The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1908-04-20
With STATE FOOTING
EXPENSE OF Bull DING
Suggests Location of Peni-
tentiary as Happy Medium
Of Mutual Interest

Speclai TO DAILY Leader.
Muskogee, OKLA. April 20 Within
q few eilR OF The geographical cen
ter Of The state nature has planned a
great natural resource which the citi,
zens Of that section are cnmoring
for he state 10 develop The people
of III little town Of weleetka arc
putting up a game night for the lo
cation of ihe state penitentiary at that
place, but ia truh they are making
this heht not for the penitentiary
alone. but. fos the greater benefit to
them the construction OF a great
water power plant In he Canadian
river
Weleetka SIS a town Of about 1000
people, little heard OF until couple
Of years ago whom some engineer dis
covered hat there Is enough fall In
the Canadian at that point to deve
lop 10000 horse power of electricity
hy harnessing the stream. Since that
time constant agitation has made
this one of the most widely adyer-
Used towns IN the state.
The Canadian river runs east.
ward to point within two miles OF
Wcleetka, and there swervas SHARPLY
20 the south After circling in
mighty loop thrty-iiye miles around.
it runs up 10 the town and within two
miles of the point where fl detoured
to The sou Inward The natnral course
of the water should be straight across
this marrow mock OF land Il is pro
.1 ..art III 10. Al
two miles there would then be 6S
feet OF fan. aud with q dam construc-
ted Il would be 90 fee. the greatest
iall Ia the state For countless ages
the relentless river has been snawing
away ~ sis r0cy ridge. nearly goo
feet high. that causes the river TO
make IFS detour and countless ages
more would not break through the
backbone OF this high qidge Now the
people of Weleetka propose the am.
hitious plan Of having the state cut
through this narrow neck at The
cost of over n million dollars, and In
stall "a great electrical plant there
using the water fall for motive power
To be exact. Il would cost The state
81 ,O25. .5GO2O To- eut the canal build
the dam, install machinery and get is
Ia motion These are the figures Of
HE engineers for The S andard Pow
er company which owns the water
right and the rightof-way for the en-
ierprise According 10 the same au-
thoriiy the plant complete would
net to the owner sS44.Al4 each year
I II the power Is utilized at onehaf
the current prices for electric power
10 obtain this development is the
lraal motive behind the Welcetka idea
of establishing he state pententiary
there and 4 Is a laudable one The
Standard Power company. through
the citizens of Weleetka, propose 60
turn over 10 the state all their plans
and estimates surrender all their
rights 90 ne state II the penitentiary
I Is located la Weleetka Other induce.
ments are also offered In the way Of
land fer a location etc Within
mile OF Weleetka there IS an unlimit-
cd supply of buildlng stone Accord
ing 10 the plan outlined the state
would es ablish a temporary prison
here and lmm adiately pnt the prison
ors al work for the state Of Oklahoma
instend of the state Of Kansas as is
now the case. and Oklahoma paying
Kansas Ga let our prisoners work for
them ar that Il ls proposed 10 put
the prisoners into the rock marries
aud let them cut stone and mix NOR
tar ont of which to build their own
prison
Thus while the state would spend
"a million dollars ge ting big power
planf built IL would probably save an
equal amount n getting It's peniten-
tlary built with labor that cost Moth
ing And II Is then pointed out tha
the state prisoners could be used
be used for many years in qnarrying
stone With which to improve ihe
streets OF the cities and the roads
of the counties of the state az practic-
ally no cost Ana ~ the state sold
an lia mower created here. IL would
net S3ff1li each year
state penl entlary would be an
advantage % most any small town 10
a commercial way. hnt the people OF
Wolcoika are playing for q bigger
einke They want a. through the
development hy the state become
iha great manniacirins center Ia tho
state Water power Is tho key 10
such achievement The natural re-
eoprces that cluster ahoui this favor
ed spot Justify the ambitious plans ~
thls lusfr Yonne Oklahoma own Tim.
eer hnilanr stone on natural GAS.
+ IN unlimited guantltlos ara almost
Within a sfones throw while a
glance ~ the great coiton oomnress
operated a. Weleotka with iis sheds
nlauQrms and yard hlled with neeo9
oties, IS g persistent upanswera0le