The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1928-01-05
cember 10, or on any later day.
Sincerely yours,
CLIFFORD PINCHOT.
Milford, Pike County, Pa, Dec. IA.
Mr.. E. w. Kelso, On Trip To the Pa
cifc Coast, Tells of His Visit to
Relatives and Friends En- Route and
of the Country Through Which He

| Passed.
To the Editor of The Republican.
l always have enjoyed reading of
parts of the United States other than
my own, and perhaps many readers
of The Republican are of similar in
clination. Having this in mind, I will
write a brief description of my obser-
walton on my route to the West.
l left Oakland on December Is to
visit my son in New Mexico and on to
Los Angeles, California, my destina-
ton. [ went via st. Louis, Kansas
City, Mo-, to Ell Reno, Oklahoma, and
on this route l saw large acreage of
very fertile land. | arrived in Sham
rock, Texas, where the Martin broth
ers reside. They were former residents
of Garrett county, having lived near
Mountain Lake Park before coming
to the Southwest, and also Alexander
Harvey, of the same place. He re-
Gently moved into new six-room
dwelling with all the modern convent
ences.
In 1921, Shamrock had only 1900
population; they now claim to have
5000. Finding gas and oil twelve miles
from the town caused the increase.
l am told that one hundred wells
are producing oil at a depth of 2100
feet and gas at 1900 feet, which is
piped to Shamrock and sold at 60
cents per 1000 feet for domestic use.
The agricultural land in this COM
munity is rolling and various crops
are grown without fertilization. l am
told the last rain here was in August,
but crops were practically matured
before the drouth.
From Shamrock l went to Amarillo,
Texas, $50 miles distant, with a popu-
lation of $4,000 and an altitude of
5000 feet. Plenty of oil and gas is
obtained sixty miles from Amarillo,
which fact is responsible for the in
crease in population.
A man who has some interest in the
oil industry in this section handed me
the following statement:
1.-TWO thousand wells producing oil
at an average depth of 5000 feet; area
SO by 12O miles; large gas field and
gas rate As cents at Amarillo for do
mestic use. Gas piped to Kansas City
and to South Plains"
1 can't recall seeing so many gas
filling stations and large sales rooms
for automobiles in any town as l saw
in Amarillo. The oil and gas gave
the town an excessive boost when the
people built ten and thirteen story
hotels, business blocks and office
buildings. Many of the oil wells are
closed because of low prices for the
product, consequently there is much
unemployment and hundreds of labor
ers have left the town. But Amarillo
will continue to be good town, hav-
ing immense acreages of good farm
land in its vicinity and a considerable
cattle raising industry, with three rail
roads centering here and many other
industries. .-.-,e- 10
Many years ago Amarillo was dub
bed "cow" town. The cattle indus
try was the main employment of the
settlers and ranchmen and the cow
boys had great sport to have men and
women meet at corral and witness
the exploit of the men in roping and
tieing steers, and the cowboys held
in many a pent-up oath to give the
performance a semblance of cowboy
etiquette.
l note some cowboys in town wear
ing broad brimmed hats, but smaller
than the reported ten-gallon hat worn
by Cal in South Dakota.
1 am writing this letter from Ala
MARCO, New Mexico, which is sc miles
northeast of Ell Paso, Texas. The orr
gin of the towns name is Spanish.
The towns population is four thous-
and and it's altitude $500 feet. The
town is situated in level basin and
mountains four miles distant with an
altitude of 5000 feet. The mountains
are very abrupt and barren. Spring
water is piped from these mountains
to irrigate the land to produce crops.
l examined some Of the irrigation
bitches this evening and l realized it
was no fun to clean bitches to be in
shape to receive water. On the sides
of the bitches is brush about three
feet high and with thorns about an
inch long and sharp as needle. The
individual cleaning these bitches gets
frequent reminder of the presence
of these thorn-bearing bushes.
The streets of this town are planted
to cottonwood and are ten to fifteen
inches in diameter and about twenty
feet high. The town is the county
seat and has good court house and
also three large brick school buildings.
I alos note that all western towns of
average size have good school build
ings. E. w. KELSO.