Valley pioneers recall their first trip on the St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico railroad across the “Sands.” All were agreed on the one point that it was indeed a disagreeable voyage, particularly during the hot, dry summer days when no particle of sand knew a home, it blew everywhere and for no reason.
It was a desert in fact. The railroad was put to constant expense in keeping gangs of laborers in the Sands who did nothing but shovel Sand off the tracks ahead of the trains. This continued from 1904 to along in 1912 or 1913.
Then someone, I believe it was Dr. H.H. Harrington, the agricultural agent for the railroad , for he directed the work, conceived an idea. It was that if the Sands along the railroad were fertilized things would grow, especially weeds and other rank growth, forming an obstacle to the movement of Sand.
The idea proved satisfactory, today there is plenty of green growth in the Sands along the railroad. Travel across the “desert” is made disagreeable no longer, in 1924, the railroad layed 20 miles of 80 pound steel through the Sands with gravel ballast to sustain it which made travel across the Sands more comfortable.
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