WESTSIDE — While the current drought has led some to speculate what it must have been like during the dust bowl, the following articles, taken from the Aug. 23, 1934, issue of The Benton County Record and Democrat give a glimpse of the hardships of those days.
The articles document that Decatur went without rain for more than 106 days. Furthermore, farmers had no way to feed their cattle through the winter, so the government started a cattlebuying program. Decatur farmers sold 607 cattle to the government to be canned, 94 of which were unfit for slaughter and were killed and buried, the article states.
Loan Granted Decatur for Water Works
The Public Works Administration announced Friday that among the eight projects in Arkansas that had just been approved was a loan of $30,000 for constructing a new modern water works system in Decatur. The loan had been approved some months ago by the P.W.A. but not until Friday was the sum asked granted. The project will furnish work to quite a number of men in that section, where the drought has been most severe in the county. Harvey Kuebler, cashier of the Bank of Decatur, said Saturday that no rain had fallen in his community for 106 days.
Decatur has had a water works system for about ten years. It was built by local people but is now not adequate to fill the needs of the town. A new system is badly needed in times like these.
The P.W.A. allotment Friday went to 215 non-federal projects, mostly for water works and school building. The sum allotted Friday was $24,500,000, leaving but $4,500,000 in public works funds out of$3,700,000,000 allotted the administration in the beginning.
The following article appeared in the same newspaper.
Government Cattle Buying Began Aug. 21
Government buying of surplus cattle under the drought relief program was begun by County Agent Corley in Rogers Tuesday morning to farmers who had listed their cattle previously.
Wednesday, Mr. Corley spent in Decatur and will spend today in Gravette. Friday he will be in Gentry, and in Hiwasse Saturday. Other points will be visited next week.
The government’s quota for cattle buying in Benton County is 7,450 head.
Farmers in east Benton County who were unable to raise sufficient feed to carry their cattle through the winter brought over 700 head to Rogers Tuesday afternoon. Most of the farmers are retaining their best stock, especially dairy cows, and will try to keep them through the winter.
County Agent Corley, who directed the purchasing of stock, is assisted by Dr. Kern, assistant veterinarian, Department of Industry, in selecting what stock is suitable for canning purposes and those that are fit to kill. Those purchased for canner stock were shipped to government canning factories Tuesday night. The others will be killed and buried.
607 Head Bought at Decatur
The second day of cattle buying by the government was at Decatur, where 607 head were purchased. Ninetyfour head, mostly calves, were ordered killed and buried. A total of 513 will be shipped, some to pastures in the southeastern part of the state, but most of them to canneries. Cattle were purchased from 115 farmers.
News, Pages 12 on 08/22/2012