The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-10-15
fHO
The Rapid Growth OF Our Youngest Terri
tory and Its Prospects.

tOTy N us IrOhpcct's
WASHINGTON. Oct. 14.-1f we may putfaith IN
the report OF Gov. Abraham Jefferson sehy'
Oklahoma contains $4,000 people. snch q
number would he more than a doubling oil the
census population Of 1890. which showed
fewer than G2.000 souls. and that. too. was a
wonderful exhibit: for it was only In inc
spring Of the previous year that the Original
tract known as Oklahoma had been openeuto
the settlement OF whites. 1t is true tnao No
Mans Land. now Beaver county. already con,
talned many hundred squatters. who hao
hopes Of forming n territory OF their own 10
be called Cimarron. but Ol;lahoma's star was
in the ascendant. and they accepted their
place as a county In Oklahoma Territory.
Perhaps the figures OF Gov. Seay are o NUS
exaggerated. in Western fashion. and. at ali
events. no one would look to him for an under
estimate: but when we recall the enormous
rush o. settlers in April. 1880. and reflect that
other Indian reservations have since peeh
opened. with corresponding rushes. We may
be disposed to conccde that the population
now exceeds 100000. That would show nm
enormous growth In two years. which. ii con-
tinued at tho present rate. would make INC
population very soon large enough to JUSTIFY
the admission Of Oklahoma as II State. IL 10
remarkable that even in 1890. when the Ierri-
tory had been opened only little more than q
year. 1t exceeded in population two states OF
the Union. Wyoming md Nevada, It Is highly
Slipped in ahead q Q third State. Idaho; si nSS
the latter Ind only between $4,000 and So.ooo
people IN 1870. and was not then growing a'
The resources also OF Oklahoma for attracting
other PUSHES OF population are not eNhnus.eui
Seminoles there was added last year a large
tract on the eastern border, acquired ir9 Hmnx tMo
reservations OF the lowns. the Sacs anu foN"s.
ana yl0 lOltnWlt(OnlleG. On lnS NCStCAh
border are the lands obtained from the
tSs i,:ter s snH tie sS c5slyesp ,5SS.S So5 A Acres. Ss:
sides these. there are the smaller reserva-
tons on the east and north Of thu kieSa d%%.
and Comapches q "a southwest; for the Hur,
is also the great chsroEee outlet. comprising
over ,6.oOu.oOO acres at tho northeast. inc
two last named tracts should cause q larsS
opened to settlement. EXCLUSIVE OF tho allot,
nents retained hy tho red men; there VIII then
1t is rather noticeable how many people OF
the, negro race are in the territory. Gov. Ssay
reckons them rs about one-tenth, OF the entite
population. and no puts at one-twentletn ths
Indians, who have in one way or another nc
Guirsd rI : Of cit!zenshi2,, This III latter an IND
Comanches take nllotmcnts.
Thus. in spite Of some, unfavorable circum-
stances In the early settlement OF Oklahoma;
Il has s0 Raa to so no sr9w WITH II sh %O imeeriec Sny; Of
the original system Of opening the territory.
with the natural reaction after great popular
excitement. and with the DISAPPOINTMENT OF
many who expected to lind In it a lane OF won
drous fertility. whereas It is in no respect ex.
settlers by the %rrospcct Of gold and silver
mining. by great mineral wealth OF any sort.
or ~ magnificent forests like those OF the
North. Agriculture must he u large part Of It's
reliance for self-supDort. and such products as
corn. cotton: wheat. oats. sorghum. and rari-
Gus vegetables and fruits are cultivated with
promising success.
But Oklahoma should not he IN haste to
secure admission into the Union. II. will do
better. to bide its time and lay the founda-
tons for a solid future growth. rather thar. to
enter prematurely. under the reproach OF add
ing one more rotten borough State to the
Union, II should DO patient. and employ Itself
in establishing its industries. Its public school
system. and the manifold interests OF n pros
porous community. instead Of trying to hurry
into the duties and Responsibilities OF o state
within three years after It's settlement. At its
present rate of growth. IFS population Will soon
reach the new apportionment for n repre-
sentative in Congress, and then it can Justly
demand admission. By that time. also. the
political condition Of the many Indian tribes
better defined. Then it can, enter. the race
with neighborinc States well equipped for
SlpceSS.