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The idea seemed most uncanny to Hicks and when he re-
turned home, he read everything he could find concerning the
telephone. Soon after his return to the ranch at Claremore he
made friends with the agent of the St. Louis and San Franciseo
railroad which had recently extended its line to Claremore. Work-
ing with this agent Hicks studied telegraphy, and incidentally
gathered considerable information on the subject of telephones.
During the summer of 1886 Hicks was in Tahlequah to or-
ganize a company to finance the construction of a telephone line
from Tahlequah, to Muskogee, through Fort Gibson. He was able
to interest several friends and relatives in the project. The orig-
inal company was composed of Mr. Hicks, C. W. Turner, J. B.
Stapler, J. S. Stapler, John S. Scott, and L. B. Bell. Mr. Hicks
is the only one of this group living, J. B. Stapler having died
only a few weeks since.
The next problem was to secure a permit from the Cherokee
Nation for the construction of the telephone line. This was no
easy matter, for the Indians opposed every move which might
lead to the opening of their country to the outside world, or lead
to the establishment of railroads or encourage the coming of whites
to their lands. Finally the Cherokee National Council granted the
permit and the grant was approved by Principal Chief Dennis W.
Bushyhead, and Hicks and J. W. Stapler went to St. Louis to get
the telephones. They called on the electrical supply house of A.
S. Aloe and Company who referred them to D. A. Kusel, a German
electrician, who could assemble the telephones for them. It was
necessary to purchase the parts separately because of the various
patents on the assembled machines. The telephone as assembled
by Kusel was, according to Hicks, "fearfully and wonderfully
made". Three telephones were assembled at a cost of $75.00 each
and brought back to Tahlequah. These boxes were cumbersome
and heavy. The hook was the only patented part abeot them.
The wire, brackets, and insulators were purchased n St. of the
and shipped to Tahlequah. In order to appease full bloods
Cherokees two telephones were fastenedupae of theo
were allowed to talk with each other. "Much of the opposition
left after the Indians learned that le the ene could talk Cher-
okee"; however, fearing that it would rand to ectone pe and,
they were still a little worried asout wansig the permit, and
when the permit was finally granted, it was
Th eephone In OklahOma