The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1904-05-19
"A. K. Wilder, Formerly OF the Merch-
ants Bank, Writes OF Adyan-
tages of the IT.
MUCH RICHER THAN OKLAHOMA.
Great Business Opportunities of the Ter
ritory to Attract Settlers Lands
Leased on Favorable Terms.
E VIZ !, {. Il g ;s:ss :.

have been in lreceipt of numerous let
tiers ofsinquiry, regarding this coun-
try and it's prospects, from my old
friends and neighbors and would like
to take this opportunity of furnishing
them with the desired information as
Regards the exact condition at pres
ent existing here.
| Since smy arrival / have driven
over all the Cherokee reservation,
which is the one in which this
city is located, and have travelled
over the major portion of the rest of
the territory, therefore am thoroughly
informed as to the conditions Of
which am about to write.
The Indian Territory is divided in
to the five civilized nations, each one
of which has it's own seat Of govern
mentss andse1ects it's own chiefs and
council, under the supervision of the
United States, and contrary to the
prevalent belief these chiefs are not
of the full b1oods, but are part white
men, and they care chosen more for
their commanding presence than for
their knowledge The last chief
elected in this nation being 6 feet and
z inches in height and weighing US
pounds, and had they been able to
find larger man than this one he
would doubtless, have been elected.
IN 1906 the tribal governments
cease to exist and the officers APP
| pointed from Washington will have
sole authority. Each nation at the
present time, has it's full quota of
judges, clerks, marsha1s and such
other officers as are necessary to pre-
serve order, and it is proven that the
percentage of crime is less in the
Indian Territory than in any other
state Of the Union.
/ groes and Indians, with the whites
predominating in the northern ma
lions and the negroes in the central
and southern ones. The Indians in
the Cherokee nation are the most
civilized of all the tribes, and would
i never inter marry with the blacks,
but in some other nations they did so
freely. The Cherokees are so far adj
lvanced that they have their own
system of schools, affording all their
children the best of educations, both
lin public schools and colleges.
The land in this nation is, think,
the best in the Territory and is mostly
rolling prairie, with some timber
along the streams and the hills and
Imountairls completely wooded.
| This nation, apparently, is COM
p1ete1y undertake with oil and gas,
but few wells have as yet been drilled,
i as the United States government has
not permitted them, except in a few
instances. Preparations are now being
made to develop these. fields as rap
idly as possible, and many companies
are being formed for this purpose.
| To the west of this city we have
large deposits of a higher grade of
iron ore than is found elsewhere in
the country, while to the east lie inn
lmense quantities of zinc and lead, and
with the development of oil and gas
we shall build an industry second to
no other section of America. Coal,
Ialso, is found in abundant quantities
all over the Territory, and in many
places comes to the top of the ground
| while in the southern part asphalt is
found IN immense beds.
| The country is well watered by
lstreams, springs and branches, and
excellent water can be found any
where by digging. Our city has some
nineteen artesian wells, which are
about 900 feet deep, and which throw
the water about fifty feet above the
surface, and from the two wells now
being bored to supply the pumping
station for the city we are able to Sc
cure enough gas to furnish the boilers
with fuel. Many Of our citizens also
light their houses with the gas from
the water in their Individual wells.
This city is rapidly being improved,
as we have nearly completed an ex-
cellent system of sewers, together
with our water works, and this fall
we begin to pave our streets. We also
have all the conveniences of electric
lights and telephones.
The land outside of the cities is rap
idly being allotted to the Indians, and
this can be leased for term of years
for agricultural purposes, and all
lands belonging to intermarried
whites and negroes can be purchased
outright. lEach man, woman and child
in this nation gets about eighty acres
of land, but this depends largely upon
the value of the land, as of the poorer
grades as much as 600 acres can be
secured.
The principal crops here are corn,
wheat, oats, hay aud fruit, together
with a1ls.kinds of vegetables and some
! cotton, although we are a little too
far north for the cotton to be sure
crop. This is destined to become one
Of the greatest fruit-growing sections
of the entire country, as we already
| have orchards from which thousands
of bushels Of apples and peaches are
picked and shipped, some orchards
yielding as high as 10000 bushels OF
lapp1es. We also send to market nlany