The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-01-19
MEXIA, OIL TOWN,
4 ts{4tLgIfl IFT4I / sIIt 800 -
GROWS NIGHTLY
Population Passes From s.
600 to $4,000 In Few
Months
FABULOUS PRICES
). j CHARGED VICTIMS
Hundreds sleep Along Railroad Tracks
IRaD Traffic Jumps Hundreds Per
Cent -. Water Supply Stopped -
Bs3Iis. Nhlost Impossible

4s
Ba3lis Ifmost Impossible
! i MEM ~ I'5Sy. Jan 10 (Associatetf
Press -t3rer Aight a tented city arose.
: rom an snspafehily sleepy little town of
| 5000 popplatioh. IN October 1921, where
old sefalers .falmed FRA living and eIed
Ieut base exiNence from their lands ;
EN here they rode co44 horses 10 town
tad hitcEcd them to hitching post and
where even the town hall hell had not
| toilcd for years because Of the cobbwebs
and bird ucstS-rto a busting city Of
200O8 people. and al in few months.
this is the recent record Of Mcxia. an
old time Texaf town. which is feeling
he effects Of pnc. or tile numerous oil
Developments in4the southwest.
The population now consists of an as
softment Of oil field followers and thous-
aad4 Of I4erF and women seeking employ
facnt, leaving an old field for the new,
coming Oh trains from all parts Of the
| . aited .States. or in wagons. trucks or
".iaIeseburk some bringing their as
sortment 9f h0llsehold goods and cgmp-
Is ouf4ifs and finding from 10 to i09
lnclt for every job. and no place avail
able Tor spending the night.
Evhorhifant Prices.
Consequently because of the exhorbi-
Iaut prlcc~ charged for room. if one
were lucky enough to secure ore. hun
tS'eds 81 men, favored by. the long-con-
tnued mild winter are sleeping on the
grass along railroad tracks. public park
Ing place and. in fact. anywhere they
could. Overnight a bed in a tent marked
~ place 10 Hor" scared from 80 cents
la night 10 -. y night I'm a crude
rtAs wi IL n
mig hcd-fo,ioW or tho hundreds Of others
IN The single room cost 81. Prices
Charged Tire few who we're lucky enough
in got - one Of the few private dwell
Hes yal@ but aH were high enough to
satisfy lie most fastidiou~ millionaire.
I'Ht men are glad to get a bed at any
price and many could not find shelter
except tsa, provided by nature
Rail traffic jumped hundreds of per
cent. There are two trunk lines. the
iou#tm < Texas Central and The Trim
.ls & Erazos Valley leading through
here am passenger traffic is very heavy
while freight trains are frequently seen
running three abreast. 50 heavy is the
demand igE oIl machinery. Cine road is
SAID to have spent SG00.o60 i'm charging
i& fdciiites.
N7ater Situation Fad.
TIE water situation Is not altogether
what fonsd he desired The water was
procured from spring a short distance
igota lcu1., and although good water. il
WIS meath as ligh in price as gasoline.
Some o. maR, however, came along and
ia iljed an oil we'll right side by. side
With nobaa EsyieIs sa42asP4Ot sshn water.
supply 80 badly that lately it, has beca
.eulirtlr Stopped. Water wagons have
t,sH FeE6i~iti3ued and although they are
tusy ali day and night hauling water
80 homes restaurants and improyiseda
"hunkins' houses. they are NOT sufficient
H. cover the field
Consequently the town has been de-
clared very unSanitary" by citizens ind
beated Arguments at the meetings of the
city council. which is making every ef-
fort 70 remedy the situation. Mayor
Riddle Informed the irate citizenS that
Tins "couid not be- done over night
Getting bath here is quite an expert
a;}ce. if indeed not task. The old say
ing If You want 10 do something big
wash an elephant" certainly has found a
parallel in Mexia. This luxury may be
found. outside the woodland ereeks. only
ju a downtown barber shop. The bath
house Is n stall in q wooden-aoored
Elauked-in enclosure. Just plain pine
piarlls aze slippery, but the proprietors
"f the house have found that it is not
necessary to maintain first aid kits be-
cause the hoard floors are warped enough
ia allow the bather a foothold. CLEAN
illness. after all. Is next to goodness.
hlt Il bath in MeXia Is next to impos-
Sihle.