Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1913-08-31

Six and Two-Thirds metropolis as a
Thirty-Three and One-Third city.
BY Way of Comparison.
There is no such thing as poor
town In Oklahoma. 1t Is true that
some OF them have slept on their
rights and let opportunities slip
through their hands, while the towns
people were floating on a wave; but
all are good towns. Once In awhile
we hear OF high taxes . but look
around you and see what the towns
have in the way Of municipal I'M
provements paved streets, city halls
and schools, waterworks ana sewer
systems, parks, etc. There are rev
towns in the state Of 1000 population
that does not have all these convent
ences the harbinger of progress ana
prosperity. 90 to the northern OF
southern boundary line Of Oklahoma
and one can find many towns Of fiVe
and even ten thousand population
that have dirt streets, and fewer clVlc
improvements than the villages oil
| Oklahoma Of z, 900, and still the state
is but five years old. We have done
here what other states and towns
have failed TO do in one and two nun
dred years.
without saying anything disparag-
ing about any other town. might
make a few citations.
What Delusion Does.
For years, Guthrie prospered under
the delusion that as long as II had
| the territorial and state capital thal
that institution was a permanent ii&-
| ture, and the minds Of the people
floated. Railroads, factories. whole
sale houses, etc, were not ehcouI
aged, because the peoples thoughts
ran TO capital prosperity. The state
cal apital floated away from Guthrie
and the people were bewildered; they
were unable to adjust themselves to
new conditions. Guthrie failed TO
prepare for adversely in time OF pros
perity. Providence laughed out loud
| ON Oklahoma City, and began smiling
on Guthrie. For two years Guthrie
laid In a rut. Then she began adver-
tising a bathhouse, and sinking wells
for salt and mineral water, but Guth-
rio had been struck terrible blow.
! Oklahoma City overplayed its
hand; but Oklahoma City is now
good town-not quite SO prosperous
as IT once was, but It will come back,
| and when II does come back, II Is
builded and ready TO again receive
the laugh out loud. True that real es-
tate is not changing hands there now,
but the town Is raising funds TO drill
oil and gas wells.
| How Cities Have Worked.
Back @ few years ago, / can re-
member when Kingfisher's merchants
closed their stores at ii In the morn
ing and opened them up again In the
afternoon an hour before supper time
That was during the drought. Farm
ers around there were beating up
parched corn in tin can with
hatchet handle and using 1t In place
Of coffee which they were unable 10
buy. Other states sent aid to the
farmers in western Oklahoma, ana
the railroads furnished them seed
wheat and took notes for II. The
| drought ended and K1ngfisher pros
pered. The Lord was laughing out
loud, The merchants there had a
trade territory Of hundred miles
west, funnel-shaped to the north and
TO the south, and many a farmer
hauled his wheat that distance into
Kingfisher. The merchants grew
rich, and they also grew selfish. The
railroad promoter came along and
| Kingflsher merchants refused to give
q bonus They were SELFISH they did
not want the trade territory divided.
Enid. on the north. gave a bonus, and
grew from q village of 2500 to q city
| Of 1900. FL Reno, on the south.
gave a bonus and grew from 2000 to
10000. Kingfisher remained the same
1 ~t.o l.uf 70 heat ha utq TO