The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1901-01-25
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
A Descriptive Letter from the
Far West.
An Ex-Maury Countian Writes Back
to Tell His Friends of the Won
derful Things he Has Seen.

Editor Herdtd:-By your request
and according to promises made to
sevtrsl friends, will take this
means OF giving brief description
and maybe some information to those
Who have r. quested me to write to
them concerning this new country.
Well, to start out with, we arrived
in Chickasha, ]. T., Oh the Bro day
of January. 1901. Having spent
three weeks very enjovably visiting
and sight seeing in Missouri. We
travelled by DAYLIGHT only. Illinois,
Missouri and Kansas are very fine
countries. Corn, peas and cattle is
all the go through those sections.
The country is very rich and highly
improved. / don't believe there is
fifty miles of really broken land
Chat is rough, billy country from
Evansville, Indiana, via the l. q n.
10 St. Louis, then via the Wabash to
Kansas City, then via the Chicago,
Rock Island to Chickasha, 1. t.; a
distance of about $50 miles.
But talking of prosperous ooun-
tries, there is no doubt now but
what Oklahoma has made the
greatest improvement in the least
number of years of any country that
was ever settled by civilized people;
or any other people as to that. |
will only write of what | know to be
so, from my own observation.
Seven years ago / was in Okla
homa City. The country was then
four years old; or rather, it had been
opened four years to white settle
mAnts. Oklahoma City had about
| 800 inhabitants, with one railroad.
Now it has 10000 inhabitants with
three railroads, with good prospects
of another in the near future. S9yen
years ago lots that I could have
| bought for hundreds are worth
thousands now; farms that / could
haye bought for 81, 900 are selling for
sc, 600 to 50 600. A great deal could
be truthfully said about the priva-
tions and hardships Of the early
settlers of Oklahoma, but those who
have braved it through are now
reaping the reward, which is great
indeed. Wheat grows fine; so does
oats. Cattle, horses, hogs and sheep
all do well, and in many places it is
great corn country. Fruits OF all
kinds are very fine, including every
variety that can be grown in the
temperate climates. Water ia plen
tirul and very good in wells and
cisterns, and ponds for stock. In
fact the people are happy, prosper
Gus and living well, having built
good houses and other improve
ments.
However, no one need come here
expecting to find all sunshine and
no clouds. There are many disad-
vantages; some of them can be over
come, some cannot.
| Well, as to ChIckasha. Look on
your map and see if you can find
Il Chickasha, [. T. If Your map is
very old you will not find it, for this
town is but seven years old. 1t is
on the main line of the Rock Island
railroad, and a branch of the same
road leads out to Anadarko, from
there into the Fit. Sill country, also
from Anadarko to Mangum, county
seat of Greer county, Oklahoma
The Rock Island has all of its tim.
East from here. The Frisco also
| mas RIOuuu l0Ic lOI lbo uepOb, duU
they who are in position to know
say that the Frisco will build from
Oklahoma City to this point in the
Spring.
Chickasha has about 5000 inhabi
tants, and every passenger trair
brings from one to fifty. The towf
is in the Chickasha Nation. Only
three miles from here to the great
Kiowa, Comanche and Caddo reser
vations, which will soon be thrown
open to white settlement. Jus
when, exactly, no one knows, bu
1 enough is now known to justify tn,
belief that it will not be before lat,
J in the Spring and probably not un
/ til next fall. However, be that as |
: may, the United States Government
: will give ample notice of the time
3 and whether it will be by run, O
! some other method.
! would like to be able to pictur,
9 this country with pen, but no tongu
!; can tell no- pen picture it just as
!. is. The only way to get good idei
OF every phase and caste of thi
Western country is to come out ant
2 look around.
must close, for fear that this will
weary the editor and readers, bu
/, will add that 1 will tell more abou
this town and country sometim
soon. j. G. HUNT.