Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 11, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 June 1902 — OKLAHOMA LETTER. [ARTICLE]

OKLAHOMA LETTER.

Norman, Okla., June 14, ’O2. Editor Jasper Co. Democrat: Dear Friend: —l write these few lines hoping that they will be of interest to The Democrat readers. We are all well and hope that our Jasper county friends are the same. Oklahoma has had an abundance of rain this spring, about 30 inches of water have fallen since March 1. The Canadian and Little River overflowed their bottoms doing considerable damage to growing crops. The weather is quite warm here now, the thermometer registers from 90 to 100 in the shade but a cool breeze blows day and night from the Gulf which makes it quite pleasant. The country here is a rolling prairie, more or less broken by deep ravines. The soil is a sandy clay and very fertile. The price of land ranges from *I,BOO to SIO,OOO per quarter section, owing much to improvements, levelness and distance from railroad. The wheat is all cut. The acreage was large and it yielded better than expected. Oats are about ripe and prospects are good for a large crop. The people here sow bushels per acre and that is plenty thick enough. Corn is silking and cotton is 18 inches high.. This is also a good fruit country, every farm having an orchard of about 1200 trees. Peaches are getting ripe now. Norman is a town of 3,700 inhabitants. It became a city of the first class this spring and in the election went democratic by a majority of 400. This city has two flouring mills, twocottin gins, oue elevator, one ice plant, two national banks, two schools and fourteen churches. The Territorial University is also located one-j half mile from town. A $90,000 1 addition is now under constrnction j and must be completed by Decern- j her 30, 1902.

This country is well supplied with good water which may be had at a depth varying from 12 to 200 ft. Most of the stock is watered at ponds made by building a dam across a ravine. Well, we are rid of two pests and these are mosquitos and bugs. There are a few potato bugs hut they eat a weed known a 6 the Mexican sandbur, and do not bother the potatoes. Yours Respectfully,

CHARLES L. KAUPKE.