The Topeka state journal., 1899-10-23
A TOWN ON WHEELS.
White Rock, Okla, Moved to a
New Town Site.

St. Louis, Oct. 23.-A. Perry, Okla,
special to the Globe-Democrat dated
yesterday says:
White Rock, a town of 400 inhab-
itants, located twenty-five miles north
west of Perry, is on wheels today. The
town was located in the midst of a very
fine farming section, and has nearly
doubled in population and business dur
ing the past year, but a new railroad
came near it and located a depot four
miles away, and the old town was COM
PEELED to move to the new.
Three months ago the Rock Island
people commenced surveying a branch
road from North Enid to a point in
Bunch Creek township, in the north
western portion of this county, twenty
eight miles from Perry. 1t was not till
five days ago the exact spot that the
new town would be built on was known;
neither was the name of the new town
known to any save three or four men.
Saloon men a month ago advertised
and procured license to sell liquor in
the new town, when its name was made
known, and its location was ascertain
ed. In all, licenses have been granted
to fifteen saloon men. Two bank char
ters have been granted, and the bank
buildings are ready to move on the new
town site the moment a lot can be Sc
cured.
Today White Rock is all on wheels
and tomorrow morning, at o'clock, the
hour that the first lots will be thrown
on the market for sale, the whole town
will move on the new town site and be-
gin business. The old town moved
miles, and, as this dispatch is being
written, fifteen business houses, nearly
100 dwellings, the pOstOffice two hotels
and nearly every house in the town of
| White Rock are on wheels, near the new
townsite.
I For some time the old town concluded
to fight the new one. and it was only
last Thursday, when it became known
that the pOstOff1ce department at Wash
ingtO had ordered the pOstofice at
White Rock discontinued and a new
pOstOffice established at Billings the
new town, that the people, seeing the
railroad had stolen their postoffice,
gave up, commenced loading their wares
on wagons and began to move to Bill
ings, the new terminal town, which
viii be born tomorrow morning at six
o'clock.
At this writing there is not a single
person, save surveyors, on the town
site of Billings, but twenty hours from
this moment it is safe to predict that
there will be 5000 inhabitants in the
new town, a sufficient number to make
a city of the first class. Billings is
thirty miles east of Enid on the Rock
Island railroad, and twenty-eight miles
from Perry.
A gentleman of this city who came
from near the new tOwnsite today, says
within twelve hours after the new town
| is open there will be 300 houses on the
| toWnstte, besides 1 900 tents. Last night
at o'clock Postmaster c. r. Higdon
of White Rock, got his postoffice build
! ing on wheels, and today he is distribut-
ing the mail while moving to the new
townsite. He says by o'clock tomor-
row he will have the postoffice located
in the new town and ready to serve the
patrons of the postoffice with mail as
! heretofore.
Captain c. Harry Thompson, United
/ States marshal of Oklahoma; Judge
Wesley Taylor and James NJ Taylor,
of Perry, are the chief promoters of the
new town. The cashiers of the two
! banks which have been chartered for
| the new town say they will be ready for
| business tomorrow at noon.