Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1903-07-16
LONE STAR STATE.
Harry Gill Writes Interestingly Of
the Western Country.
DENIsoN. TEX. July 6. 1903

allow me a short space IN Jour col.
umns, | shall endeavor to answer
few inquiries received some time
since in regard to the crops in this
country,
Most of the early crops were
good; corn is looking fine aud the
wheat crop was very good in near
ly every section of the State.
Threshing is all over and the
farmers are prospecting.
The ost crop was fine as | ever
saw, in fact it is very common
occurrence to see a volunteer crop
of oats that are nearly as thick as
though they had been sown. and
make a very good crop. I,e seen
quite a number Of fields of this
kind this season.
This part of Texas is il the
black land belt where farming is
the principal occupation.
The Southern part Of the State
is the Gardeners Paradise aud
it is nothing unusual to see cars
of vegetables of every kind being
shipped to the northern market.
Several of you asked me about
the Indian Territory | make a
trip every three days Of two hun
dred miles through the finest of it
aud maybe can give you a slight
description of it.
tits in many respects an ideal
country; part of it is level land be-
ing timbered in some places and
prairie in other parts, and is the
finest agricultural lands have
ever seen. The first crop of pota-
toes of the season has just been
harvested and | think it was the
finest crop of potatoes l ever saw.
| saw one crop up in the timbered
part of the Creek Nation last DC
tober that made me think Of old
Kentucky. 1t was a small field of
tobacco, and certainly was a great
sight to those that had never seen
tobacco growing before
This country is being settled
very fast by white people who
lease the land from the Indians.
Some of the Indians cultivate their
own land, but the most Of them are
like their predecessors, don't take
to work we'll as they should.
This is part of the finest country
in the west, being rich in soil, fine
timber on a great deal of it and
1t contains some Of the
finest coal mines in the west, while
there is oil to be found in mum.
Der of places and natural gas is
found near Tulsa and Ledfork.
In passing through Redfork in
the night one is met by very pic
turesque sight; the town is small
and like all the western towns, is
scattered over quite lot of ground; |
this is lii up with natural gas, on
all the streets; each light seems
to be a sheet Of. flame about two
feet long, the pipes being bent so
as TO throw the blaze horiz )ntally.
This gas is 30 plentiful that they
don't seem to try to use it econo-
The territory has somewhere in
the neighborhood of SIX hundred
towns in it and some of them are
very good cities of several thous-
and inhabitants The largest towns
are Ardmore, Tishomingo, Mus.
logee, Okmulgee, South McAles-
.er, Ada, Alton and Vinita.
Railroads permeate nearly every
part of the territory at present, it
being almost network of new
roads, yet there are more building,
but just at present they ale hav-
ng their hands full repairingl
Tashouts.
The Missouri, Kansas d Texas
las been blockaded about three
lays on account of bridges and
racks being washed away. The
Frisco has not had train through
,or five days but repairs will be
by tomorrow, and trains
running on schedule time.
Well, | could write and write
about this country. but for fear of