Evening star., 1926-04-08
HENS TAKE PLACE
Of OIL DERR|CKS:
Poultry Ranches Preserve
Prosperity in Texas as
Booms Subside.
BY the Associated Press.


FORT WORTH, Tex. April s.-Ths
henhouse has replaced the oil der
rick in the older fields of west Texas,
and 1t Is proving a pillar able to sup
port the structure Of boom. time
prosperity at something like its actual
peak.
A recent survey shows that there
is not one Of the six famous oil towns
of west Texas that is not infinitely
better off than before the first gusher
was brought in.
Ranger, Burkburnett, Breckenridge,
Eastland. Desdemona, Electra-all
names to conjure with a few years
since--have failed to experience the
reverses suffered by boom towns In
general. Foresight and industry
have taken the expected hangover
out of their sprees. The little white
hen has been the apostle Of the new
and lasting prosperity.
Ghost Towns Dot West.
After-effects Of gold strike and rail
road terminal fever are well known.
Their ghost towns dot the far West.
Oil fever is less baneful for two
reasons One is that the owner of
the soil realizes from its lease almost
as much as does the operator. The
other Is that derrick rash" usually
attacks land already valuable for
agriculture. Taking advantage OF
both. the west Texan has intrenched
himself in the affluence the boom
brought him.
One of the most spectacular develop
ments took place at Ranger, where
the population jumped in II months
from 761 to $4,000 and is now around
10 900. Ranger was founded nearly
raV
| so it's sudden growth cannot be at
| tributed to anything but oil. 1t was
| in the heyday Of it's boom in January,
1919. but today has a $4,000. 900 an
| nual pay roll, eight churches and
many industrial establishments. The
| reason it did not decline with the end
Of the boom will be found in its poul-
| try ranches.
Rival BLACK Gold"
Eastland, closely parallels Rangers
growth. having climbed in a short
space from 500 to 5000 population. In
appearance IL probably IL as much OF
| city as any place its size in Texas.
Here. too. are poultry ranches in num-
bers as well as at Desdenlona, Cisco
which did not quite achieve fame as
an oil center-Rising Star, German
and Carbon, the latter three more
White Leghorn than through black
gold" Breckenridge is likewise a poul-
try raiser's paradise and is credited
with having an excellent local market.
Some four and a half years ago, r.
| II. Bush came to Eastland County,
the slogan of which now is Egg
Basket OF Texas" as agricultural
agent. He found hundreds of farms
| aba ndoned because OF the oil boom
| and agriculture on the wane. He
made survey Of the territory, laid
out a program and started in to
preach poultry. But interest was
small.
| Finally, taking a big rooster under
his arm. Bush walked the streets 10
get crowd together. Then he ex-
pounded chickens. A start finally was
made. and through the efforts of r.
Q. Lee Of Cisco. now president Of the
| West Texas Chamber Of Commerce,
who went to PetAlurnA, Calf. to study
the business. the interest grew. Since
that time several other West Texas
counties have sent representatives to
Petaluma.
Goal is 100000 Hens.
Several Of the towns eventually or.
ganized the Eankhead Poultry Pro-
ducers Association, named for the
Bankhead Highway, which traverses
| the country. The start in wholesale
incubation was made in 1922 with the
purchase of a 1o,000-egg incubator.
The county incubation capacity is
now 103.700 eggs every three weeks.
taking care Of the output from it's
100000 layers, IS per cent Of which
are White Leghorns. Lees goal for
the county is 100000 laying hens
and an increase OF at least SO per cent
In the present number is to be effect
ed this year.
Dozens of commercial plants are
springing up, while many farmers are
running from 800 to 1000 hens in
their focks as sidelines to agricul-
ture. A big business is done in day
old chicks. Association eggs especial
ly In hot weather. comma I'D a. big
premium on account of the high stand
ard Of its product
The notable thing in this connec-
ton is the eagerness with which these
same towns have gone in for paving.
Some Of the best surfaced roads
in the State are to be found in East
land, Stephens and other ell countries
of West Texas.