Brownsville herald. [volume], June 16, 1929, SOCIETY, Image 15

About Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current

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[" §hc Utmtinsmllc Heralfl_
IRRIGATION FIGHT HEARING WILL OPEN MONDAY
-- ... ........ if - - if 1
-_— - — -■■■■ ■■ "
Que Hubole, Amigo?
• • • • • •
Old Timers Return to Valley for Identifica
tion; Col. Sam’s Verbal Shillelah
Hits Hon. 1. T. Davis
(Special To The Herald)
SAN BENITO, June 15.—And
what excuse has the leek-eating.
Welch-born secretary of labor for
trying to deport “other foreigners”
just because they were born in
Mexico instead of Wales.
Thus does Col. Sam Robertson
word his opinions in connection
with the activities of immigration
officers in deporting Mexican aliens
from the Valley, in affidavits and
letters of which he showed copies
here.
t col Robertson, former sheriff of
Cameron county, former developer
of Padre Island, World War vet
) c-ran. former railroad builder, etc.,
has found a new occupation-one
forced upon him. This is identify
ing his “amigos” of the early days
in the VaUey, so that they won t
be shipped back to Mexico.
They are flooding in on him from
various parts of the VaUey. They
have come from as far as Houston.
Some of them are Mexicans whom
the Colonel knew before 1904. in
railroad construction days in La. at
the opening of the century. Others
are Mexicans who helped build the
railroad, who helped carve San
Benito out of the brush, and who
otherwise wrote history in the early
days of the Valley.
The laborers all remember Col
Robertson and are going to him to
secure identlfiction.
He told of one man who walked
all night long from Donna to San
Benito, to get Col. Robertson to
Identify him before being deported.
This man the colonel remembered
because they both recalled the name
of a foreman who the men had
dabbed “Zorillo.” (the skunk).
Another came from Houston. He
was a young man who was only a
child when Col. Robertson was de
veloping the Valley. He and his
mother came to San Benito from
Houston to secure an affidavit that
they were In the VaUey in 1904.
And others have come while Col.
Robertson alternates between anger
at his old "amigos’ having to be
worried about remaining here, and
pleasure at the memories of old
days which association with them
revives.
The affidavit, filed in the interest
of one Bernardino Castillo, and a
letter to Henry L. Sexton concern
,n.*w •-^immigration matters follow.
~ 'Ql affidavit for Bernardino
ot1!o follows;
"This is to certify that the bearer.
Bernardino Castillo, aged about 65.
came to work in my construction
camp near San Benito early in 1906
along with his wife, five or six naked
kids, and two or three half-starved
dogs.
“In my opinion this man has done
more for Texas (but not much for
himself* than a large percentage of
native-born of purest Anglo-Saxon
blood who were educated in our
schools and colleges at the expense
of the state of Texas. For more than
20 years this man has labored for
my neighbors and myself, worked
like a dynamo early and late along
with his family. They have torn
( out by the roots hundreds of acres
of the Jungle which covered the soil,
and he and his companions have
| mode this Jungle land susceptible of
i cultivation and made It possible for
almost two hundred thousand people
to dwell here in prosperity and en
joy a high standard of living.
‘ "Americans. Welchmen, Italians.
Germans. Irishmen, or niggers could
never have grubbed out this tick
infested haunt of the rattlesnake
and coyote: the thorns of the cac
tus would have torn the tender hides
from the bodies of any other class of
workers besides these Mexican In
dians.
‘This so-called Magic Valley
would still be a magic jungle but for
* Bernardino Castillo and his com
panions. Bernardino Castillo and
his faml’i' have made it possible for
scores of native born human bar
nacles like mvself to live here on
profits derived Indirectly from the
| cultivation of the soil, which the j
labor cf this man and his family
have made possible to be cultivated. I
"After more than twenty years of j
hard labor this worthy Indian ha*
accumulated a little casita. thatched i
roof and no floor for his family.!
clothed his children and fattened his
dogs and accumulated an extra pair i
of sandals for himself, many corns |
on his hands but no holes in the
seat of his breeches.
‘ "It Is to be hoped that the agents'
f of our Welch-born Hon. Secretary
* ©f Labor will continue to let this
i real working man remain here in
i peace so he can continue to grub
out the Jungle, so that more crons J
can be grown to be transported over
our railroads, to furnish positions,
(not Jobs) for organized labor, so
that they can continue to draw
dow’vfrem $250 to $500 per month
for ifetag the bell cord in the cabs
of flKlnming locomotives or ac
cumulating holes in the seat of their
trousers from riding on the cushions
of cabooses behind freight trains
which would havr no loads but for
: the labor of this old Indian and his
companions.
“Bernardino Castillo and his kind
should be a great favor with the
secretary of labor, thev having pro
duced many thousands of carloads
of "Leeks for Taffy” (Taffy is the
pet name of the Welch people: Leek
is a small onion, the national Rower
and perfume of Wales*.
1 "When Bernardino Castillo and
hia family and companions started
clearing out this jungle land now
called the Magic Valley of the Rio
Orande the only railroad entering
this Valley did not haul out 19 car
loads per week. In the past few
ggoatba more than 2400 carloads ol
fruit an dfarm produce have been
hauled from the Rio Grande Valley
making it possible for organized la
bor to have lucrative positions and
live like gentlemen, but for the ef
forts of Bernardino Castillo and his
kind many of them would be pulling
a tell cord over a mule’s back instead
of a locomotive.
“Organized labor should be the
last to want to chase Bernardino
Castillo and his kind back to Mex
ico. They can't do his work even if
they had the 'guts’ to do it."
The letter to Sexton. Herald cor
respondent in Washington, follows:
“For 60 days I have done nothing
but write certificates of residence
for old former Mexican employes of
mine who are having hell dodging
the immigration inspectors. This
morning I gave a certificate to a
very faithful former employe, and
being somewhat amused at the mad
efforts of our Hon. Welch-born Sec
retary of Labor to chase out all the
other foreigners. I made the certif
icate in question much longer than
necessary. I enclose a copy.
“The Hon. Secretary of Labor
reminds me of the old time Irish
railroad laborers of 40 years ago,
who, after having been in the states
for 60 to 90 days, whenever an
Arkansawyer or Kansas or Nebraska
homesteader or drouth sufferer
would come to camp hunting work,
the “old chaws” would say “the
curse of God on these dam ferriners
trying to break in on us Honest
Americans and run down the price
of labor., why in hell don't they
get to Hell out of this and go on
back to Kansas. Nebrasky or Ar
kansaw or what ever dam ferreign
part they came from and live on
grasshoppers which is too dam good
for the dam Ferreigners.”
“I am surprised that our genial
Secretary of Labor has so little
consideration for our little Mexican
Indian laborers whose labor pro
duces thousands of carloads of fine
Bermuda onions which are much
better food than the Leeks of Wales
on what our Secretary was raised,
even if the perfume is not so sweet.
“Seriously Harry this Mexican im
migration question is serious for our
farmers who have always caught
hell in large quantities from organ
ized labor, organized and protected
industry, organized banking and
transportation. I am not personally
interested anymore, as I don’t hire
any labor expect a yard man once
in two or three weeks to cut my
lawn. But if the Immigration De
partment keep up these Licks, the
school children of Texas will have
to pick what cotton is to be picked.
Organized labor will have no work
at their trade or calling and they
can go on the bum or pick cotton or
hoe onions.
“I hope you will call Mr. Garner's
attention to this matter."
VALLEYSTARTS
FALLPLANTING
Vegetable Crops To Be Har
vested Within 100 to
150 Days
The Valley is planting and har
vesting almost every month.
Now that practically all spring and
early summer vegetables have been
harvested, fanners are preparing
their land for July planting.
A principal crop to be planted
in July is fall cabbage. This vege
table may be planted from July 1 to
December 1 and since it is ready for
market in 120 to 150 days, shipping
of the crop will take place from
around October 1 to next May.
The planting dates on cauliflower
are July 15 to November 15! and the
marketing season is from October
25 to March 15.
Another all-year crop, egg plant,
is planted in July for winter har
vest and January for spring It is
ready for market in 100 to 150 days.
Peppers are another July crop
which is ready for shipping 100 to
140 days later. It is also planted in
January for spring.
Tomatoes, a big spring crop, also
will be planted in July and August
for fall shipping, which will take
place 100 to 140 days later.
Progress Stops Old School Clock Which
Guided Life of Brownsville Many Years
By HAL EUSTACE
The old grammar school building
now is being torn down to an ac
companiment of the thudding rum
ble of falling brick, but the land
mark and its widely known clock
tower will continue to live in the
memories of thousands of Browns
ville people who atendcd school
there. The old structure has been
Brownsville's “little red school
house-’ for many years.
The top story is being torn off
and the lower floor will be remod
eled into a modern 10-room ward
school.
The old school was constructed in
1889 and was at that time the larg
est structure in the county. It was
the source of no small civic pride
although it was built somewhat in
the “sticks'* and a few citizens ex
pressed the view that it was located
“too far" from town.
Prior to the time of its construc
tion, the only schools in the city
were small structures of one and
two rooms. During its first years
of existence, the grammar school
was considered an object worth a
long buggy ride to see. There was
no chamber of commerce to do
the city's official bragging in those
days but the citizens did this duty
with vim and gusto.
Mrs. T. Clearwater, veteran of 47
years’ service in the Brownsville
public school system, taught in the
school in its first year. Mrs. Clear
water, who possesses one of the first
Texas teachers' certificate to be is
sued. is still teaching here and has
high hopes of rounding out 50 years
in educational work.
Mrs. A. S. Putegnat, still teach
ing in the local system, took up
her work as an educator in the
same building the following year.
In its early years the school
housed everything from the first
grade through high school. Its first
superintendent was Capt. Frank
Cummings.
Others who have taught in the
building Include Mrs. William Ma
son. Mrs. J. L. Putegnat and Mrs.
George Putegnat.
Educational Center
Supplemented from time to time
by other schools over the city, the
old structure was the educational
center until some eight years ago
when the new- high school was con
structed. Additions were made to
the grammar school at the same
time.
Years ago the building had colon
ial porches, both upstairs and
down, surrounding it on all sides.
(Continued on page 11.)
TEXAS ‘BAD MEN’
ARE LONE WOLVES
OFFICIAL REVEALS
l
By RAYMOND BROOKS
(Special to The Herald *
AUSTIN, June 15—Texas has
had its Sam pass and had its lurid
killers and its desperadoes. It still
has bank robbers and murderers
but crime in Texas is vastly differ
ent from the sordid annals of the
gangsters, and the miaomic degen
eration of big-city underworlds, ac
DAD HAS HIS
! DAY TODAY
Annual Father’s Day Is Ob
served Over Nation;
Brownsville Joins
Today is the seventh anniversary
of the observance of Father’s Day.
This'date to be kept with Dad al
ways falls on the third Sunday in
June. Within the past few years its
popularity has become so widespread
that millions annually observe it in
his honor.
The movement began less than a
generation avo when Mrs. John B.
Dodd of Spokane, Wash., suggested
assigning a yearly date on which to
sing the praises of the world’s
champion “unsung hero’’—dad.
Mrs. Dodd’s original Idea of wear
ing a red rose for living fathers and
a white rose for those who have
nassed on will be carried out as is
the long established custom, today.
The custom has grown almost uni
versal to present dad with a special
Father’s Dav offering such as a tie
or other simple gift, in loving
tribute.
Todav. many a pulpit will hold
forth on father and his virtues, so
often taken as a matter of course.
Dad also will be a stage and screen
idol"—’in person"—at thousands of
theaters giving special programs for
him. Other demonstrations in his
honor will be given bv organizations,
societies, various institutions such as
county homes and homes for the
seed. O. A. R.. Spanish-American
War and American Legion Posts.
Full many a Father’s Sunday
afternoon nap will bo undisturbed
today for the first time In many,
many months.
Peasants Flock
To Rome Despite
Government Bans
ROME. June 15.—(APi—The Eter
nal City Is waxing so strong in
population as to prove an embar
rassment to the government. De
spite the comprehensive regulations
of the Fascist regime against
wholesale movements to the cHy.
the flow of countrymen into the
capital Is more than twice what it
was only fiw* years ago.
The “Capitolium.” the monthly
review of the governor of Rome, in
considering this problem at seme
length, reveals that in the last fis
cal year Rome’s populace was aug
mented by 39.164.
cording to Chairman R. B. Wal
thall of the Texas board of control.
Mr. Walthall this year for the
first time prepared the state bud
get for guards and keepers in the
prison system, and has had occa
sion to contrast the psychology of
crime In Texas with the manifesta
tions of outlawry elsewhere.
One of the many definitions of
“out where the West begins ’ is
“where a man does his own killing.”
Texas crime, in general. Mr. WaJ
ihal pointed out, is a “one-man af
fair.” Gangdom hardly exists, save
in occasional grouping of men or
women In a bank robbery. And re
cently bank robbery In Texas has
run heavily to deluded co-eds. boys
and girls in their teens, out for a
thrill.
The scientific study of crime and
gangdom's consciencelessness, re
cently undertaken, may be fruitful
in its way, but hardly touches
Texas and Its more Isolated, indi
vidual type of criminal, in Mr. Wal
thall’s opinion.
The conclusions of Dr. William
J. Hickson, director of the paycho
pathlc laboratory of Chicago muni
cipal court, based on examination
of 40.000 criminals, may be true in
Chicago but would be utterly in
applicable as to Texas penology, ac
cording to Mr. Walthall.
Here are the summarized find
ings of Dr. Hickson, based on his
observation of 40,000 criminals:
Defective Family
“The typical racketeer is a stu
pid dullard, emotionally feeble
minded and with utter lack of hu
man feelings.
“A trace of his antecedents will
reveal his family name in public
records dealing with dependency
and delinquency for generations
back.
"The racketeer Is bom that way
and is without one chance in a
million of being made over. Aside
from death or permanent imprison
ment. there is not the slightest
possibility that he will be deter
red from his killing, bombing, boot
legging. terrorizing career.
“Gangsters of the future now are
in schools.” he added, “and even
in early youth are defiantly recog
nizable by traits, conduct and men
tal make-up.”
As a contrast. Texas criminals,
out in the open spaces, and even
in the larger cities of the state,
work alone in large measure: and
when there are racketeer gangs,
Chmn. Walthall pointed out. often
they are made up of men of high
order of Intelligence and imagina
tion. Take the Texas gang that
fleeced J. Frank Norfleet out of
thousands of . dollars and were
tracked down In a seven-year man
hunt by him and landed behind the
bars. These were some of the
shrewdest men in the country.
Northfleet himself admits.
Youthful
Texas criminals are more youth
ful than those of large cities, as a
general thing. Texas now lias
nearly 5,000 men in prison. Of
these, from one-third to one-half
are serving one and two year sen
tences for liquor crimes and minor
felony crimes.
It has been estimated that four
(Continued on page 12.>
PRIZES GIVEN
AT MERCEDES
|
Individual Awards Are An
nounced In Beautifica
tion Contest
(Special to The Herald'
MERCEDES. June 15.—With Wil
liam Coe. H. Tidmore and E. B. Wit
mer acting as judges, prizes have
been announced for the most beauti
ful individual flowers, trees and
shrubs In the yards entered in the
yard beautification contest spon
sored by the Business and Profes
sional Women’s club of this place.
They are: $10, purple bougan
villea. Mrs. W. E. Hoger; $10. poin
settias, Mrs. Oscar Roman; $10, hi
biscus. Mrs. Ray Tolson; $5 to in
dividual planting greatest number
hibiscus during season. Mrs. G. K.
K.*Reiss; $10, zinnias, (best effect
with bed In relation to yard), Mrs.
| Millard Agnew: $5. zinnias, Mrs.
Bell Anderson: $3. zinnias, (best in
dividual speciman.) Mrs. John P.
Gause: $5, best planting of trees.
Mrs. S. H. Collier: $10. best rose
garden. Mrs. Paul Wolf; $5. second
prize for rose garden, Mrs. C. E.
Blankenship: S3, for best individual
speciman. Mrs. Jack Trollinger; $5
for best planting of palms this sea
son. Mrs. G. K. Reiss: $3. most at
tractive window’ box. Mrs. T. W. Mc
Queen: $5, nasturtiums, Mrs. Mc
Queen: $3. most beautiful hedge.
Mrs. John Herndon; $5. most beau
i tlful lawn, Mrs. J. E. Haynes; $5.
wild olive. Mrs. E. E. Johnson; $5
queen s wreath, Mrs. Hughes Evans;
$2. honeysuckle. Mrs. C. A. Rouce;
$3. morning glory. Mrs. R. J. Meek
er; $5. sweet peas. Mrs. Paul Wolf;
S3, hclleyhocks. Mrs. M. Agnew; $2.
Turk's cop, Mrs. Oscar Roman; $5.
plumbago, Mrs, N. E. Fisher; $5,
verbenas. Mrs. Bill Anderson; $3,
petunias. Mrs. J. H. Freeman; $2.
periwinkle: Mrs C. E. Blankenship:
$5. geraniums. Mrs. D. T. Campbell:
$5. Balsam, Mrs. Joe Brooks: $5.
phlax, first prize, Mrs. Charles Sol
idino; 12, water lillies, Mrs. H. E.
Bennett; $2. native laurel. Miss
Beth Garrett: $3. larkspur. Mrs
Fred Bennett: S3, snapdragons, Mrs.
G. K. Wattson; S3, flame vine. Mrs.
Wallace Allen; $3. dahlias. Mrs. Bell
Coe.
PRINCE AGA KHAN
STRONG TURF FAN
LONDON, June 15.—(T’—Prince
Aga Khan, the eastern potentate
who is the spiritual head of 50.000.
000 Mohammedans in various parts
of the world and political chief of
the 70 000.000 Moslems In India, is
a staunch racing enthusiast.
Seven of his horses survived the
second forfeit stage preparatory to
the Enelish derbv, June 6. and one
of his entries. Cosl Pasha, was
the favorite when derby talk
first started.
CONNECTICUT YOUTH
MAY MAKE OLYMPIC
STORRS. Conn.. June l.V—T/PV—
Dan Chubbuck. Connecticut Aggie
sophomore, will put his home town
on the map at the next Olympics
unless all signs fail.
Chubbock. now 19. broke two
eastern intercollegiate and five of
his own college records in his first
season of varsity competition.
PLANES CARRY
1620 PERSONS
IN 3 MONTHS
Figures Show Great
Growth of Local
Flying Since Date
Of Inauguration
Airplane lines In and out of
Brownsville since the inauguration
of the airmail service here March
9 have done a tremendous business,
for a city of this size, figures re
leased by Campania Mexicana de
Aviacioa and Corporation Aero
nautica de Transportes reveal
strongly the importance of Browns
ville as a port of entry and give
only a hint of what citizens may
expect in future years in volume
of trade carried on by giant air lin
ers.
These figures only hint, also, of
how Brownsville as the terminal
city of a group of airlines is des
tined to grow beyonnd the expecta
tions of its most persistent opti
mists into the south's greatest air
center.
With airmail service yet in its
barest infancy, planes from March
9 to June 1 had carried 11.117
pounds of mall, over five and one
half tons, according to Postmaster
G. W. Dennett. Of this amount,
5.598 pounds had been sent north
and 5,519 pounds had gone into
Mexico.
The above mail did not include
that handled on the Mazatlan line
as that is a purely Mexican contrac*
and only the part intended for de
livery in the United States is han
dled through his office.
Next, a consideration of the num
ber of passengers carried by lines
out of Brownsville reveal still more
startling figures for an industry so
young.
There have ben 1.620 passengers
in and out of Brownsville since
March 9. The following figures are
those of the C. I. A. Mexican de
Aviacion:
From Brownsville: March. 86;
April. 58: May, 59; to June 11—29.
Total 232.
To Brownsville: March, 101;
April. 92: May, 98; to June 11, 3a
Total 329.
Five hundred sixty-one passengers
rode the big Ford tri-motor plane?
of this company both ways.
Coporacion Aeronautica de Trans
portes has carried 173 passengers
and contemplate shortly putting on
larger and speedier planes to take
care of increasing business.
The remaining passengers have
been carried by T. A. T. planes
north to San Antonio and Houston.
All of this means that very soon
even more additions must be pro
vided at the airport and that many
families employed by airlines will
make their homes in Brownsville.
That the forces here now will be
practically doubled is assured by the
fact that the government already
is surveying a route between here
and Houston and San Antonio on
which light and radio beacons will
be placed for night Hying between
here and the east.
WILLACY WATER
SURVEYS BEGIN
Celebration Planned When
First Work Starts t}n Ir
rigation Project
• Special to The Herald >
RAYMONDVILLE. June 15 —Sur
veyors have commenced work, sur
veying for canals and laterals for
the Willacy county seven million
dollar irrigation project. The Trin
ity Farms corporation, who has se
I cured contract for construction, has
placed machinery for dredging on
I the Job. and work on »he canals
| and reservoirs will commence within
! the next 10 days.
Appropriate ceremonies are con
templated being held as soon as the
exact date of the first work is an
nounced. at which various promi
nent citizens of the county will par
ticipate.
BEAUTY AT RICE |
Associated Press Photo
Katrina Smith was one of eight
co-eds to rate the “Vanity Fair”
section of Rice Institute s year
book.
FIRST MURDER
TRIAL MONDAY
Edinburg Docket Reset Aft
er Early Recess Last
Week
'Special to The Herald>
EDINBURG. June 15.—All cases
scheduled for hearing in the special
term of the 79th district of Hidalgo
county court of Hidalgo county that
Is being held In Edinburg before
Judge J. F. Carl have been reset for
next weeks, and Jurors dismissed
for the remainder of this week.
Court will reconvene Monday i
morning June 17 at which time the i
first of the murder trials to be
brought up in this term will be
heard. The next two weeks of the
six weeks court will be given over
to the hearing of the nine murder
trials that are listed on the court
will be given over to the hearing
of the nine murder trials that are
listed on the court docket.
The case of Blass Deanda. charged
with murder. Is scheduled to come
up Monday, according to the docket
set by Judge Carl.
The two cases in this special term
of court that are expected to create
most local interest are those of
Mrs. Esther Fry and of Arthur
Gupton. both of whom are being
held on murder counts.
Hnsband Shot
Mrs. Fry has been indicted for
murder in connection with the fa
tal shooting of her husband. C. H.
Fry at their home near McAllen
on October 2.
The accused wife, who is under
a bond of $2,500. stated at the time
of her husband's death that she
had been afraid of the man for
some time before this Grace Funk,
who lived on the farm with the
couple is expected to be the star
witness in the case as she is said
to have been nearby when the
shooting occurred.
Deputy Sheriff John Bales, who
arrested Mrs. Fry, following the
shooting and who had known the
dead man for some tune before his
death, is also expected to be put
on the witness stand.
Well Known Contractor
Arthur Gupton. who will come to
trial on June 26. is accused of mur
der in connection with the shoot
ing to death of Leonard Bass, ne
gro bootblack, employed in an Ed- !
inhurg barber shop the morning of
July 1.
Gupton. who Is a well known Ed
inburg contractor, is out under $5 -
000 bond.
The negro was shot to death while
in the barber shop. Other murder j
cases to be heard include those in
} volving Felix Gonzales. Panfilo j
Gonzales, Guadalupe Esquival. Tio- I
I do!o Rableo, Felix Vela, and Jose
Gonzales.
OBSERVATION TRAIN
FOR BADGER REGATTA
MADISON. Wis.. June 15—UP>—
: Coach “Mike" Murphy of the Uni- i
j versity of Wisconsin crew, plans to i
make a midwestern Poughkeepsie |
j on Lake Monona, one of Madison’s j
' borders.
-- - , - ..—- - ■■ i i
ANCIENTS BEAT TEXANS TO NEW MARRIAGE LAWS
WITH three days to think it
over would Solomon have
made his thousand mistakes?
Modern Texans who march
to marriage license bureaus
after today and write down
their :ntention to become hen
pecked may speculate on the
matter.
Solomon was supposed to be
wise. But his palace was a
huge affair and he probably
had trouble in getting roomers.
Therefore he merely threw in
a little board and some honor
able intentions.
As far as being original with
the new law. Texas “also ran.”
Europe started this fad several
centuries ago. Sister - states
also beat Texas in proving that
there is lots of dust on the
subject*
Brigham young sneaked
out West to dodge them.
This husband of 56 wive* would
surely have cut loose with some
naughty words had there been
« Uv Wfluiring three days’ no
%
tice of intention. When he fell
heir to aff intention he usually
acquired a wife—or so.
Savage or modern, the laws
all had the same intent. Tests
and rules were enacted to
determine that prospective
grooms were actually ma*
men. able to support a wife
-id physically fit. The new
Texas law merely contains the
gist of what has been handed
down from pa«t centuries.
When the duskv maifVti of
a South American Indian tfibe
nods assent, the ambitious
vouug m-” s ♦ roubles have itt*f
begun. He must go into the
forest and clop down trees
until he has cleared space for
a hut.
Spikes are punched into his
flesh and if he yells he is not
considered readv for marriage.
Sometimes he is sewed up in
a skin together with several
hundred iadisp.Ofed aj^fs.
this case the poor fellow may
not even shiver. To do so loses
him the queen.
AMONG some South African
tribes the man must first
slay a rhinoceros. A cheerful
custom of South Asia head
hunters prescribed that he
must have at least one head
to his credit.
Siberian Yukahirs ask that
Mr. Groom drag a hefty tree
trunk and toss it upon his
prospective father - in • law’s
tent with intent of knocking
down the structure. If the tent
caves in he gets the girl.
These tests are much more
severe than our law which
merely says that the man
should be 21 but does not
bother about his manhood, or
whether he can defend and
sunoort his woman.
French laws up to 1907 pre
scribed 25 and 21 as legal ages.
Otherwise the consent of guard
ian was necessary. Back in 1556
Henry II of France decreed
I
that marriage of minors with
out consent of parents was null
and vo‘d. And Hank meant it.
Yoy axe pot • man btiflrf
vou reach 24 in Austria and in
Germany even women of mid
dle age may not marry with
out parents’ consent, unless
they wish to risk losing their
slice of the inheritance pie.
The present three days’ no
tice provision was in use in
England centuries ago. Only
they didn’t stop at three days
nut made it several weeks.
Ranns had to be posted on the
church door and read from the
nnlnit. They still are.
Thus one finds bv scanning
he laws and customs of ages
ago that what was held new
has full grown whiskers. Even
the new Texas marriage law
hears the imprint of centuries
and contains ideas which men
lad lflOfl years back. Marriage
laws. like a certain brand of
cheese, grow stronger as they
2I2W d du. J. i
DISPUTE MAY
BE TAKEN TO
STATECOURTS
Edinburg Men Seek*
ing Right to Irrigate
88,852 Acres of Land
In Hidalgo
By H. Ci. STILLWELL, Jr.,
Herald Staff Writer.
SAN BENITO. June 15.-Oppo*>
ing forces In the Valley's greatest!
irrigation battle were putting their
artillery into position today for tha
opening of the encounter Monday
at Edinburg. •
For the first time In the history
of the Valley, and in the state, the
question of water rights threatens
to be taken into the courts for a
decision. If the Valley districts loss
in the encounter at Edinburg.
Hearing starts at Edinburg Mon*
day before the state board of water
engineers on the application of J. T.
Franklin of Edinburg for permis
sion to take 600 second feet from
the river. This water would b«
used, according to the Franklin
application, to irrigate 88,852 acres
of land, lying between Edinburg and
the Brooks county line in northern
Hidalgo county.
The present Irrigation districts
of the Valley are presenting a
united front against granting of
the application.
May Seek Court Order
If they lose before the stata
board, In all probability a court
order restraining the Franklin In
terests from taking water from tho
river will be sought. Such action.
It is pointed out, will be the first
move toward establishing water
rights by court order. The present
districts hold that they have a legal
right to w-aters of the river over
any districts that may be formed by
reason of prior beneficial usage.
The forces that will lead the fight
against the Franklin application
were in conference here several
times during the past few davs. put
ting their arguments into final form.
Frank S. Robertson, manager of tho
San Benito Irrigation district la
chairman of the committee In
charge of the campaign against the*
Franklin application, while A. L.
Montgomery of this city and Neal
A. Brown of Edinburg are leading
counsel for the districts. In ad
dition attorneys for the Individual
districts will aid In the fight against
the new application.
Interesting information expected
to be brought out at the hearing
is Indicated !n the line of attack
of the districts. Mr. Brown has
been working for some time to de
termine who are the owners of tho
tond in question, the applicant,
Franklin, being a school tax asses
sor. at Edinburg, and owning verv
httle. if any. of the land in question
Part of It takes in the old Young
ranch property, which has been
sold, and runs adjacent to the Mc
Allen ranch, although not Includ
ing this.
Several Tract*
The map of the district, shows
several tracts of developed land left,
out of the district, although entire
ly within its boundaries. Such is
not considered a legal bar to forma
tion of the district.
Additional Information which wilt
be brought out at the hearing wilt
include description of the land to
be irrigated. The contestants claim
that this land, because of its altitude
and distance from the river, is not
subject to irrigation.
They also claim that the char
acter of the soil is such as to re
quire an unusually large quantity
of water. There arc places In the
tract where "the Rio Grande would
not run 200 yards abo\e the sur
face,” E. M. Card, engineer making
the survey said.
North of Districts
The principal reason for the
united attack on this application Is
seen In the fact that it is north
of all the present Valley districts,
and that it does not provide for
storage of water. At the time
Franklin filed his original presen
tation. three years ago. the state
board had made no ruling requiring
districts to put in storage. Since
that time the board has ruled that
all new districts must provide suf
ficient stores to irrigate the entire
acreage, so that the districts will
not have to pump from the
river during periods of low flow
The Franklin application, filed
early this year, and based on the
original presentation, makes no
mention of storage, although
storage is mentioned in the original
presentation.
The right of the Franklin inter
ests to secure a permit based on the
original presentation will be con
tested on several grounds by the
districts. One of these will be that
the presentation and the applica
tion cover entirely different sections
of land. The presentation wns on
a tract of approxinlatelv loo.oon
acres of land directly west of Mis
sion. and fronting on the river.
Efforts have since been made to
form a district of part of this land,
the 43000 acres of the Penita.tract,
but no progress has been made due
to fights among landowners.
Different Tract
The apolication as filed this year
covers a different tract of land, and
is a different project, according to
arguments of the contestants, and
hence the district would not have
precedence over all those which have
filed applications since the original
presentation of Franklin was filed
three years ago.
The Valley districts will open
their fight Monday by presenting
the state board with petitions signed
by thousands of Valley farmers
asking that, the permit be not
(Continued on page 12J
0
ii