Hand County press. (Miller, Dakota [S.D.]) 1882-1893, 1889-06-20
AN OKLAHOMA LETTER.

Following are extracts Of letter, from
an uncle of w. J. Batchman, Of Glendale
township:
GUTHRIE, OKLAHOMA, May 10. 1859.
Before leaving my Kansas home. sold
my crop in the ground, that is, my oats
were sown and part Of my corn planted,
for one hundred dollars, took my family
and started.
Overlook one of my neighbors, when
or s miles on the road. and he kindly
took part OF my load. We crossed several
very bad streams. AT the fret river the
Ninnescah river there we're men 10 let the
wagons down with ropes. The next and
worst was the Chikaskia, the wagon had
to be let down as before only it was eight
feet to the water, and then the wagon
went down until the water ran over the
the bed. Our bed. clothes We're piled on
top but some of our pictures were spoiled.
The rest of the streams were not so bad so
III say we got through all right-though
We came near going down in the salt Fork
on account of one of my horses getting
tangled up as it was quick sand bottom.
Some one was lost in the river 10 miles
below us. We helped to form a colony of
thirty au5 Lad lots of fun on the read.
They fav Dred me as | was the only one with
a family. They all said they would not
take claim uLtil was located and gave
me my choice when We arrived here.
Mo orYIUaH NJ tha lpn H.,
and had preaching ia our camp, The
party named the camp after my little girl,
calling it Camp Gertrude. I left my faaliIy
there, and on Monday noon April 22d
started to get my claim. We took light
rig drove Is miles, stopped and tied our
horses, forded the Cimarron q foot, ran
two miles and got upon my claim in ninety
minutes. Was on my claim at half past
one o'clock. How is that for going? /
hurt one of my horses some but think he
will be all right in time.
tell you it was ON awful rush, there
was said to be two thousand wagons on
that trail, but we got ahead of them all
at the start and stayed there. Some pass
ed us on horseback but We passed them
again befor We reached the Cimarron.
Four Of us started back that night and got
lost on the prairie and wondered around
until ten o'clock before We struck camp.
l had my family on the claim at noon the
next day and have been here ever since.
About the poor land here, don't see
where the papers get their information
unless from some who failed to get claims.
for i think it is the best land have seen
since leaving Indiana and like Il even
better than Indiana. It is Of a sandy
nature mixed with clay and part very
red.
We have all kinds Of truck mp now corn,
p )tatoes, beans, onions, radishes, melons,
red beet, peas &c and growing nice. Have
had nice rains since We have been here.
am well pleased with my claim and have
had chances to tLke $500, for it several
times. As for water we are alrlog. sur
rounded with it, We are using from a
spring Of freestone water forty rods awav
until can get my well fixed. dug nine
feet, struck quick sand and as soon as
can wall it will have plenty. There IS only
one place that water is sold and that is at
Guthrie. II is five cents q bucket or
twenty five cents barrel. You could, and
can yet, get all the lemonade you could
drink for five cents. As for eatables there
is enough for all and to spare. paid
thirty cents per bushe, for potatoes.
when j irst went to Guthrie there
were no houses--now there are five wards
in the city-is incorporated--and the
Electric Light Company are at work put
ting MP lights. Ten acres is layed off and
fenced for the capital grounds. There
are moneyed men here from California.
Kansas City, Toledo and st. Louis. So
many capitalists having an interest here
brightens the prospects for the place.
OF course there is lots Of poor land here
as well other places. There are large
canyons. big hills and plenty OF wood
have 25 acres Of timber. My claim lays in
Cimarron nver bottom and FIVE miles
north of Guthrie, / can catch all the fish
want. There is another town laid out
one mile from us, the railroad Co. has a
switch and depot started. have 10 acres
broken and planted. am living in tent,
but have most of my logs up to build
house. Will have It up in two weeks.
Have had no trouble to hold my claim.
Am hard up bat think ! can pull through
all right, We all like it here and are salts
fed. OLIVER DAILY.