The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-02-21
.LATH FOR MEASURE.
New Way Of Bringing Dimensions
to An Undertaken.

DdiHdIt, texas, req. Ill nave
just gotten back from ten days
trip over in New Mexico. went up
there and frolicked around like a
Mexican goat, over the lumbar verte-
brae of the spinal column of the
American continent until my shoes
wore out and / felt like my system
needed a porous plaster on it. don't
know whether my climbing around
over its backbone gave the continent
lumbago or not. but know it did me.
When ! need exercise again I'm go
ing to take it in nice big rocking
chair, with sofa pillows in it, in
stead of climbing hill.
/ have always had desire to get
several stories nearer the New Jeru-
salem than | could get in Oskaloosa,
but never had the fundamental
courage to start the trip in balloon.
Besides my feet always seemed to
be somewhat reluctant about getting
very much air between them and the
United States, so / decided to go up
to Tucumcari, New Mexico, on the
train and then walk on up on the ter
race, Of the sky, by hand, to the COW
eted altitude.
Tucumcari, in a mathematical way,
Is one and a half miles nearer the
pearly gates than the Mahaska coun-
ty court house, but from theological
hypothesis, stranger is apt to get
the impression that 1t is ten or elev-
en- miles nearer hell.
By careful study and investigation
I find that the geographical altitude
of place has little or nothing to do
with the spiritual career.
In fact, the higher up the mountain
you go the worse the spirits get, but
suppose that is due to the kind of
medicine 1t takes to counteract the
poison that rankles through the sys-
tenn when one gets bit by a tarantula.
Tucumcari is Spanish name and
means "No Mans Breast"
The mountain lies off to the south
of the town and rises shove the sur
rounding country about 1000 feet.
1 started to walk out to 1t one
morning before breakfast, but chang
ed my mind upon being informed that
it was four miles away. 1t did not
look to be one-half mile.
Distance Is very deceiving in this
ETHEREAL altitude.
From a point a few miles north of
west and see the old Rockies proper,
with their snow-capped peaks tower
ing above the universe like a school
director at a country debate. They
look to be no more than Is miles dis
tant, but by actual measurement they
are 100 miles away.
1t is at this point in the very shad
ow of the silent peaks of the mount
aims that homeseekers are pouring in
by the hundreds and taking up the
rich government land.
The fine climate, the fertile black
soil, the pure water, and the nearness
to coal and wood, make it an ideal
country for the farmer.
All kinds of farm products grow
there in luxuriant profusion; chick
ems never have the gapes or the sum-
mer complaint and eggs at Dawson,
large coal town nearby, are so
cents per dozen the year round.
But people in Mexico have their lit
tie peculiarities and eccentric habits
was talking to a furniture man the
other day when grizZled farmer
came into the store who looked like
he had just come from a revival
meeting. In his hand he carried an
old lath which had been broken and
nailed together again. He seemed in
hfe
tain distance from the end. The fur
niture man stepped toward him, took
out his rule and measured the lath
back to his thumb Then he said, in
sephulchral tones: Eyes, two and a
half will be plenty long enough" He
then went to the rear of the room and
began to explain the merits and
prices of his different styles of two
and a half feet collins.
Measuring a corpse with lath and
then holding your thumb on the place
while you drive to town four miles,
struck me as being rather singular,
but l didn't mention the matter to
the farmer.
tense and then the furniture man
would have had to size me up with
the same lath.
One can think all he wants to in
Mexico, but he wants to keep it to
himself. If he thinks out loud and
anybody hears him that doesn't think
likewise there is sure to be Some
thing started"
A man can kill cockroach or his
wife or his pal any time he feels like
it out there and there is very little
said about it, but if he wants to get
hung to the nearest telegraph pole
and his carcass shot so full of holes
that it wouldn't hold baled hay, let
him steal saddle, or brindle calf,
or pair of spurs, or anything else
Of equal value.
They have sort of an hereditary
habit over there of killing tarantula
or emphasizing statement with a
'six-shooter."
/ am going out there again in few
years after / have had time to prac-
finn nm a Itff1a CO that nar ebnoE 81, -