The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-06-20
N. 0. 8 c.
OPENS UP
GOOD COUNTRY

Wagner, Okla, June 20.-Through
country which up to this time has
practically been unexplored a country
which in the beauties of nature and as
romantic as Indian legend can make it,
the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf rail-
Eroad is now being built through north
east Oklahoma and before the cotton
and corn is picked this year the shrill
of the locomotive and the wheels of
the iron horse will be heard where for
more han half a century the Cherokee
held forth in a kingdom all his own
and the pale face was a curiosity.
The rapidity with which the new
road is being built has astonished not
only the Indians but white men as
well, and the news that trains will be
running through from Denison, Texas
to Joplin, Mo-, over the NJ, o. & G. be-
fore Sept. l will come as surprise to
most people in Muskogee and else
where. A trip over the new line even
overland from Muskogee north, is an
enjoyable one and when the road is
completed a sight seeing tour of the
southwest will not be complete until
trip is taken over this road from
Muskogee to Baxter Springs. For more
than 100 miles the road passes through
a territory rich in scenery and ro-
nance and scarcely a minute goes
by that one does not see something
new and picturesque. In addition to
this the road passes through a terri.
tory rich in medicinal springs and
through the Grand river valley along
the banks OF a stream moer beautiful
than the Hudson.
The NJ, o. & G. extension north
starts at Wagner and for mile or
more parallels the NJ, K. & T. 1t then
ptravels northeast and crosses the
Grand /. ler six miles north of Wag-
oner. At this point a beautiful park is
TO be built The bridge over the
Grand is now being constructed and
aftcl. the road crosses the river at this
point it traverses the east bank >f the
Grand clear to the Kansas line. The
first townsite is at Yonkers, ten miles
north of Wagner; the next is Locust
Grove, IA miles farther north; then
Salina beautiful spot eight miles due
east of Pryor; next comes Lynch's
Ferry, romantic site almost at the
mouth of Spavinaw creek, and still
farther north and east are Pensacola
and Ketchum. Townsites in Delaware
and Ottawa counties will be laid out
later on The road passes through
Muskogee, Wagner, Mayes, Delaware
and Ottawa counties and cuts across
the northwest corner of Cherokee coun-
ty.
A feature of the country through
which the road passes is its water
supply.
In addition to the pure spring water,
there are hundreds of medicinal
springs including sulphur, radi, IN,
iron and salt In the neighborhood of
Salina there are dozens of sulphur
springs and two salt springs which
have been I. ado famous by the Chero-
KEGS. The Indians claim that the salt
springs were made by the medicine
man. when, in fact, they are the re-
suit of salt wells dug by the U. s. gov
!. .ernment forty years ago, The seen
cry at this point and at the mouth OF
the Spavinaw eight miles north is beau.
tiful the ye ar round and it IS predicted
that it will not be many years before
summer and winter homes are built in
this locality To the east of the road
are the homesteads of hundreds OF
fullblood Cherokees, a number OF
whom have /. yer seen a railroad. A
great many of these Indians only speak
the Cherokee language and are timid
at the approach of white man. The
NJ, o. & G. will open to Muskogee a
wonderful new country and there is nc
doubt but what it will develop eastern