San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-05-02
OKLAHOMA'SB
A General Sketch of the Pro.
posed Territory.
THE PROMISED LAND.
Is Oklahoma Worth tho Trouble Taken to
Get It?

EnSWtOGc GfNlNcs
Is Oklahoma Worth tho Trouble Taken /,
Get It?
Tho question that must now be uppermos
In the minds Of tho reader Is this; Is tho lant
worth nll that troublcl Tho answer must be
ON tho whole, In tho affirmative Tho new
Oklahoma-and Oklahoma proper, for tina
matter-contains a plenty Of tho worst lant
In America. Tho sand hills in the Adiron
dacks arc not circumstance. Tho bad land
of the northwest are the best parallel. Thinl
of trying to mako n farm whore salt lies two
inches and moro thick over hundreds o.
square miles of earthl Even where the sol
is good, in some parts there Is no water flt t
drink.
On tho other hand, there are millions o.
acres of tho richest land, tho most productiv,
lind to be found anywhere in tho world. Le
the stranger who comes hero to buy, or send
his money hero to be loaned, after the land il
opened, take care
But not only will the new territory be Z
rich agricultural domain. Enough is known
to Justify the statement that it will DO ricl
in minerals. Nor is ono obliged to take thu
word of enthusiastic boomers for this, fol
government documents, printed as long agc
Is 1862, prove tho assertions
In tho summer of 1852 Capt. r. d. Marcy
and Capt. George Z. Mcclellan explored thu
Red river to its sources The report Of Capt
Marcy was printed tho next year. Accord
ing to that report the best land in the new
territory will be found In Kiowa and Co
mancho reservation or tho Fort Sill country
OF course, the Wichita mountains are not
arabic. 1t Is to the land to tho cast ant
southeast that the farmer must CO. or thi'
country, which, watered by tho Cache, The
Beaver, and numerous other crooks and
branches, Capt Marcy speaks as enthusiastic
ally as a boomer might do in these days
Thus, on page W:
Moving from camp at half-past this morning
We journeycd along tho southeastern base of thu
mountains, passing several spring brooks Of cold
delicious water flowing from tho deep gorgcs o
tho mountain These brooas aro perennial, ant
this being tho dry SEASON. they are probably nov
ut tho lowest stage; yet there is q suf1iccncy o.
weter for all purposes Of farmers and for milling
Tho soil continues of IN excellent quality ant
suatains heavy vegetation. In addition to th'
advantages OF rich soil, good timber and water
which everywhere abound near tho mountains
thus fer upon our route, may DO added that OF thu
great salnbrty Of tho climate.
We cncampcd thisevenlng upon swift running
brook Following UP the brook found ito source
In most lovely valley This valley, which IL In
| closed Oh three sides by lofty and rugged mount
| airs, Is mostly covered with heavy growth o
| timber OF u very superior quality The trees
which aro oak, Gre largo, straight and tall ant
are the best suited to tho carpenters purpose o
any have ever seen west Of tho cross tmbers
The soil here possesses great fertility, and Tho
whola valley teens with e8uEerance Of veseta
ton.
Like descriptions are given Of the greater
part Of tho reservation named, and tho area
of the reservation is 2,.jY, SOB acres.
1t appears, further, that tho land In Tho
Cheyenne and Arrnpnhoo reservation Is al
most rs good, If not quito. There ia less tim
Der In this reservation than In tho other Tht
northwestern part is subject TO drought, ant
is much better fitted for stock ranches thar
general farms. All Of Oklahoma proper up
pears to be of good soil-somc OF 1t Is Of the
best q,mlity-save only the two eastern tier!
Of towns which arc simply valuoles fol
farms.
Tho Cherokee outlet Is on tho whole moi
good for much besides stock. The ranges urC
excellent East of the longitude Of Kiowa
Kan, tho soil Is fertile, but the water In sum
nlcr is particularly bad. Very deep wells will
be needed IL that is to be settled
Tue Usage reservation, according to G.. W.
Palmer, an educated Cherokee, to whom the
reporter talked, is very rocky.
West OF the Kiowa' 3 longitude the Cherokee
strip has great beds Of salt right on tho siir-
face and is elsewhere fit only for grazing. II
is subject to tho hot winds and droughts
or No Mans Land The Sun has already
told. There is both good and bad land there.
but the best Of that land IL not to bo com
pared with Tic Conancl:e reservation.
The climate of tho new territory is every.
where supcrb In fall and winter. In spring
and summer tho future Oklahomau who
lives in the valleys Of the Cimnrron and Ca
madam rivers will carry quinine pills In his
vest pocket Fever and Gguo abound, rs the
doubling eastern reader mny determine by a
visit. Very few Of the boomers will admit
tho truth of this statement. however. Elso-
where the settler will find the climate OF the
new territory excellent the year round, while
In the Comnnchc reservation 1t Is simply do
lightful.
The r.!neral wealth Of tho territory Is
scattered about irregularly When The Sun
reporter made known his mission here, Gn
elderly boomer took him TO ono side, and
drawing from a bag some pieces OF GRE, said;
"I.oos at thnti sec the gold See this,
feel tho weight How much silver Ia that
pieceP
II was fools gold, and tho other piecc wos
a very beautiful specimen II galcna, which
may or may not hayo had a trace Of silver in
It Tint galena. In large duantitia9 Is 10 b..
found in the ridges Of the eastern part OF
Oklahoma proper need not bo doubted. Cool
will be found in abundance In the Wiley OF
the Canadian g. w. Palmer told the re-
porter that he once washed a teaspoonful Of
gold from a double handful of loam scooIod
up In Oklahoma proper. Ho was not telling
Just where.
As 10 gold and silver, however, there arc
government reports The late Gen Shcri-
dan, I'm a communication dated Chicago,
May 6, 1879, says;
In a letter 20 the general q the army, SEPT 81
isrs potf0ed him of the existence q deposits q
gold and silver IN the western end q Wtchita
mountains.
Capt Marcy, IN his report previously
quoted, says Tege ~;
Tle roos4utairls Al The head a TIE crsek fofte-
creekl have afrrurf, ruggsd sides - co1rse, soft
aesh color-i s-ranite mixed with other granuia;f1
I.yneous rocsa Greens.one. porThyry arld aEAte
are seen in veins running thrU1gh tie rocks Arr1
q so-,e rSecrs % quartz shich uere found - D..
s,.urnari the-e ue-e nliru.s rarticles q s,oi4
In other parts q tis rePort, not necssary
% quote voriatira, The ertE-cDce a large
qu-ntitsas q coTper and iru1 orsz d Doisd ID
the vicinity q thess uso1nt1iIS
And yet everybody IN tie vet b beaoea