Page 46 - 1948 VES Meteor

potrol ond how he got. his citizen- ship papers at thot time. Most likely our border patrol wasn't nearly as efficient os it is today, and that's not saying much. And as for be- coming an American citizen, he must have been one of the limited num- ber to be accepted from "south of the border."
It's been olmost forty years since that hot summer afternoon when Lavoya came to Texos. He is now going on sixty-two ond is just as cheerful and good natured as he was forty years ago. He has picked up a few wrinkles and grey hairs but hasn't lost the vigor he has had from his childhood days.
Shortly after he come to this country he got a job as a cedar cutter with o group of Mexicans that traveled around from ranch to ranch in the hill-country section of Texas. They got just about enough to buy the beons they ate and the blankets they slept in. The members of the group nicknamed him "Amigo," for that is what he called everyone.
It was during the several years that he spent with this collection of "wet-backs" and their families that Lavoya first met Louisa. Louisa was timid but kind and possessed lots of good common sense. After a while they were married and left the cedar cutters to make a life of their own.
"Louiso," he said one day, "how would you like to live in a house on our own land and raise a family?"
" I would like nothing better," she replied, "but where? And where are we going to get the money to pay for this land and a house too?"
"I know of some land not far from here. W e got three dollars, just enough to pay part of it; and later on we can pay the rest."
"It would be nice to have a house of our own and children, and on our own land too. Is there a house there? "
"No-but I con build a good house, one with a chimney and every- thing."
The next day Lavoya and Louisa set out on "Jonko, " their donkey, to buy the land which was to be their greatest and practically only possession.
In the office of the real estate agent Lavoya parted with his three dollars and signed an agreement to
make small successive payments un- til he hod completely paid for the land.
The agent gave them directions on how to get there, but Lavoya hardly heard them. He was overcome with eagerness to get to his land. Luckily Louisa got the directions straight, or they probably never would have found the place.
It was situated a little way back in the hills. The site for the house was a small valley through which ran a spring-fed creek.
Lavoya soon had a house built. It was a two room house with a dirt floor, a rock cloy chimney, and a crude door leading to a small rock landing outside.
Soon after, Lavoya got a job on an adjoining ranch as a fence re- pairer, cedar cutter, and general hand. The only way he had of get- ting to and from his work was to ride "Jonko" all the woy around for six and a half miles. This he did every day, excepting Sundays, when he and Louisa went to a small country church nearby. Louisa also found work as a cook on a nearby ranch.
Together their salaries brought them just enough +o buy them bread and beans ond other limited neces- sities, still having some left over to go into the yearly payment on their property.
The years went by and children came. To be a little more exact, eight children were now sharing the little two-room, dirt floor house.
But with these young ones came problems: problems of food, cloth- ing, room and finally schooling. Lavoya hardly made enough to take care of his and Louisa's needs, much less to support eight children. Louisa had long since quit her work in order to care for the children. Lavoya must find a way of increasing his now com- paratively small salary.
"Louisa," he said one evening after o long, hard day of work, "when I was in the store this afternoon, I
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