Final Report of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

by Louisiana Purchase Exposition Commission

The coal fields of the Indian Territory, especially in the Choctaw Nation, have for years been operated successfully, and within the past two years the development of the coal industry has been immense. Petroleum is also found in many parts of the Indian Territory. This industry, though new, is developing into gigantic proportions. Hundreds of wells are going down in both the Bartlesville and Muskogee fields, and the majority of those already opened are good producers. The crude oil in the Bartlesville field is in grade about the same as the Kansas oil, while the grade of the Muskogee field is somewhat better. Railroads, pipe lines, and refineries are being built for handling this product, which promises to be in such abundant supply. In the Indian Territory booth in the Mines and Metallurgy Building were shown many samples of Indian Territory coals and oils. Beside the four large cubes of the four separate grades of bituminous coal found in the Territory, there were arranged cases of the finest samples of egg coal, nut coal, and pea coal, and pyramids of coal and coke were erected. Samples of the oil from 27 flowing wells, together with samples of the oil sands, were arranged in glass and formed the background of the booth. Cubes of the Chickasha granite and the Cherokee marble and many blocks of building stone, filtering rock, colite, etc., were shown in this booth. A large relief map, costing more than $2,000, of the Choctaw coal fields and many pictures and plates of the top works of coal mines, oil wells, and asphaltum works were attractively placed in this booth.

A comprehensive display of the corn and cotton products of the Indian Territory was made in the two booths maintained in the Palace of Agriculture. The Indian Territory is particularly a cotton country. No finer staple is sold on the Liverpool market than that which grows in the bottoms along the Arkansas, Verdigris, Canadian, Washita, and Red rivers. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, and, in fact, all grains and products that flourish in such States as Kansas, Iowa, and Illinois do equally well in Indian Territory. With practically an unvarying temperature and abundant rainfall the "Indian lands" will, within a few years, be converted into agricultural domains rich and beautiful.

Though not the largest, one of the very prettiest displays in the Palace of Horticulture was that of the Indian Territory. Occupying the very center circular space in the building, this booth was kept constantly supplied with Indian Territory products of the orchard and flower gardens. Apples, peaches, pears, grapes, and plums seem to grow to perfection in the Indian Territory, and the many thousands who saw the fruit display at the exposition can attest the fact that wonderful are the products from Indian Territory orchards and gardens.

KANSAS.

The legislature of the State of Kansas in 1901 appropriated the sum of $75,000 for the purpose of having the State represented at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Subsequently, in March, 1903, a second appropriation of $100,000 was made. There were no subscriptions of any kind for this purpose.

In 1901 the governor of Kansas appointed the following-named gentlemen as commissioners:

John C. Carpenter, president; J.C. Morrow, vice-president; R.T. Simons, treasurer; C.H. Luling, secretary; W.P. Waggener, commissioner.

Kansas made exhibits in the Agriculture, Horticulture, Education, and Social Economy buildings and in the Dairy Department. The State also made large exhibits in live stock of horses, cattle, swine, sheep, and poultry.

In the Agricultural Palace the corn steer, corn eagles, corn Indian, and several other striking features of installation, made exclusively of agricultural products, were greatly admired and favorably commented upon. In this department a grand prize was given to the State.

Although known principally as an agricultural State, the exhibit made by Kansas in the Mines and Metallurgy palaces was such as to astonish all who saw it. Besides its other large and varied resources and fine installation of lead, zinc, coal, salt, gypsum, stone, shale for manufacture of brick, cement, etc., Kansas is known as one of the greatest oil and gas fields in the United States.