El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-12-22
OKLAHOMA AND STATEHOOD.

OkLhnOMh AND SIhIEnOOD.
Gov. Barnes Tells Why the Territory
Should Be Taken In.
Seated in an easy chair in the lobby
of the Planters yesterday afternoon,
says the Globe Democrat, Gov. Barnes
entertained q circle of friends with
stories of Oklahoma's greatness.
"Why," said he, 1--WE have the mate
rial for a state equal in area to Ohio,
and 9 population of $50, 900, of whom 80
per cent. are of the Angle-Saxon race.
| Our citizenship was drawn from the
| best elements of the neighboring
states, and that is one reason why we
raises everything that grows in the
temperate zone, and the prospects for
next years. crops, by the way. are bet
ter than ever. The farms are we'll i'm
proved with buildings of all kinds, and
stocked with the best cattle and horses
to be had. Travellers tell US that there
is very little difference between our
country and the best part of eastern
Kansas.
1--WE have school system consisting
OF 26, 900 school districts, each with q
first class sch DOL house, and four high
er institutions, with an average at
tendance of about $50 students each.
These higher institutions are the Uni
versity of Oklahoma, at Norman; the
Normal school, at Edmond; the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical college, at
Still water, and the new Northwestern
normal, at Alva. The last entioned
ia in that part of the territory former
ly known AZ the Cherokee Strip and
q building is now nearing completion
there thai will cost S86, 600, and will be
the finest of it's kind west of the Mis-
sissippi river.
''All of the towns of the territory did
splendid business this year, and
many improvements of substantial
liar thing you will notice about Okla
homs," continued the governor, in
answer to q question put by an eastern
man concerning the nature of the
building, etc., land that ia that nearly
all the building being done there is OF
q permanent character. It is not put
up for today, to be abandoned tomor-
row. In the principal cities we have
fine brick and stone blocks that would
do credit to any community.
Manufacturing in Oklahoma is yet
in it's infancy. New cotton congresses
and cotton-seed oil mills we're built
last year at Oklahoma City and Guth-
RE, while plants of the same charsc-
ter have been in operation for that
time at Eirino and Norman. One of
the greatest industries of the territory
is cattle-rsising. and packing houses
could be made to pay In any OF the i'm
portant towns. We also raise great
many hogs, and the stations along the
Santa Fe road, I understand, ship on an
average four cars of hogs each per
day.
I'm the matter of railroads. the ra-
pid growth OF the territory and its
marvellous development made the
needs of certain lines imperative. We
and south lines, and the greatest need
ia for more branches and cross lines.
The Sapulpa road is already proving .
great blessing, and when the gap be-
tween Little Rock and Wister juno
tion is filed, which will be very soon,
the ChOctaw road will have through
line from Memphis to Weatherford,
way out in the western edge OF the
territory. A branch OF the Missouri |
Pacific. which At present does not en-
ter the territory, should be built from |
Coffeyville to either Guthrie or Okla |
homa City, and would prove a paying |
all around"
Gov. Barnes, although in favor of |
statehood on any terms, believes that |
the Indian territory should be includ-
ed in Oklohoma in the new state. In
inc lnolan territory are about 6OO, OOO
people, and taxable property much |
greater than that of Oklahoma, were it |
not for the fact that much of the land |
Is 80 tied up with treaties with the In |
dams as to be non-taxable. In the In |
dian Territory, also, are many elements
which Oklahoma does not possess, not
ably minerals, coal, tim Der, etc. which |
Gov. Barnes thinks would just fit in to
make one magnificent state. He is in
favor of one big state in preference to
two moderate-sized ones.