The daily gazette., 1875-05-14
The Rio Grassde Troubles.
HOW AN OLD TEXAN RANGER WOULD
SETTLE ALL DIFFICULTIES.

the Mexicans with Bowie Knife Bowie
Davy Crockett, and San Houston, be-
fore Texas gained her liberty at San
Jacinto in 1886. The old fellow has a
ranch over on the Rio Grande. about q
days horseback ride to the west from
San Antonio. Here, said l, as the old
fellow mounted his horse in front of
the Alamo, here is man who knows
more about the troubles on the Rio
Grande than Gen'l Grant and all his
Cabinet. So, handing him twenty
cent Henry Clay Havana, which had
been smuggled out from Matamoros
for ten cents, / asked the old fellSw to
tell me what trouble they were hay-
ing with the MeXicans over on the
rlycr.
Trouble. stranger, t-r o-u-E-l-e?" he
replied, examining me from head to
foot; "why, the only trouble we have
is because the damn marshals and SOL
diers wont let us go over and clean out
the Greasers-wont let us sail in and
kill every Mexican son of who
swims the Rio to raid our urstock. That's
all the trouble we have"
is that really the only trouble you
havc--the fact that you are not per-
mitted to kill the Mexicans?" I asked.
"Ain't that trouble enough stranger!
Didn't 500 greasers cross the river last
month, March co. down near Browns
Vile, Opposite Matamoras,) and didn't
they divide into ten squads and go
robbing and stealing through the towns
and ranches? Didn't one band go to
Nueces, 12 miles from Corpus Christi,
and rob the stores and banks and stage
coaches? Didn't they come up on
John Borden in the night, get the drop
on him, and rob him of $3.50 in Maxi
can dollars? Didn't the same party
rob Sam Moody OF $25, ,000-money
that Sam had been twenty years earn
ing, honestly selling smuggled goods?
Didn't they waylay and rob the Post
master of Neuccs? Didn't they round
in our best beeves, and then all swi N
back over the river at Matamoras, Ca
margo, and Lerado? You bet they
didl And when crowd of US Texa IS
staked out to go after the greasers, as
Davy Crockett and Bowie-knife Bowie
used to go after them, what did Col.
Mackenzie do? Why, he told us to
hold on, that the Mexican govern
ment would tend to 'em and if
it didn't why, the United States would
take it up. Just as if the Mexican
government had anything to do with
it, any way! Don't we all know that
| the Mexican authorities themselves
are all mixed up in these raids? Don't
we know that the raiders 60 straight
| back and divide beeves and mail bags
and stolen pocketbooks with the may.
| ors and marshals of Matamoros and
Lerado?"
''Do you think the Mexican officials
are really interested in these robber.
| ies?" | asked.
"Of course do! Why, there ain't
a Mexican official in the free zone
from Matamoros to Lerado, who is NOT
a professional smuggler."
"What do you mean by the free
zone?" l asked.
The free zone, sir, is streak OF
country for 800 miles up the Rio
Grande, and two miles back from the
river, where foreign goods came In
free from duty. They don't pay nc
duty. The Mexicans don't in Mata
noros, Reynora, Camago, Mier. Guerrc
and Lerado. On the Taxes side of the
Rio Grande we have to pay high duties
that is, we would have to if an ythinl
eve. landed here, but instead all tn,
goods Imported land on the Mexican
side free, and smugglers bring ZEN
across. They ueed to smuggle good!
across openly when Cotina was in com
mand, bus since he was removed the,
are little more private about it. Blu
even now you can buy yelvets anC
brandy and cigars and coffee as cheaI
in Brownsville as you can in Eu
rope"
"Don't this free zone damage thu
other Mexican cities?" | asked.
"Of course it docs, sir. 1t has ruin
ed Tampico and crippled Monterey
land Vera Cruz, There is just as much
smuggling into Mexico from the free
zone as into the United States. But
Mexico can't help itself. They are
afraid of those free zone fellows. The
free zone is only allowed to then
to keep them in the Mexican republic
Abolish the free zone those fellows
would come over to the United States
4 in a year, and lick the whole Mexican
I army to do it, too. In fact, the Rit
G cande fellows established the fre,
zone themselves in '5S, and Mexico hat
to recognize it in 81, and now ther
amt power enough in the whole emp
ty meal bag of the Mexican republic
to put a custom house eofficer ther
again.
elbow can these troubles ever b
settled?" l asked, finding the old Ri
Grander knew so much about it.
"They cart be settled, sir. The,
never will be settled while the Amer
cans live alongside of the Mexicans
The Aztec-Spanish-Indian Mexican
are as proud and brave as the old MAJ
ragansett Indians, and as dishones
and lazy as the dirtlest Comanchc VIII
I will assassinate soldier to steal tn
! crusts from a swill Darrell. The Uni
! ted States has got to absorb 'em, lie
> 'em out and out, and take in the uppe
part ofMexico from Matamoros straigh
to the Pacific Ocean. When she get
! ready to do this can raise ten thouS
! and Texans in week who will be glat
: to go through Mier, Casas, La Palma
Rio Frio, and show these Spaniard
Hf David Grncty nj