Omaha daily bee., 1889-05-27
OKLAHOMA JUST As IT IS.
Views OF q Nebraska Man Now on
the Grounds.
A GOOD COUNTRY TO LIVE IN.
The Soil Rich. the Climate Healthy,
The Populace Peaceful and Every
thing Favorable to the Suc-
cess OF Settlers.


Oklahoma Territory at the opening, 10 M,
April %, and proceed to Kingisher with a
fast team, making the distance OF twenty
three miles from Buffalo Springs to the
land Office in two and one.half hours over
rough, and, in some places, sandy road On
arriving at KingHsher we found about three
thousand people, with town laid out
IN streets and all the lots taken on the south
half of section 10, township 10 north range z
west, the ground selected by the Nebraska
colony for q town site. These people were
mostly from western Kansas and had come
in from the west side, arriving on the ground
in ten minutes after the opening of the terri
tory. BY evening of that day about four
thousand more arrived from the north side
and squatted on the north half of the same
section. On the 23d Of April city govern
ment was organized by the Kansas people on
the south side, who named the place Lisbon;
whereupon, to accommodate the Nebras-
kans the representatives of
TIE OMAHA COLONY
organized a city government on the north
side, which included the land Office, and
named their place Kingfsher. This afforded
town lots, two to each man, for all the Ne
braska colony, If they had been there to take
them.
About the same procedure was gon
through with at Guthrie and Oklahoma
City, making one mile square of land for
each Of the three towns When these towns
WGTc Blk hours Olu, NruUuTle UUtTeu ABOUT
10000 people, Oklahoma City $4,000 and
Kingfisher 1000. But as homesteaders had
taken the townsite lands in each place! with
the intention of suddenly becoming million
aires, and expressing determination TO con-
test their rights, everybody was dsgusted
and discouraged about titles, and the town
site booms
SUDDENLY EXPLODED.
The result has been that Guthrie has
dwindled down to about 5COO population,
IN hnn md IL
fisher to less than 1000 of actual residents.
No doubt half of those who came to live in
the towns drifted north, while the balance
drifted into the country, and are endeavor-
ing to prove title to homesJeads. So much
for the townste infatlation of Oklahoma.
AS to the merits Of Oklahoma for towns of
large growth, forming my Judgment from
having examined every part of the territory,
and visited the important points several
times during the past month, tine most prom
Using point is not available as it lays just
outside of the line, two miles east OF Fort
Reno, on broad hill south of the North
Canadian river. 1t may require the action
OF congress to secure this for city purposes.
There is no other point in the territory of
equal advantages, both commercially and
agricuturally, and the richest farming lands
of the territory surround it for fifty miles
in every direction, and is certain of more
railroad crossings than Oklahoma City,
which is the second best point. The Reno
locality has the advantage from having long
plies for the south and west, and Its present
stores have permanent traffic over all the
southwest country to the Red river, with
- both Indians and whites in the Chickasaw
nation. and IN the Apache, Kiowa and
Wichita countries, which are well supplied
with whites who carry on farming and stock
raising quite extensively.
THE THIRD PROSPECTIVE CITY
would naturally be Kingfsher, which has
no railroad yet ana ls not likely to have q
crOss-road for many years, as the country
up the Cimarron is rough and Of poorer soil
than other parts, and not likely to be i'm
proved till after the rest of the territory is
under cultivation. But the lands surround
ing Kingfsher for twenty miles are rich,
smooth prairie, well watered, and every
quarter section there will be Immediately
improved.
AS to Guthrie, say regretfully and with
out prejudice, there is nothing in its sur.
roundings to sustain city. On the north is
the sandy Cimarron, with several miles of
the south for twelve miles scrub oak hills,
covered with q scaly stone and cut up with
deep gulches. The grass that grows on these
hills is weak and scarce, showing an extreme
miles is succession of abrupt hills, too
rough for successful farming, though
the soil is excellent. On the whole, the sur
roundlngs OF Guthrie are discouraging to the
fruit while all other parts Of the territory
are much better for the latter industry
A few more words about towns. and will
give your readers my observations regarding
the soil Of Oklahoma. In the first place, like
all new booming countries,
JOLLY GAMBLERS AND PAINTED SIRENS
have taken indisputable possession Of
our mushroom cities. At Guthrie the
several principal streets are lined
with gambling houses, the first and best
dies are heard day and night to allure the
suckers and tender-feet, and quiet their
nerves while their last few dollars are being
gradually absorbed by the tiger" The
'girls" who ecked out aprecarious existence
in back alleys of other cities, here take rank
with capitalists in readily taking possession
Of corner lots. and ply their vocation with AN
unhindered air of responsibility. The man
who goes to Guthrie to embark in the hards
ware, dry goods or grocery bust
ness, finds the business center occupied
with gambling dens, and must locate out one
side If he gets foothold., The same situa-
tion, only less Ill extent, exists at Oklahoma
City. But at Kingfshcr
A RELIGIOUS ELEMENT PREVAILS,
and the front ends of business lots are occu-
pied by stores, while the back ends of the
same lots are thickly dotted with tents,
where gambling tables are surrounded day
and night by crowds who actually need
their lean purses for immediate sup
ply of bread and meat. In any
weeks, when most OF the victims of tho
gambling habit will either hunt their dug
outs with hungry stomachs, or go like beg
gars from this land of promise.
But the man who prudenty uses his means,
however small, will not fail to prosper. as 1t
costs but little to live anywhere here, if one
Is q good angler or fair shot with bird
gun. A little bacon, lard or but
ter will go long way in fry
ing fish, chickens and plover, which
are very plentiful in all parts of the terri
tory. Also deer and rabbits are abundant,
and an hours ride in any direction will find
wild game as fat and tender as ever graced
the table of an epicure.
Let me here tell The BEE and Its many
thousand readers that the praise Of Okla
homa has never been Overdrawn, nor has
half been told of
ITS WONDERFUL NATURAL. RESOURCES.
have travelled twice around its border in
different routes, and crossed it centrally on
seven trails, and everywhere except around
Guthrie the hills are broad and smooth. and
II may be set down as fact that scarcely q
quarter section is found without living
springs creeks of running, clear water, and
In the exceptions good well water can be had
by ten 10 twenty feet digging. The worst
water In the territory is in Uncle Johh and
Kingfisher creeks, and that is used at King
fisher. The physician there, Dr. Fields, of
Sidney, Neb., says IT Is very wholesome, as
he has attempted TO practice medicine there