Representative government ended for rural Texas at the final call of the last census. The state’s population rose to 20,851,820 citizens, showing a gain from 1990 of 22.8 percent. Out here in the west, however, modest gains of five percent in some counties were wiped away by losses in counties west of the Pecos as high as 23 percent to a whopping 37 percent in Loving County. We are going to need 139,000 citizens to earn a seat. Appears district lines will have to loop down into Coahuila, Mexico to keep us from being thrown in with Texarkana.
Austin gained 40 percent in the decade, presenting farther problems for rural legislators. The interstate and freeways leading into the capital move at a crawl in long motorcades from the exploding growth. Unless our worthies coming from the west learn to dodge the rush hours, they may miss a big part of the 180-day session stuck in a traffic jam.
Cell phones are an important tool for motorists creeping along in traffic, nevertheless, how persuasive a legislator might be stalled in Dripping Springs debating district lines is yet to be tested. I stay behind on the advances in modern communication. Biggest development for my generation was a phone booth for Elks clubs sound-proofed to muffle the crack of billiard balls or beer steins sliding on the bar to support reports by members to the home or office.
We are yet to see whether his honor the very windstorm from Houston, one of the 17 congressmen from Harris County, can be held at bay via cell phone by a road-weary legislator exhausted from a long journey across the cactus and greasewood expanses of West Texas. But as we drop from 17 districts out here, and Harris County gains more seats, Chihuahua City, Mexico may prove a stronger point of influence for us than Austin.
Much to the disappointment of San Angelo, the city’s population only rose 4.7 percent. (All my figures are from the San Angelo Standard Times and a librarian at the Tom Green County Library, Mary Chatfield.) The wool capital, however, recovered from the bad news after realizing the new 100,000 reading breaks a magic barrier to attract franchise houses.
Right before the eyes of motorists coming from the outposts west on Highway 67, a strip of molded plastic, corrugated metal, and colored neon-trimmed buildings arose introducing the national epidemic of architectural stultification to the once vacant lands of Red Arroyo. Overnight, phony roadhouses and fake bars and grills became bunched among orange and green monstrosities doing a rushing business in on-the-spot thawed pizzas and steaks doused in tenderizer.
Farther in the city, family-owned places like Jodie’s Barbecue and Taste of Italy changed to monuments, closed by the onslaught of styrofoam-packaged food technology certain to lead the country into a universal anemia of loose teeth, balding scalps and failing breath unknown since the Irish Famine. The local cornmeal and jalepeño merchants seemed to be the only ones to know the exact stroke to brush chili powder and cooking oil on tortillas and cheese to whip the franchise joints. In fact, a few of the franchised Mexican food outfits opened and closed in short sequences.
The levels of Angelo’s lakes haven’t risen the past year as much as the larger population’s thirst for water increased. However, now that the city has 100,000 people, levels are bound to rise just from the displacement of extra boats on the water and more kids wading along the shores. Further, once a city passes 100,000, the increased expiration by harried businessmen and vigorous joggers condenses on the windows and atriums to increase the humidity. As the air becomes thicker from pollution, the droplets attach to the soot and float over the city’s skyline, creating a rain forest effect, albeit a black rain forest.
The geographic shift is moving across Central Texas, headed west through Mason and toward Menard. Stories spread out here of one new ranchette division attracting 800 callers the first month in operation. Between the ranch and town, an Austin movie actor bought a ranch last year, making us aware of the changes. After he took possession, traffic increased on the county road. (Celebrities attract sightseers.) It is not unusual now to meet four cars in a week.
Been a lot of discouraging words spoken and written about ranching and ranchers the past few years. Young people are forced into moving to the cities to make a living. Ranches never offered before are being sold. Nevertheless, the thought occurred the other day after studying the census that living space is going to be mighty important in this century. May never be another era of bitterweed sheep ranching or the herding of hollow horns, but the time may come when the old home place is plenty dear…
March 29, 2001