, 1877-12-23
. THE TEXAS. RIOTS.

Il New York Firm Said to Be at the
Bottom Of the Salt Troubles.
Readin9 (Pa.) Eagle
Joseph Loeb, broker, Of this place, was, until
last year, post-tradcr at Fort Concho, Tom
Greene County, Texas. This county adjofus
tho County of Pecos, the scene of the present
troubles between Mcxirans and Americans
Nr: Loeb was appointed post-trader by bclknap
n 1873. and Oh tho I'D Of April, 1876 WIS elect.
ed by unanimous vote Us Treasurer OF the coutl~
! IT,. HI came North fu August, 1876, having re-
signed his position. lie is familiar with frontier
liic and troubles along tho Rio Grandc,
In answer to q question rs to the cause OF Inc
recent outbreak in Pecos County, he said: The
| people down there arc simply resisting 4
measure which they consider tyranny and an
outrage For hundreds OF ycars tho Mcxicans,
Spanish, and Americans have drawn their sup
plies OF salt from the natural salt-lakcs i'll
Pecos COUNTY, about $50 miles from the border,
| and about 150 miles from the fort where [ was
stationed. 1t is d pure wllitc-rock salt, and it
| is used for all purposes including the sating
pulyerized, is equal to the best The natives
Tor hundreds Of miles drew their supplies from
that natural deposit, aid to procure It ANY,
where else would have nccessitatcd journey
through vast wilderness probably 7u1 miles III
breadth. The firm Ut Foster, Ludlow & Co, Of
New York. very recently purchased this salt-lake
and they appointed one Judge Howard in tnat
section as their atc,t to protect the salt, and to
assess royalty of about 20 cents upon every
.taAaya {about three bushels) taken tAcrcfro,i.
This proceeding caused MI intense excitement
among the people, and they considered it great
outrage and inonstrous infringement Bn their
rights. They refused to pay the royalty or tax,
and out OF that refusal the first troubles COM
meneed. The AleNieaus, in fact everybody,
wcrc disposed to resist Judge Howard's de-
mants. They selected Louis Cards is their
leader. He was I'M italian. Il member OF the
Legislature, and great friend OF the people,
frI,4 4 {e
on Howard to iutcrcedc for the people, and
Howard knocked him down. Subsequently
howard snot and killed Cards, and this added
to the intensity Of the feeling and excitement of
The people.
Cards friends rallied to aveugc his wrongs,
and Judge Howard, having escaped from prison,
was obliged to fly for his life. He took refuge
hundreds OF miles away, where he still rcmans,
at Masslo. The cry was Vengeauec for the death
of Cards, the peoples representative, and down
with 1}ie salt assessment. Cards. followers are
determined to ayenge his wrongs, and the fight
now is between his followers aud the supporters
Of Judge Howard aud his salt levy.
Judge Howard is San Antonio lawyer. Hc
about 81, live feet nine inches tall, stout, light
and has the finest teeth OF anv
man ever saw. He is very pleasant man, !
speaks Spanish hucntly, and Is Democratic in |
politics. |
Cards was tull. sincwy Italian, hair black |
and tinged with gray. +5 or IS years old, and !
kept small store at Ell Paso. He was great
fayorite among the people, WIS their adviser In |
nearly all things. and they had unbounded con-
i..encc IN him. They elected him to represent
them in the Legislature, and Commissioned him
10 relieve them OF the salt tax. He had the
contract to carry the mail to Fort Quitman, and
lad the contract tor the other end Of the line,
u the service Of tile Texas Il California Stage
Company. lie employed large number Of
ncn, and he iu1uenccd thousands.
This is the clse in nutshell. There is no |
threatened Mexican war. The people there urc
only taking stand for what they call their
rights, and Us long as they eudeayor
. tax them for the salt SO long will tho trouble
continue. Il it is question Of legal possession,
t u,ust be determined upon and established BY
military force. There are few companies OF
Militia in Austin, San Antonio, and Galveston,
nut not sufficient to put down the followers OF |
he late Cards, who can muster Mt least 5000
determined men: meu who are nngaged in
salt hundreds Of miles IN caretds
II bul-carts, and selling 1t a5 81 per .tanaYa. It
will require arbitrAtiou, aud probably the best
ray out OF the difficulty would be to let the
Military keep away for the present. The people Il
own there arc opposed to war. They are doing +
trade with Northern Mexico Of millions of |
o}lars, and the only persons who want war are
RAIDERS, contractors, and spectators. But tho
alt troubles are no Vretext for war at all. It Is
aly a local trouble, as have said before.