Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1915-07-07
The Magic Valley
tBl THOMAS +. LEE.

Every spring the hi. ~>nowdrifts up on
the mountain>idr would turn soft and
mu>hv III the warmth ~ The April sun
and little streams of water would trlckle
out from under them and find their way
down the gullir> and CANYONS. Cutting
themselves IN the soft top >pil until
each tiny drop was laden with the very
cream Of the earth; and then. pouring
into The Rko Grahdc-Thc Great River.
they hurried down the long and wind
ing way. 10 build a Magic VALLEY.
Every May time way back in the
mountains Of Old Mexico. where the
mango and the chiramo,a bear their vel
low fruit and the ambotlyan blossoms
init u great splotch of scarlet. the rainy
season came. agd every afternoon
%throuhout the Summer. the black cloud>
were torn open bN the peaks Of the Ser
RAJ and their Hoods were spilled over
hill and plain aud valley. film. the tn.
San Juan and the Rio Salado banks
full with >wirling. muddy water. Here
again the aroyl> and the rc>acI> ran
full and the hfg rivers. swollen 10 their
very Drinks. swept ont nto the iso
Grand. and on toward the Gulf >ccth
iu.. rushing. hurrNing onward. Laden
with the richest of the soil. To build a
Magic Valley.
At last. ~ III wcarird ~ it, long
Journey. The biz river slowed down aud
spread ont like a giant fan. Its waters
grew sluggish ami each tiny drop. firing
of lis burden. released lis hold aud the
rich silt was carefully spread over a
wide delta. LAYER ~ LAYER. year hy
.,r .,,I ..,t,.. ~ ..pfurA. Tho valley
was made and huildrd 80 high that by
and bv the foamine. yellow flood could
no longer leave lis curse and il swept
on. ont into the sea. carving with IL
the most fruitful soil from 4 mighty
watershed
And there ii laN-thi> Magic Valley
for many. many yearS-centurleS may
he until the mesquite trees and tie eb-
ony and the cactus came and covered 1t
ami the wild things ventured in and
crcpt Through he jungle and claimed 1t
for mir own and live thcre-the wild
,lSncs aud the Mexican goat-herd.
Year. rani by and the pioneers came
the iIDntitralrrn- the cattlemen and
then thr cIVIl tginrtFS-ihe forcrun
ncrS of riyiiZlti " men whose lives are
fprnt on ihr utter fringe of the white
mans iand-anl enc Il these. unnIn
levels through til" chipp1ral. close 10
The Old Military Road that hugs the
Rio Garndc. discovered \ great VALLEY
that >lupcd bach frcm lnr river \ lrtci
iipr that some giant hand might EaN"
grippcd and tilted 10 the North Md
the engineer being interested ~ >'lr"
/ thing more than the measure Of distance
and The taking Of levels vent 10 on If
the Old Timers W the Valley and said
to him:
old Timer. I've hrcn thinking aud il
seems I" me tl.t Mother Nature must
have been very happy when she made
this spot. She never meant that II should
IT, arid. sun >corchrd wnt>c. for here
She has given I'll that one needs 10 make
an irrigated paradise. deep rich soil. u
great river filled with muddy water wait
in" to lie lifted out and flowed back over
the land: aud 4 climate that has only
been given 1" those spots which God
liked best.
Now ~ il happened the old Timer
had lived long in the open with the Wild
things aud the Great Outdoors. lie had
followed trh trail under the hlaZin. >nn
and had ploldrd through the Jungle
when the way was dimly lighted by the
stars. lie had comc Ia live much ia a
land Of dreams. He said nothing when
the engineer had spoken. but that eve
ming he sat for 4 long timc->at an
dreamed while the light went ont aud
twilight became the dark. lie did not
>er The leagues Of mesquite bush noi
the cactus nor the chapparal-his was Il
clraerr vision. l.ike magic the Jungle
was swept AWAY and where il had sto.d
h. saw \ great Valley covered with or
angr -arrc> and waving corn fields. with
vineyards and meadows an dclump> oi
palfS. Here and thccr were little homes
nesting in u setting Of roses and ieSsa
mine and tlamboyan. Happy children
rolled and tumbled in the grass and
their peai> of laughter mingled with
the song Of the mocking bird. Where
the Wild things had worn "A trail
through the monte he saw the steel
tracked roads of each lai1 down. and
a. he looked. towns Sprang up and mills
and factories; and reaching back from
the great river and covering the Valley
like a net work of silver threads. there
appeared slender waterways carving TO