The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-03-22
UWMW...
BJILDLJG

mt generally known that
,a stiIlman, president Of the rich
!. ,' hank in the United States and re,
g y' to he the financial genius OF the
llss s.rd Oil company, was born in
townsville, Tex. g = nm MOO.
,ncted away in the southernmost
Z # Texas has been not only the
5.tnlsre of many great men, Du'
s Y. arena of events which not only
a',o history, but are doubly inter
-, because of the element OF 70
80 ~ interviewer with them. AT
D ..nt # is a city Of memories
leaning on the banks of the Rlo
I'D river with a wonderful soil
" climate capable of supporting It's
.,nplston many times over, By rea-
w Of President Roosevelts dis,
%,,,e Of the negro troops who raided
A. toWp, many have first learned OF
:. existence and comparatively few
:. aware of the important part II
$, nlaved in the commercial and
n,ytisl history of this country.
n the days of the civil war, Malta
norss. the Mexican city which lies
arpctly across the Rio Grande from
Rr,Wnsyille, was a harbor of refuge
\, MANY who had excellent reasons
i, leaving the states and, with
Evansville, offered practically the
o,y mort in this country from when
~ cation crop of the south could be
exported.
nv reason of these conditions both
etles attained large populations and
Ma fair to be the commercial centers
Of that territory, but with the close
d the war, when commerce returned
to Its normal channels, the twin cities
Of the border, as they were called,
SINK back to their normal quietude
and Incidence.
This was in the days before the
railroad, when post wagon and horse
back we're the only means Of travel
and II was in these days that the ia
ther Of James StiIlman did a semi
banking and trading business, hrs'
at Matamoras then at Brownsville.
a The house in which the great bank
er was born is comfortable bricE
cottage but no more than a cottage
and when a mere boy his father decld
ed that because of the feVerish con
dtiuns IN that section, it was best t
send the boy and his mother north
The president of the City Nationa
bank Of New York has visited the Cit.
Of his birth but once since then an
though he owns a large portion o
he city of Brownsville, he admins
terS his affairs through an attorney
Next to the house in which Stillma
vas born is another cottage equal
mpretentious. This was the retug
o. one Porfirio Diaz, who after an III
successful attempt to become pres
dent Of Mexico, crossed the river
The night far above the city and e.
haaSted both in mind and body, stru
aed through the dense growth Wnlc
screened him from his pursuers unit
ne reached his friends in BrOWnsVill
There for many weeks he plotted ar
planned until one dark night
crossed the river with but few mo
supporters than corporal's squS
and secured bloodless victory oV
. detachment of MeXicans encamp'
On the bank. This was the beginnil
Diaz' successful invasion in
aeSlco, and ii is generally belieV
. have been far more the result
currency artfully expended than mi
AIRY force or strategy, When Tex
Relded to cast It's fortunes with t
United States, and in the genel
aK.ap which resulted, Mexico &C
@ped to claim sovereignty Oy
nuea Of the territory in viii
snvnsyille is situated.
diplomacy failed to settle the m
and this little unheralded c
became what might be termed
CIVIC cause of the Mexican war. G.
winfield Scott, with his army, la
g at Corpus Christi and from ther
marched to Brownsville.
Inc tirst battle of the Mexican v
"OS place at PalO Alto, about tn
miles north of Brownsville. The NJ
cans were repealed, retreating to
Fo Grande river with SCOTS ar
Y close pursuit. In scrimmage
brownsville, Maj. Brown was xii
sl9 the military post situated tn
A ever since borne the name
Fort Brown.
A. Brownsville the Rio Grande
1las the proportions of a mig
aver and Increases in dimensions
= I reaches the gulf, 80 miles aW