Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-08-07
Is 1t Delta"
---Of---
Is 1t "Valley?"

IL auspicious start. The Herald had
no intention of starting something
when it began using Delta" rather
than VALLEY" in referring to this
most glorious spot on the face of Moth
er Earth.
But, quite innocently, The Herald has
started a discussion that has become al
most general over the Rio Grande Delta
or shall we say Lower Rio Grande
Valley?"
Mostly, folks concede the accuracy Of
Delta" but point out-and certainly
the argument has much to support it
that this section has long been known
rs the Lower Rio Grande Valley" or
merely THE Valley" and that since
it is so known quite generally, II
should continue to lie used.
In adopting the term Rio Grande
Delta" The Herald was actuated sole
ly by the conviction that this term
comes more nearly to identifying this
area definitely, separate and apart from
all other Rio Grande lands, than does
Lower Rio Grande Valley" and also
has the advantage Of being shorter.
it is not in any way attempting 10
force over something the people Of the
section do not want. II has mei e'J cffer-
ed the suggestion in the hope nat the
people will find merit in il and event
ually adopt it.
The use Of Delta" is not original
with The Herald. II has doubtless been
used scores of thousands of times in re-
ferences to this section.
In this connection, The Herald has
received an informative and interest
ing letter from Colonel Byron l.. Barg-
ar Of Brownsville. Colonel Bargar has
travelled the full length of the Rio
Grande. His letter is here quoted in
full:
Am glad to note that you are call
ing a spade a spade in the VALLEY
controversy.
while the word valley, as descrip-
tive Of our delta gardens, is incorrect,
il is also very poor advertising. For
every winter the northern cities lead
about killing frosts in the Rio Grande
Valley and occasionally get reports of
zero temperatures.
"ln 1906 | camped in the Rio Grande
Valley in Southwest Colorado and shiv- |
cred IN snow storm in August The !
elevation Of my camp MaA-almost ex-
actly 10000 feet, yet / was in mar
Tow valley with mountains on both |
sides.
In December, 1916, l camped in the
Rio Grande Valley at FL Paso, Texas. |
there the altitude of the stream is only |
1900 feet; but we had plenty Of ice and
freezing weather every night for weeks.
In l920-l92l | was at Del Rio, in
the lower Rio Grande Valley and, at
1000 feet elevation, saw frequent freez-
&s at night.
Here we know that the streams
banks are higher than the surrounding
lands. That's the way deltas are built.
The government maps of about 1855
show the Arroyo Colorado as one Of
the Texas mouths of the Rio Grande,
and RI Tigre performing similar ser
vice in Tamaulipas. All Of the resacas
are either mouths of the Rio Grande or
branches Of its bed. The Resaca RAN
cho Viejo is still over thirty mi>es
long.
Hence. we will be n delta forever.
so. why adopt the frost reports Of
the 1000 miles traversed " the Rio
Grande by calling ourselves a valley.
"B. l.. BARGAR."
Roughly. the Rio Grande has twenty
mouths, although Il ~ trCe that all Of
them are not in use. The great ar
royos. FL Tigre on the Mexican side,
aud Arroyo Colorado on the American
side. take care of enormous volumes OF
water during flood stages. Others alb
sorb smaller amounts of water. Alto