The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-02-26


uoSt April.
Oklahoma-th land that has
qulyorcd under tho lash OF thou
sand tragedies. that has Wbratcd
under tho force Of million joys
has emerged triumphant, her unique
history Clinging TO her ns protect
ing garment. and shc calmly waits
for some Of her sons and daughters
10 discover 10 the world her store OF
romance and tragedy.
For. IN her scenery IL the lnspira-
ton and IN her history the material
that make her n striking back
ground for literature. In her scenery
MS well 0s IN hcr citizens. there is a
great variety. She ranges from the
foothills az the Rockies 10 the
swAmpF ~ the Arkansas. and from
the .plnlns ~ Kansas to the valley OF
the ROD river. in the northeast Soc
/ tion. formerly tho indian territory,
she claims tho beautiful sparkling,
/ but troacherous Dpavinnw river ana
the innumernble pine crested
Spnvinaw hills, rich In the loro and
legend of all the Cherokee people.
which would furnish ample inspira-
tion to another heart thrdbbing
with sympathy and desire to right
I
Tor another Ramona. The Ar
buckle mountains, too. arc included
within her borders. They stand in
all their magnificent grandeur, aH u
silent witness OF thousands OF outlaw
deeds. OF countless Indian wars, and
Of everyday Toys and sorrow. And
their unparalleled beauty. together
with the silent message that they
give, makes them an inspiration for
one with tho lyric impulse. The
| long Btretches OF snowy crystal salt
| plains In tho northwest, the Kia-
mlchi mountains Ia the southeast
filled with tho nimble-footed deer
and the Wild turkey, are aR much a
| part OF the Oklahoma as the broad
| fertile pralrlo, broken by swiftly
| flowing rivers and broken occasion
ally with little circular pools OF
water.
TO tho allen mind these small
pools mean but little, but to an
OGlahOman they are known as "buf-
falo wallows," and the sight of them
instantly recalls to mind those early
days when the oklahoma plains
were covered with these shaggy
mOnarchs OF tho prairies, and whom
the indian, tho hero OF tho forest.
lord and master OF them all, rode at
hunt for buffalo. Later, after the
countless herds had been diminished
by the reckless slaughter of the
white man, nothing but their bones
ana the "wallows' remained TO tell
the story of their numbers. and the
broad plains stood ready to>take up
the new, life.
This change from the buffalSdays
was rapid. and for n brief period.
cattle held dominion over the pluina.
During this time 1t was customary
for the Texas cattle to come through
Oklahoma on their way to market.
So the plains that had been covered
only short time. before with shaggy
buffalo, were now covered with graz
ing cattle. The busy, boisterous
cowboy had taken tho place OF the
leisurely Indian. There were the
night fires. tho stampedes and the
years of drouth, when the scorch-
Ing winds from the Texas fires
scared the grass and sapped the vi
tality from avery living creature.
Full OF romance and tragedy are
those drouthtridden years. when
the streams sank out OF sight ana
the choking dust settled In the grass
until IL became unfit for food.
The winters. too, held their terrors
for man and beast. In the wake rf
an unexpected blizzard was lett
many q snow grave. or again n care
lessly dropped match--the fire that
followed cannot be expressed in
words. In the high aud tangled
grass where it's victims were him
dered in their efforts to escape, IT.
too seems 20 linger and to delight In
wearing out of the supple muscles,
but when It reaches short grass AMI
It's prey escaping. tiny tongues Of
fire run over the ground swifter than
n swiftly flying cloud-leaping pools
OF water. flinglng glowing straws
into the air and stopping only when
nature seems to revolt at the wanton
waste and quenches It forever.
Those early conditions are now
only memory. The unbroken seas OF
grass have given way to the billowy
fields OF wheat and corn. The cot
ton has taken the place of the rank
vegetation. At night one may see,
Instead of the sleam OF a cowboys
camp. the lampllght glow from n
nearby farm house. Cities have
sprung up along the old trails: the
rolling prairies are divided into sec
tions and are dotted here and there
with comfortable farm houses. In
many respects the history of Okla
homa Is one OF romance, In others
II Is teeminR with tragedy. II IL, .~
tho name implies, land of Red
Man. In the earlier history OF every
other state, tho Indian has played n
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