The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-08-08

gress Next Winter Resources Of
Oklahoma and Indian Territory and
Present Population.
1t Will be necessary to have another
star on the flag within a few months,
says the Washington correspondent Of
the New York Post. Now that the
president has signed the act enabling
Oklahoma and Indian Territory to be-
come a state the boomers from those
two territories have gone home to make
ready for the constitutional convention.
1t is planned to adopt the constitution
in time to elect the first set Of state
officers in November. The formal ad.
mission to the Union will be by procla-
nation Of the president, after q consti.
tuition has been adopted. One hundred
and twelve delegates will sit in the
constitutional convention. When con-
gress reconvenes next December five
new members Of the house will appear
from this new state, and the legisla-
ture at its meeting In January will
choose two United States senators, who
will probably be In their seats by the
1st Of February.
This new state will not come in as
Ayeakling. Everybody realised that it
should have been admitted to the Un-
ion several years ago. For four years
It was held on the outside of the door
by the demands Of politicians that Ari-
iona and New Mexico should enter at
the same time. Either Oklahoma or
Indian Territory alone would make a
creditable state. Joined together they
will Outrank some of the older COM
monwealths in population, wealth and
resources. It is remarkable step up
ward for Indian Territory, which in
reality has never been territory at all
in the sense Of having territorial
form Of government. 1t has been run
by the secretary Of the interior.
Nothing speaks more eloquently for
the makeup Of the American people
than the fact that 100000 of them
100000 white people have been dwell
ing together In this territory without
any regular form Of government. These
people have-got along without any state
or county organization; without roads,
except such as they built by voluntary
contributions; without schools for their
100000 children, without sidewalks
In their cities except where it was
possible to do public work by unani-
nous consent Of all the persons affect.
ed. Under the circumstances it is no
wonder that the dispatches declare that
there is great rejoicing over the signing
Of the statehood bill by the president
Guthrie is to be the capital of the
new state until 1912. The enabling act
provides that the voters of the state
shall then choose a capital The pre-
sumption Is that Guthrie will continue
to be the seat Of state government. The
statehood act contains strong anti
polygamy act. Oklahoma Is given two
sections Of non-mineral land in each
township for the support and main
tenance Of a system Of common, non.
sectarian schools, besides certain spe-
cific donations of land for its educa.
tional and other institutions. The state
is also to receive the sum of $4,000, 900
in lieu Of lands which cannot be set
aside for school purposes within the
limits Of what is now Indian Territory,
because the lands in that state are
owned by the Indians.
Oklahoma has an area Of $3.50
square miles, or 24,979,2OO acres, and
a population of 30S,331. Indiap Terri
tory has an area of 81 900 square miles.
or 19,S40.000 acres, and a population
of $4,000. 1t is conceded by every
one who has had opportunity for OBJ
servation that since the census Of 1900
the population of both Oklahoma and
Indian Territory has increased with
amazing rapidlty until 1t is now prob
ably 100000. There are said to be
no better farming lands in the United
States than in these territories.
Under the so called Curtis act pro.
vision was made for the organization
of towns in the Indian Territory, and
towns have been organized all over the
territory, having populations which are
Increasing with astonishing rapidity.
Indian Territory as originally set apart
in 1884 practically comprehended what
are now known as Oklahoma and In
dian Territory, except that Beaver
county, formerly known as mo Mans
Land" was added to Oklahoma by
congress in 1890.
Original Oklahoma, containing 1000.
GOO acres in the heart of what now
constitutes Oklahoma, was opened to
settlement April 2, 1889, but no form
OF government was provided for thir.
teen months, until May 2, 1890, when
the organic act Of the Territory of Ok
hhoma was approved. This original
section has been increased and opened
to settlement by the addition of the
Sac anG Fox Ca.) and Pottawatomi In.
dian reservations, in the eastern part
of what is now Oklahoma Territory,
and the addition of the Cheyenne and
Arapahoe reservations, in the western
part of what is now Oklahoma Terri
tory; by the addition of the Cherokee
strip Of the Kickapoo reservation Of
Greer county by decision of the su-
preme court Of the United States and
OF the Kiowa, Comanche, Apache ana
Wichita reservations. Within the pres
ont liOifS oF OHfabo,.o <b..o 49, e<,1l