Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-11-27
WONDERFUL development.
ind Emigrants Are Coming
From Every State.

GUTHRIE, o. T., Nov. 2s.-(Special.)
Abundant crops and splendid opportunities
are inducing heavy immigration to Okla
homa this year. This is evidenced by the
unusual demands made upon the railroads,
the heavy investments Of farming lands
and the rush to people new towns. Every
community in the territory has witnessed
during the past twelve months a growth
In population, and in most of them invest
ments OF capital for permanent improve
inentS have been made. While this has
been going on in the old settled communi-
ties, new neighborhoods have not lacked
either inhabitants or money. All OF the
railroads operating into the territory from
The states bring heavy immigration and
their regular homesteaders' excursion
trains are always crowded.
Charles NJ. Crocker, one of the apprais-
erS OF the school land leasing department.
mas just returned from an ofhcial trip over
He visited Canadian, kingfsher, Dewey,
Woods. Washita and Grant counties, and
reports what he denominates marvellous
growth In population.
The stretch OF land between Cantone-
ment and Selling, in Dewey county. is oc-
cupied almost exclusively by the Indians as
OF Selling and extending for thirty miles
the country is as thickly settled as Is Lo-
gan county, in which Guthrie is located.
Among the new settlers former Nebraskans
are In considerable majority, but Kan
Sas, Missouri, Iowa, and, in fact. all of the
Missourl valley, are represented. The
dustrlous and ambitious class of citizens
who are setting in to develop the lands
which now are not under development.
Settlers also are leasing the Indian al
lotment lands along the Canadian river and
making improvements upon them. l was
told by the agent out there that from eish-
" to ninety acres CT this land has been
leased during the last TWO months. The
whites lease It at from SIS to SIS per acre
In dae Town TOW OF Selling is less than two years
oid; put 1t is live and prosperous. and
Will be a permanent, community
ihe Old expression applied to towns and
SltlesInthey have grown up in a day." may
oe applied with literal truthfulness to more
than one Oklahoma community. During the
present year three towns have been added
to the list of Oklahoma cities of the first
class In less than a year, Weatherfield.
| in the short grass region of Custer coun.
| ", SpranS from corn field to a busy,
bustlinS town of more than 900 inhab-
itants- The other towns which have be-
come cities of the first class are Ponca
City and saltwater. The former is located
| on the strip" which was opened to set
/ dement only six years ago, and Still
effected without the aid and impetus which
railroad is able to give. The new East
ern Oklahoma road IS now headed toward
| Saltwater.
| sprung up with the railroad extension
! Weatherford came into existence when the
Rock Issland built into Western Oklahoma
| CARRIER and Billings, two of the Rock ISL
| and towns in Oklahoma which are less than
| month old, have become busy places, to
which there is yet a heavy immigration
| Both have permanent business Institutions
| and newspapers.
| The CARRIER Trumpet tells of a person
| in that new town who kept diary of one
| early weeks events and condensed them IN
| readable form. The record may not be
| strictly accurate, but it is interesting:
| Sunday, a free for all fight: Monday night,
| local fights; Tuesday, straight Knockout;
also horse play at night: Wednesday night,
| free Tor all, and everybody took a hand; !;
| Thursday evening. local tights and every
body was happy; Friday light scraps; Sat
| urday, Nce-slapping and all games post
pOned: Sunday night, all prayed for for
| giveness ending In a pitched battle Total
results of the week. one broken leg. one
| shot in the leg and bruised faces and black
| eyes too numerous to mention"
Campbell, an Eastern Oklahoma railroad
| town. in Payne county, Is to be opened to
settlement tomorrow. An excursion was
planned for the day, which, necessarily
| has been postponed, because the wet
weather of last week delayed work on the
| new road. The town lots are to be sold at
| auction by the townsite company SO that
there will be no rush features, such as
| mark the opening of Indian lands to white
| settlement. Reservations have been made
on the townsite for school and church pur-
| poses. The same system will prevail in
the settlement of Iowa City and other
towns on the new road.