The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1905-06-22
ball at the city hall which was attend
ed by two thousand people. Thursday
evening the Scottish Rite Masons enter

evening the Scottish Rite Masons enter
tanned the editors at their magnificent
new temple, one of the finest in the
country which was erected at cost of
$4,000, and as it is all paid for they are
planning another big addition to it..
When it was built five years ago they
started without cent in the treasury,
and the fact that the Indebtedness has
all been wiped out in such short time
is an indication of the wonderful re-
sources and enterprise of this new
country. The actual work of the con-
vention closed Friday afternoon and the
delegates said farewell to Guthrie at
$3.50 and started on three day trip
through Oklahoma and Indian Territory.
The first stop was made Friday evening
at Enid, arriving there at 8 o'clock
where the citizens gave the party an
enthusiastic reception at the opera
house and the Elk club rooms and three
hours were spent in a pleasant manner.
We had expected to meet G. B. Jordan,
a former we'll known citizen of Leon,
now one Of the leading real estate men
of Enid, but the crowd was something
fierce and during the short stay in that
city we were unable to run across him.
Leaving Enid at midnight we reached
Snyder, Indian Ty., Saturday morning
and had the privilege OF viewing the
destruction and ruin wrought by the
the terrible cyclone which visited that
thriving little town of 1900 a few weeks
ago, over 200 houses being totally de-
molished and lib persons killed out
right. The town is located in beau
tiful little valley surrounded by low
| 70 Iolt r to-
ribly is rapidly being rebuilt. Bob
Pritchard, formerly of Princeton, Mo.
we'll known in this vicinity, is resi-
dent Of Snyder and escaped injury dur
ing the storm by taking refuge in a
cave. His residence and two story
business block We're destroyed but Bob
is plugging away and is now rebuilding
his business block. The cyclone per-
formed many freaks, among others leav-
ing but very little wreckage on the
ground, most of the demolished buildings
being scattered over the country for a
distance of 30 to so miles.
From Snyder we proceeded to Lawton
and here we found real boom town
Three years ago the town site was
simply prairie, but today they have a
city of over 10000, modern business
houses and residences, six banks, cleo
trio light and gas plants, an $4,000
system of waterworks, a sewerage sys-
TEN costing $4,000, a magnificent new
court house and postotice building in
course of construction and many other
improvements. The town site was sold
by the government for $4S3,000 and all
of this money is being spent for public
improvements.
| From Lawton we had pleasant rur
to Chicasha, where the citizens enter.
tanned the editors at a great barbecue
eight steers being roasted for the feast
and during the two hour stop in that
city everything possible was done te
entertain the visitors and impress upoI
them the fact that Chicasha is bound tt
be one of the best towns in the new
country. Leaving Chicasha at o'clocl
the run was made to Oklahoma City
the largest city in Oklahoma, having Z
population of about 10000, and it is the
equal Of any northern city, having mod
ern buildings, paved streets and an ali
of thrift and enterprise that is com
mendable. There is a great strife be
tween Oklahoma City and Guthrie, tn,
present capital of Oklahoma, and i
looks as if Oklahoma City would win GU
in the fight for the capital if statehood
is granted Oklahoma. Here we spen
the evening at the Delmar summe
garden where a banquet was served ane
other entertainment provided, which
unfortunately was greatly hampered b.
a severe rain storm, the only place W,
encountered rain during the trip, al
though all parts Of that country hav,
had unusually heavy rains this spring
the streams being all badly swollen ant
railroad tracks in bad condition.
Leaving Oklahoma City Sunday morn
ing at o'clock our two trains made
rapid run to Bliss, Ind. Ty., where tn,