The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-09
AS WHITE SAW IT.
Emporia Editor Tells of the
LawtOn Opening.


the opening at I-awton through the
Emporia Gazette He says in part:
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 'front.'
age. In these tents live at the very
least computation, fifty thousand
American citizens 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 highwaymen-
one man died of heart disease, and two
grafters of all sorts and conditions in
the country-sone of the leading graft
ers 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 a mob. The mob charged
down the tent street crying Hang the
gamblersi" 1t was u vicious looking
sight. The gamblers drew down their
tent covers and put out their tent
lamps. Au hour afterwards the eight
miles of tented streets in LaLWton were
as silent as the tomb. The next morn
ing the gamblers and most of the
grafters got out of Lawton; they went
out in a good-natured caravan-they
knew they We're up against the Amer
leans love of law and order and they
accepted the situation without com
planning
Now as to the fifty thousand people
in the new c0untry-they are having
butterny's summer. Life in the new
country is a great big Emporia street
fair Everything goes. People are
spending their money huently- 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. It looks odd to see a law
library displayed under tent; also, 1t
looks dangerous, for some one has got
to pay well for that library. The PEG
pie viii pay for their lawyers all right
and well, too. But here is the alarming
part of it. The pay must come from
past savings brought into 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 go through on what they
saved last winter. Now the great ma
1ority of the $4,000 people in the new
country didn't save much last year
if they had saved they wouldn't be IN
the new country now looking for
snap. People who are doing well are
not looking for a new location; and the
people in the new country are mostly
looking for a snap. They will find It;
it win be a cold snap along about De-
cember. Then-loOk out for trouble
had in the new country for very little
money. There are only about 5000
farms worth having in the new coun-
try Divide $4,000 by 8. 600 and see how
much each of the 5000 farmers viii
have to carry through the winter. Old
Atlas. who carried the world, d1dn
grunt nearly as hard as these farmers
will g-runt before they get through
with their first year. and if it should
happen that there should be crop
failure next year-which is entirely
possible, as the farmers are not IA
nilfar with the soil and the seasons,
and the way to produce results
heaven and the scrip of the county
CON missioners will have to take care OF
the country. Then fifty thousand peo-
Die will rise UP and hur1 q large, unan-
i1nous brown damn at the new coun-
try and then will say in their haste
that the soil is no good, that the peo-
pie are no good, and that the climate
is simply sheoHc.
Which is absurd for the soil is excel
lent A richer soil never lay out OF
doors than that of the new country.
The writer hereof Travelled in a buggy
over eighty miles of the new country,
and the wheels didn't CRATE on the
gravel once during the journey Inc
soil is deep and rich. The grass is thick
as the hair on a dogs back. There are
no bald spots. They say the uplandS
are worthless. Thirty years ago they
said the same thing Of Kansas uplandS.
And now the kaffir and the sorghum
and the alfalfa and the small fruits
and the by products of the farm prove
that the prejudice against upland in
Kansas twenty years ago had little
basis in fact It viii be thus with the
new country. When men learn how to
farm the new lands-they Will blossom.
But men must learn. The conquest OF
a land costs as much blood In peace as
in war. Thousands and thousands OF
American citizens viii die-wear out
and fall fighting in this new country,
trying to conquer it How many thous-
ell n Kansas
became q fit place for human habita-
ton If men do not actually fertilize
a new land with their blood-they nave
to fertilize it with their brains, and the
fight is Just as cruel, just as bitter, just
as relentless. Women and children
perish in this slaughter. The decree
that the wilderness must be appeased
with blood atonement, that man must
pay with his life for everything he gets
from nature-the decree that man goes
ad astra only per aspera IS ineXorapie-
And Vet in the face of this memorable
degree fifty thousand people in the new
country are having high old time IN
the tents of Kedar,'' and thinking they
have beaten the gane-the game thal IS
as old as the sword that famed Ger
Eden In the sweat of thy face thou
shalt eat thy bread" No wonder people
with so little knowledge of the way
Gods world is managed should bite at
the shell game now and then
Still we all have our weaknesses One
man thinks he can get something for
nothing one WaS--d1lO d4AOtAcA way
NO one is absolutely wise. We average
up about the same. Your subscriber
very foxily figured out which was the
shady side of the buggy, riding thirty
miles overland from Lawton Tuesday
He hoped into that side of the buggy.
and an understood little deputy sheriff
who has lived on the plains for gen
GRAFTON, slipped into the other side OF
the buggy and grinned too. The shady
side was the dusty side. And the dust
was nearly shoemouth deep for fifteen
miles Of the way. When the buggy
rolled into NARROW at the end Of the
thirty miles trip. the people of NARROW
stood under the wooden stoops OF the
stores and laughed Half an hour later
!, AFa,l,z.r barber said so you're the