The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-10-09
NEW |NDl)STR|AL|SM AND NEW
NAT|ONA[|SM;; FEDERAL SUPER.
VISION Of BUSINESS DISCUSSED
r. YoAkUM, CHAIR MAN ST. LOUIS AND SAN FRAN
CISCO RAILROAD COMPANY, DELIVERED AN ADDRESS ON
FARMERS DAY AT AHoMA STATE FAIR AT OKLA
OCTOBER S.

/ lONh nv lhO NCiiouc Juot NeahNH 'A'N
now being tabulated, will show a
great many unsatisfactory things In
relation to country life--no, only
as to decreases of population IN
many OF the country districts and
falling off of productiveness OF
| agricultural life, but general let
down in agriculture and abandon
ment OF farms in the older states.
After the products of the t?rm
reach the cities, they are hauled
in some instances for a distance of
two or three miles on drays and
freight trucks. Think what me towr
folks would say if they had 10 pay
an extra expense TO nave their
food and other supplies delivered
On account of mid holes and deep
| creeks making t.tir streets dt tH.es
| impaSe able, as is the case viii tae
'a'j ers to get ilei' products H.
market.
The value of farm land Is fixed by
its nearness to a railroad. Almost
all of the first-class farm lands I'M
| mediately along the railroads in Ok
lahoma are now under cultivation or
held fer high prices because of their
! convenience 10 the railroads. With
no more new railroads being con
structed, It brings the farmers and
I landowners whose lands are incon-
veniently located face to face with
with the question as to whether
such lands are to remain unstable,
idle and undeveloped. 1t is not only
question as to whether such lands
are to remain unstable, idle and
undeveloped. 1t is not only q ques-
ton as to whether the people Of
Oklahoma will take hold of the i'm
provement of public highways, but
also question as to whether Okla
homa Is going to show the marvel
which 1t has in the past, or will be
content to go on as at present,
with a slow growth along it's ex-
isting railroad tracks. If Oklahoma
is to be confined to the lands which
are at present available for trans.
portation facilities, its future growth
Is limitedw. If, on the other hand, 1t
can have more railroads and public
highways, no one can prophesy what
growth the state will have, with its
wealth of productive soil, coal lands,
oil fields and forests.
But Oklahoma must have new rail.
roads and improved public highways
to serve the country lying back from
the railroads to enable it to grow
as it should, and it should have
them now, if the present generation
is to enjoy the fruits of its own
enterprise.
There is another reason why the
making of good wagon roads should
be pushed at this time: AS all
know, railroad construction through.
out the country is at a standstill,
and am now going to talk a little
about uhe hardships that follow the
stoppage of railroad construction,
We are approaching the year
| 1911 with prospects not good for
building more than 1000 miles of
| new railroad, which is 1000 miles
less than our normal for thirty
years. The country lying west OF the
Mississippi is attractive to trans
portation people, and 1t will require
| 10000 miles of additional railroad
to give to the vast area of rich
country lying between the Mississip-
| pi River and the Pacific Ocean
equal railroad facilities with the
country lying east of the river.
To build, ballast. equip and pro-
vide terminals and all things that
go to make a first class railroad
cannot be done In the Southwest
| lOl ltoS Ludi @OO,UUU 10 Sfu,UuU
mile and in the Northwest for less
than $4,000 to $4,000 a mile. There
should now be building in the coun-
try west of the Mississippi 1000
or 5000 miles of railroad annually;
but If we build only 5000 miles an
nually, it will require the expendi-
ture of over s2.OOO,OOO a year, to
be distributed among those who sell
material and those who sell their
labor.
In the last thirty years 100000
miles have been added to the rail-
road mileage of the United States.
The banner year of construction was
under Mr.. Cleveland's first admin.
fstration when there were $4,000
miles constructed in one year.
Eightyfive per cent Of the total
| mileage of railroads built in the