The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-12
(Bv Professor Frederic M. Noa)

Governor Lee Cruce, was IN the
spring of 1909. had already been
two years a resident of Washington,
ID. c., that wondrousy enhancing
federal capital, when "A friend tod
me OF Mrs. HoXie, the renowned
to see some of her exquisite work,
| took an early opportunity to at
tend one of her evening public re-
cep.ions. There, | met Mrs. HoXie's
sister, Mrs. Annie G. Addington.
relative of Governor Cruce. She
spoke so enthusiastically of her own
Oklahoma and Ardmore that | be-
gan to feel an interest in the sub
ject. Thus caught the Oklahoma
fever"
The summer passed away and
autumn arrived, when | decided to
tempt fortune, repair to Ardmore,
and ascertain what American civili-
zation was accomplishing in Okla
homa One bright day in early Sep.
tember, the Baltimore and Ohio ex-
press bore me dway southw westward
from fairy-like Washington City. The
historic Shenandoah Valley was pen
etrated the Upper Potomac followed
almost back to- its very source, the
crest of the romantic Blue Ridge
Mountains traversed, and then the
descent made through West Virginia
into the plains and prairies of Ohio
Indiana and Illinois, on to St. Louis
From there, the train sped southwest
through the Ozark mountains into
the territory of Oklahoma.
1t was at sunset, on bright Sep
tember day, that the local train from
Madil, brought me to Ardmore. The
pretty little city lay revealed, in a
golden glory, rising suddenly out OF
the Oklahoma wilderness and soil
tude. The spectacle was indeed fair
to behold, as the sun slowly sank
below the protecting blue-tinted
crests of the Arbuckle mountains
which rise slightly above the pla-
teau of 900 feet on which Ardmore
lies.
During my thirteen months resi-
dence in southern Oklahoma, as a
teacher and writer, | became much
attached to Ardmore and the Ard
moreites. With only one-eighth OF
the population of Oklahoma City, the
place is small compared with the
latter. 1t is certainly the reverse
of the busthng, energetic Oklahoma
metropolis. 1t has the quiet, staid ap
pearance of a typical community OF
the Old South. Public improvements
, go on at a slow pace, partly be-
cause of traditional, primitive ways
of doing things, and partly because
Ardmore lacks the tremendous col
lective wealth of Oklahoma City
Main street, the principal business
, thoroughfare, can be traversed in
less than two minutes There are
, no imposing business establishments
, hotels, churches and theaters A new
county court house, when complet
ed (at the beginning of next cen
tury, as a witty comedian once re
markedl will be the finest structure
unless eclipsed by the new 100000
AS Ardmore is community still
dependent chiefly upon agriculture
for its prosperity, there is no great
variety of entertainments. During the
summer season, the one track cleo
trio line takes many hundreds OF
people to the little Lorena Park,
to witness games of baseball, Buf,
falo Bill Wild West Shows, and
for picnicing purposes. Once or per
haps twice a year some such attrac.
ton as Barnum and Bailey's circus
will draw a tremendous crowd On
these occasions the police and de
tectiyes keep very sharp lookout
for all suspicious strangers, and
make it hot for miscreants. Aside
from these outside attractions, the
public attends farmers institutes,
political gatherings. during the heat
of campaign, and finds recreation
in the two moving picture estab.
lishments. There is also, in a plain
brick building. the so-called Opera
House" whose unique outer curtain
is covered with picturesque, highly
covered advertisements of all the
leading business firms and celebri-
ties. Here quite good plays are pre-
sented. and sometimes a drama of
unusual merit, such as The Servant
in the House" There is also, on
Main street, an atrociously unsightly
welther-beaten large barn of a build