Los Angeles herald., 1910-02-19
200 IN LINE TO
GET YUMA LANDS
CROWD WILL CAMP IN STREET
UNTIL MARCH |
Women and Children Among Home
Seekers-Coveted Chances
to Enter Bring Fancy
e Offers

The high cost of living in the cities
and the better opportunities afforded
by living the simple life on farm Is
why SO per cent of the men and women
in the now famous Yuma line, reaching
from the government land office in the
Chamber of Commerce building to First
street, are holding their places for ten
more days and nights. From w. S.
McMannon, a former soldier in the
Philippines, who took up his position
at the entrance to the building at IL
o'clock Thursday morning, to Aaron
| Hopefield a feeble, white-haired old
man, at the extreme north end of the
block, the line had grown to 200 per-
sons UP to a late hour last night,
whereas but 173 farms are to be dis
tributed. Clutching his white police
ticket bearing his number, Hopefeld
refuses to doubt for an instant that
many of those before him will either
tire from their long vigil or that SUI
ficient majority are holding their places
without the necessary qualifications,
and before the final opening March L
expect to find a buyer. In fact along
the entire line, among young men and
old, married and single, the utmost
optimism prevails.
Worried by Rubbernecks
The long line of humanity attracted
large crowds passing on Broadway, and
the ''rubberneck' instinct asserted
itself SO strongly that the police de-
partment deemed 1t wise to send an
other policeman to keep the street
open. Shoppers, business men, loungers
and photographers swarmed about ask
ing questions until they brought sharp
retorts from the Yuma walters"
'These 'rubbernecks' worry u.s." said
Henry Jenson, who occupies the fifth
place from the front. eff / have been
asked one question have been asked a
thousand. Some woman prods you
with a bundle in your left ribs and
wants to know when the parade is
coming by A man to your right taps
you with his cane and wants to know
what's up and the next minute a
newspaper man politely requests you
to look pleasant into his camera. i
tried to sleep last night on this three
legged chair, but questions from Curl
Gus persons kept me awake until long
after midnight"
A little yellow-haired girl, Geneva
McCan, years old, whose father
brought his wife and four children all
the way from Missouri for the land
opening, staunchly held her papa's
place in the line yesterday for six
hours while he slept at home, tired
from his long vigil of the night and day
before, Geueva's mother cannot take
the fathers place, like any other
women in the line, because she must
care for three little children.
Tired of City Life
A few numbers from Geneva, 10-year-
old Bryan Miller, whose father is also
going to help carve out the history OF
the Yuma lands and has a wife ana
five little children to help him, is look
ing wistfulfy Geneva's way. The two
amuse themselves by throwing tiny
notes over the heads of the older people
to each other
Several PAGES down the line Mrs.
Clara Millane from Washington, wild
ow, is holding her own. II am tired
Of living in the crowded cities,' she
said last night. "I want to get out into
the big open, when there is fresh air,
COWS and chickens. 1t will not be my
fault If I do not have the prettiest
home in Yuma, and l see no reason why
I cannot make a success of my farm as
we'll as any man."
e. Spangler of Los Angeles says that
he has raised family in the city and
has at last awakened to the fact that
the country is the place for him. This
paying out all you make for high-priced
meats and the necessities of life is not
what 1t is cracked up to be- he SAID,
"and I have determined to get out
where [ can save and live right at the
same time"
Alabama Woman MOI %
"The simple life for mine," said Mrs.
Emma Simpson, who is sharing the
watches with her husband. "fhe high
cost of living and better opportunities
afforded on farm have decided my
husband and myself to go on a farm"
A. H. Simpson, her brother-ln-law
head of a large family, occupies the
place next to her.
Mrs. ]. II. Rymal of Alabama is not
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