The Ordway new era., 1920-12-10
ALONG OUR TURBULENT
BORDER

more frequently mentioned or more
widely misunderstood, perhaps. than
the Mexican border" writes Frederick
Slmpich, formerly American consul r.
NogRles, Mex, to the National Geo
graphic society.
From the Gulf of Mexico up TO FL
Paso, along the Texas frontier, the
Rio Grande forms the boundary be
tween the United States and Mexico; I;
thence to the Pacific coast the line is
marked by stone or iron monuments
(save a short break at the Colorado),
so set that one is supposed 10 be Wis
ible from another. BY this plan sol
dier, miner or cowman (yes, and a
smuggler, tOo) can always tell which
side of the line he is on; or, If wholly
lost and he comes suddenly on mon
ument, he soon can get oriented.
adventurous, colorful and full of
contrasts as it is, the 1.s00-mile trip
along this crooked, historic line is
rough and difficult and has been made
by few people.
1.-The Rio Grande part of this border
has caused both Uncle Sam and Mex
leo much work and mental anguish.
During bad floods the line as formed
by the river squirms around in so as
tonishing and lively a manner that
what is Mexican soil one day may be
in Texas the next, and vice versa.
"RailrOads cut this long border line
at Brownsville. Laredo, Eagle Pass
and FL PasO, Tex; at Douglas. Naco
and Nogales, in Arizona. and at Calex-
leo and Tia Juana, In California. Only
four of these railroads, however, are
main lines of through traffic that pene'
trate the interior of Mexico; these
start at Laredo, Eagle Pass, FL Paso
and Nogales.
"No section of the border has seen
so much of adventure. tragedy and
turbulent activity as Texas. The flags
of France, Spain and Mexico have
waved over 1t; for a time 1t flew its
own Lone Star and also the Confed-
crate flag.
"As you follow the border west,
oaks, pines and underbrush decrease,
aridity increases and cacti lift their
thorny heads. Border counties like
Brewster Presidio and FL Paso are Of
amazing area-larger than some of
our small Eastern states. Windmills
are everywhere-"big electric fans to
keep the cattle cool waggish COW
boy once explained to a London ten
tieFfoot.
"El Paso is the only large city from
San Antoine TO Los Angeles, ride O-
l,50O dry. dusty miles.
"Thc largest irrigation reservoir
anywhere is the great Elephant Butte
dam, which stores more water than
the world famous Assuan dam on the
Nile.
From the point at Monument No.
l., where the boundary line crawls out
of the Rio Grande Cat the southeast
corner of New MeNico) II strikes west
into wilderness of slngularly dry
and empty aspect For 40 miles along
this march the traveller must carry his
own water
ITO the west lie the rough, hostile
foothills of the Dog mountains; near
here, in the San Luis range, the line
reaches point of 5000 feet above
the sea, marking the continental di-
vide.
"In the San Bernardino valley the
line strikes the first running water
after quitting the Rio Grande-192
miles TO the east. Here rises the
famous Yaqui river, that long, crooked
stream that meanders through the vast
Mexican state of Sonora and through
the turbulent Yaqui Indian zone, final
ly emptylng into the Gulf of CalIfor
MIA below Guaymas.
the Rio Grande TO the Pacific this line
crosses only five permanent running
streams. and the average rainfall
throughout It's length is only eight
inches.
Save the hamlets of Columbus and
Hachita, the New Mexican section of
this border is almost unlnhablted"