The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-23
Oklahoma.

Station at Saltwater, Oklahoma,
for copy of the report of the
Governor of that territory for
1900. And, while it is not our
purpose in this article to give that
report, few facts CLEANED will
be of interest to most of our read
ers.
Oklahoma has an area of 80, us
square miles; or is a trihe smaller
than the state of Ohio. 1t was
formerly embraced in what
was known as Indian Territory;
but it was found to be entirely too
nice garden to be left for people
that would make no more out of it
than the Indians. Hence, as the
valuable public lands in other
sections had been acquired, many
eyes were turned toward this
land. Itonlyneeded the sanction of
the government to send hundreds
and thousands of people into the
territory. Hence by proclama
tion of the President, April %,
1889, was named as the day when
the line might be crossed. When
the day came people just fell over
themselves in the rush to get the
choice of farms. Even the Wild
West has seldom witnessed so
great excitement.
After the effect of that great
flood tide had adjusted itself, the
Territory which was formally or
ganized about year later began
to flow forward in o. gentle but
broad stream of prosperity. The
wild lands were found to possess
depth and quality of soil that
was susceptible of cultivation to
almost any degree of profit.
The Territory lies in a latitude
with that of North Carolina, hence
it is natural home for cereals,
fruits, melons, &c.
From the report referred to,
the population is estimated at
400, hence it will be seen that
it is not half full yet.
AS to the character of the peo-
pie, Oklahoma is unique exam
pie of nineteenth century civiliza-
ton.
The people have been so busy
building churches and school
houses that they have not had
time to build court houses and
jails, and the Territory is still
without a capitol building; but
that is due chiefly to the rivalry
between two or three of the lead
ing towns to secure the seat of
government. BY the census last
year there were more than 700
churches and more than 1000
Sunday schools, with an average
attendance of 10000. This is one
church for every 440 of the popu-
lation, and one Sunday school for
every 81. Ten per cent of the
inhabitants of Oklahoma are com
municants in some church, which
is probably larger percentage
than any of the older States can
show, but 1t should be remember
ed that the Territory was settled
by remarkable class of people.
The commerce of Oklahoma has
been phenomenal from the first,
but the growth the past three
years has been of so great pro-
portions as to be almost beyond
the belief of those who look upon
the Territory as new and unde-
veloped country. Oklahoma -four
can be found in the markets of
Europe, South America and Asia;
Oklahoma cotton goes by direct
shipment to Liverpool and Japan;
Oklahoma cattle fill the slaughter
pens of London and Berlin; Okla.
homa wheat and corn have gone
to feed the famine stricken mil
lions of India, and the products
of the farms, dairies, orchard, and
gardens of the Territory help
supply the markets of this and
other nations.
While many farms near the
larger towns sell for from $25 to
$50 per acre, good farms, fairly
well improved, from to 10 miles
from market, con be bought in
any part of the Territory from S8
to SIS per acre, and in many Sec