Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1866-02-25
2.aPHIS APPEAL.


inE across ami around, all sorts Of re
fre-liug ideas are infused into the mint
of-a newly arrived person ike myseh
Here is 9 crooked little river, thai 4ol
can Shy au oyster shell across, separating
the two great North American instlJu
tons known as Mexico a ihe ChAUet
States.
P-uas stretched across the streams ar,
used for the propulsion Of the scow
which transfers wheeled vehicles anC
heavy goods. whilst the constant crowd
nf foot passengers take the skihs at ;
u~ieavune mot five cents a head. Plea
runaS and bits, old Spanish 12I and 81
cent pieces, mostly worn as smooth
SIS uicoes Of tin, constitute th,
small currency here partially on
This side, where a Creenback dollar e
worth sixty cents, and wholly on the
other siGa-hGlf dimes and dimes being
good, but used only in the make up OF
0ua-.ers, OF two bit pieces. Prices are 80
ElaEed that every little thing costs a
r.7.Eune or a bit dimes OF half dimes
seHarately, do not evenly pay for any
thing. This Is a depression upon g small
subject but it may be interesting TO some
of your readers.
Communication from the Texas side is
unrestricted. Everything and every
body passes I'VE at will-if I except the
United States troops. Officers, under
permit, go over once in a while. Com
ing from the Mexican side, iu Is differ
ert. Everybody and everything
must have q pass. Americans-here
il bothers me 20 use this word in its
common sense, for Nexicans are Ameri-
cans IS vel IS we-OT United Statesers,
have 20 get their passes from the United
States Commercial Agent, there being
no recognized Consult, paying twenty
i've cents each for the same, and then
c11ate-slEHei by Gen. Mejia's Provost
Marshal. All goods and packages have
10 pass 81 regular cu-tlmhOuse inspection.
Ee-e sre Z. ). steamboats, Of different
sizes and shapes all in Government ser
vice running down the river 10 Whites
Rancho, 81 around 70 Brazos, never
touching on the Mexican side, only 10
wood. On the other side are Mexican
steamers which run from Matau0ras to
BaEi4d. 81 the mouth Of the river. but
never, under any circumstance, touch on
the Texas side, owing 10 custOmhouse re-
-s--il.iols. The Rio Grande is narrow, and
there are said 20 be some people around
the two cities rather fond Of smuggling
than otherwise.
LatamCr4s and Brownsville do not
face each other on the river, IS their
much taiksd-0G pr0pinqUiJy leads many
people TO suppose. The river makes a
horseshoe bend, opposite the head Of
which stands Brownsville, close on the
river bank. Llt4m0raS stands on the
neck OF tle peninsula formed by Ei.
bend, without being close 20 the river on
either side alu from the ferry landiuG
opposite Brownsville, il is a good ulile Il
the nearest gl->EirJS Of NatEmoraS.
This mile j. means Of subsistence 10 8
horde Of pe8n hack or cab drivers, who
carry YOU in li.apidated vehicles with
supeulugated horses and mules. from
the ferry 70 the city, for 8 bit, or twelve
and q half cents.
But there being no high ground OF
timber there IS nothing in thi, region
You can call timber between the Two
cities, they are very distinctly visible 10
each other. And 50 they quietly stand.
vet CiviIly, E-aTiuE az each orLer-1ne a.
the f-.lg-ass Of Imperial Mexico. the
other o. tie telescope Of the Republican
Unirgi States.
Each Isl military headquarters for rs
own country, 20 which all the eyes O..
each country z-e a. present turned. Dev
EI-sI day each hears the others reveile
o -ztto, and The general sounding O..
HHa# 7--A -H-a Aa AEAAIEEa 40 -
feet upon this. IL seems novel or odd. +
is Still more 30 when YOU leave Browns.
vile, its streets teemiug with United
States troops, gaLy dressed officers.
flags, and all the "P0mp and circum-
stance IF glorious war, or readiness for
war ana then IN a few minutes haul up
At the Plaza IN MaIsm0ras, where Won
are N the midst OF another scene Of lis.
military animation, but one so very f7r-
elElln aspect % that Of Brownsville
Austrian cavalry, Mexican infantry. and
slaSlluE ConJra-GGerrilas,u or men of
al countries, principally those eountrie
comprising the southern portion Of -.
United S-ates-rheir variaus MIC -
challenging the rainbow u me brijfs-I-
and variety OF their bras and me "a.
Uou7 cuts and sys of said uniform.
IAN Of all the military
re last thousand years.
.lug on the bank Of the Rio
AIDE, little things strike the eye q.
well as big ones, and afford abundance o
food TO the ruminative mind. It j. here
for a small matter, that you may zee tht
peon. O. Mexican Indian. in his mobiles
aspect-that OF honesty and Ll-paid in
dUsrry. 7 allude 10 the water carriers
Brownsville Is supplied with its water en-
riralv from the river. Here and ther,
some proud person keeps a cisteFn, ant
catches 8 litLe rain when IL comes along
hut Brownsville drinks and cooks an,
washes out Of the Rio Grande, and thl
poems supply the water. Each peOn ha
his iron bound barrel or cask, with sXel
or hubs rugged up 10 the ends, to which D.
attaches the ends Of mis- light rope or trace
chain, anu, placing himself within tn.
latter, hauis the barrel q "a mule TO il
destination. At al hours of the day 70,
see these fellows dragging their barrel
al 0veT town. At the river where tbs
bank Is high and the road steep, they
help esch other with their barrels up hill
and then each takes his way.
One exception 70 this rule afforded m,
some entertainment. A stout LOOKING
fellow rolled his barrel-no, il was not
barrel, but something fully the size Of &
rice or bacon cask, and irOnb0uud Ike al
the Test-1lwn the hill, and kicked i
with his bare foot into the water. h
then rolled his biglegged cotton
pants 70 the vicinity Of hi.
hips, shook the ashes from hii
cigarette, walked out and seized 81,
caSk, held it in the edge Of the current
and reyOlyed it rapidly a little while.
there being two open bung holes in Ouf
end, q 70 let the water in and air out.
Next be artisticaliy bore upon the cask
until il got heavy and begun to sink
soon DC was full then he placed il on
end with the bung end up and drawing
from his pockets two wooden piuas.
hammered them into the holes With a
stone. Rolling the cask ont ofthe water.
he rested little while. calmly surveying
the biz he had TO mount His hauling
gear was gracefully COiled around his
neck his cigarette at this iUncture ey-
pirgd. Then he went to work, shoulder
ing the cask up the hill; real honest work
saw . was planting his heels de5p in
the dirt, and pushing with his head and
shoulder, til the muscles OF his we'll
shaped brown legs stood out a. If ready
10 burstt the skin. He went only three or
four feet at a time, al each halt turn
ing The cask lengthwise with the road.
auL stu holding 70 10 10 take a short
rest. So DE worked for about half an
hour, wien be reached the top. Then he
TOOK & good rest. seated on his caek.
looked ell around and saw or seemed
70 see that the country was safe: drew
forth enoJher cigarette, ard lit il from
thsU Of another psou UucO-led his gear
from sE5ut his neck, adjusted IL 10 The
Cask, ana then himself To L., with all the
A-lANEGAt4IA l1- 4A-cAf u z hdlfN DUE
ting on his Gcc6-tis for q fancy ball and
finally started slowly Of up town, WHIT
Gu- away ct lis cigarette ard the WEIGHT
Of bis cask causing Ais body TO incline
forward az an angie OF about 0rtv-fve
oezrer- This man Is an a--.st0,ra-
among The wala- haUierz de gets two
bits q lead for his water, whilst the
Others ger aIlv one bit.
Should IL puzzle you 10 know how
thee poems can work so hard for so little
compensation, 90 and look at their resi-
deuce= in The suburbs, and the thing Is
about explained. Their ingenuity in
constructing lou=es "a OF LrushUsood.
reefs, mud and grass, IS something ex-
clu-ively their own They have their
houses, uutluu-cs, fences. and every
thing, laid of sguarelv and neatlv.anG. 10
them, comfortably. YET, upon no manrs
premises, or In any OF bis buildings viii
you ind a piece 81 wood thicker than
your wrist or q piece of straight wuod
Straight for more than SIX inches.
house consists OF one room. with "a
door in front and a door behind. no
windows. and mother earth for Hear