The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1900-12-28

Much mas been written In the % asst
few years regarding Oklahoma and
the Indian Territory calculated to ex-
cite the interest of the public, and so
decided to take advantage of the
holiday season and take look at the
country.
Accompanied by my entire family I
took the train the morning of the 10Th,
arriving in Wichita at l 20 l found
that a new train had been put on the
Rock Island road leaving that city at
$40 for the South, instead of having
to wait until night as heretofore, en-
abling parties to reach all points as
far south as Chicasha in the early
evening, reaching Kingfsher at S:2O
where we made our first stop.
The city is showing remarkable ac-
tivity in all mercantile lines and in
building. The improvements are now
taking on substantial appearance,
pred mating in brick.
The principle farm product is wheat
the yield having been very heavy
this year. Corn has also done ex-
tremely we'll, running up to 50 bushels
TO the acre when well cared for. Cot
ton and tobacco do we'll but are not
planted much owing to the difficulty of
getting hands to handle it as the MAX
ing of these crops involves large
amount of hand labor.
In this city we found several old
Kansas friends. Louis Wolfe, form
erly of Larned. was closing out his
large stock of merchandise and SAYS
he is undecided whether to stock up
again or go to some of the new towns
farther south. Amos Ewing is wear
ing plug hat and is universally ad-
dressed as Judge. His hair Is getting
gray and he looks the substantial,
prosperous citizen. He has law and
insurance business in connection with
Bob Lyle, formerly of Larned, and is
coal oil inspector. 1t is reported that
he is TO resign shortly, but this report
is probably the result of the wishes of
those who would like his job and will
not materialize.
Among the growing features of this
city the Congregational college must
not be overlooked. The institution is
the result of the brains and labor of
a few energetic young men who showed
their faith in the future when five
years ago they turned the first sod on
a beautiful site ON the hill just east of
! the city when the total capital in hand
to start the enterprise was just $50.
They now have buildings representing
| 1926. ZOO, a hundred students, and an
Indebtedness of only $14OO, which they
expect their friends will wipe Out dur
| ing the Christmas season.
The Kingfisher College Concert and
| Mand Olin club, composed of about
twenty young men, travels over the
country giving concerts and advertis-
ing the college. We had the pleasure
OF hearing them one evening. They
we're just starting out and have not
got into full ewing, and the first time
they sang l was reminded of the old
sign in a western saloon, "Don's shoot
the fiddler, he is doing the best he
can" After they got warmed up they
did better and gave us as fine an ex
hibitiOn OF college glee club work as
have ever heard.
| Sunday morning we took the train
for Duncan, Indian Territory, about
100 miles south of Kingfsher. AS far
south as the Oklahoma line the coun-
try is high, rolling prairie, with tim
ber along the streams, thicky settled
| and shows the people to be prosperous
and the crops are bountifnl. AS soon
as the territory line is crossed all of
this changes and the eye travels over
miles of hill and valley dotted with
| long horn cattle, with scarcely sign
| of settlement in sight: an occasional
| SHdCN 10 SSSh dloDS blic CicCh NIlcTc z
the COW men live, and here and there
a cultivated field. This condition is
not due to lack of fertility but be-
cause the natives of the Chickasha a
nation have not as yet taken their al
| lotments. so none of the country is
open to settlement and can only be oc-
cupied by whites as renters. This will
all be changed as soon as the allot-
ments are made. The country is very
! fair to the eye and will respond to the
| hand of the husbanduan to wonder
| full degree.
The town of Duncan is built
on a site where no man owns tie
land he occupies. The plat is now be-
| ing perfected and when the govern
merit gets to it those who have i'm
l proved property will be allowed to
purchase at one-half the appraised
value. This appraisement is only on
the lots as the improvements are per-
sOnal property. The population of
the city is about 2O0O and the people
are imbued with the spirit of restless
activity characteristic of frontier
towns.
The Commanche country lying just
| west of here is expected to be open to
settlement next fall, but that is uncer-
tain as the allotmenfs are not all
made vet and the time will be fixed by
q presidential proclamation. When
the time comes for settlement the
scenes .of the opening of the Strip will
be re-enacted.
A choice line Of all kinds of canned