The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1902-11-01
THE THRIFT OF
DAY COUNTY
Section Of Oklahoma That
is no Longer a Waste
Place

To many persons. even in Oklaho
ma. Day county, which lies next 10 the
Panht pUir Of Texas. means only
waste Z, ~, a county Of canyons,
"blac', jacks" and sand hills, without
settlers and without a future. Three
or four years ago this description may
have had some basis in fact. but to
day Day county Is a land Of thrift and
industg with settlers on every side
tinlng the soil aud building homes.
Oklahomas general prosperity made
the demand for and 20 promising that
settlers have been taking the wild
lands Of DAY county in preference to
paying big prices for farms farther
east The farms nave proved Of much
greater value than was expected, and
the settlers are prospecting
Near the postonice Of Craft is a SET
tlement known as Peaceful Valley,
composed of employees in the motive
department Of the Kansas city South
ern railroad at Kansas City. and office
employees OF the Santa Fe al Topeka.
Seventeen o. them came here in 1900
and filed on claims in Day county.
There were four women in the party
These colonists said that the uncer-
tainty OF railroad employment made
their future doubtful, and they pro
posed building home in Oklahoma
for their old age Each took 100
acres OF land One of the young
women writing lately from her claim
in Peaceful Valley TO a friend gives
this description Of her surroundings
Il am writing down here in my
6x12 shanty. You know how they are
just yellow pine-you could throw a
kitten through the cracks. No foo
tar paper roo, one little window My
bed Is a ahelf across one end; table
a goods box and all clothing ant
cooking utensils hung around tn,
walls It's pretty hot in the shack
so / have come outside to finish NJ
with pencil Now. I'm on the ground
on the west side Of the shack in tn,
ahade
1T Is early morning and the pros
pect IS delightful L is really won
derful what has been accomplishe
on this great prairie in the last twelv
months If you had not lived in tn
new country, I'd tell YOU, just to SUI
prise you. Of how fences, barns duf
outs and windmills have gone up as
by magic AS far as the eye can Sc
on the slopes and rci,s Of this grea
green disk are dotted yellow patche
that mean wheat; green ones there.
waving corn. gardens and young o
cl.a. as Last year was 50 dry that
this new land nothing could be don
It al seemed trackless wa te No
fence. and hreguards mark the claim
and section roads are wfll tTavele
| Outside Of California, have nev'
seen finer vegetables and garden true
than can buy from my neighbor
And our forest, orchard and e e'
crops are fine.
"Of course this way Of living
these little sheds. with waite, IN
barrel. s. horrid play I'm campiI
out. and Just roam over the prairi
IA and leave the house 20 the 'varmint
M as the people down here call the
m Don't you know what va minta' ar
m Well we've got EN-. Criokets
thick they eat your coat Of your bac
m. feas. so numerous that they dema
10 constant attention spiders we
enough to have saved every ld
m Scotland ever had katydids, W.
m there are two great green ones n
81 carry out and on every morning
m. I've branded them so know-and
IA. back again. with full orchest al
ace compartment. every evening by du
an. OF course, I share my humble habi
For ton with field mice, green and on
on lizards. hop-toads and mosquitoes
ad- Is fast developing into a question
who owns the house. Now. mind,
not complaining. I'm well aware q
this 100 acres belonged TO the y
}. mints before A did to me and