The Meeker herald., 1921-02-12

About twenty Of Meeker's and Rio
Blanco County's progressive citizens
met ut the First state Bank last Thurs
day to discuss the present needs Of this
town and county and In what ways we
can make 1t better. The meeting was
called to order by chairman w. D.
Simms. Mr.. Simms explained what
the gathering was called for and then
threw the meeting open for discussion
and suggestions from those present.
Nearly all OF the men present ex-
pressed some opinion but the one big
general opinion which nearly every one
mentioned was that we needed trans
pOrtntiOn. Transportation IN without
doubt the most felt necessity Of Rio
Blanco County and 1t IL plain to be
seen that railroad Is the only means
by which we can get this transporfa-
tion. Merkcr has been flooded with rail-
road talk for ~ years and most Of the
old timers have got calloused to rail-
road situations. But folks this rail-
road talk and rumOrs has never been
pressed. You all expected the other
fellow to do all the work and you reap
all the harvest from its advantages.
We have wanted n railroad. that il
most of us have. but we have not been
willing to boost 1t to the full extent
and get out md work for 1t.
Rio Blanco county has been and is
In many ways yet cattle country. II
was Therefore not to its interest to have
n railroad. For ns sOOn az II railroad
hits place especially II II IL ns rich
and prosperous ns Rio Blanco county.
IL brings many homesteadersand In this
way the cnttleman's rsnge IL taken
from him. It Is easy to Ike seen why
the cattleman did not want railroad
ten years agO. But 1t IL Il different
story now. Tho liOmesteaders have all
ready come md most nll the land that
is worth taking Is already taken. In
this event the range is ALREADY gone.
Rio Blanco county is fast giving way
to farming country. II IL for this ren-
son that we have come to n stand still.
Rio Blanco county has been coasting.
Its wonderful resources havc made II
a down hill phil. II has needed no
pushing hut II has now reached the
bottom Of TINT hill and will require
some pushing and pulling II we are
going to continue to advance. During
the war wheat was mt a high price. mt
one time as high ns - bnslel. At
that time the fifty cents 100 which
II costs to send II to Rifle did not
amount to much and the farmer could
make fnt money hut now wheat hns
dropped to &1.75 to $2oo5 brshcl and
the farmer still has to pay TINT fifty
cents n 100 to Rifle which leaves him
little or nothing for production.
1t was in this light that the citizens
gathered last Thursday evening. They
were all men who know the conditions
md feel the coming disaster for us II
we cannot solve this problem. II Is
plain to be seen that We have reached
the end Of our sliding and these men
nre IN to find some means of pulling us
on. The longer We let ourselves set Mt
n standstill the harder It will le to get
action on this question and now 1t must
be-
AS have said before the men Of
this meeting were Of the solid impress
sion that transportation was our one
salvation. In that case let us turn to
the means of transportation. We have
one offer before us at present md that
is the NJ. T. Streetcr project. It seems
assured that railroad will he built
between Mt. strecter and Wamsutter
through CxQig. Mr.. Steeter az you all
know was here some time ngo and
spoke at the Commercial Club. He
made the proposition that this country
raise a half million In stock to help
build the Wamsutter.St Streeter road to
Streeter and another half million TO
help build the road on to Meeker. Now
the men ut Thursdays meeting were