The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1904-02-26
ALEXANDER
ON POLITICS
Senator from Woodward Dis
cuSSeS Several Points.
FORT SUPPLY RESERVATION
Oklahoma Should Garry Out
Condition imposed.
FORT SUPPLY RESERVATION

Guthrie, o. r., Feb. Ex-senator Charles
and was in the city last night talking
with the statesmen of the capital city
sbout public business and politics. The
senator is regarded as one OF the young
Republicans in line for a good position.
He was president of the senate last
year and he made himself solid with the
farmers of Oklahoma by securing the
enactment OF a herd law. People here
have found out that the country is much
Easter developed when the cattle men are
compelled OF confine their herds with
wire fences. 1t Is A saying among the
FARMERS that a wheat field was never
known 10 break into cattle pasture and
Il doesn't need TO be fenced. 1t is claimed
chat Senator Alexander wrote every
word of the herd law and by argument
and persuasion induced the legislative
BODY to pass it,
Another of his pets, is the location OF
the territorial hospital for insane persons
81 old Fore Supply The senator says
that there is something repulsive to the
average person in the word asylum and
n lust called this a hospital. There IS a
provision in the act which defers the
actual location of the institution at Supply
until if has railroad connection with
Woodward
Two different railroad companies have
surveyed lines 10 the fort but neither
of them has made a move toward build
ing the line Senator Alexander is not
going 10 be baked by any small AFFAIR
like that and he is now considering the
feasibility Of securing an interurban
electric line connecting the fort with
Woodward The United States govern=
rnent donated the old fort with all its
buildings to the territory TO be used as a
hospital for insane persons, but the con-
ditions were such that the property is
NOT needed to the territory until the hos
ujtal is opened Senator Alexander rs
very earnest in his efforts TO get the
hospital opened Speaking of It last night
he said:
Fort Supply is one OF the most beat
tiful spots in Oklahoma. 1t was located
I'm 1868 bv The great fighter Phil Sheridan
who superintended the location in person.
II is sixteen miles northwest of Wood
ward. 1t is located in such a manner
that the entire tract of ground could be
easily irrigated from the north fork OF
ihe Canadian river. 1t is in a bend OF
the river that makes a sort of hors@-
shoe. The ground has the river on three
sides and the irrigation would be a small
matter provided irrigation is ever needed.
There will be very few seasons that the
rains will be insufficient to mature The
crops. We are planting trees and break
ing out the ground and in very few
wears extreme western Oklahoma viii
be developed like the eastern part.
"Our people are very anxious to see
the hospital opened for the reason that
they believe il will be one Of the most
beautiful public institutions Of the terri
tory There is a tradition among The
people out there that when General Shell
idan laid out the fort. he and his men
took their guns and went out to get some
fresh meat for their ratiOns. They went
in a southeasterly direction toward where
Woodward is now located. They finally
reached a nice little grove of timber and
all at once the wild turkeys appeared
all around them. They shot turkeys
enough to furnish them fresh meat for
a weak and ever since that spot has
been called Sheridans Roost.
Senator Alexander has some very de-
cided opinions as TO what the next Re-
publican convention ought to do. He says
the Republicans must win the next cleo
tion in the territory and in order TO
do that the convention must show COM
mon sense in the adoption of the platform
upon which The candidates will have to
go before the people He says there has
been some change in the sentiment of
tn people in regard to statehood and he
thinks the party will show wisdom if it
does not tie itself to The Mcguire bill
or any other special plan. If he could
have his way he would have the con-
vention adopt one broad plank in favor Of
statehood and leave the details to con-
erpSS