The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-01-31

IT, DIOHIINit W jay IiNtNNN WI tHIr NlU-
leria for hundreds 81 miles and scat
ter II on their fields TO enrich the
soil Western oklahoma contains In.
exhaustible quantities OF gypsum at
the present time sliis material has lit-
fio value hui N hitrr ee"eratiens
when the fertility OF the soil begins
lo oe exhausted. al ,nat VIII ne n,sa.
ed will be- to dig duWn a gypsum hin
and spread the material on the fields
Nature has provided Oklahoma with
deposits OF fertilizer OF priceless
value Tor coming generations which
are now nnappreciated
Is q the part of wisdom TO iuy from
your neighhor the things that you can.
produce youfself That Is what OKLA
noma Is doing IN the matter Of miner
nj products She Is sending her mon
ey 20 sister states Tor things that she
might Just as well produce az home
The forests of the country are now
practically exhausted. lhe bnreau oi
forestry estimates that the available
timber viii be evhnusted I'm less than
S5 years. The building material OF the
lntnre must be some manufactured
mineral product. probably clay Porte
land cement and sblcco Fortunately.
Oklahoma hps an abundance of clay,
limestone and gypsum OF which these
products are made. as we'll as pletny
of fuel f their manufacture as that
she need never suffer for lack OF
building material All that is needed
is the proper utilization OF the raw
materials
Oklahoma is destined to become
one OF the wealthiest states i'm the
Union because she possesses not only
a very fertile soil but also a large
number OF valuable minerals I'M i'm
exhaustlble quantities There is no
state that has the peculiar combina-
don OF soil climate and minerals
found In Oklahoma AS soon as our
mineral resources are developed, and
we stop sending mcuey ont of the
state for the things that should be
made at home we will begin to take
rank among the wealthy states of
the Union
There is not loyal Oklahoman
who does not regret that so few OF
our mineral products are undeveiop.
ed, With vast resources lying dor
mant the people of the statp re ,..-
porting the greater part of their man.
ufactured articles and paving high
prices tor then. There are sever4l
reasons to account fo~ this unsatisfac-
tory condition of affairs but by iaf
the most important reason ies In IN.
tact that the presence OF many o
these deposits has not been generally
known No systematic surveys hav,
ever been made Of the mineral ne
sources Of the new state and the ex
tent OF our knowledge Is coniined {,
disconnected reports made at various
times by a number OF different men
! Until the extent and location of th;
mineral deposits are Well known. an,
capital can be Interested in their de
| yelopment they viii be Of no yalue I,
the state
one of the first acts OF the legisIa
ture should be the establishment OF q
state geological survey There IL q
! provision in the constitution proyid
ing for such a survey A competent
man should be secured 10 direct the
I scurvy and an appropriation made
| large enough 70 do efficient work
When this Is done and carefnl Hc
| tailed surveys nave peeu made ah'
reports published setting forth 70 the
world the undeveloned resources oil
| the state, outside capital will become
! interested, factories and plants Wi
be established, quarries and mine
win be opened and Oklahoma's pro
ducts viii supply MT only her own
markets. but the markets OF other
states as well.
Instead of constantly paying out
money for the products which might
be manufactured here. the people OF
! Oklahoma should retain this money
at home a ready market will thus
be created for farm products and the
total wealth OF the state will be ma
terially increased With ineXhausti
J Bile natural resources an undeyeloped
there is no logical reason why Okla
! homa should continue 10 pay tribute
to other states More than that she
should al once inaugurate a polio,
which will lead to the Manufacture
of products which viii be shipped 4
other states We should cease beinl
"A debtor state and become a creditol
state.