Last Piece of Railroad Puzzle Falls into Place
Norman Rozeff
January 2009
Famed turn-of-the-20th-Century Brownville photographer Robert Runyon was very adventurous and thorough in visually documenting the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Northern Mexico. Unfortunately written descriptions and often dates to accompany his numerous photographs are lacking for the collection now residing in the Center for American History in Austin and his online inter-net collection offered by the Library of Congress.
Several years ago I encountered four of his photos of
locomotive engines in Brownsville. The photos were in poor shape before being
archived and had deteriorated. Nevertheless the old model 2-6-0 engines with
well-dressed men posed alongside held some fascination. On one locomotive and
its tender was painted BURROWES and the number 2272 (see left) while the second locomotive
and its tender had the same name but the numbering 2273.(see below) In researching the name
I came up empty-handed nor were local railfan buffs able to help explain what
these locomotives were with their unknown name.
Through the wonders of inter-net communications I was
recently able to piece together an explanation. I had been contacted by a John
Dunlap, who after reading my online article about the San Benito "Spiderweb"
railway, sought information about its equipment. Unfortunately I was unable to
provide him much in this regard. I did, however, e-mail him photos of the
doodlebugs which once plied the line as well as the only one I had of a
locomotive with the railroad's name on its side. By chance I also sent him
photos of the two Burrowes engines. Lo and behold, he had followed up and sent
me a link that clarified the existence of the engines.
On the link was a 2006 United Nations publication dealing with international arbitration awards. A seven-page report dated 10 April 1929 was titled W. C. Greenstreet, Receiver of the Burrowes Rapid Transit Company (U.S.A.) v. United Mexican States. A perusal of the report provided information on the circumstances involving the firm's activities in South Texas.
The Burrowes Rapid Transit Co. had been incorporated in Delaware in January 1921 for the prime purpose of carrying on the business of "the rapid receiving, handling, shipping, forwarding and transporting of goods, wares, merchandise and all classes of freight and express over the railroads of the Republic of Mexico and elsewhere". It maintained various offices in Mexico while its main office was in Laredo. After a decade (1910-1920) of revolutionary activity, Mexico's railroad systems were in disarray and apparently required additional assistance. The country's rolling stock was depleted as was its motive power. There was a congestion of unmoved freight in the year 1921. Burrowes entered the Mexico scene and service on February 19, 1921. It did so for a time without a written contract, but then most operating and financial items were contractually spelled out by the National Railways of Mexico.
Burrowes wasn't long in being before it declared bankruptcy in the U.S. on September 1, 1921 and was put into receivership by the 49th Judicial District of Texas. W. C. Greenstreet was appointed receiver. It was declared bankrupt sixteen days later by a court in Mexico.
One of the routes undertaken by Burrowes was between Tampico and Monterrey. Primarily oil was freighted from the former to the latter. Numerous empty cars were backhauled at various times.
At some later point in time the U.S. Government on behalf of the receiver sued the United Mexican States for $52,800 for services alleged to have made by Burrowes. This was primarily charges for hauling empty cars. An additional $39,379.68 was sought for the loss alleged to have been suffered by the company from "willful and negligent failure of the National Railways of Mexico to fulfill certain contractual obligations", namely being responsible for the loss of 414 locomotive-days when maintenance was slow.
Burrowes had not been timely in its billing and seemingly in its loss of equipment usage due to repairs. In April 1929 after the detailed evidence was presented, the American Commission disallowed both claims by the plaintiff. Burrowes was to receive nothing.
If we are to correctly surmise it is rational to assume that the two locomotives were in Brownsville in either late January or early February 1921 prior to crossing over the international railroad bridge into Mexico. The piece of the puzzle falls into place. The long-forgotten Burrowes Rapid Transit Company now becomes an obscure footnote to local history.