Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-07-10

their land go back as they could not
raise money to pay either principal
or interest, but l hung on. Another.
year went by, and myself and family
were sometimes hungry, but ! sent
back home for money enough to-
make another payment on the farm.
The 1rrigating company had begun
to resell the farms that had been
vacated by my friends and neighbors,
and then l began to see what they
were doing. They were getting as
heavy cash payments as possible and
were squeezing the men who could
not raise the money to make their
payments.
"The next year We got water to
our land and 1 have done very we'll
since. I have repaid the loans l
made up home, have paid for my
farm, and am satisfied
Then said I, you expect me to
understand you as saying that it is
the moneyed interests of the United
States that is raiding the people in
your yicinity?" +. ~
Yes" answered he. 1.-THE only
time was ever quite positive that a
Mexican ever stole anything from me
was one time when missed q halter
and collar the same day Mexican
quit working for me-
That is one condition on the bor-
der" and that is not why troops
were sent from all parts of the Unit
ed States to the border to protect
American interests"
Where cattle raising is the chief
industry on the border, the ranches
are large because Of the fact that it
requires several acres of ground to
furnish grazing for one animal, ex-
cept where irrigation bitches have
been dug and are in operation, con-
|sequently it is an easy matter for
"a band of raiders to take possession
of herd of cattle. and until some
large concern-wit soul-comes
in and promotes the southern part
of Texas, the people are, going to be
bothered to q certain extent by raid
|ers. ~s, ~ III
A colony of farmers could go into
ia locality along the border. put in
irrigation bitches, improve their
farms and rest secure in the thought
THAT they were safe from raids-un-
less, perchance, they start. their col
ony, on part of the territory claimed
by some rancher. by. right Of discov-
Iery. .a,. g.
The roads along the border are
made by hewing out strip of mes
quite, and the road is built. In very
few cases can one find grade of
even fair proportions, except on main
travelled roads leading from one town
to another.
The larger land owners-truck
raisers, dairy farmers and grain
growers-have number of Mexicans
working for them, and these Next
cans live in typical Mexican villages,
laid out in some spot on the ranch or
farm.
Some may wonder how the poorer
people manage to exist, and when
tell you that there are hundreds
upon hundreds. of cases along the
border where the women and chill
dren relatives from Old Mexico have
crossed the river and are making
their homes with. their people who
reside in Texas, you have real cause
for wonder.
For instance, have passed place
in Victoria Heights, an addition to
Brownsville, where thirteen people
are. living in house 10x16. There
is not glass window in the build
ling, neither is there door. Small
doors take the places of windows,
and a gunny sack takes the place OF
a door. A man, wife and six chill
dren belong in the home. and war
widow with four children are max
ing their home\with them-the two
women being sisters. The women
take in washings when possible, but
as there are at this place half as
many washerwomen as there are
Mexican women, their business does
not go far toward keeping family
of thirteen. The man of the house
claims to be unable to secure work,
except an occasional day that he
manages to earn 40 to 60 cents, and
if all of the soldiers are removed
from Victoria Heights, the family
will either starve or be thrown upon
the charity of neighbors, or the
county, or perhaps the city. Now
listen how they get along while the
soldiers are on the ground. Three
or four IF tho CbiIdron oro pivpn