Chronicles of Oklahoma Volume 4, No. 3 September, 1926 Editorials 213 Fort McCulloch W. B. Morrison 216 Hillside Mission Floyd E. Miller 223 Governor Cole V. M. Locke, Jr. 229 Letter from Mrs. Frank Korn 232 Some Notes of Interest Concerning Early-Day Operations in Indian Territory J. Y. Bryce 233 Letter Mrs. G. B. Hester 241 Some of the Pioneers of Pottawatomie County Mrs. J. W. Drake 242 The Keetoowah Society J. W. Duncan 251 The Indian Territory in 1878 Col. William Penn Adair 255 Historical Sketch of Col. Samuel Checote, Once Chief of the Creek Indians O. A. Lambert 275 Proposed Amendments to Constitution 281 Oklahoma’s Only Daughter of the American Revolution Mrs. A. J. Arnote 283 Biography of Captain William Graham Baird Mrs. Logan G. Hysmith 286 Judge Overton Love 288 Necrology 291 An Early-Day Baptist Missionary Baxter Taylor 296 Kiowa Chapter, No. 650 E. S. Mary M. Rogers 298 Book Reviews 302 EDITORIALS

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Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. This is true in the fullest sense as it applies to our country, the State of Oklahoma, and to those of the present day no statement comes with more terrific force. We have seen the passing of a number of civilization’s essentials, things that were absolutely necessary to the conveniences of the days in which our fathers lived. Things without which happiness and prosperity would have been unknown; but now they are looked upon with curiosity, mingled with amazement. It was necessary then to have in every home, and on every farm some of the crudest implements of which we can conceive. Yet these crude instruments were the source of profit and pleasure. While we laugh at their crudeness to-day, those who lived before us, used them, to make possible the good things of to-day. These days make demands of us that were not made in the days in which our ancestors strove with the forces and elements of nature, and while we laugh at their accomplishments, in its crudeness, we must remember they gave to us all we have that is really worthwhile. Those coming after us, will in like manner, look with more or less amusement on our accomplishments and wonder how we managed to survive.

The old spinning wheel, the loom, the cotton and wool cards, all of which were used with all the dexterity known to man; the bull tongue plow, the old frow, along with the ox cart, all of which were very important factors in making this country habitable in the days gone by. These things are only seen on exhibition among the curiosities of a past civilization; but they are the evidences of a civilization that combatted obstacles with which we will never have to contend. These things with the past civilizations of this country have gone into the rubbish heap, worthless, abandoned and all but for-

Page 214 gotten, cherished only as they remind us of former days, whose generation blazed for us a pathway leading to heights to which they never attained.

J. Y. BRYCE.

In discussing "Publication Activities of a State Historical Society," Mr. Benj. F. Shambaugh declared that publication was the goal of State historical society work, since the dissemination of State and local history depends largely upon the printed page. The publications of such a society should be carefully planned and systematically issued in series. Among the standard series are: the monthly magazine, the quarterly, the archives series, the biographical series, the economic history series, the social history series, the political history series, and the bulletins of information. Since the purpose of all such publications is the preservation as well as the dissemination of history, attention should be given to the quality of the paper and the character of the binding, as well as the format.

ETHYL E. MARTIN, Executive Secretary, The State Historical Society of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa.

To one who has grown from infancy to mature life in this country, nothing is more significant than the mode of conveyance. When we remember that our only way of getting over the country years ago was the lumber wagon, sometimes drawn by horses, of an inferior grade, more often by oxen, over roads that were almost impassable, and absolutely so, during high water, which necessitated a week’s travel and an unusual supply of patience to make a journey of one hundred miles, all of which staggers our belief when we step into an automobile and make the distance in less than half a day. The writer’s first farm activities were with a yoke of oxen hooked to a sixteen inch plow with a span of Texas ponies hitched in front, with the writer on the lead horse; by this method we succeeded in turning the first twenty acres of land

Page 215 on the farm opened up by father, near Kiowa, in what is now Pittsburg County.

The year of statehood, the writer of this article had the pleasure of addressing the members of the Federated Commercial Clubs in Oklahoma City, when we made this statement, "It will soon be possible for one to take breakfast in Oklahoma City, lunch in Chicago and back home for the evening meal"; at that time this statement was taken as a huge joke, and much merriment was had, apparently at the speaker’s expense, but now it is possible, and we have not yet fully come into our own. Our present mode of conveyance has practically dispensed with time and distance, the road is shortened, and the time is lessened. What will be our possibilities when we have acquired the habit of using electricity as a means of our locomotion? There are hidden forces lying dormant in the earth and above, if by accident discovered, before we have become sufficiently skilled to properly apply it to our use, to blow the world into atoms. Among the startling inventions and discoveries of the future, none are to be more significant than our method of propelling.

J. Y. B. FORT McCULLOCH.

W. B. Morrison

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One of the interesting bits of historic remains in Bryan County is still to be found near old Nail’s Crossing on Blue about ten miles north of Durant. On the south side of the river, and about two hundred yards from its banks, the visitor may find to-day the well- marked outline of the redoubts and bastions built there in the summer of 1862 by troops of Confederates from Texas, Arkansas and Indian Territory, under the direction of General Albert Pike, at that time in command of all the forces of the Confederacy in the Department of the Indian Territory. While now overgrown with trees, and with not a vestige of the headquarters, or temporary buildings remaining, the works still make an impressive showing to the visitor, and are well worth going to see. Some hundred yards or more to the right and left of the main fortifications may be found remains of the arsenal pits, where ammunition was stored.

It is hard to realize after spending a day among the peaceful scenes along the river and near the fort and crossing, that this was once a place teeming with life and throbbing with activity. Nail’s Crossing was on the military road that ran from Fort Gibson via Perryville (near present site of McAlester), Boggy Depot, Fort Washita, into Texas and the Southwest. From 1850 on this was a much-traveled road, and thousands of adventurers, bound for homes in Texas, or for the gold fields of California crossed the Blue at Nail’s as they pushed on to the unknown West. Remains of a dam are still to be seen, and bits of the cable of the ferry-boat, used in times of high water, and by those who preferred not to risk the ford, or the crude wooden bridge which generally spanned the stream at this point.

General Pike was placed in command of Confederate troops in the Territory in November, 1861. His first official act was to establish elaborate headquarters, and construct a fort just one mile north of Bacone College, on the banks of the Arkansas near Muskogee. This he named Cantonment Davis in honor of the president of the Confederacy. Pike was always something of a visionary, and while the preliminary esti-

Page 217 mate of the cost of this plant was moderate, it is said that nearly a million dollars was expended on buildings and defences before they were completed.

From the very first, Pike was at variance with his military superiors, charging them with an entire disregard of the treaties with the Indians, made by Pike the previous summer. According to these treaties, the Indian Territory was to be defended against invasion, his Indian allies furnished with weapons arid supplies by the Confederacy, and the Indian troops not to be taken out of the Territory for military service. However, either through lack of ability to furnish the supplies, or through a disregard for the claims of the Indians—or probably both—the Confederate authorities paid little attention to Pike’s complaints or to the terms of the treaties. With the advance of the Federals into Arkansas in the early spring of 1862, Pike was ordered to send all his forces into that state to the support of Van Dorn. He left Cantonment Davis, on which he had expended so much money and labor, never to return. His Indian troops fought well at the important battle of Pea Ridge in northwest Arkansas, but discouraged by the Confederate defeat and the lack of interest on the part of his superiors, General Pike at once returned to the Territory, placed Colonel D. H. Cooper in charge of Cantonment Davis, and decided to make an entire change in his military plans by practically leaving the northern part of the Territory to its fate, and to establish a new line of defense on the Blue river in what is now Bryan County. It is said that Pike’s superior, General Van Dorn, while telling him not to expect any help from the Arkansas army, charged him to maintain himself as best he could in the Territory, but not to march southward except in case of absolute necessity. These orders Pike evidently violated. One of his critics of that time states, "He came 250 miles to the southward only halting at the Little Blue, an unknown thread of a stream twenty miles from Red River, where he constructed fortifications in the open prairie, erected a saw- mill remote from any timber, and devoted himself to gastronomy and poetic meditation with elegant accompaniments."

General Pike seems to have had at least two reasons for his sudden change of base, one of which was that he had lost hope of getting regular supplies for his army from Arkansas,

Page 218 and the other that the Arkansas River did not offer a satisfactory line of defense. In one letter written from Fort McCulloch, he states, "The Arkansas River is not defensible. If we cannot hold all, we ought at any rate to hold the Choctaw, and Chickasaw country. Half of it is better than none." Again he wrote, "I hope by means of the works here, and with the help of the artillery I have to hold the Indian country against any force that can invade it. If I can prevent the Indian country from being occupied, I will be content." Pike’s subordinate, Colonel Cooper, evidently felt that he had been deserted, and took it upon himself to write Van Dorn directly in regard to affairs in the northern part of the territory "as Pike was at Nail’s Bridge, one hundred and seventy five miles away." In this dispatch he further went on to say that if a Federal force came into the Cherokee country, Stand Waitie (the leader of the Southern Cherokees) would be driven out and a majority of the Cherokees would go over to the Federals. John Ross, the Cherokee chief, wrote to President Jefferson Davis to the same effect. Cooper’s prophecy was fulfilled to the letter within a very short time. Whether matters would have been better or worse had Pike maintained his original line of defense will never be known.

General Pike was well acquainted with the topography of the Blue River country, for thirty years before he had explored it on foot throughout its entire lower course. He named the fortification after the gallant Ben McCulloch, who lost his life at Pea Ridge. With the extensive field works planned, Pike boasted that 5000 men could hold this fort against three times their number. Among other advantages claimed for the position were that it commanded the road to Gibson on the north, Fort Smith to the east, Fort Washita to the west, as well as to Sherman and Bonham in Texas. In May, 1862, Pike had eighteen pieces of artillery at Fort McCulloch, twelve of them the effective Parrott guns. His report of the same date indicated that he should have had at the fort over 3000 white troops, exclusive of Indian forces. These included two regiments of Texas cavalry under Colonels Robt. H. Taylor anal Almarine Alexander; the Nineteenth regiment of Arkansas infantry under Colonel C. L. Dawson, besides the two companies of artillery under Maj. Wm. E. Woodruff. The report showed, however, that scarcely half of these troops were on duty at

Page 219 the time. The excessive amount of work with pick and spade required of the men may have had something to do with the large number absent "on sick leave." Pike blamed the large absentee list on "bad weather and bad cooking."

The next few months were the most distressing in Pike’s long life—and least creditable to him. The commanders of the Trans-Mississippi Department of the Confederacy, first General T. C. Hindman and later General T. H. Holmes, goaded him almost to madness by what he felt were unfair decisions in Territory matters, and he was not a good enough soldier to accept the orders of his superiors without question. He wrote many long and acrimonious letters to these superior officers and also made every effort to go over their heads to the authorities at Richmond. No attention was paid to his ideas in regard to the defense of the Territory, and from the records it would appear that General Hindman deliberately pursued such methods as to render Pike’s position as brigade and departmental commander untenable. The artillery of which he boasted was ordered to Little Rock, and his Indian troops to the Arkansas district. Finally Pike resigned his command, and upon doing so, issued to the Indians an address of such violent and unmilitary nature that his subordinate, D. H. Cooper, sent an armed force to arrest him. This action on the part of Cooper was approved by General Hindman, who tried to hold up the resignation that he might try Pike "for falsehood, cowardice and treason." The court-martial was never held, however, and Pike’s resignation was afterwards accepted. His massive frame, and leonine head with its abundance of grey hair down over his shoulders, were seen no more at Fort McCulloch. After the war, he became one of the world’s leading exponents of Free-Masonry, devoting a great deal of time to a study of its ritual and symbolism. He was the author of more than twenty books on the subject. He also published several volumes of verses, and ranks as one of the lyric poets of the South whose position is undisputed.

Major William E. Woodruff, referred to above, is the author of a very readable little book, entitled, "With the Light Guns," from which we quote the following interesting details of the construction of Fort McCulloch and the life and activities of the post

"General Pike’s command, besides Colonel Dawson’s in-

Page 220 fantry, Corley’s cavalry and the artillery from Arkansas, was composed of several Texas regiments of infantry and cavalry under Colonels Robert Taylor and Almarine Alexander and other colonels, and the Indian troops. Soon after the camp was established General Pike commenced the erection of an earthwork named Fort McCulloch, which was built by daily details of working parties from all commands, artillery included. It was a rather distasteful occupation, but the duty was performed faithfully, if grumblingly.

"After a month the senior captain concluded the horses should be familiarized with the racket of actual firing, and without asking permission from headquarters, treated the whole camp to a surprise one morning by exercising the gun drill with blank cartridges, by piece, by section, by half battery and by battery. Instantly the prairie, which formed a great part of the general camp, was as full of astonished soldiers — Texas, Arkansas and Indian—as a prairie dog town is of its denizens, which they made it resemble. General Pike scolded the commander good naturedly for the ‘indiscretion,’ as he termed it, but was easily persuaded that it was better to stampede the army when there was no danger, than to have the batteries go to pieces when the enemy was before it.

"A few days later there was a large delegation in camp from the wild and roving tribes of the commander’s Indian allies—Kiowas, Comanches and several other tribes, who had been summoned to council by General Pike some time previously. It was a wonderful thing to see them as they sat in a semi-circle in front of General Pike’s large office tent all day long, gazing at his striking and majestic person, as he sat writing, or reading and smoking. They seemed to reverence him like a god. The wild Indians were very inquisitive and were suffered to wander through camp at their own pleasure, male and female, on foot or on horse-back. These Indian ladies all used two stirrups in riding. Next to General Pike’s fine person, the bronze guns of West and Blocher were the chief center of attraction. Both sexes fairly swarmed in and about the artillery camps, and the squaws and girls soon captivated the young men of the battalion. Everything bright or gaudy in appearance or color, neckerchiefs, handkerchiefs and such like were speedily in their possession. Cline (future) county judge I know was signally despoiled.

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"By some means the report of the gun firing a few days before had come to their knowledge, and the whole wild lot desired to hear the report of the guns and see the effect of shell and shot. Accordingly, before the council adjourned, the general ordered a section to be taken to the outskirts of the camp, and a few solid shot, shells, shrapnel and canister fired for their delectation. The effect on an old chief standing near the officer commanding the firing party, was amusing. His face had about as much expression as a raw-hide or grindstone, until the first shell exploded about one- fourth of a mile distant. The chief turned to the officer, all wonder and astonishment, and holding up two fingers said: ‘Him shoot twice,’ then relapsed as if ashamed, into the grindstone stage. That the chief understood English was a great surprise to the officer. These wild people had a bountiful provision of buffalo meat and tongues, bows and arrows, and many curious trinkets with them, and drove quite a profitable commerce with our men. The officers laid in a good supply of buffalo tongue, some of which was brought home a little later. Lewis Tilly of Blocher’s bought the smallest adult pony any of us had seen, and was permitted to bring him along, as Captain Stillwell, acting commissary, said: ‘His stomach capacity is too small to affect the commissary’s accounts, and grass is free.’

"The men sent out to graze the herd daily on the prairie told remarkable tales about the size and abundance of rattle snakes. If anybody is curious about them, he is respectfully referred to Sergeant Billy Button, at the Soldiers’ Home, for particulars.

"At Fort McCulloch, Captain Wm. Quessenbury, chief quarter-master, who at that was to Arkansas what Mark Twain is now to the rest of the world, got up one of the greatest jokes known in financial history. There were no Confederate notes of less denomination than $5.00. He got hold of a lot of marble wall paper, and had change tickets printed on the light side to supply the needs of the army in small transactions. It was redeemable on presentation in sums of $5.00 or over. It was good money as long as it lasted

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—which owing to the weather’s changes and other incidents was not long."

W. B. MORRISON, Durant, Okla.

BIBLOGRAPHY

1. Abel, Annie H., The Indian as a Participant in the Civil War. 2. Abel, Annie H., The Indian as a Slaveholder and Secessionist. 3. Allsopp, F. W., Life Story of Albert Pike. 4. Arkansas Historical Collections, Vol. 4. 6. Official Records of the Rebellion, series 1, Vols. 13 and 22. 6. Richardson, James D., Library of Southern Literature, Vol. 9. 7. Thoburn, Jos. B., History of Oklahoma. Vol. 1. 8. Woodruff, W. E., With the Light Guns HILLSIDE MISSION.

FLOYD E. MILLER.

An old one-time palatial structure, built in 1886, that stands on a hillside four miles north of Skiatook, a large addition to this building and a common burial ground in which are buried prominent Cherokees—these are the remnants of a once-flourishing pioneer school where remarkable men and women were educated in the wilds of what is now Tulsa County and what is to-day known by the name of "Hillside Mission."

The story of the building of this Mission and the efforts of the Friends Society of Philadelphia in establishing a school for the Indians in the then wilderness of the Indian Territory is one of the most interesting of all the long struggles of the white man in his attempts to educate and civilize the Red Man.

No story of the Mission would be complete without a reference to the good men and women who managed the Mission and who taught the boys and girls who came there in search of knowledge. And during all these years there was one man who had an interest in the Mission and who to-day owns the grounds and the buildings, Mr. Simon M. Abbott.

Mr. Abbott came to Oklahoma in 1880. He settled on Tiner Creek about five miles north of what later came to be the Mission. He engaged in farming and the cattle business. He loved the woods and the streams, having been reared by a father who had been captured by the Delawares and who was adopted by the tribe and who spent seven years among them. In later life he became an Indian trader. With his carry-all, pulled by four horses, he traded goods to the Indians for furs. He spoke several Indian dialects. On one occasion, Mr. Abbott remembers that his father returned from an Indian trading trip with a trunk full of gold. The trunk was nine inches long, four inches wide and six inches deep. Mr. Abbott also has a bullet moulder that was given him by the Indians. This mould is in the shape of a mule hoof; it is five inches wide on the under side, three inches on the upper, two inches wide and one and one-half inches thick. The hole in which the bullets were moulded is still plainly visible. These relics

Page 224 are treasured by Mr. Abbott who keeps them in a desk, over a century old, in one of the musty rooms in the oldest section of this ancient, roomy structure, the shrine of many pilgrims, —"Hillside Mission:" John Murdock was the pioneer founder of Hillside Mission. In 1882, this traveling missionary was sent here by the Friends Association of Philadelphia. Like William Penn, he held meetings in the groves and immediately had considerable success. There were few white people here at that time; but all the mixed-bloods and most of the full-bloods understood and talked some English.

Murdock proposed to build a permanent church. The few who first gathered to hear him agreed to aid him The forest was the only source of building material; he shouldered his broad-ax and marched like a hero into the primeval forest, followed closely by his faithful, fightless followers. They felled the trees and Murdock hewed the logs. A fine set was soon hewed, ready to haul out and raise. This work was soon done. Then they felled a great oak, rived clapboards and covered the church. In this rough structure, without doors or floors, they worshipped. After a time they split puncheons and made a door and laid a floor.

This structure answered well for the summer time, but as winter drew near these devout worshippers found it necessary to chink the cracks. A log-rolling was held and on the logs a kiln of lime was burned. With this lime, sand was mixed, and the cracks were plastered with the mixture. This building was raised on what is known as the Vance place, on Bird Creek.

When the church was completed, the Friends, under Murdock’s leadership, proceeded to build a parsonage. They erected it in much the same way as they had the church, but did not build it alongside the church, as is done so often to-day.

We would suppose that all the troubles had been passed, but not so. Every wilderness enterprise has its vicissitudes and opposition. The location of the church proved unhealthful. The region was infested with malaria; and the mosquitoes multiplied so much faster than converts that Murdock found it impractical to carry out his cherished idea of founding a school on the site. He believed that to convert the Indians permanently a school should be established in connection with

Page 225 the Mission. The site was insanitary; but to test it out; he sent to Arkansas and procured a young lady teacher. The enrollment included a dozen greasy urchins. We say "greasy" because the children had learned that by mixing certain pigments with coon grease and applying this mixture, mosquitoes would not bother them so much. But not so with the teacher. After heroically battling the singing and stinging insects for two weeks, her face and hands looked as though she had a severe case of measles.

In the meantime, Murdock made a fair showing of converts, mostly children. He made a report and sent it to the association at Philadelphia with a request for funds with which to build a better school building. The funds were promptly sent.

In the spring of 1884, Murdock called together the following faithful followers: William Lloyd, Bill Cannon, and a man by the name of Galliger. They hauled lumber from Coffeyville, Kansas, this being the nearest railroad point where lumber could be secured. It took five days to make the trip, and sometimes when Caney River was high, it took two weeks or more before they could ford the stream.

The present site of Hillside Mission was selected for the school. The south side of the Mission was built. A substantial church house was also constructed about eighty feet west of the present house. Malaria and mosquitoes were not so bad on this high location and moreover the mosquitoes could be screened out of the frame building, while they swarmed through the cracks of the log houses. Malaria was checked by the use of quinine, which folks took with as much nonchalance as they did a chew of tobacco.

From 1884 to 1885 there was quite an influx of "non-citizens," they were called. They were permitted by the Indians to farm for them, and this policy was sanctioned by the government. Most of these settlers had families and were glad to take advantage of Murdock’s school, even to the extent of paying board and tuition for their children. Thus the school became a success, both religiously and financially. It was patronized from every point of the compass within a radius of fifty miles or more.

It was John Murdock who conceived the plan of the school and who had carried it out successfully. Murdock re-

Page 226 sembled Lincoln. His feet were nowise inferior in size, nor was he less angular or ungainly. He was about as tall as Lincoln. He had a large head, a long thin face, prominent jaw, straight aquiline nose, with a prominent wart on one side. Eyes of mild blue, verging on gray, but always carrying an appeal to mercy in them. "Those eyes had more personal magnetism than any I have seen since as a child I gazed into the eyes of Abe Lincoln," says Mr. Abbott. "Like Lincoln, he had perfect control over his temper—he could plow steers among grubs and never swear." Murdock was eloquent in expounding the scriptures, and the Indians believed in him.

After Murdock had built the school, he was ordered west by the Association. He was succeeded by John Watson.

In the year 1886, John Murdock was supplanted by John Watson in missionary affairs at Hillside. He brought his wife, generally known as "Aunt Liza," and two daughters, the elder, known as Miss Eva, and the other, fresh from college, known as Miss Elma. Miss Eva was a real school ma’am.

Shortly after Watson’s advent into the Mission, he decided to enlarge the dormitory. He hauled lumber from Coffeyville, Kansas, and built the west wing of the dormitory at his own expense. This addition is said to have cost $1200.00. About this time the school room became inadequate for the housing of the pupils; hence, Mr. Watson found it necessary to enlarge it by annexing another building of equal dimension. Thus equipped, every part of the system moved along serenely for three years more. The quarters were, however, too small to accommodate the growing settlement. Prominent friends came from the east to visit the school.

About the year 1894, a fund was raised by the eastern committee to erect the north wing, or the last part of the present standing dormitory, which is about 40 by 70 feet and four stories high, counting basement and attic. The attic was finished up in one large room and was used as a gymnasium. This was probably the first gymnasium in Oklahoma. The basement contained two large rooms, one used as a primary department and the other for the boys’ living room, and also as a bath room. The water tank used as a reservoir, together with the bathtub, is preserved intact. Every boy who sat in that living room burned his initials upon the wall

Page 227 with a red hot poker, as there are yards upon yards of initials of all descriptions and kinds on the wall to this day. The ground floor above the basement is divided into four rooms and a hallway. The central room, with the bay window facing the east, was Uncle John Watson’s private room where he prepared his sermons. The first room on the right of the hall at the entrance was a guest chamber. The room at north end of the hall was reception room, and the northeast room was another guest chamber. On the second floor is a hall the entire length of the structure, with sleeping rooms on either side. This was the girls’ sleeping apartment. The west wing before mentioned and built by John Watson, is about 18 by 50 feet, is two stories high with a cellar beneath. The ground floor contains two rooms, the east room for storage quarters and the west one a dining room. On the south side of the dining room there is a long room, about 20 by 60 feet and two stories high. The ground floor was used for all public occasions, for a conference, a festival, or anything of a public nature that required a large room. On the upper floor are sleeping apartments. Then comes the south wing, built by Murdock, two stories high with the upper floor divided into sleeping apartments, and a parlor and private room below. The entire structure contains twenty-four rooms, counting basement and cellar. Quite a good-sized structure for those early days.

The church house has long since disappeared. A part of it was sold, taken three miles east of the old site and converted into a farmhouse. The other part was moved four chains north where it was used as a church for a time, but was wrecked so much in moving that it became unsafe. Six years ago it was torn down and such material as was good was used in the construction of the new edifice that graces Hillside Mission. Only the dormitory of the Mission remains intact. It was sold by the trustees in Philadelphia to Mr. Simon M. Abbott, who resides here.

The deed to the four acres that comprise the site of the Mission was executed in Philadelphia. Mr. S. M. Abbott paid $300.00 for the four acres and the pile of buildings. The deed was signed by Walter Smedley, Charles J. Rhoads, Jonathan M. Steele, Alfred J. Scattergood and Thomas Smedley as trustees of the Associated Executive Committee of the Friends

Page 228 Society of Indian Affairs, Philadelphia. This land was never allotted, but was transferred direct by the government to the Friends Society at Philadelphia.

Hillside Mission became such a prominent school center because it was the only school in this region. But when the allotment of Indian lands took place the Mission began to lose its position. School sites were purchased in the surrounding villages and in the country, and school houses were erected. Free public schools had come and the Mission, with nearly all patronage gone, dwindled along for a time and then finally died out entirely. But during its time the Mission teachers trained many of the most prominent men of this section of the state. The school was attended by Cherokees, Shawnees and Osages, and many white children also attended here. Board and lodging were $8.00 per month.

In 1885, Hillside cemetery was founded. In this year, a seventeen-year old boy by the name of Jesse Robenett died. Murdock called a meeting of the members to decide on a location for a cemetery. The present site of the cemetery was selected then Jesse R.obenett was the first of twelve hundred who have been buried there.

Among the noted Indians who have been buried at Hillside Mission are Chief W. C. Rogers and Chief George Tiner. Both of these men were powers in their day. Many of their relatives live in and near Skiatook.

Up to the time of the establishing of Hillside Cemetery, there were no cemeteries in the country. The Indians had their own burial places close to their houses. On the Tom White farm one-half mile north of Skiatook, there is a private cemetery with a dozen graves plowed over each season and no one is the wiser. There are lone graves all over Tulsa County in which sleep men who have been killed in fights or brawls.

In those early days, it took religious zeal to generate the desire to establish schools in this wilderness. But an instance of such enthusiasm for an institution of this kind was manifested by the Friends Society of Philadelphia that resulted in the founding of Hillside Mission. This old landmark is a testimonial to the religious zeal and educational ideas of the successors of William Penn who got on with the Indians. This good fellowship of colonial days was reproduced in the early days at Hillside Mission. GOVERNOR COLE.

V. M. Locke, Jr.

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One afternoon in the early spring of 1876, an Indian of somewhat distinguished appearance rode up to a modest residence situated on the outskirts of Doaksville, Indian Territory. He came for his mail; Doaksville at that time having about the only Post Office in this section of the Choctaw Nation. Upon invitation from those residing in the above-mentioned home, the rider dismounted, hitched his pony to the fence and entered the house. It was his stopping place on the occasion of his monthly trips to the Post Office. The members of the family occupying this residence always looked forward with delight to these periodical visits. This man was of the Choctaw tribe of Indians; not altogether a full-blood, but of Indian parentage. His education was of that kind peculiar to the Indian viewpoint, and his manner of life indicated rigid adherence to the early customs of the Choctaws. He was past middle age, about medium in height, and large boned. His eyes were indescribable—they looked like fire at times. He wore his hair long-bobbed rather, and from right to left, a heavy lock of mixed black and gray reached across his forehead and was carefully tucked back of his ear. His voice was strong and full of vigor. He seldom had to repeat his words. He spoke English very well, and with an attractive Indian brogue. His correspondence was to the point and his letters were written with care. He was not a ball player, (Indian ball) or fighter, and yet even in his day to be a good ball player was a distinction that started one well on his way in the political world here among the Choctaws. This man was not exactly a politician. He had long past that unstable period in every man’s life. He was an Indian statesman of prominence and a patriot of the old school. The same spirit that drove Sitting Bull of the Sioux on his red career dwelt in the soul of this Choctaw. But he was a man of peace rather than of blood. His whole life was devoted to the welfare of his people, the Choctaws, and the promotion of peace and friendship with, all peoples and all races. His home was on Big Cedar thirty miles north of Doaksville, off to the left of the road three quarters of a mile, the road connecting Ft. Towsen

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(near Doaksville) with Ft. Smith, Arkansas. This ancient military highway was known locally as the "Ft. Smith road." It was built by the War Department with soldier labor back in 1824-30. It is said that there was an appropriation by Congress of eight thousand dollars with which to build this road. Of course, this amount was used for incidentals only, the road was actually constructed with soldier labor. But to return to our subject: of the home life of this Indian, nothing shall be said in this brief outline. This small effort is only for the purpose of relating how an Indian went to the Post Office here in the Indian Territory, back in 1876. He rode an Indian pony; not a horse but a pot bellied, grass fed pony. His saddle consisted of a tree (saddle tree), some raw hide straps, and a pair of wooden stirrups as big as Star Navy Tobacco boxes. He carried a lariat, pair of hobbles and a small bell. It is said that even though he would leave his pony in a lot all night, he would hobble, bell and lariat the poor beast. This may be one of the thousand and one stories told of the eccentric mannerisms of this individual, but even if it should be an invention of an idle mind and told with the intention (only) of creating amusement, it certainly is characteristic of the man. He always brought along an empty flour sack with which to transport his mail. If any of his mail appeared to be of importance, he would look it over before his return home. He usually stayed all night on these monthly visits. On the occasion of this particular trip he received a piece of mail of formidable appearance, a letter that bore the post mark of Philadelphia. In addition to being an epistle of unusual size, it had the crest, or coat of arms of the City of Brotherly Love emblazoned on the upper left hand corner and the return card advised that it was from the officials of the Centennial. This particular letter was opened with great care. Just as this piece of mail was being given minute inspection, Captain Nanamentubbee of local prominence entered the room. Nanamentubbee was a Choctaw of some considerable distinction himself. He won a Captaincy in the southern army during the Civil War. He lived about four miles northeast of Doaksville. After the close of the great struggle between the States. Nanamentubbee devoted the remainder of his life to the promotion of temperance among the Choctaws. In his zeal for the cause he would have outshone Wayne B.

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Wheeler in the efficacy of his course; and as an advocate he would have spurned as unsportsmanlike, the actions of Mr. Volstead and his colleagues in passing laws of reform while four million voters were in France. Nanamentubbee was a square shooter, and he hated strong drink. On his return from the War in 1865, he brought back two drums from the Army. His boys were taught to beat them, and no doubt men and women of fifty years of age who are members of the Choctaw tribe of Indians, still recall Nanamentubbee and his drums. "Captain Nana," as he was affectionately known among the Choctaws, had received a letter from Philadelphia too. He had already opened it and as he entered the room as above stated he presented it to his friend from off Big Cedar, and his eyes shone bright with importance. Letters were exchanged and read and it was found that both had received invitations to the Centennial at Philadelphia. A conference was held, and it was concluded that such courtesy required an immediate reply. They called for pen, paper and ink. A small size table was brought for their use and the composition of a dignified reply was embarked upon. A detail account of their many duties were set down, the distance to Philadelphia mentioned, and the absolute necessity of their presence with their people at all times was set forth in solemn words. Finally at the wind up of their reply, in order to soften the blow, to neutralize the disappointment (which must be theirs) of the officials of the Centennial at their inability to be present on the occasion of the celebration of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Union, they very gently penned the following sentence in closing: "I am sorry I cannot come this time; I will sure be there next time!"

The Indian of distinguished appearance from off Big Cedar was Coleman Cole, principal chief of the Choctaw Nation. The abandoned farm where his home once stood and the "Ft. Smith road" nearby are quiet reminders of the Choctaw Nation as it was fifty years ago. This locality is within the limits of Pushmataha County, Oklahoma, and a State highway with an everlasting passing of automobiles runs along the edge of what was once Coleman Cole’s area of abode. Thanks to the generosity of members and officials of the Historical Society of Oklahoma, a splendid picture of "Governor"

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Cole hangs on the walls of the rooms occupied by the Society in the State Capitol at Oklahoma City.

V. M. Locke, Jr.

LETTER FROM MRS. FRANK KORN. National Society United States Daughters of 1812.

El Reno, Okla., June 29, 1926.

Officers, State Historical Society, Oklahoma City, Okla.

My dear Associates

The National Society United States Daughters of 1812, is sponsoring a movement for the observance of Statehood day, Nov. 16th, and request the co-operation of the State Historical Society and all other patriotic and state organizations to the end that a public meeting be held in the towns and cities of Oklahoma and a program commensurate with her greatness be given in recognition of her who is the mother of us all.

We will have the hearty co-operation of the Governor and Hon. M. A. Nash and as soon as the heads of all organizations are heard from—will call a meeting of them—to the end that a permanent organization be formed—or Statehood Day Committee— whose duty it shall be to arrange for each annual celebration. In same, I hope the Historical Society will take the lead whose right it is—as the head of historical things in the state. I feel that patriotic societies—branches of it—should work hand in hand in every particular—and our national societies in their official organs are calling upon the state patriotic societies to observe our state days, hence this action. We are assured by Mr. Nash that he will prepare and circulate propaganda for the schools to use that day—and so we are left to plan for some kind of evening celebration and hope for your assistance.

(Signed) MRS. FRANK KORN. SOME NOTES OF INTEREST CONCERNING EARLY DAY OPERATIONS IN INDIAN TERRITORY BY METHODIST CHURCH SOUTH

J. Y. Bryce

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In May 1866, in New Orleans, the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected Rev. Enoch M. Marvin to the office of Bishop. The first assignment of the newly elected Bishop included the Indian Mission Conference, the session of which was held September 12, 1866, at Bloomfield Academy, located in the extreme southeast corner of the Chickasaw Nation; Rev. J. H. Carr was elected secretary. We are carrying at this time the picture of the first building in which the Bishop held his first conference, as well as the last one, which was held in 1877, Sept. 20th, at Stringtown.

The first is the little chapel used by the officials of the Academy for religious services, and the second is the church building used by all denominations in the village for public worship.

Bishop Marvin died on reaching home in St. Louis, after the adjournment of the conference held in Stringtown; this was the completion of his trip around the world. J. H. Carr

Page 234 was for a long time connected with the Bloomfield Academy as Superintendent; he came up from the Choctaw District for admission into the traveling connection at the meeting of the second session of the conference, held October 23-27, 1845, Bishop Joshua Soule presiding; the conference was held at the Indian Manual Labor School, located then in the Shawnee Nation, State of Kansas, Johnson County, now Kansas City. J. Wheeler was the secretary.

Rev. J. H. Carr served the Doaksville Mission for a period of six years; on November 15, 1851, the conference was held at Muddy Springs, Cherokee Nation, no Bishop being present. Samuel G. Patterson was elected president, James M. Garner, secretary, with W. A. Duncan as assistant. The minutes of the conference show that the Choctaw District was placed in charge of N. M. Talbott, as presiding elder; Mushulatubbee circuit, John Page; Fort Coffee Academy, John Harrell, Supt.; Poteau School and circuit, to be supplied.

Kiamichi, J. Chuckmubbee; Chickasaw Academy, to be supplied; Perryville, W. D. Collens; Red River African Mission, John H. Carr. The ninth session of the conference met at Clear Springs Camp Ground, October 28, 1852, with Bishop Robt. Paine in the chair, and James M. Garner, secretary. The appointments of this session for Choctaw District are as follows: Choctaw District, to be supplied. After the adjournment of the conference some few weeks, Rev. W. L. McAlester was assigned to the district as presiding Elder, having been received by transfer. Mushulatubbee, John Page; Fort Coffee Academy, John Harrell, superintendent; New Hope Female, Seminary, N. M. Talbott, superintendent; Doaksville, D. M. Lewis and S. P. Willis; Choctaw Academy, John S. Noble, superintendent; Kiamichi, J. Chuckmubbee and H. Bacon; Chickasaw Circuit, to be supplied; Chickasaw Academy, John C. Robinson, superintendent; Bloomfield Academy, John H. Carr, superintendent; Perryville Circuit, to be supplied; Colbert Institute, Ezekiel Couch. Rev. John H. Carr was for sixteen years connected with the Bloomfield Academy as superintendent, pastor and presiding elder of the country adjacent. The war between the states almost demoralized the church work as well as that of the schools and Rev. J. H. Carr showed wonderful skill in keeping together the members of his

Page 235 flock and the student body of Bloomfield Academy. For the benefit of those who may be interested to know, we give from the records some of the facts that are connected with the life and works of this pioneer preacher. The date of his birth was April 16, 1812, in Lebanon, Wilson County, Tennessee. In an early day he, with his parents, emigrated to Arkansas Territory. Their mode of travel was that of a keel-boat on the Cumberland River. The family left the home in Tennessee on Christmas day, 1819, and on the ninth day of April, the following year, they reached their destination, settling on the bank of Red River, Lafayette County, Territory of Arkansas. A few months later they moved from Lafayette County, to Hempstead County. Here young Carr grew to manhood enduring all the privations peculiar to pioneer life. His reading was mostly done, after the day’s work had been finished, by the fire light from the old fashioned fire place, or from the light penetrating the cracks of the log room in which he lived.

From History of Methodism in Texas, by Phelan, chapter two, page 13, we are told that the Missouri Conference was formed the year 1816, and embraced in its bounds all of the territory of Arkansas, and as the present state of Oklahoma was at one time Arkansas territory, and possibly considered as being in the Missouri Conference, it can be said with tolerable accuracy that he was brought up in the heart of the country which he served so long as pastor and superintendent; he was licensed to preach in the year 1834, in the bounds of the Missouri Conference, but no doubt in that portion of the conference known as Arkansas territory. Mr. Carr was a member of the Missouri Conference for a period of two years, possibly for three years, when he located. But in 1845 he was received into the Indian Mission Conference, and was considered as a pioneer preacher and kept up frontier work in Arkansas, Texas and Indian Territory.

When Bishop Marvin came to hold the conference at Bloomfield he found things in a deplorable condition, so far as the general state of the church was concerned; most of the preachers, during the war had become discouraged and had left the country, or had engaged in other business. The first work of Bishop Marvin was given to the Indian Mission Conference at the session held at Bloomfield Academy, September 12, 1866, at which time the records show the following named

Page 236 preachers, most of whom were present, receiving appointments: John Harrell, Superintendent Indian Missions; Choctaw District, J.C. Robinson, Presiding Elder; Doaksville, J. N. Hamill, S. P. Willis; Mountain Fork, Kiamichi and Mushulatubbee and San Bois, to be supplied; Chickasaw District, J. H. Carr, Presiding Elder; Chickasaw Circuit, J. T. Talbott; Jacks Fork, to be supplied; Perryville, John Page; Fort Arbuckle, to be supplied; Chickasaw Academy, J. C. Robinson, superintendent; Bloomfield Academy, J. H. Carr, superintendent; Cherokee District, Young Ewing, Presiding Elder; Tahlequah and Fort Gibson, to be suplied; Grand River, D. B. Gumming, and E. Butler; Sallisaw, Isaac Sanders; Flint, Standing Man; Canadian, W. Cary; Creek District, Thos. Bertholfe, Presiding Elder; Creek Agency, James McHenry; North Fork and Little River, to be supplied; Asbury Manual Labor School, Thos. Bertholfe, Superintendent; James G. Walker, transferred to the West Texas Conference. In these reconstruction days it required much skill and patience to carry on the work of the Mission, and to this purpose Bishop Marvin gave unstintingly of himself and his money. The records show that the preachers were about ready to give up the struggle and abandon the field, but the Bishop stepped into the breach and guaranteed funds sufficient to carry the work on for the year, which meant the outlay of five thousand dollars. It will never be known just what portion of this the Bishop paid, but it is a matter of record that at different times he paid out of his own pocket as much as fifty dollars. It is also a matter of record that the five thousand dollars was paid and the preachers remained on the work. Bishop Marvin held three sessions of the Indian Mission Conference; the one at Bloomfield being the first, the second one was held the following year at Fort Gibson, October 3, 1867, with Rev. John Harrell, secretary. The appointments at this time were as follows: Superintendent of Missions, John Harrell; Cherokee District, Y. Ewing, Presiding Elder; Grand River Circuit, D. B. Cumming and E. Butler; Fort Gibson and Tahlequah, J. C. Robinson; Sallisaw, Isaac Sanders; Webber Falls, Standing Man; Creek District, T. B. Ruble, Presiding Elder; North Fork, to be supplied; Creek Agency, J. McHenry; Little River, to be supplied; Choctaw District, to be supplied; Mushulatubbee, San Bois and Perryville, to be supplied; Chicka-

Page 237 saw District, to be supplied; Chickasaw State, J. F. Talbott; Kiamichi, J. H.Carr; Doaksville and Mountain Fork, S. P. Willis. John Page left without an appointment. Peter Stidham and Thos. Colbert, local preachers, were ordained deacons. Willis F. Folsom and Ashley Burnes were elected to elder’s orders, but not being present they were not ordained. Thomas Bertholfe had died during the year, and the committee on memoirs read his obituary and asked Bishop Marvin to preach his funeral, which he did.

Chickasaw station, as appearing in the appointments of this year is the first charge in the Indian Mission Conference to be designated as Station, and was then the Chickasaw Academy, and is now Tishomingo. The second work to be honored as a station was Fort Gibson, the year 1870, when the writer’s father, James Y. Bryce, was pastor, Bishop John C. Keener was the president, and J. C. Robinson, the secretary. Ten years later, Bishop Marvin visited again the Indian Mission Conference, and on September 21, 1877, at Stringtown, having arrived a day late, took the chair and presided, with Rev. E. R. Shapard as secretary.

This was the last conference held by Bishop Marvin. During his sermon at 11 o’clock conference Sunday, he referred to the fact that his brother had died just a few days before, and that was his first Sunday in heaven.

In those early days the conference was small and the facilities for entertainment were very meager. The burden of entertainment usually fell on a few, such as, at this time, men like E. H. Culbertson, who was the pioneer Methodist in that locality. Mr. Culbertson, with his family came to the Indian country in the sixties, and settled a few miles south of where Stringtown is now located. Here he established a blacksmith shop where he did an extensive business, located, as he was, on the military road leading from Missouri and Arkansas on the north to Texas on the south, over which a continual train of emigrants were always to be seen. While establishing a business, Mr. Culbertson did not neglect to establish an altar of prayer. Rev. James Y. Bryce organized the Methodist church, after the M. K. & T. was built through the country, and from South Canadian to Red River, Brother Culbertson was the only man who would lead in public prayer. Stringtown was one of the important towns of the Territory.

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It was situated in a cove surrounded by small hills, very much like potato hills, that is, like sweet potato hills, the way Indians, several years ago, used to fashion them. At the base of these hills was a large spring of pure water, that supplied the citizens of the village. The building in which the conference was held, was located about fifty yards below the spring. At that time, as is the case now, Stringtown was noted for its lumber industry, which was second to no other industry in the Territory. Great pine forests abounded in what was then called the Pine Mountains, situated to the south, east and northeast, with as many as fifteen or twenty saw mills going at full blast; planer mills with shingle mills were located in the town, where a great many men were employed. Such men as James Garner, Henry Jackman, and Alex Thompson, all brothers-in-law, carried on extensive mercantile businesses. These men with their families, and that of E. H. Culbertson, with others, whose names we do not now recall, had the responsibility of caring for the conference. Such families as these, and others, scattered over the Territory, made a civilization and gave a religious impetus to this country that has lasted through all these years.

At the time Mr. Culbertson settled at what is now Stringtown, there was only one house in that locality, a small log cabin, owned by an Indian woman. This Mr. Culbertson purchased and moved his family into, which was the first white settlement made in the village. The date of this settlement was June 22, 1868. The same year a few months later, a man by the name of Joe Riley, with the prefix colonel, put in a saw mill three miles east, which was the beginning of extensive lumber interests in that locality. From this mill, Mr. Culbertson purchased the material out of which he built a home about three hundred yards from the spring above referred to; this home was made the stage stand, and continued as such for a number of years. At this place Mr. Culbertson also built a blacksmith shop where he did an extensive business with the stage company and the emigrants who traveled in great throngs over the military road leading from the north to the south, being the first one surveyed by the United States through the Indian Territory.

In the year 1869, Mr. Culbertson, with the help of Mr.

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Alex McKinney, who lived two or three miles west on the North Boggy Creek, assisted by a few other friends, built the first little church building in that section of the country. This building is still standing and is the one appearing in the picture, with some additions necessary to make it commodious for school and church purposes as the community advanced in population.

W. T. Culbertson, of Kiowa, son of E. H., gives us the origin of the name Stringtown. He says that a wit, passing through on the stage, coming from the north, passed by a house located just in the edge of the prairie, known as the Lewis Priddy place, just about a quarter of a mile from the first store building put up in the town by a man known as Capt. Watkins, and on by the stage stand and blacksmith shop, owned by E. H. Culbertson, strung out along the foot of the hills, suggested, very naturally, the name Stringtown. As such it has been known all these years.

W. T. Culbertson, son of E. H., mentioned above, says that the Culbertson home had been enlarged for the annual Conference occasion, so that the hundred or more who were expected to attend the Conference, and most of them did attend, could be provided for; he also says that one room was reserved for the Bishop and his cabinet, but that the Bishop was entertained at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Jackman, their home being nearest the church, and the Bishop not being very well, was placed there for his convenience.

In order to accommodate the large crowd during the preaching hour, they built a large brush arbor near the church under which the services were held. Some of the best preachers this Conference ever had were in attendance on this occasion, men who served a day and generation when it was anything but pleasure to be a pastor under conditions that existed at that time in the Indian country. Quite a number of noted laymen were present at this time. These laymen were the salt of the earth, and they have left a goodly heritage to the present generation, which has been as a sweet smelling sacrifice during all these intervening years.

Some of the laymen present and taking part in the conference proceedings were as follows: G. B. Hester, of Boggy Depot; R. S. McCarty, of near Ft. Smith; G. W. Stidham, of Eufaula; William and Josiah Impson, of McGee Valley; E. H.

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Culbertson, and W. T. Culbertson, father and son, both of Stringtown. The preachers receiving appointments at this time were as follows: Cherokee District, Young Ewing, P. E.; Tahlequah, J. F. Thompson; Fort Gibson, T. K. B. McSpadden; Sallisaw, to be supplied; Flint, to be supplied by Chas. Duncan; Vinita, W. S. Derrick; Claremore, J. W. Cowart; Spring Creek, supplied by R. Cameron, and one named Soune; Canadian, John Sevier; Cherokee Orphan Asylum, W. A. Duncan.

Choctaw District, E. R. Shapard, P. E.; Skullyville, supplied by S. G. Harrell; Sans Bois, supplied by J. P. Mullen; Mushulatubbee, to be supplied; New Hope Seminary, E. R. Shapard, Superintendent.

Chickasaw District, J. H. Walker, P. E.; Chickasaw, N. E. Parsons, Gibson Grayson and J. D. Collins; Pauls Valley, to be supplied; Washita, to be supplied; Atoka, James Y. Bryce; Jack Fork, supplied by Moses Perry and one named Balinchi; Boggy, to be supplied by James Jerry; Kiamichi, supplied by A. B. Collit and Daniel Miller; Doaksville, W. M. Keith, S. P. Willis, supernumerary; Doaksville Colored charge, supplied by John Gant; Boggy Depot Colored charge, supplied by Isaac Kemp.

Creek District, Samuel Chicote, P. E.; Okmulgee, Moses Mitchell; Eufaula, Walter Collins; Hitchitee, supplied by Moses Sayers; Broken Arrow, supplied by Jess Brown; Concharte, to be supplied; Muskogee, (Indian Work), James McHenry; Asbury Manual Labor School, to be supplied; D. B. Cumming was superanuated and Reverend John Harrell had died. In 1831, Rev. John Harrell was transferred from the Tennessee Conference to the Missouri Conference for work among the Indians, in which capacity he labored for forty-five years. Brother Harrell received his last appointment at Vinita, 1876, Bishop McTyerie presiding, his assignment being that of superintendent of Asbury Manual Labor School, located about one mile east of Eufaula, at which place he, with his wife, are buried.

E. H. Culbertson was born December 28, 1833, and died January 28, 1902. His wife, Mrs. Helen H. Culbertson, was born October 20, 1843, died March 4, 1921. They are buried in the city cemetery, at Kiowa. No better people ever lived in this country, and no layman ever did more pioneer,

Page 241 heroic labor for the good of humanity than this father and mother in Israel. Their home was always open to receive the ambassadors of the Lord, and they were always ready with whatever they had to respond to the demands of the day in which they lived.

J. Y. B.

COPY OF MRS. HESTER’S LETTER.

Muskogee, Okla., June 16, 1926.

Dear Mrs. Moore Treasurer, Historical Society.

I do not know for certain but I am of the opinion that Mr. Thoburn wrote me that I was made an honorary member of the Historical Society; I do not remember the date.

I made a donation of 12 pictures of the first men of the first U. S. Court established in Indian Territory before we came to be a state. They got the pictures as I gave them by Mrs. Conlan’s request and saw them exposed several years ago.

I was 87 years of age last January, 1926, and have been a resident of Indian Territory and Oklahoma 68 years; among the Chicksaws at Tishomingo first, then 40 years among the Choctaws at Boggy Depot, then among the blanket Indians, as we had a school at Anadarko. I am now with the Muskogees and Cherokees. My health is very poor and I am not as active at 87 as I was at 27 and all along the interim.

I am enclosing $5.00 as a contribution to the Society.

With love and many prayers, I am, lovingly, MRS. G. B. HESTER, 301 So. 7th. SOME OF THE PIONEERS OF POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY

MRS. J. W. DRAKE, TECUMSEH.

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The recent organization of a local historical society in Pottawatomie County had for its purpose the collecting and filing of records of the early history of the county, the preservation of its traditions, the marking of its historical spots, the gathering of its Indian lore; all of which it is believed will tend to the encouragement of loyalty in the young. The story of the settlement of this state is truly a fascinating one, to every loyal Oklahoman, for every one worthy of the name must admire the courage—which often amounted to heroism of those who first came to this country, and such a one is first of all interested in his own country and state. This movement has revived popular interest in those early days, and in those noble men and women who came here at the opening of the country, and united their efforts to make of this county one of the most progressive of the state. It is wholesome to review, occasionally, some of the trials and burdens that were borne by those who gave the best years of their manhood and womanhood to the making of the country, who had a vision that reached across the years, and planned for the things that we now enjoy. It should convince us that only by continued vigilance and loyal devotion can we continue the work they have begun.

Many of those who played a prominent part in affairs at the opening of the county for settlement have gone to other communities to live, and to work—many have gone to their final rest—but a few still live in Tecumseh, the county seat, who are real pioneers. They are among those who came here when the town was opened and have helped to lay a foundation of stability, and integrity, who have been the very bone and sinew of the community through the years that have passed. Their continued interest, and work has given that feeling of permanence that makes others feel it is worth-while to put forth continued effort for further up-building. Some of these older families have loyal sons and daughters to carry

Page 243 on the work they have started. All of these families have been worthy examples to the community, and the standards of citizenship they maintained will continue to be an inspiration to the country. Their ideals, their courage, and honesty will continue to live, after they have passed on.

Pottawatomie County (much of Lincoln County, and small portions of Cleveland and Oklahoma counties also); was formed from the Indian reservations belonging to the Sac and Fox, the Pottawatomie and Shawnee Indian tribes, and was opened for settlement, September 22, 1891, with the same excitement that characterized the opening of other portions of the Indian Territory for homestead entry by white men. Tecumseh was designed for the county seat and laid out accordingly.

Being situated in the heart of a rich agricultural section of the country, lots were considered very desirable, and there was lively competition—to put it mildly—over their staking. Like all other new towns, this one was thronged with undesirable people, seeking excitement and adventure, those that make the danger in such a settlement. Many of them were utterly unprincipled and desperate. But they—human flotsam that they were,—soon drifted away, just as they had come, and the real, earnest pioneers set themselves to the task of building homes. As we look back over the years, and recall the crude, raw conditions that existed then, it is hard to understand how men and women left the comforts, and pleasures of established positions, and congenial surroundings, in the older states to endure the hardships, and vicissitudes of those early days. We must truly call them empire builders, for they brought into their task an unfaltering determination to succeed, to build permanent homes, and to give the best of their manhood, and their womanhood to the upbuilding of the community. But the spirit of hope, which has ever guided the destinies of man, and an unfathomable courage, a unity of purpose, and steadfastness of faith, were strong enough to have led them through deeper wildernesses, and greater privations than even this country offered then. Many of them came from families whose names are prominent in the history of the nation, and they brought into the making of this city, and the state those sterling qualities and that deep sense of responsibility, that had gone into the making of our national commonwealth. As an example of this is the fact that two of the men who have

Page 244 played a conspicuous part in the affairs of the county, and especially in the town of Tecumseh—John W. Lewis and John A. Clark,—came from the same families that produced the noted explorers who blazed the way across the continent, and opened the famous Oregon trail—William Clark, and Merriwether Lewis.

John W. Lewis—a nephew, once removed of Merriwether Lewis—was the son of Robert A. Lewis, and Elizabeth (McKelvey); Lewis, was born in St. Louis County, Missouri, January 28, 1854. His education was gained at the district schools, of that county. In 1882 he located in West Plaines, Mo., where he lived until he came to Oklahoma. Mr. Lewis came to Tecumseh on the day of the opening, but failed to secure a claim. Later he bought the rights of a homestead, six miles from the city, where he lived with his family for eighteen months, going back and forth each day to his business in Tecumseh. One year after the opening of the town, he opened the Bank of Tecumseh, which he managed unaided, except for the help of his wife, for more than three years—which fact illustrates the indomitable courage and force of the man’s character, for the country was ful of rough and unscrupulous men, and fourteen saloons flourished in the town. This bank was later nationalized, and became the First National Bank of Tecumseh. Mr. Lewis was largely instrumental in securing a railroad for the town, and materially helped with the building of the courthouse, which was no small feat, in those days of "tight money."

Besides the material help that Mr. Lewis gave to the town, he stood always for the highest moral, and religious principles. He was at the head of every charitable, and benevolent movement; he was untiring in his efforts for the betterment of his fellow man, and of the community. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, a Mason, having received the Royal Arch, and Knight Templar degrees. Mr. Lewis passed away in 1918, and unfortunately his only son, Austin, followed him, after a few weeks, but his wife, Mrs. Ida M. Lewis, still takes an active interest in the affairs of the county and state.

Mrs. Ida Mae (Poppleton); Lewis was born at Delaware, Ohio. Her step-father, John H. Brown, and her mother moved to Missouri when she was a child, and there she grew to wo-

Page 245 manhood. At Ohio Weslyan College, Delaware, was laid the foundation of her education, which was completed at the Young Ladies’ Seminary, Kansas City, Missouri. In 1877 she was married to John W. Lewis. Only one child was born to this union. It would be impossible to estimate the value of the work that Mrs. Lewis has done in this community. She is a valued member of the Presbyterian Church, has been its treasurer since the reorganization here, in 1902. She has been actively identified with the work of the Eastern Star, since she became a member in 1899, when she was elected to office of Associate Matron. Since then she has held the highest offices in the gift of her chapter, and of the State, and has held an office in the General Grand Chapter. Her preferment in the order has come as "honor justly gained." In 1905 she was appointed, by the Most Worthy Grand Matron of the General Grand Chapter, as official hostess, for the month of September, at the Masonic, and Eastern Star headquarters at the Lewis and Clark Exposition, held at Portland, Oregon. This honor was conferred upon her, in recognition of Mr. Lewis’ relation to Merriwether Lewis, and her own splendid qualifications.

To John A. Clark belongs the distinction of filing the first claim in Pottawatomie county (which was county B. at that time);. Being a veteran of the Civil War, and taking advantage of the special privilege offered to the honorably discharged soldiers, his filing was made in Oklahoma City, ten seconds after noon on the day of the opening. Mr. Clark has vivid memories of the pushing crowded line that waited at the land office, as men from almost every state in the Union stood tense and determined, waiting their turn to file. As his homestead was a very desirable location, situated at the corner of the townsite, and had many natural advantages, such as a living spring of pure water, fine timber, and a rich fertile soil, his rights were bitterly contested. Upon it he proceeded to build an unusually good log house, and at its completion he moved his family from Vincennes, Indiana, and they lived on the homestead for many years, while Mr. Clark maintained a law office in Oklahoma City for a few months, and later in Tecumseh, until his retirement. This home was one of the social features of the community, its charming hospitality the pride of the town, and still stands, although

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Mr. and Mrs. Clark have removed to a beautiful modern home in town.

Mr. Clark—whose family dates back to the tenth century in England—is a direct descendant of General Johnathan Clark, and Mary Bird (Rogers); Clark. They were the parents of George Rogers Clark, who was a noted general during the Revolution (he was never married, hence left no descendant); and William Edwin Clark the explorer, who was governor of Upper Louisiana, and of Jonas Clark, who was John A. Clark’s grandfather. John A. Clark was born in Blount County, Tennessee, Nov. 17, 1845. He was a student in the University of Indiana, but took his degree in law, in the University of Michigan. He helped to organize the first state bar association of Oklahoma, is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and is a Mason. He was married January 11, 1881, to Miss Ninna M. Coan, at Vincennes, Indiana. Mrs. Ninna (Coan); Clark, was born October 20, 1858, at Vincennes, the daughter of John Coan, and Margaret Badollot Coan, being of French and English ancestry. A great grandfather; William McClure was in the Revolutionary army, while another great grandfather, John Badollet, was a member of the convention that framed the constitution of Indiana.

She was educated in the public schools of Vincennes, and at a private school, Maple Grove Academy, a religious institution, at Vincennes. Mrs. Clark has ever stood for the highest type of womanhood, was a member of the Presbyterian Church, and has been a teacher in the Sabbath school of that denomination for thirty-two years. She has been prominent in all the uplift movements of her community, an active member of the Red Cross, a charter member of the Order of Eastern Star, a member of the first federated woman’s club in Pottawatomie County, (and among the first in the state to federate);. Two children were born to this union; St. Clair Clark, an engineer of Oklahoma City, and the late Mrs. Max L. Cunningham of Oklahoma City.

Another family, the worth of whose work in the county, and in the state, it is impossible to estimate, is that of Rev. William Meyer, who preached the first sermon that was heard in Tecumseh. He was sent by the Presbyterian Board of Missions to the opening of the town, with instructions to organize a church. On the Sunday following the opening, he secured

Page 247 permission from the military commander of the town (Captain Stiles); to hold a religious service. Notices were written and posted on the tents, and a little crowd gathered under the shade of some trees, and raised their voices together in songs of praise, and thanksgiving. Mr. Meyer then preached to them. He held services from time to time, and after a few weeks he organized a church with twelve members, using a large restaurant tent, belonging to Mrs. Chisolm for a meeting place. Mr. Meyer bought a claim near Tecumseh, on which he still resides, although he has spent many of the intervening years as pastor at large, and as a missionary to Indians. He has helped with the organization of Presbyterian churches at Shawnee, Wewoka, Wetumka, Okemah, Okmulgee, Sapulpa, and Prague. Through all these years, Mr. Meyer, and his family, have stood for all the principles that govern the Presbyterian Church, uprightness, honor, justice, besides religious zeal, and consecration. Can one say what part they have had in the making of the history of the state?

Rev. William Meyer was born at an Indian mission in Kansas, (the Iowa, Sac and Fox Indian Mission, situated near Highland in the northeast corner of the state); March 7, 1849. His parents later moved to Missouri, where he grew to manhood on a farm. He graduated from Wittenberg College, Springfield, Ohio, in 1875, and from Union Theological Seminary, New York City, in 1878. After graduating, he was sent by the Presbyterian Board of Missions to Phoenix, Arizona, where he organized the First Presbyterian church in that city. Returning to Missouri, in 1881, he served churches in that state for ten years, after which he came to Indian Territory, and waited at Norman, for the opening of Pottawatomie County.

Mr. Meyer was married to Miss Lillie J. Flynn, July 1, 1880. Mrs. Lillie (Flynn); Meyer, was born in New York City, of Irish and Dutch Hollander descent. She was educated in the schools of that city, where she was a teacher, at the time of her marriage—a far cry from a homestead claim in the Indian country. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer have three sons living in Oklahoma City, Frank J., George, and Arthur. Another son, Robert, lives at Tecumseh. A daughter, Miss Clara Meyer, teaches in Central highschool in Oklahoma City; an-

Page 248 other daughter, Mrs. Florence Gooding, lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

Another worthy couple who came at the opening of the country, and still are among the best loved citizens, is Doctor Ben L. Applewhite, and Mrs. Applewhite. Although Doctor and Mrs. Applewhite made the run at the time of opening of the county, they did not secure a filing, at that time. Mrs. Applewhite said they really came for fun, and had it—which illustrates the character of their comradeship, which is still ideal after many years of wedded life. They still do things together "just for fun," and their greatest reason for discord is the fact that Mrs. Applewhite wants to make a trip in an air-plane, and the doctor will not consent to go with her. Doctor Applewhite did stake a lot in Tecumseh, on the day of the run, which he sold an hour or two later for ten dollars. He bought another man’s claim on a homestead two miles from town, on which they lived several years while he kept his office in town. Many, many nights Mrs. Applewhite stayed alone with her children, while her husband answered the call of his patients—but fear never lived in her heart.

Doctor Benjaman L. A.pplewhite was born July 27, 1841, in Holmes County, Mississippi. His parents were Doctor Eldridge Applewhite, and Eliza (Lee); Applewhite. His early education was in private schools, and he had begun the study of medicine when the war between the states began. On April 27, 1861, he enlisted in the 12th Mississippi Infantry, which afterwards became a part of the army of Northern Virginia. He took part in the battles of Bull Run, Antietam, Gettysburg, Frederickburg, Charlotteville, and at Fair Oaks where the commanding officer, Gen. James E. Johnston was wounded. He was later wounded, in the seven days battle before Richmond, and spent several months in prison, and in a hospital. After the war, he resumed the study of medicine, at the Ohio Medical College, at Cincinnati, and later at the medical department of the University of Louisville, Ky., from which school he was graduated in 1880. He was practicing medicine in Dexter, Texas, when he met and married Olive Rice. They moved to McAlester, Indian Territory, in 1884, where Doctor Applewhite was employed by the mining company, as physician.

Doctor Applewhite was one of the charter members of

Page 249 the State Medical Association, which was organized in 1893, and has been an active member since, serving two terms as president of the county association. Mrs. Olive (Rice); Applewhite, was born near Springfield, Missouri, in 1857. She was educated for a teacher, being a graduate of Morrisville Institute. She was teaching in Dexter, Texas, at the time of her marriage. Doctor and Mrs. Applewhite have reared three children. Doctor Gardener H. Applewhite, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Mrs. Margaret Chaney, a professor in the Teachers’ College at Ada, Oklahoma, and Mrs. E. J. Corn, of Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Webster defines a pioneer as "one who goes before to prepare the way for others to follow" and pioneering in this country meant a great deal more than the building of houses, and the breaking of virgin farm land. It meant the hewing out of the riff-raff of humanity that always follows the settlement of a new town, those characters that will make for a better civilization, the forming of a social unit that will uphold the moral and religious standards of a community. In a large sense the establishment of a domestic and social life of a community falls to the work of the women of that community. Each of the charming and gracious women mentioned in this article has been an example to her associates. Delicately reared—each of them came from homes noted for culture and refinement—in the very center of the highest civilization of their states— each took up the burden of home-making, working with the crudest material, which she skillfully blended into wholesome and attractive surroundings. Each did her part, sacrificing, and enduring hardship, making it possible for her husband to establish his profession, or business, helping, too, in a material way.

The wife of a missionary had innumerable duties to attend to while her husband went about establishing churches. There is a story that is told of Mrs. Meyer that is amusing now, but was pathetic, at that time: There came runners through the country—a few years after the opening—that the Indians were uprising, preparing to massacre the white settlers. Mrs. Meyer (it is told); sat through the night, with her children about her, windows covered, to hide the light of her candle, reading the Book of Job. The citizens of Tecumseh gathered together, on that same night, the women and chil-

Page 250 dren in the courthouse, while the men patrolled the streets, dreading an attack.

Mrs. Lewis, a frail little body made frequent trips on the mail hack to Oklahoma City, with a small traveling bag, which she permitted no one to carry,—though often it was very heavy—for it contained the money for her husband’s bank.

Mrs. Clark and Mrs. Applewhite also had trials to endure, tests of courage and fortitude. All have added greatly to the refinement and culture of the community, by their lovely characters, and untiring service. Each has been an inspiration to many another woman to "do her bit."

Their work—their experiences, their sacrifices, and successes—would fill many volumes with interesting material, if it could be written as they lived.

MRS. FORENCE DRAKE. THE KEETOOWAH SOCIETY

James W. Duncan

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WHAT IT HAS DONE, AND IS DOING, FOR THE CHEROKEE PEOPLE

Its objects and aims are often misunderstood, even by many Cherokees.

James W. Duncan, many years its English Secretary, talks interestingly of its History and Purposes.

Tells also of the night-hawk Keetoowahs. How formerly the one Society split in two, and after many years of estrangement, got back practically, together.

When asked by your correspondent about the workings in the past and the future aims of the Society, Mr. Duncan said:

—EDITOR.

"Keetoowah is a Cherokee word meaning ‘Key’. The Society was organized years before the civil war and was originally composed entirely of fullbloods, but for the last twenty or thirty years a few halfbreeds have belonged to it. In its early years of existence it was a strictly secret organization, but more than half a century of years time has changed it in many particulars. It was originally a semi-political party composed largely of the old Cherokee National Party as opposed to the Downing, but to-day it is non-political, and has so declared itself, and it invited into its membership Cherokees of either of the old political parties and whether Democrat or Republican.

"The original object of the Society was to maintain and assert the rights of all the Cherokee people or the Cherokee Nation under the laws and treaties with the government of the United States, and in fact that principle has been fundamental and carried out all along down the years since its organization, and to-day it is still asserting these rights. Some of these rights are property, some political. Not political in the sense of Democratic or Republican, understand, as I stated above it is non- political in this sense, but political in the matter of its citizenship and business relations with, both the United States Government and the State of Oklahoma.

"As to property rights, perhaps of more importance to the Cherokees than political, many do not know and realize that the Society has, in a number of instances, ‘saved the day’

Page 252 with the nation. The Society in behalf of the whole Cherokee nation, has as the lawyers say, filed its exceptions in law. As examples of this, back in 1896, when the government was about to make and pay what was called the Clifton Roll of 1700 freedmen a part of the Cherokee Strip money amounting to about half a million dollars, the Society convened in extra session and entered a strong protest in writing, setting up their reasons why these freedmen should not be paid this money. Copies of this protest were filed, and are of record to-day, with the Indian Offices, both at Muskogee and Washington. The government, though, proceeded and paid them, but afterward decided they were not entitled to it and took them off the roll. Thus the Society ‘filing its exceptions’ in behalf of the whole people, laid its foundation for a suit in law, for the recovery of this money. The same was done in 1902, when the government was about to begin filing Freedmen on Cherokee lands. These protests or ‘exceptions’ were filed on a number of other occasions when the government was about to pay freedmen Cherokee money which the Society claimed was not due them and when it began allotting lands to Freedmen."

THE 1910 EMIGRANT PAYMENT

"Many Cherokees are not aware of the fact that the Keetoowah Society is the body that collected that money, that is, it let the contract on behalf of the Cherokee people for its collection. The plan was the conception of Mr. Frank J. Boudinot, its present attorney and representative in Washington. The Society, composed, as we called them then, of Head Captains and District Captains, was called in convention at Moody’s in Jan. 1900. When convened it called itself the Cherokee Emigrant Council and appointed a committee of five to let a contract for the collection of the money. This committee, headed by Dave Muskrat, its head Captain and other members of the committee, with Mr. Boudinot as its advisor and attorney, went to Honorable Robert L. Owen and gave him the contract under which the money was actually collected. This money perhaps would not have been paid out to this day, had it not been for Mr. Boudinot’s plan, work, persistence, perseverance and legal talent.

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"The United States Court of Claims rendered its decree in this case May 28, 1905, and the money was paid in 1910, and the Cherokee people to-day owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Boudinot and the Society, and especially to Mr. Boudinot, for the collection of that old claim of four million dollars of seventy-five years’ standing. It arose under the treaty of 1835, under which the Cherokees moved west. Every Cherokee who participated in that payment, to the remotest corners of the nation, should always be Boudinot’s friend for this one gigantic act, for it was such an act in every sense of the word. Mr. Owen also deserves unstinted praise for his splendid work and attainments in this case, but not so much as Mr. Boudinot."

THE QUESTION OF A CHIEF OF THE CHEROKEES

"Let me say a few words on this point. There is much that might be said but I’ll be brief.

"The old Keetoowah Society split in two over the treaty of 1902 under which the Cherokee Nation was allotted. I will tell in my next article just why they split and what over. It should be of interest to every Cherokee to know it. After this split, part of them took the name ‘Nighthawks.’

"There was an estrangement and not quite a friendly feeling, between the two factions until recently, a little more than a year ago, when they got together, or rather while they are still two separate organizations, they are working together in harmony as one. Also, what is known as the Eastern and Western Cherokee council and the Tulsa contingent, or the Cherokee Executive Committee, the four organizations, the latter composed largely of halfbreed Cherokees, are all working together as one, under the name of the Cherokee Executive Council. Something more than a year ago, these four organizations all wanting to get together and work as one body, agreed to elect a ‘Chief’ as their one head. The Nighthawks named, or nominated, Levi B. Gritts of the Keetoowah Society. (I might say, by way of parenthesis, that the Keetoowahs got incorporated in 1905, under the laws of Oklahoma). The Cherokee Executive Committee seconded Gritts’ nomination and he was elected by vote of all four Societies, in joint convention assembled at Tahlequah. Hence he is acting as such

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‘Chief’ now and is acceptable to all of these organizations. He might as well have been called President of the associated societies but the Nighthawks just called him ‘Chief.’ But recently somebody, I know not who nor why, suggested the appointment by the government of Mr. Ed. Frye, as chief. Then somebody objected to Mr. Frye and proposed the name of Dr. Bushyhead. It seemed like somebody, I suppose outside of these Societies, did not want Mr. Gritts and there was objection to Mr. Frye and probably would be to Dr. Bushyhead, although any one of these three Cherokees by blood and in sentiment as well, are eminently capable and qualified, there is no reason nor necessity for the government to appoint any one chief. Mr. Gritts was elected by these four societies to act as such for them, and the societies have never asked the government to appoint him, nor anyone else, nor do they propose to ask it. In fact these societies might demur to the government’s right and authority, to appoint one. Of course the government might assume the power, but these societies, representing as they do, practically the whole Cherokee people might fail, to see just wherein the ‘right’ and ‘authority’ would maintain since the Cherokees are no longer ‘wards’ of the government, but have long since been declared citizens, both of the United States and of the State of Oklahoma.

"These Societies are business organizations united under the name of the Cherokee Executive Council for the purpose of transacting the business of the Cherokee Nation."

J. W. DUNCAN THE INDIAN TERRITORY IN 1878

Colonel William Penn Adair

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Few, if any, of the institutions of the old Indian Territory reflected greater credit upon its people than the Indian International Fair, which held its annual exhibitions at Muskogee during the seventies and early eighties. In addition to representative and praiseworthy displays of the arts and crafts and productions of the people of the Five Civilized Tribes, there were programs of sports and speeches and music, thus making these notable events of great educational and recreational value to the people of Indian Territory of that period. At the fifth annual fair, held in Muskogee during the first week in October, 1878, Colonel William Penn Adair was invited to address the Indian International Agricultural Society. Colonel Adair was one of the most noted citizens of the Cherokee Nation at that time. He had been a soldier, was a shrewd lawyer and was generally regarded as a leader among his people. He was the officially recognized delegate of the Cherokee Nation much of the time during the last fifteen years of his life, which ended two or three years after this incident. His address, reviewing the history of the people of the Five Civilized Tribes and describing the conditions then existing among them, was published in the Indian Journal, at Eufaula, in its issues of October 9th and 16th, 1878, from the file of which it is reproduced for the readers of Chronicles of Oklahoma. Colonel Adair’s address follows.—EDITOR.

Ladies and Gentlemen: This Indian International Fair is an institution that was chartered by the Grand Council of the several tribes and nations of this country, established according to our treaties of 1866, and has been in successful operation for five years—so this is its fifth annual meeting. It is essentially an Indian institution. Its prime object is, as I apprehend it, to encourage and cherish all the facilities and appliances that constitute civilized communities, viz., the cultivation of the soil, the raising of live stock, the arts and sciences, or in other words, civilization.

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We are Indians and to people not acquainted with our true capacity and condition, the idea of our having such a fair is at least novel if not incredible to very many of the white race. As a general rule the white people, especially those not well informed and at a remote distance from us, are apt to class all Indians alike; and with the Indian they generally associate the tomahawk and scalping knife with a ruthless disposition—regardless of his situation; while upon the same general principles I am sorry to say our wild brethren of the plains and mountains who have but little acquaintance with the whites class them—the whites all the same—seeking some Indian to kill or to cheat. But these prejudices, whether on the part of the white or the red man, are wrong, and the sooner the delusion is dispelled the better it will be for both races. As before stated, I am aware that a large portion of the people of the United States believe that the Indians are all savage barbarians and are, indeed, incapable of becoming civilized. I shall endeavor to show that this conception of the Indian race is inconsistent with the facts relating to that race and that in passing judgment upon the Indians the same criterion should be observed, applicable to the white race. To do this, I will have to beg your indulgence while I make a brief reference to the history of the Indian. Many of the wisest men that ever lived have puzzled their brains in vain to discover how and when the Indian first peopled this American continent and whether this continent was settled by the Indians before the rest of the globe was occupied by the balance of the human family or whether the Indian sprang from the same source that gave birth to the balance of mankind These are abstract questions that historians, philosophers and scientists, in my opinion, will dream over fruitlessly until Gabriel shall have sounded his trumpet at which time, and not before, doubtless they will be solved. As regards us Indians, I think we should content ourselves on these subjects, like Christians, with the revelations of the Bible, the book of God. That good book has no forked tongue and our white brethren have given it to us as the greatest of all lights to guide us in the true path of civilization and knowledge and it declares that all mankind, including the Indians, had but one and the same common parentage, Adam and Eve. As to whether Adam was a white man, an Indian, or a red man, is not material to us at

Page 257 this late day; although the Bible says he was a redman which is signified by his name. Nor is it important for us to know how and when we came to America, but it should satisfy all men to know that God is all-wise and is incapable of error, and exercised as much wisdom in planting the Indians on this continent as he did in locating the balance of the human family elsewhere. If we are true to our natures, and believe in the teachings of the Bible and the Christian religion, we must believe that the Indian is a man like all other men, having an immortal soul, and possessing the very same passions, the same aspirations, and the same hopes, and being responsible to the same God, as the white man. Such are the relations as I understand them as regards mankind, that God himself has ordained, and certainly no particular race, whether white or red, has any material right or power to change them, any more, than it has to change any other of the works of God.

From this Christian theory I have advanced and reviewing the past as among the dead and the future pregnant with hope for all races of men it occurs to me that the most vital question that should concern us at this time as Indians, especially on this great occasion is: What duty do we, the present generation of Indians, owe to ourselves and our posterity? The answer to this question, it seems to me, covers no debatable ground, and is, that it should be our duty to push our people forward in civilization. To this great end, it is also our duty to encourage by all means possible all the industrial and instructive acquirements that constitute civilized communities, viz.; cultivate the soil, encourage education, the arts and sciences, establish good government, provide good houses, and rear domestic stock and other necessary commodities of subsistence and commerce.

In arriving at this conclusion, it occurs to me that it does not require the vision of a prophet, as no other course is left for use to pursue, because we, at least of this Indian country, are surrounded or engulfed by states and territories of the United States and have no other country to which we may go should we lose this.

Indeed there is no other country within the confines of the United States that we could obtain, if we so desired, because all the lands of the United States have been taken up or provided by law to be occupied by citizens of the United States.

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We have exchanged the bows and arrows of our ancestors for the plowshare of civilization and instead of the war song we sing now the song of the husbandman; instead of the wild game, we have substituted our own domestic live stock; and were we so disposed, we could not live by the chase because the wild game is nearly all gone, at least to the civilized Indians of this country, while another ten years will take the buffalo from our brethren of the plains and mountains.

We are pledged to the Government of the United States and its citizens for perpetual peace and we have no enemy to fight so that, instead of the tomahawk and scalping knife in our defense, we present the olive branch of peace to the white race. You will thus see that having wisely admitted that our hopes for the future depend upon peace and civilization and having armed ourselves for the common struggle in all that makes up a civilized community that it is our duty not to retrograde nor to look back as "Lot’s" wife did, but to persist in our onward march to the full fruition of true civilization. In considering the civilization of our race another question seems to be presented by the doubting "Thomases" to which I have alluded, and that is whether the Indian race is susceptible to civilization. To us there can be no sort of doubt on the question in the light of our past experience. But to that class of men who are doubtful on this subject, and whose opinions are evidently based upon ignorance and prejudice, we should address our efforts for their better information and to such I would repeat what I have already stated, that, in the beginning of time God created man after his own image, and that the Indian is a man and that God in his infinite wisdom has not made the Indian race an exception to the rest of his divine works.

The Indians are not all alike in all respects, any more than the people of Europe, Asia and Africa are the same in every particular. When the Indians within the present territorial limits of the United States were first discovered over three centuries ago, they were variously estimated in population from one to three million—embracing hundreds of different tribes and Nations, and speaking as many different languages. Also, there was as much discrepancy in the physical appearance and mental endowments of the Indians, as among the nations and people of the old world. To illustrate, I would

Page 259 say that a Cherokee or Creek or Choctaw would compare to a root digger Indian of the western mountains, about like an English nobleman would compare to the most degraded Ethiopian in regard to intellect and physique. And this comparison will be sustained throughout among all the Indians of America, as it will among the people of the balance of the globe. History tells us that a very large portion of the Indians of South America, Central America and Mexico were actually civilized when discovered by the Spaniards, while a large portion of them were savages. History also tells us that many of the Indians embraced originally in the territorial limits of the United States were, when first discovered, civilized; being tillers of the soil, and having regular governments with national metes and bounds, while many of these Indians were termed barbarians.

The historian of De Soto, the Spanish adventurer, that passed through the Muskogees, Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws, in 1541, states that he found these Indians tillers of the soil, living in towns and villages and cultivating large fields of corn, beans, etc., and having regular forms of government with territorial limits, and that the Muskogees had a walled city where the city of Mobile now stands, such as was found among the civilized Indians of South America, Central America and Mexico. De Soto had 600 armed and mounted men with him on his tour and in his "swing around the circle" after passing through the Creeks, Seminoles, Cherokees, Choctaws and Chickasaws, he crossed the Mississippi River and went west to the Rocky Mountains, and thence southeast to the mouth of the Red River and died. This you will bear in mind was in 1541, 337 years ago. I mean no invidious comparison when I vindicate the truth of history by saying that at that time De Soto contradistinguished the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Delawares, Shawnees, etc., that bordered on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast from the Indians of the Plains by denominating the first names Indians who had fixed habitations and government as civilized; while he reckoned the Indians of the Plains as the Arabs of America whose mode of life in wandering over the plains after the buffalo without any fixed habitation as similar try that of the Arabs that wander to and fro over the deserts of the old world. The first record that we have show-

Page 260 ing that any of these Indians came in possession of live or domestic stock was in 1541, at which time the Cherokees and Chickasaws in a terrible battle whipped De Soto and captured, so his historian says, about half (or 300) of his horses and it is but reasonable to suppose in view of the fondness of Indians for horses that this beginning afforded ample facilities from which, at least thereafter, the Cherokees and Chickasaws raised their own horses, but there is every reason to believe that our civilized Indians at a very early date acquired the habits and property of their discoverers, for they were an enterprising people.

History tells us that at an early day the Spaniards engaged in the slave trade on this continent and in so doing kidnapped hundreds and thousands of the Indians from the Atlantic and Gulf Coast to work their mines in the West India Islands. It is also stated that our civilized Indians embarked to a considerable degree in the same unholy cause so that they traded to the Spaniards their captives taken in war and obtained in exchange other property including live stock and doubtless in the course of time purchased colored slaves as such were introduced into the country in 1620.

This slave traffic became so lucrative that the Cherokees and Creeks, being more enterprising than the rest, began to kidnap each other’s citizens into slavery to the Spaniards and were about to go to war on account of the affair when the proprietary government of Carolina, about the year 1650, interfered and by negotiations established peace among them. In these negotiations the slave trade was abolished and the protection of the property including live stock and homes of these Indians was emphatically provided for which shows that at that early day they lived like other civilized people and owned personal as well as real estate property like the whites. I mention these facts merely to show that the Seminoles, Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Delawares and Shawnees, when first discovered, were at least as much civilized as the Spaniards and I might add in this connection that as regards the matter of slavery these Indians have since the late war of the rebellion proved themselves to be more civilized than the people of the United States because, owning as they did at the beginning of the war some 20,000 slaves, they, by their treaty of 1866, voluntarily emancipated

Page 261 their slaves and made them a part of their citizen population with an interest in their lands and public funds, especially the school funds, which is far more than the government of the United States has done for the slaves of its citizens.

Indeed the chief of the Cherokees issued his emancipation proclamation freeing our slaves before the President of the United States issued his proclamation for the same purpose.

Recurring again to the matter of our leading nations and their capacity to adopt the civilization of the white race I need only refer you to the intercourse between these nations and the early proprietary and royal colonies that afterwards formed themselves into the present government of the United States to prove that these Indians have shown themselves capable of the white man’s civilization the histories of these colonies will show that all along during their colonial existence up to the adoption of their constitution in 1778 the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws were treated and considered as civilized people for in their numerous negotiations they were acknowledged as having regular governments and of being capable of declaring war and concluding peace and of owning the lands and villages and of owning live stock and such other personal property as the civilized colonists owned themselves.

Bartram, in his "travels" mentions that about the year 1770, he visited the Cherokees, Creeks or Muskogees, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws, and other neighboring tribes, and that at that time he found these Indians with regular forms of government and fixed theories of religion, each Nation having laws for the protection of life and property, even to the death penalty. He also alluded to their fine horses, cattle and hogs, and pronounces these Indians the finest horsemen and the best-drilled soldiers in America, and he also alludes to the Cherokee Chief, "Ah-tah-cullah-cullah," as speaking the English language with fluency and as being "renowned for his great wisdom," and further alludes to the fact that the people of these nations had considerably amalgamated with the whites, and that many of them had trading houses and mechanic shops and also spoke the English language. Soon after this period, we find that the united colonies under their articles of confederation and before the adoption of the present constitution of the United States, entered into negotiations

Page 262 with the Cherokees and Muskogees and the other civilized Nations for the protection of these Indians in their person and property, including their lands, and horses, cattle, etc. In speaking further on this subject I shall confine my remarks more to my own nation, the Cherokees, than to the other nations because I know more about it than the others and what I shall say about the Cherokees will be substantially true in relation to the Creeks, Choctaws, Chickasaws, Seminoles, Delawares, Shawnees, etc.

As a further evidence that these nations were civilized according to the peculiarities of their autonomy and dialect, like other nations, and that they have proven themselves fully competent to adopt the civilization of the Anglo-Saxon race imported into this country, I will refer you to the historical fact that among the very first treaties made between the United States and the Cherokees, Creeks, Choctaws and Chickasaws, provision was made for a fund to support their governments and for the establishment of schools among them. And in 1808, but twenty-one years after the adoption of the present constitution of the United States, the Cherokees and about the same time the Choctaws and Chickasaws, for the protection of person and property, adopted a written form of government and, in 1817, sixty-one years ago, the Cherokees adopted a written constitution and in 1827 adopted another in form and spirit like that of the United States. In 1819, the Cherokees also passed laws for the protection of missionaries among them, and to encourage their religious effort provided for national aid to such missionaries in the education of the Cherokee youths and in compelling them to attend the mission schools and to learn mechanic arts by apprenticeship. In 1825 the Cherokees established a national newspaper called the "Cherokee Phoenix." In 1824 the Cherokee Council authorized a census to be taken of the Cherokee Nation which shows the condition of the people to be that their population and condition were at that time (fifty-four years ago) as follows: Population 13,783; whites intermarried with Cherokees 215; slaves 1277; 18 free schools, 314 scholars, 36 grist mills, 13 saw mills, 762 looms, 2486 spinning wheels, 172 wagons, 2923 plows, 7683 horses, 22,531 cattle, 46,731 hogs, 2566 sheep, 480 goats, 62 blacksmith shops, 9 stores, 2 tan yards, 1 powder mill, etc.

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From this tabular statement showing the advancement the Cherokees had made fifty- four years ago, any reasonable mind can conceive to what a state of improvement the Cherokees would soon by their own efforts have attained had they not been disturbed and broken up by the arbitrary action of the states of Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee in extending their laws and jurisdiction over the Cherokee Nation, thus politically swallowing them up and flooding their country with a white population that soon absorbed or destroyed their property, broke up their schools and finally drove them west of the Mississippi River at the point of the bayonet, almost entirely bereft of any personal property.

In 1830, in order to alleviate as far as possible the wrongs of our Indian Nations, and to secure to them a "permanent home" where such aggressions as had been perpetrated upon them by states east of the Mississippi River could not be repeated, the Congress of the United States passed an Act setting apart the present Indian country, which we now own and occupy, and soon afterwards our nations, the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws ceded by purchase and exchange through treaty stipulations the lands they now occupy and obtained patents to them which are now of record in the General Land office at the city of Washington. The title that our Nations hold to their lands pronounced by the oft respected utterance of the Executive, Legislative and Judicial Departments of the Government of the United States to be as perfect as that Government could give even to its own citizens. One great embarrassment I shall allude to is that our Nations have had to retard their progress in civilization. I refer to their removal to this country. In their removal six hundred of the Seminoles were chained and handcuffed and hundreds of the Creeks were moved in chains while all the rest were emigrated by military force so that it has been estimated by the authorities of the United States that each of our five civilized Nations, the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws lost in their emigration by death, caused by privation and suffering, one-third of their entire population. Besides this loss, millions of dollars worth of personal property was taken or destroyed east of the Mississippi River for which no remuneration has been given though provided for by our treaties.

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Furthermore, this country was a wild wilderness at the time our Nations occupied it and our people had to improve new homes and open farms with the loss of nearly all the personal property (or its value) realized by their former labors. In 1839 another written constitution, republican in form like that of the United States, was adopted by the people of the Cherokee Nation and their National Council soon afterwards enacted a code of written laws for the protection of person and property; and twenty-two years after their removal at the beginning of the late Rebellion, the people of the Cherokee Nation were among the most wealthy and prosperous people, according to population, on the Globe. At that time the people of the Cherokee, Creek, Seminole, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations must have owned some twenty thousand slaves and cultivated large fields of corn, wheat, tobacco, cotton, rice, etc., while it was common for heads of families to mark and brand six hundred calves each year.

These people each year sold to the neighboring states and shipped to California, St. Louis, Chicago and New York thousands of beef cattle. I think that it would not be exaggerating to say that the Cherokees alone owned, at the beginning of the late Rebellion, 4,000 Slaves, 200,000 cattle, 1,200,000 hogs, 25,000 horses, and other personal property in proportion and that the same estimate will apply to the other civilized Indian Nations I have named. Also at the beginning of the Rebellion, the educational advantages of our Nation far exceeded those of the adjoining states at no expense whatever to the Government of the United States. At that time the Cherokees had some forty common schools and two high schools or seminaries, one male and one female, while our other Nations were comparatively in like circumstances so that a liberal education was within the reach of every Indian youth in the whole country at no expense to the United States.

But the War of the Rebellion cast still another cloud of darkness over our general prosperity and progress in civilization. Unfortunately for us, our common country was a battle field for both the Union and the Confederate Armies; and our people by military necessity were forced to take the one or the other side in the conflict between the United States and the Confederate States. It was as you all know impossi-

Page 265 ble to observe neutrality in this contest. During the four years of the war the contending armies, directly and indirectly, plundered our country and what one army did not take the other did so that between their depredations and the general effect of the war, the Cherokees, Creeks, and Seminoles lost all their property of every description and had their houses destroyed or so wrecked as to render them of little value. For these depredations, our people as you know have never received any remuneration. A remarkable circumstance connected with the loss of the Cherokees is that the war destroyed about one-half of their people for at the beginning of the war they had a population of about 25,000, whereas at the close of the Rebellion, their census rolls showed their population to be only 13,000. From the same cause a great decrease in population also resulted to the Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws. But on the establishment of peace, twelve years ago, our people began to return to their homes and thousands of them on account of their extreme destitution were unable to return without assistance and very few returned with any household property, farming implements or live stock of any kind. As regards my own people, the Cherokees, I can say with truth that at least one-half of them had no animals or plows or farming implements of any kind with which to cultivate the soil. These had to cultivate their little patches with sharpened sticks and such animals and plows and hoes as their more fortunate neighbors could loan them, and I have known on solitary plow and horse to pass from house to house, over large settlements under loan for a whole season during the first two years that succeeded the war.

But providence seems to have smiled upon the efforts of our people so that in three years after the war they began to be self sustaining by their own labor and to-day the people of all the Indian Nations and Tribes of this country are in a state of prosperity that challenges competition from the neighboring states and territories. As an illustration of what progress the people of our Indian Nations of this country had made in 1872, seven years after the war of the Rebellion, I will refer to the testimony of the U. S. Board of Indian Commissioners who visited our country in that year and who, in their report, took a comparative view of the Territories of

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Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Dakota, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and the Indian Territory.

By a tabular statement, this Board demonstrated that the Indians of this country were making far more progress in education, agriculture and in all things that constitute civilized communities than most of the territories of the United States. This statement shows that the Indians of this Territory, in 1872, had a population of 98,505 and occupied 44,154,244 acres; cultivated 204,677 acres, raised 6,739,355 bushels of grain, worth $4,663,610; owned live stock to the number of 464,465 worth $4,947,101; had 164 schools with 5,093 students; expended on schools $127,408.92 annually; owned real and personal property exclusive of public domain and invested stocks worth $16,987,618.

After making this tabular comparison, the Board proceeds to remark in setting forth the hopeful condition of the Indians of this Territory in 1872:

"It will be seen from the comparison that the Indian Territory in population, number of acres cultivated, products, wealth, valuation and school statistics is equal to any organized territory of the United States, and far ahead of most of them. It has a smaller area than any of them and a larger population than any except Utah and New Mexico. It has more acres of land under cultivation than Washington Territory, over one-third more than Utah and more than twice as many as Colorado or Montana; and the number of bushels of wheat, corn, and other farm products raised in the Indian Territory is more than six times greater than in either Utah, New Mexico or Colorado.

"In 1871, the cotton crop of the Territory was about 270,000 pounds. This year the amount is increased and that the quality of the crop is good may be inferred from the fact that specimens exhibited at the fair of the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Association received three premiums, amounting respectively to $500, $250, and $100. "Although any addition to the force of these facts will seem needless it is but just to remark that the civilized Indians of the Territory had their lands devastated and their industries paralyzed during the war of the rebellion in the same relative proportion as other parts of the South and have not fully recovered from the effects and that the report of

Page 267 this year shows an additional marked increase in population, acres of land cultivated, productions and wealth.

"The partially civilized tribes, numbering about 50,000 souls, have in proportion to their population more schools and with a larger average attendance; more churches, church members and ministers and spend far more of their own money for education than the people of any Territory of the United States. Life and property are more safe among them and there are fewer violations of law than in the Territories.

"The Cherokees with a population of 15,000 have two boarding-schools and sixty day- schools (three of which are for the children of freedmen) with an average attendance of 1,948 pupils, sustained at a cost of $25,000 last year.

"The Creeks, numbering 15,000 have three missions and 2,050 church members and an average Sunday-school attendance of 464. They have one boarding school and thirty-one day schools, attended by 860 pupils at a cost of $14,259 for the past year.

"The Choctaws and Chickasaws, numbering 20,000, have three missions and 2,500 church members. They have two boarding schools and forty-eight neighborhood day- schools. Thirty-six of these are sustained by the Choctaws at a cost of $36,500; fourteen by the Chickasaws at a cost of $33,000 last year."

It should be borne in mind that this report was made six years ago and that our Indian Nations and tribes have increased in population and the material resources of wealth and prosperity since that time to an almost unparalleled degree. For instance my own nation, the Cherokees have increased in population since 1872 from fifteen to near 20,000 souls, and it is but reasonable to suppose that the other Nations and tribes have had a similar increase; besides the several Nations and tribes of this country have adopted several thousand white people as their numbers.

From information I have been able to get, I am satisfied that the Cherokees have now in successful cultivation about 175,000 acres of land and will realize at least 3,500,009 bushels of corn, wheat and other grains.

From this information I think it reasonable to conclude that from the combined labor of the Cherokees and the other thirty-five Nations and Tribes of this Territory, there will be

Page 268 raised by the cultivation of the soil, this year, at least 17,500,000 bushels of grain, worth at the estimate fixed by the Board of ’Indian Commissioners in 1872 on our products, at least $10,500,000. Besides the grain referred to, the Indians of this country, especially the Choctaw, Chickasaw and Creek Nations, and in the Cherokee Nation bordering on the Arkansas River, from reliable information have raised this year not less than 1,200,000 pounds of cotton. As a further evidence that our Indian tribes are capable of civilization and are in a hopeful condition, financially as in all other respects, I would state that from what reliable information I have been able to procure from the Indian office in Washington, the funds of our Tribes and Nations, now in the custody of the United States, will aggregate about $10,000,000 upon which the Government pays the Indians an annual interest that is applied for national and school purposes; and from estimates obtained from the same source, the area of lands owned by our Nations and tribes, is about 44,154,240 acres, which, at the Government price, ($1.25 per acre) would make these lands worth $55,192,800. It was estimated by the Board of Indian Commissioners in 1872 that the personal property of the Indians of this country was worth $16,987,818; and it was not unreasonable to suppose that in view of the increase of population the resources of general improvement and wealth, for the past six years among our people, that this value has enhanced at least 33 1/3 per centum, which would make the value of our personal property at this time including the improvements or residences, $25,255,424, which being added to the $10,000,000 in the custody of the Government and the $55,192,800 as the value of the lands of our Indians and the $10,500,000 as the value of our present years products, would aggregate the sum of $98,343,224 as the amount in cash that the Indians of this Territory are worth to-day, at a low estimate.

As regards the raising of live stock by our people, I would remark that it will under the most favorable circumstances be several years before we can hope to be as abundantly supplied with that as we were before the late war but it is encouraging for us to know that under the most discouraging circumstances our people by their vigilance and industry have increased their scanty herds of cattle, horses, swine, etc.,

Page 269 begun since the war, to such dimensions as affords ample home supply with a handsome surplus to ship each year to foreign markets. I have already alluded to the progress our people have made in educational matters before the late war, and also since the war, and up to 1872, as attested by the Board of Indian Commissioners and do not deem it necessary to say much more on the subject. But to show that our people in this as in all other matters tending to civilization are in a progressive condition, I would state that some time during the past winter, while a delegate with Mr. D. H. Ross at Washington, he and I had occasion to examine the records of the Bureau of Education in Washington, the various educational reports from the several states and Territories of the United States and the reports on the same subject from our several civilized Indian Nations; on a comparison of these reports found that our Indian Nations, in the matter of education and school facilities excelled most of the states and territories of the Union. It also appeared from the records of the Bureau that the Cherokees in respect to education were doing ten times better than the State of Arkansas during the centennial year. This fact ought certainly to convince the people of Arkansas and at least the other border states to which Arkansas compares favorably that Indians are capable of civilization especially when they are no expense to the Government; and have as do the Cherokees a surplus of school funds in their Treasury.

The Cherokees have some 80 common schools, two high schools and one asylum or home for their indigent, blind, deaf, dumb, etc., all of which are in a flourishing condition, so that a liberal education even in the higher branches is in reach of every Cherokee while our orphans and other unfortunates are well provided for.

Respecting the Governments our Indians of this Territory have established for themselves, I would say that I have already shown that the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws have written governments, republican in form.

Each of these Nations has printed codes of both civil and criminal law, for the protection of person and property that are not excelled by the codes of the States, and Cherokees,

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Choctaws and Chickasaws have national jails and prisons for the confinement and punishment of criminals, while all have methods of punishment provided for offenders even to the death penalty.

Also the Osages who have been denominated as "blanket" Indians, and the Modocks, who are styled as "savages" I am advised have written forms of Government as also have the Caddoes, Pottawatomies, a portion of the Pawnees, Senecas, and Shawnees, Quapaws and Kaws, and Caddos and by proper encouragement all the other Tribes in the country will soon have written Governments with systems of education similar to those already established by our civilized Nations.

Concerning religion, I would state that no people on earth are more religious than the Indians of this country. All are great believers in the "Great Hereafter" and the supreme being, as also, in future rewards and punishments and not less than fifteen thousand of the Indians in this Territory have embraced the Christian faith. There are hundreds of Native ministers among us, and the sacred scriptures are translated from the English into the Indian languages, so that the great masses of our people are a Bible reading people. In the course of a few years by proper exertions, all of our Indians will have repudiated their ancient traditional notions of religion in favor of the Christian faith.

From the time our people first came in contact with the "whites" they have encouraged Christian missionaries to come and labor with them. In this regard I am confident that our people have done more to encourage religion than the people of the United States have because they have offered premiums for it by proposing land grants to such missionary societies as may locate among them. This was done by the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws under their treaties of 1866. As a further evidence of the capacity and disposition of our Indian people to civilize after the manner of the white race, I will refer to the late report of our Indian Agent, S. W. Marston, made last year to the Department in Washington. In that report our agent, be it said to his credit, showed that our Nations, and Tribes, especially the Cherokees, Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws and Chickasaws were all provided with good Governments, and encouraged education, the mechanic arts, agriculture, religion and all things that con-

Page 271 stitute civilized communities to a degree equal to that enjoyed by the adjoining states. Respecting the Cherokees, he said

"The Cherokees are well advanced in civilization and are an intelligent, temperate and industrious people who live by the honest fruits of their labor and are ambitious to advance both as to the development of their lands and the conveniences of their homes. In their council, may be found men of learning and ability and it is doubtful if their rapid progress from a state of wild barbarism to that of civilization and enlightenment has any parallel in the history of the world. What required 500 years for the Britons to accomplish in this direction they have accomplished in 100 years. They have ample provisions for the education of all their children to a degree of advancement equal to that furnished by an ordinary college in the states. They have seventy-five common day schools kept open ten months in the year in the different settlements of the Nation. Then for the higher education of their young men and women, they have two commodious and well furnished seminaries, one for each sex, and in addition to those already mentioned they have a manual labor school and an orphan asylum. All these buildings used for school purposes are after the best style of architecture and are equipped with furniture and fixtures of the latest and best manufacture.

They have 54 stores, 22 mills, and 65 smithshops owned and conducted by their own citizens. Their constitution and laws are published in book form; and from their printing house goes forth among the people in their own language, and also in English, the Cherokee Advocate, a weekly paper, which is edited with taste and ability by native Cherokees."

Besides what I have stated, I should remark that we have had two agricultural Fairs, this International one representing the whole country, and the Cherokee Fair, both of which have been successes, also we have the Grange society among us whose encouraging efforts at husbandry and the like deserves much credit. Also we have several lodges of the Masonic Fraternity and of the Odd Fellows among us, also Temperance societies and a splendid system of Sunday schools, and we also have our library and political societies as do other enlightened communities. I could say much more on these general subjects but from all I have said even the most skeptical are bound to admit that many of our Indian Nations are

Page 272 already civilized and that the rest, even the Nomadic Indians of the Plains west are fully capable of civilization under proper management provided the United States Government will protect us in all our rights as it is bound to do under all circumstances and will not allow us to be disturbed by those who envy our condition and seek to destroy us to get our lands. Under these circumstances it is plainly the duty of our civilized Nations to address their efforts to the civilization of our nomadic brethren who are less favored than we are. How shall we do this? We should lead them into civilization by precept and example. A great movement in that direction has been inaugurated throughout our "Great Indian Council" organized under the treaties of 1866. In that Council the representatives of the uncivilized Tribes associated with those of the civilized Nations, and soon began to see the necessity of abandoning their nomadic habits and of adopting those of our civilized people. As a consequence many of these Indians of the Plains have actually gone to cultivating the earth in imitation of our civilized Indians. It is to be hoped that this Council will be sustained as our treaties require by an appropriation to pay its expenses by the Congress of the United States. Another method whereby our civilized people can be advanced in, civilization and our less favored ones can be led in that direction is by such patriotic institutions as this International Fair, which its patrons have very properly styled "A school of Instruction." Here all classes of our people, the civilized, the semi-civilized and the nomadic have an opportunity of coming together once a year, as friends, and to interchange ideas of improvement in all the varied pursuits of civilization. Here we see men and women from all grades of our people as representatives from all parts of the country with their works and the results and fruits of their labor in the cultivation of the soil, the arts and sciences of the sewing needle and the loom and the machine shop. Here also we see our men and women representing the Educational interests of the whole country and among them we see graduates from the finest Colleges in the United States as also graduated professional men, such as attorneys at law, and doctors of medicine, also we see the greatest benefactor of all the "bone and sinew" of the country, the Farmer, with his agricultural products and live stock of all kinds, his poultry and his numerous

Page 273 grains, "the staff of life," we see also the cotton planter and the common laborer and all seem to be one people and we are gratified to know that all of these various representatives of the numerous and best interests of our people belong to our Indian race and are all as brothers and sisters. We also by invitation have among us on this occasion many of our white friends, ladies and gentlemen from our adjoining states, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas and Texas and we are happy to welcome them as our friends. Also by invitation we are honored by the presence of distinguished members of the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States who constitute the special Congressional Committee to consider the proposition of transferring the Indians to the War Department and we are happy to receive them as our friends and trust that in view of the hopeful and cheerful condition in which they have found us under the management of the Civil Department of the United States that there be no change made in our present condition and relations with the Government and especially that we be permitted to remain under the management of the Civil Department. Also, we see the different apartments of the Fair grounds and buildings arranged and equipped with admirable taste and in their appropriate places; we find for exhibition all kinds of the best quality of agricultural products and implements, productions of the machine shop, the needle, and sewing machine, and the loom, with many productions of the mechanic arts. In the live stock department we see exhibits of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs, etc., that are as fine as any grown in the neighboring states. All of these things are glorious evidences of the patriotism, civilization, prosperity, unity and friendship of our, Indian people among themselves and of the cordial relations existing between them and the Government and citizens of the United States. Every Indian in this country should rejoice at such a happy state of affairs and be proud of this International Fair because of its internationality for such usefulness and I trust every man and every woman in our entire country will encourage it and that not only the civilized Indians but also our nomadic brethren of the Plains and mountains will be encouraged to attend it and participate in it so that they may learn and follow the various branches of civilization illustrated and represented in it. Some of our brethren of the

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Plains have heretofore attended this Fair with good results and we trust that no pains will be spared hereafter to induce them to continue their attendance so they, like our leading Nations, may be blessed with all the comforts and powers of enlightened people and thereby be able to unite with the civilized Nations in holding and defending our common country.

In conclusion, I should state that last winter while in Washington, when the Agricultural Congress of the people of the United States convened at that place, Mr. D. H. Ross, myself and the delegation from the Creek, Seminole, Choctaw and Chickasaw Nations, by appointment from this Fair, represented our Nations before said Congress and were received by that assembly with very great kindness. In that Congress it was our pleasure to meet and confer with many distinguished men representing the various branches of agriculture and the arts and sciences including education and other industrial pursuits who represented the people from all parts of the United States. On that occasion we were assured by these representatives of the people of the United States that their people deeply sympathized with us in our efforts in civilization and that they would do all in their power to see us protected in our present prosperous condition and not disturbed in our relations with the United States and we witnessed the adjournment of the Congress under the conclusion that it was a true friend of the Indian. For further particulars to this Congress, I would refer you to its printed proceedings. HISTORICAL SKETCH OF COL. SAMUEL CHECOTE, ONCE CHIEF OF THE CREEK NATION O. A. Lambert

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The subject of this sketch was born in the year 1819, in the Chattahoochee Valley, Alabama. When a young lad he came with his parents to the Indian Territory. They were among the first Creek people to leave their old home in the South, to dwell beyond the Mississippi River, in that land which the Great Father at Washington had promised "should be theirs so long as the grass grew and the rivers flowed."

Very little is known of his parents, only that they were full-blood Creeks, and while living in Alabama they had knowledge of the religious instruction and influence of the white missionaries, for as soon as the opportunity offered them in their new home they sent their son to a missionary school, near the town now called Eufaula. It was a Methodist missionary school named Asbury in honor of the first Methodist bishop in America.

As a young man, Checote came under the influence of that faithful pioneer of Methodism in the Indian Territory, Uncle John Harrell, who came early to the Indians and led many of them to espouse the cause of Methodism. It was he, more than all others, that influenced Checote to preach the gospel to his people. This he did with great fervor and zeal until the Creek Council passed a law forbidding any of the tribal members to preach under penalty of fifty lashes on the naked back. Checote with several others fled from the Territory, and remained until an appeal was made to Chief McIntosh, annulled the law and ordered the punishment and persecution of the preachers stoped. In the year 1852, he joined the Indian Mission Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and was actively engaged in preaching among his people until the outbreak of the Civil War. There are no doubt several reasons why he espoused the cause of the southern Confederacy. He was a product of the South, his early life was spent there, its history, traditions and customs were his, he was a preacher in that branch of Methodism that was then in sympathy with the South on the great issue that divided the Nation. The Indian

Page 276 affairs of our Government at Washington was then under the direction and control of men from the South who exerted their influence among the Indians against the North. But not all the Indians of the Creek Nation were engaged or sympathized with the South, for many were loyal to the North and after the close of the War, as these two factions returned to their homes, they were for a time the source of much disturbance which finally led to civil war among their people.

Checote was in command of the first Creek regiment that went into the service of the South. Such was his ability and resourcefulness that he returned at the close of the War as a lieutenant colonel.1 One of the most picturesque happenings in the Indian Territory during the Civil War was participated in by Checote and his Creek Regiment forming a part of the First Indian Cavalry Brigade of the Confederate Army. Early in September, 1864, a large Federal supply train was on its way from Fort Scott to Fort Gibson. This train consisted of 300 wagons, 205 of which were loaded with Government supplies, the remainder with supplies for settlers and traders. The train was under the escort of 2600 Kansas cavalrymen who were joined on the way by fifty Cherokee horsemen from Fort Gibson.

At about this time Gen. Sterling Price had started on his famous raid through Missouri toward Kansas City. The 2000 available Confederate soldiers in the Territory, including Checote, and his men, co-operating with General Price, crossed the river about fifteen miles above Fort Gibson, killed the guards and burned a Federal hay depot of some 5000 tons. At Cabin Creek, Checote’s men, with other troopers, began an attack on the Federal train at midnight and the next morning, having driven the Federal troops off, they marched south with the captured train valued at $1,500,000. At Pryor Creek they were attacked by a detachment of Union forces, which they repulsed, saving the valuable prize which greatly encouraged the Confederate forces. Although the War did not end until ten months later, this was the last meeting between the Federalists and the Confederates in the Indian Territory.

At the close of the War, Colonel Checote resumed his work as a preacher, serving as circuit rider and presiding elder in the Indian Mission until the year 1872, when he was elected as principal chief of the Creek Nation. The War had

Page 277 left his people devastated and torn by dissension, their slaves had been freed and left to live among them with the rights of citizenship, their problems were similar to those of the defeated South, the status of the freedman was for a time their "bone of contention." Chief Checote deplored the mixture of the Indian race with that of negro blood. He would have, if possible, given them separate lands so they might live apart; but in this and in other measures he proposed for the betterment of his people he met bitter opposition by a full-blood named Ispiechie, who was at that time Supreme Judge of the tribe. He was a young man of ability and ambitious for Checote’s place. He had been loyal to the North during the War and under his leadership, he gathered the "loyal" Indians and freedmen and bitterly opposed the chief in many of his reform movements, which finally culminated in civil strife which was called by the Indians "The Green Peach War," on account of its occurrence when the peaches were green. Ispiechie was worsted in the engagement but after a time he became reconciled to the policies of Checote and in later years became chief of the Creek Nation. During the twelve years that Checote was chief, the Creek people reached their highest standard in moral and religious living. He broke the habit of plurality of wives practiced by some at that time. By precept and example he taught his people the importance of peace and industry. He had the council to confer the rights of citizenship upon a limited number of white men that the nation might have the benefit of their superior knowledge in civilization and leadership. His ability was recognized by the other chiefs of the Five Civilized Tribes and his counsel was respected and often sought. General Grant once said of him: "He is the greatest Indian I have ever met." Capt. F. B. Severs, who for years lived among the Creeks and one time was the secretary of Chief Checote, said to the writer: "I have lived a long time and met many men, but I have found no greater mind than his, especially in way of executive ability." Some of the documents he helped to prepare and sign, which were presented to the government at Washington, in the years 1872-74, protesting against the proposal of our Government extending territorial jurisdiction over the Five Civilized Tribes, were statesman-like and lofty in appeal and worthy to find a place along side with other great papers of State.

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One of these protests, after reciting the several treaties the Government had made with the Indians from Washington to the treaty of 1866, all of which safeguarded the Indian jurisdiction and rights to their territory; then referring to the bills pending in Congress to annul these treaties, they conclude their protest by saying: "This movement is none of us. We are constrained to tell you this is instigated by our enemies. Some of these propositions are plain and unmasked. Others are insidious and hidden, but they all look to our confusion and destruction. The country at large does not demand this. For ourselves, we are not destitute of the hope that statesmanship and the honor, that would maintain the good faith of the United States, are not yet banished from Congress. To that sentiment in behalf of our people do we earnestly appeal." As chief of the Creek Nation, he displayed marked Executive ability and was quick in an emergency. On one occasion, when a murder had been committed, the murderer was promptly arrested, but his friends gathered enforce, overpowered the officers, killing two and wounding others. The trouble spread until within a few hours scores had armed and taken sides. A general uprising was imminent. Checote, acting quickly, called out 1200 men, captured the disturbers and quelled the mob and prevented, by his quick action, what might have spread to a serious outbreak.

He was not only great as chief in the initiation and execution of Creek laws, but he was a great Christian example and preacher to his people. While chief ruler he never neglected to keep his appointments for preaching and it was a strict rule of his life never to speak on matters politically to his hearers who had gathered for religious purposes. So strictly did he adhere to this principle that when the Indians came on Saturday to stay through Sunday for religious preaching, until late Monday, he would not take advantage of their coming together to speak on political issues because their gathering had been for religious instruction and worship and not for worldly things.

During his first term as chief, he had erected a large arbor near where the council house now stands in the city of Okmulgee. To this place the Indians came from all over the Nation and camped about for days listening to his religious

Page 279 instruction and preaching. One of his familiar texts was the saying of King Agrippa after listening to Paul’s defense: "Thou has almost persuaded me to become a Christian." On one occasion when in Washington over Sunday, he was invited to preach in one of the leading Methodist churches. He impressed his hearers in a wonderful way by preaching from the text: "The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." Gen. 49:10.

His religious impressions came to him in early life. It is recorded that he said that when a small boy he witnessd some children being baptized by some missionaries, and was deeply moved to join their number and be baptized but no one invited or spoke to him on this subject on account of his being so young; but in later years, with maturer mind, he was converted and lived among his people a strictly religious life rarely equalled among men. Many were the examples of his conscientious convictions. On one occasion he was summoned by a Government Agent to meet him at Tahlequah to give testimony concerning some tribal affair. The day fixed for his appearance was Monday, but he did not arrive until one day late, Tuesday. The Agent was irritated and impatient at the delay and wanted to know why he did not appear on Monday. After an apology for the delay, Checote said: "Had I appeared here on Monday, it would have been necessary for me to have traveled all day Sunday. This I could not do because I believe it wrong to use the day that way." The agent, humbled by his remarks, accepted his excuse and told him that he had done the right thing in obeying his conscience in the matter.

In the year 1882, he was selected by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as a delegate to the Ecumenical Conference to convene in London, England, where delegates from all over the world of Methodism were to meet, but on account of illness he was prevented from going. On September 3, 1884, he died at his home in Okmulgee and was buried just beyond its limits. His son, Martin L. Checote, also a preacher, lives close by and is a familiar figure on the streets of Okmulgee. He is a college graduate and his life displays many of the traits of his noble father.

As we have talked to the "old Indians" of to-day about

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Checote, they all speak of him as their "Great Chief," gentle as a child, courageous as a lion, whose life left an impress on his people for good more than all other chiefs in their history.

Truly he merits a place on the records of history as "The Patriot Chief and Christian Example of the Creek people."

O. A. LAMBERT, Okmulgee, Okla.

1Joseph B. Thoburn’s History of Oklahoma, Vol. II.

PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION

BY R. L. WILLIAMS

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Amend Section 2 of Article 3 so as to read: Five Members of the Board of Directors to serve for a term of five years or until their successors shall have been elected and qualified, shall annually be elected by ballot from the members of the Society in the following manner: Between the first and tenth of January of each year the secretary and treasurer shall prepare and have printed at the expense of the society ballots containing all names of the five directors whose terms will expire during that year, unless otherwise directed in writing by such director, and also names of such other members of the society as may be petitioned thereto in writing to be filed with the Secretary by the first day of each year by ten per cent (10%) of its members at said time entitled to vote on such matter, such ballot shall be by the secretary duly mailed to the address of each member of said Society, who shall cross or mark out all of the names on such ballot except such as he or she may desire to vote for, not to exceed five, and write his or her name on such ballot on the opposite side and then duly mail same to the secretary of the Historical Society at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. On the fourth Tuesday in January following or as soon thereafter as practicable the president, vice-presidents, secretary and treasurer shall meet and open said ballots, counting same and retaining the envelops and ballots in a safe place until the regular annual meeting when the result of said ballots shall be announced, the five receiving the highest vote, provided each receives a majority of all the votes cast, to be declared elected by said society, provided where a majority of those voting has not been received for such place the annual Meeting shall proceed to fill such places by balloting as to such two names having received the highest vote for such position, provided further that in instances where only five names are here under placed on such ballot same shall not be mailed out but such fact certified jointly by the secretary and treasurer to

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the next annual meeting, and said five members by such meeting declared elected.

NOTICE OF AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION

Notice is hereby given of intention to move an amendment to the Constitution of the Oklahoma Historical Society for the purpose of changing the date of the annual meeting of the Society from the first Tuesday in February to the fourth Wednesday in January of each year.

(Signed) JOSEPH B. THOBURN. OKLAHOMA’S ONLY DAUGHTER OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

BY MRS. A. J. ARNOTE

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Mrs. Sarah Starns Ellis has the distinction of being Oklahoma’s only real daughter of the Revolution, her father having served in Washington’s army in the conflict for freedom.

In "The Kings Mountain Men" by Katherine Keogh White the following interesting sketch is given: "Nicholas Starnes (Starns) enlisted under Arthur Campbell in 1775 for service against tories and Indians on New River. After King’s Mountain, where he was under William Campbell, the wounded were placed in his care. Later the same fall he served against the Cherokees, the expedition burning sixteen towns. He was born in Cecil County, Maryland, 1756, and at the beginning of the Revolution the family were in Washington County, Virginia. He married Barbara Winters in 1816, in Rhea County, Tennessee, and died in 1836. Pension was allowed the widow."

The National Daughters of the American Revolution recently asked for a picture of Mrs. Ellis. Through the efforts of a local friend an artist was found who took great care in making the picture. The enlarged photograph has been sent to the state regent, Mrs. A. R. Hickam, of Oklahoma City, to be suitably framed before sending it to Washington, where it will be hung in Continental Hall.

At the national congress of the D. A. R. held in April of this year, the organization voted to send each Real Daughter a hundred dollars as a Mothers’ Day gift. Mrs. Ellis’ check came in due time with a cordial letter from the treasurer: A pension of twenty- five dollars per month is also paid to Mrs. Ellis by this society. On her birthday she is never forgotten. Messages of good cheer come from members who live in various parts of the country. Thus does a patriotic society remember the daughter of the soldiers of the American Revolution.

Sarah Starns Ellis was born March 6th, 1833, in McNary County, Tennessee. Her father Nicholas Starns, as has al-

Page 284 ready been stated, served in the war of the Revolution. Enlisted as a private, he was steadily advanced until, at the battle of King’s Mountain, he was commissioned captain. He served also in the war of 1812.

Mrs. Ellis says she must have been very young when her father died, but that she remembers him quite well. After his death the family consisting of one brother, George Washington Starns, little Sarah, then five years old, and her mother emigrated to Arkansas. Many friends and neighbors went in the same wagon train to seek their fortunes in the new state. Two older daughters of Mrs. Starns had married and were already located in Arkansas. Mrs. Ellis says she remembers to this day the thrill of that journey.

The family located at Lewisburg, not far from Little Rock. Here Sarah spent her girlhood. She married young, and was soon left a widow with a baby daughter. Here too, she met and married the dashing young mechanic, Isaac Ellis. To them were born three children, William, John and Johanna. After living in various settlements in Arkansas, the Ellis family removed to the Indian Territory. They lived for a number of years at old Skullyville, in what is now Le Flore County. It was while living there that the Ellises built some of the substantial old homes that are over that part of the country. Mrs. Ellis says his biggest contract in this part of the state was the building of the Tuskahoma Female Academy.

In the war between the states, Isaac Ellis enlisted in the Confederate Army. Mrs. Ellis gave an interesting account of her husband’s service in the war. "Once in an engagement near Helena, Arkansas, his horse was killed, and he was hit in the leg. After twenty-four hours, he was found by an old planter and his wife, pinned under his horse and nearly dead from loss of blood. They released him and took him to an old field and concealed him in a cotton pen, got a doctor and cared for him until he was well enough to be off again." "Was he crippled?" Mrs. Ellis was asked. "No," she replied, "his leg was scarred to the bone but he could dance with the best of em.

After Ellis was discharged from the army, he took his family to San Bois where he resumed his trade. Here on the famous trail to Fort Sill, their house was open to all travelers. "Never a penny would we take for lodging and refreshment.

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Ike would not have it—he was too glad to see them," Mrs. Ellis said. "Three or four deer a week, seven or eight wild turkeys, fish in a great plenty, our own garden and fruit—it was possible to give them the best."

It was here that Ike Ellis’ earthly career was closed and he sleeps in the peaceful valley of San Bois. That was forty-five years ago. White people could own no property in the Indian Territory, so the little family moved to a more thickly populated section of the country where the boys found work, and Mrs. Ellis did fine sewing. Granny, as Mrs. Ellis is called by all who knew her, has had a varied and interesting life. She has pioneered in two states, seen much hardship, experienced may sorrows, but she says "There was always pleasant things mixed with it."

Mrs. Ellis is keenly alert mentally, has very decided opinions, though she doesn’t give them unasked, and has the quality, not always manifested by the aged. She is a member of the Church of Christ, and her religious view is that there are Christians in all churches.

For many years Mrs. Ellis has made her home with her grandson, Clarence Ellis, at Antlers, Oklahoma. She is devoted to his three little children. She has a number of grandchildren and great grand-children. Her oldest daughter Mrs. Anna Townsend is still living and makes her home in Tulsa. She has two daughters, Mrs. Mabel Wilkins, of Tulsa, Mrs. Mildred Walker of Henrietta, and a son, Bill Townsend, resides in McAlester. BIOGRAPHIES

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CAPTAIN WILLIAM GRAHAM BAIRD MRS. LOGAN G. HYSMITH, WILBURTON, OKLA.

Captain William Graham Baird, Latimer County pioneer and oldest citizen in residence as well as years, the first merchant and first Post Master of Wilburton passed to his eternal reward at his home in Wilburton, Sunday July 19, at 10:30 P. M., following an illness of two weeks. His name is written in the history of this town and county and the Choctaw Nation.

We cannot pay too great a tribute to those pioneers, who blazed the way for our civilization and made the history of our great commonwealth. Their usefulness and moral influence shall last through the ages. "A moral man, of moral worth, stands peerless among the power of Earth." Such was our esteemed friend. The entire community bowed in sorrow and did reverence to his name.

The funeral services were conducted Tuesday afternoon at three o’clock at the Presbyterian Church, in the presence of a large number of friends, many of which could not gain entrance into the church. The Reverend J. Y. Bryce of Oklahoma City, former pastor of the Methodist Church of Wilburton, officiated.

The parents of Capt. Baird were the first citizens of Fort Smith, Arkansas, then known as Old Logtown, in which place he was born on March 20, 1892. He was educated at St. Ann’s Academy at Ft. Smith. When war began between the states, he enlisted in the Homeguard, Kings Brigade, Company C, of the Arkansas Volunteers. This company consisted of one hundred twenty-five men, a list of which the Captain had in his possession when he was called away. Of this number only two men survived, James Reed of Ft. Smith, and Capt. Baird of Wilburton. It is interesting to note that Mr. Reed answered the last roll call at McAlester, Oklahoma, two weeks after Captain Baird. From Corporal he was promoted to the rank of Captain, and in 1863, he was transferred from King’s Brigade to General Fragin’s command, and was made Aidde- camp on General Fragin’s staff. Later he was transferred

Page 287 to the Indian Territory and attached to the Staff of Gen. J. T. McCurtain, who was at the head of a regiment of fighting pioneers. While stationed in the Kiamichi Mountains, Capt. Baird was sent to Doaksville for orders; arriving there he was informed of Lee’s surrender two months before, and this command was disbanded without ever formally surrendering. From the time he enlisted in the volunteer company in Ft. Smith in 1861 until the close of the war, he served with courage and usefulness to the cause, for which he would have given his life.

As a little boy in the small log town of Ft. Smith, William Baird and Mary DeHart lived across the street from each other and were childhood sweethearts. Their friendship continued, and correspondence was carried on faithfully, although under great difficulty during the early sixties. (Some of these letters are still in Mrs. Baird’s possession.) In January 1865, Captain Baird was given a furlough, and he made his way to Paraclifta, Ark., to claim the sweetheart of his childhood as his bride, and on January 18, they pledged each other a companionship which lasted until death parted them. One amusing incident concerning their marriage, which has often been recalled by them is how Captain Baird, having in his possession a Confederate coat and vest, while journeying to Paraclifta secured material for a pair of trousers of the Confederate color, and how the women sat up all night toiling by hand to make this garment, that he might be married in full uniform.

The bride remained a few months with her parents, the Captain rejoining his company, and when the smoke of battle had cleared away she joined him in their new home at Shawnee town on Red River in the Choctaw Nation. Here their first child was born. Later he entered upon a business career at Wheelock, but the privations and dangers which surrounded them were so great that they returned to the Arkansas River valley and procured a farm in the shadow of old Sugarloaf Mountain, only to return to the Indian Territory in 1868, and establish a trading post at Mountain Station. Later they moved to Colorado where they resided three years. Returning to Indian Territory they settled at Limestone, near the future site of Wilburton, where he was associated with J. T. McCurtain in business, later moving to Page 288

Boiling Springs. When the Post Office was established at this place he named it Ola, for his daughter, Ola Baird, and became the first Postmaster there in 1884. The mail was carried out twice a week from Ft. Smith, via, Brazil, Red Oak, and on to Krebs. When the Ola Post Office was discontinued, and a new one established at Wilburton, he moved there and became the first Postmaster at that place. He was the first merchant in Wilburton and from time to time was engaged in business there, was the first City Treasurer and was always prominent in city and county affairs.

His parents were life-long members of the Presbyterian Church and he was baptized in infancy, in that church. Soon after moving to Wilburton in 1890, he was instrumental in organizing a church of his faith, which was organized by Rev. Burks, in a grove of trees where now stands Mrs. Louis Rockett’s home. Later through the efforts of him and his good wife, a church building was erected.

He became a member of the Masonic Lodge at Camden, Ark., in 1863, and was a charter member of the Wilburton Lodge when it was organized. He was made an honorary member of this lodge in 1922.

A number of persons living in Oklahoma remember with pleasure the occasion of the celebration of Captain and Mrs. Baird’s Golden Wedding, on January 18, 1915, at which time it was the writers privilege to be of the House Party and to assist in the celebration which was attended by hosts of friends, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Besides his courageous and faithful wife, who has been his inspiration during these nearly sixty-two years, he is survived by two sons and two daughters, Mr. Jim Baird, and Mrs. Ola Shaw of Wilburton; Mr. Frank Baird of El Paso, Texas; and Mrs. Marvin Petty of Cleburne, Texas. The oldest son, Charles Baird, died some years ago and is buried at Old Riddle Station, a point on the Ft. Smith and Fort Washita military road.

JUDGE OVERTON LOVE

The subject of this sketch was born in Marshall County, Mississippi, on the 6th of September, 1823. He was educated

Page 289 in the common schools of that state, and at the age of twenty years, came with his father to Indian Territory. The family settled on the north bank of Red River, in what is now Love County, the county being named for the Love family, as was also the valley in which they settled, Love’s Valley, about six miles east of Marietta, the county seat of Love County. At one time the Judge owned as many as eight thousand acres of Red River bottom land in this valley, as fine land as there is in the state of Oklahoma; here the judge lived for a period of fifty years or more, engaged in farming and stock raising. Judge Love was one of the outstanding characters of Indian Territory, no man excelled him in the choice of land, location, business affairs or in anything pertaining to his interests or that of his people, the Chickasaws. While he was a farmer and business man, he was none the less successful as a national councilman, county and district Judge, or as a delegate to represent his people in Washington. The Judge was known far and near as a man of integrity, liberal in his views, unselfish in his habits and manners of life, equal in his considerations of all men, the poor as much so as the more fortunate, no hungry man was turned away empty from his door, and no one who really wanted to work, applying to him, was ever rejected; he was a friend to man.

The writer first met the Judge at his home in the valley, the year 1888, and was afterwards a frequent guest in the home, and can speak advisedly, when we say, that any one having been a guest in the Love home, will always have an appreciation for the splendid spirit that prevailed in the home life. The Judge carried on extensive farming interests, and consequently had to do with different types of men, all of whom had a chance to succeed with Judge Love, he gave every man a chance to prove himself, failing in that he had to move to some other quarter. This brings to mind a little incident that shows the true character of the man; he was always mindful of the interests of himself as well as the interests of others, as is shown in the matter of building for school and church purposes, as he did, a house on his land where church services and school accommodations were made possible for all who would take advantage of them. So interested was Judge Love in the matter, that he built the house and furnished it throughout, free of cost to anyone, and turned it over to the commu-

Page 290 nity, with the understanding that his renters would attend services of some kind, and patronize the school. The Judge was what we termed then an infidel, his wife was a member of the Presbyterian church. The minister, of whatever faith he might be, always had an invitation to stop in the Love home, and the most of them did so, and the Judge always attended services at the eleven o’clock and evening hour, and saw that every one behaved, and that the dogs stayed on the outside, and that the young men who were disposed to be rowdy, came on the inside or left the premises. Seeing this interest on the part of the Judge, one day I asked him this question: Judge Love, you do not make any pretensions as to being a believer in the Christian religion, why is it you have built this house and are so careful as to order during the hour of service? His answer is as follows: "I may not be a believer in the sense you Christian people profess, but I am a believer in common decency and that which tends to civilization, and I find that the ones who profess to be Christians believe in the same things, and that they make the best renters on my farm, they are not always in trouble, and they do not try to beat me out of my rent, and in return for this, I am willing to help them in the matter of their religious life." The writer feels justified in saying that from our acquaintance with Judge Love, made possible by frequent visits in the home, where one learns to know people, that the Chickasaw Nation never made a greater contribution to prosperity in its march to a higher civilization than that given in the person of him whose name appears at the head of this article. To have known such a character, to have been associated with him and the family, to have been acquainted with him in his views of life, as they had to do with business affairs on the farm, political interests of his people, along with the social development of his community, is a privilege to be highly esteemed by those who have been so favored.

While Judge Love was not a Christian, in the sense in which that word is commonly interpreted, yet there was something in his makeup, that likens him to the things that are eternal. In the constitutionality of my friend there was more than one of the essentials to Christianity; there was fidelity to a trust, loyalty to a cause, the unselfish spirit, magnanimous in its reaches, that enabled him to overlook the defects

Page 291 in a fellowman, if he discovered any, that proved him a friend to man.

The treasurer of the Oklahoma Historical Society, Mrs. Jessie R. Moore, is a niece of Judge Love, and is in every sense a worthy kinswoman of the illustrious Love family.

J. Y. BRYCE.

MEMORIAL

We, members of the Bar of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, moved by our high regard for the life and public service of the late Robert King Warren, County Attorney of Choctaw County, Oklahoma, who departed this life on the 24th day of March, 1926, desiring to record the high respect and esteem we entertained for our departed brother and to express our regret for the loss which the Court, the Bar and the people of Oklahoma have sustained in his untimely death, adopt the following

Robert King Warren was born July 10, 1867 at Lavinia, Carroll County, Tennessee, being the son of John B. Warren and Minerva Elizabeth (Smith) Warren. He was educated in the public schools of his native village. He then entered Hendricks College at McKenzie, Tennessee, and remained there unto his junior year. In 1887 he received an appointment in the United States Indian Service and was stationed in what was then Washington Territory. He alter returned to Tennessee and entered the law department of Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee, graduating with the class of ’89. He then entered into the practice of his profession at Huntington, Tennessee, the county seat of Carroll County, with Judge Joseph Hawkins for a period of four years. Suffering a serious illness, which for the time being undermined his health he came west and followed other occupations until 1911 when he opened a law office at Fort Towson, in Choctaw County. In 1912 he was elected County Attorney of Choctaw County, at a time when he had been a resident of the county but a little over a year. He was re-elected to the same office in 1914. In 1916 he was elected a member of the Sixth Legislature of the State of Oklahoma, in which body he served with marked dis-

Page 292 tinction. After the adjournment of that Legislature he resumed the private practice of law at Hugo, which he continued until his election as County Attorney in 1924. Though a sick man at the time of his election he assiduously remained at his post of duty until within a few days of his death.

In the discharge of his duties as a prosecuting attorney he possessed to a remarkable degree a desire that justice might be done. The thought of personal glory or renown for a successful prosecution was ever absent from his mind. His record will long stand as being a great prosecutor but likewise will his record of fairness to an accused. He never brought shame to Oklahoma by stooping to conquer. As a lawyer at the bar in private practice he was to be feared by any opponent but he never forgot his duty to the court or to the traditions of his profession. The memory of Robert K. Warren will long live in the hearts of the people of this State. By every standard he is worthy of our esteem and love and its expression in a permanent form.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Bar of the Eastern District of Oklahoma that in the death of Robert K. Warren the Bar and the people of his community have sustained a great loss. We express our deep sympathy to his relatives and that this memorial be presented to the United States District Court with the request that it be recorded in its journal.

Filed Jun. 14, 1926. W. V. McClure, Clerk U. S. District Court. Attest: A true copy of above order, W. Y. McClure, Clerk. By Maggie Dagley, Deputy.

We, the members of the Bar of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, desiring to perpetuate the memory of our departed brother, Luda Pickens Davenport, who departed this life at his home in Antlers on the 27th day of October, 1924, do adopt the following:

Luda P. Davenport was born at Amite, Louisiana in 1861.

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At the age of six his family removed to Scott County, Arkansas. His father was Dr. Thomas Davenport, who served as a surgeon in the Confederate Army. His mother was Miss Louise Fuller, who was a descendant of the famous Pickens family of South Carolina. Two of this family served as governors of the Palmetto state. This family also gave to the Nation General Andrew Pickens of Revolutionary War fame. Judge Davenport was married in 1885 to Miss Rena McAlister in Arkansas. He commenced the practice of law in Hackett City, Sebastian County, Arkansas in 1887. In 1890 he removed to Antlers and was admitted to practice law in the United States Court in the Indian Territory, by Judge J. M. Shackleford, the first Federal Judge in the Indian Territory.

In 1895 a court was established at Antlers and Col. J. J. McAlester, the United States Marshal, appointed him office deputy, which position he held until the end of that administration in 1897. For the next ten years he was engaged in the law practice, and during 1905 and 1906 served as mayor of Antlers. Upon the coming of statehood in 1907, he was elected as the first county judge of Pushmataha County, and was reelected in 1910, 1912 and 1914. During the next eight years he practised law at Antlers, and was for a time president of a bank at Clayton. In 1922 he was again elected county judge, which office he was filling at the time of his demise.

The passing of Judge Davenport removes one of the old landmarks. He was the second man to engage in the law practice at Antlers, so long the court town for extreme southeast Oklahoma. The deceased was a man of the highest integrity and honor. He conducted the county court so it was ever a shield to safeguard the property rights of a dependent people. He was a pioneer who did much to mold opinion and establish tradition.

Therefore, Be It Resolved by the Bar of the Eastern District of Oklahoma, that in his death we have lost a friend; the State has lost an upright, citizen, but we rejoice that in his living he made his own locality a better place in which to live. We express our deep sympathy to his daughter, Mrs. Floy Boland of Antlers, Oklahoma, and ask the Court to order this

Page 294 memorial spread on its journal, and that a copy be sent to his daughter.

Filed June 14, 1926. W. V. McClure, Clerk U. S. District Court. Attest: A true copy of above order, W. V. McClure, Clerk. By Maggie Dagley, Deputy.

The Illinois Historical Society has been called upon to mourn the passing of its secretary and librarian, Mrs. Jessie Palmer Weber, who died at her home in Springfield, May 31, 1926. Mrs. Weber was a native of Carlinville, Illinois. She was the daughter of one of the most illustrious citizens of the state—General John M. Palmer, who was so justly distinguished in its civil, military and political life. She graduated from Bettie Stuart Institute, at Springfield, in 1880, and, a year later was married to N. W. Weber, who died many years ago. She served as secretary to her father during his term in the United States Senate, 1891-7. In 1898, she was chosen as librarian of the Illinois Historical Library, which position she filled continuously and with great distinction throughout the remainder of her life. Subsequently, she became a trustee, secretary and treasurer of the Illinois State Historical Society, and was editor-in-chief of the Journal of that Society from the beginning of its publication. She served as secretary of the Illinois State Fort Massac Commission, 1904-17; as commissioner and secretary of the Illinois State Centennial Commission, 1913-19, and as secretary of the Lincoln Circuit Marking Association. She was an active member of the American Library Association and of the American Historical Association, and of several of the patriotic societies, including the D. A. R. and the Daughters of 1812. Her work as a compiler and writer, in her special field, has been of such a monumental character as to add new luster to an already honored name in the annals of the commonwealth which she served so long and so faithfully.

J. B. T.

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NECROLOGY

Jesse J. Dunn, pioneer attorney, political leader, former justice and chief justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court, a corresponding member of the Oklahoma Historical Society and who, since 1913, had been engaged in the active practice of his profession at Oakland, California, died there, July 27th, 1926. The prominent part which Judge Dunn had borne in the public affairs of Oklahoma, his keen interest in the history of this state and his pertinent and sprightly contributions to the pages of Chronicles of Oklahoma have all been such as to call forth from members of this Society expressions of real sorrow at his untimely passing. A comprehensive account of his life and career will be prepared for publication.

AN EARLY DAY BAPTIST MISSIONARY

Baxter Taylor

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If pioneering in the early days of the Republic was in part the prime business of fighting, it was also the good work of preaching. Preaching and teaching in the task of state-building were of like meaning. He who preached also taught.

The axe, the plowshare, the old flintlock and the "cap and ball" rifle—simple implements of a crude life—yet glorious symbols of this good republic of ours. But they are not all. They merely symbolize things utilitarian. The blue-back speller and the Bible—these the sources of learning and of religion —emblematic of mental enlightenment and of spiritual life! The pioneer preacher laid the base-rock of America’s moral life. To him and to no other belonged the palm for the moral anal spiritual learning that built great and powerful our national foundations. Say what we may in this changing day and time, it was this beautiful and strong moral principle pervading New England that raised up good and great men whose names, for their good works, are now a common heritage. This same principle antedating Plymouth Rock planted a church and school on the virgin shores of old Virginia. Thus the Republic was cradled.

As part and parcel of the ever-widening caravan, "Westward Ho!" was this evangel of gospel truth. In every wilderness there was a John the Baptist. And as it was in the colonial days, so also it was in a later period. In the thirties when Washington Irving visited and explored parts of the Indian Territory, it was then "the far West," a land conveyed, dedicated and set apart for the Indian people in which the light of progress was slow in coming. A wilderness indeed and in truth; but the voice of the preacher was heard there. Into the Choctaw and Chickasaw country came J. S. Murrow, R. J. Hogue, John H. Carr, John C. Robertson, Jesse H. Walker, John Harrell and Young Ewing and in the Cherokee Country such men as J. Y. Bryce and L. B. Statler. It is of the Reverend R. J. Hogue that this sketch is written. His life is not different in the main from the lives of those other sainted men and women who taught and preaced in that far-off day. But verily he was one of the saints. A few days after I came to

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Atoka, then in the Indian Territory, October 10, 1906, this good man died. He was sincerely mourned. His name was respected. He was one of the Lord’s own.

Reverend Hogue came to the Indian Territory as a missionary in 1858. He came out from Americus, Georgia, having been sent and supported by the Indian Missionary Society of the Southern Baptist Board. He was then a young man thirty-eight years of age, having been born March 8, 1820. He was licensed to preach in 1847, in which year he married Miss Clarissa Jenkins. With a wife and three children he came into the locality of Armstrong Academy, now in Bryan County. Succeeding Reverend Moffit he served three or four Baptist churches. There he remained until late in the fall of 1865. The wavering fortunes and final fall of the Confederacy disrupted all mails and from sheer lack of means the Board was forced to discontinue its support. Accordingly Brother Hogue went to Texas and for eighteen months had employment in the county court house at Linden, Texas. He and Rev. J. S. Murrow, who had likewise been in Texas, returned to the Territory. That was in 1867 or ’68 and he resumed his charge in the Armstrong Academy vicinity, following his appointment by the Domestic and Indian Missionary Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.

By reason of prevailing "hard times" in 1870, the Bethel Association called in its missionaries. At that time Brother Hogue was back in his native state of Georgia for improvement in health. Despite the action of the Association, he returned to his mission work among the Indian people and trusted to Providence for his support. Soon after, however, the Bethel Association resumed its mission activities and renewed its support of the faithful missionaries. In his work he organized many churches in the Territory. With increasing years and the influx of people along the new line of railway, (1872), which incurred new responsibilities his health began to decline, after long years of service, and in the withered and brown leaf of old age he could no longer meet the ceaseless calls of duty; so he moved into the town of Atoka to be near Mrs. Inge, a beloved daughter and there at "Sunset and even’ star" to put out to sea. He and his noble wife reared a family of nine children to an honorable manhood and womanhood. He labored for the church and for his Master’s

Page 298 cause. Verily he fought a good fight and he kept the faith. His is a part of the whole heritage left to us by the pioneer preacher—a heritage common to all and a blessing to all.

BAXTER TAYLOR. NOTES FOR A TALK TO KIOWA CHAPTER NO. 650 E. S.,

BY MRS. MARY M. ROGERS, PAST GRAND MATRON OF ATOKA, OKLAHOMA

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We find in the Record of Ohoyohoma Chapter No. 1, Atoka, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory, that Mrs. T. J. Bond invited the following ladies and brothers to meet at her residence at Atoka, namely: Miss Eddie, Mrs. Hester, Mrs. Kingsbury, Mrs. Martin of Boggy Depot, Mrs. Harlin, Mrs. Ainsworth of Caddo, Mrs. Hulsey of Limestone Gap, and Mrs. Keelah, Mrs. Shaw, J. S. Murrow of Atoka, Mrs. Athenius, M. Colbert of Colbert, Thursday the 28th day of February 1879 for the purpose of taking preliminary steps to organize a chapter of the O. E. S. Mrs. Shaw was elected chairman, J. S. Murrow was requested to act as Secretary. The Chapter name Ohoyohoma, translated into English, means Red Woman. Ohoyohoma Chapter No. 1 was instituted under chapter granted by Thomas M. Lamb most worthy Grand Patron of General Grand Chapter of the order of Eastern Star of U. S., through Willis D. Ingle, Right Worthy Grand Secretary of General Grand Chapter.

The officers on charter were Rev. J. S. Murrow, Worthy Patron, who at this time was Dept. Grand Patron of the General Grand Chapter O. E. S. of U. S. under Most Worthy Grand Patron, Thomas M. Lamb. Mrs. T. J. Bond, Worthy Matron; Mrs. Lizzie J. Hester, Associate Matron; Mrs. Keelah, Secretary.

The next Star in our beautiful Indian Territory was Antek-homa No. 2, meaning Red Sisters, at McAlester under the leadership of Edmond H. Doyle. Then came the third name-sake of a chief—Pawcannla Chapter No. 3 at Colbert. Savanna No. 4 at Savanna, after the great explosion of the

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mines at that place, several of her citizens moved to Lehigh and they also moved the O. E. S. Chapter retaining name and number.

The next Star shone forth in Prairie City, now known as Fairland, named Naomi No. 5. Then Lone Grove No. 6 shone forth at Lone Grove. All these chapters were Indian in Indian Territory. In 1889 Ohoyohoma Chapter No. 1 issued a call to all subordinate chapters to meet with Ohoyohoma Chapter No. 1 in Atoka Thursday, July the 11th, 1889, for the purpose of organizing a Grand Chapter of Indian Territory.

Six Chapters sent their representatives and the organization was perfected at this time. The officers were as follows: John Rennie, Grand Patron, of Savanna Chapter; Mrs. Mary E. McClure, Grand Matron from Ohoyohoma Chapter; Mrs. Sue Doyle, Grand Associate Matron from An-tek-homa Chapter; Mr. E. H. Doyle, Grand Secretary.

The Grand Chapter was held with An-tek-homa Chapter at McAlester on the 3rd Wednesday in June, 1890, at 10 O’clock. Believe me we enjoyed our first trip to the Grand Chapter and enjoyed every moment while there. Our Red Sister Chapter entertained us royally at this meeting. We had two visitors from Kansas and two from Texas. We believed in ourselves in that early day, and we in our infancy exemplified the work of the O. E. S. in the presence of these noted visitors, whose Grand Chapters were much older than ours. We were complimented for good work.

The next meeting was held in Atoka in 1891, Rev. J. S. Murrow, Grand Patron of Indian Territory and Mrs. Nettie Ransford, most Worthy Grand Matron of General Grand Chapter O. E. S., U. S. had a continued correspondence over who should hold jurisdiction over Oklahoma Territory, which resulted in the Grand Chapter of Indian Territory holding jurisdiction over Oklahoma Territory on the grounds that she had jurisdiction before the U. S. permitted them to become separate Territories.

In 1892 the third Grand Chapter met with Mrs. C. A. McBride; a committee of three was appointed to work up interest for the Orphans’ fund, consisting of Mrs. Mary L. Herrod, Mrs. Lou Colbert, Mrs. Sarah Walker. The Grand Matron recommended that our Jurisdiction be divided into dis-

Page 300 tricts and the Grand Matron empowered to appoint District Deputies. In 1893 the fifth Grand Chapter was held in Oklahoma City, there were nineteen chartered chapters and nine U. Ds.

The finance committee reported the total amount of money on hand !414.10; expenditures !304.85; balance !109.25. The members became enthused over the Orphan’s Home and desired that at our next meeting steps would be taken to locate such a home.

Mrs. Mary D. Waldron was Grand Matron. The sixth meeting was held in Atoka August 15, 1895, at this meeting Mrs. Herrod reported for the Orphan’s Home Fund !80.00. Ohoyohoma Chapter exemplified the floral work of our order at this meeting. Mrs. Mary M. Rogers was elected Grand Matron.

In 1896 the Seventh annual meeting was held at Muskogee. In this proceeding will be found the portraits of all the Grand Matrons and Patrons up to this time. Mrs. Herrod reported !85.00 for Orphan’s home fund, and requested that the committee be enlarged. The Grand Matron, J. S. Murrow, past Grand Patron, and Leo Bennett, Grand Patron, addressed the Grand Chapter on this subject. Considerable interest was manifested. Miss Clara McBride and Leo Bennett were added to this committee, in the future to be known as the Trustees of the Orphan Home charity fund.

Astrea Chapter No. 14 exemplified the work in a beautiful manner and called forth the praise of all present.

Mrs. Rebecca M. Swain was elected Grand Matron.

In 1897 the 8th meeting was held in Perry, Oklahoma; our Chapter had grown to include 49 subordinate chapters over both Territories. Many good deeds were done. The Trustees of the Orphan’s Home Charity Fund reported !100.20. It was accepted and committee continued. The Grand Secretary’s salary was raised to !150.00. The appointment of District Deputies in each district was very helpful to the growth of the order.

In 1809 the tenth convocation was held at Wynnewood, Indian Territory. On motion it was decided to turn over !168.20 to the Grand Treasurer of A. F. & A. M., all funds of Indian Territory and all funds collected after this do be turned

Page 301 over to the Grand Secretary and she turn over the same to Grand Treasurer of A. F. and A. M. of Indian Territory.

In 1901, August 25th, the annual convocation was held with Durant Chapter, Durant, Indian Territory, at this meeting the subordinate Chapters of Oklahoma Territory asked leave to withdraw from the Grand Chapter of Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory to organize a separate Grand Chapter in Oklahoma Teritory, which was granted. Altogether we numbered 670 chapters. Thirteen annual meetings up to August 12th, 1902, in Indian Territory with 39 chapters and 8 U. Ds. In 1905, 16 annual meetings were held. Henry M. Furmen reported having collected for the Orphan’s Home Fund !1140.00 which he turned over to the trustees of the Masonic Orphan Home Fund. The Grand Treasurer’s report shows a total of !2,203.00 with a balance of !1,381.60.

In 1906, seventeenth annual meeting, Mrs. Rhoda M. Hunter, Grand Matron, prepared a book of special instructions on doing what the Ritual instructs us to do. She asked the Grand Chapter to adopt it and to sell them at ten cents a copy to defray the expense of printing them, she asked that she be allowed to use the further proceeds toward furnishing a room in the Masonic Home. We see in the Grand Matron’s address that she is looking for our daughter Oklahoma to come home.

Later proceedings tell us of the coming together of the two bodies, Grand Chapter of Indian Territory and Grand Chapter of Oklahoma Territory. BOOK REVIEWS

BY J. Y. BRYCE

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In the Limelight, or History of Anadarko and Vicinity from the Earliest Days, by Rev. J. J. Methven. (Published by the Author, Anadarko, Okla., 1926. pp. 137. $1.50).

The author has traced the history of Anadarko and its surroundings back to the days before the Civil War, when the Wichita Agency was first established. Having spent much of his life among the Indians as a missionary and teacher, he has firsthand knowledge of much that is recorded in this book. It is not a history of a town but of a section of the Indian country, tracing its development from the early days down to the present.

Indian Music Programs. By Mrs. Roberta C. Lawson. (Nowata, Oklahoma, published by the author and compiler; also for sale by the J. W. Jenkins Music Store, at Tulsa, 44 p. Paper, $.50.)

In recent years there have been repeated and persistent calls for material for Indian literary and musical programs, thus attesting the growing interest in the art and music of the native American race and in the literature which pertains to its people. Mrs. Lawson's booklet appears in answer to the increasing demand for such material. The introduction was written by Mrs. Anne Faulkner Oberndorfer, chairman of the General Federation of Music Clubs. To the natural enthusiasm of one who is herself of Indian descent, Mrs. Lawson adds the matured taste and judgment of one who has been thoroughly schooled in all that is best and most worth while in music. Ten programs are outlined, including, in all, one or more productions of each of more than thirty composers, together with a number of suggested readings and impersonations. The Indian people of Oklahoma have good reason to be proud, not only that their race is coming into its own in the field of art and especially in music, but also that one of their own number has been able to put forth in pleasing form such a creditable introduction to a very fascinating field of study.

—J. B. T.