Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1891-08-27
LrrrIJ: rRo'i OKLAHOMA.



FRIENp RlsHor.-rhis place is in many /,
respects a huc town and great country. |
\ little over two years ago, April %. |
1889, this territory was opened to home |
stead settlers Today there is population
of nearly 100 600, this city having ZOO. !
To sit and listen TO the first Corners rclat- |
iug their tales Is of peculiar interest. |
| Much of il seems incredible. but ii must |
stand historical test. oklahoma Terri !
tory comprises about $500 square miles
in the very centre OF the Indian Territory
April -. 1889. forty thousand people /
were on the border lands waiting for -
NJ, when they might lawfully go i'll and
possess thc-to thcm-laud of Canaan
| And what a rush, Only one of the
RuShers with tongue and pen trench
ant with an eloquent inspiration can
picture or describe it. Oklahoma City is
| | ) miles from the nearest border line that
being to the east. The Santa Fc and Gal
weston K. K. passes north and south di-
rectly through It. Then right on the 300
acres where this city now stands were
seven thousand people, some in dugouts
of hours labor i'll construction, Others
| i'll tents, others in board or log shantics,
| (callcd shackS.l and thousands on the
ground with or without blankets. They
tell me it was a ucvcr-to-be forgotten
sscnc, and believe it. Action was immc
diatcly taken to preserve order, and all
went merry as a marriage bell There
are not SO many people here now as then,
but the city is prosperous and growing.
Streets are all so feet wide and running
at right angles. The city lies in a bend
OF the y. Canadian River with a sur
rounding country of fine and productive
soil. There are now three banks, with
elegant buildings, six churches some good
wholesale houses. TWENTY-FIVE saloons,
halfa-dozcn fancy houses, (thc inmates
pay so much a month and are not mo-
Tested while they attend strictly to bus
ness y some dry goods houses CARRYING a
STOCK OF Sto'ooo or SOULFUL ana all
others on same plane iorty PHYSICIANS
fifty lawyers or more fine hotels one
iourInG mIlI' capacity 800 barrels day,
one cotton gn, etc. The mills use water
power by means OF canal g miles
long. Many nice brick and stone blocks
completed or in process OF erection. The
so'I is bright red, undcrlaId with form
alton OF red sandstone which makes Tine
building stone, being hard. Bricks are
extensively made within a halt mile OF
the city. The country around here IS nEc,
a diversity OF crops can be raised. This
is very prosperous wear for farmers;
wheat excellent, averaging % bushels per
acre; corn promises splendid crop with
average OF 90 or 60 bushels Shcllcd corn
per acre; cotton looking hneIy; ali kinds
OF vegetables and fruit IN abundance;
sweet and Irish potatoes SIDE by side, the
latter all harvested before now; the sec
ond crop OF potatoes now growing on
same ground III many places and Will
rpen Wheat SoWn last tall was har-
vested III June, corn then planted ON same
ground and Will yield fine crop. never
saw Inner melons, cantaloupcS and garden
vegetables. II is not here now and dry
but we have had lots OF ram which has
been a Godscnd to the farmers. Their
,noncter oL,r, 100 ,,,,, J,.. I,,,t ,a.,1
-
nights 81 "''c ca" s'cep we'll
What IS property worth ~ More
than want to pay. Business lots ON
nri,c;n,I street, o7x1o7 te,., rr,r,S1ooo
.or,
~ @"o''' i'S'Gc''Ce lolS from "l"o 10
500, same size, claims of 100 acres, out
side. from $1,000 to $4,000; ont . miles
good n,c No buId;,c. =, .,,,,,,,,,+ 60
onnon
"nyl"'''S' 9''o"' th'hN II farmers mere
with the rich soil, and Other advantages
such as ability to raise both the crons of
tbe North ,,d III. South ,.o,Id ,,.a,,.
~. ,'''> N''> '''''''' r'"'' wa !"
o''e'"''" as nara as eastern farmers ana
save as we do there, they could all get
rich in little while. provided the seasons
.o,,,;,,,,, r., h., c,,.,,-aI,L, 1ua.I. r,:. :,
,n '''''' ~ ~ VI ',''''' ,'''''" u.s. -
ucSt'''eu |" DC inc largest town OF the
territory, although Guthrie, the present
capital, is a rival of some size. It's loca-
+;or ;s mot 9, nood. ;,e s,,r.o,,,;,,.
w - So 80 w, cunning
country IS not so rich' III Tune when
this whole territory shall form a new
State, as it surely will, it will mdoubt-
eddy be one OF the richest in the Union.
The climate they call very fine There is
some malaria, but | do not hear of any
great amount of sickness yet This fail
a larger tract of Indian country is to he
opened and thousands OF people are anx-