The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1899-05-28
ARDMoRE AS AN EXAMPLE.
The Story OF Her Incorporation rOIS
Abroad BY One of Her People.

The Story OF Her Incorporation Told
Abroad BY One of Her People.
In recent visit to Muskogee our
townsman, w. B. Johnson, had oc-
casion to be at South McAlester.
That town 10 on the fence rs whether
or not to incorporate. The Capital
reporter swooped down on Mr.. John
son for an interview on the subject
of incorporation and this is the,story:
1t was Thackeray who said what
ever is popular deserves attention"
Incorporation-non-incorporation the
twain are popular and people are
giving it more than usual attention.
Tuesday night at the mass meeting
held in this town, the city of Ard
more was cited so frequently as being
opposed to incorporation and fight
ing to get the charter amended.
Yesterday Hon. W. B. Johnson,
district attorney for the southern
district and prominent citizen of
k.rdmore &C me down from Musko-
gee. Having in mind the heated
discussion of the night before at the
court house in which Ardmore and
its alleged municipal entanglements
bore such a conspicuous part the
Capital representative interviewed
Mr.. Johnson with the following
results:
How long have you lived at Ard
more?
Nine years.
Are you interested in property
there?
Yes, to a considerable extent. /
am connected with parties who were
opposed to Incorporation like the oil
mill people and really the largest
real estate owners in the town,-the
bank, | represented them-fought
incorporation in the court.
What we're your individual views
as to the desirability of incorporat-
ing the town.
At the time we thought it would
injure the town by the rate of taxa
ton that necessarily follows in
new town; thought that it would be
ruinous to property interests there.
For that reason, among other reasons
we fought incorporation.
You acting as attorney?
Acting as attorney for them.
Since that time, mT. Cruce and
Judge Potter acted for them also in
opposing it. incorporation has been
in existence now for nearly a year,
and we have never paid a dollar of
any class of taxation except occupa-
ton tax. The streets have been put
in good repair, sanitary measures
have been enforced and carried out,
we have fire protection and all such
things as that.
What has been the effect upon the
public health ?
There is no question but what
there has been great Improvement.
You say the condition of the
streets has been greatly improved?
You would not recognize them as
luS 6dnC blEcSlS.
What has been the effect with
reference to the rate of insurance
The rate of Insurance has been
reduced wonderfully. 1 don't know
exactly how much. 1t seems to me
like it has been reduced One-third,
anyway. My opinion is that the
differences in the rate of taxation
that we will have to pay, especially
on frame buildings.
And on merchandise and stocks
that may be in them, queried the
reporter?
Yes.
Have there been any recent
demonstrations of the benefits of the
fire protection they have there?
Yes, we have small fires every
once in a while. About two or three
weeks ago we had fire there-two
box buildings. One of them had a
millinery stock in it, which everyone
knows is very inflamable. The fire
caught in that and tie other was a
emma store, with brlck buildings on
either side of them. The fire was
confined to those two buildings,
when everyone thought it would
burn the whole block. The fire even
got in the roof of the brick building,
and they put it out. In the third
story of the Masonic hall a fire was
discovered, and it would have been
impossible TO extlnguish it except
by the hose used by the fire depart
ment. 1t was drawn up there and
the fire extinguished without any
damage whatever except by water.
Was the Masonic Hall in a valua-
bic block?
The mcst valuable in town. The