The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-05-12
Of HAMMERS
Is Heard at the New Rock
Island Terminal Town.
CALLED MOUNTAIN VIEW
Grows Like a Mushroom But
Solid as a Rock.

Mountain View, o. T., May 10.-To the
Editor of the Eagle: The child is born
and it's name is Mountain View. The long
and painful agony is over-the long ana
painful fight between Kinman's govern
ment townsite and three or four would-be
town spectators, who represented them
selves to be agents for the Rock Island
railroad and induced homesteaders near
the new depot to make final proof on their
lands, but leasing the claims for three
years to make sure no one else could out
bid or get possession of the land when
decided. This complicated matters consid-
erably. Friends Of the government town.
site entered protests and contests for the
purpose of annoyance; whilst mixed up in
this townsite Jackpot" the wel-known
business men and capitalists of e. Reno,
T. z. Hickey. Fred H. Wright, Clarence
w .Kerfoot, John S. Kerfoot, Jr., Hon.
George w. Bellamy, 2. E. Blake. DR.. H.
L. Nicholson and others slipped up to
Guthrie, obtained a lease from the terri
torial school board on a quarter section
Of school land, for the especial purpose of
trade and traffic. Monday morning the
above-named gentlemen appeared on the
ground with C. C. Brown, county sur
veyor of Canadian county, and immediate
~ proceeded to business. Piles of lumber
were on the ground before the first line
had been established and the long-looked-
for music of saw and hammer commenced
before the first block was outlined In the
meantime they went down in their pockets
and wired the Progress to get out a daily
sheet, contracted for a ferry across the
Washita river. which was completed Tues
day about the time the new daily was
out.
The Rock Island railroad will erect a
steel bridge across the river within a
weeks time. The editor Of the Progress
spent about twenty minutes on the ground
and ascertained that the Bonebrake Hard
ware company, Of the west, had material
loaded to put up store building with 70
feet frontage, which will be filed at once
Mr. Wright will erect a building and es-
tablish. a bank. The Kerfoots will put up
I their own buildings and fill them with
fine stocks of goods. Mr.. Bellamy win
not be behind with his building and stock
of drugs. Mr. Blake will build law Of
flee and DR.. Nicholson dental headquar-
with their lumber yard Several other
yards are scattered around in the woods.
Yates & Eaton, old Indian traders at
Oakdale. will move their buildings and
business on the grounds, and of course
they can't do without the Progress plant
The above is but a half days work, for
the parties came on the noon train and
did nothing until after dinner.
There is some dissatisfaction and great
disappointment by men who have been
holding down other localities but the very
liberal inducements offered by the new
company In the way of location, price Of
lots. etc, with the vim and push of true
western men, will undoubtedly heal all
old townsite sores. But we can't help but
regret the neat manner in which we were
all scooped.
(SignedO D. c. PRICE.
Ell Rero, O. T., May 1.-THE greatest
BODYBUILDING record in Oklahoma has
been won by Mountain View, Washita
county Monday the townsite was prai-
RE. The same day it was surveyed and
plated and large portion of it sold and
settled upon. Washita river was bridged
and a vast amount of accumulated freight
was moved and located. The tpwn was
organized and Differed and all lines of
business and professions started in lines
of organized society. The town in one
day became a city Of nearly 500, with
W. T. V. Yates as mayor, Senator G.
w Bellamy as treasurer and Colonel John
Kerfoot as police judge, with full COM
plement Of councilmen and minor officers
/ of an organized town. Some of the lots
sold as high as $500 within thirty minutes
from the time the surveyor drove his
stakes. Mountain View is the western
terminus of the Rock Island extension
across the Comanche and Apache country
and Is in the Washita valley at the foot
of the mineral bearing Washita noun
tains. Scores of settlers had been camp
ed along the Washita river waiting for
the location of this mining town of Ok
lahoma, and when the location became
fixed the stampede bgan.