The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-07-12
Rio GRANDE IS
RIGHTLY Named
ONCE EACH YEAR
Latest Flood Area Of United
States Has Developed From
Dunes to One of Rich
est Valleys.


WASHINGTON, d. c. - The Rio
Grande River. between Texas and Mex
leo, which has been giving an all too
realistic imitation Of the Mississippi
on rampage, is normally so shallow
and sluggish that immigration agents
and customs officers are kept busy
shooting back Mexicans who would
enter the United States by the simple
and informal procedure Of wading in,
says a bulletin from the Washington,
u. C.. headquarters OF the National
Geographical Society in regard 10 the
country's latest flood region,
1T is hard" continues the bulletin,
"for the Mexicobound traveller TO
realize under normal conditions that
the ribbon OF water meandering through
broad bed OF sand Is the stream that
In Spanish means. The Great River,
But once a year at least. and some
times oftener, the Rio Grande fully lives
ul to its name.
The loan banks OF the lower Rio
Grande and its broad, fertile valley GOV.
cred with heavy growth Of the thorny
mesquite half shrub and half tree
was long considered wilderness and
given over to deer. wild pigs, armada
los and jack rabbits. Then came ranch
men to Craze great herds of beef cattle
among the feathery sea of green. Large
areas somewhat removed from the river
are still given over to cattle raising.
4 III
But near the stream pumping sta
Lions and Irrigation canals have come
into existence in recent years. and each
sprrg and summer thousands of car
lJads Of watcrmelons cantelopes, on
ions. cabbage( and other vegetables
steam north from the region to help
iced me more northern portions OF the
cuJntry. For tbs region, near the
Tarm Gulf OF Mexico and barely out.
sdc the tropics, competes with Florida
-rd he imperial Valley IN producing
carry crops
sun more recently another develop
men, mas taken place which promises tc
maize the Rio Grande second San
,'oJqun Valley. Between a million
and.a half and two million citrus fruit
trees have been planted. and In tn,
winter OF l92l-22 the first carloads o
o1opcs and grapefruit were shipped
out.
4 Shot Like That at Concord.
u storically the Rio Grande has helC
prominent place. 1t was one OF tn,
cnlef landmarks IN the famous expedi
tons of the Spanish explorers VIII,
pushed Up into Texas and on 10 New
Mexico and California four centuries
ago. Later II became "A sor- OF Couth
ern Concord. for II the shot fired il
massachusetts in April 1715 was hear,
round the world. u shot fired on tn
banks Of the lower RIO Grande on an
other April morning II years later b.
General Zachary Taylor's soldiers nigh
BE- "a TO have been heard over "a
area OF. half a million square miles
That area was added to the Unite
States as result of the shot; for
brought on the Mexican War whc
resulted IN The anneXt.on OF what
nov Cal,forn a. Nevada, Utah. Arizonf
and parts Of New Mexico. Colorado an
Wyoming, In addition this skirmis
near the mouth OF the RIO Grande le
to the confirmation OF the annextion ,
Texas which had brought an addtiont
quarter m Hon square niles under IN
American flag.
Part OF the region lately inundate
IVES known to thousands OF doughboy
during The mobilization along the Mex
can border shortly before the Unite
States entered the World War. POI
Isabel. almost at the mouth Of the X
Grande, came into newspaper fame
thc fall Of 1920 when Senator Hardin
naying just finished the strenuoJ
cmmpa4gn which too; him TO the Whi
House, went there for big game tis
ing"