QUIEN ERA EL SEÑOR DON RODOLFO ALVAREZ

(by Raul G. Garza)
 

Background:

In order to enjoy this story you must first realize that it is written from the memory of a young "muchacho" who lived in the barrio of la Calle Lee about 60+ years ago. You must picture the fact that in those times everyone knew everyone in the barrio, everyone respected everyone and his/her property, no one locked their gates or doors, and there was no air condition. It was not unusual then for some men or boys to sleep in a cot or on a blanket on the porch outside the house. You must also understand that some of the things or persons that may have seemed comical to us is not a degrading factor of them, but part of their character and culture. This was "La vida" (the life) during these times.

You also have to realize that our lives in the barrio were structured by the "white man's made boundaries, our religion almost 100% Catholic at the time, by our culture, and by the passenger train schedules for our only chance to leave the barrio temporarily to Corpus Christi, or the Rio Grande Valley, namely Brownsville, Texas.

The Story:

Most of the Alvarez Clan lived in the Lee Street Barrio and one street south on Henrietta Street. The Alvarez's lived in the 300 block of East Lee Street on the North side, going East on about the middle of the block was Doña Josefa Alvarez's house. Her son Rodolfo (a widower?) and his three daughters Baudelia(?), Berta, and Viola lived with Doña Josefa. Another daughter Rebecca married to Jose (el Lobo) Ramirez lived across the well known restaurant, El Jardin.

As I said before, train schedules were very important to us. We used to take the 4:30 am train to Brownsville and the return trip from Brownsville at 8:00 pm to get to Kingsville at midnight or a little after. What is worth remembering about these jaunts early in the morning and past midnight? Well, you could hear Rodolfo snoring about a block away from his house in either direction. Furthermore, if all you could hear was Don Rodolfo snoring and the barrio was quiet, you know it was safe to travel in the dark early morning or night. His snoring was a security blanket for us. You can imagine now what his loud snoring meant for us, comical some may think, but safety to us.

Rodolfo Alvarez was a short person well rounded, wore a hat, most of the times a tie sometimes hanging lose at other times well tied. Rodolfo was comical in that he loved life, joked, and laughed heartily. He was very respectful. The type of gentleman that tipped his hat to the ladies. He was also very well read man and very intelligent.

In Mexico, a Notary Public carries as much weight as a lawyer or a lawyer intern. In our part of South Texas Notary Publics were the only vehicle available to the poor Hispanics for all legal matters.

Rodolfo at that time was one of the very few Notary Publics in Kingsville. He worked out in his mother's porch with his peck and typewriter. Rodolfo was a "pesetero y tostonero" ( 25 cents s and 50 cents fee man for his services). He also did a lot for free or trade, a chicken here, a few eggs there, etc. In this respect Rodolfo was sincerely loved by the community for his many legal services tendered, many times without pay. "Necesitas algun papel archivado o firmas? Anda con Rodolfo Alvarez.." (You need papers registered , or signatures for some paper? Go see Rodolfo Alvarez).

Rodolfo was also known for his liking to rub his elbow in a bar. He also gambled some. He also conducted many legal services mostly for railroaders which comprised over 80% of the Hispanic population in Kingsville there.

One of the things I found out in my later teens was that Rodolfo "era shingon grande." Rodolfo was the "official interpreter" for the courthouse, not only in county court, but in the district court as well. The court recorder has always had a very important place in court cases, but remember court recorders then were mostly male and gringos. They could not record what they did not understand. Lawyers, mostly gringos could not ask questions in a language they did not understand. So this is when Rodolfo wore a suit and tie. Hell, we did not realize how important he was to the judicial system. I respected Don Rodolfo more when I realized how much he had done for our community. For the gringos, unfortunately, he was one more smart "mejicano" they could use.

Unfortunately, men like Rodolfo will not go into any history books because none of the native Kingsvillians will write about him and others like him. Also because the gringo will find someone that knows little to tell them about our stories.

I hope the Alvarez Family will let the Alvarez's and extended families that the Alvarez name is a historical name that transcends the pages of history back to Spain.

Gracias for letting me write this story.

Seguro / Servidor,

Raul Garza

De la Calle Lee