Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1913-06-04
ANOTHER BLOODY CHAPTER
IN A BLOODY HISTORY
Heroic Matamoros not Only Heroic in
Herself but the Cause that HerOism is
in Many men. Unusual Courage Dis
played by all Combatants.

bear the letter. ii. 50 that il bears hc
proud cognomen II. MatamOros.'
From 1851 to 1876 the city
was involved in fights almost innumcr
able, so the town might well wear the
title Warlike Matamoros. Most of these
battles were hotlv contested and one the
bloodiest OF ali, had for Il principal ac
tor, the father Of Dr. Barragan now
mayor of the city under the lIuerta re-
eime. and distinguished member of the
medical profession.
Matamoros has thrice sent an inva-
sion Of American soldiers The first
actions Of the Mexican war with the
United States were fought within sound
of cannon shot Of Matamoros The shot
which killed Major Brown was fired from
Matamoros. When TAYLOR began his
march to Monterrey he first occupied
MatamoroS I'm 1865 General Sedgwick
Of the United States army. crossed into
Matamoros. with his forces by means Of
4 pontoOn bridge. at the invitation Of
s,arFando Canalcs and occupied the city
ior tWenty-f0ur hours. On one other
occasion the Union soldiers were in the
city for a short time
From This it will be seen that the
Heroic City has honestly earned the
tile il bears. Plenty Of bloodShed in
il and around it; and the bones Of its
Slain may surely be estimated in large
figures. 1t has seen the making OF much
history. No TimolcOn slew his brother
there, rs in the case of Corinth. but
fratriciual blood has watercd the soil
II ere.
In spite Of her troubled existence
much Of the glory Of The city has now
departed. Once she sat i queen among
cites and dominated the commerce Of
the border. But ships no longer unload
at her Wharycs. and commerce has found
other gates Of C.ItraEcc into Mexico.
The Rio GranGc is now a nayigable
stream in name only. One can see in
The faded coorS on her houses. evidence
Of the former glory Of the Old town
IA the years Immediately before the
hginning of the Civil War in the United
States MatamorOs was 4 port Of entry
or much Texas produce. Corn. cotton
and cattle became staple articles of her
hn npp
Gotten grower, the registering cowboy. and
the festive vaqurrO met and mingled in
hcr martS and in her hnunts of pleasure
During the civil war most Of the cotton
of the south found IN outlet to
the worlds markets went through Mata-
moroS. These were prosperous
days for the place. The sound
# the light guitar, the tinkling
Of dancing feet. the rattle of dice. the
liquid syllablccd Spanish MINCED with
\ the jingle of spurs, and the vigorous cX-
pietiycS of the JOYOUS Anglo Saxon. gave
token that the tide Of prosperity was
setting strongly toward the heroic city.
Today she stands lonely -dcSolatc
grim. She looks like Il ghost of great
past The long, level ranges Of houses
lining the streets. are too often widow
n less. and much too often tenantlesS. The
northern tourist wanders through her
antiquated streets her empty plazas.
and her deserted martS. and wonders
much. asking himself into what new
world he has fallen. He walks as q
man might walk through a dream city.
As her SOft-stepping. low-vOiccd. cOurte
Gus people 90 by, they might be. to his
thought. the shadowy people who should
live only i'll a city of dreams.
Nevertheless when she puts on her war
paint she is no dream city inhabited by
shadows She becomes for the moment
4 vivid startling reality. Some day her
glory will return. Some day commerce
will again return to her martS and re
main there. What Matamoros needs iS
what her country needs-pcace.
STRICTLY ENGLISH