Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-09-29
Says Publicity For
Knocker Hurts Valley

To The Herald:
On my return from q vacation
spent In the West I found, In the
columns OF the several Valley pap
erS, @ campaign against knockers and
q day set aside for knocking the
knockers" This Is exceedingly strange
to me and entirely the wrong attit-
ude 70 assume toward our less fort
innate alleyites. who having
become disappointed down here. have
In SOME instances, no doubt, strongly
expressed their opinion Of our beau
tiful and beloved country and have
thereby gotten themselves into a
class OF unwanted citizens.
Whether or not they have a right
TO knock or ven an excuse to COM
plain, Is certainly is no concern OF
mine and / most assuredly do not
hold any brief for them. but there
is thing that I am satisfied
about and that Is that a campaign
against Knockers broadcast on the
the front page Of every paper in the
Valley isn't going to help the Valley
any and only creates in the minds
OF readers OF such papers I'm other
states. and In Texas outside or the
Valley, a doubt as to the wonders
OF the section. In other words. IL il
natural for the nonresident TO con-
clude that II there wasn't grounds
Tor complaint down here there
wouldn't be any knocking. The old
chestnut about so much smoke and
a little fire Is always applicable
when a mar or a town or. a section
Is under discussion. The least said
about knockers the better.
What the Valley needs most Is
closer cooperation on the part Of
those cities which have fought each.
other like Kilkenny cats e since
the first homeseekers excursion
struck the Valley and new people
were brought in.
To a certain extent the land men
themselves are responsible for this
jealousy. intoxicating in the minds OF
their people the belief that the
proposition which they happen TO
be representing is the best in the
Valley, or for that matter the best
In the world. and all others mere
wide places in the road. existing
only by and though the consent
OF the particular land company de-
veloping its own particular tract.
Their people are drilled along these
lines by the agents who induce them
TO come here and these people ma
turally ere endowed with the esprit
du corps that exists in any com
munity or in any organization. It
Is lust human nature.
/ recall that during my services In
the United States Army I was con-
vinsed that my regiment was the
best in the army. my companv the
best in the regiment. and I was
marble headed enough to believe
that all other regiments were me-
diocre. to say the least about them.
There should he a closer relation
between the Valley towns. socially
and commercially. Idon't know how
they are going about 1t to perform
this miracle. but until they do. and
until they quit suusbhlinR with each
other over trifles. there Is going to
be what the papers cf The Valley
are now fiRhting-knocking.
I learned a good manv things
while I was In Colorado that I might
mass on 10 the people of the Valley.
I learned a few genuine lessons in
courtesy and hosnitalitv in the frigid
cold-blooded North. where the word
HOSPITALITY Is enormously supposed
to be unknown. Listen. there isn't
a Southern city nor a Southern man
man that can touch Colorado for
sincere hospitality and ss for pure
courtesy Denver. Colorado has the
rest of them moved off the man.
Gold and silver might have hern
the foundation stones upon which
Denver. and a large area Of Colora-
do. were builded. but both OF these
were exhausted many years ago and
Denver found 1t exDedient 60 look
about her for something else beside
diggings. She had the climate for
those who suffered from dread
tuberculosis and she had mountains
and gorRes for those who wanted to
play and she set about telling them
TO come to Denver. Having sent ths
bids she had TO put on her best
smile and warm up her erstwhile
gold-frozen paw which she was
about to extend to the stranger In
her midst. Her only hope was In