The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1919-04-25


assumed the newspaper man. No
Then will you sit with me?"
IF you will sit upstairs" scowlet
Hardin. Il don't want to be dragged
onto the platform"
Down In the orchestra, Black from
the Wistaria was haranguing a grouI
of gesticulating ranchers. Phrase,
climbed TO the men on the balloon.
seats. keep their pledges Promise
| makers. Let them look at our crops =
IF Marshall expects TO coerct
those men. lose my guess Then he:
no judge of men," cried Hardin
Look at those faces" The floor was
q sea of impassioned features.
Something's going to DROP" echoed
! Brandon.
From the wings, Babcock's inquisi.
! tive glasses were seen to sweep the
house. Hardin could catch the sum
mons of an excited forefnger to the
| group unseen. There was a minute
of delay. Then Babcock's nervous
toddle carried him onto the stage.
De Ia Vega followed Babcock.
There was hush of curiosity. The
house did not know who he was. Be
Lean. MarshalTs entrance released
the tongues. There was an interval
of confusion on the stage. Babcock,
like restless terrier, was swapping
at the heels of the party At last
they were all fussily seated. De In
Vega was given the place of honor
Marshall, Babcock put on his left.
MacLean on the right
BabcOck raised his staccato gavei.
hush fell on the house. His words
were clipper and sharp.
You have left your blowing to come
here. You are anxious to hear what
we have to say to you. You cannot
afford to be Indifferent to it. You ac-
knowledge, by your presence, de-
pendence,, correlation which you
would like TO deny. Irrigation means
cooperation, suffering together, strug-
Cling together, succeeding together.
You prefer the old individual way.
each man for himself. | tell you it
won't do. You belong in other coun-
tries, the countries of old-fashioned
rain. You want to hear what we have
to say to you, the company who saved
the valley, the company you are suing.
But you have also suits against Mex
leo. There is gentleman here who
has a message from Mexico about
those suits. l have the honor, gentle
men, to introduce, Senior de In Vega"
Ladies'" bowed the Mexican. Gen
tlemen, Mr.. Chairman. 1t is with an
appreciation of the honor that l ac-
copied for today the invitation of Mr..
Marshall to speak before you, TO speak
to you; l must tell you first my
thought as / sat there and looked at
you, the youth, the flower of the Amer
lean people. A few years ago, we
were calling this the great Colorado
desert; now, the world calls it the
dollhouse of America. This theater
is built over the bones of gold-seekers,
who dared death in this dreaded
desert to find what was buried in
those mountains beyond. The man,
1 say, who crossed this desert, took
the hazard of death. 1t was a coun-
tryman of mine who piloted, fifteen
years ago, little band of men, across
the desert. Perhaps he camped on
this very spot. 1t is not impossblei
1t is here, perhaps, that he got his
He saw wonderful ter
ritOry; he dreamed to quicken it with |
the useless waters of the Colorado. |
You will all agree that it was Gull |
ermo Estrada who dreamed the dream |
that has come true; that it was |
through him that some of your coun- /
trymen secured their privilege to re- |
claim this land. Later, when one of your |
found he could not fulfill |
lis promise to you, the promise to de-
liver water to your ranches, he came |
20 my nation and got permission to cut |
nto the river on our territory. Most
gladly did Porfirio Diaz grant that
privilege. For that, today, you are
suing him. This, L am told, is your
His abrupt pause betrayed q con-
used murmur of voices. De la Vegas
polite ear tried TO differentiate the
phrases. There was tumble of sound
De la Vega looked inquiringly at Bah
,ock. who waved him on
ut has nothing to do with the his
DRY, but / would like TO say in passing
hat so assured were your people of
,ur friendly feeling toward you that
hey did not wait to receive permits
ion from Mexico to make the cut
-FOUR people were in hurry. Your
rops were in danger. First the lack
# water. then too much water dam
ged your valley. A few acres"
A voice from the crowd cried out,
A few acres? Thousands of acres"
others were on their feet
of acres. Ruin" One man
vas shouting himself apoplectic.
Babcock's gavel sounded sharp
taccato on the table.
Thousands of acres" De la Vega
ras unruf1ied. ''And more than that
he valley, il must be remembered,
oes not stop at the line. Mexican
lnds, too, have been secured by the
ction, the result of the action of your ,
.rigation company. 1t was a mutual"
e paused, and q quaint word came to ,
is need. "A mutual bereavement 1t .
id not occur to us 70 accuse you of
ur troubles Your damage suits panied .
nd astonished us. But they gave US
lso n suggestion"
The rustIing and the murmurs sud
emily ceased. a president hush wait ,
q on De Ia Vega. You have been ad- Y
ised to sue US. To sue us for giving I
49, a11o1e-;or tho l..