The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1903-03-25
DEVELOPMENTS OF THE
GREAT SOUTHWEST
Oklahoma far in the Lead
on Railroad Building

The "Sonthwesrs Development" is
the caption used over the following
editorial In the ST. Louis Globe-Dem-
ocrat:
Whoever takes a glance at the fig
ures Of railroad construction will no
tice that the territory commercially
tributary to ST. Louis is getting the
larger part of the gain out of the
5000 miles OF new track laid in 1902
about thfee-ffths are in the region
west Of the Mississippi, and the great
er part of this is in the southwest
Oklahoma led off in that year with
construction Of $40 miles. followed in
this order by Texas, with 496; Arkan-
sas. with 374; and the Indian terri
tory. with 27l These lead all the rest
of the communities Of the United
States. In New Mexico, which is also
In the territory In which st. Louis
is supreme in the distribution of
merchandise. 2SO miles OF road we're
built during the year Moreover. this
section also led in railroad construc-
ton in 1901 II leads thus far in
1903 For the past two or three years
there has been a greater activity IN
railroad construction in the territory
Immediately to the southwest of Mis-
souri, than there has been in any other
locality OF equal population in the
country.
In view of the ratification Of the
isthmian canal treaty and the certain
ty that the country will soon have
short cut between the two oceans not
far below our southern boundary the
activity in railroad construction in
the southwest Is significant IL is
known to all clear headed observers
OF the country that the region between
the Alleghenies and the Rockies will
be the largest gamer through the i'm
proved means of getting water com
munication between the country's gulf
and Pacific coasts, and also between
the gulf ports and the western coast
of South America and Asia. Through
the rapidity with which railroad build
iugnas been pushed in the southwest
in the past few years this region has
prepared itself to reap its share OF
the advantages coming from the new
means of communication between the
Mississippi valley and the outside
world AT the present time more inn
migrants are coming into the south
west than were ever turning in this
direction before 1t is dawmning on
the people of the United States that
the country Immediately to the south
and west Of st. Louis offers greater
attractions fol- the settler than any
other section Gan show.
OF course tile Worlds fair has
something to DO with turning the at
tention of many persons to this sec
tion as a place Of residence But the
fair is not the chief reason for the
discovery of the attractiveness Of the
southwest for settlers. The greater
part of the immigration west of the
Mississippi until recently went to and
through the northern tier Of states. |
The region covered by Missouri. Ar
kansas. Oklahoma, Indian territory
and Texas was neglected. But there !
is now change in the direction OF
the currents OF immigration A ma
jority of the homeseekers are coming
to the southerly end of the transmits
sissippi region. They are finding more |
good lands here than they can get in
the northwest, although the contrary |
was the opinion until recently The /
vast regions o fthe southwest are now
being cut up into farms, and while |
this, for the time. at least may short |
en- the supply of cattle in this quarter, /
/ viii very largely increase the num-
Der Of It's inhabitants an dthe value Of
its activities In the end, too. it may
increase the capabilities OF the region 1
as cattle growing country, for set
element will bring irrigation, and the (
value of such of its lands as are left /
for grazing purposes viii be increased. !
Il is plain from present developments |
that the southwestern en1 Of the Mis-
sissippi drainage basin viii soon have
a far larger population than anybody I
in the country supposed until recently |
that il would contain in the memory
Of persons then living
workina Overtime.