El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-07-17
IN TIME OF PROSPERITY, WEST TEXAS
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

AS IN TINE OF PEACE preparation should be made for
"A war, in time of plenty preparations ought to be
made for famine far possible This applies to west
Texas with particular force because west Texas has been
through SIEGE due drouth and may have the
same thing to undergo again
This year Texas is highly prosperous Rains have
been abundant The wheat yielding much as the OIL
It estimated and the other crops equally good
One would never guess that for several consecutive
the country almost nonproductive crops whitening
away almost fast they above ground because
there rain On the ranges grass is uxurant and
cattlemen consider conditions ideal During the drouth
what cattle could not be shipped out suffered greatly and
many died Of starvation and thirst.
West Texas farmers and cattemen will make money
this year. with excellent crops and high prices Some have
interest meet and must pay the principal Of
mortgages But there viii be plenty Of money left in the
western part Of the state after obligations met
This year, the latest next year, if it is good
year. Texas ought take out insurance policy
against recurring drOuths by storing storm water for ir
small reservoirs be constructed at great cost the
stored by which would be Of great value in time Of
drouth They would not compare with the great irrga
ton works with which familiar here but they need
not be extensive to be useful in emergency.
The outlay Of money would not be staggering. If the
reports Of the banks and mercantile houses to be
believed, there is plenty Of money in west Texas
munss and of it ought TO be used to provide for
irrigation West Texas would have to finance its own
projects for there much demand for such investments
these days when there is CAUTIONED bond market and
the people who have money left seeking larger returns
than the average bonds viii pay. HowVer the cost of
small irrigation projects could be reduced materially by
farmers contributing their labor and that Of their
teams.
Conservation of this kind has been urged off and on for
the last 30 years. but it has taken hold In west
Texas to any considerable extent though than one
drouh has interviewed to make the people wish they had
irrigation for that particular time Of need. Most of the
drouths have been only Of seasons duration and quickly
forgotten in the productive seasons following But
this last drouh was the worst the west Texas counties
had known When it broken last winter It had
lasted practically three years. It ruined hundreds
pletey forced thousands to leave their homes in
search Of work Families who had their farms partly
paid for had abandon everything but what they could
take with them trains in wagons and became day
laborers II surrounding states Some lost the savings Of
years It is necessary to sketch the misery Of that
period in further detail but ought to be recalled by all
residents Of the sections affected with sufficient vvidnes
make them to do everything possible stave off
another such time Of famine.
West Texas is full of dam and reservoir projects, but
nearly ali Of them remain very much in the project stage
On only few has any actual work been undertaken
The way remedy, in large part, the drouth afetion
IS IN plain sight and good year when people have money
is the time to provide the insurance policy Full utza
ton Of the possibilities of storing water for in dry
would keep west Texas of such pedcament