Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1917-11-11

ings and big streets lined with rows
of immense stone structures, and
street cars. and ten thousand automo-
biles rushing past, and all that sort
of thing.
"Why. in those times I knew every
man within thirty miles In every di-
rection. III didn't know their names
l knew their faces. Now 1t seems I
don't hardly know anybody. not all
my neighbors here in my own block
And we seemed much freer then.
| Why l could walk out on my porch
and see farmhouses miles away out
on the prairies. Now | can't see but
two or three blocks ahead--everything
Is built up so, and we are so
hedged in"
1t was the independent spirit Of the
old pioneer speaking.
But see what wonderful convent
ences you are enjoying,p suggested the
reporter. steam heated homes and
buildings, street cars, electric lights
hot and cold water in your home,
theaters, and big daily papers that
bring you the news of the world every
DAY, and magnificent steam heated
and well-lighted school buildings for
the children and fine churches, ana
paved streets and concrete pavements
surely you wouldn't exchange all
these for the scanty convenicnces you
had "a years ago."
EVILS Go With Them.
The veteran banker smiled. Eyes
these are all mighty good" he ad-
mitted, but we have all the evils that
go with them, don't we?" he de-
manded. why, back there there was
no such thing as holdups and rob
berries. which occur nightly now, and
it was only once in while you heard
of killing. Now they OCCUR every
week or So
Speaking of schools reminded Mr.
Colley that he and other citizens AT
one time bought the whole block on
which are now situated the handsome
now Cosden and Pioneer buildings for
81 600 and sold it to the school board
OF the town at the same price, with
the exception of n 500 raise that Cal
Cawkins insisted he must have. He
was one of the number who bought
the property and all the others agreed
to turn il over to the school board at
the same figure but Cawkins. said
Mr.. Colley, said he must have 800
more for his interest, so the block
was sold to the board for $110O.
Today ii could not be puchased for
half a million.
Another striking illustration Of the
wonderful increase in values in Tulsa
is the fact that half of the block front
ing the new federal building on Boul-
der between Third and Second was
bought at one time by the Mr.. Trimblc
who owns the Trimble building for
1000. Today it is worth quarter
of million
just Few Years Ago.
Indeed. the very corner-on which
the magnificent new Exchange Ma
tional building stands could have been
bought for a paltry 800. said Mr.
Colley. because at that time il was
not regarded as worth anything. The
Exchange National did not announce
the price 1t paid for this lot but il was
undoubtedly high up into the thou
sands.
Mr.. Coley. by the wav was one of
n small company which drilled the
three first oil wells in Tulsa. One
of them was on the lot on which the
new courthouse building stands, tho
other was located on the site of Con-
vention hall and the third was two
blocks north of Mr.. Colley's present
home, 1907 Baltimore avenue. All
proved "dry holes" except that the
one near Mr.. Colley's residence turned
out a $4,000 gas well.
Mr. Colley came to Tulsa when 1t
was IN its swaddline cloths, pulling
infant'-tho a healthy one. He has
had successful and public spirited
career and still answers the call when
the interests of Tulsa are involved
He served term as city commits
sioner a few years back.