Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-09-24
OKLAH MAS GROWTH
Rapid Rise of This Comparatively New Ter
ritoy.
Annual Report of Gov. Barnes to the
Secretary of the InteriOr-A
Story of Progress.

4
| Okla homa territory has been sent by the
| governor, c. NJ. Barnes, to the Secretary
| OF the Interior. At the outset the gov
| ernor states that the year ended June 30
| 1893, was one of progress, prosperity and
| development never before equaled in the
| history OF the states and territories of the
| United states. The population aggregates
| a thlrd OF million. and the governor SAYS
| that the people who are largely engaged
IN agriculture are prosperous and content
| ca producing crops that astonish the world.
! The present population Of the territory
! is 81 400, gain of IL per cent in two
years But the enumeration taken by the
township assessors has always been found
| to be much less than the actual popula-
| ton, as they miss almost all of the trans
| lent population of the towns and cities
| VINO do not list property for taxation. and
IL is therefore reasonably certain that the
| population of the territory at this time is
| fully third of a million.
Taxable Property
The return Of property for taxation in
! the territory for the year 1Sas aggregated
| Sfo62"sl6, an increase of $3.50 064 over
| last year.
| The total bonded debt of Oklahoma ter
| r1tory is but $4,000, incurred in 1891 IN
| erect buildings for the higher institutions
| OF learning. In addition to this the terri
III
warrant Indebtedness of 1851. $50 81 which
| mad accumulated from casual deficits in
| tue revenues from year to year since the
p1lEanizatoa Of the territory, the deficit
| beng caused by failure to collect a large
percentage of the taxes levied
Mine. and Minerals.
while there are Indications of valuable
| mineral deposits in various parts Of tho
| territory, there has been as vet but IittIa
| practical development of mineral resourcas
OF oklahoma. There is no longer any
doubt OF the existence of coal in commercial
! quantities in the territory Coal mas been
mir ed and marketed for over year at
fsalston, Pawnee county, and several fine
! peas OF a good quality of soft ooal are
Known TO exist in the Usage Indian raser-
vaucf. 1here are also outcroppfns veins
| IN eastern Pawnee and PAYNE countries ana
Two GOOD veins have been struck by we'll
dflIiefs near Gushing There are ontcror-
pings IN Lincoln county, near Orlando II,
logan county, and in the Kiowa and Co
HIahcne reservation, and a lump of coal
weighing $500 pounds from Pottavatonoia
county, Is attracting much attention AT the
omaha exposition. being a surprise even
10 me visitors from the territory. There
are Hch deposits of coal all along the Creek
reservation line. and the ChoctaW railway
| IS supplying thousands of tons of the best
| tory. '''ii
oklahoma in the War.
The governor continues:
Long before the actual declaration of
war with Spain I began receiving letters
| from patriotic citizens of tbe tArri+o-,,
| offering their services in defense of rba
ration. and almost simultaneously with the
oFening OF hostiltties the militia companies
all oHered to volunteer and my mail was
loaded down with offers to enlist under the
nag OF freedom. In the first call for trooDs
We We're accorded but one troop of cavalry
or special mounted riflemen. and so great
was the rush to enlist that a regiment
could have been filled as readily as was the
troop. "
After a rigid examination eighty men
were mustered in to become a mart If tho
Isl regiment of United States Volunteer
cavalry, since become famous as Reese
NeIts Rough Riders The list of names of
officers commissioned for this troop and the
men mustered are appended.
These brave sons of Oklahoma were
among the first American troops to land on
cuban soil, and they were in the thick of
tne ray at HI Caney and La Quasina and
acquitted themselves with honor. When
the gallant Capt. Capron (who had been
resident of Oklahoma for years and the
nfst 10 volunteer to raise a regiment in the
territory fell. the brave boys of Oklahoma
and indian territory were close about and
dashing forward helped put the Spaniards
to rout Many were wounded in these
fights before Santiago and several gave nm
their lives, but they shall live long In the
memory of the people of the territory who
honor them all for their patriotism and
their bravery.
Indians.
THE number of Indians in Oklahoma at
this time is 1903. They are under the
care of five different agencies.
Contrary to the general opinion that the
Indians are passing away, nearly every one
of these tribes is gradually increasing in
numbers.
The sun and ghost dances and other
savage rites are gradually passing away,
less time spent in wholesale visiting and
riotous feasting, and more in farming and
other industries, pciygamy being stamped
out and the women more or less emancipat-
ed from the slavish life Of the past. The
Indians as a whole are quiet and law-abid-
irg. and the courts officers of the law
have had little or no real trouble with
them in the history of the territory.
Statehood.
Since the passage of the Curtis bill
changing TO some extent the status of the
five civilized tribes and apparently post
poning the question Of statehood therein
for several years, the sentiment in Okla
homa is somewhat stronger for immediate
statehood than when l made my last re-
port. All political parties have this year
declared in favor of statehood upon such
terms and with such boundaries as may
seem best to Congress"