Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-25
oKLAHoMA's PROGRESS.

1
terest to the people as Oklahoma. Its
recent settlement and its great progress
| afford an instructive study. The report
of the secretary OF the interior. just
published, gives volume of facts in
regard to this and other territories. Ac-
cording to this report the area of Ok
lahoma is approximately 3S.SS0 square
miles Chat of Iowa is 56,025 miles).
Geographically 1T is southern coun-
people, however. are more like those OF
| the north. The climate closely resem-
| bles that of Tennessee, and the agricul-
tural products are similar to those OF
southern Kansas. The soil in most por-
| tons is a rich red, very productive,
! prairie predominating, altho there is a
vast amount of valley and river bottom
| land that is unsurpassed in richness.
| The population. as ascertained by the
census of 1900 is 39S,331; the assessors
returns of the different counties of the
| territory for the past year fixes the
population at 541,4S0, a gain over the
returns of the year 1901 of 143,149, or
nearly SO per cent.
During the year. 3,O6S,502 acres of
| land were filed upon, of which 606, 109.-
9S acres We're homestead entries made
by 4007 different persons. The vacant
government land aggregates 3,T77,Ss3
acres, of which over 100000 are locat-
ed in Beaver county. The greater por-
ton of this land is best adapted to
suitable for agriculture. Two million
and fifty-five thousand acres Of land,
set aside by congress for territorial
purposes, are now under lease, the in
come therefrom amounting in the ag-
gregate to 100000. Under the present
system the lessee is guaranteed renewal
OF the lease on its expiration for anoth-
er term without competition. The rent
ais are not excessive, and the leaseholds
property The net proceeds from land
leases during the year was $435,915.S5.
Education in Oklahoma is general,
and the educational advancement of the
people has been phenomenal. The
schools are well housed. From the be-
ginning the settlers had an ambition to
build school houses.
Vegetation of every character thrives
luxuriantly and abundantly repays Gull
tivation. The leading crops of both the
north and the south grow here side by
side in perfection, thus evidencing the
perfect adaptability of our soil and CHI
mate to the growth of corn and cotton,
wheat and tobacco. oats and castor
beans, rye and sugar cane. AS showing
what the territory produces, aside from
its own use, there were shipped from
Oklahoma during the year 6,442 car
loads of cattle, 1888 carloads of wheat,
30 carloads of corn. sos carloads of
oats, Go carloads of castor beans, 2,252
carloads of hogs, 700 carloads of cotton
seed, 1909 carloads of hay, 4.S42 car
loads of -four, 391 carloads of horses
and mules, 1,s46 carloads of other mill
stuffs, and 1868 bales of cotton.
While Oklahoma is generally looked
upon as an agricultural and stock
country. yet the cities have grown to
such proportions that they are not
without manufacturing industries,
many of which will compare favorably
with like establishments of older and
larger cities. There are 231 manufac-
turing establishments employing 3,051
hands, and 1876 wholesale establish
ments employing $50 hands. There are
in the territory 228 elevators, having a
combined capacity of 2,S57,000 BUSHES,
and forty eight Touring mills, having
an aggregate daily capacity of $3.50
barrels. There are twenty cities of the
first class in the territory, five having
been incorporated during the past year.
Assessed value of town property is
$11,629,19S. During the past year there
have been erected in the cities and
towns 734 business buildings, and 141
are now in course of construction; 3,S62
residences have been erected, and 552
are in course of construction. There
have been completed seven waterworks
systems, three electric light plants, six
school buildings, eleven churches,
many miles of street grading and paw
ing, and several court houses and tele-
phone exchanges.
The railroad mileage, as returned for
taxation in March, was lab miles of
main track and It's Of side track. Fully
500 miles of railway have been built
during the past year, and more miles
will be constructed within the next
twelve months than ever before in the
teritory's history.
These facts will enable Oklahoma to
knock hard at the door of congress for
admission as state.
t., hA l.. III