Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-02-11
FACTS REGARDING OKLAHOMA.
A Former Citizen of Audrsin County
Kills Two Birds With One Stone
and Through the Ledger An
swers Questions Ask
ed Him.

Correspondence of the Ledger.
EDMOND, Ok, February 1.-Since
the appearance of my letter in the
LEDGER I've received a number of in
quiries from parties who desire to
know more about Oklahoma (the
home of the Red NAM. Not one of
these letters contained a stamp for re-
turn postage, therefore I'n kill as
many birds with one stone as possible
by giving the desired Information
through the LEDGER. Pm willing to
devote time and stationery to answer
ing any reasonable question, but 1
draw the line at furnishing stamps for
call the world and the rest of MAN
kind"
(Which is the better soil, the red or
black, and which withstands drolth
the best?"
We live midway between DeerCreek
and Chisholm Creek. These streams
are only two miles apart. The soil on
the former is red, while the latter is
black. If there is any difference in
fertility or productlvenessi it's not per-
ceptible. On either soil weeds will
grow IL feet high.
Eight miles east, on Deep Fork, Mr..
Little has one hundred acres of bottom
land as black and rich as any land in
Central Illinois. The soil on the sec
ond farm east of Little's is as red as
the handle of an old toper's face, yet
it seems to be equally as good as Lit
ties.
On the prairie, or upland, the red
soil seems to contain the most sand,
and on that account may hold mcis-
ture the best, but think the black is
the richer soil. At any rate, I, COM
ing from black land country 1llin-
ois), like it the best. 1t looks more
like soil to me. But you pay your
money and take your choice. On
some quarter sections one may see
soil OF as many different colors as
Jacobs coat-black, red, white and
mulatto.
I don't believe better land can be
found anywhere than the Canadian
bottom lands; these are as level as a
floor and very black.
care the winds like those of West
ern Kansas, hot and full of sand?"
/ never lived in Kansas but the
winds get "boisterously rough" here
sometimes in the spring time. Last
spring was unusually windy and one
was liable to get "sand in his craw."
However, these little drawbacks are
soon forgotten when the wind gets
over its hurry and long season of
delightful weather follows.
"Have you any timber?"
Yes, there is some timber on all the
streams. Much of that on the smaller
| streams In stunted, caused by the AM
nual fires set by the Indians to drive
the game. We have burr oak, post
OAK, jack oak, white and red elm,
walnut, huckleberry, ash, cottonwood,
coffeeberry and persimmon. And,
by the way, we also have the 'possum
to go up the latter tree. Harry Atch-
ison, ex-Sherif Stephens and few
| others will make note of this.
/ paid from 3 to cents for oak
posts. Cedar posts are brought here
and sold for cents. Further east
the timber is much better.
"Have you schools and churches?"
In the towns about all the denomi-
nations are represented and have
church buildings. Here in the coun-
try there are two good churches with
in two miles of us. Both are Congre-
gational. Our school districts are like
those of Missouri-too large-three
miles square. Every district has a
school house and our schools, be-
lieve, are as good as those of Missouri.
The teachers profession is like all
others, full and running over.
"Have you good stock2"
Yes, as good hogs, cattle and horses
as can be found in Audrain. Stock is
easily raised here. Oats (volunteer
or otherwise) usually grow here all
winter and furnish fine pasture.
Nearly everyone pastures his wheat
from fall till April. Neighbor Whistler
has a hundred head of cattle and
many hogs on hundred acres. He
says it's worth more to him than any
field of corn he ever raised in Iowa.
One good brother writes: 81 guess
1 won't come to Oklahoma. They are
all Republicans there and could get
no Office"
Don't be uneasy, brother. There Ii
always room at the mourner's bench.
Two years ago the Pops couldn't say
anything mean enough OF the Demo
Gratis. But they found that that would
butter no parsnip. Last fall they fused
and now they are eating "pie" at the
same table-not very harmonlously
of course, but it's all the same. They
sent an habItual topper to he legisla
ture. His associates perpetrated (
joke by putting him on the committee
"to regulate the liquor traffic"
Yours Very Truly,
8. @. BUNsTINE.
Hon. G. F. Clark Ia home from JEFF