The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1919-08-09


two ncckties IN the entire car. and
they occupied. Richard observed. the
same seat
THE beginning of the canal sys-
tenn"
Richard looked out upon flat. one
toned country. marked off in rec
innglcs by plows and scrlpers. Far
Their south these rcctangies were edged
by young willows. He fancied he
could see. even mt that distance. the
CLEAN Of water.
1t was the passing of the desert. A
few miles back he had seen the desert
in its primitive nakedpcss. 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 | 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-swcpt, sti1ing car The glare on
tho platform was intense. He stood
watching the newly made Chcckcrboard
of u country slip past him. Receding
were the two lines Of cleaning steel
rails which connected and separated
him from the world outside. He WINS
going in" Not in Mexico even had
he such a feeling of ultimate remote
| ,,,..
spectively toward the throat of the
valley, looked elusive and unreal in
their guuzc drapcrics of rose and vio-
let. The tender hour Of day was cloth
ing them with mystery, softening their
sharp outlines. They curtaned the
world beyond. Richard felt the sus-
; pense of the next net,
1t was IA 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. Ii was the
dark color Of the chocolate OF com
mercc this silt which had been pill
! fercd from the states through which
the vagrant river wandered. The smell
, of the upturned earth. sweetly damp.
struck against his nostrils. Richard
INDUCED minute Of whimsical fancy
this was California territory over
| which his train wns passing. but the
, soil. that dark earth those blades were
, other states, Of despoiling Wyoming
, Of ravishing Colorado and Arzonap
To the west new squares were being
leyeled and outlined. Shrubby rec
! tangles were being cleared Of their Gre
osote bush and tough mesquite. Com
pared with other countries, the prepa-
| ration for planting was the simplest
Horses were dragging over the ground
/ a railroad rail bent into a angle
| which pulled the bushes by the roots
and dragged them out Of the why. BE
! yond. farther west. could be seen the
untouched desert. The surface foi
\ many miles was cracked by water
: lines. broken and baked into irregular
! sand cakes: the mark of sand which
! has been imprisoned by water anc
I branded by swift heat.
1 Close by men were putting in with
: care the seed that was to quicken the
Q river silt. They were passing square
:. where the green tips Of the grair
e were piercing The ground. Now they
were abreast Of field of matured nj
Z falfa over which the wind raced CRATE
1 fully. Desert and grain field, dealt
l. and lifel The panorama embraced tn
} whole cycle.
i They went back to their seats. Aftel
s n few minutes the other leaned ovel
{ his shoulder. his hand waving TOWARD
( the passing mountains. "Those are tn
Superstition mountains you can SCI
d over yondcr. An unusually apt name.
e "Yps?"
: "Why IL It good you mean? Tha
nile OF dark rock stands as monu
/. ment TO an cffete superstition. IL Il
/ the grayestone for u gigantic mistake
I WHY. II was only the grossest igno
rance tHht kHNe w '"U uSsS'' so '
of .bud lands. The desert Is n con
dition not a fact. Here you see tn
pnssjn. of the condition, the burial o
the superstition. Are you interested u
irrigati0n!'
Richard was not given to explain
the degree OF interest his profession
involved. for the stranger drew pain
full breath. and went on.
"Of course you are. II you are
western man. 1ou are, Think
! The engineer said he was. by choice
n "Irripation is the creed of the West
Gold brought people to this country
water. scientifically applied. will kee
,he,n here. Look ut Riverside An
we ARE at the primer stage only. W
nre way behind the ancients In infoi
nation on that subject. ! learned q
school. 50 did you. that some of tn
,,,ost glorious civilizations ilourishe
IL smile of the desert which surround
"a them. That wls only half u tfutf
They we're great because of 1t VII
MA the Iucas choose the desert vine
their strength gave them the choice 9
the continent OF South America? VIII
d;d rho Aztecs settle In the deSef
when they might easily have pr'
a,nntcd the watered regions! The
there are the Carthaginians. the To
"a .a,s tho Moors. And one never fol