Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1919-02-21

III ItNtilui tutts
II "Estrada's business methods wer
Il then not different from Sather's an
Il Hardin'sl" II was deep, rich organ
| "Oh, you can't class Hardin Will
Sather," protested Richards compan
ion. '*Sather used Hardin. Hardin
honesty cannot be questioned. It's no
moneys he's after. His whole hear
Is in this reclamation scheme"
"Hardin's a false alarm" growlet
the owner OF the massive head. al,
makes promises. He never keeps
them"
The older mans smile was tolerant
Barton" he indicated. as the presi
dent Of the water companies. And II
you. want to hear about rogue and O
scoundrel ask the water companies
their opinion of Hardin"
"Well, what sort of a hole has he
got US into7" demanded the other with
heat.
"Hardin's In a hole himself.
"No one seems to remember that he
crucified himself to save the valley.
I've great respect for Thomas Har-
din"
"YesT returned Richard, whose Xix
Ing had been captured by the speaker.
The impression of distinction sharp
ened. The stranger wore Numbered
pongee silk shirt, open at the neck but
restricted by brown silk tie; and it
two neckties in the entire car, and
they occupied, Richard observed. the
same seat.
"The beginning of the canal sys-
tenn"
Richard looked out upon fiat, one
toned country. marked off in rec
tangles by plows and scrapers. Far
Their south these rectangles were edged
by young willows. He fancied he
could see, even at that distance, the
CLEAN of water.
II was the passing of the desert. A
few miles back he had seen the desert
in It's primitive nakedness, which not
even cactus relieved. He was passing
over the land which man and horses
were preparing for water. And he
could see the land where water was.
THAT was the way Riverside looked
when l first saw It," commented the
other man who wore tie. "Come out
on the rear platform. We can see bet
ter"
Richard followed to the back of the
dust-swept. Sitting car. The glare on
the platform was intense. He stood
watching the newly made checkerboard
of country slip past him. Receding
were the two lines of cleaning steel
rails which connected and separated
him from the world outside. He was
'going In" Not In Mexico even had
he such feeling of ultimate remote
ness. The mountains. conyerging per-
spectively toward the throat of the |
valley. looked elusive and unreal In |
their gauze draperies of rose and vio-
let The tender hour of day was cloth |
ing them with mystery, softening their
sharp outlines. They curtained the
world beyond. Richard felt the sus-
pense of the next act.
1t was a torpid Imagination, he
thought, which would not quicken over
this conquest of the desert. East of
the tract men and teams were prepar-
Ing the newly furrowed ground for the
seed. The curved land knives were
breaking up the rich mold into ridges
of soft soil as uncohesive and feathery |
rs pulverized chocolate. IL was the
dark color of the chocolate of COM
merce, this silt which had been pill
Tered from the states through which
he yagrant river wandered. The smell
II the upturned earth, sweetly damp,
struck against his nostrils. Richard I
a minute of whimsical fancy
his was California territory over
which his train was passing. but the
loll. that dark earth those blades were {
was IL not the tribute of {
'ther states. of despoiling Wyoming, '
II ravlshing Colorado and Arizona? I
To the west new squares were being
eveled and outlined. Shrubby rec I
angles were being cleared of their ere
'sote bush and tough mesquite Com
jared with other countries, the prepa- l
alton for planting was the simplest.
Horses were dragging over the ground {
tNiibuu iult btnt INTO u Aubits
which pulled the bushes by the roots I
md dragged them out of the way. Be e
'ond. farther west. could be seen the a
desert. The surface for $
many miles was cracked by water o
Ines. broken and baked into irregular V
and cakes; the mark OF sand which
AS been Imprisoned by water and {
raaded by swift heat d
Close by men were putting In with $
are the seed that was TO quicken the h
liver silt. They were passing square p
there the green tips OF the grain 0
fere piercing the ground. Now they Z
-ere abreast OF field OF matured al
alta over which the wind raced CRATE v
ally. Desert and grain field: death o
nd life. The panorama embraced the 81
hole cycle. w
Fhey went back to their seats. After o
few minutes the other leaned over h
Is shoulder. his hand waving toward