The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1911-03-21
THE MIRACLE srATE.'

49, ~ '-iA"AA ~ ~~A NA~4 RNNNA W. fS'A
dent, says:
I'VE will call Oklahoma the Miracle
state because OF the wonderful things
that have occurred ip its history and
because its growth and develoment
have been more rapid than that of any
other community in human history.
Oklahoma will be twenty-five years old
OH the 22nd Of April, for on that day in
1889, the gun was fired which was a
signal for the rush OF home hunters
who had gathered on the four borders
of the territory to join in race for
the choice OF farms and lots in the
towns that had already been laid out
by government engineers. Until that
date, the land being within Indian res
ervations, no white settlers were al
lowed to occupy it. and 'soonersv who
broke through the military lines to get
ahead of the game were removed by
force.
During that twenty-five years a pop
ulation Of more than 100000 has
cone into the state, and that total is
increasing at the rate Of 20 per cent
a year. The census Of 1890 showed
252,657 people; that of 1900 showed
79O,S91, and ON June /, 1910, there were
l,657,155. Last year (l91O) the value
Of tie crops harvested was s12l, ,996 900
and the value Of the live stock as rk-
ported by the census is $13S, S,172, ,000
oklahoma has more mules than amy
other state in the union except Misso1
ri, and more than the states of IllinoiA
Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania
combined. Oklahoma has more horses
than Kentucky has horses and cattle
combined. She has 100000 horses, val
ued at $65,124,OOO; she has 191,OOq
mules, valued at $2O,O55,OOO; she has
$4,000 milch cows, valued at $11,182,E
900; she has 1887, 900 beef cattle, val
ued at s31, 100000; she has 100000
swine, valued at s10,025,OOO. The farml
ers' wives received $2,OOO,OOO last year
for their eggs and poultry, most of
which were passed over the counters
of the country stores in exchange for
merchandise. The climate and other
conditions are remarkably favorable
for poultry culture and the rich pas
turage and abundant forage crops
make it an ideal dairy country
The soil, the rainfall, the climate
and freedom from the evils that farm.
ers in other states have to fight make
Oklahoma the ideal farming country
Of the world, all conditions being more
favorable here than any other place in
the universe where mankind has tried
to earn living by the sweat of his
brow. The homes that stand upon
those beautiful prairies cost less labor
and the pioneers who occupy them
have suffered less hardships than
those Of any new land that was ever
settled.
Every staple that is known to the
temperate zone can be produced IN
Oklahoma, and upon many farm may
be found growing side by side all o.
the agricultural products that thrive
between the two oceans and between
the great lakes and the gulf. oklaho
ma can produce not only an unlim
ited quantity Of corn and wheat, but al
UNLIMITED quantity Of cotton, and the
fruits Of the south and the fruits o
the north will grow in the same or
chard.
THE area of the state is 44,S24,16I
acres, Of which after only twenty-five
years 21.35S.s95 acres are fenced. ant
more than ten million acres are nov
under the plow. Only 2.S75.7O4 acre.
Of farm lands were returned for tax
ation in 1900, the taxable area havinl
been multiplied four times in ten year
Indian corn has the largest acre
age, produces the largest yield ant
brings the farmer the largest incom
Of all the crops that he plants. A to
tai Of 5,6l7,914 acres was planted t
corn last year. which yielded an aver
age of sixty bushels to the acre, AM
in some cases as high as eighty busl
els, The yield was 9o.6S9, ,496 bushels
Nearly all OF the crop was turned int
pork on the farnas where It wa