The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-26
FINE SHOWING
FOR OKLAHOMA
IN RESOURCES
Governor FergusOn'S Annual
Report 10 Hitchcock
AN INTERESTING PAPER
Great Progress of Territory
Is Made Clear.
AN INTERESTING PAPER

Washington, Nov 25.-The annual re
port Of the governor. Thomas 3. Fergu
son. which has been made public here
and syn-psis Of which has alread
been published in the Eagle, is com
prehensive presentation of lhe growth
progress and resources of the territory
The area of the territory is approximate.
! So. $50 square miles. Geographically it i
d southern country; the habits and oc
! cpations of the people, however. are
more like those Of the north The eli
mate closely resembles that of Tennes
see, and the aricUltUral products are sim
| liar TO nose Of southern Kansas. Th'
soil III most portions is rich rcd. yer,
productive. prairie predominating. al
though there is a vast amount OF vale.
anu river bottom land %hat is unsurpass
| ed in richness. The population as as
certained Dy the census of 1900 is 393. .331
the ASSESSOR returns of the different
counties Of the territory for the past yeal
nxes the population at 54i,4s0. a gain Over
lie returns of the year 1901 of 143, l49
CT nearly 36 per cent. This enumera
| ton indicates an average of fourteen per
sons to the square mile of territory.
! IN 1901 the lands row embraced liz the
hlowa Caddo and Comanche were open
ed TO settlement. These three new coun-
ties have now combined population
| Of .-,SSS embracing persons from every
state in the union, as well as from some
foreign countries. The people in the ter
ritory are essentially mercan. the pei
cent OF foreign born. according to the
census OF 1900, being per cent. They
are also intelligent and well educated
| e percentage of illiteracy being only
519 per cent. This, the governor states
compares well with the northern and east
otaer commonwealth in the same lati-
tudc.
The value of property as returned from
taxation for 1902 was; Farm lands, so.
el4,e59; town poperty 81 ,629 1873; railroads,
SC. SS9, 462; moneys and credit. S3.06S, ,273;
other property, s29,O25 .SS9; aggregating
S72. ST.. 425. indicating as compared with the
tax valuation of S60, ,464, ,696 for 1901 an in
crease of s12.2I2. .727
With territorial tax levy this year of
17-20 mills. as compared with ~ mills
last year, the total amount of territorial
revenue viii be S566,95O9o for 1902 This rs
an increase of revenue Of Sll3. SO over
1901
The amount of cash in the territorial
treasury to the credit of several funds
aggregated $542.37eS7 of which $403 .902 Il
was on deposit with the Capital National
bank. territorial depository. and $lSS,-
1870 with the Guthrie National bank.
also territorial depository. The in
debtedness of the territory during that
period was S466 $50 3. which is only about
50 cents per capita This amount in
cludes the bonds issued for educational
purposes some years ago. aggregating
in value $500. The condition of the
revenues of the territory. however. is
such that these bonds viii be redeemed at
an early day.
Three million. sixty-eight thousand, five
hundred and two acres of land were filed
upon during the year. of which 6o6 l09 IS
acres were homestead entries made by
1907 different persons. The vacant gov
ernment land aggregates 3,T77SS3 acres.
Of which over 100000 are located in
Beaver county The greater portion Of
this land is best adapted to grazing. al
though there are many localities suit
able for agriculture. Two million and
ffty-nve thousand acres of land set
aside By congress for territorial pur-
poses. are now under lease. the income
thcrefrom amounting in the aggregate to
500 Oo0 Under the present system the
lessee is guaranteed the renewal of tho
lease on its expiration for another term
without competition Then rentals are
generally regarded as valuable proper
". The net proceeds from land leases
during the year was Si35.9l5.S5-
Education in Oklahoma is general and
the educational advancement of the peo-
pie has been phenomenal. The public
school system. which embaces rural dis
tricts. consists of primary and lntermedi- |
ATE grades; the secondary school. in |
cluding the high school and the univer-
sity preparatory school, the normal |
schools. the agricultural and mechani-
cal college and the university.
The schools. the governor states. are |
well housed From the very beginning !
the settlers had an ambition to hiuld |
school houses. The cniy territorial bonds |
ever issued were ISSUED to buHd terrific /
rial schools Almost the only bonds is /
sued bv the municipal organizations have |
been for the same purpose Even ia the /
new country over ioo school houses have +
been built. Most of them are good. sub (
stsutIaI structures and are ornaments +
to the country.
There were taught during the year
rs schools. with an aggregate enroll +
nasnr II uso OF ana an average 6ailv at +
=, -
srs employed aggregated 25e 70 whom /
there was paid as salaries se.z71.f5 cl7
school houses were erected az . cost -
'isl s5s.7s: lsc pupils were graduated
from the conuon schools. There was
apporuoned anoug the various counties
: sa territorial scheo' fund S2s-.Io514
Thc territory ofEers the best educational
lirantaEe through her several aishe-
Institutions 4 learnins. not only % her
awn students bit 20 those IN the Indian
Territory as veH There E university
ocared at Norman. two normal insiitu-
sons AT Ava aud Edmond IN aEricri-
siral and mcdaniel college az SIN
satcr. an agriculture G-'versisy for col
,rei students ~ Laues.on ard un-
-ers}tv preparatory srhrai az Toni, va
5esides the Institutions - learning ind
atcl there are many sectarlsn ard nri-
ate Schools and colleges The eoVe-n-
nsut uaiatslns m Industrial school fo-
n6isus IT Chlocco ana the following
.arue5 baariirg schools Absentee Arer-
no. Cheyenne For ssh Kaw. Csaee.
ltae. Pawnse. Pcuca. Rasny Mou-tai
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