Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-02-26

"An inherent value?" demanded the
college-bred man, turning from the
window.
IAN inherent value" declared the
exponent of aridity.
"Will you tell me just what you
mean?"
mot In one session. Look yonder
That's Brkwley. When came through
here ten years ago / could have had
my pick of this land at p cents an
acre. They were working at this
scheme then-on paper. l was not
alive to the possibilities then; l had
not yet lived in Utahf'
The train was slowing up by brand
new yellow-painted station. There
were several dusty automobiles wait
ing by the track. few faded surreys
and the inevitable country hotel bus.
The platform was swarming with
alert, vigorous faces. distinctly of the
American type.
The man in the seat beside him
asked Richard if he observed the gen
eral average of intelligence in the
faces of the crowd below. Richard ac-
knowledged that he had been struck
by that, not only here but at Imperial
Junction. where he had waited for the
train.
There is a club in the valley. lately
started, a university club which admits
as members those who have had at
least two years of college training.
The list numbers three hundred al
ready. The first meeting was held last
week in an empty new store In Impe-
rial. If 1t had not been for the set
ting we might have been at Ann Arbor
or Palo Alto. The costumes were a
little motley, but tire talk sounded like
home.
The dust blowing IN through the car
doors brought on another fit of stran-
Cling. Richard turned again to the
window, TO the active sce9,A which de-
MED the presence of desers Neyond.
'The doctors say it will have to be
the desert always for me-" Ths stran-
ger tapped his chest significantly.
But 1t is exile no longer--not in an
irrigated country. For the reason of
irrigation 1t is the progressive man.
the man with ideas, or the man who is
willing to take them, who comes into
this desert country. If he has not had
education 1t Is forced upon him. saw
1t worked out in Utah. | was there
several years. Irrigation means CO.
operation. That is. to me, the chief
value of aridity."
The wind, though still blowing
through the car and ruffling the train
dust, was carrying less of grit and
sand. To the nostrils of Richard and
his new acquaintance it brought the
pleasing suggestion of grassy mead
ows, of willow-lined streams and fra
grant fields.
"It is the accepted idea that this
valley is attracting superior class
VI men because of its temperance
stand. 1t is the other way round. The
valley stood for temperance because
IF the sort of men who had settled
here, the men of the irrigation type"
The engineers ear criticized "irriga-
ton type" He began to suspect that
/ ne had picked up a crank.
"The desert offers man special ad-
vantages, social, Industrial and agricul-
tural. 1t is no accident that you find
certain sort of man here"
81 suppose you mean that the
struggle necessary to develop such a
country, under such stern conditions.
develops of necessity strong men?"
evolved Richard. "Oh. yes, ] believe
that, too
"Oh, moe than that It is not so
much the struggle as the necessity for
cooperation. The mutual dependence
is one of the blessings of aridity."
zone of the blessings of arldity !"
echoed his listener. You are philos-
upher." He had not yet touched the
others thought at the spring.
"You might as well call me a social
list because / praise irrigation in that
| Il stands for the small farm unit"
ptorted the valley man. "That is one
uf its flats: the small unit. 1t is the
.;mali farm that pays. That fact brings
many advantages. What is the charm
of Riverside? 1t comes to me always
like the unreal dream of the socialist
come true. 1t is q city of farms. of
small farms. where a man may make
his living off his ten acres of oranges
1r lemons and with all the comforts
and convenlences Of a city within
reach. his nefghbors not ten miles off
A farmer in Riverside or In any irri-
gated community does not have TO
postpone living for himself or his fam
ily until he can sell the farm He
ran 20 to church can walk there; the
trolley car which passes his door
takes him TO a public library or the
opera house. Ills children ride to
school. His wife does not need to be
drudge. The bread wagon aud the
steam laundry wagon stop at her
door"
Rickard observed that perhaps ne
did not know anything about irrigstiou
after all! He had not thought of II
before in It's sociological relation bur
merely as 1t touched his profession.
Not going into soil values. for that
Is a long story" began the Older man
.JrrigatiOn is the answer which sci
epce gives to the agricuiturist VINO IL
iiupatienJ OF hapiazard methods. lrri
CATION il not COMPROMISE, as so many
believe who know nothing about it. Fl
Is distinct advantage over the old
fashioned methoas-
II am one Of those who always
thought it compromise" admitted
st,s. guoiuaer