Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-08-21
OF
'SPIDERWEB IS
ALSOPLANNED
San Antonio Believes
Move Is Attempt to
Forestall Any NJ. K.
& 7. Extension

A new phase in the battle for RAN
supremacy in the Lower Rio Grande
Valley was revealed Friday after
noon when the Missouri Pacific filed
with the Interstate Commerce Com
mission an application for permit to
acquire the San Antonio Southern
\ Railway, extending south from San
tAntonio 40 miles TO Christine. An
lnouncement of the filing of the APP
plication was made by II. K. Stafford,
executive vice-president.
Plans have also been made, Mr..
Stafford stated, for two extensions Of
the San Benito & Rio Grande Rail
way ("Spiderweb"). the first ex-
tending from Fernando, the present
terminal of the road beyond Rio
Hondo, to a point approximately six
miles east. The second proposed ex-
tension. for which application has
been made to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, contemplates a
junction with the Rio Grande rail-
way at a point approximately Is
miles south of San Benito.
Another proposed VI. r. extension
includes the building of line ap-
proximately IL miles in length In a
southeasterly direction from Ray
mondville to point near the Will
lacy, Cameron and Hidalgo county
lines where the proposed flood con-
troll works will turn eastward, near
Mile Is on the Mercedes tract.
Move Was Expected
n
that the Missouri Pacific Lines were
interested in the San Antonio South
kern. now the property of the Harry
Landa interests of San Antonio. The
line extends from San Antonio south
to Christine, serving in a general
way much of the territory now
4 served by the San Antonio. Uvalde
and Gulf Railroad. which only this
year was purchased by the Missouri
Pacific.
Properties to be acquired under
the Missouri Pacafic Lines applica-
! tion to purchase the San Antonio
! Southern include 1872 miles Of main
line between San Antonio and Chris
tine. six miles of sidings and the
equipment of this railroad. Total
mileage owned by the San Antonio
Southern is given in the application
as 44.s9, which. with trackage rights
over the International Great North
ern from Kirk to San Antonio, would
make the line 60.77.
May Foreclase Katy
In San Antonio the move of the
Missouri Pacific endeavoring to ac-
Z re the San Antonio Southern is
regarded as an effort to forestall
the contemplated invasion Of this
territory by the Katy lines. 1t Is
! pointed out that the San Antonio
Southern's line from Kirk south to
Christine. would be the direct route
/ for the Katy.
G. n. Whitehead, president Of
the Katy. who was in San Antonio
! recently TO discuss the proposed ex-
tension of his line with the Chamber
! of Commerce and representatives Of
towns in the territory II would
sserve, said that his company had no
Ydesire to buy the San Antonio South
| ern, giving it as his opinion il would
ybe much cheaper and more satisfac-
tory to build an entirely new line.
He said during his conference that
m application to the Interstate Com
aerce Commission for permission to
f.uild the new line, which would give
sen Antonio another direct connec-
R.n with the new port at Corpus
7risti. and possibly, later on. a new
Fad into the Rio Grande Valley,
huld be warmly contested by both
We Missouri Pacific and Southern
iacific.