The Tomahawk., 1918-11-21

we're on leave. un6enHaRd that
when the thirty or more projects which
they are building are completed they
will have about 100000 acres under
cultivation. But that doesn't amount
to whoop compared with the rest OF
the unproductive land in the country.
i "This clipping says that in addition
to these 100000 acres there are from
100000 to .20,O00,O0O acres of arid
land in the West that can be reclaimed
by building more dams and using all
the water available. In the eastern
half of the country are 200,O0O,OOO
acres of cut-over timber land that only
needs to have the stumps blown out
and the land cleared and leveled to
make it as productive as any land In
the world. In the South there are
something like sOO00,O00 acres Of
swamp land that, If drained, viii grow
about anything growable. All that
makes some bunch of land. The guy
who wrote this clipping figures it at
one-fifth again as large as the state
Of Texas. -.
According to this clipping the idea
| Of the government is to suggest to us
/ Soldiers and our friends the marines
and sailors that we don't have to 60
back to our old jobs or try to hunt up
new ones, but that the government will
give us all the work we can do build
ing dams and canals, blowing stumps
and clearing land, and digging bitches
to drain swamp lands, in order to
make these waste lands the finest agri-
cultural land in the world. - .ss...
81 wasn't very keen on the PROPOSE
ton at first because thought might
have to go up North or out West to
get job on this government work, but
it says here that there are so many
projects to be constructed, situated In
practically every state in the Union,
that a man won't have to go very far
from his old home to get work. I
know that In Arkansas there are near
ly 100000 acres Of cyt-over timber
land and over 5000. 900 acres of swamp
land, SO It ought to be easy for me to
get job in my own state and proba-
bly, not far from home. figure that
that business course I took ought to
land me job as a timekeeper, book
keeper, or storekeeper on one Of these
| projects, and If I don't get that the
Lord knows I've had plenty Of expert
ence with a pick and shovel digging
trenches. ~
"But to my mind the best part Of
the whole thing is this: The man at
the head of the interior department.
Secretary Lane, says in this clipping
that in addition to providing work for
all the returned fighting men who want
it, this plan of hts gives these men the
opportunity to earn home on the
very projects they have helped to
build. After we have blown the stumps
out of some cut-over land project, say,
cleared off the brush, leveled the land.
put up houses, barns. and fences, laid
out townsites and roads, and generally
made the locality like q place to live
In, then we fellows will be given what
they call preference right Of entry.
That is. we'll be allowed to pick out
one of these farms that we have made.
go on it and start culttvating the land,
with the privilege of paying for the
land and improvements in small pay
,ments covering 80 or 40 years, at 4
low rate Of interest: At the end of
that time we own the farms: Our live
stock will also be furnished by the
government, to be paid for by US in
small payments In from five to ten
years. heard fellow give lecture
once on similar work the state of Cali
fornia is doing on small scale and
It's a big success. :zst.,,s,s- >
$50 that's where I'm going to put
one over on the old man. He's sweat
ed all his life on a, tenant farm and
doesn't own anything now except his
farm implements and some stock. He's
actually making about day laborer's
wages of his place there in Arkansas.
But not for me. AS soon as I'm dis
charged from Uncle Sans army I'm
going to look this proposition up,
hitch up to q cut-0ver land or swamp
land project in my own state, work
some more for the government getting
i q NA0A ~ AC0Oy AVA AS " i've Ou, duU
then get on the farm as soon as can.
I'll bet + can make a better living Of
my land, which has never been touched
by plow, than the old man can make
of his which has been cropped for two
or three generations, and at the end
I'll own my place. Besides which, I'll
be living in community of other
! farmers and business men, and not
stuck of on lonesome farm half way
between here and nowhere"
Buddy" said the artilleryman,
that listens good to me. You talk like
a professor. Il thought of going back
to my old work In the garage, but I'm
going to look into your little proposi.
ton instead Ny home is where I
hang my hat, so don't much. care
| yvhofhor 7 finally land IN on irri <ex1