Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-28
The Rio Grande River.

lHt illO lllNtI.
Conflicts between Americans and
Mex cans are continually occurring on
the Ro Grande. Only short time
ago n Mex can lieutenant. accompanied
b. several Mexican soldiers. crossed
the Rio Grande at Eagle Pass with hos
tile intent and several of the invaders
were shot in the river while trying to
return to the Mexican side of the
boundary.
For this and similar disturbances the
Ro Grande river is partially to blame.
1t is most peculiar stream. Ordinar-
lily it is the most natural thing in the
world to select a large river as boun-
Diary line. hence rivers are called
natural boundaries. 1t is possible for
nations to quarrel about Ines if they
are merely art fetal, but the general
suppostion is that river is perman.
ent institution. In Europe or Asia. if
YOU put large river down anywhere
out of doors. it will STAY where YOU put
It. You might 60 off and be gone
thousand years. and when YOU got back
that river would be right where you
left it. Nobody can coil up river Il
thousand miles long and carry it off,
anv more than you can lift a lofty
range of cloud-eapped mountains up
and put it into hand cart. Such. at
least, has been the generally accepted
opinion IN regard to rivers but with
this. as with all other rules. there is an
exception, and the exception in this
h.. IL do ;a 4
boundary line between the United
States and Mexico
The Rio Grande is the most peculiar
river in the world Words cannot de-
scribe its crookedness, aud the color Of
its waters is like unto the complexIons
of the Mexican horse thieves who infest
its borders. Whether the crockedness
OF the natives is caused by the waters
OF the river. or whether the river has
been induced TO depart from the straight
line of duty by the bad example set it
by the lords of creation who prowl
along its banks. is one of those intri-
cate questions we have not space to DIS
cuss. The soil of the RIO Grande is
alluvial, and very similar to that of the
vale, OF the San Antonio river. When
1t rains, the soil dissolves into soft
kind of mush, and the river 1ops about
on it, like snake in water
One of the consequences of this is
that the boundary line, which is declar-
ed to be the middle of the channel of
the river, is as uncertain and rs utterly
unreliable as political prediction in
the New York Sun.
For instance. John Smith. an honest,
industrious and uneXceptionable Anglo
Saxon, settles on the Amer can side of
the Rio Grande. He is an American
citizen in the fullest sense of the word
The RIO Grande. according to the cost
nn6 6 del PAS. gets on bender, and
next morning John Smith finds that he
has become, by an act of God, as Black
stone calls it, Mexican. The boundary
line has gone around him during the
night, having selected a new channel,
which leaves him several miles in
Mexico. The channel of the river be-,
ing the boundary the Mex cans claim
the land as Mexican territory, and so it
is.
What is poor John Smith TO do?
When you are in Rome YOU must howl
with the wolves. In a short time John
SIN tn has become transmogri into
Don Juan Esmite-that's the way the
Mexicans call it. He wears a great
big sombrero; smokes cIgaritos; b 2
spurs jingle at his heels, he goes to
mass regularly. and to inspire his Mex
lean compddres with confidence, he
STEALS an occasional horse. In few
years, were it not for his red head and
blonde freckles and an occasional oath,
nobody would take him to be an Amer
lean. This is all right, as far as il
goes, but just about the time Don Juan
Esmte begins to relish Chill con cdrHe,
and other Mexican luXuries, the bound
airy line gets on another tare. and go-
ing back to its old channel, leaves
Don Juan Esmite high and dry on the
American side once more. The Ameri-
cans claim their land, and if Don Juan
Esmite, does not move away. he fails
to feel at home. The very first time
he gives any of his Mexican lingo to
his American brethren. or as soon as
he yields to his acquired habit of steal
NO horse, he has trouble of the
most serious character on hand. In
other words he has got to the end of
his rope.
The same disasters befall the Next.
can citizen who, contrary to his wishes,
is converted into an American. and
back again to Mexican cit zen by
this extraordinary river. Then. again.
n many places it goes drv entirely.
an the two twin sister republics are
left without any boundary line what
ever There should be permanent
and Interchangeable boundary line be.
tween the two countries. - IeIds
SWings.