Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-03-29
PEACH TREES In BLOOM
A. Decker Sings the Praises Of
Oklahoma Climate.

A. Decker Sings the Praises OF
Oklahoma Climate.
The following letter was received
this week from A. Decker and was
dated from Fort Worth, Texas:
My first week out l spent in Kan
Sas visiting prairie towns that were
familiar to me more than a quarter
of a century ago. There is little
left of the frontier ways and days: a
few buffalo ~allows, jack rabbits. and
coyotes, is all that l could recognize.
The familiar monotony of the great
bOundless prairie is broken by good
firm buildings, surrounded with both
shade and fruit trees that dot the
landscape as far as you can see. Bust
ness seems to be at the high water
mark in Kansas. The hotels are eX-
cellent, and provisions are reasonable.
Potatoes are 81 per bushel: the best
beef steak is three pounds for twenty
five cents; and best roast at six cents
per pound, in Wichita. The tide of
immigration is toward Oklahoma,
and spent week in this new, pros.
porous territory that is trying so hard
and justly, to become a state The
frontier has by no means disappeared.
The blanket Indian is to be seen in
ali his glory, but nothing of his.formeI
state of savagery remains, unless it be
his woeful lack of civilized energy
The social life is Enthusiastically
western in its spirit of open hospitality
and good fellowship, and is parti
cularly noticeable to the stranger.
The past and present of Oklahoma
can be told in two words; strenuousity
and prosperity. Yet not all the cities
here.are prosperous, as Kingfsher i!
suffering from severe attack of owe
growth, or over advertising. Guther
however, is good little city ant
modern in every respect. 1t is tn,
present home of Carrie Nation.
l attended the cattlemen'S conven
tion at Oklahoma City and found 1
both interesting and some what eX
citing from the start to the finish.
never saw a better feeling and NOR,
orderly body OF men than | met a
this convention. The principal even
of the convention was the world
last rOping contest in which more thar
thirty cowboys took a part, coming
from Texas, New Mexico, Kansas ant
Oklahoma.
ROping contests have been long
big amusement feature through tn,
south west, but during the last TIVE
years action has been taken by tn,
legislatures of Texas, New Mexico
Arizona and Kansas, prohibiting an.
more contests of this kind in thes
states and territories, and no ropins
contests are allowed in the Indial
Territory because of the federal law
For this contest two Car loads of tn,
largest, widest, and fleetest four ant
i've year old steers were shipped from
the range of New Mexico. The Stee
was allowed sixty feet the start of tn,
cow boy, who was to catch it will
| his lasSO, throw it and tie it. The on,
doing so in the shortest time was tt
be the victor. The first prize of 500
was won by the worlds champion
rope thrower in just forty seconds
the second prize of $3.50 was won il
forty-SiX and three fourths seconds
the third prize of 800 in forty -elgh
and one half seconds; and the fourth
prize of $50 was won in fifty nine anC
three fourth seconds. 1t would b.
quite a treat for the people of Crane
Rapids to see these good natured COW
boys with their intelligent saddle
horses handle big steer.
Oklahoma city is the best for it.
size L have ever seen anywhere. /,
is as clean and neat as Detroit, and as
active and progressive as San Fran
scisco. 1t has population of from
thirty-five to forty Thousand and one
could not help liking the people.
The weather has been decidedly
bad for the past week. / came here
to Fort Worth last night to attend
the Texas fat stock show, and shall
go tomorrow to Dallas to attend the
Texas cattle mems convention. The
weather is fine here this morning.
The peach trees are in blossom, the
fields are beginning to look green,
and the leaves on the forest trees are
putting in their appearance. I don't
think l ever had a pleaSanter trip.
A. DECKER,