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line must be constructed through country which would be in- accessible to railroads. A second restriction required that no sur- veyors' instruments could be used in building the line. The Cherokees had the idea that a surveyed line was the first step in building a railroad and they were much opposed to railroads be- ing built through their nation although the Treaty of 1866 granted this right. In late summer of 1886 a tool and a chuck wagon was equipped and the construction company began their project, working from Tahlequah. The tools consisted of axes, shovels, and a ladder. The crew was composed of Hicks, a teamster, and two negroes (Jack Luther and Emanuel Spenser) to help with the heavy work. Wherever possible the line was strung through trees, the tops be- ing cut off to form posts. The wire was stretched by using a wagon and team, and a ladder was used instead of "climbers". Since they were allowed to use no surveyors' instruments, they depended upon their sense of general direction; and when they would reach a high point they would take sight and jog either to the right or left to keep a direct line to Muskogee. By August 6, the line was completed to Fort Gibson. There the construction gang attempted to talk with the headquarters at Tahlequah. "We could not get the telephone to working and a soldier at the fort who knew something about telephones told us it was wired wrong, and showed us how it should be fixed. We fixed our phone according to the directions given by the soldier and sent a darky to Tahlequah, with a picture I had drawn of the correct wiring. After several hours we rang Tahlequah and the voice of J. S. Stapler came over the line - 'Hello-' 'Who is this' 'This is the devil, I'm coming after you.' " Such, according to Hr. Hicks, was the first long distance telephone conversation in what is now the state of Oklahoma. The nent problem confronting the construction company was getting through the heavy cane brakes along the Arkansas and across the river. It was necessary to chop out a road for the com- bined tool and chuck wagon, no easy task with the tools at hand, and then manage to get the wagon across the swampy land along the river. This task was soon behind them and then they faced the problem of crossing the river. This was accomplished by the use of a flat boat trailing a rope to which was attached the wire. When they reached the other side, the wire was drawn over the