Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-07-11
HIS VIEWS OF SOUTH
q. L. Bissell Writes an Interesting
Letter to the Courier.
HE BELIEVES II A GREAT COUNTRY
Business is Rushing Just Now and Con-
ditions Are Very Favorable-His I'm
pressions of Indian Territory
Whites Are Making it Desirable.

The Courier is in receipt of a very
interesting letter from G. l.. Bisse!l,
former resident of this city, who is
now engaged in business in the south.
Mr.. Bissell in his travels through In
dian Territory, Texas and Arkansas
has many chances to observe the con
ditions existing in those states and as
a result of these investigations he has
written the following very interesting
account:
Wagner, l. T.. July i, 1901.
| Editor Courier: | have been in the
! Indian Territory for week past. 1t
| is very much different from what
had expected to find it. or course ii
! is like all other places; it has it's share
of very rough and rocky land as well
as much very fine land. All OF nearly
all of the best land is fenced and a
great deal of it is in cultivation. Corn,
wheat and oats are all the crops
have seen as yet. l am not quite far
enough south to see cotton but sup
pose | will see plenty tomorrow as
they say just south of here there is q
large output this year. The best
town l have seen is Vinita. 1t has
population of $500, a good public
school building with six teachers be-
sides Catholic school. The Metho-
dists nave a college here, fine brick
building, four stories high. The
churches consist of the Methodist,
Baptist, Christian, Congregational,
Episcopal, Adventists, two Catholics
and two colored. They have here three
good lumber yards, two Touring mills,
two railroads, four or five hotels, an
ice plant. electric light plant, besides
all other business is well represented
and nearly all carry immense stocks.
Volume of Business.
To give you an IDEA of the volume
of business done here | asked my Gus
toner, E. G. Stretch, for a statement
of his last years business. He said he
sold two hundred walking and fifty
riding plows, two hundred and fifty
cGltivators, I'll wagons, ITO buggies,
!, two car loads of binding Irvine besides
binders, mowers, rakes and repairs.
This spring Mr.. Stretch built himself
| business house 80 by $50 feet with
out any partition on both sides and the
back end put in an upper deck about
20 feet wide. He keeps Duggies and
J other light articles up there. On May
4th he gave grand opening and he
advertised he would give useful pres
| ent to every farmer on condition he
5 walk up and be registered tell where
2 he lived, whether he owned the lant
Y or was renter and also give his post
: Office address, then a souvenir with {
t picture of pillow and the compliments
2 of Mr.. Stretch was pinned on,!I the
l farmer ~ Mrs. Stretch and he was
presented with good monkey wrench
0 Lemonade was served free in un' init
a ed quantities to every body. 'fhe
5 opening cost Mr.. Stretch $500, one hal
Y of which was for wrenches. Last even
\ ing he took five of us out for drive
s over the city with a $500 turnout
e There are many elegant homes here
n nearly all new and modern and strictl.
n up-to-date.
Artesian Wells and Half Boods.
They have no water works but the.
v have eight artesian wells. Eight o
t ten neighbors will go together and bor
II one and then pipe it to their resi-
e dences. 1t costs that many 500 to SIS
e to his lot line and the balance depend
e on the amount of plumbing he ha
e put in. Nearly all residence lots ar
e 100 by 200 feet and the effect is yer
V pretty. Nearly all are citizens, b
e that they mean they have Indian bloc
e. in them or have wives that have.
F. saw number Of pretty girls or wome
v and many were blends and some ha
e red hair and nearly all had India
" blood in their veins but they didn
D. look it. We drove ont to the suburb
IS and stopped to look at Mr.. Phillip.
d new artesian well. He is a citizen an
D. is cashier of the First National banl
It Today met fellow on the train tha
4 looked enough like Lawyer Morri
e of Ottumwa, to be his brother. H
ii took a seat beside me and | learne
D. that he was. too, an attorney and ais
al a half blood. So you see there al
n some handsome as well as smart Ii
d ter the expiration of the said perio
of sixty days, but not before, any {
said lands remaining undisposed
I'd may be settled upon, occupied and e.
o. tered under the general provisions {
d. the homestead and townsite laws
es the United States in like manner as
III ment, occupancy and entry had NJ
or been prescribed herein in obedience |
n. law
IL Il appearing that there are fence
n around the pastures into which, fl
So, convenience, portions of the cede
lo,d, boua baratofora booD d;y;5 la