The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-30
OUR TROUBLES0M BORDER
IN UNCOH TORTtBLE PLICE 1OR "
PROTECTED TRITELLEES.



where Troops are wrongly Placed Head
quarters az safe Distance Outrngcs by
Indians. Kcucgudc Texans aud NeNicuns.
fj,fl Nr N,ir y, ieans Bu7can.
Mr.. Paul Waterman, who has lust re-
turned from Vi~it to all the principal points
along the Rio Grdnde, furnishes US with the fol-
What Is generally Known as the texas border
extends from the city at Brownsville to the
PccOs mount 1in-. a distance of over NO miles Nv
land. and in direct course. If, however, the
di-i nee be measured aloug the tWtu9 anu
winding Rio Grande, N would reach fully tn ee
times tuat number Of miles. owing to the ex-
tetne irrcAulafity OF tte course q rOughOut the
entire distance. The river on bofh sides r. lined
10y bluffs Ranging in height from twenty TO
thirty five feet. aud in order to facilitate the
crossing Of cattle deep eueys have been cut In
these bluffs nv the Mexican raiders, though
when driving the cattle from Texas II makes but
little difference how high these bluffs are
whether there be any pathways cut through OF
kept from water for long whle urges
them to plunge into the shallow stream below.
through which they can easily wade TO the op-
posite shore. Along the entire border there u
road running ON the Texas side, into which the
pathways and roads from the interior all merge
at last: and, " II Is were perfectly patrOlled, the
dangers which constantly threaten the inhabi-
tants OF the interior would he greatly lessened.
As 1t s now, II IS unsafe for any person TO travel
unaCcOmpanicd by strong escort; any travel
Ter met nv the raiders IL Halle to be most bru-
tally murdered, md instances are known where
the innocent nave been quartered aud mutlatcd
in the most horrible manner, without any rea-
son except the fear that they might make
known tue whereabouts Of the raiders.
About one-quarter Of the distance between
Brownsville and the Pecos mountains Is situated
Kngguld barracks, whore the Tinted states
soldiers arr at present stationed under command
Of Gen. Potter, who has immediate charge Of
the border; but these troops are 50 few IN NUM-
ter. and the discipline So poor, that they atfO Il
ltiio ~ any protection nglln-t the trcarherous
ana ring VI Nlcans. There are about nve or
six hundred men, equally divided between
Brownsvile and Riusgod uarrack-. The entire
district of Texas H. in command OF Gen. Augur.
whose headquarters are san Antonio, fully 100
miles from the Rio Grlnde. a sale distance from
the scenes Of danger or trouble.
lhe RIO Grande rarely, II ever. reaches a
greater depth than two and half or three
feet, and therefore offers hut little protection ~
a border line, and Is no obstruction Whatever to
the crossing OF cattle in any numbers or al any
time. he officers Of the RI Bravo have discov-
cred the shallowness Of this great stream in a
very unsatisfactory nanner-their vessel being
u W aground at wnsyie IN about three aud
onc-half feet Of water. The country bordering
on the river is covered for long Distance in
land by n species ui vegetation peculiar to
that country known as chanparal.'
very tough and priclly shrub. which grows
% "a helEnt Oh nVtWecl, 'I-". "llu ven lctt' 'uu
offers an irresistible obstructionto travel; the
cactus plant also grows there tn about the same
height. and Is an equally troublesome impede
ment to man or horse. In order To reach the
river, rOaus have been cut through this shrub
berry, aud Offer the only means " intercourse
with the Interior. All the ranches Tor some
miles inland are occupied 10y Mexicans. VINO are
uuQucstIonaby accomplces Of the raiders, but
VINO never allow theinselves to be caught i'm any
overt act Of depredatiOn, merely afOrdiug "a
harOor Of safety to tue raidefs when occasion
demands.
| found IN the fact tnat very many OF the raiders
are renegade Texans. who. When driven across
| the river. claim Mexican citizenship. which f. ~
| cuur-e readily granted tney mus aNoid tue tN-
! tradition laws. When Cot. McNtNy had the
! nght at Palo Alto. la which eighteen Of the
! thieves were Killed, eight Of them were di-coy-
! cred TO be native Tex ms, who had Joined the
/ r.nks Of the raiders for purposes Of pluuder and
! gain. OF course they ar readily received amor Z
| these bandits IA they are well posted ~ 10 the
best loo ltlies To seck Tor prev When
| ever grand rad IS made, the crossing j.
generally effected In tae neighbornood ~
| the mountains, and after completing sort -
| semi circle. sonnet mes going Within very snort
! dist nee OF Corpus Christi, they return To the
river and recross, almost under the very Wills ~
kinreOid barfack-. The object II these raius Is
not the securing of the cattle for food or sale,
nut for tue purpo,e Of getting Their hides. and
the military claim that II even stricter watch
| were kept upon the border the thieves would
| Kill the cattle when taken. and strip the hides
| Of there, thus renueriug their escape easier aud
| less fraugnt with dancer to themselves.
lie successful protection OF this infested
| border can never be accomplished uader the
present management Tue ITO Graude Is only
| one bundled yards wide rom bank To bank,
and the actual stream measures not more IN m
one hundred feet. always Portable. Add 10 this
| the fact that the resideufs on both borders are
Mexicdus, undoubtedly in sympathy with the
! raiGers, not hcsitAtiug to say that the entire
! country there.bDut ~ theirs OF right, and they
do not really recognize the force Of any treaty
! which oepiyes them Of II, ana II will readily he
! perceived that large force OF wtll-equipped
! CURED to keep the thieves away from tue Texas
| Ranches.
The only permanent way Is TO gain from the
| NJ Xican Government by treaty or force the as
| signmeut Of all that county lying between the
| M Graudc and the Sierra Nevada mountains a
| distance Of about 80 miles. This would form a
| border easily protected nv small force ms 1t
| would be impassab except at stated intervals
| by means Of passes, which would require but a
small force TO keep safely guarded against any
| incursion Of the raiders.
The Mexican people are now on the eve Of an
! election which Il pregnant with great impor-
! lance To them, aud they will not take any meas
4 ures to prevent the Texas troubles, for fear that
| 10y SO dong they may seriously prejudice the
| side in the approaching contest To which they
| are attached. PoInro Diaz Is "a candidate foI
the Presidency against the present Executive,
aud II known to be fully In accord with Cortina
| who Is probably by this time at liberty, he hay
| ing been offered his freedom on condition OF hi.
depositing $4,000, in the nature of bail. hi;
was at urst refused but there was everv pros
uect Of the matter being settled some few day.
ago. II THIS bo the case, We may soon expect q
! renewal OF those terrible scenes Of hloodSnct
and terror which recently caused feeling o
Indignation against the great sphinx at thu
| White House.