The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1898-12-12
WEST ON OKLAHOMA.
Visitor to the Territory Sings
the Praises Of People and
Climate.

| writing 10 you again. Inc most notlcable
matter to the visitor here is the vast
amount OF Improvement made in so short
a time. only nine years ago all this broad
territory was as Wild as the wilderness
where the wild Indian wooed his dusky
mate" and now 1t would require volumes
to describe the extent OF progress.
-Four main lines of railroad, twenty
two cities Of from 1000 to 1900 Inhabitants
each, and hundreds Of thriving villages
give an idea of what Oklahomans have
done. Most of the land is very produc-
tive. but I'm some portions are sand hills
and poor soil In the northern part OF
Oklahoma the soil is a black prairie. deep
and rich. Though 1 have travelled over
many western states ] nave never seen
more beautiful prairie land than that IN
Grant and Kay counties. In Cleveland
and Pottawatomie counties in the ex-
treme south some sandy land is found,
but It ali seems wonderfully productive.
Cotton and wheat were the principal crops
town that has not got an acre or more
closely packed with cotton bales In fact
the first start of town here is a cotton
gin. The visitor is amazed at the amount
of the feecy product, seemingly enough
to supply all America. Here at okla City
and at Shawnee are piles OF cotton seed
| each one three or four times as large
as the Ozark court house This is rough
estimate but not far from wrong. At
Guthrie a few days ago 2,4OO tons cotton
seed burst the sides of the huge shed con
tanning it. The oil will be pressed out of
al OF this and the resld fed to cattle. In
addition of cotton immense crops Of wheat
can not hold he present crop, and the
railroads con not supply cars to Raul It
away fast enough. Oklahoma has a good
corn crop too. except in some of the nor
thern counties A very short trip In nny
direction from here will show thousands Of
acres of corn usually cut up in shocks.
Kaffir corn is favorite feed and here
is a vast amount of It all over the ter
ritory. The important question In most
SO much feed? venture the assertion
that there Is at least double the amount
of stock feed here than can be consumed
by the stock nere before grass comes. 1t
appears to me like this: That the farmer
plants a good acreage of corn and f!en,
as he hasn't so many relatives to visit us
he used 70 have in the states, time hangs
heavy on his hands and he plants ten or
twelve acres of Kanir corn. Then the
land plows so smoothly, there is never a
rock or rot in the way, the farmer boy
would rather plow than play base bail.
"The latter idea may be incorrect, but,
at any rate / did not see any boys play
ing base ball and saw hundreds plowlng
and hundreds more hauling wheat corn
and cotton TO town. There are but few
cattle here among the farmers and the
prices are consequently high. 1 have
seen a few punches" of a thousand or
so, but not nearly enough to consume the
surplus feed
Land here is not so cheap as one might
expect. but then land that will produce 30
or 40 bushels Of wheat TO the acre. ought
to command a fair price. A claim Of 16OI
acres fairly improved can be bought for
5000 to 81, 600. a real good. 1s0 well i'm
proved, vii bring from 5000 to 1900. I
visited V. Walker, a former principal OF
the Ozark school and found him a pros
porous farmer owning one Of the best
farmes in saltwater county. This was
pecan land and the young trees had to be
grubbed up to permit plowing. Though
his corn yield is so bushels per acre this
year l believe he would have done still
better. in the long run, to have kept his
pecan grove and market the nuts.
"At Kingnsher 1 had a joyous greeting
from your correspondent and our old
nelghbor, j. NJ Rice. At Enid, 1 drove
out eleven miles TO see our genal friend,
Pone Collins, finding him the owner Of
one OF the finest larmes have seen here.
with lis acres Of growing wheat. We had
a good visit and at night some hotly con-
tested games Of chess. Mrs. Collins and
Lena had shed some gloomy tears. they
said, when they first saw their new home
la year and a half ago with the illimitable
prairie all about them and never tree
to be seen. only grass and sky and few
houses dotted against the distant land
scape Now they have a delightful land
and plenty OF neighbors. their new gran
ary is fun OF golden wheat a village and
an academy are building close by them.
Fortune smiles and all are happy. This
country IS noted for good roads. Every
section line Is open and all roads are
never less than 60 feet wide. Sometimes
there are stretches II sand but usually
he roads are solid and smooth. have
wished hundred times for my own good
buggy team 10 drive here. A livery man
VIII charge you three dollars a day for
a span Of scrawny ponies and ratt.e-
trap buggy. find a great many Mis-
sourlans here and a bright. enterprisine
class of people generally. as we would
rghtfully expect, since none but enter
prislng people break away from old as
sociations and pitch their tents on th'