Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-06-11
Let Road Building
Wait Awhile, Urges
Leader at Rio Hondo
To The Herald.

To The Herald:
Attention Of Cameron county
readers Is being focused upon va
rious newspaper articles yer the
SIGNATURE Of Hon. Oscar c. Dancy.
outlining plans for making our six
million dollar road program fairly
continuous.
In this connection be it most en-
phatically stated that ! yield to no
one in my admiration, respect and
appreciation Of our own Judge
Dancy. In my opinion he is abso-
lutely the most valuable man Cam
eron county owns and il will be 2
sad day for us if we ever lose him
from his present official position
while we are spending the huge
sums OF public money that pres
mt road program involves. However
hat there may be no Gillinution IN
his present value to Cameron county
But rather that day by day in every
ray his worth and glory may IN
~rcase. let us dig a little o deeply
nto his proposed road program for
he immediate future.
Our six million dollar road pro-
cram was sanctioned by a large ma
j0rity Of our voters with the under
standing that somebody was going
.1 have to wait awhile for some
Cf the roads. AS much as six years
was suggested as the minimum pc
Rod for its completion. Present m
dications are that our normal in
crease III valuations will enable the
program to be completed in con-
siderably less time than that. OF
course every fellow hoped that he
would not be the guy who would
have to wait but ! can't help re-
marking that ninety eight per cent
Of the unlucky folks are showing
themselves to be mighty goUd snorts
in this matter of waiting end are
suffering the necessary delay with
remarkable grace and fortitude.
Lots of L people in thickly settled
irrigated sections want roads end
need them badly. Rangerville Is i'll
an awful fix. Thickly settled p0r-
tions Of the Rio HondO community
are still several miles from pave
ment. Such places needed pave
mcnts Just as soon and Just as badly
as anybody. If We have tears 10
shed let's spill a few bucketfullS
over these folks but lets not vet get
excited over the unpaved portion Of
the Military road and the remaining
twelve miles Of unpaved salt marsh
around Point Isabel Uncle Sam
has not vet completely abandoned
the idea Of improving the border
road. Let's give the old boy a
chance 10 get the idea clear of his
system before w go TO spending six
dollar cabbage money for doing
what he might yet take a notion to
do for us.
AS regards Point Isabel. 1t Is true
somebody Il spending a lot Of money
there. III current reports are true
they have lots Of il to spend. They
are betting on a real port there.
If they make a good bet. they will
clean up. If they make a bad one.
they stand TO lose some money. but
In the worst happens to them they
will still be- iii much better financial
condition than many Cameron
county taxpayers who are still
blowing through the mud. If Lady
Luck turns them down. a burro trail
will be amply sufficient TO carry the
Point Isabel traffic over the remain
ing twelve miles of unpaved road for
the next fifty years and the main
tenanCe can be amply provided for
with the poll tax az a half dozen
prominent Point Isabel boosters with
good old genial Bob Stuart as road
o~verseer. If on the other hand the
Board Of Army Engineers definitely
decide in their favor. and a real
port is located away over there. then
the rest Of the county through dire
necessity and the last word in good
craftsmanship. will Of course con-
struct adequate railroads, pave
ments etc. in order TO secure its
benefits. However this plan Of paw
ing roads to Point Isabel because we
might some day have a port there
and because we might some day
pave a road TO it resembles the logic
Of the man who sold his farm to rest
his mules and then sold his mules
because he had nothing for them to
do.
Lots Of Cameron county folk think
there are better places for a port
than Point Isabel. Lots Of folks who
think il the only place for a Valley
port are becoming more skeptical
every day concerning its ultimate Sc
lection and definite Improvement by
the government for that purpose.
Just coolies ar folks think this a
might good time 70 sit tight. watch
closely and see which way the cat
Jumps before blowing our last two
million dollars of road money.
A J C~srnenter.
Sec. Rio Hondo Booster Club
Rio Hondo, Texas