The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1920-02-12

Just little over thirteen years
ago the present editor Of the Ava
lanche set foot on these streets to
make Lubbock his home for better or
for worse. We came here, down fin
ancially, but not out by whole lot.
We had strong constitution and
determination equal to anyone TO ger
back on our feet. We found Lubbock
a very small place and cold. well, u
was cold plenty. and at that time
the town was almost out Of fuel Ihe
hotel we headed into being en-
tirely out of coal and burning corn
what n shame we thought for we
had com. from a portion OF old Tex
as where corn was indeed scarce, and
little Of il raised any time. fou
know Il was not on account OF the
strikes that time that Lubbock was
shv of fuel. but we were ITO miles
from the nearest railroad point, and
I, was the wettest fall and winter
this country has ever experienced,
and freight wagons were begged
down ali along the roads with coat
and provisions which was the reason
that the supply Of fuel was exhaust
ed and provisions were running very
low However. we all pulled through
the winter, with not death IN town
and we pulled into year OF pros
perity and people were just beginning
10 realize that this was q great coun-
try-that its possibilities rs farm
ing and fruit growing. stockfarming
section could not be calculated. what
few people we had in the county out
aide Of town depended mostly, in faet
altogether upon their herds Of cattle
aud sheep to enlarge their bank ae-
counts, and for several years this was
the main pursuit Finally, however
a few farmers came into our terri
torv and began 10 till the soil, and
the cat was out Of the bag was
found that this was a farming eoun-
try Of no little consequence, and each
year few more Of the worthy sons
Of agriculture heard of the great
Lubbock country and came and in
vestigated and bought and moved here
with their families and made this their
home Even though still a long way
from the railroad they improved their
farms suffieisntly To be reasonably
comfortable During the fourth year
Of our sojeurn in this city the rail-'
road built into our town, things be-
gan TO "go some" Lubbock was on
\ boom and wooden shacks popped up
on business lots all around the square
and main streets and our population
increased from less than thousand
20 over three thousand in very short
time. and things went lovely me
country continued 10 develop until
sore modern buildings were needed
and brick buildings began Q take
the place Of wooden ones The old
wooden school building had burned
down and another temporary build
ing took its place till a brick one
could be built. and ever since then
our town has been forging 10 the front
other lines Of railroads soon recog.
nized that Lubbock was the logical
point for building a city, and built
their lines here and now the santa,
Fe Railroad system operates trains
through Lubbock over three lines,
making our city the main wholesale
distributing point Of the entire south
Plains embracing a territory in Texas
of $50 miles square 20 say nothing
Of the eastern part Of New Mexico.
which is supplied from this point. In
the South Plains. people have 10 come
TO Lubbock TO 20 most anywhere IN
this section by rail. and our prospects
to get two or three other lines Is the
source of much jealousy on the part
OF would-be rival towns. Of the South
Plains, and our city Is recognized
now far and near as progressive and
alive TO every opportunity to improve
and take its place among the real
cities Of the Southwest. as IS proven
by the recent election for paving