The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-10-29
OIL DISCOVERIES HELP. ~,
TN ITS SWIFT. PR 0GRESS
Center Of q Great Agricultural
Country, the Rich Petroleum
Fields Bring In Men by Thou
sands and Capital by Millions.

country, the Rlch Petroleum
Fields Bring In Men by Thou
sands and Capital by Millions.
BY: HERBERT VANDERHOOF..s I. s &s
.:sf.s Special Correspondents q.
MUsKOGEE, i. T., Oct This city
lays claim: to the proud distinction Of
being the largest as we'll as the most
rapidly growing city In the indian terri
toFy. Its citizens 90 not put forth these
claims In any Boosting spirit but state
tnem with the calm assurance OF GER Ger
) tainty,z and produce figures that bear out
81 tnelr claims. One thing is certain:
aug mat IS that Muskogee has had amar-
ys4ous development, and that Of the most
stable proportions. This deVelopmen
according to all Indications, is vet In It's
Infancy, and whatSh has been accomplishe
tere I'M the past ten years bids fair to be
lar outsripped in the coming ten. y
IN 1889 a census Of this city gave It q
population of 10000 people; and there
were several other towns in the TERRITORY
"hlcn then exceeded it in denseless 81
population. Since thenethe city has gone
forward by leaps and bounds, until today
"a az etoA 10 ptoUaUly uOC. Iaf from
oo,VoO. .Iaking this figure as the correct
estimate of the city's popula tion,' 1t shows
gam IN six years Of 10, 600 people. al
most a. doubling in that period Of time.
buildings have gone up each year By the
hundreds, and are still going UP as fast
as the material can be shipped IN and the
TABOR necessary for their erection can Be
procured. Addition after addition has
n neen made to the town, and still the de-;
mand lis for more room. This building
mas not been Of any cheap character,
e.tner' put OF the most solid nature. The
business blocks of the city are credftstn
1t and would be;to any other Community
ein the residence portions the archi.
lecture shows that a high grade Of talent
mas supervised the work and that money
has been freely spent 5 :,},5a = .7fs
a Big Trading, center center -, ls :; 8
Muskogee Is in the northwest corner 81
the Creek Nation and also in the north
/ eastern part Of Indian territory. it is
close to the border line of the Cherokee
nation, and IS also within short distance
OF the Oklahoma boundary line, which. is
little north. It is commercial town
IN the widest sense of the word. There
are numerous wholesale establishments
, mere IN dry goods, groceries; ana other
Hnes, and these houses do a trade that
not only extends all over the territory.
put even down to Texas and over into
Oklahoma s.Ea2a@ 70 - - q
All this implies capital, and Muskogea
has 1t. And this wealth is reflected in
the local affairs of the city. It's main
streets are well paved, its water Supply
ana electric light systems are Of the best
type that Is obtainable, and it's public
schools and churches are not surpa ssed
by any community In this southwestern
country. An intense local pride Is eyi-
deneed by every citizen Of the city. and
any movement for the betterment 81. con
dftions is assured OF hearty and unani-
nous support. ~ &s.~A q
Like the majority, OF towns down In
i thls section, the early days Of MuskoRea
were almost entirely dependent upoin9 ffhe
/ agricultural conditions In the territory
tributary to it, This has always been aha
rs today great wheat and corr, country
and thIrty-hves and forty bushels of. tue
Former cereal to the acre was nothing out
| Of the common. It is also an dea1htoch
country, the native grasses being Of the
most succulent nature and great fat pro-
| ducers, while the mild winters make shell.
| ter. as we'll as feeding unn necessary, the
cattle being able to find an abundance o,
1 provender on the range. YS5Fr s!1's7"l5 :
Restrictions on DeveIopme INT. - :,
Alike with all other parts Of the IN
dian territory, however, the development,
OF this country has: been sorely. ham.
/ pered by the restrictions which the gov:
1 eminent placed upon the. lands, for the
protection of its Indian wards. The white
man might come In here and rent the
! LANDS from their Indian owners, but hi
! could not buy them. He was only ten.
ant, and as such the IMPROVEMENT
ne placed upon the lands were 81
the moststransitory character. The sol
was rich and abundantly7 rewarded hi.
q efforts, but after he had made a comfort
able sum Of money by his labor he re.
iuctantly moved on to some less favores
region where he could own his lands Il
Zee simple. His place was soon taken b,
another, and he in turn did as his prede
cessor had done. The only place wherr
,, toWnsite. + sag - sFf2
Whena town; shows In a few years tt
, remarkable growth that Muskogee has
therefore, there must be some specia
treason for It. There have been two srea
, sons In the case of Muskogee. The frs
was the certainty that as soon as III
!, Dawes commission had finished itsSSwor
, OF allotment there would be a Iarg
, quantity OF the finest agricultural land
IN the world thrown open to whfte owner
7 ship. The second reason, however. al
1 liz,
discovery that this city wars In the cente
Of one Of the greatest oil fields Of I'll,
Southwest. Within a few miles Of Til
city hundreds Of wells have been pil
: | down, and 1t is no exaggeration to- sa
!. that millions OF dollars have been In
vested in these fields It is almost :.
moral certainty that the well dritler wi
strike oil within certain we'll define
|. limits, and the proportion OF busters,
n Hrx 5SyHyAI 1eh I~A,
hardly worth consld eration. :ss5E5
) Fortunes Rapidly Acqufred.
= Wherever Oil is found rush Of mankin
I is assured. "a gold field Is not more &c,
r tain to attract the throng than OIL In
= vestors fiocked in here by the hundred
{ every day, and fortunes were made Owe
: night by the traffic in leases. A great Pre-
!, portion Of this new population, attracte
I by the beauty of the climate, decided t
q settle here permanently, and, as the ,onl
' place in which, they could secure land
: fee wasa In the townsite, land values. toe
! on all the proportions Of a boom. Lot
. in Muskogee that were held at 5000 an
f $500 in few weeks time; were valued
: $4,000 and $4,000 Shrewd dealers II rel
: estate. who were acute enough to forese
7 the conditions that were inevitabl
q reaped fortunes as q result Of their pc,
. spicacity! 80. Is l. 81 s ~ % - =
a The feverish conditions that attende
!: the discovery Of oil have nows1argely di,
: appeared, and the industry has bee
Z placed upon solid, substantial basi
a From this time forward the work Of d,
!. OK AHo MA
IS COME. NON TO sOuTHEE
Le The BEST PLACE ON EARTH for II
~ PROSPECTS. THE GREAT WICHITA
= VALLEY. CQMANCE1E. COUNTY. with