The Lamar register., 1921-12-07
THE OLD SOUTH ROAD
Lamar's Greatest Problem Now Just
as II Was in the Year One.

IrODaDly no Otner one SUBJECT HAS
been so much talked about, and so
little done in proportion to its import
ance to Lamar as the road south to
Baca county. In 1886 when Lamar
was born the chief topic outside the
boom was the south road and the main
work of the business men and board
of trade was directed toward the keep
ing of it in a state of repair requisite
to hauling the hundreds of wagons
loaded with supplies that passed over
it. Then the supplies all went down
as production was in the future. To-
day with the dreams of the faithful
boosters of sc and 'S7 just beginning
to materialiZe in bountiful crops and
the flow of produce outweighing sew
eral times the influx of supplies the
road is far more important than ever,
but we fear there is not the same
realization of its importance on the
part of some of the business men at
least.
The local mill has received 10000
bushels of wheat from wagon and
truck delivery this season, far great
er than in any former season. Of this
amount Manager Maxwell says at
least 100000 bushels has come from
the south country. The record trip,
he SAYS, was 90 miles. The party
brought two big double wagon loads.
He lived within less than half that dis
tance of Elkhart, but the elevators
there offered him 20 cents for his
wheat and the local mill paid Sl.1O-
so he came here in spite of the long
haul. An Oklahoma farmer wrote
Mr.. Maxwell last Monday that he was
starting that day with several trucks
and trailers loaded with his corn crop
Owing to the storm and the condition
of the roads he did not arrive until
Sunday and then had to leave the
trailers at Clay creek and go back
after them on Monday. Even with all
that extra expense he made money on
the trip as he was offered Is cents
bushel for his corn at Elkhart and
got sos cents here. This was eight
cents more than Kansas City market
and two cents above Chicago prices.
These instances show not only the i'm
mense territory from which Lamar can
draw trade but also the unparalleled
market facilities offered by the large
industries centered at this point.
Besides the huge wheat crop, there
are thousands of loads of corn being
brought here from the south country.
In addition to other grains in hun
dreds of wagon loads, there are i'm
mense quantities of broom corn, feed,
stock, and produce of all kinds.
Up to the beginning Of the wheat
marketing the south road was consid-
cred one of the best in this section,
and was supposed to be adequate for
any demands that could be made on
it, but no one then dreamed that any
such tremendous traffic as has passed
over it this fall was possible. Under
the circumstances it is no wonder it
has broken down and is now in miser-
able condition. The business interests
of Lamar though cannot afford to see
this condition continue, and a united
effort should be made to see that it
is restored not only to its former con-
dition but put in such shape that it
will stand an even heavier traffic the
coming season. The south country if
the season is favorable will raise at
least fifty per cent more crops for the
1922 season than it did the past year,
and if Lamar is to hold this immense
market the road must be such that 1t
offers an inducement as well as the
market afforded by our industries.
The railroad running through the
irrigated area on both sides Of the riv-
err offers shipping point either right
at the door or with very short haul,
but the produce coming in over the
south road comes from ten to ninety
miles and the condition of the road Of
ten spells the difference between profit
or loss on the crop. Therefore the
road is the vital feature of this traffic
The wonderful increase in trade in
the south territory has been the cause
of business conditions in Lamar not
r. 80, OF