The Washington times., 1914-06-25

Mrs Albert S. Burlesor
md today she tells for The Time
tow she became interested in thi
subject, and quotes from paper
she has written upon this interes1
ing freak of Mother Nature.
By ]. R. HILDEBRAND.
The strange, wierd, whimsical
tricks of the historic Nile so as
founded the ancient Egyptians
that they evolved numerous
stories of gods at play, and came
to venerate the river itself be-
cause of its seemingly supernat-
ural pranks.
Texas is not fertile soil for
mythical dreamers, or the Lone
Star natives might have evolved
a theology all their own by OBJ
serving and experiencing the
peculiar vagaries of the Rio
Grande. Small wonder that the
yagaries Of this erratic stream
should have stirred the imagfna-
tion of one of Texas daughters,
who always has been a keen OBJ
server of the natural phenomena
of her State.
Mrs. Albert S. Burleson. wife of
the Postmaster General. first be-
came interested in The peculiar
habits of the Rio Grande, and the
International complications sts
TICKS nave caused, when Briga-
der General Anson Mills visited
the Burleson home evenings to
talk over with Mr.. Burleson, then
a Congressman. the problems that
arose over this rivers peculiari-
ties.
The Rio Grande runs an irregu-
doubling on itself. forming horse.
shoe curves and frequently wind
ing itself into a letter "S" This
irregular stream. by the treaty of
Guadalupe Hidalgo in 184S. was
named as the boundary between
the United States and Mexico
ana thereby hangs this tale.
Switches Farms.
: For these treaty makers counted
without their host. This captious
river. already irregular. consistently
refused to stay put. In desperation
1t was decided that the boundary
was to be the middle of the river.
Iollo%1ng the deepest channel But
the river evaded that restrictio, NV
changing its channel. which was had
enough, but 1t then began adding TO
the difhculty by dislodging large
tracts of land from one bank and
landing them on the opposite bank.
naturally II was most discourage
Ing for a citizen of the United
states, who owned and cultivated a
thrlv1ng farm, to awaken some un-
lucky morning and find himself de-
ported to a foreign land, with his
citizenship in doubt, and his title 10
his land in dispute.
There you have the "banco." And
the banco, though IL NAV be an on
Ject OF curiosity and interest to out
every Texan.
General Mills was named by Presi-
dent Cleveland, as the United
states commissioner. to settle The
difhculces accruing from the banco"
said Mrs. Burleson. Both because ~
nv husbands official interest in the
matter, and because of his friend
ship with General Mills, the general
frequently spent evenings in going
over with Mr.. Burleson the dfffic,,I.
ties of adjusting the claims and dis
putes that arose from this rivers
peculiar action.
Became Criminal Resorts.
There was an interest in the SUBJ
ject in addition to the natural phe-
nomena involved. because these
bancos became the places of rende-
zvous for adventures and smuy-
glers. While the international status
OF the bancos was being threshed
out. all sort of criminals could re-
sort to them as places of compara-
tive safety.
II became so interested in the sub
ject that l began to write a short
summary OF the evils of this phase
OF the situation. But as wrote the
article took a wider form, and SO my
communication TO the National Geo
graphic Society became a more COM
prehensive history OF the bancos, and
the complications that arose from
them"
Mrs Burleson's communication TO
the society gives a summary of the
efforts of various conventions to
cope with the problems arising from
the rivers irregular course. After
describing the efforts to settle the
disputes that arose over a change Of
the rivers course by making the orr
ginal channel the boundary, Mrs.
Burleson continues:
But the river still held revela-
o.
carefully framed articles, which HAD
considered natural changes in the
boundary lire due to Slow and
gradual erosion and deposit OF allu-
Vium.' and also TO avlusion by the
abandonment of an existing river
bed and the opening of a new one
had not reckoned with the result OF
a combination OF changes.
when. after forming a banco. or
cutoff. the river, by wearing into the
opposite bank, would enlarge the
banco by accretion, the ownership
of the new land would Immediately
become the subject of dispute.
Ownership Questioned.
ITO whom shall it belong? To the
owner of the banco or to the man
whose land formerly faced the river
and was now separated from it by
an iptFuder fros the other side,
but whose opuntry' claimed jugisdic-
ton to the middle of the rivers
channel?"
To illustrate tits condition. Mrs.