The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-12-21
THE ADVANCE OF OKLAHOMA.


The most remarkable growth of a
territory is that of Oklahoma, which
by the recent census has a population
of 39S, 900. This is all growth of the
past eleven years. The territory is
knocking at the doors of congress for
admission as a state, and it is not
likely that it can be long put off. It
has more rights to statehood than
Nevada ever had, and once admitted
will always be one of the progressive
states of the union. 1t is probable that
when Oklahoma is admitted to state
hood, provision will be made for add
ing Indian Territory to it when that
section is already to be admitted into
the union.
In his annual report Gov. Barnes, of
Oklahoma, says that the assessed valu-
alton of the property of the territory
in 1900 in round figures was $40, 600, :
900, an increase of Sc, 900, 900 over that
of 1899. There is yet left within the
limits of,the territory 6,OOO 900 acres
of public lands subject to entry. The
assessed valuation returned represents
an actual value. of $135, 900, 600 of pro-
perty.
The value of the products of her
farms, mines and factories in the fiscal
year aggregate 81, 0OO She has
100, 900 enrolled in her public
schools and 2, 900 in the higher institu-
tions of learning. This is good show
ing for a young territory. In COM
menting upon the powerful argument
they make for statehood, the ST. Louis
Globe Democrat says:
These are so me of the superficial
facts in connection with the locality
which was not opened to settlement
until 1889 and which was not organic
ed into territory until 1890. Until
eleven years ago Oklahoma was vir-
tually a vacant spot on the map.
Eager pioneers had been p eering into
Oklahoma for year before 1889, and
some of them-Payne, Couch and many
others-crossed its boundaries and es-
tablished settlement in it, but they
were ousted by the United States
troops, and it was made practically
vacant land, as before. A minute be-
fore noon of April %, 1889, the instant
of the opening, there was not single
inhabitant in Oklahoma. 1t contained
90, 900 inhabitants by shutdown. on
that day. Such deluge had never
been seen before since the world be-
gan
lone of the most remarkable features
of Oklahoma S growth is its symmetry
and solidity. At O'Clock on the
afternoon of that opening day bank
with 500, 900 capital was established in
a tent in Guthrie, a town which be-
gan to peep out of the prairies few
minutes earlier On hundreds of
thousands of acres wheat began to be
sown that afternoon. Scores of towns
were staked out before sunset. Schools
and chur ches began to make their APP
pearance the next day. Just month
after the opening day a convention
met at Guthrie with the intention of
forming provisional government.
Twelve months after the opening
Presid ent Harrison put his signature
to the bill creating the territory of
Oklahoma. The territory which had
81, 900 inhabitan is in 1890 has 1913, 900
in 190O-or rather, had that many on
June 1 this year. The population has
passed the 400, 900 mark by this time.
Nothing in Arabia tales of enchant-
ment surpasses the peopling of the
prairies and forests of Oklahoma =