Bisbee daily review., 1922-01-22
MEXIA. SLEEPY. TEXAS TOWN, AWAKENS SUDDENLY TOLEARN
 THAT TT IS LIVELIEST OIL CAMP

 Mexia, an old time Texas town, which is feeling the effects of one of the numerous oil developments in the southwest.
 The population now consists of an assortment of oil field followers and thousands of men and women seeking employment, leaving an old field for the new, coming on trains from all parts of the United States, or in wag- ons, trucks or horseback" some bringing their assortment of house hold goods and camping outfits and finding from ten to a hundred men for every job, and no place available for spending the night,
 Prices High Enough
 Consequently because of the exhorb- itant prices charged for room, if one were lucky enough to Secure one, hundreds of men, favored by the long continued mild winter are sleeping on the grass along railroad tracks, public parking places and, in fact, anywhere they could. Overnight bed in tent marked "a place to flop scared from 50 cents night to $3. A night in a crude plank structure where one didn't know his bed fellow or the hundreds of others in the single room cost $5. Prices charged the few who were lucky enough to get in one of the few private dwelling vary, but all were high enough to satisfy the most fastidious millionaire. But men are glad to get bed at any price and many could not find shelter except that provided by nature.
 Rail traffic jumped hundreds of per cent. There are two trunk lines, the Houston and Texas Central and the Trinity and Brazos Valley heading through here and passenger traffic is very heavy while freight trains are frequently seen running three abreast, SC heavy is the demand for oil ma cbinery. One road is said to have spent $600,000 in enlarging it's facil- tiles.
 Water Supply Tapped
 The water situation is not altogether what could be desired. The water was procured from a spring short dis tGnce from town, and although good water, it was nearly as high in price as gasoline. Some oil man, however, came along and drilled an oil well right side by side with the spring, tapping the water supply so badly that lately it has ben entirely stopped. Water wagons have been requisition- ed and although they are busy all day and night hauling water to homes, res taurants and improvised "bunking houses, they are not sufficient to GOV CT the field.
 Consequently the town has been de clared very unsanitary" by citizens in heated arguments at the meetings of the city council, which is making every effort to remedy the situation Mayor Riddle informed the irate cti zens that this "could not be done Y overnight"
 Six Miles of Derricks
 E Getting a bath here is quite an ex perience, if indeed not task The cid saying, eff you want to do some thing big-wash an elephant" certain " has found parallel in MeXia. This luxury may be found, outside the woodland creeks, only in a downtown barber shop. The bath house is q stall in a wooden floored, planked-ir enclosure. Just plain pine blanks are slippery, but the proprietors of the house have found that it is not neces gary to maintain first aid kits because the board floors are warped enough to allow the bather foothold. "Cleanli ness, after all. is next to godliness, but a bath in Mexia is next to impos sible.
 But as for oil. There are a solid si1 miles of new derricks. drillers' outfits tents, wooden buildings and people where once there was the open prai tic A survey of all local lumber mer shows that buildings completed ol tracted for since Oct. totals between $3,500,00O and $5,000,000.