Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-08-17
The Next Star for the American
Flags Blue.
who the Oklahomans Are and what
they Have Done-Sccnes In Two
Tcrritories-The Newest Pion.
GERS who Have Mnde the
Prairie Blossom.

cities or OkIanOmA you can 1lnu SOn'e-
ono who can tell YOU how he came in
with that wonderful rush over the bor-
der when the reservation was thrown
open with one great voice of permits
sion to the enterprising and the adven-
turous, says the Troy Times. On foot.
on the backs of feet horses. some of
which were raced to their death; drop
ming from car roofs and diving from
car windows: hammering in stakes and
fighting for them. as If the ark of popu-
iation had just landed on the ten, of
Ararat and there were no signs of lower
water. What n volume could be written
on that human inundation where the
rac, was to the swift and the battle to
the strong! The Oklahomans have never
lost the impulse Of that great rush.
and perhaps that is why they get on SO
fast II any girl at "sweet sixteen" had
grown so rapidly as this territory. It is
sixteen to one that she would be con-
eidered ample enough for statehood
even the state of matrimony. The Ma
tional Editorial Association met at Guth-
RE. the territorial capital, recently, and
the power of the press succumbed to
the power of the pressing. 1T was unan-
mously agreed that Oklahoma deserved
to be a State, and every editor went
home to say so and. If he could not find
arguments for It, to make them.
WHY THEY WANT IT.
But the Oklahoma air is full Of argyll
nlents. Firet, population. The census
of 1900 gave Oklahoma and Indian Terri
tory separately more than Vermont, or
North Dakota, or any Of these other
States: Utah. Montana, Delaware. Idaho.
Wyoming and Nevada. But Oklahoma
and Indian Territory have clasped hands
in betrothal and desire to be united in
one State. The census Of 1900 showed
the combined population to be greater
than that Of Maine or Colorado or Flor
ida or Washington or Rhode Island or
Oregon or New Hampshire or South Da-
kota. But these buXOm territories are
growing up with them. In the last five
years such cities as Guthrie, Oklahoma
City and Enid have multiplied their pop
ulation by two. and Oklahoma vows with
clenched fist and an entirely indisput-
able manner that she and Indian Terri
tory together, with a million and a half
people. outnumber in this year 1909
any of the following States: California.
Kansas. louisiana South Carolina. Ar
kansas. Maryland. Nebraska, West Nir-
einia and Connecticut
AMAZING GROWTH.
The next argument is growth. 1t puz-
sles the slow-going Fastener to see
thriving cities where ten. yes five. years
ago there was not a sign of human hab-
itation. In 1889 all Oklahoma was Il bar
rem prairie. In 1890 1000 population. In
1900 39S.UO In 1905 from 100000 to $780,
W0-so they toll you. And to prove it
they show Guthrie. with $1,000 people.
eight through railways. paved streets
and "A trolley line all around town, and
Oklahoma City, with 5000 population,
1900 pupils at schools with III teachers
sixteen miles of brick and stone sidewalk,
twenty-three miles OF electric street rail-
road, s3,Oo0,0O0 deposited in eight banks.
nine railroads. sixty-five factories, 1871
wholesale houses. twenty-thrce churches
and An assessed valuation of $500, 000.
And nothing there sixteen years ago.
The latte place is said to he the largest
city in the world for its age.
THE KIND OF PEOPLE.
Oklahoma wishes to be State be-
cause the Oklahomans are people from
States. They are Fasteners transplant
ed. They have not had time to grow
native citizen: They come from New
England, New York Ohio, Kansas. While
passing through Cleveland. Oklahoma, a
city where from distance the oil der
ricks look like crowded steeples, a tour
ist rema rked Of the assembly at the rail-
road station platform. Two thirds of
those men are from one county in Penn
syivania or one county in Ohio" men
tioning two Oil-prOducing counties. In
Oklahoma the percentage of illiteracy is
only 5.h per cent and in Indian Terri
tory sixteen per cent. In spite OF the
name Of the last territory only small
per cent. of its people is of Indian
origin. Such residents as these Okla
Romans. who have great schools with
a school fund Of $30.00OO00 and over 1900
schoOis) and large churches. and who
have been accustomed to vote for their
rulers, are CALLED when they think they
have not star on the flag. Oklahoma
cannot vote for president or governor,
while Indian Territory has neither gov
ernor nor Legislature. In Guthrie, at n
reception given in Masonic Temple
which is the finest west of Missouri. four
or Ave soprano solo singers were heard
who would not suffer by comparison
with an equal number from the fa-
mously musical city of Troy: the Tenn
pie itself has an excellent male double
quartette. and one tenor singer gave an
ara from "Trovatorc" with a beauti-
fully clear tones. These are Indications
of the culture OF the people who wish TO
be Americans inside OF the Union.
WHAT THEY HAVE.
The predictions Of future growth are
based on the natural resOurces-the land
where wheat, corn and cotton can grow
In the same field the coal mines, the Oil
wells and the rushing gas outlets. Okla
homa raised last year $1,000. 600 bushels
OF wheat and 6O,O0O.0O0 bushels OF corn,
with nearly $4,000 bales Of cotton. The
territory Is S65 miles from north to south.
OF late Oklahoma has been making the
pace for the Union i'm railroad building,
for the trunk lines scent the future of
some of the proceeds in their trunks.
Speaking of railroads. some of the new
branches would puzzle sailor. 1t is
hard to get suitable stone for ballast.
A red soil locally called "gumbo" Is
this part OF the earth and wish to nut
used, but when there are heavy rains
washouts are frequent, and there Is moth
Ing to do but to put In more gumbo.
Meanwhile the rails are billowy. One
conductor tells OF trains he has seen
come through depressions SO deep that
from little distance ahead the tops of
the cars are below the range Of vision.