1930 0512 Ralph Sanders & Jerry - Brownsville to New York on a Bull

by Diego Garcia III

On May 12, 1930, Ralph Sanders, a 28-year-old cowboy from Brownsville, Texas, began his journey from Brownsville to New York atop his Spanish bull, Jerry. The voyage came about due in part to a bet with another cowboy who wagered he could drive a goat to New York before Sanders could ride a bull. The other cowboy gave up before reaching the Texas border. Sanders continued on, selling postcards of himself along the way to cover expenses. The trip took a total of 254 days with Sanders and Jerry covering approximately 2700 miles of terrain, and even crossing the Allegheny and Ozark mountains.

[Diego Garcia III admins Yesteryear's Brownsville (Facebook) and has lived in Brownsville, Texas most his life.  Bronsbil Estacion is grateful for his permission to share his research discovery with us.  If you have a photo and story you would like to share on this blog contact us at brownsvilletrain@yahoo.com.]

Research shared by Leo Rodriguez "Growing Up San Benito" Facebook page

(Courtesy Leo Rodriguez )

1958 The Capitol Theater was a Baby Sitter

by Marvin Gershowitz

The Capitol Theater  was one of the Saturday Destinations that 'parents' left their kids for half a day or longer..

Imagine it's 1958 and you're 5 years old -

It's before lunch and you are standing in line with your brothers and sisters, because your Mom and Dad want to mess around and this was a cheap baby sitter.

Twelve year-olds or younger paid 10¢ for a ticket and it was 15¢ cents for those above twelve and under the age of 18.

Most families had at least three kids or more so going to the Movies was something like going to a park where families picnicked with the kids and the kids would mingle with other kids. The town I grew up in was just small enough that you might know a lot of the people there,

The richest kids back then were not like today's and they sat next to the kids who were poor, but not like poor today..... so it was much easier to co-exist, not that it was perfect.

Immediately after getting your tickets at a real 'box' they called a 'ticket booth and was not attached to the building stood alone dead center of a cave like puncture leading to the entry doors. The 'SNACK BAR' was immediately on the other side getting into the theater and the kids went wild because they were built like 'carnival' or 'circus' attractions appealing to broken chipped teeth children that can't protect themselves from sugar by the bag, salt by the shakers, butter by the bar and syrup from the coke.... leave a kid around that and it's not fate what happens next.

Pop-Corn Bags were bags in fact, and a 5¢ nickel bag was a 5" inch diameter 12" inch long bag, that would easily fill the LARGE round tubs today. A 10¢ dime bag was the same diameter, but 20 inches long, and finally for 15¢ the biggest bag was 8" inch diameter opening and 3 foot long.
15¢ cent to a 25¢ could keep you crunching on a sugar high for hours and hours and that was a good thing, because this movie going experience is all day long.

It's hard to imagine, but back then for 25¢ you could go to a movie with snacks and see
three full length movies approximately 90 minutes each,
comedy shorts (think sitcoms) approx 20 minutes,
News-Reels 20 minutes (like 6 o-clock news,)
a weekly serial 'action' short movie approx. 20 minutes,
2 Disney-Daffy-Goofy Cartoon features 14 mins,
coming attractions 30 minutes.....

Figure that out!
........ an average Saturday Children's day at the theater could be over 6 HOURS LONG without 'intermissions.'
..... I remember doctors kids, the trashman's kids, and Gentile and Jew and others too I'm sure there were """and it was that special time''''' when we sort felt more alike than were not.

............ If I were a Praying man, I'd ask for each of you to remember that we are all HUMAN BEINGS - NOT MORE SPECIAL - NOT MORE DANGEROUS - NOT LESS IN NEED!

I would ask 'g.o.d.' to make all of us blind and hope that in our darkness we see better than we ever had in the light day. - - mfg

1969 ~ Beauty and the Bird (Janie G. Tejada)

Friday, August 8, 1969, The Brownsville Herald, Page 1 Hummingbird named "Honey Girl" takes a taste from a hibiscus blossom held by Juanita Tejada . ... (Herald Photo)”

**On this particular day this little hummingbird flew into the front glass door of the Chamber of Commerce and stunned itself. I cared for the little hummingbird until she got it’s bearings and was able to fly off. The Brownsville Herald photographer, Tony Lisakis, was there and took the picture which went UPI! 
** I worked at the Chamber of Commerce with some of the best people in the world. Mr. Stephen Bosio, Mr. Lindsey Rhodes, Mr. David Tumlinson, Ms. Marjorie Jones, Mrs. Rachel Torres, Mrs. Lorena Curry and Ms. Bertha Colsa!

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Special "Thank you" to our friend Janie Tejada who gave us permission to share this photo from her Facebook page.  Janie is now a retired Brownsville Police Officer living and loving in Brownsville, Texas.  

Original photo