The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-05-31

restricted by brown silk tie; and II
was trinity belted. There were out
two neckties in the entire car, ana
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 ne
could see. even at 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 nakedness, when 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 Def
ter"
Richard followed to the back of the
dust-swept, sitting car. The glare on
the platform was intense. de stooo
watching the newly made checkerDoard
of a 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 a feeling of ultimate remote
ness. The mountains, converging per-
spectively toward the throat OF the
|, valley, looked elusive and unreal in
I 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.
8 1t was torpid imagination, ne
s thought, which would not quicken over
n this conquest of the desert. East OF
K the tract men and teams were prepar-
|. ing the newly furrowed ground for the
v seed. The curved land knives were
o breaking up the rich mold into ridges
Z of soft soil as uncohesive and feathery
n as pulyerized chocolate. 1t was the
4 dark color of the chocolate of com
merce, this silt which had been pill
a fered from the states through which
the vagrant river wandered. The smell
10 of the upturned earth, sweetly damp
m struck against his nOstrils. Rickart
10 INDUCED minute of whimsical fancy
q. this was California territory Owe
I'd which his train was passing. but TIT
10 soil. that dark earth those blades wer'
of crumbling, was it not the tribute
n other states, of despOiling wyoming
no of ravishing Colorado and ArizOnaf
i'm To the west new squares were bein
)" leyeled and outlined. Shrubby rec
in tangles were being cleared of their ere
RS oSte bush and tough mesquite. Con
pared with other countries, the prepa
lal ration for planting was the simples
Horses were dragging over the groun
OH a railroad rail bent into V angle
all which pulled the bushes by the root
OIL ard dragged them out of the way. ~
mis- yond. farther west, could be seen I'll
untouched desert. The surface f'
is many miles was cracked by waite
his lines, broken and baked into irregulf
on sand cakes; the mark of sand whic
ad has been imprisoned by water ar
est branded by swift heat.
nd Close by men were putting in wit
OK care the seed that was to quicken Il
acSinU a
lir- where the green tips of the gra
the were piercing the ground. Now thu
were abreast of a field of matured {
ere falfa over which the wind raced graf
md fully. Desert and grain field; dea
an. and life! The panorama embraced {
it'll whole cycle.
an They went back to their seats. Aft
ms n few minutes the other leaned Ov
not his shoulder. his hand waving iowa
art the passing mountains. Those are I
Superstition mountains you can S
lied over yonder. An unusually apt mann
He "Yes?"
cps "Why is it good, you mean? TT
pile of dark rock stands as a MOI
ant. ment to an effete superstition. 1t
'esi- the gravestone for a gigantic mista
d II Why, it was only the grossest igl
rance that gave to the desert the la
n of bad lands The desert is a C
N dition, not a fact. Here you see
N passing of the condition, the burial
% the superstition. Are you interested
irrigation"
Richard was not given to expl
the degree of interest his profess
involved, for the stranger drew a pa
b ful breath, and went on. ~
~ "Of course you are, if you arr
II western man. You are, | Think"
w The engineer said he was, by chO
IA Irrigation is the creed of the w
MbX Gold brought people to this count
AW water. scientifically applied, will k
NM them here. Look at Riverside.
M we are at the primer stage only.
Wrl are way behind the ancients in in
1H nation on that subject. l learned
NH school, so did you, that some of
yHN most glorious civilizations fOuris
DNB in spite of the desert which surrol
AlV ed them. That was only half tr
Az They were great because of it,
nm did the Incas choose the desert "
m their strength gave them the choic
II the continent of South America?
IL IL.