The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-02-14
Abbeville Boy Writes of Okla
homa.

Twenty years ago had you travelled
westward for distance Of twelve hundI ed
miles, you would then have found your
self in broad prairie land, known as the
Cheynne country OF Oklahoma, with very
few signs Of pale-face men, and should
you see white man at all, he would be a
ranchman or cowboy and some Of these
would look upon stranger with susp-
cioE, while others would take you in and
share their last crumb with you.
But in twenty years this country has un-
der gone q vast change for the better.
Uncle Sam has taken hold and these lands
are surveyed from north to south, and
east to west, and then they were cut into
sections. A section being GAO acres and a
quarter section is 160 acres which was each
mans share when the lands were declared
open to home-steaders. Then the
rush came. People from every where
came to get claim, some for spec culatiOn,
while others came for home. Should the
country have future they meant to reap
the benefit OF 1t, and those who remained
who remained were the star-WinnerS. This
country did have a future and a grand one,
for this land today sells on an average Of
$50 per acre, while some OF those who be-
come disheartened are renters in this
Cheynne county today, one man in partl-
cular recall to mind, sold his claim for
Jug Of fire water and left Oklahoma on a
high lonesome, and now the owner has re-
fusted $4,000 for same, while the gentle
man in question is Oh an Indian lease.
Now back to territorial days. The peo-
pie when settling this country, not being
financially able to build houses, were
forced to make what Is known as the dug
out, or in other words hole in the ground,
covered over with cotton wood limbs and
then layer of dirt, but as the years have
passed, and each bringing grand har-
vest, they have erected nice dwellings, IN
the dug-outs stead, and where the cattle
and horses once were exposed to the bllz-
yards, d lalge barn is there to shelter
them. and what a few years since was
grassy common now is in fine state OF
cultivation, beautiful orchards and ne
yards are in the place once occupied by
the cactus and prlckle pears.
Automobiles are the principle mode OF
conveyance. Rural telephones have been
put In by every one. The people, as
rule, are Of an energetic and progressive
II practical, is adopted, and now they en- |
ploy the most scientific methods for farm
Ing, and the lands beng Of nature that |
will permit, they naturally make use OF
the latest improved farm implements. No |
one walks and plows, for all implements |
are made. with seats, still some are not |
satisfied, for in the month OF July when |
plow shades into service, with this, one is |
In the shade all the time,
The soil In the Cheyenne is on an aver
age six feet deep and very fertile. Fertili- |
ger Is not known. The land being OF ma
ture that will not permit. The staple |
crops are cotton, corn, wheat, oats, alfalfa |
and some broom corn. In late years they |
have gone to pulling the cotton burrs in
stead of picking it. They have machinery |
Z, tl,rar 70 Qyf yfroa NJ from
burrs, and 1000 pounds Of burrs will give
one bale Weighing 500 pounds, hence
farm life in that country is becoming more |
of pleasure that drudgery.
Now for the Indian, some seem to think |
the red man is used there as the negro |
here, but far from it, for the Indians draw |
the line when work is the topic: Wei, IN
reality they don't have to work, for they |
have one Of the uneles, his name is Uncle |
Sam, and just bet your life the indians
never ask favor Of him, without it being |
granted. They are sent away at a very |
young age to school, and remain there un-
till they have received finished educa-
ton, then they are permitted to return,
and instead Of making use of their qualifi-
prairie stream and don blanket Of many |
colors, and there they lounge in the shade
of the cotton wood tree smoking their pipe |
OF ioy While out on their lands, which is |
cultivated by. the pale-face, natures one
best bet, cotton is growing to Il height Of
five feet and fruiting from top to bottom.
Mr.. Indian is aware Of che fact, too, for
when the heecy lint from same is sold, it is |
the gate way for his further idleness.
Should one walk out across those prairie |
fields in the month OF June, after night |
fall and see some tiny lights In the dis |
tance which greatly resemDled fire-ties
you should know fast enough that it is the |
reapers, for they harvest at times through |
the night, and should you be with the |
reapers through the night, I don't think |
you would become sleepy for there is a |
kind Of fascination about it which seems to |
stimulate one, and in the small hours of |
the morning when the coyote yelps his |
last before retiring to its den, same seems |
to give tone to the picture and to take the |
whole, it has tendency to make one real
lie more clearly than ever life in western
Oklahoma is grand. Clyde Murchison.