Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1912-05-10
LON C. HILL, HARLINGEN,
VISITS KANSAS CITY

date publishes the following inter-
esting report Of Lon G. Hill Of Har-
lingen to that city:
The richest Indian in the world
and one of the richest landowners in
Texas, coming from the recently de-
developed Rio Grande Valley, is in
Kansas City today. He is Lon Hill
of Harrington, Texas, a town of TWEEN
ty-fve hundred inhabitants, twenty
five miles from Brownsville. He
called this morning on j. u. Miller,
jr., vice president of the Commerce
Trust Mr.. Miller was in
his fathers store at Bolton, Texas,
away back there in the pioneer days
when the cowboys drove the herds
that way on the passage to the In
dian Territory. They became friends
then.
Lon Hill in the last two months
sold land for two million dollars and
he still owns ninety thousand acres
in the Rio Grande Valley that is
estimated in value at four million
dollars.
1t may appear a strange thing TO
say about an Indian, but it is true
nevertheless, that he blazed the trail
for civilization and development
through the Rio Grande Valley hat
was infested with cattle thieves,
bandits and Mexican desperadoes.
Mr.. Hill refuses to talk about those
early days and it is left to his friends
and admirers to recite the story of
the deeds that made for him a repu-
tation as a fighter. Mr.. Hill still
has many enemies and he is never
without two sixshoOters strapped to
his belt. His long black hair falls
to his shoulders and his rugged
features make him a picturesque
character.
Now don't talk to me about those
fighting days. he said this morn
ing. Il guess I've had about as
much trouble and fighting as any
man, but | don't want to talk about
it. | would rather talk about the
development of the Rio Grande coun-
try-the corn, the cotton, the alfal-
ia, the millet and onions. If ! am
going to say anything about myself
| want to say that every time !
moved into a country and paid a
dollar an acre for it that same land
went up to $50 an acre before | left
there. Once that bunch of thieves
and Mexicans was run out of the
country it blossomed quickly. You
can't find a better government or
a better community of law abiding
citizens anywhere than we have now
and that is enough to say about it,"
Thieves Left When Hill Came.
Some of Mr.. Hills friends recite
some of the tales about when Hill,
a graduate Of the Texas University,
gave up a law practice of 100000
a year to go into the Rio Grande
Valley to rid it of outlaws and es-
tablish a mammoth fortune for him
self.
He once purchased $500 acres at
81 an acre and the wife of the man
from whom he purchased it COM
planned TO her husband the price was
too cheap.
81 could afford to give it to him."
the seller said. Once Lon Hill gets
into this country the thieves will
leave our cattle alone
One Of the leaders Of a gang of
cattle thieves sent word to Hill hat
he would kill him and braid his long
black hair for bride reins. They
met by chance on the road one day.
One man rode away. 1t was Lon
Hill. Then the d%esperado's wife.
herself a horgewoman and a deadly
shot took up the feud. She could
ride at breackneck speed on horse
back and empty two revolvers full
of bullets into a sapling. They
never met, however.
Hills friends asked him what he
would do If he were attacked and
had to fight a m
Il would prove the ~gallantry of a
gentleman" he said. Il would ex-
tend to her the courtesy of the first
shot"
The Rio Grande Valley is develop
ing rapidly now and only a few of
the thieves and desperadoes exist in
rhe outlying districts. They still
hold a graudge against the man who
lead posses and made war on them.
however.
The other day at his home an
enemy fired on him from a house as
he was passing in a motor car. The