Volume 15 , Issue 23

Territorial Round-Ups of 1894 In Oklahoma

In The Norman Transcript (Norman, Okla. Terr.), Vol. 06, No. 12, Ed. 1 Friday, 21 December 1894, we found some interesting "Territorial Round-Ups,'" gleaned from all parts of Oklahoma. For one of those, did you ever hear of "Howdy-do-Bill" that ran a cigar parlor in Oklahoma City?

The Guthrie Board of trade was going to give a legislative ball that year. The Oklahoma City Traveling men organized an association last week. The Newkirk City Mission is doing noble work for the poor of that town. The merchants of Blackwell are moving to Parker a new town near that city.

The Beall murder case was being heard by Judge Bierer at El Reno during the week of December 21, 1894.

Among all the hills set apart as a site for the capitol building, El Reno had the prettiest.

Have you ever heard of this prominent citizen of Atoka: Apuckshenubbee Pushmalaseanvilchubbee? Can you even pronounce it?

There was mention from a Chandler young man that said his town far outclasses Guthrie in the matter of pretty girls, in December, 1894.

And . . . The "old honkey-tonk dance hall" at Newkirk was turned into a place of divine worship in 1894.

Oklahoma City lawyers in 1894 could dig up more perjury and libel suits than all the rest of the territory.

Contractor Cook of the Choctaw had established his headquarters at Oklahoma City, instead at South McAlester.

Judge W. R. Asher had retired from the Tecumseh Republican, and would give his attention to farming and politics.

Indian lands and statehood for Oklahoma was commanding considerable attention at Washington City during December, 1894.

All the citizens of Watonga were out in the hills east of that city looking for cement beds. They were not looking for "flowery beds of ease."

John Furlong, Magnetic doctor and spiritualist, was endeavoring to get Milligan a commutation of sentence. John evidently was not very busy professionally.

Acting-Governor Lowe pardoned Squire Devore, who was sentenced to three years confinement in the penitentiary for obtaining money under false pretenses at Guthrie.

"High Five" was the rage in the strip the winter of 1894. Nearly every editor in that part of the territory was an expert and generally managed to carry off one or the other of the prizes. (Makes you wonder what the "High Five" was all about, huh?)

Lincoln county had a Nimrod club organized for the purpose of ridding the county of coyotes, jack rabbits and wild cats. W. H. Mason the newly elated member of the council was captain.

Anyone ever heard of this case, where I. N. Terrill, who killed Geo. Embree, during the session of the first legislature of this Territory had been tried three times, and had at last received justice by being convicted and sentenced.

Have you ever heard of Charlie Hunter, the well known starter of newspapers, who was conducting the Enid Eagle? Hunter was a formidable candidate for clerk of the territorial council. His principal opponent was A. C. Harding of the State Guide.

And we come to the item of D. C. Lewis, a leading attorney of Oklahoma City, that wanted the Indian territory and Oklahoma as one state. He said Oklahoma as a state by itself would be "the poverty stricken end of nothing afflicted with wind and dust."

Have you ever heard of Dr. Dean of Oklahoma City? He lost a pocket-book containing $175.00 while in Tecumseh the second week of December, 1894. It was reported that he might have known better than to carry that amount of money around with him. He should remember that Pottawatomie county was populistic, and that he had just $70.00 more than a city man was allowed to own.

These following pathetic lines were picked up near Stillwater, O. T., the day after the editor of the Times-Record made famous run out of that town:

Farwell Stillwater, Farewell,
I bid you a running adieu.
I may take a trip to Hell,
But I'll never come back to you.

19 December 1894, Wednesday afternoon, Joe Warren, a Santa Fe brakeman, met with a serious injury while coupling cars on the switch tracks at Guthrie. He had placed the coupling pin in position, as is the habit, so that when the two cars came together the jolt should have dropped it into the coupling. Instead of dropping down, it seemed it had been placed too far down, and when the bumper hit it, it flew out instead of into its place. It struck the brakeman with such terrific force that it broke the right side of his jaw and knocked out many of his teeth. He was unable to talk.   |  View or Add Comments (0 Comments)   |   Receive updates ( subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

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