Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-04-07
Poultry Saves Texas
After Oil RELAPSE

Fort Worth, Texas, April 6-The
hen house has replaced the Oil der
rick in the older fields of West Texas
and 1t is proving pillar able to sup
port the structure of boom time pros
perity at something like it's 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.
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. eT
One of the most spectacular devel-
opments took place at Ranger. where
the population jumped in a twelve
month from 761 to $4,000, and is now
around 10000. Ranger was founded
nearly sixty years ago as a state
ranger camp. so its sudden growth
cannot be attributed to anything but
oil. 1t was in the heyday of its boom
in January, 1919, but today has a S3,-
100000 annual payroll, eight churches
and many industrial establishments.
The reason 1t did not decline with the
end of the boom will be found in its
poultry ranches.
Eastland. closely parallels Rangers
growth, having climbed in a short
space from 500 to 5000 population. In
appearance it probably is as much of
a city as any place its size in Texas.
Here, too. are poultry ranches in
numbers, as we'll as at Desdemona,
Cisco-which did not quite achieve
fame as an oil center-Rising Star.
German and Carbon, the latter three
more likely to become famous through
the White Leghorn than through
'black gold" Breckenridge, is like
wise a poultry raiser's paradise and
is credited with having an excellent
| local market.
Some four and half years ago, r.
| H. Bush came to Eastland county. the
slogan of which now is Egg Basket
of Texas" as agricultural agent. He
! found hundreds of farms abandoned
because of the oil boom and agricul-
ture on the wane. He made a survey
of the territory, laid out a program
and started in to preach poultry. But
| interest was small st
| Finally, taking big rooster under
| his arm, Bush walked the streets to
| get a crowd together Then he ex-
! pounded chickens. a start finally was
|
! Q. Lee, of Cisco, now president of the
| West Texas Chamber of Commerce,
who went to Petaluma. Calf, to study
| the business, the interest grew. Since
| that time several other West Texas
counties have sent representatives to
| Petaluma.
| Several of the towns eventually or
ganiZed the Bankhead Poultry Pro-
ducers Association, named for the
Bankhead Highway which traverses
the county. The start in wholesale in
cubation was made in 1922 with the
purchase of a 10000 egg incubator.
The county incubation capacity is
now 103.790 eggs every three weeks.
| taking care of the output from it's
| 100000 layers, 95e per cent of which
are White Leghorns. Lees goal for
the county is 100000 laying hens
and an increase of at least fifty per
cent in the present number is to be
effected this year.
Dozens of commercial plants are
springing up. while many farmers are
running from 800 to 1000 hens in
their flocks as sidelines to agricul-
ture. A big business is done in day.
old chicks; Association eggs, espec-
pecially in hot weather. command a
big premium on account of. the high
standard 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 hard surfaced roads
in the state are to be found In East
land. Stephens and other oil counties
of West Texas.