The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1905-04-01
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
EN- ROUTE N K. & I. R R
Our OF ATOKA, SOUTH,
March 25.

oklahoma, though I should not likI
. to pass a very rigid examination Oh
the reason why. II is always embar
raSslng to be called to account TO
mere prejudices and whimsical prefer
ences. Something Of the diversified
resources Of these territories, KEEP
as territories only by the meanness Of
politics, is known Of all men. Though
widely different 10 character and de.
velopment, l speak Of them as one
because my objection to them is the
, same. Their resources, both agricul.
tural and mineral, are enormous.
The lead and zinc region, quite equal
to that OF Kansas aud approachably
near to that Ct Missouri and Arkansas,
is wholly u~ndeveloped. A low grade
Of iron ore, workable by Edison's new
electric process, is found in measure
less abundance In proximity to the
anthracite coal region OF the territory;
while the coal and oil, If uncombined
with other minerals found here, are
by themselves enough to make the
once "B 1 T. " as ~hideously prosper
GUS as Western Pennsylvania and
Eastern Ohio.
But these are not all Of the mineral
resources Of these territories. The
salt regions of Kenawa and Rochester
are made to look like thirty cents in
Confederate script by the side of the
Oklahoma fields, where they do not
even have to mine for it, but just
shovel 1t up like prairie sand. More
over, 10 the Wichita mountains silver
aDd copper have already been found
10 workable quantities, where rising
smelters and crushers prove the tim
Orous and convincing faith of capital.
Even gold is something more than
the illureing promise Of enthusiasts,
and platinum, the most precious of
the metals Of real utility and wide
commercial Importance, may yet be
found here, If the evidences prove not
deceitful, in quantities to rival the
Ural mountains region Of Russia.
Everybody knows of the agricultural
possibilities and actualities Of this
region They have been exploited at
two worlds fairs. But In spite Of the
showing which this new country is
able to make In wheat, corn, potatoes,
cotton, and summer fruits and vege.
tables, n raven note is to. be sounded
1t is a little too far south for the
tame grasses, and in the last ANALYSIS
grass Is the foundation Of all abiding
wealth on the farm.
There is at least one other thing
which deserves to be spoken Of in the
superlative degree before 1 register
my little Intellectual complaint. 1t is
the Indian names Of places, which
are destined to glorify the Indian
race after it has persisted from the
earth and after the malice and over.
hearing Misrepresentation of the
Anglo.Saxon have lost place in
h. tory Where else can you fad
such delicious Dames as Watonga,
Sequoyah, Talequah, Sepulpa, No.
wata, Talalah, Atoka, Muskogee,
Checotah, Eufaula, Okmulgee, Tulsa,
and a thousand othersp Oh, it is
true there are are to be found some
Bartlesvilles. South McAlisters, and
Hominys, but these only go to prove
In some respects a "dirty Injun" is
better than a white man; and the
white man is going to have to answer
for these things in the day Of Final
Accounts.
My objection to the territories is to
be found in historical sentiment.
They have no history; or, II they
have, it is such as they would
like to forget. l am ignoring their
Indian history. The Indian Is des.
tined TO perish speedily, and his tales
and romances will be ignored as
utterly as the graves Of his nameless
dead. These territories we're kent
back by the malice Of the white man
until the greed Of the white man
could stand 1t no longer. Originally
set apart to abridge the slave terri.
tory and prevent the increase of
Southern representation In congress,
this region was preserved intact,
blocking off development OF the
whole Southwest, until a few years
ago 1t was announced piecemeal to be
the prize Of the longest legged and
the %greediest. At the crack of a