The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-01-03
OKLAHOMA AND THE TRUTH.
4 First Settler Sums Up the Situation
and Renders an Individual
Opinion
HENNEssEY. Ok. Dec. 80. 1890.

To he Editor OF the Eagle
The historian is sometimes compelled
to tell the truth. With this end in view
write. The good and bad people of
Oklahoma have passed their second
Christmas with the usual excitement for
the children, such as are held every year
in the states. The parents who bear the
burdens of life's struggle answer with a
smile to the good health of the territory,
with happiness and prosperity-with
charity to all and malice toward none.
They all listen for the first Of the new
years chime, which is only few hours
off. 1t has a strange fixed habit of re-
curing annually. Our bright, starry
nights are like those of eighteen hundred
years ago, when the shepherds tending
/ their tiocks of Bethlehem saw the white
rObed train and heard the gentle voices.
| The people of Oklahoma, with their ma
tive modesty, say: Lets sing the Dox-
ology." 1t is true that some of the en-
thusiastic Kingfsher devotees are not
| quite so happy as are some. They fee
| that the Christmas trees were loaded
with Steele, instead of with pretty toys
and autographs of the governor which
might have ornamented the blue bird of
| that valley. The same Santa Claus tree
often disappoints children in its distribu-
tions of gifts. Some receive what they
! yearned for, and others don't, and the
usual heart breakingS follow as a
matter of course, and Kingfisher
| is no exception. To others it marks
with gentle monuments the day thereof.
/ To the greatest number Gn power it Is
| the signal of the truce of God. All
weapons must be laid down. All rancor
must cease, and HenneSsey made a
county seat. This may be considered a
new medicine, but not vicious and ON
nipresent bacillus The man who reads
all the latest medical discoveries and acts
upon all the advice of the doctors will
pass a most nervous and uncomfortable
existence. The lote lesesIatium com
pact is known to be the best antidote,
/ but should be taken in small doses.
| l am lead to ask why false reports
/ should be sent out by enthusiasts of Ok
/ lahOma? The year just closing may not
/ be considered, in point of all classes of
! cereals, all that could have been desired,
| but it has been far from a year of fail
ure. While this is the second year as in
/ days and months, it is really the first
| year of cereals, as the season was to late
| in 1889 for much to be accomplished.
! therefore, 90 per cent of all the crops of
! 1890 was planted on sod. l never heard
anyone express himself that he
even expected any loss of yield from the
first season of soil planting, and this sea-
| son has proven no exception so far as
corn and potatoes were concerned. On
the other hand, all those who planted
| cotton, the yield was far beyond their
/ expectations in quantity and quality.
Notwithstanding the low price of cotton
/ it has brought many thousands of dol
/ lars into Oklahoma and gave employ
ment to a large number of people. In
most instances the acreage of planting
| by each individual was small, but the
season to come will see many thousands
of acres planted to cotton in Oklahoma.
The small experiments in tobacco cul-
ture in the black jack region has also
proven very satisfactory as to yield and
quality, and large fields will be planted
during the year 1891 To return to corn:
All of those that had second breaking,
planted and cultivated it well, had
good average yield and good quality of
corn. The Chickasaw nation on the
south of us has never had what might be
called a corn failure the past season be-
ing, perhaps. the lightest ever known,
averaging from twenty-five TO fOrty-five
bushels per acre. The Chickasaws had
a large acreage out to cotton this season,
which has demonstrated that cotton
pays better than corn or any other
cereal they can produce. | cite more
fully from the Chickasaws as they lay
only across the Canadian river from Ok
lahoma, and farming has been carried
on there for years, with all the sue
cess. which should lead people TO believe
what Oklahoma Is. and Is To be, Is no
experiment. As for turnips and sorghum,
there could not not have been none bet
ter. The second crop of late potatoes
planting gave a good yield of excellent
quality. For winter use potatoes in this
country should not be planted before
June or July. A large amount of wheat
was sown this fall by our farmers, in
the hopes to have as early returns as pos
sible. There is no better assurance that
they Will not be disappointed than to
look over the green fields III every di- /
rectiOn east, west, north and south. .
Thousand of acres il We already been !.
plowed for spring seeding and planting. /
Broom corn and flax seed viii form an
important factor in next years culture /.
throughout Oklahoma. They are sure /.
crop and q cash article in this county, 4
and should be encouraged.
l have asked whv are false reports sent |
out in the supposed interest of Oklahoma. /
Can YOU show me vacant quarter of 4
land in all the territory of Oklahoma? Can .
then be called to mind any one leaving
the country that came here with honest F.
intent to make this their home. Ii Is (
true there are many adventures who /
flock TO a new country just because 1t 5 4
new, and have about as much habita-
ton as the Arabs. But If this be true
where are your deserted quarter sec
tons: They are not to be found. All \
our towns and villages are fully repre-
sented IN their respective commercial
lines, but not overdone, but within
keeping with a growing country. The .
country Is we'll supplied with stock. .
with the exception OF hogs and sheep,
and they viii be forthcoming with the /
growing OF grain. Some Of our town
and farm buildings are modest enter
pri>es and owned by a happy people.
What now can we ask: We welcome OF
those that wili come. but there Is nothing
lying around loose that Is worth having
an owner IN Oklahoma II Is not people
we need 50 much as We need capital,
and those who have it can ind protita-
ble investments. with 1t delightful
homes The shadow Of an Indian star
is already among the galaxy upon tine
national fac. The state Of Oklahoma
LII ~, q IL --.,r. Melinda tie nIH