The Minneapolis journal., 1905-10-09


Rithal not bad neighbor.
The Indian, however, is decidedly In
the minority in the territory. The census
OF 1900 shows a population Of 391 800, OF
which about $4,000 were Indians. Esti-
mates place the present population at
about 100000, an increase Of over "100,0 900
whites in the last three years.
These white citizens enjoy all of the
comforts and many of the luxuries of up
TENS and we'll organized church COM
munities are established In all of the I'M.
portant towns. The municipal govern
ment of these towns Is thoroughly efficient
and the property and personal rights of
the citizen are we'll looked after. It must
be admitted that in the country districts
there are not the school and church ad-
yantages which the towns have to offer.
In some of the more thickly settled Sec
tlons there are schoolhouses and
churches, but as these are built upon
i at the present time, they can hardly be
| considered as fixtures.
Push of the New Settlers.
There is little doubt, however, but that
this unfavorable feature will be remedied
! the moment building sites may lawfully
| De secured. These farmer settlers are
| very progressive and aggressive and ap-
preclate the important part institutions
OF this kind will play in the future of the
territory. The same is true Of the towns
people as WE'LL The new settler casts his
lot with a cosmopolitan people who are
| energetic, enterprising, and sociable:
who gauge every man by his true worth,
and whose concern is not regarding the
newcomers identity, but rather his capa-
bility
South McAlester is one of the most
promising towns in the Choctaw Nation.
1t supports eight wholesale establish
ments IN various lines, has two factories
and two foundries, beside a hundred re-
tail stores, representing every depart
ment of trade. The town has recently
been connected by suburban trolley with
Krebs, population 1000. and Anderson,
population 1,80o, two adjacent mining
towns where half hourly service has been
| lnaugurated. Farther east the coal towns
OF Halleyville, population 1,60O; Harts-
horne, population $500, and Wilburton,
population 5,000 lie within her jobbing
and manufacturing radius. The coal
district Is filling up very rapidly. Harts-
horne and. Haileyville have practically
grown together, and there is every indi-
cation that many other twin towns
:: through this district will extend their
limits to ultimate cons olidation.
| A thriving retail business in many lines
is now being carried on in these towns,
but retailing facilities are, entirely made
quate in view OF the rapid increase in
population, and every town presents open
D.! ings in nearly all lines. ~
4 Town Has Brilliant Future,
AS stated before, South McAlester is
the main jobbing point for this business,
and while most of these towns, because
Il or their surrounding resources will ulti
mately support their own wholesale estab-
llshments, there Is no doubt but that the
TACT that South McAlester is at present
the supply headquarters for that section
Will give her great impetus in the i'm
mediate future. Situated as the town is
, In close proximity to both coal and cot
ton, there is probably no better location
IN the Southwest for cotton factory.
The business blocks of South McAlester
! as we'll as of the other towns Just men
/ toned, are for most part built Of lime OF
sand stone, which is quarr1ed in many
places all over the territory. 1t gives tht
= town substantial appearance hardly ex
2 pccted in so new a country.
2 Perhaps the most remarkable char
actertstic Of Indian territory is that it IL
: one of the few corners in this country, o:
2 in the world, for that matter, where tn
o wheat and cotton belts merge or inter
4 | sect, and the two staples thrive side b,
l crop. The great prairie of Indian terri
, tory is an extension of the noted Okla
S homa wheat belt, while the same sectio1
b | is included in that segment which join
4 the fertile cotton fields of Arkansas an
n Texas.
S This fact has a twofold significance
: Not only does it add to the productiv
e worth of the soil by increasing the possi
!, bility of crop diversificatlon, but 1t in
f sures an equality of advantage to settler
: from all sections of the country. TIL
farmer from the North who has bee
:. growing wheat has good reason for hest
S tating before making move which wou1
Il put him in competition with experience
:, cotton growers, and in like manner tn
y cotton planter Of the South cannot hop
h to equal Immediately the success of hi
r Northern brother in the raising of whea
d But here in this remarkable land eac
: may continue his well tried methods {
e farming until he has gained experienc
If sufficient to warrant his taking adva1
tage of all the possibilities which his ne
l. soil presents.
e Possibilities of Cotton.
% "A comparison of the advantages and dis
~ advantages of the two Industries place
- them on an almost equivalent basis fro
- net profit per acre standpoint. TT
possibilities Of cotton as paying stap
II must not be overlooked by the prospe,
ID tive homeseeker from the North. Fo
" merly the balance hung in favor Of whea
Is owing to the vast waste incident to IL
t. growth of cotton, but now that the val,
a. of cotton seed, cotton seed oil ,and 9th
ne by products has become recognized, su
re ftcient revenue is derived therefrom
he defray almost the entire expense of IL
er crop This expense has always been We
is great the process of cotton raising bell
of accomplished necessarily s"by the lab
- of mems hands," On the other hand, t
"a work of wheat raising from drill to m
Z is performed almost entirely by machi
cry, which reduces the expense to mir
Id. mum. But when everything is consider
OF Of -comparative gross receipts, cost Of pr