El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-09-04
WEST TEXAS IS
IN DIRE STRAIT
Drouth Leaves Many in
Want, With Stock Mort
gagged; Can't Go Away.

Robert Lee. Tex. sept Nv est
Texas. and particularly Coke county.
IS facing today what are probably the
most serious conditions ever con-
fronting the inhabitants in It's his
tory-the disastrous effects of an I'M
broken period Of three years total
drought with two more years OF
partial drouth added.
y year ago it was believed that the
west Texans could not possibly con-
tinue to live under the adverse condt-
tons brought about by the two pre-
ceding years Of total drouth. but an.
other unproductlve year has passed,
and there are yet those IN Coke
county and other parts Of west Texas.
who are bravely holding on though
dire necessity is visible almost every
where.
Hang On Chee-fulIy.
There loyal. faithful pioneer people
continue 10 look on the bright side,
and to believe that the rains Will de-
scend in sufficient quantities in time
TO save the country from utter desc
lation and ruin. No other people or
earth could have held out and man
aged with the frugality which has
been necessary to enable them to stay
on for the past three years But the
time has now come when there muSE
be some relief forthcoming The
Coke county people have gone over
the limit in sacrifices. and cannot 80
much farther unless some relief Is
afforded.
Everyone Adversely Affected.
The drouth has laid its soaring hand 4
upon the greater part of all Of west
way every occupation. every industry, l
every person and every living thing
within its confines This is the exist I
ing state Of conditions ! Coke county I
and il is said they are typical Of the
greater : ortion Of west Texas
Tenant Farmers lIoy-a=- Away.
Il IS true that many or the citizens +
particularly the tenant farmers. have
been unable to stay on. md have wan
dered elsewhere in search OF work
.lso many Of those who own their
homes have been compelled temper
arily 10 abandon them in order 20 earn
a livelihood Many other would fol-
low If their teams and other property
were not mortgaged, which was ne
Cessary to enable them 10 plant their
crops the last three years They have
no money. and no way OF going away,
except walking Besides. they feel
that they must = Ike care OF these
mortgaCed teams. as IL is not just TO
20 away and leave this mortgaged
stock to starve-
stock Clipped BY Thousands.
West Texas, having been heretofore
principally a stock farming country.
one Of the greatest blows has been
the removal in the past two years OF 7
most OF the stock Thousands OF cars
OF cattle. sheep. hogs, mules ana
horses have been shipped out Of west
Texas. and conditions have not yet
improved 10 that extent which would
warrant their coming back in very
large numbers
In few places sufficient rains
have IA len 10 bring some grass and
weeds. and where that has occurred
stock has been Immediately shifted TO I
that range. The war time prices or 7
food anC feedstuffs have greatly aug l
nented the already direful effects OF
the drouth
Among the w rst effects OF the
drouth will be the falling off in the
attendance at the rural public schools
Of Coke county some school districts 4
have not enough pupils left 20 justify
the employment az a teacher II IS
estimated that there will not likely
be more than 100 schoolas-ics enrolled f
in the Robert Lee public school this
winter.
Employees Arc Released.
Another class OF people 20 feel the 4
effects OF the drouth is that Of the
wage and salary eurners- One after /.
another. the business houses have
been compelled to cut down their
working forces. Some employees who
had been employed by the same firm
for eight or ten years were about to T.
decide that they must have higher d
wages with which to meet the higher
prices OF living commodities Then
they found themselves out Of employ /
ment entirely. Perhaps some OF them
had mastered only one trade. and all
Of their possessions we're here The
expense Of moving and sacrificing all
OF their savings seemed worse than
staying on with the once prosperous
people. among whom they had cast
their fortunes or course some fin
ally decided to make the sacrifice and b
leave. Others chose To endure the
hardships. ever hoping that conditions
would get better After all this Is
home TO them still-with its every