The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1914-11-26

is probably 80 and perhaps 81 or lW
miles.
We awaken next morning in country
resembling the Dakota prairie IN some
respects. The grass is more scanty.
There is species of cactus from one 10
five rods apart. There is green renee
post-like stalk, 2 to feet high, Win
tuft of small palm like leaves ana
tassel above, which doubles the neignt
of the plant. A few scattering noun
tains dot the far distant horizon. Inc
cactus or Spanish dagger, as they call IT,
becomes more and more scarce until 1t IS
seldom seen, but the broad expahse OF
level prairie over which we run hour
after hour remains awaiting the lngenu-
ity of man for its development. "A Wind
mill evidently pumps water enough to
produce field of sorgum. Arteslan wells
are not found, but water has to be pump
ed and in some localities water Is not
found though they seldom drill to the
depth of thousand feet. In Dakota M.
one starts we'll unless he intends to go
two thousand feet.
Near Ell Paso the land seems more
sandy. We had to wait here most OF the
day for train. Next morning we look
out across prairie as Tar 10 Che right
as we can see. We see some mountains
on the left and an occasional cactus or
dagger, but no buildings. We soon come
into small mountains or hills, consisting
largely of stone, the first OF the KIND
seen on this trip There are houses IN
the valleys among the hills, Water is
evidently more abundant. They have
more rain in summer than formerly.
There are lots of windmills near Alpine.
We see small tuft of palm-llke leaves
near the ground. Beneath the leaves is
a bulb like a turnip, which is used for
feed. The people call it sotoal. We see
greasewood and some fruit trees, which
are said to do we'll The valley is half a
mile wide, bordered by ridges or bluffs,
back of which are said to be more hills
and a few valleys. Timber is said to
grow on mountains but not along the
rivers. There are few settlers. There
are lots of oil tanks on the track at San
derson. No oil is produced in the region
though they are drilling for oil. We
are 800 miles from New Orleans and 1900
from San Francisco. The stone wall
along the creeks looks like an artificial
wall OF concrete put in in layers or 8
feet thick. There is considerable white
sand and white gravel on top, but where
we see the side OF bank it seems to be
OF clay as heretofore. Huge masses of
the creek wall break off and fall into the
creek. We see the prickly pear with
dozen round leaves SIX inches across with
some thorns on them. The bridge across
the Pecos river is 800 feet high and
among the highest in the world. The
land is hilly and soil shallow and partially
covered with greaseWood and daggers.
We see flock of goats near Comstock.
There is not a mountain to break the
monotony of the rolling plain. Del Rio
is Just railroad town. The rolling des-
ert continues and is partially covered
with two kinds of brush, one light green
and the other dark green. There are
several windmils in sight, evidently to
water stock, as there are no houses. At
STANDARD they are shipping In car loads
of cattle. Shrubbery grows to be 10 or
Is feet high.
Near Spofford sorgum grows as high
as the shrubbery it has displaced. Here
is evidently chance for an enterprlslng
people to settle. We pass Sabinal just
at dark. 1t is a fine town and the land
is well cleared. We are passing through
a prairie country next morning, but soon
come into forest of oak on the outskirts
of Houston. Texas. The houses are not
large. Vacant spaces and trees are scat
tered through the city. We pass through
a level prairie country dotted with groves
of oak and pine. At our right are hum
dreds of derricks which were used Tor
drilling oil wells. The derrick is left to
be used in case of repairs. One engine
pumps eight or ten wells. Power IS
transmitted from engine to pump by
cable. We see much brick paving, both
in the country and the city OF Houston.
| am told that Los Angeles, Calf,
has expended IL million on roads with
in the past seven years, and because OF
her good roads Los Angeles has more
automobiles than any city except New
York. Los Angeles has hundred thous'
and school children and the entire popu..
lation is usually six times the number OF
school children.
Near Beaumont the water is within a
foot of the surface, which Indicates that
the land is too wet to work in the spring.
w t SEE ltlOuSdllSio VI eASlOo VI INV otioNAA ~
standing in water. 1t has evidently
rained since the rice was cut.
When two hundred miles west OF New
Orleans | met man who had been on
the train all the time. He is typical
man of hundreds and thousands of tam
lilies, especially in cities where the wife
has little to do to make herself useful.
This man was hard worker and had ac-
cumulated property sufficient to sup:
port the family for the remainder OF
their lives. But the wife was society
woman and would get ready and go to
church, leaving her husband to come
tagging on behind or stay at home. This
| lady felt she was too talented to associate
with Just common laborer; but which
is the higher talent, the talent OF the
church singer or the talent OF the man
who planned and equipped fine home!
The lovely daughter told her father that
she appreciated her parents equally but
could not settle their differences. 1t is
the old dispute between fine arts and
useful arts. In this connection am re-
minded that inanimate nature is better
society than unsocial people. Nine
tenths of the church will say that such q
man should continue to labor on and be
treated with less respect than dog or cat.
The social life of the world today is in 8
less progressive condition than the civil
life of Europe.
Near La Fayette we see large fields Of
sugar cane. 1t is light green color anc