The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1909-06-06

and three miles long. which in value
at the time amounted to enough to
build the entire street railway sys.
tenn six times over. Prior to this
time when Fitzgerald made demand
for only one-fourth of such amount.
Mr.. Cruce and the other owners told
rim they would build the road them
selves and save all he asked. but
Just now Indian Territory mad be-
come a part of the state of Oklahoma.
and under the enabling act passed by
congress making Oklahoma state
and compelling oklahoma to respect
all existing contracts. the state could
not abridge or curtain the exclusive
franchise held by Fitzgerald for a
street railway in this city. nor grant
another such to any person or concern
and so the weapon of threat to build
the street railway themselves was no
longer available to the large real es-
tate owners and Fitzgcrald's demand
rose from onc-fourth TO one.half the
real estate he proposed To build the
line originally for and the owners
were obliged TO give It to him or see
the strecr railway built through the
G;y In another direction where like
bonuses were offered. but which were
neither as valuable or desirable eth.
cr now or in the prospective Within
one week after he had secured the
real estate. Fitzgerald negotiated
loan Of northern capital sufficient TO
build and equip the line giving only
obligation on one-thrd the real cs-
tate he had secured as its security.
and later from the proceeds of about
on, sixth OF the real estate which part
was sold I'm bulk as q city addition to
the Conway-Hcnry Co. OF Oklahoma
City financed this proposition. giving
Ardmore the most modern and best
built and equipped street railway. and
most beautiful park in the southwest
today.
IN interval elapsed between the
closing OF the real estate deals and
the period in which Fitzgerald was
ready to build. being occupied with
many other larger enterprises in the
meantime in tnis and other states,
at which time he turned the enter
prise over TO our esteemed J. f. Robl-
son of Ardmore. who with grit and
courage went on with the Construc-
tion OF the system until the propo-
sition passed back to Fitzgerald again
To put IT into its present stage of
completeness and finish with its
bond issue in its treasury and more
than as rich again in other assets
now then comes another feature of
FitZgerald's modus operandi that
shows even more clearly than his 9th
er operations. his broadness of guage
and enterprise In building up In the
most liberal manner the cities he is
interested in, in order TO make his
street railways pay well.
Immediately north and west of the
city lies all the land secured by him
before constructing the street mil
way He has since purchased the
Felix X. West property of three hun.
dred acres adjoining Iprena Park
and his other holdings, until now he
has Immediately outlying the north
and west sides of the city but little
short of a thousand acres OF such
valuable and attrative city addition
property--eyery bit of it-as is not
to be found elsewhere i'm Oklahoma
or near any city in Kansas. Texas
or Missouri, being of such fine eleva.
tion and unbroken rolling topography
and such rich soil as TO arouse the
wonder and envy of not only every
resident of Ardmore but likewise of
the many thousands of visitors from
out of town and other states that con-
tnuously pass through there over the
electric lines or on foot. horseback or
buggies to what is conceded by all
10 be the most charming spot In OK.
lahoma.
Beautiful Lorena Park. so favored
OF nature and art. with its forest of
giant oaks, its groves of cedar. maple,
persimmon, pecan and all the other
timbers of the south, clothing the
gracefully sloping sides of the idyllic
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