The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-11-17
POINT ISABEL LIKE
TOWN IN PHILIPPINE
ISLANDS; NO HURRY

POINT ISABEL, Texas, Nov. 10
An out-of-the-way place Is this gull
coast resort where President-eiec'
Harding is recuperating from the
strain of the national campaign. foE
communication with the outside world |
it depends upon narrow gauge ra,l
road to Brownsville, an automoohe
road. few telegraph and telephone
lines and the big government wireless
station through which came the first
direct information on the CorpaS
Christi storm of September, 1919.
Though only 90 miles from the busy
border city of townsville, 1T is like
passins into a different country to
make this 20 mile trip. On the way
lies plantation set in palm trees
with matched palm huts or Mexican
laborers, which is more suggestive Oh
the Philippines than of anything else
where in the United States. Beyond
the planted area come great flats and
some low, rolling hills, on which the
.sky reveals here and there the
stranght, sentinellike Spanish dagger.
Hurry or worry is unthinkable IN tEe
lazy almost perpetual sunshine OF tnls
region.
On Its outer eOSe lies JILL ASe]ON -
"a fishing village, with the always PIC
+uresme confinement of Mexican poru
1ation to be found in this extreme
corner of the United States. A long,
wooden pier runs out into the water,
like a finger and the town extends
along the shore at right angles TO
this finger. Padre Island, strip OF
sand dunes, with trees here and there,
lies in front of Point Isabel. forming
the lagoon which the town races 10
the north this slender island extenos
virtually unbroken for nearly HUI
miles. Its northern extremity reaches
barely past Point Isabers front door.
Plenty of Game.
The gulf surf comes in on the OUT
side shore of the island affordms
year around bathing, while the 10
,goon is a big lake, in some places
several miles wide. The fishing Is on
both sides of the island. Redhsh
running up to 20 pounds and Sd"
water trout which average three to
six pounds are ordinarily sought, bu'
the varieties of big fish within inc
ffsherman's distance are almost emo
less. Wild turkeys and quail abouho
in the adjacent territory ana deer ai"'
iayelin or wildhog are numerous
srhen there are Mexican lions which
are about the size of large New
foundland dog and which have tulla
as much courage as JackraoDlt
There are also leopard cats and oop
cats. iackrabits and cottontail rabbits
Years ago Point Isabel was VISITED
bv many large vessels which serVee
lower Texas and part of he north
eastern section of Mexico. That wa
before railroads connected the wv
countries at Laredo and before the M
Grande Valley, now famous for IL
truck gardens, was connected with Tn
more populous sections of IeAa~
When the St Louis, Brownsville
Mexico railroad was constructed iron
houston to Brownsville, water trans
nortation became almost negligible.
Because of the towns position O
the I.aguna Madre and the beautllt
sand beach on Padre Island, It Wa
thought at one time that Point lsaoe
would become great winter resoF
and a commodious brick hotel al
numerous neat cottages were COZ
struct. Difficulty in standardizing I'll
narrow gauge railroad to Browns
Vile, however, hindered developmcn
along these lines.