Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-03-19
WESTERN CITY OF WONDERS
E.


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IT and the Chicago Record Herald.
2O4 miles OF sidewalks, 1O6 miles of as
phaltum pavement and 10 miles OF pave
ment Of other materials. In 1908 the ex-
penditures for asphalt pavement were
$1.O2.5 SGD: in 1909 they were $1.437. i9S. In
1910 they were g. 1893 9l2, and the estimate
for 1911 will reach nearly 100000.
The streets are very wide, which allows
from fifteen to twenty feet OF parking,
with grass and shade trees
Broad on either side Of thirty
cAA. foot driveway. The pave
S]ASe's' ment and sidewalks are paid
for by the abutting property in ten an
nual installments, although cash pay
ments are optional The property owners
take the initiative by petition. II two
thirds Of the owners on any street or on
any part Of street sign q petition the
mayor is under obligations to furnish the
pavement. The highest price brought by
residence property thus far was SO q
front .foet; the highest price business
property sold for was $3.50 front foot
The city has q comprehensive plan for
parks and boulevards which has been ap-
proved by the property owners at gen
eral election. This includes a boulevard
thirty miles long and 800 feet wide en-
tirely encircling the city. There will be
speedway for automobile thirty feet
wide in the center: driveway thirty
feet wide on each side for carriages and
sidewalks sixteen feet wide under double
rows Of trees. There will be four parks
100 acres In size. one at each corner Of
by George Kessler Of Kansas City. who
was landscape architect of the st. Louis
exposition. The city has voted an issue
Of $4,000 bonds to pay the expense, and
the right Of way and park sections are
now being acquired.
And this Is only the beginning. The
complete plan, which will be carried
out sooner or later, involves seventy
miles Of boulevard and 1866 acres of
parks and Fairgrounds. for which the
land Is now being acquired, while prices
are low. Oklahoma has an advantage
over other cities in making these i'm
provementS, because of a monarchical
form Of government. The municipality
adopted the commission plan several
years ago. and after sufficient ex-
perience commends it with great salts
faction Instead of being compelled
to lobby public Improvement ordi-
nance through a city council composed
chiefly of professional politicians, or a
law through federal Congress COM
posed chiefly of men who are indiffer-
ent or envious. in Oklahoma 1t is only
necessary for public-spirited citizens
to get UP a petition setting forth what
they desire to have done for the Inn
provement of the city and submit 1t to
the mayor. The latter then calls a
special election and the voters have a
chance to express their opinions for or
against the project. The petition and
the ballot set forth the method by
which the funds to pay for the i'm
provements shall be raised, either by
a bond issue or as assessment Of the
adjoining property, or from the general
fund. and nothing further is neces-
sary. The mayor. if he is a public
spirited man. proceeds promptly to
that way things are done.
There are already several small parks
in the city. A pioneer named Wheeler,
who staked out homestead
Park claim in the rush in 1850, and
A.... had no heirs to leave it to,
S' gave forty acres as play.
ground, which bears his name And a
group Of public-spirited citizens raised
funds to buy a tract Of land for a park
as a memorial to Capt Stiles Of the
regular army, who was in command Of
the military guard at the time Of the
rush, and by his tact and impartiality
won the esteem and admiration OF all
concerned. Capt. stiles died several
years ago. but his son is engaged in
business In Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City Is the commercial CEN
ter for large area. There are 1877
wholesale establishments. great and
small, which do an enormous business
operation of the railway companies,
has commenced campaign to secure
manufacturing industries and under the
present state administration the outlook
is encouraging. The constitution Of Okla
homa contains certain provisions which
Of the state, and they have frightened
much capital away. The first legisla-
ture and, to a less extent. the second
legislature after the admission of the
timidate the corporations, and succeeded
In preventing the investment of much
foreign capital and the establishment Of
important industrial enterprises. which
might have added considerably to the
public wealth and welfare. But the cry
Of Down with the corporations" is not
SO loud as 1t used to be. The present
governor is sensible. practical bank
president. and under his leadership the
legislature is correcting the constitution
80 that 1t will soon be safe for capt.
talists from other states to bring their
money here and engage in manufacturing
and business enterprises.
The first Corners are the Morris Pack
ing Company, and the Schwartzschild &
Sulzberger Company, from
Packing Chicago. which have each
Honses invested about 100000
in plants to pack the local
steers and swine and sheep. The Morris
establishment, which has been in opera
ton for three months, employs 1900
men. and has a daily capacity of 1900
cattle. 1000 sheep and $500 hogs.
The other plant is only partially COM
pleted. but is employing 900 men. The
plant will be completed about the list
Of June. when it will give employment
to about 1000 hands. and have q
capacity similar to the other.
This is an important innovation, be-
cause Oklahoma and Texas, as you
know, abound in steers and swine, and
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