Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1895-10-06

ISLAND
n the Rolling Rio
Grande Not Neutral.
IS 4 MATTER OF GEOGRAPHICAL
AND msronrc FACT 1T is
AL SO NOT AN ISLAND
ALSO NOT AN ISLAND
souETHfNG ABOUT LAND IN DIS
rurE ON THE MEXICAN soR-
DER OF TEXAS.
rhc Right Cannot lie Pulled on on
Neutral Island, In the Rio
crnnde, Ncnr Ei Paso.

Thousands of people who read yester-
days Gazette have been vainly trying
10 get some information concerning
Neutral Island whose fame" prom
Uses the Eagle Pass correspondent. the
wires will fash across the continent
and under the seas
The student OF the ordinary geogra-
ply will fail to flnd any point on the
atlas marked Neutral Island" He
may also fail to find any other Island
marked In the waters Eel Rio Bravo
del Norte," near Eagle Pass or else
where The main reason for this is
that there is. strictly speaking. no Is
land there But there are several along
the Rio Grande between FL Paso and
Brownsville that are locally designated
us ISLANDS," These are bodies Of land,
larger or smaller--generally smaller
that are at present In dispute. as be-
tween the governments OF the United
States and Mexico. or more correctly
speaking. as between citizens Of the
two countries
According to the latest treaty be-
tween the two countries the middle OF
AHt 'htu VI int lAlu AfEaAllut Is 10 ne tue
dividing line between these sister re-
publics from point about two miles
west of Ell Paso to the Gulf OF Mexico
at Brownsville. This treaty provides
that where the bed OF the river changes
gradually the line roes with the bed:
but where the change Is sudden. as by
one great rise that sweeps away old
landmarks and cuts away through
another body of ground, the line is to
b maintained on Its old site. Now It
so happens that Mt several points along
the river. where the banks are OF
sand and sandy loan. there have been
changes In the location of the bed OF
the river, and as to the manner of the
changes disputes have sprung up be-
tween the people living on either side
of the old line or the new one. . order
TO settle these disputes the United
states government and the republic OF
Mexico come two years ago appointed
commissions known as the Interna-
llonal water boundary commission
for the express purpose OF investigating
and forever settling these disputes ia
to the boundary.
That commission. with Colonel An
son Mills of Texas representing the
United States, Is now nj work, and has
about completed Its work below San
Antonio. But 50 far as the cases west
of San San Antonio nrc concerned only
preliminary Investigations have been
made. The small ''lslnnd" at or near
Eagle Pass is in question. as are sew
eral Others. Both governments claim,
jurisdiction, or disclaim II as the case
may be, and 1t Is barely possible uint
the fight could b. pulled on there werc
II not for one or two features Of the
case. u IN located far enough from,
the railroad that walking is out of the
question, and In such position that
the railroads would not build side
tracks and run trains out 10 II. II
wouldbe idle to speak OF any other
means OF transportation for the crowd
that would be In attendance.
II Is plain, too, that the place spoisen
Of Is not an island and Is not neutral
IT IT, more than nrobable, under present
conditions. that II there were made an
attempt TO pull on the fht there.
both nations would claim Jurisdiction
ana each or the states adjoining would
send officers to prevent the fight. In
that cnse the simple matter OF 4 meet
ing OF these two sluggers might become
an international affair.
Readers Of the Gazette. and also the
Few. Interested parties who are not
readers Of the Gazette. may contain
their souls In peace so far as "Neutrai
lslanh' Is concerned for the fight win
not be brought of there.