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The Lamar Register VOLUME XXX*. The D. C. D. Highway Officially Located and Or ganization Perfected at Canadian, Texa*. Lamar Northern Terminus. On Thursday morning, February Bth, twenty good road enthusiasts and Lamar boosters began their pilgrim age by autos to Canadian, Texas, to assist in the formation of the Dal las-Canadian-Denver Highway Asso ciation and to secure, if possible, Lu mar as its northern terminus and junction point with the famous Santa Ke Trail. In the party were Fred Williams and A. P. Knuckey, County Commissioners, It. L. Chrioty, County Treasurer, and L. M. Markham, Coun ty Clerk; Mayor C. Floyd Cook, and Alderman Frank Wheeler; W. L. bur ger, Earl Miller of Miller Bros. A Co.; Joe Sunday of Sunday’s garage, Glen Kirkpatrick of F. H. Kelsey A Co., C. K. Strain of Strain Bros., Paul Henning of the Lamar Drug Co., R E. Sanford of the Ben Mar hotel. T. J Sayler of Lamar Seed Co., Marion Strain, Lee Strain, S. A. Crary of Lamar Daily News, J. C. Johnston of W. J. Johnston Merc. Co., Register A. L. Beavers of the U. S. Land Office, County Road Superintendent J. K. Householder, Ray Brown, of Hocket hom Auto Co. of Holly, and M. L. Conwell. The trip southward proceeded with out any undue amount of trouble or delays. Naturally some inconven iences were experienced but they were only those that would create pleasant memories of the trip when the same had passed into history. Ihe Springlield delegation were assembled in line fully prepared for the trip on the arrival of Lamar’s boaters. Mr. J. H. D. Terral was commander-in chief and graciously placed the La mar contingent in the lead. At 11.4.» a. m. the signal was given the four teen automobiles to proceed towards Elkhart with instructions to reach that point for u 1 o’clock lunch. Com missioner Knuckcy’s car set the pace and across the rolling prairies of southeastern Colorado and western Kansas, down into the valley of the Cimarron and up again on to the plains went the string of autos, reach ing Elkhart at the designated time. To the pleasant surprise of all a splendid lunch had been provided by the Elkhart Chamber of Commerce, and its president, Mr. C. A. Mid daugh, was very cordial in his greet ings. No one lacked for accommoda tions or the glad hand of good fellow ship. With only 45 miles to go be fore the stop would be made for the night, the party lingered in Elkhart until 3 o’clock, the time being spent fn getting acquainted and to observe what that little town had accomplish ed in four brief years. By 5 o’clock, our time (one must not forget that after Elkhart is reached Central time is used) Guy mon, the city set on a hill, and the metropolis of the Panhandle cf Okla homa, was reached. Every courtesy was shown by the hotel proprietors in providing accommomations. We were their friends although never introduc ed to them at any former time. We visited their stores, saw their pic ture shows while the Springfield band gave a splendid outdoor concert. Re mindful of the miles yet to travel be fore the goal was reached the entire party had retired at an early hour. That 5 o’clock call on the morning of February 9th came with darkness all around. Eager to be hastening on, breakfast was soon over and into the morning shades, with lights all aglow, the autos were once again shortening the distance to the beautiful city of Canadian. Sixty miles and the little burg of Ochiltree is reached. Her*- is noted car after car loaded with boosters from the plains city of Lib eral, who, with the assistance of Gar den City’s live wires, were hastening to Canadian to divert the point of junction with the Santa Fe Trail from Lamar to Garden City. Determination to win could be seen in the faces of THE PIONEER NEWSPAPER OF PROWERS COUNTY lamar, prowers county, color ado, Wednesday, February 11, 1917 those Liberal enthusiasts. Net a lit tle worry came to the mind of the Colorado party as this fact came in evidence. The excitement of the race grows as into the rolling hills north of the Canadian valley speed the cars. About ten miles out from Canadian the reception committee, headed by Mr. D. J. Young, a former Lamar res ident, is met, greetings are exchanged and the word is quietly passed “we will keep the faith.” In the faces of the Colorado party can be seen hap piness yet a determination not to lose by over-confidence. The last lap of the journey is on. The road now being constructed is not such as will permit of fast traveling, but one can see the plan of that Texas city to have good roads and that at no distant date. Canadian with her smoke from round house and factory, with her fine homes, her clean streets, her southern hospitality, is reached —it is ours—for no words can fully and completely de scribe the fullness, the completeness of the greetings extended, the cordial welcome bestowed and the thought ful hospitality literally showered on all her guests. At 2 o’clock over 600 good roads boosters had guthcred in the large court room of the well built und commodious court house. Everybody was keen to catch every word. Sec retary Palmer acted as temporary chairman. Like the movement of a well drilled army the preliminaries moved forward. With decision came forth the “plot of the play.” The Dallas-Canadian-Denver Highway was officially located and Childress, Texas, declared its southern terminus and Lamar, Colorado, its northern termi nus. “They had kept the faith.” No “steam roller” was in evidence. Texas county has not, as yet, purchased a full line of road building equipment. Commissioners Williams and Knuck ey and R. L. Christy occupied in the conference as delegates from La mar. The other towns represented were Childress, Wellington, Shamrock, Wheeler, Mobestie, Canadian, Ochil tree and Hansford, in Texas, Guy mon, and Gray in Oklahoma, Elkhart, in Kansas, and Stonington, Went worth, Artesia, Vilas, Springfield, Two Buttes and in Colorado. The Colorado vice presidents chosen were R. B. Holt, Stonington; J. H. D. Ter ral, Springfield; Onda Young, • Two Buttes; G. Grill, Artesia; and L. M. Markham, Lamar. A publicity and genera! expense fund of SI6OO was subscribed in three minutes. Official markers bearing the inscription ”D. C. D. Highway’ with other necessary information were selected. Complete arrangements for the careful logging of the route and the publication of 26,000 road books were made in rec ord time. The great success of the conference can be ascribed to the thoughtful plans of the Canadian boosters. The reception and banquet tender ed all delegates and visitors by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce was held in the beautiful W. C. T. U. tem ple. the only structure of its kind in the great Ix>ne Star State, and which is reputed to have cost $20,000.00. Its large reception room was crowded with more than 300 delegates, visitors and members of the local Chamber of Commerce. More than twenty of the leading society matrons were pres ent in the reception line and even, visitor was accorded a sincere and hearty hand shake and a “we’re so glad to see you.” In the comomdious and well ar ranged banquet hall the guests wen seated promptly at 7:30 P. M. To describe the occasion that followed is beyond the pen of any Colorado boost er present. The table arrangement and decorations were perfect. The viands served demonstrated the ex cellence of the southern schools of domestic art. The orchestrial music time and again received the sincere and prolonged applause it justly de served. The toasts—and here we stop. They were beyond description. The sweetness of sugar might be set forth in a thesis of many words, yet one must sample the article to form an idea of it sweetness. So to ap preciate those humorous, poetical, forceful and scholarly toasts one must hear them from the lips of those truly southern entertainers. It is but just to say that A. L. Beavers of our city acquitted himself in splendid manner considering the handicap of all the surrounding circumstances. Mr. Beavers occupied the place assigned to Hon. Granby Hillyer upon the pro gram. The lirst conference of the 1). C. D. Highway Association has passed into history. Its founders have dreamed dreams and seen visions which will more than inrterialixe in the coming decade. To the Chamber of Com merce of Canadian, Texas, lot full honor and deserving credit be* given and when in 1918 the Y. M. B. A. of Umar humbly takes the role of “host” a report will be given that will sur pass even the most fanciful dream of any good road enthusiast. The following appears on the pro gram as the menu ami toasts of the j occasion: MENU Turkey with Dressing Gravy Creamed Potatoes Hot Rolls Butter Cranberry Sauce Celery Olives Fruit Siiiad Brick Ice Cream and (.lake Coffee Cigars Mint* TOASTS County Builders—Mr. Newton P. Wil lis, Canadian, Texas. Greetings from Texas to Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado—Judge W. G. Gross, Childress, Texas. Talk—Mr. H. E. Hoover, Canadian, Texas. A Voice from “No Man’s l^ind”—Mr. W. G. Hughes, Guymon, Okla. Vision and Dreams—Mr. J. W. Todd, Jr, Canadian, Texas. The Center of the Universe—Judge Granby Hillyer, Lamar, Colo. The World Do Move —Mr. J. L. Pope. Amarillo, Texas. Notea Commissioner Williams is some ar tist in bidding thunks to his host. Just ask Bob Christy. Never be in a hurry Fred. Henry Ford should send a peace medal to Lon Beavers. The Ford at least captured the prize as the pioneer record maker. Mayor Cook and Alderman Wheeler made a side trip to Texhonui. Sup posedly to investigate rumors regard ing a new railroad coming this way. Other than Mr. Beavers' party the l.amar delegation returned via Gar den City. Just to see what the other fellow had to offer as an inducement to come his way. The \\ M. B. A. mas;; meeting call ed for Wednesday night at the opera house was postponed indefinitely ow ing to the sudden death of Mr. D. C. Polheums, one of Lamar’s respected citizens. Glen E. Kirkpatrick, chairman of the good roads committee of the Y. M. B. A., deserves much credit in se curing such a large delegation from Lamar and in making full arrange ments for cars, automobiles, hotel accommodations, etc. The return trip made by Messrs. Beavers, Sayler, Householder and Ijec Strain stands forth as one that is remarkable when the fact that the I). C. D. Highway is yet unmarked, and that many portions are now be ing graded, thus preventing even the making of ordinary time in auto or “Ford.” Mr. Beavers reports the fol lowing schedule on his return trip on February- 10, 1917. Left Canadian, Texas 8:00 a. m. Left Ochiltree, Texas 10:16 a. m. Arrive Guymon, Okla 1:00 p. m. Loft Guymon (lunch) 1:20 p. m. Ix»ft Elkhart, Kansas . 3:00 p. m. Arrived Springfield, Colo. 5:30 p. m. Ix?ft Springfield (supper) 6:00 p. m. Arrived lamar 8:00 p. m. Total distance traveled 256 miles. When the construction is completed it will be quite possible to take break fast in Canadian, Texas, and supper in Lumar, Colorado. The End of a Chapter—Not of the Book The United States has been using its army and navy against Mexico sporadically for the last four years, not because of incidents and epi sodes but because of essential causes. Mexico has made us nearly as much trouble as a real war would make. Cuba never made as much trouble :t~ Mexico has made. And Mexico's prospects in the trouble making line are indefinite. Pershing’s expedition is coming «>ut. It has accomplished something. Its prt sence in Mexico undoubtedly made raids into American territory more difficult. Hut what it accomplished disappears with its withdrawal. It was not the fault of the expedition ! that it did not do what it was sent to do. It did not get Villa because the administration would not permit it to operate with freedom. Villa is op erating wilh freedom. The expedition was interned. Mr. Wilson’s illusion with regard to Mexico was thut he was custodian of humanitarian practices in Mexico! His avowal of that slated his passion for the submerged 85 per cent of Mexicans. President Wilson cannot help the submerged 85 per cent. His commission does not contain that au thority. His wishes do not give him power. After four years of temporizing with Mexico wc drop it, for the mo ment, precisely as it was. It, being precisely as it was, will give us fur ther occasion for dealing with it- No American int'- rests have bee* con served because none has been con sidered. No Mexican interests hav« been advanced because none could b< advanced by the American plan of advancing them. Pershing comes out and we turn to a new chapter. —Chicago Tribune. Colorado Crops Preliminary reports received by the State Board of Immigration from ull sections of the state indicate that the acreage cultivated in Colorado in 1917 will be at least 10 per cent greater than has even been cultivated for any /ear. The largest increase will lx in small grains, beans a'nd sugar beets. Preliminary estimates made by thi United States department of agricul ture indicates that the acreage of winter wheat is 5 per cent greater than that of lust year, or about 420,- 000 acres. Reports from the same source indicate that there was a de crease of about 6 per cent in the acre age of rye sown last fall, as com pared with the fall of 1915. The area of spring wheat harvested in 1916, according to the final esti mates of the department of agricul ture, was 280,000 acres, an increase of 20,000 acres over the preceding year. Indications are that if the spring season is favorable for planting, no leas than 275,000 acres will lx? put in this year, which will be the largest acreage of spring wheat ever culti vated in the state. Plans are being made for putting in a larger crop of pinto beans than was raised last year. The 1916 crop has been estimated by the department of agriculture at 38,- 000 acres. Indications are that not less than acres will be put in this year. The final reports of sugar companies show about 175,000 acres of sugar beets were harvested in 1916. The acreage in 1917 under favorable conditions will be in excess of 200,000 acres. Within the past year considerably more than 2,000,000 acres of govern ment land has been filed on and a considerable amount of this well be put in cultivation this year. In addi tion, a large amount of privately own ed land that has previously been used for pasture purposes will be broken for the first time this year and put in small grain and forage crops. There will also be a large increase in the acreage of potatoes in all of the standard potato growing sections of NUMBER 37. the state as well as in the non-irri gated districts where potatoes are not so extensively cultivated. The abnormally high prices pre vailing for all agricultural products have been the controlling factor in inducing farmers to put the maxi mum acreage in cultivation this year. There has also been heavy immigra tion to the state in the past twelve months and it is fair to assume that fully two housand more farmers will he culivating crops in (’dorado this year than last. Weather conditions in all parts of the state have been reasonably fav orable for winter wheat and the con dition of the crop is good. Snowfall has been fairly heavy in all the wuter sheds and there is every reason to be lieve that the supply of water for ir rigation will be at least normal. Farm ers in the non-irrigated districts re port that the soil is in excellent con dition for working as soon as the frost leaves, there being plenty of moisture to insure prompt germina tion of seeds. With exceptionally high prices still prevailing for agricultural products ami favorable winter condi tion, Colorado's agricultural outlook for 1917 is especially bright and there is every reason to believe that the c rop will equal or exceed in value the record agricultural income of 1916. A Wise Move The republican members of the 1 ways and means committee have done I wisely in preparing a tariff bill along , protective and republican lines with . 1 which to combat the vicious and sec tional plan of direct taxation which I Chairmun Kitchin and the democrats purpose to fasten upon the country l * and to compel the major payment to be iitadc in the northern states. The new republican bill has been . drafted under difficulties inasmuch as i the official statistics of business at the customs houses ore in tho hands | of the democratic bureau chiefs, who I are most dilatory in giving them to the public, who refuse to allow re publicans to have access to them in | advance of publication—a privilege which is not denied to democrats— I and whose methods of classification j are such that it requires superhuman | intelligence combined with no smali i amount of phsychic ability to divine their real purport. 1 Nevertheless, the republican pru | posal will well withstand scrutiny, for it is bused upon the fundamental | theory of securing revenue for the 'treasury through protection to the i American wage-eamor. No bill frain nl upon uch principles can be far I wrong, even if individual schedules of lit do not meet the opinions and ex pectations of everyone. In any event, l the new republican bill affords op- I portunity to roily the party strength to a fundamental party principle. 11 | destroys the democratic cry that the | minority in congress is a mere group lof negatives. It presents what must soon be the greatest economic issue which the country 1 has ever faced; and it prepares tin- way for a larger measure of party unity in action in I the next congress. It is a wise move. New Dam for Fort Lyon Ditch I At the regular meeting of the di ' rectors of the Fort Lyon Canal com pany held in Ixis Animas last Mon day, the contract for the construction of a new dam for the Fort Lyon stor age canal was let to L. H. Phelps &■ Son of Maanzanola. There were five bidders for the construction work, all materials to be furnished by the company. the lowest bid being that of L. H. Phelps & Son, whirh was $8,485. The new dam is to be a wooden structure, consisting of two rows of six by twelve sheet piling. It will be 675 feet in width, or 150 feet wider than the old dam, but will be of the same heighth as the one which it replaces. The old dam was construct ed of brush and sand and has been in use for ten or twelve years, but the 3ervire was very unsatisfactory. The dam is at the head of tho stor age ditch, which is located near Weitzer, and the estimated cost of the new structure is sl4,ooo.—La Jun ta Tribune.