Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1928-02-19

have prepared from my W library
a list of the special papers printed
in the so volumes OF the quarterly
bearing on tho Rio Grande and also
other books giving information on
the same subject. Many of them are
out Of print now but are TO be
found in the University Of Texas Ii
brary and the State Library in Aus
tin.
The modern history OF the Valley
ILLUSTRATED so attractively by its
@ful homes, stately school build
NriuITgsome churches paved
rosAlVuI@n yards. and golden
citrus Spits Msssoo' D as chambers Ess Iss hi 81
coy Models tiles Of news ".
7Ion - Il thought.
l, M'cAnglo-Amefm.cM noi tsompllsh,
FED more in the twenty-thHr years
since the Valley was made accsIH ~
6y ran fthkfgP had been accomUar or
its d. automobiles inlls; andtsee
winch controls the oes occupathtsby
t1TqAiie. reFtal st61 are not %rnled
to all the credit; your occupaJ n was
made safe and possible by Re hard
ships and privation Of thF pioneer
Anglo-American settlers. Feir brav-
cry. intelligence and seXsl for self
government. We are y y lected with
and protected BY a ri I laws and
modern civilization withich began
with the Texas eolfeysnsne hundred
years ago. N
1t was truly a conttt Of rival
civilizations as DR.. Geo. Garrison,
so thoughtfully establish Rs in his
philosophical history undo the title
Of Western Extension"
The Latin races have IA II as col
onists. because tHey came al d%conques-
tadors" and t 4mpted to Isblugate
and rule By @rce; IN NIT cases
they were coyft %favorites, eeceived
immense grant in the new tountry,
left their families in Spbin or
France, alfays with the yieAeo Of re-
turning after acquiring f1tunes.
When they did ~colonize theanGstab-
lished haciendss on their lahr and
made poems OF the natives golprning
them with h%arshness and Pity,
they never developed the equai OF
SELF : government. Anglo Amt ,ans
came in covered wagons withiAheir
families. domestic animals \ and
household effects, they built hNnes,
villages and towns and when Hpu-
lated enough. formed governments TO
protect their persons and estates. il
was this class, founded on English
law and English character, which laid
the foundation. The result IS the
present United States Of America
embracing Texas, while the Spanish,
the original discoveries Of America
have d~egenerated TO a third class
power. The last boundary of the
United States is the Lower Rio
| Grande Valley. the most ancient and
! the most modern.
When the colonist under Austin
and Dewitt began to pour into Texas
one hundred years ago, they only
found a few moulding missions, and
the Mexican town Of San Antonio de
Bexar. Goliad and Nacogdoches. after
an occupancy by Spain and Mexico Of
three hundred years. The Indians
still occupied and dominated the
country and il was really as a pro-
lection against the Indians that the
Anglo-Americans were invaded as
colonists.
Because Of the Valleys isolated
location IL remained the last 70 de-
veiop. Land across the river was
was sold by the ~Spana-ds At ten dol
lars for a league Cf land containing
4,s2s acres. Up TO the beginning Of
your modern history. large tracts Of
land on this side could be bought ~
from fifty cents 10 two dollars per
acre. After twenty year a ingle
acre of land has been sold for more
than 4,426 acres would have brought
say in 1900. A league az land on
the river now is worth n kings ran
som and there are few tracts of
that size left undeveloped.
The real wealth of Texas lies IN
its land and mineral esources. This
is true also of continental United
States. Agriculture is n was the
foundation-all else is only super
structure. The wealth grew from the
bottom up: was not dispensed from
the top down. Capitalists and cap
tains Of industry did not Trecede. but
followed agriculture. They are timid
and take no chances, most Of them
come in pullman cars and not in COW
cred wagons. The farmer is still un-
organized and has not yet received
compensation for his investment,
and his enterprise. Every other class
is organized and alert-militant. He
also is beginning TO take notice and
when organized, by reason of his
numbers. will become more prosper
Gus and more respected. When Ggri-
culture receives its just proportion
of the prosperity and wealth Of our
nation. this Valley will come into
its own.
Every generation has its work to
perform and ! am addressing a body
which shirks no duties. In m en-
thusiasm for the subject have been
willing 20 brave tho probability Ct
being called by you "0ld Dry rs
Dust" but really ! would prefer YOU
call me "0ld Mortality"
Possibly there may be some Of yen
whose childhood reaches back 20
the Victorian period when the Waiver
IN novels by sir Walter Scott were
in vogue; II so YOU may recall that
as a basis for his novel "0ld Nor
tality" he relates of al ancient
Scotchman. who spent his last DAYS
mounted on an old white pony, with
z canvas-sack of engraving tools
strapped TO the neck of the pony
going from cemetery TO cemetery and
from battlefield. in highlands and
lowlands. rechiseling the inscrip-
tons on the headstones and mona
ments. resting those who had fallen
down. polishing them from mildcw
and decay to their former condition.
His passion was to preserve the
memory Of Scotland's c~oventers who
had persisted on so many gallant
battlefields. To a certain degree,
sir Walter Scott continued in his
historic novels the worl: Of the old