Carrizozo outlook. [volume] (Carrizozo, N.M.) 1910-1945, 1921-04-08

fput, but never In despair, always
with a load Of expense about him. nj.
ways with the problem of Income aud
outlay 10 be ~solyed-hnd made Of liar.
ris u man very different from the
young ldenlist Of 'S2. During the nrlt
years OF struggle for n bare existence
IN some way the flame Of ldcnllsm sim
burned, but with the dawn Of the "bet.
ter times there came u grndunf shift
Ing NJ standards and n new conception
Of essentials. The crops Of the enrly
years were Improbable on account Of
the great distance 10 market. later,
when the railway cnme 10 their doors,
the crops were still Improbable, owing
10 falling prices and diminishing yields
'ue 10 poor cultivation. Then cane q
rnde during which those who stayed
ln the country stayed because they
could not get out, and II became n cur.
rent snylng that the more land n man
farmed the deeper he got I'm debt.
Then came the swing VI the pendu.
lum. No n knows Just what started
II nr0speritywards. Some said II was
TINT the farmers. disheartened with
whent growing. were applying them.
selves TO stock. and certain II Ia that
In "mlxed Turning the community
eventually found It's salvation others
attributed the change to improved ag.
r%lcultural implements, to improved
methods Of farming. 20 greater knowl.
edge Of prairie conditions, 10 reduc.
lions In the cost Of transportation md
enlarged facilities for marketing. or TO
increasing world demand and higher
world prices for the product Of the
fnrm, But Whatever the cnuses-nnd
no doubt all NJ the above contributed
tho fact gradually dnwncd upon the
settlers that land-thelr land-wns
worth money.
II wns the farmers from the United
States. scouting FOR cheaper lands than
were available In their own communl.
tics. who first drove the conviction
home. They cnmo with money In their
wallets they were actually prepared
to exchange renl money for land.
Such n thing had never before been
heard NJ In plnlnyille district.
But n few transactions took place;
lands were sold nj 1--WE dollars. six dol.
lars. eight dollars nm acre. The farm
ers began Ia realize TINT land repre-
scented weallh-thnt II wns nm nsset.
not n llnhillty-nnd there was n rush
for the chcnp railway lands that had
so long one n-hegglng. Harris was
among the first 10 sense the change In
the times. and u beautiful section G
railway land tant lay next TO his
homestead he bought NJ four dollars
nm acre. The first crop more than
paid for the land. and Harris sudden
/ ~ found himself on the way TO riches.
The Joy TINT came with the reallzn.
tlon that fortune had knocked nj his
door aud he had heard was the on
trolling emotion Of lis heart for n
yenr or more. But gradually, like n
fog blown ncross n muonllt night. came
n sense Of chill and disappointment.
II only he had bought two sections II
nj least he had proved up on his pre-
emptlon. which he might hive had TO-
nothing lie saw nelghhors about him
ndding quarter 10 quarter. None OF
them had done better thnn himself,
hut some hpd done ms wei. And In
some why the old sense Of oneness,
the old community interest which had
hcld the little band Of pioneers TO-
gciher amid their prlvntlOns and their
poverty, hognn to wenken and dis
solve. and In rs place cnmc m lndi'
vldunlism and II mnterlnllsm that
measured progress only IN dollars nno
cents. Harris did not know that his
gods had fallen. that his ideals had
been swept AWAY even MS he snt nj
supper this summer evening, with his
daughters urm nhout his neck he fell
that he was sim hrnvcly pcrslsicntly
pressing on toward the goal all IN
nvnrc that yenrs he hod leIt ina
goal like % lighthouse ON q ROCKY
shore, nud was now s"'ollns oi"n'