The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1901-06-05
NOT A BARREN WASTE
SAYS PEERY
Southwestern Oklahoma is
Covered with a Dense
Growth Of Timber

Granite, Okla, June 5.-Daniel w.
peery, employed by the government
In an official capacity in the Wichita
and Caddo country writing Of timber
to be found there, says
Most persons are in the habit Of
thinking of Western and Southern
Oklahoma as a barren prairie country
with only perhaps, little timber
al5ug tAa 5tseams. This ideo is very
erroneous. as there is no better timber
in the territory than there Is in the
reservation soon to be opened TO set
tlement There are several large
tracts of what would be designated
timber lands, not only along the
creeks. but in the brake at the head
of the numerous tributaries that flow
into the washlta river Post oak, burr
oak and black jack cover most Of this
rough upland yet there is some ash.
blackberry and red bud.
"Along the streams the timber
grows much larger, and, In fact there
are some dense forests where the
growth OF timber is immense. There
are trees in those forests that would
compare favorably with the historical
big trees OF the older states. In the
deep canyons on the head of Sugar
creek there are burr oak trees from
four to hve feet in diameter, yet they
90 not grow tall like burr oak further
East While it is not generally known
or accredited, yet there is a large hard
maple orchard I'm DEVILS canyon, on
the head of the same creek. For
many years members of the Wichita
and Caddo tribes of Indians have
made sugar here every spring. This
is the only grove of sugar trees that
we have ever heard OF in either of the
two territories, or within 400 or 500
miles of this grove Some people
who have visited this orchard claim
that these trees were planted here by
the jesuit missionaries 100 years or
more ago, but there is nothing about
the trees to suggest the hand of man.
"But the biggest trees that we have
seen in the Wichita reservation are
on tributary to Cobb creek, near
where Judge Kirkpatricb's allotting
outfit was camped. We measured one
big cottonwood tree that stands in the
midst of deep forest near Cobb
creek. This tree is "a feet in circum-
ference one foot above the ground and
10 feet in circumference six feet from
the ground. It maintains its size
without a limb for thirty feet when it
branches out in two gigantic forks,
either OF which would make a big
sawlog. We don't know how high
this old tree is, but it takes good
shot gun to kin an owl from it's top
most branches. If any of our readers
should be inclined to be skeptical as
to the size of this tree we would refer
them to Judge Kirkpatrick Lew Horn
beck or any member Of the allotting
force who was present and helped us
take the measurement Near this
tree there is an elm fully feet in
diameter and many other large trees.
Travelling over the northern part
of the Wichita reservation, looking
out across the country you imagine
that you are on a level prairie without
a tree in miles, when suddenly you
come to deep canyon forty or fifty
feet deep and from 100 to 200 yards
wide. They are so steep that 1t is
not possible to cross them with a
team except in certain places, and it
Is often necessary to travel for miles
TO the head. In these canyons are
fine groves of almost every kind of
timber, including cottonwood, elm,
ash, walnut and blackberry; but what
is more valuable than all others Is the
fine red cedar Several car loads Of
these cedar logs have been shipped to
Germany where they are used to
make lead pencils. This timber is
very valuable and it is a shame 20 cut
so much of It as has been used for
wood and fencing Taking it alto
gether the Wichita reservation has
more good timber In it than any part
OF Oklahoma that has been heretofore
opened to settlement. and we doubt
not many houses will be constructed
out of native lumber"