San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-08-02
ON THE WING NO. 2.
Rio GRANDE CITY.

Rio GRANDE CITY.
Daily LIGHT:
Leaving Laredo for Rio Grande City
on the 10th of July by the Texas Mex
lean r. r. / reach Pena 81 miles east
of Laredo at IL M, where I await the
west bound train from Corpus Christi
and leave on the Rio Grande stage at
p. M, having as a companion d. p.
Newcomer, who looks after the viola
tors of the alien labor laws.
Pena is merely railroad station, a
place one can leave with pleasure,
90 how or where he will, and yet We
always meet two very pleasant gentle
men there, Mr.. Val Verde and Mr..
Lambert. Business binds them there,
only this and nothing more. Two
hours of careful driving by our
Tennessee jehu bring us out
on high, rolling, sandy pra-
irie. The clear sky, the stiff breeze,
broad horizon, and the grazing herds
are an inspiration, and we can not
help congratulating our selves that
we are on the billowy sand, and not
on the billowy sea. Several of the
old Jehus from San Antonio were
old time stage stories. One of them
had tackled some of the Laredo fire
fluids, and was very thirsty. How
he did swig at our water keg. 1t
seemed to us he would never be full.
1t was like pouring water into hog
"wallow prairie" Well out on the
prairie prairie chickens sorely tempt
ed us, because We had no shot guns.
They stood and looked at US in won
der. We tried our Smith and Wes-
sons on them not tour rods away with
out discovering our deadly intent.
A little later poor badger that had
started out early on a nights foraging
expedition came to grief by the heavy
end of Tennessee's whip. We did
not risk a pistol on him lest he might
escape.
At o. m. we reach Ell Sordor our
supper stand. where Mr.. Waugh, an
old San AntGnian and his sister,
Miss Waugh, cheer us with a good
meal. When one cuts loose from
telegraph poles, he feels like one
weighing anchor and putting out to
sea. This is especially 30, when one
cuts loose from civilization at night
time, as we did, and passes near the
old Randado ranch, and through
San Antonio Viejo or old San
Antonio. When on these old
ranches one feels himself back
in the past fully one hundred
years because of the manner of lite
of the people, all Aztec Mexicans, ia
Gals, dress and mode of living are of
the past. And unless locomotive
comes along to disturb their ancient
habits there they will live on hun
dreds of years more, without change.
At O. m. we get a new driver with q
new set of stories but he was sleepy
and SO were we.
Soon after daylight we breakfast
at the SAM, as ancient as San Anto-
MO Viejo. AS we approach the Rio
Grande the smooth rolling prairie
We reach the crest of each our vision
over into Mexico.
For ten miles before reaching Rio
Grande City the country would be
rich if chapparal and gravel were in
demand.
At Il p. m. we enter Rio Grande
City in a sweeping trot, the only
relic of old stage times remaining, as
the old rockaway coach and the horn
have gone long ago. Rio Grande City
is much named place. The Next
cans on both sides of the river, and
old timers, call it Rancho Davis, af-
ter Clay Davis, who once occupied it
as ranch. Army people call it
Ringgold after the barracks located
there, and named for Major Ringgold,
killed in the first battle of the
Mexican war at Palo Alto,
Texas, May 7, 1916. And it's
postotfice name is Rio Grande City.
1t is the county site of Starr county
and at the head of navigation in the
Rio Grande. The situation is COM
manding, with it's courthouse perch
ed high up on q gravel hill, rich in
moss agates as many other Texas
hills. In the cemetery, back of the
church, there sleeps one of Mayne
Reeds heroes, Mustang Gray, buried
there in 1S4S. He was the godfather
to Miss Lou Davis, daughter of Clay
Davis, and the postmistress of Rio
Grande City, an excellent official and
credit to the postoffice department
and worthy tribute to worthy old
timer, her father.
We met the also Mr.. f. D. Jordan,
deputy collector of customs, and
other officials of that department
as we'll as several officials of the
military post there. When one sees
map of the gerrymandered precincts
of that county, made by democratic
county court, compelling in one in
stance, 200 republican voters to 60
fifty miles to vote with dozen demo-