The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-11-30
POPULATIONS DRIFT HAS BEEN
TO THE TOWNS.

The belief That statehood would
cause a more rapid growth in the pop
ulation OF Oklahoma than prevailed in
territorial days has not been sustained
by the 1910 census figures giving Okla
homa a present population OF 1861
l55 as against 79o39i IN 1900 and II
li4,l77 at the special federal census
taken July +, 1907. The Increase since.
1907 has only been 172 per cent, the
increase during the seven other years
was 7S.9 per cent The increase for
ihe decade was 961 per cent.
An analysts Of the Oklahoma census
figures by counties and towns probably
win show that in the last three wears
the growth in population has been
almost wholly Ia the ugwns. Real es.
tate spectators have promoted the
sale OF town lots aud the building Of
new towns almosi 70 the exclusion Of
finding buyers FOR farm lands.
IN the Indian Territory part Of the
state, where practically all realty out
side Of the incorporated towns was
given as aliotnients 10 citizens Of the
Five Civilized Tribes. farm settlement
has been retarded bv tile congressional
restrictions That forbade the alienation
Of certain lands from the allottees.
Spectators have manipulated portions
of the Indian lands IN such manner as
io cause FARMERS nom outside states
TO hesitate.
u Is believed that Il these Eastern
oklahoma lands had been available
for he open market hundreds Of farm
ers from other states would have come
and bought them This difficulty in
marketing farm lands in Eastern okla.
homa turned she attention OF investors
30 urban enterprises and caused Dig
growth ln ihe towns and cities Usage
county which Is held mostly as allot-
ments by the Usage Indians, may be
taken as an example of the situaiion
Ia Eastern Oklahoma IN 1907 the
urban population "a Usage county was
hardly amy greater than $500. while in
1910 e had Increased 10 about nine
thousand Tile population Of the entire
county was Approximately fifteen
thousand ia 1907, aad about twenty
thousand III 1910, tine increase being
consumed by the towns
In Western Oklahoma there has
been no marked increase in the rural
population since 1907. In that part OF
the state he original homestead farms
1T i60 acres are still intact ana "a tine
sale OF farm lands in the last three
places with ihe owner instead OF the
laners selling 50 acres 10 one man
pr dividing his farm between two pur-
chasers. This however, would leave
Two men vhore there had only been
one, ana 10 account for what has be-
come OF the other man Is a problem.
Undoubtedly there has been consid-
erable drift of Western Oklahoma
farmers to the towns, while large num-
beers stiH imbued with the pioneer
spirit have gone further south and
wesh Colonies 81 settlers have estab-
lshed themselves on cheap lands in
Mexla9. Others have to Texas, New
Mexico and Colorado, while others
have moved TO oregon. Idaho and
Washington and 10 the British north
wes Forseveral years q has been
noticeable that train loads of home
seekers from northern states have
passed through oklahoma for Texas.
The new act Of the federal governs
ment 10 opening nearly two million
acres of Indian lands 10 white settle
ment IA Eastern oklahoma. however,
IS expected 10 alter this situation in
thhe old Indian Territory part Of the
state before the next decenuial census
Is taken
The lands now on sale are the sur
plus holdings Of Che Indians OF East
nn oklahoma except the segregated
coal and asphalt and timber lands and
o1or to acsual farmers an Of the lands
w The red men not awarded ~ indi
ridual allotmonis. And, as restrictions
are removed from Indian allotments
ihese, too, viii gradually drift largely
into the hands OF white men on ai
least Into the hands of men who Will
occupy and farm them.
The sales began last week at We
woEa. Hundreds Of thousands Of acres
have already heen sold. Tomorrow II
! cnickasha the surplus Indian lands
~in Grady county. amoanins TO more
than eighty thousand acres. viii By
offered for sale.