The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-04-05
Mr.. Fritz Visits Historic
City of Brownsville.
EVERYBODY ON WATERMELON
Place Has About Eight Thousand
People; Many Northerners Are
There at Present Time.
LBY NJ. D. FsrTz,I

Brownsville, Texas, March 23.-Wheu
at Corpus Christie, Texas, | feel that
was far south, but the trip from there
to Brownsville and then into Old Mex
leo takes one into another climate and
an evident change is apparent. The
st. Louis, Brownsville G. Mexico railroad
bends around the gulf the entire distance
of l5S miles and is the only road running
into Brownsville, city of 1000 or 5000
people, 10 per cent of whom are Mex
leans.
Most of the towns on the way to
Brownsville are. small, many having
only station and watering track
kIn9syille, however, is an exception.
Here are. about 200 people, and de
pot and hotel of modern design and
large enough to accommodate a town
and population of many thousands. The
lands around each depot are well
watered from the overflow of the rail
road tanks, and at many stations are
deciduous. trees growing in small parks
All these. things make good impress
sion on the hOmeseekers and tourists !:
and in a few years palms, bananas, and
figs may, be seen, kingsville was laid
out and started by Mrs. King the own
er of the one million five hundred
thousand acre ranch along the Browns
vile road. Her ranch buildings are
town. Every thing about town looks
neat and orderly and was told that
no saloons are allowed here and no
liquor is sold. In this respect Kings
| vile differs from the other Texas
towns and cities, as the front doors and
windows are open day and night; Sun,
days included, and seldom are the fronts
screened. Very few of the ranches
down this line to Brownsville have been
broken and placed OH the market
Bodies of land from 1000 to upwards OF
a million acres are still held 10y the
cattle kings and the towns will make
slow progress until they are placed on
the market and the small farmer gets
in and breaks up the ground. The
warm climate does not necessitate feed
ing the millions of cattle OH these large
tracks, consequently there is compare
lively little ground broken. Few freight
trains are seen in this section of the
state. The land is rich and if disposed
of in small tracks to the energetic
farmer would soon develop and bloom
Few crops can be grown without If
rigation.
Nearing Brownsville the land is COW
cred in most parts with mesquite and
chaparral brush and trees. This can be
cleared at an expense of about $40 an
acre by Mexican labor
Arriving at Brownsville | found the
old town filled with people from the
north, west and east, attracted here by
the cheap excursion rates and the land
opportunities in this vicinity and west
along the Rio Grande river. Where
lands are located along this body of wa.
ter they find ready sale, as the well, |
am told, cannot be depended upon to
furnish water for irrigating purposes. In
order to get the benefit of the river wa
ter sections and even smaller tracts have
been so divided that in many instances
only one hundred feet faces OF adjoins
the river and run back as far as thirty
and thirty six miles. While this makes
a narrow farm and is Objectionable to
many purchasers, it gives an opportun-
ity to put i'll pumping plant and thus
rrieate the land. For miles around
Brownsville the river is higher than the
surrounding country, which makes it
easy to flood when the soil needs moist
urc.
Although the people of Brownsville
are largely Mexicans, the merchants are
either English or speak the language.
On the other hand, all speak Spanish.
The streets here are narrow, sidewalks
and buildings rather old and quaint,
but apparently good business town.
Almost everywhere could be seen roses
in full bloom, palms, fig trees, the bo-
ganwilla vine "a beautiful purple flow
er) and the anacahuita tree, which is
solid mass of white resembling the
lapple blossom. @ #
70 be ION. the. water wagon" is the
popular thing iii Brownsville. Those OF
her citizens who do not like cistern
water are furnished acqua pura from a
stand pipe on the bank of the klo
Grande river. This, water is hauled by
Mexicans in. a small tank placed on
two wheeled wagon and drawn by. small
burros. Place. swarthy Mexican on TOP
of water tank which is elevated high
above the wagon wheels, and attach
borro about the size of a Ilastif dog
clothed with a harness of wood and
chains, rope lines, a blacksnake whip
and Won have strange sight indeed