Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-08
Charges Knocker
Is Business Man
To The Herald:

AA&
The writer has been reading. with
the knockers in our Valley and
the expressions Of different indi-
viduals on that subject. I am
heartily In accord with all Of them.
but it seems to me that no one
has vet advanced an idea that
covers the situation. This subject
is one that has always been with
us and no one has been able 10
solve it. however there is a way to
solve IL and that In a very short
time, If the proper methods are
used.
It has always been the general
opinion that the word "knocker"
applies TO the fellow who is stand
ing on the corner whiting on a
stick or to the individual common
~ termed a 'curbstone" real estate
man. Twenty years of living here
in the Valley has changed my mind
on that subject. The Valley has but
few whittlers and fewer curb
Stoners," yet we feel the effects OF
the knockers. therefore there must
be some other source from whence
the knocking comes. The poor old
"c~urbstoner' is no longer a NEIL
ace. he has found his game don't
pay and is trying to forget his for
mer trade and fall in line and help
boost. He has long since realized
that his presence is not desired in
the Valley and Is trying to be good.
To my mind the boys who have
been writing to your column have
not detected the real ~"knocker," or
else they are heS.tating to say what
they think, but they should not
hesitate. failure to tell these trou-
BILE makers who they are has. and
IS. encouraging them to apply the
hammer more vigorously.
III you will permit me to say ID.
and the Lord knows I hate to do X.
for / dislike to think that such a
condition actually exists, but some
times somebody has to come out
and state the facts. and the facts
are. the 'knocker" in the Valley, the
real "klocker." Is no other than the
fellow who terms himself the bus
mess man. And that word business
man takes In a lot Of territory: IL
includes the merchant, the banker.
the doctor, the lawyer, the contrac-
tor, the utility man, and numer-
Gus others: the Valley is infested
in all lines Of business with
knockers and these knockers
deem 1t their solemn duty to advise
the new conner or the tourist to be
on his guard and quidado for the
land man. or the produce dealer.
They tell Of the horrible treat
ment" that will be melted out TO
them If they should fall into the
hands Of that monster they call a
land man, and IL the fellow has
by chance missed getting knocked
until he moves down TO the Valley.
Mr.. Merchant. or Mr.. Banker, or
Mr.. Doctor. OF some other wise Mr..
who poses as a business man. will
tell him now that he has been
skinned by the land man and he
sure wants to avoid further peeling
and keep away from the produce
dealer. It's the land man or the
produce dealer who causes all the
trouble. Mr.. Business Man is the
knighted saint that looks out for
the newcomers interests, he not
making more than four hundred
per cent profit on the goods he is
selling. or II he Is a banker, he Is
not charging him more than fifteen
per cent interest on the money he
Is loaning him, or IL he is some
other business man. he is not
handing him packages more than
fursNn Nc hfC &c ~ nrfnEf 20 hn hff+
the land man. especially, Is the
devil in the deal and there Is moth
ing good TO be said about him. II
Is true he has made the country
and the Mr.. Business Man has
come to enjoy the fruits Of the land
mans labor and thereby get his liv-
ing off the people the land man
has located in the Valley. But that
part Of the story is forgotten By
Mr. Business-man-knocker; he
must tell the prospective settler
how horrible things are and how
he should be on guard and how bad
the land is and how dreadful the
climate is and how awful living
conditions are. and how unhealthy
the country is and what a hard
time he sees ahead for the new
man. He never thinks to state a
few Of the good things there are II
say about the country-he fails TO
tell the new fellow why he is living
here. and that he was a failure
in the town from where ne cam,
no. everything Is bad here-and
everything is good in some other
place. This all gives the ordinary
new settler the cold chills and he
Immediately gets cold feet-writes
these stories TO his friends and
relatives back home, spreading the
stories and increasing the damage
to the Valley every time the stories
are retold.
! stated that knocking could BE-
stopped IN a short time, If the
proper methods are used. Now here
is the remedy-one should never
howl about an abuse unless he can
suggest a remedy-so here Is one
that will work II adhered TO. Let
Mr.. Business man attend to his own
business and instead Of offering
free advice say something nice
about the country. Tell the visitor
or the new conner the truth about
the country-the truth IS all that
is necessary to tell-the country
tells its " story-it's good enough
for anybody. Everytime Mr.. Bus
mess man tells one Of these ter
1 rshfn wfr~4nm nhrrs& &rm 1mwI w~mw