The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-08

Bank Commissioner Pugh
Tells of Oklahoma.
HER MARVELLOUS GROWTH
Not Matched in All the Pages
of History.

Shawnee, 0. T., Dec. THE following
paper was read today before the bankers
convention by Bank Commissioner John
NJ. Pugh:
To the members of the Oklahoma Bank
ers' Association:
The opportunity, upon an occasion OF
this kind. to address your association is
a very high compliment, and if I should
say something to you upon the conditions
and the issues which more directly at the
present time interest the territory of Ok
lahoma and the people of our country, 1
hope that it will not be considered as a
| political issue, but as something not OF
| particular interest to the members of this
association alone, but of interest to ev-
eTybody that the members OF this asso-
! citation chose to serve.
: The banking interests of our country
| are nearest TO the hearts of our people,
directly, than any other one interest but
members of our association have been as
| signed to write papers on these interests
| and I have tbeen assigned a general sub
| ject so if my remarks seem inappropriate,
1 trust that you will consider them in
the spirit in which they are intended My
marks Will, therefore, be upon the general
! development and prospects of this terri
| tory
This is an era of general expansion not
of the United States, but of all the pro-
gressive countries of the globe. There is
a general REIMBURSEMENT of nations more
forcible and pronounced than has been for
| nearly a century. when the present limi-
tations and relations Of Europe were
made.
Now at the beginning of another cen
tury the same restlessness Is on, and the
activity of every country that has power
stunned toward the Orient as the next
great theater for the accumulated forces
of civilization to have play. In this pro-
gress Of commercial conquest towards the
East this country is getting and will get
more than its share. 1t is this largely
that has made the present era Of pros
perity in this country. In this prosper
ity of the country Oklahoma can claim
more than it's share. Oklahoma itself is
the result of expansion. Here was a
country wild and waste, which is now
teeming with the arts and results of in
dustry. When Kansas desired to visit
Texas it had to go around or run the
danger of being held-up going through,
while Arkansas anr New Mexico could |
not visit each other at ALL east or west |
Here was spot that was hinderance to |
the surrounding states and it was neces-
sary to grub it out and SOW it with the |
seeds Of science art and commerce. This |
has been rome Ten years have made |
Oklahoma equal to 300 years in the east. |
Population, wealth and culture were |
brought here by the trtinfoad and unload |
ed on the border in palace cars This |
was the necessity and result of expansion. |
But whatever has been done jim the ten
years, the last two years have been the |
most prosperous-have been the most ex-
pansive.
The population of the territory will be
shown by the census to have reached
100000. It has increased half hundred
thousand in the last year. Every portion
Of the territory is getting its share but
the Cheyenne and Arapahoe country
greater portion because of the lands open
for settlement. That country is full of
prairie schooners' from the eastern
states filed with substantial citizens
seeking locations.
Our school population has reached
115,000 an increase OF 1900 over last year.
This gives Oklahoma a greater school
population than the number of voters in
Arizona. For the growth of the educa-
tional institutions. Woods county is an
ago, it now has 226 school districts, which
means that number of school teachers
needed. There are more school districts
in Woods county alone than in some other
states
The Normal school at Alva has S25 pu-
pills enrolled. a greater number than has
any other educational institution in the
territory. This being the schools first
year in a building built for Western Ok
lahoma, where the population is supposed
to be sparse, in a county organized in a
new territory but six years ago. cannot
but show what advancement a territory
like our has made
Our Agricultural and Mechanical Col
lege at Saltwater. our next greatest terri
torial institution. has 200 students, which
is an increase of So per cent in the last
year; the increase OF the number of stu
dents at our university at Norman and
our Normal school at Edmond show about I
the same per cent.
The assessed valuation OF the territory
this year is $500, o0o. an increase OF So
100000 over last year our bonded in
de5tedness is but $4,000. which was in
Cured for the building of colleges and
other educational Institutions. There is
enc county in the territory Of New Mex
ico that has three times greater in
deotedness than 5osh the bonded and un-
bonded debt Of our entire territory. Our
variants and bonds are IN demand at
premium, where two years ago they event
begging at IS cents. IN this respect there
has been a most flat:e-ing change in our
territory. Instead Of being feared. our
securities are eagerly sought after by
aa stern investors
During these two years the number Of
Our banks has almost doubled and their
deposits have more than doubled There
has been ouut in Oklahoma "a miles OF
new railroad. Twenty charters for new
reads. with capitalization of S25.eos. 90
have been taken out We have a. the
present between 80 ana 60 miles Of rail-
road in operation. which VIII undoubtedly
be- nearly doubled within the ne,a two
wears.