La Junta tribune., 1910-06-25

leo. l, is a city OF about
ten thousand Inhabitants. a
mixed population. 1t is not like our
New Mexico cities. but savors Of the
old times. does not seem to be very
prosperous and lacks enterprise that
makes thrift II is scattered and,
save a few fine blocks. Is III built
Here and there | see the sign ITO
rent" The bay is shallow, hence no
vessels Of size can approach the
city. The gulf is really twenty miles
away. OF course. they claim the city
is to become great port some day.
The government has spent consid'
cradle sum In deepening the channel
but II will require millions more TO
make this a harbor for the great
ocean going vessels. ! am now where
Il Is convenient to speak Spanish or
Mexican as there are many Mexl-
cans here and many Americans are
glib with the Mexican tongue.
Wen, must not overlook my own
private troubles. II you want tor.
ment, not although 1t seems
of that sort-but external and inter
nal, lust come To Texas and wander
over the beautiful prairies and ramble
through the forests OF cedar. ash. live
oak and magnolia and you viii not
soon forget II. have been beside
myself for more than one week. !
could not write, could not think.
could not even swear. although !
would have done so had Il not been
profane and had not been taught
not to indulge in what seems TO many
an exquisite luxury have been
itching and burning and smarting so
ficrcely and necessarily that could
compare II to the future torment We
used to hear about. There is tiny
insect so small one can scarcely see
1t with the naked eye. called by the
Texans red bugs by our grand
mothers in the north. "chiggcrs, and
1t infcsts the timber and prairlcs In
some parts OF Texas. | walked about
one hour over a prairie. not FAR from
the gulf. and about an hour and a
half through dense forest, not far
from Bay city. one day last week.
That night | imagined there were
led bugs gnawing at my skin. but
when | could find none. | concluded
II must be fl,as. OF course one can
seldom find flca. The next day ]
was wretched aud the second night |
felt like Job. The next morning |
found | was ~ mass Of pimples, red
and angry. almost like boils ! then
learned what Was tho trouble Then.
the weather was unearthly hot and
the mosquitoes, OF which there are
billions. pursued me like a land agent
they were after my blood. the fierc-
est mosquitoes on earth, They are
raycnous and oarnlyorous. They look
like tarantulas and are more savage.
They added 10 my torment and kept
me awake until morning. Though the
house was screened and beautiful.
great, white. gauxy mosquito bar
hung over my bed like fancy drap-
cry. still could not keep them from
piercing my tody with their daggcrs
and sucking my blood. ! could find
no relief until | soaked myself In kcr-
oscne and took kerosene Tor break
fast food and desert. Even now
scratching Is more than a pastime.
have Travelled about two hundred
miles In the rice belt. from Crowley,
La, TO near Victoria. Texas Rice
Is one OF the great staple crops OF
southwest Louisiana and sou,hcas,
Texas. The output amounts to many
million bushels yearly. II Il a com
para,lyoiy new crop for this country.
although rice has been grown for
twenty years or longer. In III. early
daya IL was very profitable crop,
farmers often realizing $40 and $50
per acre on land that cost but s. OF
$40 per acre. These great profits
caused wonderful development, In
the rice industry and hundreds OF
thousands Of acres OF late years have
been sown to rice. mills sprung up nj
over the country. with good rice ware
houses. SO tina, large territory Il
devoted to rice culture alone. Tn,
prio. has fallen and expenses have In
creased so that rice Is no, very prof
table at this time. In fact. II Il
often grown at n loss.
Rice ls no, grown In the form ",
find Il on our tables, The process o'
preparing rice II . complicated ant
expensive one. requiring immense
mills with intricate and wonderful