The Lamar register., 1911-05-24
TWENTY-FIVE TODAY
Lamar Has Reached Its Quarto- Gem
tennial Anniversary


today that the town of Lamar was
given its first start. 1t had been
plated out by a few men and a
lot sale had been advertised, and
they were very agreeably surprised
at the crowd which appeared to
purchase lots. Few of the present
day citizens were here then. d. E.
Cooper, A. Deter, G. w. Hunter.
E. l.. and ]. H. Koen were on the
ground at the time. as was also
G. w. Butler and NJ. d. Parmenter.
and w. o. Butler. whose
families are still here Some
like M. ]. McMillin and j. A. Nc
Dowell, were already residents of
the vicinity.
town developed rapidly into sub
stantial city. hundreds of families
moving in and quite a number of
these are still here. They include
number of business men of to-
day, W. J. Johnston. C. c. Huddles-
ton. d. l.. Silver. N. l.. Conwell.
A. Everett, Fred Lee, C. c. Good
ale, ]. X. Doughty. NJ. Strain, |.
l.. Maxwell. P. S. Lynch and others.
Many more, who are now residents
of Lamar. came to this section at
that time and located In either
what is now Prowers county or in
the neighboring territory now
Baca and Kiowa counties.
Including the farmers of this ter
ritory. who came here in those
days there could still be large
sized reunion of pioneers of SO
and 'S7 gathered together for a
celebration. Those were interesting
and exciting days when man
might be gone for one day and re-
turning find SO many houses Just
like his In his block that he would
not know where to turn in. Prices
had no reference TO cost whatever
and nobody inquired about the "cos
of living" Each man that wanted
to work did what he could and
held the other up for all he would
stand for. and left him to take It
out of the next one.
There were just two classes Of
people. real estate men and goats.
and they were about equally divid-
ed. How they all lived In a mys-
terry not entirely solved. but the
bank books OF home folks in the
east would probably furnish some
very interesting Information along
that fine.
Along about the summer of 81
there was established a loaning val
ne on farms that have never had
any kind OF value since. and for
the next two years the community
held up on this product" solely.
At least those were days when the
people had plenty Of time for en-
joyment and they got the full ben
eft Of that.
The old fashioned singing school
and literary debating societies
were the principal social diversions:
while poker and high five were the
only recognized card games. Cattle
rustling was a recognized means
of livelihood and 1t was only get
ting caught that was a disgrace
With the advent of dry weather
and loss Of faith in the westward
march of the "rainbelt" came irri-
CATION, and with 1t at first gradual
development and then rapid leaps
towards prosperity. There has been
more work and less play since then.
but II our wives folks had kept
on furnishing cash from the effete
east we would have had more fun
under the old pioneer plan. 1t is
common idea that pioneering and
hard work are synonymous terms.
but the fact is that It is the latter
which drives the pioneer away to
new country. Pioneering is his
only occupation and he resents the
interjection of such foolishness as
work
Lamar, though. and those of her
l.