Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-03-01
INTERNATIONAL
FERRY HISTORY
TOPIC OF TALK
iuDGE {. c. FORT0, CONNECTED
WITH PROPERTY SINCE 1869, AD-
LhESSES R0TARiAMS ON SUBJECT.
SAYS ITS COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE
Is THING OF PAST, DUE TO
WHEEL OF PROGRESS

WHEEL UF PROGHESS.'
The feature of the midday luncheon o.
the Rotary club yesterday was a history
Of the ferry between Brownsville and Mat
~ir:oroS, by Judge Il. c. Forto, who has
been more or less Intimately connected will.
h ferry for more than forty years. An
otter interesting addre>, of the occasion
waS made by Dick Morris ON The .Buy il
n Brownsville" movement, n principle
hat has the sympathy and co-operItion
II the Rotary club and it, members. The
iptir:;;ns again pledged the city their co
4 ration and assistance in the movement
- 4 system oil city parks.
Judge Forio'~ paper on the Brownsville
VI ltamoro> ferry follows:
Il deferred giving a brief history of In,
.ttry operating between Brownsville ana
N ltainoro> n requested by orr popular
/. .>idcni, fearing tina; ! might have 10
late The fact that the ferry interests, FOR
AIRY oi great Importance, are now &c
.i;nizcd by The wheel OF progress, not, how
,cr. by the it'll, Wheel oi Progress ",
ose 10 read % well, but by an cluali,
powerful wheel, Known a. the lnterna
.innal bridge.
There vas n tine when the traditional
1 ry boats were useful to rich and pool
4 nc, but since they have been hard hit
= the wheel OF progress; they are non
=. ~ IL shadow OF the past, because the
,.-n lind il easier TO wheel their autos
.cr the handsome and imposing bridg,
Lifting the sister cities OF the lower klo
a.ande Valley.
some OF you gentlemen may re-
4 inter- that the ferry landing in YEAR
.ane by, was an attractive, busy place
! zen II had about forty men at day time
a.-d often ~ many al night, loading ana
4-.ioadhs the Several large gunnel> fer
YAM IIamSi.sc cargoes Of foreign ant
4 ,m1,tlc m~erehaI.uise which were trans
FRED on the Acxican side 10 large prair-
- sclooE.r-, destined Tor puere!aro,
uuada.ajara, San Luis Poto~i, Saltllio,
.c;or.a, Aio.i,rey and intermediate points
j the Mexican %lepublic.
Those were busy and lively times al
$500 q wan sNA0tAs
-.le and Matamoro~.
TWO steamships weekly, coming direct
-oin En5..sn poii,, brinslng freight M
"a, cents per hundred ponnd-, a line o.
-ssels going 10 and coming from New
orE, ole weekly IRON New Orleans ana
Galveston, a line oi sailing vessels from
rance, from Germany. from Spain, ana
imcrous lumber S~clooner> going 10 and
omins from Alabama, Louisiana and Tex
49, ports, kept the RIO Grande Railroad
.sd Steamboats, Company of six large
-eamLca.s handling AL The freight they
Iuid carry 10 supply the border towns
ID iuiiy one hair ol the Republic Of Mex
.. Oae ot the steamboats, made regular
FPS between Brownsville, Camarso, RIO
.randc City and San Pedro, opposite Micr.
scx.co.
An this trade AID the commercial i'm
orlaicc ot brownsville was lost whcL
lie railway from Laredo was competed to
ne Ciiy % Mexico. The foreign ships then
aLload,d their rargor> tor Aicxicau
re MS Ia Galveston, thence by rail via La
redo and a-!c Pass.
My connection with the ferry company
Ia tics hacs ~ 1850, since WHEN il ha-
hanged ownership several times.
"SiillnEin. Bcld,u aud Hale were The or
sarIzcr~. II passed. 10 the control 81 Pal
lncr and Sullivan Construction company.
the Euildcr- of the railroad from Iarrd,,
to the Mexico City. This concern convey
lcd il To the Mexican National Rnilroat
company, IL afterwards passing Ia The con
trol If the Central Railways Of Mexico
When this company contemplated 10 huild
a line from Matamoro> la Tampico. and
when the two line, merged their Interests
it became the property of the Mexicar
National lines, and the ferry company il
now Il creature Of that imposing structure
uniting the twin cities of the Lower Rio
Grandc.
Il remember when the city of Malta
mo,os housed within its boundaries over
80, 900 people. Work was then plentiful for
all GLASSES. The cost Of living was insig-
~nificant in comparison with the present
and good things were within the reach OF
all. Best of all, the most pleasant social
relations existed between the people Of
the border cities. facing each other rs
loving sisters. BIT in those happy day
restrictions in going TO and coming from