The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1912-09-18

paper cutting out some of the cities
described;
In 1890 the combined population OF
Oklahoma and Indian Territory, which
are both united in the present state
of Oklahoma, was 25S,657. In 1900
the population of the two combined
was 790,39l. showing that in that de.
cade they increased in population 205
per cent. In 1907, when the two terri.
tories were combined and admitted to
the Union as the State of Oklahoma,
the government took a special census,
which showed the population of the
united territory to be 1,414,177. In the
government census of 1910 they are
credited with 1875, 1855. This indicates
a growth during these three years of
242,97S. Oklahoma contains 70,43O
square miles and has 6,O74.69 miles of
railroad. The eastern section of the
present state was originally known as
the Indian Territory, large number
of the Indian wards of the government
being kept there, the land being al.
lotted to them by the government, and
the territory not being open to settle.
ment to white men. Oklahoma and
the Indian Territory were combined
as mentioned above, by congress when
they were admitted to statehood.
Growth of the State.
In every way the state has shown
remarkable growth. In 1910 she pro.
duced 25,363,000 bushels of wheat, 92,.
353,000 bushels of corn and 23,068,0 900
bushels of oats, and 7,93S,000 tons OF
hay. In kaffir corn she turned out
100000 bushels and 100000 bush.
els Of potatoes. The value of live
stock Of every kind (including poultry
and bees) totaled up the enormous
amount of $152,432, 1872. which is an in
crease of $56,224,529 over 1910. The
only falling off was in range cattle,
due to the fact that the range area is
being reduced by dividing the land
into farms, much of course, to the ben
eft of the state In the production of
natural gas Oklahoma claims to be
second only to Kansas, and the state
has big coal fields around McAlester
and Coalgate, in the southeastern sec
tion, the coal mines at the former
place being a semi-anthracite of ex-
cellent quality. In 1909 the output
was 3.1f9377 tons. For the most part
Oklahoma is a rolling prairie, with a
good growth of timber in the eastern
section The far western end, origi-
nally part of the Great Plains, is a
farming country, but needs irrigation
or careful conservation of the mois-
ture to be successfully titled. The
eastern part of the state, or the old
Indian Territory, is splendid agri-
cultural section, with plenty of rain,
and raising wheat, corn potatoes and
other crops most successfully. Cotton
does well. The five civilized tribes of
Indians-the Cherokees, Choctaws,
Chickashas, Creeks and Seminoles-
have dissolved their tribal rights and
have become citizens of the United
States, and eight million acres of land
formerly belonging to the tribes are
now being sold.
Chief Towns.
As territory Oklahoma had Guth-
rie for its capital, but after it became
state the people voted to transfer
the capital to Oklahoma City. The
population of the capital is now 64,205,
having grown from 10,037 in 1900, or
an increase of more than 539 per cent
in ten years. This is a greater per
centage of grain than is shown by any
city in the United States during the
same time. 1t is a big wholesale or
jobbing center, selling large volumes
of groceries, hardware dry goods,
shoes, saddlery, harness, etc, and its
trade extends nearly all over Okla
homa and reaches to the Panhandle
and west central part of Texas. 1t is
an important meat-packing point, and
has extensive oil and flour mills, cot
ton congresses and machine shops.
Next to Oklahoma City in import
ance comes Muskogee, with a popula-
ton of 2527S, according to the 1910
census. Muskogee was formerly the
capital of Indian Territory proper, and
is still the distributing and financial
headquarters for the eastern part of
the state The city is the seat of the
federal government for the transac-
tion of matters concerning Indian af-
fairs.