t was a wonderful story while it
lasted.
Shortly thereafter the democratic
party went into power. II did things
90 the tariff. And that's where Hart
placed the blame for the failure of
the sugar industry here.
i But GETTING back TO those stat
ticians and mapmakers for north
efn financial and investment con
|,cerns. II all their work IL as mac
Fcnrate as the alleged facts concern
f;ng this part of Texas, their statis-
u al departments are in sad need Of
Reorganization.
fi Ii is not altogether northern CON
Fielns either. In San Antonio there
published so-called directory Of
South Texas which also reminds US
of this dead and gone sugar industry,
bat sens TO think that sugar cane
continues 10 be pursuit in this dis
| trict.
One reason for all this, of course.
is the fact that the Valley is com
paratively new. The original exten-
sive production Of this district was
vice and sugar cane, but changing
q Jnditions have eliminated both.
ANOTHER WEEKLY newspaper
the Lower Ro Grande Valley has
-nnounced its decision To become a
. emi-weekly.
v That's The Harlingen Star.
|. Ii will be the third semi-weekly
clew spaper in this section. The 9TH
YES are the Rio Grande sun, OF Pharr,
Sahich was the first, the Mercedes
ews.
y The Star. in announcing its change.
.hich is to take place in August, be
,.ieves the time has not yet arrived
when Harlingen can support such
daily as will be truly reflective of
the town. II much prefers, it says,
to publish a good weekly or semi
weekly than a poor daily. The Star
will grow into the daily field. That's