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Show OKLAHOMA. 197 against the wind is very laborious, and the howling so constant as to make conversation difficult inside a tent. I have observed in my travels that windy countries are generally healthful, but a different report is given here. They say bilious diseases of all kinds prevail, and complain particularly of fever, ague, and pneumonia. We ate in the " Pioneer Boarding Car," and slept in another car attached ; fwe of them being placed on a side track, anchored down, and converted into a pretty good hotel. Here, and about the depot, were the citizens employed on the road. Of the town proper, a ma-jority of the citizens were negroes, formerly slaves to the Indians. Slavery here was never severe, and they are little more their own masters than before. They earn a precarious subsistence, the women by washing and the men by teaming and chopping, and were all sunk deep, deep in poverty and ignorance. All day the wenches were strolling about in groups, bareheaded, barefooted, half naked, stupid- looking, ragged, and destitute. But all around them was nature's wealth, needing only industry to create plenty. Fertile prai-ries, even now rivaling Ohio meadows in May, rolled away for miles to the north and east ; beyond them the heavy line of timber marked the course of the Arkansas. The records of Muscogee are bloody. During the five weeks the' terminus business and stage offices were there and at Gibson, sixteen murders were committed at these two places, and in a very short time five men were killed at the next terminus. One man was shot all to pieces just in front of the dining- car at Muscogee, and another had his throat cut at night, almost in the middle of the town. It is true, strangers, travelers, and outsiders are rarely if ever troubled. These murders are upon their own class, and new- comers who are weak enough to mix in, drink and gamble with them. But a few days before our arrival, a Texan reached Canadian Station with the pro-ceeds of a cattle sale. He met these fellows at night, was seen at 10 o'clock with them, drunk and generous with his money ; a few days after his body was washed ashore some miles down the Canadian. And yet I am assured, and believe it, a man with a legitimate busi-ness, who will let whisky alone, can travel through this Territory as safely as any other. The visitor can not always feel as certain of this as he would like to. The night " Brick" Pomeroy reached Muscogee three men were shot dead. u Brick " walked from the train to the dining-car, and spent the night; walked thence to the earliest morning train and left the Territory. After two days at this lively town, we concluded we had better see |