, 1935-07-04

ley. with no Geographic connections.
could only surmise and guess as 70
the arrival OF Train No. z IN Browns
Vile.
Finally. on the scheduled dot. NJ
TAO y. m, Train No. 2 came into
Brownsville. and the north was con-
nected with the Valley by rail trans
purtRtion. III. III. Kendall was the en-
gineer Of this first regularly sche-
culed passenger train 20 pull Into
the Valley. George ri. Heu5tes the
conductor and Billie Jordan the fire
man.
The stars and Stripes flew from
the engine. the flag being furnished
by Mrs. Henrietta NJ. King.
I'm spite OF falling rain which
made the streets OF Brownsville al
most ouagmires. a brass band met
the train at the station. a parade
was formed which wanded It's way
to the gaily decorated business sec
ton CT the city where fireworks were
set off and a general oldtime cele-
bration held.
Commemorating the occasion on
July 5, the Brownsville city coun~
cll passed sn ordinance changing
Brownsville time from Sun" &c
standard"
Brought New Citizens
Among the passengers on that
first train into the Valley are list
ed the following, many Of them
either now residents OF Brownsville
and other Valley cities. or men whose
memories r still fresh in the minds
cf Valley people:
Harry Brown. Brownsville chief
Of police: Dr. r. II. II. Wright; w.
p. Steen. Matamoros: Mrs. Patrick
Moran. Corpus Christi: y. u. Mar
shall. c. A. Jacobs. Antonio Cisneros.
c. w. Mcdonald. Frank Lopez. M.
Besteiro. A. d. Renick. g. r.. Cox.
Frank Vasquez. Charles HirSch. Y.
levine. Jr.. w. r. CottinRham. p. b.
Basco. ". A. Scoville. Mrs. j. "A. TIL
man. Mike Cavazos and family. ,. w
Farley. Mrs. M. M. Abney and j. NJ.
Pettus.
Officers or the old st. Lcuir
Brownsville and Mexico in ~
days were p. y. Yoakum. presto
Jeff ". Miller. vice-president
general manager: Robert j. Kleberg
vice-president: John D.. Ffnnegan
Secrrtary-treasurer: III. w. Adams.
traffic manager: william Doherty.
general passenger and ticket agent:
w. n. Church. auditor: F. ~. Jonah.
chief engineer: Duval West. gen
ersl attorney and James B. Wells.
general counsel.
The crack trains or these days
fairly burned up the tracks. cover
ing the l4l miles from Brownsville
70 RobStovn IN 10 hours. Leaving
Brownsville al $40 a. m. they would
steam into Robstown nj 40 p. m.
Onions First shipment
First commercial freight shipment
out OF the Valley was made by Milton
III. Gross OF Matamoros. 81 bales OF
Mexican cotton and some hides.
These So bales made up the entire
cotton movement q the railroad for
the year 1904
The first car or vegetables 20 leave
the Valley went out In March or the
following year when McDavitt
Brothers OF Brownsville sent a car
cf onions from the Buena Vista
truck farm. consigned to Albert Mill
er and Company. Chicago. Stream
ers on both sides OF the n told the
world that this was the First a Ct
straight vegetables ever shipped
from Brownsville" This first car
was the forerunner OF the thous-
ands Of cars yearly that roll from
the Valley. a good share OF which
through the years have been shipped
BY this same firm.
90 the Valley. en- this Fourth or
July. l935. possessor OF two high
powered rail lines. meeting place Of
three crack airlineS. about to have
two deep water ports. connected with
tie rest OF the state BY highly de-
veloped system cf d-surfaced
-oads. celebrates anew the coming
OF modern transportation. the be-
Ginning Of the real development of
the Valley section.