West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-06-29
THE CHEROKEE NATION
Au Interesting Corner Of Indian
Territory as Viewed by a
West YirSinian.

besides. There is John Smith as he
really is; John Smith as he himself
thinks he is; and still another John
Smith for every person among his
acquaintance, no two of them view
ing him quite alike.
The same philosopher might have
- added that to every homeseeker the
chosen land appears in two guises.
There is the chosen land as he has
pictured it in his minds eye; there
is the chosen land as it appears on
a hrst glimpse; and neither is the
chosen land as it really is or as it
will appear after an extended &C
quaintance.
When the homcseeker first views
his chosen land he is living witness
TO the fact that as no two indIvld.
uals are precisely alike, so neither
are any two regions quite alike.
There is strangeness in new
country, both in the landscape and
in the people. The weather may
not BE- quite right; the newcomer
may be fatigued with travel; and a
creepy feeling wonders down his
spine and tempts him to say that as
for this new country he will have
none of it; he will take an early
train for the old home and continue
to bear the ills that have oppressed
him; and il his spine be of the car
tilagineous variety, the impulse
gathers in volume and carries him
back. But if he possess that deslr-
able attribute expressively known as
"sand," he makes allowance for all
there phases of newness. If he has
acted according to his best iudg-
ment, the new region improves on
acquaintance. He finds his place
in it, and though he may cherish a
fond memory for the old home, a
visit TO it after the lapse of a few
years will prove that the old land
marks have themselves grown
strange and that the new home has
taken an unsuspected grasp upon
his affections.
la speaking of the Cherokee Ma
ton we are lmpelled to make these
PREDATORY observations because of
the exceptional conditions which
exist in Indian Territory. If the
homeseeker has not inquired into
these conditions with some care he
will misunderstood this country at
first. The chances are that he will
find his mind portrait incorrect.
And what is true of the Cherokee
Nation will apply in great measure
to Indian Territory as a whole.
West of the Neosho or Grand
river are the best farming lands.
Here the surface will remind the
visitor of Ohio, Indiana, or Illinois.
1t is a prairie country, yet not quite
so level as is the case generally in
those states, and the natural drain
age is better. In some localities
there Is a broken surface, yet even
here the unevenness will appear de-
cidedly tame to a person familiar
with New England hills or with the
rugged surface Of West Virginia,
Western Pennsylvania, or Southeas-
tern Ohio. East of the Neosho and
along the Arkansas line the surface
is more broken than elsewhere. since
1t IS comprised within the Ozark
plateaus. This upland has the stony
surfaced soil peculiar to the Ozarks,
but even in the prairie section itself,
there are variations, both in the
topsoil and subsoil, and the visitor
who is used to the uniformity Of soil
which prevails over large areas in
the northern prairie states should
take this fact into account while
making his Investigations. But
generally the surface soil is black,
free, Of rock, Of good depth, and Of
strength which has not made arti-
fetal feriilizing necessity.
On the numerous water courses
are large bodies Of timber; so large.
in fact, that some Of this woodland
is being cleared for cultivation.
The timber IS hardwood and there
fore the fuel question is easy, even
aside from the coal, which is easily
mined and sold at five to ten cents
per bushel
The amount OF waste land is very
slight In fact the greater part Of
even that small portion is suscepd
bic Of advantageous use.
Yet the first glance may cause the
visitor to think something must be
wrong with this country. There are
considerable towns. but they look
as II they had grown ahead OF the
surrounding districts. And as for
the open country it is nearly all in