The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1900-12-28
FROM OKLAHOMA.
.. s. Taylor Describes she Conditions ana
she People ss Re Finds Them in THAT
PromislnE New Country.

k4E People E8 he Finds Them in That
Promising New Country.
J. S. Taylor, better known in sher.
man county as Smoky Taylor, writes
the f0lloEing letter to TIE REPUBLIC
from diego, Payne county, Ok, where
he has located, having left this county
oyer a year ago. The letter follows:
after q years residence in OklahO-
ma I sit down to give you my impress
si01s Of the territory, its climate, re-
sources, people, natural productions,
ana possibilities
The northern part Of the territory
called sthe strip for short-has a gen
eral appearance resembling Western
kansas, though there is less Of buffalo
grass, and more blue stem; but in this,
Payne county. the country is diversi
6sd With forests Of black jack, hickory,
psrsimmon, and occasionally a few
trees Of the kind Noah is supposed to
have built the ark out of. l. e., chittim
wood. Walnut has mostly disappeared,
and the better part Of most Of the 9th
CT timber, though there is sufficient
for the needs OF the territory for many
years to come. If it is not wasted and
properly cared for.
"As for climate, you pay your money
and take your CHOICE the territory be-
ing like all countries in this latitude
and altitude, the worst features being
the sudden changes from bright sunny
skies to rain, mist and mud, IN the
summer, to the same in winter-with
snow added; no excessively cold wealth
CT, but damp and penetrating, and try
ing to persons with weak lungs, and
bronchial affections, especially after
an extended sOjourn in the climate Of
western Kansas.
HAs stock county, compared with
Sherman county, it is not in it. in
this part, as all stock have to be fed
not less than six months in the year,
and sometimes more, and then do net
look as we'll as the buffalo grass fed
cattle OF your county. My advice to
cattle raisers is, not to come here, but
to stick to buffalo grass and northwest
ern Kansas, as the short pasture, cold |
rains, and length Of feeding season, |
make all the difference between profit |
and loss.
"a larger diversity of crops exists |
here than with you, including castor
beans, cotton and peanuts, which give 1
the farmer better chance to turn his I
labor into money than up there. How
ever, with all these advantages, there !
is the disadvantage that teamwork /
drags along all the year around, and /
the lazy, negligent, OF unlucky person
has q crop Of weeds in place Of pro-
duce, while it is only by eternal vigil
lenes that crab grass can be kept in
check.
aAs a fruit country, this territory
has q grand future. A large majority /
of farmers have put out orchards, and
with the exception Of peaches, the
greater part is Of the best varieties, (
and even of the latter, large quantities
are Of the best budded and grated /
fruit.
"The people are, as a class, on a par
WITH those who settled with western /
fact a large proportion of
them were formerly Of the sunf1ower
state.
school houses loom up in all direc-
tons, and churches dot the landscape,
while on every hand is the evidence of /
thrift and industry. Towns are thriv-
ing and all business is on the boom,
though it is well to say that few lines
offer very strong inducements for the
further crowding-
POLITICALLY, leaving out all local is
sues, the territory is fusion, though as
you are aware from reading the papers. /
the republicans carried it this fall on
the gratitude and statehood questions, |
the people believing a fusionist would /
not have much influence with the Nc
Kinley administration; while if Bryan /
was elected their rights would be re-
spected and the claims Of the territory /
on equitable lines without re
gard for politics"
Install Omoers.
The Masonic bodies held a joint in