THE 1 'It RIG IIJ ION A GE. \ 1 



With the growth of soil products comes the railways, the postal 

 delivery, the schools and churches and the wheels of manufacturing 

 plants. While European countries are bidding for the expanding 

 trade now awaiting American enterprise, the factories for making 

 desirable goods should be located in the irrigated empire. These 

 require labor and raw materials coming directly or indirectly from 

 the rural districts where irrigation produces both the strong, health- 

 ful laborer and the material of which we must weave the finished 

 article of commerce. Will the people of this country grasp and 

 retain this new era of prosperity and develop Arid America, or shall 

 the tide pass by and others gather the golden pearls brought from 

 the isles of the sea'? 



BROWN'S EXAMPLE. 



"There." said Brown, with a shake of his head. 



"I've painted the house and the barn and shed! 



The fence has been fixed, and the la"wn's been mowed. 



But I do wish the town would fix up that road. 



It's a shame. I call it. just plain and flat, 



That we have to drive over roads like that! 



I'll wait no longer. I'll start to-day 



And fix my part of it anyway." 



Now. Brown was one of those fellows who 

 When they start a thing, just ''rush it through." 

 And a week or two after, as Neighbor Jones 

 Was driv ng home with his pair of roan?, 

 Brown's road was dry. while his own, next door, 

 Was mud to the depth of a foot or more. 

 "By George," said Jones, "I'll let Brown see 

 That I can build roads as well as he!" 



Now, Neighbor Smith, who lived below, 

 Saw Jones repairing his road, and so 

 He fixed up his, to be 4i in the game," 

 And Neighbor Rooinson did the same, 

 And soon every householder in town 

 Was trying his best to "beat out Brown." 

 And now, when the town committee meets 

 To talk of roads, they call them "streets.'' 



******** 



The moral this tale to the reader brings 

 Applies to roads and other things. 

 Reforms, like snowballs, will keep on growing, 

 If somebody only sets them going. 



Joe Lincoln 



