The First Eight Months of Oklahoma City.

Y. M. C. A.

The second Sunday in May 1889 the Y. M. C. A. of the city was organized. The meeting was held in the post office building and it was fairly well attended. Gen. F.

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Oklahoma City, John M. Martin. The association is in splendid working order and its meetings are held every Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock. A series of lectures were through the winter by the association, the proceeds of which went toward the establishment of a library. The executive committee have plans for the construction of a hall at an early date. A reading room is being fitted up and by the time this reaches the public it will be ready for use. The membership reaches over one hundred and steadily growing both in numbers and grace.

BANK OF OKLAHOMA CITY

The Bank of Oklahoma City was established June 15, 1889 and it at once commanded a fair share of the business of the city. It is located at the corner of Grand avenue and Robinson street - a most desirable location - where a large brick building is being erected by the officials of the bank. There is no question but that this establishment is the wealthiest in the territory. Every member of the firm are enterprising and are the stamp of men who build cities.

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VALUABLE FACTS

From Capt. Sommers, who was in Oklahoma when the Santa Fe rail road was built, is learned that the bridge rail across the Canadian here, was 1220.75, and the water line was 1201 feet above sea level. At the Deep Fork the bridge rail of the road was 1157 feet and the water line 1115 feet above sea level. The north fork of the Canadian is the highest stream in the territory. A canal cut from the proposed point of starting the present canal, and run three miles to the Deep Fork would have a fall of 86 feet and with the same volume of water would develop over 5,000 horse power.

THANKSGIVING IN OKLAHOMA

The people in Oklahoma observed Thanksgiving with appropriate services such as going to church, eating turkey, (wild ones) and wishing that every day was Thanksgiving.

THANKSGIVING PROCLAMATION

Mayor's Office, Oklahoma City, Nov. 19, 1889

In compliance with the request of the pastors of the churches of this city, and believing that we should be profoundly thankful to Almighty God for the many blessings bestowed on us as a nation, and that as a city and community we have many special causes for gratitude, I hereby request the people of Oklahoma City to close their respective places of business on Thursday, Nov. 28, 1889, between the hours of 10 o'clock a.m. and 1 o'clock p.m., in order that all may have the opportunity of meeting in their respective places of worship and take part in the Thanksgiving services.

FIRST LITERARY SOCIETY IN THE TERRITORY

Out of the seven thousand people in Oklahoma City who retired to their respective places of abode on the evening of December 9^th to court the loving embraces of old Morpheus, a little band of the creme de la crème of South Oklahoma society people assembled to organize a literary society or lyceum.  This is the first society of the kind that has been organized in the territory and the assembling of the literati, where only a short time ago all was solitary waste, more resembled the mysterious court

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of Momur where Oberon, king of the fairy land, discussed the beautiful and the grand for the edification of his subjects. Mr. Robinson was elected temporary chairman and briefly stated the object of the meeting. Permanent officers were then elected as follows: President, Mr. Sullins; vice-president, Mr. Robinson; secretary, Miss Noonan; treasurer, Mr. Noonan, marshal, Mr. Hargrave; janitor, Mr. Harvey.