Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1889-07-31

east of the fort, and FL Reno, the same
distance southeast, each insist that
theirs will be the capital city. Both
places Will probably be disappointed.
Reno City is on low, fat land-as
level as a fioor-too level for proper
drainage; but it has made good start.
and has at least two hundred houses
completed. This place expects to be
an Indian trading point; but the regu-
lar traders at Darlington and the Fort
now sell goods about as cheap as they
are sold in the states. Reno City has
as citizens several ex-Barber county
people. Jim Dobson, of Kiowa, and
his partner, Campbell, have done vast
amount of contracting and building
there, and they own some good proper
ty. Jim had his family there until a
few days ago, and his residence was
pointed out to the writer. John Dob
son has a drugstore there. Judge Hall,
of the Kiowa Herald, has a newspaper
there, the Capital, and the Eagle is an
other newspaper venture there. DR..
Smith, formerly of Sun City, is lead
ing physician, and is doing well.
From Reno City in Cannon Ball''
hack, owned by very liye man, C. M.
Staples, young man who went through
the county-seat fights in western Kan
sas, We made the run to Oklahoma
City, 80 miles, IN exactly hours, stop
ping and changing teams once, and
hurriedly sizing up the towns of Frisco
and Harrison, two more future CAPT.
tails. Down the North Fork Is mag
nificent country, and it extends to Ok
lahoma City. There are large groves
of timber along the streams, and the
government has reserved nine sections
that are covered with oak trees. All of
that country is full of game-chickens
turkeys and deer. The settlers, or many
of them, are busy hauling wood from
the reservation to Fort Reno, eighteen
miles, making about SLIPS per day with
their teams, but better than. loafing.
Oklahoma City has more good houses
than has any town we visited but the
town is located on ground too fiat to
suit most people. But it unquestiona-
bly, has good trade now, and this will
improve as the country gets better set
tied. Col. and Chas. Colcord are there.
and the colonel has filed a contest on
the claim of Capt. COUGHS father. adj
joining town. 1. c. Cuppy, formerly of
Lake City, has good store there. Jno.
Jones is there, too but we only had an
hour in the town, and did not see any
OF the boys. The Pickwick hotel ap-
pears to be the best in the city, and GER
tainly Jack Wright, the proprietor, is a
very clever landlord.
From Oklahoma City, by train, we
dropped down to Purcell, and along the
route saw continuation of the pretty
country; but dark now came on, and
catching north-bound Santa Fe train.
we gladly doubled up IN seat, and at
$50 the next morning, took breakfast
in Arkansas City, and in few more
hours we were at home.
70 sum up our impressions and con-
illusions Oklahoma is better country
than it has been pictured. Nine. tenths
of the population of the territory is liv-
ing in the towns. But small acreage
has been plowed, though there is no
doubt the soil will yield as bountifully
as Kansas, when it has been cultivated
as long. For twenty miles west of
Guthrie, and along the North Fork,
east of the Renos, to Oklahoma CITY.
is to be found the best land. Around
KingfiSher the soil is not as rich as In
other portions Of the country. Proba-
bly, half of the settlers expect to sell
their ACCOMPLISHMENTS, and go further
west or south, or return to the states
they left. The streams are not numer-
GUS enough to make Oklahoma a sue
cesstul stock country, though there is
plenty OF grass everywhere. Until
there is territorial government, there
will be great risk in specializing in town
property.
There is such rivalry between the
towns and would-be capitals that it
will be difficult to get congress to do
anything during the coming session.
and until there is territorial govern
ment everything Will be in chaos. We
would not think of investing many dol
lars in any business in Oklahoma for
at least five years yet. If we owned
even an equity in Barber county farm,
we would not leave 1t for one in Okla
homa. Average land there will not be
as valuable as the average land in Bar
Der county for ten years-that being the
time we think necessary to get it thor
oughly settled. When the Cherokee
Strip, and the balance OF the Oklahoma
OF the future Is opened, the present Ok
lahoma will, In great measure, be lost
sight of, for even the pioneer will be
disposed to try his fortune in the new
country.
We would not trade our small inter-
est in Barber county for the best Sec
ton or the best town block in that coun-
try. We would not swap the society of
the good people of Barber county, with
our schools and churches, for q home
in the experimental country. WDgwould
not exchange Medicine Lodge for Guth-
RE or Kingfisher, or Oklahoma City.
We would not give up the sight of half
hundred pretty school marms, for a
continual look at the expressionless
faces of the copper-colored Cheyennes
and Arapahoes. In short, we are bet
ter satisfied than ever with our sur
roundings, and would not advise any
one to leave a certainty in Barber coun-
ty, to experiment in Oklahoma.
Sharon Items.
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