Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-12-31
HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN AUDRAIN.
Former Residents of This County
Write the Ledger Christmas
Letters,

Letters.
In answer to an invitation by the
Mexico LEDGER to former residents
Of Audrain County to correspond with
the LEDGER regarding their new
homes and how they were pleased
with them, we received several COM
municat1ons, some of which are here
with printed.
FROM OKLAHOMA.
Correspondence of the Ledger.
EDMUND, Ok, December al no
tice your call to former citizens OF
Audrain to come out of their holes
and give an account of themselves.
No doubt many Eastern people think
Oklahomans live in veritable holes.
But the dugouts, or sod houses, are
things Of the past. With the name
Oklahoma they always associate
drouth, grasshoppers, savage red men
and more savage outlaws.
This was the dryest season in the
territory, yet crops of all kinds did
fairly well. No water hauling here.
Plenty for stock in ponds, wells and
streams, fed by springs. 1 never saw
SO few grasshoppers. In Illinois and
Missouri they usually destroy from
one to three rods of wheat at the
outer edges of the fields. Here no
harm was done. Flies to poster the
stock were also scarce. Horses need
ed no protection. I have seen but
two Indians and they looked any
thing but savage. Like you, I read
of outlaws, but they haven't killed
me yet; at least l have killed as many
of them as they have killed of me.
We live near enough to Fl. Reno to
hear the "sunset gun" The Irish
man who heard it and asked what It
meant, on being told "~sunset," ex-
claimed: "Begorra, does the sun set
in Ameriky with a clap like that?"
1t has always been a matter of
speculation as to where the red man
came from. It's plain to me now.
He was manufactured here in Okla
homa, for here is the red soil or
"dust" he is made of. When one
digs a well here he looks like an en-
ploye of a red paint mill. Just what
forms this red soil is a mystery.
Whether a great many red beets or
red men decayed here, or whether the
brick was made here for building the
universe, this deponent saith not. 1t
is sure enough soil. In the river bot
toms it is as inexhaustable rs it is
deep and l think it extends clear
through to the antipodes. In the
Canadian bottom the soil is as black
and fertile as in the best part of Cen
trail Illinois. Much of the upland Is
also black. A large acreage of wheat
was sown last fall and it looks fine.
Edmund is our nearest town. 1t
contains about ten hundred inhabit-
ants. Here is located the territorial
normal school. 1t is fully equipped
with an efficient corps of teachers.
The building is of native stone and is
about half as Large as Hardin College.
Tuition to residents of Oklahoma is
At Saltwater is the AgricuI-
tural College and at Norman the Ok
lahoma University. At both of these
no tuition fee is charged
% residents of the territory. From
his you will see that Oklahoma is
we'll provided with higher educational
ABILITIES. Fifteen miles south on the
Canadian is Oklahoma City, the
'crack" city of this young territory.
Here eight years ago the Indian and
'oyote held undisputed sway. Now
ts public buildings and business en-
erprises excel those of Mexico.
There are buildings here that would
% a credit to st. Louis or Chicago. |
It now has only one large Touring
mill. The M at which the -four was
made that took first prize at the
Worlds Fair was destroyed by fire.
It has an ice manufacturing plant, a
mill, a pillow factory, machine
shop, carriage and wagon factory, be-
sides several smaller enterprises. It
contains three fine high schools and
one commercial college. But it's
greatest pride is in it's business houses.
Mexico excels it in only one partic-
ular and that is the size and beauty of
Its private residences. And yet Mex
is perhaps fifty years older.
Unlike other States, this country
was settled almost in a day. People
came here with not enough money to
pay for filing on a quarter section of
land. Some pulled through,
others threw up the sponge and went
''back to my wife's folks" Still
as 500 as they obtained a.
borrowed money at a ruinous
rate of interest and had q s'rattling
good time" But the "fddler" had |
to be paid and it took the only homes
these fellows ever owned to pay him.
The farms can now be bought at a
low price.
Those who came here with the de-
to win, who were ener-
yetic, not afraid to work, and used q
little "horse sense" have succeeded
remarkably well. But the fellows
who came here expecting to find the
cutters flowing with milk and honey
md pancakes and sausage ripe or the
rees have been disappointed. They
york more with their jaws than with
heir hands. II they would employ a
raction Of the energy they display in
at the country and the gov
rnment to improving their farms
nd tilling them right, they and their
ountry would gain much. Some
nen succeed anywhere, others no.
1here. There are some of the poor
st farmers here / ever saw. Their
lowing would be O disgrace to an
arkansas "razor back" So far we
re pretty well contented. True, as
ONE other western and northwestern
'tates, the wind gets a little loud
ometimes and in too great q hurry;
ut where will you find . place In this
vorld with no drawback.