Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-11-05
BUILDING A CITY
(By T.. G. Tuckcr.)

Charles Page is one Of those men
/ who dare to do what others only think
For years here in Tulsa, we have told
each other that, with our fuel, rail
roads and market advantages, a very
little effort would bring here indus
tries requiring the labor OF thousands
where, as yet, only hundreds find
employment. In fact, three or four OF
our citizens, working along these lines,
did make possible the establishment
at Tulsa of Kendall college, glass
factory, cotton oil mill, and the Prairie
shops. These men proved. to their
own satisfaction at least, that In town
building the more they gave away the
more they had left. At Sand Springs,
Mr.. Page seems disposed to give
larger form and substance to this pos
siblity.
Where a few months ago where
were only the valley, the river aud the
hills. today at Sand Springs is rail
road with thirty-minute service. and
hundreds OF mechanics erecting build
ings for dozen factories, as well as
homes for their employees.
While his methods are modern,
| Pages system Is as old and as safe
as civilization itself. As his founda-
| ton. he built an interurban railway,
provided factory and dometlc fuel, wa
ter and building sites, laid out streets
under the oaks that shade the hills
looking out on the valley, perfected
the best sanitary conditions, and gave
every school, church and recreation
advantage. All Is being worked out
along well-considered plans based on
common sense and sound judgment.
And he Will succeed, Just as other city
Builders before have done.
Civilization. in all ages. has been so
complex, and even the greatest cities
so unsatisfactory in many of their as
poets that the building of city, the
city, has been the dream of men In
all ages
In ability to look into the future,
few things are really new. The people
of Wheeling, for illustration, do not
today tell story of thair city and
district more aluring, alluring be-
cause of its truth, than did the Father
nf hia haIt
ago in his report upon the fertility.
transportation advantages and COM
mercial possibilities Of the upper Ohio
valley.
The literature OF Sand Springs will
have to be exceedingly well prepared
TO equal in logic the carefully written
prospectus Of Philadelphia compiled
by its founder, william Penn, a hun
dred years or more earlier.
So, on back through the ages, wher-
ever we see a figure looming large
across the pages OF history we find
All ambition to build the city that shall
be better than all before it. Twenty
two centuries ago, at the mouth of
the Nile, the conqueror of the world
planned to perpetuate his name In
great city at that crossroads Of two
continents. Within three years Alex
andria was larger than ST. Louis is
today. They were town builders even
in those days. No doubt the stranger
heard the admonitiOn to Keep your
eye on Alexandria," or the slogan.
where Caravan meets Caravel," and
Sand Springs will have to go some"
to equal this or other early records
of town boosting.
And yet, it is the writer's candid
belief that the ultimately great city
of the southwest has not yet a popula-
ton of thirty thousand people. Scan
the map carefully. Look at Wichita,
II has water. but no fuel Oklahoma
city has push and energy. but neither
water nor fuel. hence is not IN the
great race; Dallas and Fort Worth are
near timber and fuel, but their supply
Of water is limited; Muskogee has en-
tsrprise. water and gas but no coal.
and must go forward in the shadow
Of an alien race; and there yon are.
II we be but true to ourselves and
our possibilities. there are women and
men now Of middle ago. who will see
here a population of 100000 people
in the Tulsa district. and Charles Page
at Sand Springs is shaping the way
to its realization. Common sense.
nerve and business cooperation will
win here, where are centered all these
material resources. just as they always
have won elsewhere.