Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-10
OKLAHOMA.
A Graphic Description Of the Promised
Land-Its Topography, Climate,
Water, Soil, Etc, Etc.

CANADIAN CITY, Tex, March 7,'S9.
| To the Editor OF the Daily Eagle.
Your correspondent has just returned
to this town from weeks trip into the
Oklahoma country Providing our
SELVES with camp outfit, chartering a
span of Texas horses and wagon, on a
bright beautiful morning such as you
have in Kansas during the month of
June, we started for the promised land.
Following the Canadian river down to
the state line, we crossed this imaginary
line between the state Of Texas and the
Indian Territory and entered the western
part of the Cheyenne and Arapahoe res
ervation, or rather the country they oc-
cupy by executive order, they by treaty
being entitled to what is known as the
Cherokee Strip in the northern part
of the Territory
We travelled down the broad Can
adian valley for sixty miles
without seeing but one person,
| black, white or red. This was Jas. Riley
who has a Cheyenne squaw and lives
about sixty miles from the line. He has
a few cattle and horses, and has about
two hundred acres fenced. Leaving the
Canadian river we travelled south over
the divide for fifteen miles and ap-
preached the beautiful Wishita Valley.
Let me remark at this point that was
surprised at what | saw of the western
part of Oklahoma, having travelled over
the eastern part of the territory, but
never having been in the west, had sup
posed from what others had told me
that the western part was of very little
value. But that is mistake; on the
valleys of the Canadian and Wishlta, as
well as on some of the numerous creeks
which empty into them are some of the
finest agricultural lands in the country
There is not as much timber in the west
ern as in the eastern part, but enough for
all practical purposes. The country is
well watered by many spring creeks,
flowing into the Canadian and Wishita
rivers.
As to the character of the soil, find
about two-thirds of the country to be
sandy loan and about one-thrd sandy, |
all producing nutritious grasses. We
had expected, from what we had heard,
to find this country. as we'll as the Pan
Handle, sandy desert. But even the |
so-called sand hills grow wild grapes,
plums, and are coated with sedge, !
gramma and other grasses to an extent |
which make them a good spring and |
summer range and an ordinary winter |
range.
FRUIT.
Plum trees and grape vines are found |
almost everywhere in this section of |
country. The wild grape can be cult |
waited with profit, and an experienced |
vine grower from Missouri, expressed it |
as his opinion that the Concord, which |
as market grape and is grown with |
great profit in Missouri, will do bet |
ter here than in that state. |
South of here. in the older settled coun- |
try, the wild and hardy mustang grape |
vine has been exported to France, where /
it is used to graft the more delicate va
rieties of grapes grown there. | have |
not the least doubt but that the vine |
growing industry of this section is des- |
tined to become a source OF great wealth |
one of these days, as soon as 1t has been |
undertaken by men of capital who ur |
derstand the business.
CLIMATE.
The climate here is simply delightful, |
situated. as it, is, in high, dry altitude |
(about :, 500 feet above the level Of the /
sea-, it, perhaps, has a more healthful
climate than any other portion of the
union, California not excepted. The
thermometer rarely goes below the freez
ing point, and in summer never over 90
degrees. and even then is tempered by
cool breezes, and blankets are always
used at night as covering, even in
the warm weather of summer.
The above describes the western part Of
Oklahoma and the eastern part of the
Panhandle as well.
CANADIAN CITY.
It is said that town sites should be Sc
Iected with a view to future demands.
The locators of the town site of Canadian
must have had that in the minds when
they selected this spot as the place TO To-
cate the future metropolis of the Pan
handle and northwest Texas. 1t was
conceded that as soon as railroads en-
tered this country there would be city
built somewhere. as there was 3 very
large territory OF very rich farming
country, and no town OF any size nearer
than Fort Worth. Wichita and Denver,
and from the appearance and general in
dications this little town Is 10 be that
city.
The town was laid ont in August. 1887.
anu ktl1 scat "a
hill county at once, The business nlen
of the Panhandle who knew that
this was the place for
the Future Great, backed their
judgment by being on the spot before the
lots were on sale, and as soon as they
were offered purchased many thousand
dollars worth.
The town is located on bill overlook
ING tbs broad Canadian river and Red
Deer creek. which eInpties into the Cana
dian one mile west of the town Ii Is so
located as to command the trade of seven
counties. north. west and south, and is !
the natural point 10 which railroads will
come, building north and south. east and
west II already has the Atcnison, To-
ready built south from New kiowa. Kan,
to Pan Handle City. seventy-ire miles {
south. and viii extend from that point |
10 FL Pzso and Albuausroue this spring, |