The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-04-15

1.-THE extraordinary social conditions that
sprang up with the sudden translCrma-
ton OF a peaceful pastoral region into
q forest Of oil derricks pouring out
the liquid gold and making million
aires with the rapidly OF enchant-
ment
One IS the town of Writ more fa-
nous under the name OF "RagtcWn.
| that came into existence with the first
rush TO the new fields about three
years ago. Twice within that time it
was swept clean By fires and was re-
built within q few weeks. The last and
most disastrous fire was only a year
ago, but today Writ is town of three
thousand people, with block after
block OF unpainted business houses
and residential shacks and with
is red sandy streets thronged all hours
OF the day and night with a motley as.
sortment Of motor cars and transfer
wagons and all sorts and conditions of
'men and women. A typical frontier
town OF old mining days. you can find,
anything going on at Ragtown tnaJ
you ever saw in the moyies-eyen the
festive gentleman who empties his
automatic al the newcomers toes for
the mere lust OF the terpischorean art.
Something New in Oklahoma.
This story is about the other town,
which recently sprang mp cheek.by.
iowl to its riotOus sister--just two
miles and a half distant. in fact-m-
metropolis Of New Healdton. or Head
ton. as it is now called, for with its
swift moving spirit OF progress it
reached over a few weeks ago and IN.
corporated within It's limits the few
Old territorial houses that comprised
the town of old Healdton just tucked
It under It's neWfledged municipal
wing and made suburb Of IT, And
II you wOuu but listen attentively to
the audible dreams OF It's creator
one Jake L. Hamon famous for many
big things in Oklahoma-yOu wouldn't
hesitate to believe that It will soon
reach out over that two miles and
half and take in that movie town Of
RagtuWn also-and make II behave.
For Healdton is model town. and It's
makers are men with big ideals. Ok.
homa is renowned for unique adyen.
lures with governmental theorie.
Healdton, the new town on the south
ern oil frontier, is Okahoma's latest
expression in "uniQueness' and you
needn't take Jake lannon's word for
all of IT, He's got the town there to
show you.
In the first place, Healdton's munici-
pal government is unique. 1t hasn't
any municipal government 1t doesn't
want any. That is, in the sense Of an
organized body of city or town Off
cials. 1t hasn't any politics or poll
| ticians. II doesn't want any. II hasn't,
as. yet, any municipal tax system. II
doesn't want any. II has no taX-eat.
ers-no mayor, no aldermen. no city
treasurer no city clerk, no policemen
II doesn't need them. Jake says. Not
even commissioners. HealdtOn Is a
new departure entirely In the way OF
a municipal administration And yet
Healdton Is busy, bustling town of
fifteen hundred or more population
as big and as important as hundreds
Of other Oklahoma or Kansas or Mis-
souri, towns that support full sci
of town officials from dog catcher W
to mayor.
Only three months ago there was M
llealdton. The present site of IN,
town was scrub oak and sand hills
more or less primeyal. Jake Hamor
took his surveyors out and laid ou
the townsite with not a prospective in
habitaut In sight lie ran his street.
and lanes and dedicated his squares
for churches. libraries, schoolhouse,
and parks He made no allowance fol
dance halls or joints Hoaldton wa,
to be a business mans town and they
didn't need such things In their bust
ness. And they haven't got them. With
In thirty DAYS after the town was plat
ted Main street was filled up wit,
blocks Of business houses. and th,
side streets were beginning to b,
dotted with residences rough nm
painted affairs. but pioneer homes
And within three months fifteen hun
dred people called Hcaldton theh
home town.
The government of the town is 10
the hands of its Commercial Club, an.
every man In Hoaldton IS % member o
the club. II is supported by voluntary
contributions. It has It's schoolhOust
and ITS churches. And the town EOe.
10 bed at curtew and wakes mp az {
a. M And il. by chance, the phouOme
non of a Waylarer the worse for con
traband booze Is witnessed upon Co.
streets he Is bundled mp and sent back
10 RaEtown. where he came from O.
hc taken care Of
a Job for a City Manager.
Now Ucaldtun is ON the lookout Ton
% city manager That's the only Kim,
OF city official it wants. The com
mcrCial club announces that it wants F.
good one and is considering scycra
applications.
"Wc look ON our town MS just bis
business organization" said MIR Ham
on. when asked q few days ago, 10
the lobby of the Randul hotel at Ard
more. about his municipal orgluya
tion. 81 am not shying any stones a'
the politicians I've held q hand ir
the game myself In days gone by lt'
good enough game when it's played
right. But it oughtn't to have any plac,
tn the affairs of city. That's what
we are setting out to demonstrate ir
Icaldton- that's one OF the things, at
least This Is q corporation with 90
teen hundred stockholders, ana wha'
we want Is q good business man {,
take charge O! it-keep its books