Evening star., 1945-06-14
Letters to The Star
Tells of New Mexico's Claims
To Fame UNPARALLELED

As a native of Deep in the Heart Of
Texas" working overtime in Washing
ton, trying to sell grain for shipment
to Europe and relieve the six times nor
mai storage Of wheat on farms in Texas
and Oklahoma, four times normal stor-
age in Kansas and other sections Of the
wheat belt, I find that Texas is having
to defend itself from new crop of
detractors who question its (a) size,
(b) greatness, and (c) veracity.
From place called by the outlandish
name Of Tecolotenos, N. Mex, CAM
paign which sounds like owl approved
propaganda has been started and prob
ably will 60 on forever. I picked 1t up
from an Injun friend In the Senate
Agriculture Committee and I give it to
you just to show how neighbors OF the
great Southwest talk about each other,
but would nght for each other at the
drop Of . hat, to-wit: ag
Despite q profound reverence for the
self-confessed collosahtude of Texas, I
feel that the Lone Stars tall shadow
should not be permitted unduly to
adumbrate the modest merits Of her
nearest neighbor to the west. I refer
to New Mexico, 47th star In the nag,
not to be confused (though it gener-
ally Isl with Mexico-the sood-neigh-
Dor republic which supplies, via the
southwest wind, so per cent Of the
grade A sand In every Texans craw.
New Mexico, of course, supplies the rest.
Actually, of course, Texas Is no big
ger than New Mexico. It only appear
to be bigger because It. is spread so
much thinner. The mean average
of thickness of New Mexico from sun
shine to sea level is 5000 feet. The
higher you go into the mountains the
meaner 1t gets. Straight down from the
snow-capped crest Of Truchas Peaks,
New Mexico is 13,206 feet thick, and q
little over. Mashed down and rolled
out to the same thinness as Texas, New
Mexico would reach all the way from
Yalta to the Atlantic Charter with
enough lapover to nap in the Texas
wind. On the other hand, at the
thickest point In Texas, an average New
Mexico screw billed angleworm could
bore through to the bottom In one wig
gle.
New Mexico is the Sunshine State
because its scenic beauty Is so entranc-
ing that even Old Sol cannot let q day
pass without taking q good look at 1t.
Much Older Than Texas.
Compared to New Mexico, Texas is
a newcomer. A million years before
Tex Columbus fourteen-ninety-twoed
America, an early settler known rs the
Folsom Man was practicing point ra-
tioning in New Mexico. He used arrow
heads for red points. No points, no
buffalo meat.
"Fourscore years before the first Texas
cowboy scuffed a high-heeled boot on
Plymouth Rock, q Mr.. Coronado Of
Spain was eating corn of the cob in
New Mexico and mailing home post
cards OF the five-storied Pueblo tourist
house marked 'x-my room-X. Come
on over; the climb. It's fine"
Speaking Of climate, New Mexico Is
where al Texans who have the tires
come every summer to cool OF and brag
about Texas climate. New Mexico has
plains 50 nat that the State Highway
Department has to put up signs to show
the water which way to run when it
rains; yet the mountains are 30 steep
that the bears which inhabit them have
all developed corkscrew tails 50 they can
sit down once in . while without sliding
of into Texas.
There Is no place In New Mexico
from which on . sunny day (which
means every day here) you cannot see
. mountain, smell pine tree or hear
. Texan. Snow falls 80 deep in New
automobile loads Of Texas hot air each
summer to melt it. On that fabulous
river, the Rio Grande, New Mexico and
Texas split honors 50-50-New Mexico
furnishes the water and Texas fur
, nishes the sand for it to sink away in.
Herns for Hats Plenty.
New Mexico Is q game country, too.
II all the deer horns in the State were
clustered together into one giant hat
rack, it would make q good place for
Texans to hang their hats when not
talking through them. Combine all the
mountain lion tails In New Mexico into
one, and 1t could brush all the heel
flies out OF Texas In one swish.
Speaking Of oil. oil you have to do
in Southeastern New Mexico to start .
filing station is to stick . garden hose
down . gopher hole and whistle at the
OPA for coupons. New Mexico raises
every mentionable crop, including cot
ton, cattle, beans, buckaroos, wheat,
sheep, Chile con carne and the hopes of
Texans who banker for some place to
go trout fishing
New Mexico has the only Governor
in the United States named Jack
Dempsey. There are more writer's,
artists, jackrabbits and political aspira-
tions to the square inch in New Mexico
than there are bureaus in Washington.
However, the charge that half the votes
in New Mexico are sheep Is erroneous.
Buy and large, SVotes are no Sleeper
there than they are In jersey City.
But the sunshine is, 365 days Of the
year and twice on Sundays"
Since Clinton Anderson Of New Mexico
has been appointed war food admins
traitor and Secretary OF Agriculture, you
fasteners will hear lot more about
the great State of New Mexico, which
splits its Senators and Representatives
$3.50, two each. DYKE CULLUM.
Opposes Use of Poison Gas
To the Hditor;of The Star: =.