The Russellville Democrat., 1889-07-25
From the Indian Territory.
GUTHRIE, I. T., July 19, 'S9.

GUTHRIE, l. T., July 19, 'S9. Editor DEMOCRAT:
 For most part, in former commu- nicstions, have discussed the towns and cities or Oklahoma, and, as promised in my last letter, will now turn my attention to the country.
 The lands of this territory, like most other countries, are greatly di- versifed, being composed of good, bad and indifferent soils. Ia many places the top surface for ten inches is 8 rich, dark, sandy losm, u underlaid with hard pan. This l would con slider, subject to drouth. Then, again, the soil is from two to five feet in depth, underlaid with red clay. The soil may be either sandy or red sandy losm and generally 8 very fine character of land. The grass growing thereon is very fine and will yield on an average ton per acre. I would judge about one twentieth of the land to be timbered if equally distributed, but there are many quarter sections without switch. The timber on the uplsnds is post oak and black jack, although, the lsnd generally IS good. The bottoms have cottonwood, burr oak, pecan and walnut, and the land is ss fine as the richest in Arkansas. The soil generally is a black sand mixed with little clay, sometimes buckshot.
 The territory, taken as 8 whole, is a beautiful country, aad l think, adapted to the growing of corn, wheat and oats, with all the fruits and veg etables desired.
 Considering the immense scramble to get homesteads here and the thou sands that were disappointed, it is remarkable how cheap these claims can be had now. l find them rang ing h price from one hundred up to I five hundred dollars, some of course, higher, it depending upon how bad | tue squatter wants to sell. Ofcourse, you will naturally enough ask the question: "W hy IS this the caseT I will simply answer that l have talk en in the situation by visiting the country personally and closely ob' served the surrounding circumstsno es which lmpel great many of these people to turn their homesteads loose. Many of them have settled on quarter sections without one sin gle tree for fire wood, and with noth- Ing apparently in the world but 8 wife and family of children. Their present shelter is what is called 8 dugout-a square hole in the earth covered over with poles, perhaps hauled for miles, with willow brush for lsthiDg and sod dirt ln squares of ten inches for boards or shingles. This will answer for the warm, dry weather, but these people are real izing the fact that other quarters must be sought for winter, and that their condition is such that they are unable to buy lumber st s22.50 per thousand feet with little CT no work outside of their own homestesds to reward them one dollar, unless they were able 10 afford good teams to turn sod for some one able 10 pay st s2.00 per acre. Hence, sell, this class of people must, and they are largely in the majority, so far as l have visited them; and the time to buy them is from now till about the 1st of September.
 Water seems to be an item, but 1t can be had much easier by digging .han with you, because there's no slate or hard flint 10 contend slth. At from twenty to thirty five feet water can be had in good supply, not so soft, perhaps, as some water, but fairly good. All the branches, creeks and rivers seem to be & dirty red color, but the water is clear enough when dipped up.
 Cattle in the Territory are not very plentiful, and in the northern part they are dying with Texas fe- yer by the score, and this question of forbidding the driving of herds of cattle through the country is agitat- ting the minds of the people to fever heat.
 As for hogs, there are comparative ly none here as yet
 Nothing seems fairly settled. Town property nor homesteads, seem to have any fixed or settled values; all speculation and must necessarily re main so till substantial farmers oe cupy these homesteads and some thing is produced to keep up the growth of their magic cities. have stated that many homesteaders were here without anything and would be forced to sell There are also hun. dreds of squatters for no other pnr- pose than to speculate or sell for whatever they can get When the Territory wAs first opened. parties squsttlug were offered i've hundred dollars for their claims and refused 1, to accept the money, and the same parties are now offering to sell for from one to three hundred dollars. Squstters held for higher prices and [ the purchasers have left the coun- ! try, and here, as everywhere else at