The Okfuskee County News (Okemah, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 28, 1918 Page: 1 of 8
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Meet Me at the Annual Literary Field and Track Meet Okemah April 5
: ©KUUSK
cav-
County Mews
VOL 15 No 25
OKEMAH OKLAHOMA THURSDAY MARCH 28 1918
$150 PER YEAR
IT
V
1
Okemah Boys at
Camp Fremont
i
Gordon T (Sam) Gray Writes Eiv
tertaining Letter Telling of Inci-
dents of Trip to West Coast
Gordon T Gray generally known as Sam Gray an Okemah
boy who left here on February 27 with five other boys who had
enlisted in the engineers corps for Vancouver Barracks Wash-
ington has written home from Camp Fremont California to which
place he was transferred shortly after his arrival on the Pacific
Coast Through the courtesy of the Creek Trading Company to
whom the letter was addressed the News is publishing his letter
believing that it will be enjoyed not only by his large number of
friends at this place but by every reader of this paper It is a re-
markable letter Sam has grown from boyhood to manhood in
Okemah and while he has been recognized as a remarkably bright
boy by all who know him very few suspected the latent literary
ability which is displayed in this letter It is quite evident from
this letter that all that Sam needs is a little technical training to
blossom into a first-class humorist
Sam was active in raising the bunch of boys who enlisted with
the local exemption board here for service in the engineers corps
and he was placed in charge pf the squad His assistant was Rob-
ert W Armstrong another Okemah boy The personnel of the
squad was as follows: Gordon T (Sam) Gray Okemah Robert
W Armstrong Okemah Charles H Ayers Weleetka William
Myers Okfuskee Samuel Luther Hale Okemah John Clifford
Terry Paden
The letter follows:
Camp Fremont California
Creek Trading Company
-Okemah Okla
Dear Bunch:
Attcn-shun! t might as well be
military about it because I am at last
about to get into the Brmy I thought
two weeks ago today at 10 o’clock that
1 was selected by a body of men com-
posed of my friends and neighbors
and frbrti henceforth wnd forever and
anon I'was livery valuable part of the
military forces of the nation but I
' had just started on my weary thorny
way Rejoicing I will now try to
eliminate some of the incidents that
have befell or befallen me
After leaving Okemah we devoured
everything the Red Cross gave us ex
cept the pillows and the shoe boxes
that the lunches were in We arrived
iii Oklahoma City on time and my
bunch scattered to the winds but all
caught the train We didn’t get a
sleeper until 4:30 in the morning We
slept till about 8 and all got up for
breakfast except Bob We ate with
Fred Harvey until we arrived at San
Francisco There is qpe white man
We ate the same meals on our 60c
tickets that the passengers paid 75c
and $1 for All went well until we
reached Las Vegas New Mexico We
ate supper there and while I "as
chasing Alkali Ike (nickname I gave
Jess Tuft’s barber Luther Hale) my
First Lieutenant Robert W (Bob)
Armstrong saw some female on a
train bound for Kansas City and he
thought he would parade through the
train While thereon the train pulled
out In the meantime my army (the
balance) had boarded the train and
started for Frisco
First Lieutenant Bob got eff the
train as soon as possible but possible
was too late We were gone We (me
and my army) with the assistance of
all of the passengers and train crew
searched every coach but no- Bob
About 3 o’clock the porter and
Pullman conductor awoke me in my
private upper berth with a telegram
for Captain Gordon T Gray I said
of course that’s me The telegram
stated that Lieutenant R W Arm-
strong a lost soldier wanted trans-
portation so I acquiesced (I don’t
know what that is) and we fixed the
lieutenant’s transportation to Frisco
Of course being Tn command and
absolutely responsible for my army I
was some worried so I got sick hnd a
Indy on the train put mmonia under
my nose That sure brought
around If you see that (deleted by
censor) girl tell her to take a bottle
of ammonia the next time she goes to
Arkansaw and she won’t get drunk
The conductor told us that Bob
would reach Frisco twelve hours after
we did so I had my private secretary
John the Baptist (the nick name I
gave the boy from Paden— he is very
religious — John C Terry) wire the
train Bob was supposed to be on but
’ the answer from the conductor was
that no lost lieutenant was on board
Well I wag some complexed or per-
plexed and about half mad because
hadn’t I been chosen by a board com-
posed of my friends and neighbors to
invade the Golden West with an army
of six and I had lost one-sixth of them
and hadn’t fought a battle?
Well a few hours later we had
changed conductors and he came
through the train looking for Captain
Gordon T Gray On the train with us
were two lieutenants and a private in
uniforms - Naturally the conductor
went to them with the message They
didn?t know that a captain was on the
train so after the conductor found
me he went back and told them that a
captain was on there traveling in civ-
ilian dress They had been drinking
and it scared them up They got rid
of the boose shaved up and brushed
up their clothes They paraded through
the train but they never did spot the
captain The conductor told me about
it on the boat at Frisco
Well the telegram was from Lieu-
tenant R W (Bob) stating that he
would reach Frisco at 10 o’clock Sat-
urday night That was three hours
behind us Naturally that made me
feel about 90 per cent better
Well we reached the bay about 6
or 6:10 and they drove us on the bout
like a bunch of cattle) and ferried us
across - We Vad a faint glimpse of the
Golden Gate at sunset but we left it
open We didn’t get to see much of
Frisco because we had to watch for
the lieutenant He arrived on time
so we took the boat across the bay to
Oakland and entrained (note the
words I am using I don’t know what
they mean but I have heard some one
use them somewhere some time) for
Portland -Oregon over the Southern
Pacific
This railroad outfit thinks as much
of a soldier as we do of a polecat at
home We got on tlje train at 12 that
night and when we got up the next
morning breakfast was served in the
diner I presented my meal ticket
and the manager ordered six govern-
ment meals We got ’em We received
hash At noon the manager said
“duplicate” Some of the boys said
“now we will get something to eat”
But alas! we received hash again
Now that was about enough — hash
We did without and ate fruit until we
reached Portland Monday morning
We ate two meals in Portland al-
though we were just about nine miles
from Vancouver Washington
(Continued Friday night)
I am writing this on the installment
me plan by candle light We will have
electric lights when we get out of
quarantine
Well to continue my narrative
(ain’t that some word?) -we reached
Vancouver ubout 3 o’clock p m There
was a whole flock of recruits on the
train and two hollered “engineers over
here" and two hollered "spruce men
over heri” Well we - went “over
here" I delivered my official papers
to one of them and right there I lost
my official capacity I went from a
captain traveling in a private upper
berth to a buck private in the rear
(Continued on Page Four)
WESTERN UNION TELEGRAPH
Muskogee Okla 5:15 p m March 27 1918
P E Gibson Okemah Okla
April sixth has been declared a holiday
by President Wilson and Governor Williams
in order to start off the next Liberty Bond
sale You should take immediate steps to or-
ganize for a big rally on this day If you can
arrange for a speaker among the people of
your own county I would suggest that you do
so If you cannot let me know and I will try
and furnish you with a speaker for that day
- : HH OGDEN
' ' District Chairman
SECOND QUOTA
DEGINS TODAY
Seven Okfuskee County Regis-
trants Will Report to Local
Exemption Board
The first contingent of the ftecond
quota of the selective draft for Okfus-
kee county will leave Okemah Friday
March 29 for Camp Travis near San
Antonio Texas The number assigned
to this county was seven men and the
local exemption board sent out notices
Sunday morning ordering seven Ok-
fuskee county registrants to report
at this place at 4:30 on Thursday
March 28 I
The men ordered to report were se-
lected according to their order num-
bers with the exception that in com-
pliance with instructions from the war
department' the local board 'did not
call for service any registrant who is
actually engaged iq farming
The names and postoffice addresses
of the men called to report Thursday
evening are as follows:
Pa
Si
te
Pi
pj
Pi
Pa
Pa
Pa
Sherman Henry Irwin (J
Sand Springs pj
304-A — Jackson Richard Hill p j
Oklahoma City p3
464 — Jess Edward Wall pH
Okemah p3
479 — James William Calla- p3
han Morse P3
ST 482 — Rufus M Coleman fCj
ptQ Weleetka p2
P3 483 — Fred Houston Windrix PSi
ICq Okemah p3
Pi 530 — William James Floyd ' pH
pH ' Okemah pj
-
The locajffixemption board has no
intimation as to when the next con-
tingent offthe second quota will be
295-
thought that the war
awaiting the action of
mend the selective draft
uota assigned to the
tesj may be apportioned
Number of regis-
trants in clasiie instead of accord-
ing to the population
When this change is made or if
congress refuses to make the change
it is probable that the calls will be
hurried as rapidly as possible as
there seems to be room now in the
training camps owing to the large
number of soldiers transferred for
foreign service
IMPORTS DRAFT HORSES
FOR ROAD WORK
Dug Sharp has just shipped in from
northwestern Oklahoma a bunch of
horses and mares for road work
which are the finest looking buneh of
draft animals ever imported into the
county ’
Mr Sharp has the contract for
building several miles of road in Ok-
mulgee county Ilis contract begins
at the county line east of Okfuskee
and runs to the city limits of Okmul-
gee Mr Shurp will begin work on
this contract as soon as he completes
his contract 6f road building in Lin-1
coin township which "ill be in the
near future
Dug is a good road builder and
good judges who have inspected his
work say that he builds the best roads
ever constructed in this part of the
state His contract is for a snnd and
clay road and the people interested in
the road from Okfuskee to Okmulgee
are assured of good work
LOCAL TEAM
WINS TROPHY
Okemah K of I Compete With
Tulsa Team at Okmulgee '
—Each Win Prize
The Knights of Pythias who went
from Okemah to Okmulgee Thursday
night report a splendid time The
team from this place competed with
the Tulsa team for a $50 Liberty
Bond and a King’s robe The Okemah
team won the Liberty Bond and the
Tulsa team won the robe The Oke-
mah boys say that they learned a
great deal from the Tulsa team and
the Tulsa boys acknowledged that
they also learned much from the Oke-
mah team They gave D A Dawson
of the Okemah team the credit of be-
ing the best chancellor commander
that they had ever seen
DOCK ELLIOTT DISCHARGED
AT PRELIMINARY HEARING
The preliminary examination of
Dock Elliott charged with assault
with intent to kill was held before
'Justice W J Lawrence Saturday
The account of the pistol duel be-
tween Dock Elliott foreman on the
! Dug" Sharp farm and Arch Andrews
a colored farm hand was given' in
last week’s News The two men emp-
tied their guns shooting at each other
but none of the shots took effect
It was impossible to ascertain from
the evidence at the preliminary which
man was the aggressor so the de-
fendant was discharged
County Attorney Hurst filed 'a
charge of carrying concealed weapons
against both Elliott and Andrews
The negro plead guilty and paid his
fine The case against Elliott on this
charge lias not yet been tried
Rowe & Phillips are the attorneys
for Elliott
GONE TO DETROIT AFTER
THREE NEW DODGE CARS
The Okemah garage sold three new
Dodge Brothers’ cars this week Ow-
ing to the crowded traffic condition
Carl Wheatley with two of the pur-
chasers left for Detroit Tuesday
where each man will take the wheel
of a new Dodge and bring them
through Guy F John and EE Par-
sons are on this trip
The Okemah garage is selling these
cars at the regular price and if a
customer cares for the trip to De-
troit it will cost him nothing but his
time as the garage pays the expenses
of the trip This alone is a good ad-
vertising feature ns several fellows
are interested in both the' trip and the
car
DEATH OF J D BUSBY
J D Busby an old and respected
citizen of Okemah died at the home
of his son-in-law W N Barry in
this city at an early hour Tuesday
morning of paralysis He had been
ill since Sunday and his sudden death
was a severe shock to his relatives and
friends t
The deceased had been a resident
of Okemah since the opening of the
towy and has many friends here who
mourn his demise He leaves one son
Ernest Busby editor of the Dustonian
and two daughters Mrs W N Barry
und Mrs Luther Massey both of Oke-j
mnh j
The remains were taken to Oxford
Miss today for burial accompanied
by members of the fymily i
Full Regiment
Is Authorized
Oklahoma Is Called On for Twelve
Companies of Infantry of
250 Men Each
The war department has authorized
the organization of an Oklahoma na-
tional guard regiment to full war
strength and Governor Williams has
commissioned Col H W Pentecost to
organize the unit
The regiment will consist of twelve
infantry line- companies a supply
company machine gun company and
headquarters company
Each company will consist of 250
men the entire regiment to contain
3750 in all Only Oklahoma officers
and men will be in the regiment The
regiment will be federalized and will
be available for service at home or
abroad
The work of receiving volunteers is
to begin at once Men between the
ages of 18 and 40 years will be ac-
cepted for enlistment There will be
no mobilization of the regiment until
it is federalized and ordered to camp
I “ J
NEGRO BOY ACQUITTED
OF THEFT CHARGE
George Smith the negro boy who
was arrested last week charged with
stealing a watch which belonged to
Guy Thomas was given a preliminary
hearing Tuesday before Justice W J
Lawrence
The watch had been left at the jew-
elry store o'C -G Schmidt" When
Mr Schmidt went to look for the
watch he discovered that it had dis-
appeared The watch was finally
found in the possession of a Mexican
jwho however proved that he had
'traded for it with George Smith’
J Smith when arrested claimed that
I he had bought the watch from an-
I other negro boy At the preliminary
hearing he stuck to his story and also
proved his claim by two other wit
j nesses The result of the hearing was
that George was discharged He was
defended by A B Burris
CIDER CASE IN COUNTY
COURT POSTPONED
The trial which was to have been
held in the county court Monday to
determine whether the cider confis
cated by Sheriff Berry Jones is intox-
icating was postponed and a date for
the trial of the case has not yet been
fixed
The sheriff took possession of about
550 gallons of cider belonging to John
Simmons at Paden believing that the
sale of it is prohibited by law Both
Simmons and the manufacturers of
the cider contend that if is not intoxi-
cating County Attorney Hurst sent
a sample of the cider to the state
chemist and had it analyzed The an-
alysis showed that it contained over 7
I per cent alcohol The trial was post-
poned in order to allow the other side
of the case to have an analysis made
of the cider
COUNTY JAIL NOW EMPTY
j The county jail is now empty the
I last prisoner having been re waged
Tuesday when he was tried on a
charge of petit larceny and acquitted
A B Burris attorney for the defend-
ant claims the honor of emptying the
jail Sheriff Berry Jones however
claims that the jail is vacant as a re-
sult of the county being cleared of
bootleggers and booze vendors of ev-
ery description At all events the
county jail is at present without oc-
cupants and the road gang has di-
minished to zero It appears that the
people of Okfuskee county are as law-
abiding as can be found anywhere in
the world
MARRIED AT METHO-
DIST PARSONAGE
George C Bullette of Tulsa and
Miss Then 'Jennetta Kappe of Fort
Smith Ark were married at the par-
sonage of the First M E church in
this city Tuesday morning Rev R L
Aitken officiating The groom is 33
years of age and the bride is 30
Men of draft age will be taken into
the regiment but their enlistment will
not relieve them from call under the
selective service
Infantry Company for Okfuskee Co
As soon as the news of the authori-
zation of the new regiment was re-
ceived at Okemah some of the pa-
triotic young men got busy and be-
gan discussing the practicability of
organizing an infantry company from
Okfuskee county A cavalry com-
pany one of the four troops in this
state was organized at Okemah and
is now in the federal service This or-
ganization took quite a number of
young men from the county It is be-
lieved however that a squad of vol-
unteers may be secured from each of
the towns in the county and that the
squads can be drilled at their home
towns until they are federalized
Okemah Weleetka Paden Castle
Welty Bearden Okfuskee and per-
haps other places in the county may
be able to furnish one or more squads
The volunteers could drill bjr squads
at their home towns and at stated
days they could mobilize at the county
seat for company drill
Okemah can furnish men of mili-
tary experience who are competent to
drill the squads and other towns in
the county have also material from
which good officers can be selected
If enough men cannot be secured in
Okfuskee county to make a full com-
pany no doubt material can be drawn
from surrounding counties some of
which may not attempt to organize a
company
Men of draft age should be anxious
to enlist in this organization While
it will not relieve them from service
under the selective draft the train-
ing they will receive here will be of
great advantage to them when they
are finally called Boys below the
draft age who in all probability wflf
be called later will be vastly beqe--fitted
by the training they will re-
ceive and men who are above the-
draft age but who are willing and'
anxious to serve their country wiN
have an opportunity to enlist Oke-
mah should make an attempt to se--cure
one of these infantry companies
THREE INJURED IN AUTO
ACCIDENT SUNDAY
Troy Bourland a traveling salesman
who lives in Okemah was out rid-
ing Sunday evening with his wife and
baby "hen the car upset and all of the
occupants were more or less injured
The accident occurred near the Dug
Sharp farm east of town and was
caused by the car running into a
sand drift The car turned completely
over and Mr Bourland wife and
baby were pinned underneath
Mr Bourland managed to crawl out
from under the car and afterwards
extricated his wife and baby from-
thtir perilous situation
A truck passed the place soon after
the accident and the car was righted
and the truck pulled Mr Bourland
and his wife and baby into town
Dr May was called and rendered
surgical aid to the injured Mrs
Bourland was the worst injured be-
ing cut and bruised in several places
The baby had a severe bruise in the
forehead Mr Bourland was badly
bruised and shaken up but was able
to be around the next day All are re-
ported to be doing well at present
CASTLE MAN CHARGED
WITH STEALING LISTER
George Boulware of Castle was
arrested Thursday of last week
charged with stealing a lister front
William Marks Boulware was brought
before W J Lawrence justice of the
peace Riid bond for his appearance
for trial was fixed at $250 The de-
fendant had no difficulty in making
bond and his trial was set for Friday
April 5
A B Burris is Boulwnre’s attorney
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The Okfuskee County News (Okemah, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, March 28, 1918, newspaper, March 28, 1918; Okemah, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1713089/m1/1/: accessed March 29, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.