The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-03
RIVER PUZZLES TWO NATIONS
WENICOS CLAM Ia PART VE
THE CRY o. FL PASO.


! the Issue Hangs on whether the Rp
: Gransie shifted IIs Coarse suddenly
Or ny Degrees Part OG TeAAs lea MeN-
leo and Part OF NcNIeO IN TeNAs.
/ III. PAso. Tex. ApTIl / -Whethsr a river
changed its course in nigh: OF was years
doing u 10 q disputed point hsrSesn two
nations. II ths change was made In .
night. the tinted States y ~ lose 20 MsSlrn
part OF the city Of ~ PAso: II the change
was gradual. all a. Paso remains tho
property OF the UnIted States Pend@.
u settlement roth nations respected tho
/ disputed ground ~ neutral territorv
when Presidents Taft and DiaE mss here.
bat FL PAsO declined 10 recognize tls
AGroenlsur and poliCed the disputed terri
| tory aud put Up AmeTicsn ases there.
| FL Paso ia the only border city In the
country where there IL an International
contest for ownership Of territory. 10
~ hoped that the controversy will be
settled this summer. All the trouble
came from the shifting waters OF the
RIO Grande the banks OF which are sandy
and unstable.
! Just how the river got 90 il present.
! location IL the question &C issue. IL u
was gradual. Accrction they call u. them
the property belongs to ri Paso; but IL
the change ~Gs by evul4on. IL the rivee.
merely lott ito old banks and ran aroIInd
in a new course. the disputed tsxrltorJ&
belongs TO Mex,co. by the treaty o.
Guadalupe v Hidalgo. II was agreed bye
the two Governments that the river al
II then existed should be tho boundary
lstWsen the two nations and tnat In the
event OF a change Ivy accretion tho prop
erty lOst by one nation would become the
3 II kar hat IN q N ~ n
change by evulsiOD. the property left By
the rivNr should remain in the possession
OF the country to which it had belonged
before the change. IL was also agreed
that the old river bed should be at once
marked by monuments.
Following the signing OF this treaty.
however. no steps were taken for many
years TO locate the boundary either on
maps or bv monuments and since that
time the river has changed it's course at
RI Paso and has thrown a strip OF land
five blocks vide and about q milo and
a half long from Mexican territory into
Texas. There ~ no disputng this change.
The records of the boundary commission
show that the river ran in 1852 where
Seventh street - now located. The river
10 now FIVE blocks away. az Twelfth street
Just how the river got there is what hAs
to be settled
In the Federal court about seven years
ago T. 8 AlAXey. United States District
Judge tor Western Texas held that tie
land was United States territory. The
decision was given IN a suit brought Nv
" ). warder and others. who fiisd =
claim TO the Land under an alleged grant
from the King Of Spain known as the
ChAmizal grant and who declared that
the territory belonged 70 Mexico and their
claim must be recognized. The Judge
overrIled their contention and decided
that inAsmuch a. the United States had
exercised political and judicial jursdio-
ton over the land he must recognize IL as
American territory.
Up to this time the Mexican Govern
m emit mad laid no claim to the land. The
warder suit had the effect Of causing
Mexico 70 claim the strip. warder in h's
suit IN the Federal court introduced tho
testimony Of several aged Mexicans, vhO
declared that they remembered q sudden
food about fifty wears ago when the river
changed abruptly from its old course
and took Its present location. Several
Others testified that certain cottonwood
trees now growing m the disputed Eons
we're there before the Hood. and NardeTs
lawyers argued that IL the MYERS chance
had been bv accretion these trees would
have been washed away. Timber experts
were called TO tell the age Of the trees.
but none OF them would testify that the
trees appeared 10 be as old as the Mexican
Wit nesses alleged.
Thus the case stands MeXico 10 IN the
position at the plaintIT and must prove
her case Even n shs proves " Secretary
81 State Knox - quoted az - ying that the
United states will buy The land
In the meantime -quatters on the land
who are pgyInR rents 70 the owners II
the Chamizal clam Ward~g sold his
n ghis 10 = Pennsvlvania and New York
syndicate winch was headed hv brewsfsT
Cameron who was drowned about a year
ago at Niagara Falis are giving trouble
10 the people holding mo and under TsvHs
titles The zauatterr refuse N recognize
the rights ~ TNNas courts 10 remove
them
Two stray pieces n land lying below
~ Pasn illustrate how the river docs
switch rs course suddenly Almost with
10 IN" CIV limits ~ a horseshoe shaped
piece ~ property Of several thousand
acres which was thrown into Texas by
sudden change Of the river about fifteen
ysqrs ago The river then made ita
7 horseshoe bend around VI psso, bur u
suddenly cut acr 80 Mexico and left the
horseshoe strip high and dry IN Texas.
Monuments were AZ once get out and nov
Mexico has a piece of property on the
Texas side 81 the river
Thirty miles further down the river
formerly ran in n similar curve in Mszioo.
/ hut suddenly made = straight cut for the
ocean and throw l5.OOo acres 81 Texas
territory into Mexico This has also been
marked With monuments IN the old river
| he'd and Texas exercises jurisdiction over
u strip Of land that IL on the Mexloan side
ri the river and on which mo FARMERS
make their homes. bridge loads from
tn" ~ Paso county road 70 this territory.
known locally a. the island
so IL IN possible that part % VI Paso
! rightfully helonRr to Mexico.