The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-12-17
BOOMER FROM LAYTON
John sponsor Tells About the Famous
New TOwu.

An Eagle reporter run across John L.
( Sponsler enjoying an easy chair and a
! cigar at The Carey, waiting for his train
! 10 Hutchinson, where he is going for n
/ lew days visit. He is located at Lawton.
where ne is associate editor Of the Daily
epuoilcdn- ASKED about that most re-
markable town, Mr.. Sponsler said:
When l landed in Wichita the first
acquaintance I met was one of your bus
mess men. who said, Hello SponsIer, liv-
ing IN Hutchinson, now 1 said. No
indeed 1 am Just from the only up-to-
date minute city in the whole country
and his immediate response was. Won
must be from Lawton. That fairly Illus
trates the fame of this wonderful town.
II Is known to every man. woman and
child IN the United States who reads
Your great city OF Wichita has been well
advertised, but there are undoubtedly
thousands Of people throughout the
country who could tell you all about
Lawton. who don't know that Wichita
IS the pest town in Kansas, and one of
the really important cities of the west.
1es, Aawton is growing every day. At
four months ole il has a settled DoDi,Ia-
ton IF 5000 people. and the most press
ing demand at the present time IS for
additional land upon which to expand
The government tCwrsite Of $50 acres IS
entirely Inadequate TO the demands. 1t
is no uncommon thing TO find residence
tots providing temporary homes for half
a dozen families, not in tents either. but
in substantial houses. 1t was thought
the demand for more building room would
De provided by the famous Woods and
Miss Bedl claims. being ccmmuted for
townsite purposes. both Of whom had ex-
pected to prove up today. the 18th But
d recent ruling Of the interior departrr ent |
declares that the provisions of the gen /
eral towrsite Jaws do not apply IN the 7
new country. and that combinations can I
not be made under fourteen months. This !
IS severe blow TO the growth of Law /
ton, 0ut the people who haze had the /
energy and push 10 make the town what !
it is cannot he retarded by any jcTart- (
ment restlictiors. They viii find 4 way
to give everybody a chance TO provide 4
for a comfortable home.
1T IS only 4 question Of a few months /
until Lawton VIII have railroad facilities /
that viii bring the surrounding country
directly tributary for trade The fres-
ent Rock Island line win be extended !
southeast to connect with the line south /
from Chickashs. and the company will |
also build a line southwest from law
ton. While there recently Mr.. NJ A. Law
told me il wes no secret these exte lsions
would he built in the spring.
Another important railroad is the Ok
lahoma * Western. which is building
from oklahoma City to Acme Texas. a
distance Ct 1S9 miles. This road viii tuild
through Lawton. and at the present rate
of progress there will be trains running
between oklahoma City and Lawton by
July /. 1902.
'Lawton is far enough distant from any
large town To make one of The most im-
portaut iobbing points in tho great south
west ana the people are alive 70 this
All lines Of business are rep
resented. and some Of the best stores
in the southwest may be seen in Lawton
today.
Yes. we have oil and gas and IS
that the coming year viii see
gushers within a mile of the townsite
Thus lar. only shallow wells have teen
bored. the deepest being 3e0 feet. Sew
eral OF these shallow wells VIII produce
from FIVE % ten barrels q day, but no eff
fort Is being radc 10 punlpt the wells.
Everybody IS ontiring in their eorts Z
strong companies and secure
proper machinery for going down l.oe3
10 800 feet and / know OF three Or four
companies who VIII bc at work right
after the first Of the year.
NO. Lawton Is in no seIse a tough
frontier IL is the best type OF liee ral
American citizenship. where everybody IS
given a chance TO follow his own inclina-
ton as t. business and each IS too busy
with his own occupation 10 volunteer as
lance TO his neishbor gratuiteusly. as
IS so common in older communities The
six-sllooter element. that has passed into
history with The picturesque frontier per
o6 is not much in evidence. Bowie ,
knife Bill and Sig Gun Dick are no mora
Z part OF I.awton CITIZENSHIP than are the
lave drivers and ovcrscers a part OF
,resort ana futgre tic IN America law
or IS n city OF hustleTs and they arr go
ne 10 make il the Wich.ta Of Oklahoma
ma wner taat is attained ] guess VEIL
Eel good CROUCH 70 keep riSht or and
--r-, 4, -,a,x- Kansas Cft7- 20