The Washington herald., 1907-11-05
BY FREDERIC j. HASKIN.

Oklahoma City, Okla. Nov. 4.-what-
ever may be said Of society in the new
State Of Oklahoma, il cannot truthfully |
be called provincial. People have come
here from everywhere, and have brought
with them the thoughts and customs Of
their old homes. Their thoughts have
changed, and their customs have been
forcibly adjusted to a new order of
things. The result is the foundation OF
a social life which comprehends some Of
the distinctive features of every section
Of the United States. with many things
that are new and unique.
She who came here from Boston has
softsned in her attitudeNoward the coat
less man. He who came here from a
down East farm has forsaken maple
sugar and the old swimming hole for
cotton and a bathtub Hotels in Mis-
souri, or Iowa catalogue the repasts Of
the day as breakfast dinner, and supper.
In Oklahoma they follow the 'eflete
East and the meals are called break
fasc, luncheon, and dinner. The Southern
man with his courtliness. the Northern
schOJlma' am with her practical knOwl-
edge. and the Westernec with his breeZi-
moss and candOr have met here and have
amalgamated
Oklahoma City is the metropolis of the
new State. and may be taken for IN eX-
ample When the Territory was first
opened the people poured in from Texas
on the south and Kansas, on the north
They met in this halfway town. and the
old war ok ideals between the sections
was on. The Missourians also came. They
knew by many years experience the bit
terneSs and the usefulness Of these sec
tiOnal jcalousies. and they formed an ele-
ment which looked toward amalgama-
ton. BY and by the Texans and the
Kansans began II understand each other
better, and the hatchet was buried. 1t
has been but eighteen years since the
country was settled. but peace has reign
ed for a decade.
Church life and social life are INSOFAR
able in such a community as this. In
the early days many Of the settlers who
came I'm were MethOdists. The Texans
belonged 10 the Southern branch of the
church, and the Kansans TO the Northern
The two denominations came 10 be known
locally as Democratic and Republican
Methodists. The jealousIes and bicker-
ings were many and cruel at the begin
ming, but Oklahoma took care OF the sit
Uation in its usual fashion, the wiser
heads knowing that division was fatal TO
new town.
What have we now2 Epworth Univer-
- sity, a Methodist education institution, in
its fourth year. with more than 800 ma
circulated students. North or South, do
YOU aSk2 Neither. but both. Here for
the first time in this country have the two
great branches of American Methodism
united in the organization for advancing
the work which both so earnestly hope TO
accomplish.
The Baptists arc strong and have great
influence on the life of the city. One Of
the Baptist churches is known as the
white Temple" It is a beautiful struc-
ture, which cost 100000. The cOngrega-
tion numbers more than thousand. and
its mems Bible class, conducted by l. y.
HolconID. a banker, is an institution Of
which the whole city is proud. The
Oklahoma City Baptists had yare fun a
few weeks ago. Some dear old Baptist
lady in an Eastern State found that she
had a distant relative in Oklahoma City.
She wrote 10 him to inquire whether he
thought that if her church would send a
few hundred dollars and a missionary
Baptist church in that faraway Western
town. The photographs Of the White
Temple and other Baptist church build
ings and copies Of the week church bull
Ietins were sent to her The Baptists
here hope that the dear old lady is now
convinced that her relative is not living
among outlaws and scalp-hunters.
Oklahomans are continually explaining
10 outsiders that, wonderful and unreas-
enable as it may seem, they are really
and truly civilized. The statistics show
that In Oklahoma Territory the percent
age of illiteracy is lower than that In
Massachusetts or New Jersey. The show
ing Of the new State Will not be so good
on account Of the large number OF ignor-
ant negroes in the Indian Territory, which
will have the same effect on the census
returns on illiteraoy as they have in other
Southern States.
There is a division Of opinion as tC
whether Oklahoma shall be called g
Southern or Western State. No one thinks
Of CHASING Arkansas and Texas as any
thing but Southern. Oklahoma is further
south than the one, and does not extend
10 the West so far as the other. 1t is one
Of the large cotton States, which forces #
into an economical alliance with the cot
tOn-producing section. Ii Is Democratic
I'm politics. The enormous majorities Of
the first elections may not be maintained
but It is significant that when the State
was divided into districts by the RepUb
lican leaders for the election OF dele
gates to the constitutional convention
only twelve Republicans were chosen oU
Of ll2 In the first State senate there viii
be forty Democrats and four Republicans
which Is about the proportion maintained
in Virginia or Tennessee.
Such a discussion is purely political
however, for socially Oklahoma is neither
of the South. the North. or the East. L
is pan-State. if not cosmopolitan. In th'
matter OF opposition to gambling Okla
hona is as unanimous as any agricul
turai community OF the North could be
II opposition 10 saloons IL is at one witt
the advanced position Of the Southern
leaders Of the prohibition movement. Blu
two counties in Oklahoma proper wen
wet at the election IN which the propo
sition was submitted separately when tn,
people voted on ratlfying the constitu
ton. Gambling and drinking were no
frowned upon in the West in the old days
but there is "a new deaI' nowadays.
The natural desire for social intercours
compelled radical changes in the habits 0
those who first settled this country The!
did not come one at time and at lonl
intervals, as the pioneers Of other day
came. They came here and found them
selves all Of n sudden among many othe
people all total strangers. In the earl,
days great care had TO be taken in form
ing friendships for there were adventur
ers and refugees by the hundreds anon,
the hosts of honest homeseelSers The al,