The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-06-04
OF FERTILITY AND
THRIFT OF SOUTH
WESTERN OKLAHOMA
PAINTED BY A KANSAN
Who Has Just Returned
From Observing Tour

Topeka, June 4.-The Daily Capital
prints the followingi have just re-
turned from Southwestern Oklahoma.
The three countitz. Kiowa. Comanche
and Caddo, which were opened up by the
lottery plan, four y;srs ago. never look
ed finer than today A marvellous amount
OF land has been broken aimee last fan
Crops were first class last year and ev-
erything indicates another prosperous
season for the settlers. Wheat is hip
high and is heading Corn Is about eight
inches high and is being cultivated; cot
ton j. Just peeping through the ground.
There Is a much larger acreage in cot
ton this year than ever before. The price
was good last fall and It was the most
profitable crop. Fruit OF nearly every
kind will be plentiful In Oklahoma this
year. but IN the new country thers will
be but few orchards old enough to bear
The Kansas man who never visited this
country, can not OF course realize what
has been accomplished IN the last four
years and nine months by these people
who came from nearly every state in the
Union. For instance. Comanche county
has a population OF 80 600. which Is near
ly as many as Marion and Mcpherson
counties combined and in everything that
goes to make up a county It is as far
advanced as these counties were after
seventeen years from settlement. There
Is a school house within less than two
miles Of every residence, and telephone
and rural routes are at his service. The
Rock Island the Orient and the Frisco
railroads traverse this county and have
several branches from their main lines
Lawton, the county scat OF Comanche
county. which sprang into existence all
most by magic, Is no longer boom
town. II has passed that stage. It's
shacks and one story frams are being
replaced by modern two-story brick or
stone buildings. The lot fund has been
distributed to both town and county, and
from this money Iawton received great
benefit. viz: a magnificent court house.
a complete waterworxs system, drain
age and sewer system q modern high
school building and several grade school
buildings The county received sixty
steel bridges. II was thought that the
purchasers OF lots at the government
sale went wild on prices, out today lots
IN Lawton sell for twice or three times
the price the government received. A
man from Illinois has Just bought lots
for a $4,000 hotel. He told me that
be paid 5000 for the two lots. At the
government sale, the corner lot brought
81 200 and tho other 81 500 The popu-
lation OF Lawion Is about 1l,00O. and Il
is permanent, law abiding. prosperous
and happy looking an the time 20 adj
vancement along moral and educational
lines
Nearly everybody in Oklahoma wants
statehood, but the majority seem 10
think they win not get H.
The Hhlg pasture" dS0.Oo0 acrcs) lylpe
south OF Lawton and reaching to the
Red river (where the president hunted
last fal) Will probably be opened to set
tlemcnt within few weelSs The bin
has passed both branches Of congress
and Is waiting the signature OF ahC
president. The land belongs to the Ia
dians and the government Is selling II
for them but It must be homesteaded
No person can buy unless he can home
stead. II Is TO be sold al public auction
or sealed bids erT n1slf
The land is generally good and the
best Of IL will bring from Sl2 TO $50 pei
acre. Alreay there are hundreds Of peo-
pie scattered throughout Oklahoma wait.
ing for this opening. The most Of then
are from iowa. Indiana and Illinois.
There IS small pasture (2io0 acrcs)
10 be opened up on the same terms, near
Fletcher. on the Frisco railway. about 30
miles southwest Of chickasha and %
miles northeast Of Lawton, The land Is
IN a very fertile region and Is wen wa
tered by the Little Washita and other
streams. Fletcher Is a thriving town
really only two years old. 1t already
has a bank, cotton GIN elevator church
and good school building. Tho right man
could realize by starting a general stock
store IN this town, provided he carried q
stock Of good proportions.
J. WARE BUTTERFWLD
T0ncka Kansas