The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-07
NEW EMPIRE OF
 THE SOUTHWSTE How the Railroads Made Okla-
 homa Famous GREAT COTTON PRODUCER Coal, Oil and Gas Abound-How Gen. eraI Miles Discovered Gypsum.
 Wonderful Salt Springs.
 Story of Oklahoma.
GREAT COTTON PRODUCER
BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN.

BY FREDERIC J. HAskIN.
 Oklahoma City, Okla, November 7.-A
 million good Americans each year ar'
 swelling the population of the great
 southwest. They come from the older ano
 more crowded agricultural states into this l great, wide country They are building an empire richer than has ever been erect l ed on foundation of blood and heroes 1 They are the conquerors of peace, and i their weapons are work and intelligence 1 Texas, the most wonderful of states, Is l tho promised land to a large proportion i of these honeseekers. Oklahoma invites them all and hundreds of thousands have accepted since the good year 1907 began. Each alternate Tuesday the railroads run special trains to accommodate thousands who have taken advantage of special "homeseekers' rates" to see the south west.
 Railroad homogeneous may be guilty of many sins for which they deserve punish ment, but it is none the less true that they should be given the credit for many acts of virtue. No section in the coun- try is more strict in it's regulation of the railroads than the southwest. The inter state commerce commission was devel- oped from an idea which first saw the light of the forum in Texas. The con- stitution of the new state of Oklahoma goes far beyond all previous records in assuming control and direction of railroad affairs.
 Credit To Railroads.
 Yet the railroads must be given the credit for the founding of this new em- pire. They have pushed their sinuous paths across the trackless plains which covered their riches under the cloak of a desert. As the railroads advanced, towns and cities arose. The desert cloak was ripped off, and there was found millions of acres of fertile land awaiting the tiller of the soil. The railroads knew that this country must have people If it was to make business. Therefore they have sent agents to tell the farmers of other states of the fortunes awaiting than here. They have given them cheap tickets if they desired to have look The rail- roads have spent thousands and thou sands of dollars advertising the glories and opportunities of the southwest. Their reward is in the traffic which is now greater than they can handle, developed from a country not two decades old.
 At the Oklahoma State fair farmer, Vincent Anderson. occupied 1900 square feet of space with the exhibit of his single farm He has 240 acres within 10 miles of Oklahoma City. Last month he showed no less than 312 varieties of farm products which he had grown this season on that one farm. And there were five crops of alfalfa from the same ground, two crops of potatoes, the first yielding 125 bushels to the acre and the second be- tween so and 100 bushels.
 Oklahoma Cotton Producer.
 Oklahoma already ranks sixth among the cotton producing states It will soon rise higher in the list. In the Indian Ter ritory cotton has been grown for more than 60 years In Oklahoma proper it is quite a new thing. Oklahoma was set tied by Texans, who imagined they were going too far north for cotton, and by Kansans and Missourians, who never thought of cotton as a crop. A Kansas negro politician established a negro town near Guthrie and peopled it with mem bers of his race from Georgia. The town was a failure, and the Georgia negroes shifted about the neighboring country One old '-nammy' had brought a hand full of cotton seeds from her southern home. She planted them that. she might have little cotton '.ies' to look at." The plants were so thrifty that some of the negroes persuaded Guthrie man to buy some cotton seed. Thus the cotton planting began. This year the crop will be worth more than $3o,000,000.
 The Oklahoma Peach.
 Some experimenter planted some broom corn seed a few years ago. The success was quite wonderful, and it was found that inc soil n1a al n the plant. Already Oklahoma produces more broom corn than any other state, aud the growers sell their product at prices which are very profitable. Peanuts are beginning to receive much attention, and it has been discovered that some lands will produce more dollars to the acre in peanuts than in any other crop. Therefore, the peanut business is on a decided boom not only in Oklahoma, but in Texas In the Lone Star state, Bill Sterret has concealed himself behind the breastworks of the state press" in the Dallas News, and is leading the hosts of the peanut boomers on to certain victory. The Elberta peach has displayed such d fondness for Oklahoma soil that it is in imminent danger of being re-christened ''the Oklahoma peach.' Apples are grown extensively, and some of the best orch- ards in the southwest are to be found in | Oklahoma. This year, however. the old | state of Arkansas is wearing the apple | growing medal, the value of which is | measured in millions of dollars.
 Coal, Oil and Gas.
 But not in agriculture and horticul | ture does Oklahoma place all her faith. | Her mineral wealth is beginning to be developed. Her coal and oil and gas | fields are not to be surpassed in the country This means fuel in plenty and while few factories have come as 1 vet the citizens of the new empire be- | lieve that it Is but matter of waiting a few years until Oklahom will spin 1 her own cotton, pack her own cattle, | make her own brooms and provide mar kets in manufacturing towns for her | own garden produce.
 Nearly 40 years ago, when the In- dians were hunting scalps instead of | college degrees. and when the blow | share had not yet cut the virgin soil | of this new state, an officer of the | United States army and company of I five scouts were crossing the plains | about 75 miles west of what is now l Oklahoma City. They were surprised | by a band of hundred Indians who