The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-11
AS WHITE
SAW CITY
OF TENTS
New Country Amazes Brilliant
Kansas Writer.
NOTES FUNNY INCIDENTS
Thousands are Enjoying Their
Butterfly Summer.
F0XEY AT The START
His Journey for All That Was
Full of Troubles.
F0XEY AT The START

William Allen White of the Emporia
Gazette. after returning from his visit
to Lawton where he witnessed the birth
of the new town, writes as follows:
There are eight miles of tent front
age in Lawton, the capital of the new
country In Hobart and Anadarko. two
other county seat towns. there are four
or five miles each of tent frontage. In
these tents live, at the very least com
putation, fifty thousand American citi-
zens. They are living peaceably and in
order as American citizens do and should
live. The first four days of this week one
man was killed at Lawton. by highway
men, one man died of heart disease. and
two babies We're born. There are many
grafters OF all sorts and conditions in the
county-some of the leading grafters in
the United States are there-the star men
in the business; but they are not doing
much. They did a big business among
Texas people for a few days, but one
night the worm turned. There was
mob The mob charged down the tent
street crying Hang the gamblers" It
was 4 vicious looking sight. The gamb-
lers drew down their tent covers and
put out their tent lamps. An hour after
wards the eight miles of tented streets in
Lawton were as silent as the tomb. The
next morning the gamblers and most of
the grafters got out of LawtOn; they
went out in good natural caravan-they
knew they We're up against the Ameri-
cans love Of law and order, and they ac-
cepted the situation without complain
ing.
Now. as to the fifty thousand people
in the new country, they are having a
butterfy's summer. Life in the new
country is great big Emporia street
fair. Everything goes. People are sepnd-
ing their money fuently. In the booths
two industries prevail-acid lemonade and
lawyers. There are not over twenty
meat markets in Lawton. and not over
forty grocery stores. but there are. by
actual count over two hundred law and
land locating real estate Offices. 1t looks
odd to see a law library displayed under
a tent; also it looks dangerous. For
some one has got TO pay well for that
library. The people viii pay for their
lawyers all right and wen. too. But here
is the alarming part of it: The pay must
come from past savings brought to the
country.
There is nothing but accumulated
savings for the people TO live on. Those
who go through the winter in the new
country. must so through on what they
saved last winter. Now the great major
ity of the $1,000 people in this new coun-
try didn't save much last year-if they
saved they wouldn't be in the new coun-
try now looking for snap. People who
are doing well are not looking for new
location and the people in the new ccun-
try are mostly looking for a snap. They
viii find it: 1t viii be a cold snap along
about December Then-lo0k out for
trouble. Next spring excellent claims
may be had in the new country for very
little money. There are only about 1900
farms-worth having In the new coun- /
try. Divide $1,000 by 900 and see how
much each Of the 5000 farmers viii have (
TO carry through the winter. ola Atlas /.
who carried the world didn't grunt nearly /
as hard as these farmers will Crunt be- /
fore hey set through with their first I
p
should he q crop failure next year /
which is entirely possible. as the farmers /
are not familiar with the soil and the /
season. and the way t. produce results
Heaven and the script Of the county COM /
VIII have to take care Of the /
country Then fifty thousand people viii /
rise up and hurl a large. unanimous
brown damn at the new country. and then
way say in their haste that the soil is
no good. that the people are no good and
that the climate is simply shoeiic
Which IS absurd. fer the soil is excel
eut. A richer soil never lay out Of doors
han that Of the new country. The writer
raveled in a buggy over eighty miles of
.he new country. and the wheels didn't
crate Oh the gravel once during the
Journey. IRE soil is deep and rich. The
grass is thick as the hair or a dogs back.
There are nc olld spots They say the
l0lands are worthless. Thirty years ago
hey said The Same thing of Kansas up-
nds and now the kaGir ard the sor-
-hum and the alfalfa and the small fruits
md the bv-products Of the farm prove
hat the prejudice against upland in Kan
as twenty years age had little basis in
act. 1T a.l be thus with the new coun-
ry. when men learn how 90 farm the
lew lands-thes VIII blossom But men
must learn. The conquest of a land costs
IS much blood in peace as i1 war Thous-
nIs and thousands o. American citizens
vii die-wear out and fan fshting in this
lew country. TRYING 10 conquer IT, How
Many thu1lsa nds foil II Western Kansas
efore II became a r. place for hl1an
II men de rot actually fer-