Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-10-14
oKLAHoMA oppoRTUNITIEs.
Advantages Found In Greer County De-
scribed by william r.. Draper.

| of thousands more. There remain,
for those who will take advantage of
the offer, fortunes beyond the fondest
dreams for all who stem the tide and
go to Greer county. the most beauti-
full section of southern Oklahoma.
Greer county is populated with a
prosperous people; il lies in the rich
Red river valley, and almost the en-
| tire farming area is sub-irrigated.
Greer county is the richest county
in the entire territory. Its taxable
valuation is, according to the last re
port of Gov. Ferguson, $3.S53,541, and
| yet this is small in comparison to its
extensive area, for Greer county COW
ers wide scope, 100000 acres, four
| tifths of which is susceptible to cult
Walton. Greer county was once held
| by the cattle yet, yet today it con-
| tains less than $4,000 cattle whereas
10 years ago 100000 was small esti-
mate to place upon the steers that
roamed over its rich valley land and
| grazed upon the luXuriant wild grass
es. On the other hand, Greer county
today contains more horses and mules
than any other county in the terri
tory. These are the property of the
work-a-day farmers who have gone
| there to conquer the sOd-and have
succeeded so far as they have gone.
Come with me for a ride through
the county. Mangum is the county
seat, pretty little place of $500 peo-
| pie. 1t is mid-July. The farmers are
threshing Their wheat and the cotton
is i'll bloom. The oats have been put
into the bins, a fine crop, making 60
! bushels per acre, and the corn has
been laid by and will surely run 50 to
20 bushels. Here and there we come
to field of black-it can no longer
be called green. as it is so luscious
Kaflir corn. This is the forage crop.
| The farmers raise Il good deal of
| katfir corn to feed their stock
through the winter. Just across the
field the cotton is blooming. 1t has
been chopped out" and is getting ready
to yield from $50 to $40 worth of cot
| ton per acre. And when YOU drive
into the barnyard of some native, he
brings you out Il big red watermelon,
| his wife goes into the cellar and opens
a jar Of preserves for you, and one
must take luncheon with the farmer
or he will be offended at your inatten-
| ton.
Greer county viii raise almost any
| thing, with the exception Cf oranges.
lemons. and tropical fruits and plants.
! The wheat and alfalfa grow alongside
| Of the corn and the watermclons. II
is less than 10 feet to water, and most
of the land is as smooth as a floor.
Along the western portion lie the
foothills of the Wichita mountains,
where the great gold excitement now
exists. The rest of the land is bot
tom valley land. with a deep. dark.
rich soil. 1t is all sub irrigated. 1t is
never drouthy, and the rainfall eX-
ceeds that of any other section of the
| territory.
Farmers in Greer county can raise
two crops if they care to. for winter
| never blasts the fields. and the entire
! month resembles Il period of per-
petual spring and fall. The Red river
| by its north and south fork, furnishes
an abundant water supply, and the
water percolates few feet under the
soil all through the country. One can
not go two miles without coming to
some kind of running water. Turkey
creek that flows past Olustee and on
to the Red river, is Is feet deep and
runs across the level plains all the
year around. 1t canot be seen until
one gets directly upon its banks. 1t
is like a perfectly built canal.
In addition to Turkey creek. Horse
creek and Cottonwood river furnish
an abundant supply of pure water.
Land may he purchased i'm Greer
county all the way from $3.50 to S25
per acre. There are no free homes
there. for it was never opened like the
rest of Oklahoma. Some farmers have
been there 10 years and never had Il
| failure of wheat or corn. Cotton alone
brought to the farmers in 1902 nearly
81 100000.
The tide of immigration has been
turned toward Greer county this fall,
because it offers such opportunities
to those who have been used to liv-
ing in an old settled commuHity. The
county contains 1870 public schools
and as many churches. 1t has five or
six good towns and the shipping facili-
ties for grain are good. There is a
farm down there that will suit you.
There is an opening for any kind of
business in one of the Greer county's
hustling towns, and it is a mistake in
going to the new county if you do not
visit this rich and beautiful section,
the garden spot of the territory.
Further information about Oklaho-
ma and Indian Territory is given in
Rock Island States Southwest" Cd
page booklet recently Issued by the
passenger department of the Rock ISL
n 20
Sebastian, Passenger Traffic Manager.
Chicago, Ill.
The Rock Island system also issues
monthly paper called the Western
Trail and devoted to the territory
traversed by Rock Island lines. Each
issue contains letters from men and
women who have bettered their con-
ditiOn in life by removing to the south
west. The Western Trail will be mail
ed you one year for 25c in stamps or