West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1905-04-13
COL. BROOASEDGE
In the SOuthEest-The Land Of Pint
HlllS-Apple 0rChardS-TOVn
Boomers and ShackS.


and the Cherokee Nation, on bust.
ness for some Of the Southwestern
railroads, l will give the readers OF
THE ARGUS some rather discon-
n ecte d paragraphs concerning
that country.
Very much OF the farming in the
Cherokee country is done by white
renters who generally live in very
small cheap houses, not scattered
very numerously over the prairie.
The wild land is much greater in
amount than that under cultivation.
w h en- person after noticing
these facts finds large towns every 8
or 10 miles along the lines of rail.
roads, he wonders whether they are
not growing ahead OF the country
and whether they will not be com.
PEELED to pause for while. But
whether this will prove true or not,
the people Of these towns do not
seem to think so. They go on
building one story cottages and big
brick stores and put in public i'm
provements at rapid pace. The
city of Muscogee has increased in
little over three years from a place
of 1000 people to one II. 900. Sew
eral hundred people are living In
tents and tent houses, some of
which are not as white as they could
be
A good share OF the inhabitants
of Muscogee are Africans, colored
people nj negroes. Some say
there are 'niggers" also. There
are plenty of them in the towns of
Indian Territory, but in the adioin
ing portions of Missouri and Arkan-
sas they are very scarce. Several of
the towns IN that section settle the
the color question so far as they are
concerned by letting it be known
very emphatically that negroes will
not be allowed to live among them.
The boomers with town lots for
sale are up with the birds in the
morning and hustle around until
after the frogs begin to croak. The
visiting stranger is duly inspected
to see whether he has any loose
shekels to invest in real estate. II
so, he is given the glad hand. If
otherwise, the boomer looketh down
his nose and like the Levite Of old
passeth by on the other side.
The Mexican boundary is long
distance farther on, but this does
not prevent every lunch counter
from advertising "hot chile"
Mexican dish. They seldom spell
the word correctly, but there is no.
thing chilly about the thick bean
soup. 1t is made so hot with red
pepper that il would blister the
throat of screech owl in three
seconds. 1 think half barrel
of it would thaw out an ice gorge
in the Monongahela.
Indian Territory has been unfa-
vorably known for its bad men,
but the day of the desperate is all
but over. The State of Kansas has
kindly consented to board one hun
dred Of his kind. Those not in
some 'pen" are becoming tanned OF
disappearing; some times with the
aid Of hypodermic injection Of
lead. Yet after all, the bad man Of
the west is not absolutely bad. lie
is impatient Of restraint and will not
put up with much nonsense. But
some petty offense is often the be.
ginning Of his career The sheriff
lays for him and he either lays for
the sheriff or goes into hiding. lie
likes TO have the needful in his poe.
kci, and after Becoming an OUTLAW,
handy way TO get the coin is to
hold up train or plumber a bank.
a party Of bank robbers ia the
northwest Of Indian Territory stop.
ped al a house and gave the man
ten dollar bin, telling him to get
them some grub" and get il quick
as the sheriff was after them. On
another occasion man was halted
and made to give up a horse. lie
was told by the desperados that he
could have his horse back II he
would follow them a while. lie did
so and got back his horse. All they
wanted was a fresh animal to help
them make better time for a while.
On still another occasion a saddle
was sent back 10 its owner.
In The Arkansas valley cotton was
stilI being picked. IL seemed ra-
,her late to be gathering in last
years crop.
On many a spot ia the Ozark
tableland the surface Of the ground
IS completly covered with small,
angular Clint stones which look asif