The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-05-27
OUR SOUTHERN BORDER
Mexican and United States Boundary
Line Established by Purchases.

"SNiSan anu Onitco states Boundary
Line Established by Purchases.
The decision OF the war department
TO order out the militia organizations
of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona to
aid in guarding the southern border Of
the United States against further raids
by Mexican bandits makes the bound
airy line between the two republics a
topic OF paramount interests The
boundary is the subject OF a war geo
graphy bulletin. issued by the Nation
al Geographic society from its Wash
ington, D. c., headquarters, which
says:
''All the territory of the four border
states Of California, Arizona, New
Mexico and Texas originally belonged
to the Mexican republic. and If the
United States were called upon to
guard the lines which constituted the
southern border before the acquisition
of Texas and the land purchased after
the war of lS4S, the boundary would
extend for distance of $500 miles in.
stead of 1888 miles as now.
THE Rio Grande, which constitutes
a natural boundary between the two
countries for a distance of 1876 miles,
rises in the mountains of southern
Colorado and flows southeast into the
Gulf of Mexico. 1t becomes a part OF
the boundary at Ell Paso, some 200
miles from its source Owing to the
extensive use OF its waters for irriga.
ton purposes and too rapid evapora,
ton during the summer months, the
rivers volume frequently is so dimin.
|ished that for many miles along its
course the bed becomes dry. Its flow
is by no means commensurate with its
length or with the basin of 100000
square miles which it drains.
1.-THE Rio Grande is navigated by
small boats for 500 miles above its
mouth but it is one of the most vari
able of rivers, the volume of water il
discharges some years being ten times
as great as during others.
ITO the MeXicans the upper river is
known as the Rio Grande del Norte
Great River of the North hut in the
Big Bend region, where the latest Dor
der outrages have occurred, it is
known as the Rio Bravo (Rapid Riy
err.
THE whole boundary line as 1t now
exists between the United States and
Mexico has been established through
the purchase of territory by the for
mer republic, for, although the war Of
1S4S was fought to fix the Rio Grandt
as the Texas border, by the Guadalupe
l1idalgo treaty Mexico received SIS.
100000 and was relieved of SS,000,00(
of debts, in payment for her cession:
in Texas and for the territory embrac
ed in the State then known as New
Mexico, from which California, Nev
ada, Utah, most of Arizona and por
tons of Wyoming, Colorado and New
Mexico have been carved. Six years
after this treaty the Gadsden pur
chase was consummated whereby fol
S10,000000 the United States, in add
tion to other concessions, acquired
more than $4,000 additional square
miles lying between the ella river OF
the north and the present boundary
line between Arizona and New Mexico
and the Mexican state of Sonora. Thi,
sale was unpopular in Mexico and wa;
| partly responsible for the banishmen
of President Santa Anna.
"One.fifth Of the total area of the
United States ALASKA and the insulal
possessions eXclusivel is embraced II
the four States CT the Mexican border
while three-sevenths of Mexico's are,
is included in her six border States o.
Lower California, Sonora, Chihuahua
C0ahuila, Nueyo Leon and Tamaulipas
III all the militiamen of Arizona
New Mexico and Texas which the wal
department has called upon for patro
duty on the Mexican border were
strung out as sentries they would form
thin khaki line with each man, in
GLIDING officers, third OF mile from
his nearest neighbor to the right anC
left If eight hour tours of duty were
required our southern militia wall as
ancient Sparta called her fighting men
would be composed of bricks a mile
apart"