Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-06-29

OF water Tor miles.
However. the road survived the
serious floods. and prospered, bust
ness totalng around $4,000 per
annum according to Lieut.. Chat-
field. Much Of the merchandise
shipped over the road was destined
for the interior Of Mexico.
The main office of the railroad
at Twelfth and Elizabeth, n
trains were able 10 come into town
over tracks that entered the town
proper.
passenger traffic Is light" Off
Gals Of the company said in those
DAYS. Only in summer when Browns
Vile residents went TO sea for the
hot month was traffic heavy enough
to necessitate daily service OF pas
senger trains.
The company's officers were:
James A. Browne. president Jose
Celaya. secretary and treasurer
Jamse 3. Wells. general solicitor
Simon Celaya, general manager,
George ". Randall. chief engineer,
G. Martinez. superintendent Of tele-
graph. and John Egan and II. Sher-
wood. general agents. Directors We're
James a. Browne, Simon Celaya, r
san Roman. James z. Wells, VIM
Kelly. Augustine Celaya and Manue!
Fernando.
Some Of the most prominent res
idents and citizens Of BroWnsviAe
in 1893, with the brief biographical
sketch were these:
Simon Celaya, q Spanish gentle
man. He went TO Havana, Cuba, IN
1886. where he remained for 5
years as a clerk in a commercial
house. From there he went to
BardstoWn. Kv.. to college. He ar
rived in Brownsville in 1850 and
obtained employment with Jose
San Roman and Company where he
remained until 1865. Business il the
San Roman firm amounted 10 better
than s l.200.O 900 a year. IL is report
ed. He then retired with a snug
fortune, and later became interested
In the railroad project. He was also
~vice-consul for Spain IN this sec
ton for 20 years.
William Neale was an English
man reared III London He ran "
from home AMI went to sea. Duriu
his life roaming the seven seas, d
kept a diary, Pepys in charact-
and cCmprehenSiveness which Wa
unfortunately destroyed when ID
bandit Cort.na raided the town an
burned the home. Mr.. Meals caree
on this side OF the Atlantic be7a,
when he joined the Mexican Nav
in 1921. he later was q sign an
house painter in New Orleans. frOr
which city he came to Brownsvill-
IN 1884. He lived in Matamoros 70.
seven years. later establishing ?
stage coach line from Point Isahe
TO Brownsville. which ne operated
for MANY years. an anecdOte is con-
nected with the stage coach days.
When he first hitched four horses
TO the coach. natives thought lie
must be Grady 10 do such a thing.
a little later. he was offered $3.50
and 200 cows for an old wagon
worth about SIS. and closed the
bargain at the earnest solicitation
Of the buyer. who had never seen a
Vehicle that did not have solid
wooden wheels Neale lived for
many years his varied life interest
ing and full A short biography is
an injustice to the man His des-
cendants still reside in Brownsville.
well-known and popular.
Many Family Names Survive
Manuel Bsrreda. Spaniard. edu-
Gated IN Spain and arrived in
Brownsville In 1881 He first entered
the employ 81 Manuel Fernandez.
finally launching into business for
himself IN 1888 on Eleventh Street.
Of Market SuQare.
,. s and M. n. Cross. of South
Carolina. J. S. Cross. the father Of
M FL Cross. moved TO this vicinity
soon after the Mexican war. He
settled IN Matamoros in 1857 and in
1852 opened q small store following
disastrous years in the cattle rais-
ing game. Gradually he built his
business, and made his son. who was
raised in Brownsville. a partner III
later years. Their business was
large, supplying the interior Of Mex
leo. and also shipping By steamboat
supplies 70 Reynosa. Edinburg, and
towns as far north as Roma.
Mrs. II. BOliack. from Bavaria
Germany. Arrived in Brownsville
in 1878. located in Louisiana first.
staying there 3 years before she
moved TO Brownsville. She opened
a store on Twelfth street directly
opposite the Market Plaza. hand
ling dry goods. Says Lieut.. Chat
field. The business. which has been
increased to twice its original ey-
tent is personally managed bv Mrs
Bollack and her two sons. r y
number Of clerks. Good bargains
and prompt attention always await
her customers"
Henry O.. Krause. OF STUTTGART
Germany. matchmaker. HIS sister
was the first child baDtised in the
Episcopal church OF Brownsville.
Mrs. George Krausse. also Of Ger
many. ran a stationery store here.
selling books and magazines. She
a pioneer Of the local EPISCOPAL
church, prominent IN church at
fairs, and had a romantic past. She
came from Germany and settled III
Galveston before moving here.
Juan II. Fernandez. Spain. cam
10 America in 1875. He received
commercial education In his natlt
country. and upon arriving here VI
employed BY the firm Of j. II. Fe.
nandez and Company. composed Z
an uncle and elder brother. H.
later opened a firm j. II. Fernando,
and Bro. with an imposing brick
building on Twelfth and Adams
streets. The partnership dissolved in
1891 and the firm continued under
the name Juan II. Fernandez.
Putegnats Arrive
J. L. Putegnat. from Alabama. ar
rived here in 1860 and began work