Mexico weekly ledger., 1894-07-05
THE POyERTY-STRICkEN STRIP
gloomy Outlook In the Region of Pond
creek. Ok.-SeriOuS Troubles on
the Rock Island Route
bridges Blown up and
Tracks Torn Out.

ifahhS "
Correspondence Of the Ledger.
POND CREEK, o. T.. June 26-We
have been waiting a long time for
some good news To write you from
the Strip In April we could have
written you that We were having
plenty III nice rains, but we have
had two months of extremely dry
weather since then. Notwithstand'
ing the dry weather the people have
grown some nice vegetables, such as
lettuce, radishes. turnirs, peas,
string beans and potatoes. We have
some very nice watermelon and
pumpkin vines and if any of our old
friends are passing this way in
August We would be glad To have
them stop and eat melons with us.
Sod corn is locking very nice. The
prairies are getting dry although We
have plenty of good pasture yet.
There has not been az much i'm
provement made in the Strip" as
come people expected there would
he. There doesn't seem to be any
money here at all. | don't think q
man could get a job of work at any
price and things look pretty gloomy
here for most Of the settlers, but
those who have money to exist on
a live here very ~cheaply.
Competition is so strong in the
mercantile line that we can buy
everything much cheaper here than
we could in Missouri last year. We
a buy meat and flour for half the
money. Some of the claims are
changing hands. The claim ad.
joining Us on the vest was given
away two weeks ago for $500, and
the one adjoining US on the east
would have sold for $500, but there
a a contest on il; but we think
our claim is worth more than three
times that much. We have made
soIne more improvements OH oul
claim than we expected TO be able
TO make. | am still making somt
brick, but there is but little demand
tor them. There is no good sub
stantial building being done her,
now. We suppose if we had thi'
government town site settled anl
the Rock Island Railroad Compan,
would recognize it aud stop thei
trains here that there would be NOR,
building going On. We presum,
you know that the Rock Island roat
does not stop its trains at our coun
ty seat, n nice little town of abou
5000 inhabitants. The Pond Creel
citizens claim hat business would
justify them in stopping; also tina
justice demands that they stop
About two weeks ago they sen
their city marshal down to stop th
passenger train going south about
O'Clock in the morning, but th
COW catcher pushed him to one sid
and the train followed it through
without stopping and about Il
O'Clock some n had a small hous
on an old wagon and they pulled
up on the track just ahead of tn
freight going in the same direction
The engineer put on all the steam
he had and the man had to unhoo.
his team from the wagon and &c
out of the way. The engine crash
ed through the wagon and hous
and went laundering on. Then
between that and eleven O'Clock tha
day, some one slipped around IN
known 10 ANYBODY and took o.
the splice bars in one place and be
gan TO turn the track over. The
turned over about one quarter of
mile of tine track; they then put on
two red flags as signals of DANCE
and the engineer coming up fror
the south with q train load of cattI
put on the steam, ran over the flag
and when he was within thirty yard
of the torn up track the engineer an
fireman left their engine. A shol
time afterward the engine left tn
track and was badly wrecked; ais
a car load of cattle was turned owe
and wrecked. The citizens Of Pom,
Creek jumped lin with axes am
hammers to Irelease the imprisone'
cattle. There were men there o.
horseback who took care of the cal
tie as fast as they were turned out
There We're about twenty-five kille,
and the balance of them were takel
to the stock pens ut Pond Creel
station. The track "a repaired an,
trains ran very slow through tow
for awhile a%fterward, but they sool
forgot their obligations to Pom,
Creek and got to runningl thei
trains too fast through the city.
Last Friday night some one drop