The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-09-25
Tulsn--CitY of RonI Mon.

Tulsn--City of Rcal Men.
Tulsa has been favored, not by |
tho gods so much as by the type OF
men inha biting IT, The pioneers who |
foregathered al the Kennedy pai ,-- |
cue the other day told the story. To
such men. who divided their world |
posse ssions almost 5O-50 with rail-
road promoters In order to secure
first one limo of railroad and then
another. laid broad and deep the
other men camo and added to the
foundation structure. These were
necessary and deserving OF vas;
credit. But they came because the
early settlers gave evidence OF their
metal and brought TO general no
tice place worth gambling with.
There were many small-town men
in those days who scoffed at the am
bitions OF Hall, Kennedy. Bullctte
and others. That damned railroad
will get none Of our money; 1t has
to come to Tulsa anyway" That was
the small-town mans idea OF that
critical time, comparable TO the
smRll-town mans idea now that
Tulsa should take It's water supply
from Shell creek and Mud creek,
paying million. of dollars To an in
dividual instead OF going to the
mountains for "a water supply which
means city indeed and using the
money an individual would other
wise get 10 provide an asset for the
entire community.
The one-railroad- town folks lost
The city builders prevailed. And
Tulsa became railroad center,
I then an oil center long before IT
had an oil well within 20 miles!
Men build cities with their visions
and their will to do. But little men
just as certainly kill cities with
their sc!t!shnc:s. their lack OF vis-
ion and their pitifui timidity.
Then came paving IN Tulsa. There
are Thousands OF Tulsans who wen
remember the heart breaking fight
to get the city paved-to get paw
ing even started, The small-town
man was In his element. He croakcd
and he fought and he obstructed.
Mont OF them were made wealthy
Against their will as II were. They
were honest and sincere, to be sure.
. Bot they have always been mill
tstones about the neck OF Tulsa e
ambitions and opportunities.
The BOULDER Paving Fight.
Who does not remember the bitter
/ fight against extending paving on
| South Boulder. There were many
small-town property owners out th7t
/ way. The cry was insistent ana
blatant: Paving will rob these poor
people who have just acquired their
| homes: they will not be able to pay
/ their taxes and these men who are
/ forcing paving will gobble up the
property"
But in some way tho paving Idea
! grew-and so did Tulsa, by leaps
/ and bounds. Property owner after
property owner who had bitterly
| fought the improvement sold his
/ property for a kings ransom. Paw
/ ing Improvement In Tulsa has made
rich men out of most OF the knock"
ers. But they did not contribute
posed II. The city builders forced
it upop them.
Men who came to Tulsa ) years
ago with capital Of two or three
thousand dollars, who have pros
pered here, who now have monthly
net income exceeding their entire
assets at time of their arrival, have
knocked all along the way. Mos
Of these men are now advocating
that Tulsa solve Its water problem
by reducing its ambitions TO pond
size ana once AGAIN pHNSiitH hhN'
tho yoke Of private domination II
It's water affairs. utterly dlsregard'
ing the historical fact that this com
] munity was once forced to pay
about five dollars for ono In order
to get out from under a privately'
owned water department. Thes'
men were the loudest and most in
} slstent critics OF that old privately
? owned water department, yet mos
, OF them opposed the purchase
, bonds when the matter was finally
; submitted. They charged steal
graft and every other thing that fer
; tile and small minds are capable o
, conjuring.
IN it's school undertakings TulHi
I has had to contend with the small
| town mind in every single step from
= the Kendall bonus down to the las
, bond election for adequate higl
? school facilities. Tulsa stands hea'
: high with the very greatest In educa
p tlonal institutions in spite OF tn
Y smail-town man, not because 0
Q him And as much can be said o
= sewers, street railways and ever
5 other undertaking which the cit
e has shouldered and realized.