The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-04-10
BARNES ON MUNICI-
PAL PROGRESS
Delivers Eloquent Address
at Corner Stone Laying


tcmcnt or this city from a window
OF that building ayross the way land
bv the way permit me to remark that
while that building was perhaps 9
suitablue one for the purpose for
which It was built at the time 1t was
put there it has long since ceased TO
be suitable one for any purpose,
and IL it wa sthe property Of the city
or private corporation or individual It
would log ago have given place to a
more substantial and a better look.
ing one.
Were II not for the invaluable rec
ords it contains we could very cheer
fully have seen it 90 along with the
State Capital Printing establinsh-
ment a week ago-the United States
laRd office was the only building on
the townsite then and l Witnessed
the arrival Of the first train from that
window over there. There was then
no town or city; no hamlet or VII
lage in all the Oklahoma country.
The only indication Of the advance Of
the mighty hosts Of civilization TO be
seen from this point on the morning
Of the 22d day Of April, 1889, was the
snake ike trail Of the Santa Fe rail
ROAD squirming along the banks Of
the Cottonwood-and the little sta
tIon house-a water tank and the
section house scattered along the
track, aad that old shack across the
street, then ouly partially construct
ed which has since been known as
the United States land Office.
The hills and valleys in every di-
rection were covered with the dark
green native grass which had taken
an early start that year-the streams
asong the valleys were fringed with
trees which were just budding and
haossomAng into the Iun leaf-the
prairie flowers were blooming with
ali their variety and brilliancyl Of
color and IL seemed indeed wonder
ful that country upon which ma
ture had showered her blessings
with so lavish hand could have
so long remained uninhabited by the
pushing restless, aggressive people
by which It had heen for many years
II Is not my purpose nor would
it be interesting on this occasion
to recount the distressful efforts that
have been made from time to time
for many years by those brave-heRrt-
ed, rugged pioneer bands under the
leadership OF those men of iron nerve
and indomitable Payne and
acquire a foothold here
nor 10 ten Of how each time they
came in here in violation Of the law
and OF our treaties with the Indians
as the government claim, the army
Of the United states was used to
break up their camps destroy their
and their meagre persan-
Al belongings and thrust them off the
sacred soil-only 70 come back again
as soon as they could get their lead
ers ont OF jail and gather sufficient
Of the necessities OF life TO sustain
themselves through another seige
and campaign--and every time they
came back shere was more Of them
until ct laut the government made
haste to declare this beautiful land
open TO occupation and settlement by
its citizens.
Congress became alarmed at the
vigorous and persistent attempts Of
the "boomers as they were called
-as tie increasing boldness and mul-
tiplied numbers Of people who join
ed each additional crusade. TO OBJ
tain possession OF this country and
fearing that they would soon have en-
listed all creation to aid them and
thar the uneonquerable American
the wild and woolly western Ameri-
can would swarm in here in such
numbers that the power Of the army
would not be sufficient to dislodge
them say, fearing these things.
congress late in the session OF 1883,
attached a rider 10 an appropriation
bin directing the president OF The
United states 10 open these lands to
homestead settlement--an they
were in usch a hurry about it that the
law was one Of the worst jumbled
bungled. ill-considered pieces Of leg
islation that was eyeer perpetrated
by body supposed to be the most in
telligent IN the world,