Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1915-01-21

there has besn trouble selling |
the Cotton this year. | think |
the real trouble is that the peo-J
pie rushed in here, stole the |
land from the Indians before
our Good Father completed His
work getting it ready for the
white man to make a decent
living from the cultivation of
the soil. The only crops that
are paying dividends and giviDgl
the people something to 60 on
is the crop of green. horns and
suckers who have been drawn
there with the hope of invest
ing their money in a way that
they ca make something out,
of other green horns. The fact
is, it is a country of speculation
and everything is for sale ard
every farmer wants oee. OUT
of here if he can; at least that
is the impression that ] got.
from farmers talking on the
train, and the appearance Of
the country amply supported
the impression.
After passing half day
looking at, what seemed to me,
to be a hopeless condition for
farming, with eyes sore from
che glare Of the naked soil, we
stopped at El Reno, from v hich
place we made a side tfip to
Oklahoma City. This is truly
a marvellous city. The build.
ings are magnificent, and built
so high that one would suppose
chat land is so scarce there was
not room for the people to do
business properly, but when you
go out on the street car lines,
and find that they end in open
prairie, with stretches Of bare
ness IS far as the eye cou d
reach, you begin to realize that
che city is simply an oasis in
the center of a silent desert.
Now, possibly, that is putting it
a little too strong, but really, |
could not help wondering what
under the sun those people ex-
pect to live on. OF course,
there are pastures there, but
instead of seeing vast herds Of
cattle, such as l expected to see,
l saw nothing but scrawny
scrubs browsing in the wheat
field. You see they have a no.
tion there that the way to make
a wheat crop is to pasture it
during the winter, ard in addi-
ton to giving the cattle some
green feed, it gives the wheat
a solid foundation from the
tramping they do, SO that when
the spring rains come on, it will
hold the water little better.
We went to the top of a.
story building in order to get a
birds eve view Of the city, and
it certainly was an inspiring
sight. / do not recall ever hav-
ing looked over a city with the
same feelings that were sug-
gested from the sight before us
and around US To think tFat
within twenty five years this
deserted spot had been CONVEX
ted into sky scraper buildings
and miles of paving with all the
modern, up to-date appliances
f a first class city is really
overwhelming and a seeming
impossibility such is the fact,
and we will long remember cur
visit in Oklahoma City.
On returning to Ell Reno to
take the train South, we had
time to look over the town a
little, and l was reminded Of
the desolation Of Jerusalem, as
pre- licted by Jeremiah, or some
other fellow who said that Jeru
salem was on its last pegs. De
parted greatness was in evil
dence on all sides. The only
thing we saw there of interest
was a stump-a petritied stump,
dug out of the ground about 40
feet deep and set up near the
depot. 1t was a splendid re-
minder of the possibilities of
The past, being about four feet
in diameter and as perfect ir
parts as a petrifaction could
possibly be, and could not help
but wonder if it would be posi-
be for Ell Reno to ever be pet
cited so as to preserve a sug-
gestion of its former greatness,
as l had pictured it from the
stories of the land agents But
from the locks OF things l am