The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-04-30

takes 2052 square miles Of land
80 per cent Of which is productive
and 20 per cent Of this 80 per cent
is agricultural land That which is
not agricultural land is largely in
pine timber and this timer each
succeeding period OF ten or twelve
years is OF sufficient size to be prof.
itably cut or in other words, If the
timber which is more than II inches
In diameter would all be cut and
sawed in 1905 I'm from 10 to IL
pears thereafter larger crop Of
timber would be ready to be cut
from the same land In fact
very large part of this forest was
closely cut over IL years ago by
the Long Bell Lumber company and
the same land is now yielding more
lumber to the acre than it did at
the first cutting, and the young tim.
Der is very much thicker now and
of straightcr growth than It was
then 1t will make a better class of
lumber ten years hence, than that
which is being cut now. This is
the history OF the yellow pine for.
ests in that latitude
If this land is sold according to
the Atoka supplemental agreement
in ordianry sized tracs the pur.
chasers will take better care of the
growing timber than the govern.
ment would do and in the meantime
they would have available pasturage
for cattle and hogs, an industry
which is now very flourishing there.
Along the creeks and rivers in the
proposed timber reserve aud in sew
eral places in the uplands the agri
cultural lands is OF first quality. Set
tiers will buy along the rivers and
put the river bottoms in corn and
cotton and use the upauds for the
/ pine forests and pasture. Those lands
which are not timbered with pine
are all good fruit lands. probably the
/ best In the southwest. being of the
same quality as the farms of A.lan.
sas Immediately east of and adioin
/ ing them. The state og Ckinoma
should have the use of thesefarms
an pastures WITHIN her borders
In the proposed timber reserve
there are more than 10 towns. in
many of them the government seq.
rcgated the townstes and sold the
lots to people who have made their
homes thereon. Those little towns
are flourishng from the trade OF
the farmers living near them and
from the saw mills scattered about
over the proposed reserve which
mills are now buying the timber
from the allottees at its full value.
In fact in many instances the stump.
age is greater than that in either
Texas or Arkansas. These towns and
these people will be ruined by the
creation OF this reserve.
Outside and Immediately adjoining
the proposed reserve all around it
the people will BE- greatly damaged
by its creation. The towns along
the Frisco railroad which are now
well established will of necessity per,
ish for the reason that the territory
from which they draw their trade in
grain, cotton, hogs, cattle will he
so greatly diminished that the towns
must go under. In this manner the
government would be confiscatiug
their homes and store houses.
Two counties are most affected
McCurtain on the south and east and
Pushmataha on the west and north
25 townships are taken out of Nc
Curtain county, or eight hundred
square miles, p townships or S72
square miles are taken out o Push
mataha county Five townships taken
out of LeflOre county. The last
named county being large and losing
little is not seriously affected, the
other two counties are very seriously
affected. Pushmataha county would
be so seriously affected. having left
only II townships out of a total OF
3S. that it would be impossible foI
the taxable values there to insure
enough revenue to maintain coun
| ty government and McCurtain coun
ty would have hard struggle fol
many years to maintain its existence
Many OF the Choctaw Indians hay,
their homes within the limits of tn,
proposed reserve. They were borr
and raised at the old home plac,
and are loath to give it up. Theu
cattle and hogs thrive on the grass
and mast-thDir corn and cotton field.