The Coalgate Courier (Coalgate, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1919 Page: 1 of 8
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V “ — 1 LivJ t
i
Couipm :
J E T CLARK
“That the Government of the People by the People qnd for the People shall not periBh from the Earth" — A LINCOLN
ONE E I’OLLAR AND FIFTY CENTS PER YEAR
VOL X
COALGATE OKLAHOMA THURSDAY FEBRUARY 20 1919
NO 16
UNCLE DICK NELSON
BURNED TO DEATH
R C Nelson’ known almost
ever since he came to Coalgate
on September 2 1899 as Uncle
Dick died at his home in this
city Tuesday about 4:30 p rn
they result of burns received in
an explosion while working in a
shale pit at No Twelvemine on
Monday about 4:30 p m at
which time Solomon Haag also
working there and said to have
been in charge of the shale crew
was seriously burned The ex-
plosion was caused by throwing
water on the shale of the mine
‘dump” in order that the shale
be loaded out on cars
Uncle Dick served as night
watch here for 14 years He
has also served as constable for
several years since coming here
He was an honorary member of
Coalgate Lodge No 211 AF &
A M - He was made a member
of Honey Grove Texas Lodge
when he was 21- years of age
He was also a member of Cot-
tonwood Camp No 653 W 0
W Every one almost through-
out this entire section of country
knew Uncle Dick He was
born' in Chattanooga T e n n
on February 25 1857 and 1 had
he lived for seven more days he
would have been 62 years of age
He removed to Honey Grove
Texas when a young man where
he was united in marriage to
Miss Mary A Rhodes who sur-
vives him Three children also
survive the father They are
Jesse 'Nelson ' yf 'Dallas- Tex
Mrs Maggie Neal and Mrs Liz-
zie Burt of Henryetta Okla
' Funeral services will be held at
the home Thursday afternoon at
2:30 p m and burial will be in
Coalgate cemetery
1 From James Snoddy
Germany Jan 18th 1919
Dear Mother Father and Sisters:
I received the first letter I
have received from you day be-
fore yesterday It was dated
December 28rd 1918 Gee but I
sure was glad to know that you
were all well You seel didn’t
know until then but what you
all had had the flu and died
Reading in ths papers about there
being so many deaths from flu
in the States it made me more
anxious to hear from you so you
can imagine my glad surprise
when the billet came and one of
the boys said ‘ ‘Snoddy here is
some mail for you” “Gee mail
for me”I said and really it" was
-time Got one letter from you
one from George and two from
my girl
Well we had another snow
last night That is the second
snow since landing here You
said you didn’t send me a Christ-
mas box on account of not hav-
ing my label I -was not expect-
ing’ any on that account as you
had to have it before you could
send the box and we did not get
located in time to have them is-
sued to us But you can save it
me when I come home
for
can make use of it then alright
Your letter was a Christmas
present enough for me as it was
if it was a little late about getting
here It was highly appreciated
just the same Several of the
boys of the old organization who
are now in the 47th with me
suffered the same by their Christ-
mas boxes so as long as I am on
an average with the boys I never
grumble I don’t wish to receive
any more than the average I
want to receive the same hard-
ships as the other boys so when
the thing is over no one can
glance at me and say “you have
no room to boast you had it
soft” I want to go through the
worst with the boys ’ and believe
me I have had my share since
have been here I think if peace
is signed any ways soon we will
start home in about a month
afterwards but until then we
are here and here to stay We
hope to be home by harvest
Say would you have thought
of it - I am ' teaching school in
Germariy I go over to Adenan
and teach a class one hour every
night I thought of teaching
but never thought of teaching
the Sammies in Germany I am
going over to Adenan to have
my photo made and if they are
any good will send you all some
Tell papa not to depend on me
helping him with his farmingas
I wrote him for I wont get home
in time this year
Well I will close sending my
best regards to one and all Your
affectionate son and brother
Pvt James Snoddy
Co D 47th Infantry
American EF A P0746
s Pine
We are having some wintry weather
Mrs Northcott Miss Hayhurst Mrs
Real and daughter Geneva and V M
Vernon visited in Parker Saturday
Our box supper of Tuesday Febru-
ary 11th brought $3150 including the
cake for the prettiest girl of whom
Miss Lois Rogers was the winner The
proceeds will be used to purchase lights
and other small furnishings for school
house
The Pine school is one among the
best schools in Coal county with lots of
good looking girls and bovs always
ready to do their bit
W II Fathree visited in Parker
Cuturday ‘ -
A E Koger has returned from Mc-
Alester hospital where he was operat-
ed on for appendicitis about two weeks
ago and is feeling very well
Miss Ethen Davis spent Thursday
night with Miss Lois Rogers
Alfred Gaches went to Parker Sat-
urday The Pine ladies are preparing to
majie garden
Olhe and Bennie Wauson attended
the literary at Cabe Saturday night ‘
Jack Caldwell was a Coalgate visitor
Friday and Satuaday
Mr and Mrs Gaches attended to
business in Coalgate Friday and Sat-
urday F M Vernon and W H Fathree
were Coalgate visitors Monday
Mr Koger of McAlester is visiting
his brother here for u few days
Presbyterian Banquet
The officers of the First Pres-
byterian Church banqueted the
Church Choir last Thursday
evening in the church annex
Though the weather was very
unfavorable thirty-six members
of the choir were present to en-
joy the feast of good things pre-
pared for them The menue in-
cluded roast turkey au dressing
cranberry sauce consome’
meshorarim sweet pickles olives
creamed potatoes tiny peas
fruit salid ice cream cake cof-
fee After dinner speeches ‘ were
made for the officers by Mr
Harwell who spoke encouraging-
ly and highly complimentary of
the work and importance of the
choir to the church closing with
the statement that the banquet
just served was given as a token
of the appreciation of the officers
of the work of the choir Mrs
Ralls responded in behalf of the
choir thanking the officers most
heartily for the splendid ban-
quet saying that the officers
themselves deserve the praise
for the good work of the choir
because they had always foster-
ed and encouraged it After
other speeches music and much
merriment' a most delightful
evening came to a close long to
?e rombered by those present
LOCATES WRECK OF
The Ship that Carried a Dozen Coalgate
Men to Watery Grave Believed
Located at Last Near Point
Reyes California
ALMY WRECKED
A Mystery of 21 Years Probably Cleared up and the
Thought at that Time that there was Foul-Play
was Probably Wrong
San Francisco Feb 13— The wreck of a sailing vessel be-
lieved to have been the bark Helen W Almy which foundered off
this port in May 1897 with fifty persons aboard was located to-
day by a fishing trawler seven and one-half miles southeast of
Point Reyes ( -
The trawler’s net gear became entangled in the wreckage at a
depth of forty-six fathoms Shipping men said bits of the wreck-
age brought to the surface led them to identify the craft as the
Almy "
- The Almy left this port with a small crew and a large number
of menjoound for the Klndikdurjo- the gold rushbut founder-
ed with all hands during a heavy storm t '
The above clipping was 6ent to John T Simpson by his father
Dr D M Simpson and as it clears up a mystery of all these years
and probably furnishes conclusive evidence that all those aboard
met their doom when the Almy went down The Courier prints
the item This has been one of the mysteries of the sea that has
been of intense Interest to all the relatives and friends of these
men who left here more than 21 years ago to seek their fortunes
in the Klondike gold fields
On or about March 1 1898 twelve men left Coalgate for
the Alaskan gold fields They shipped out of San Francisco on
March 20 aboard the Helen W Almy and have never been heard
frofti since A day or two after they left San Francisco it was re-
ported that a vessel was observed upside down several miles out
by an incoming ship- A search was made but the vessel was
never heard of again A man giving his name as Leon Gotsky a
Russian made up the excursion from here The party as nearly as
we are able to obtain the names consisted of the following:
' LEON GOTSKY
THEODORE CREBER f
WILLIAM SNEDDEN
JAMES SAXON
WILLIAM McCRAY
JOHN SNELL
JAMES RONALD
BARNEY CINOTTI
OTTO WALTERS
JNO T WALKER
RICHARD NICHOLS
- JULES GILLES
From James McCary
Somewhere in France
' January 6 1919
Miss Mary Vegher
Coalgate Okla
My Dear Friend:
I will write you a few lines
this evening as I have nothing
else to do to pass the lonesome
hours away We seldom ever
see the sun shine here All we
see is rain seven days out of the
week I never seen it rain in
one country so much in all my
ife
I was out on guard when I got
your letter and one of the boys
told me I had a letter from one
of my Oklahoma - girls and I
could not imagine who it was
from until I came in and saw the
handwrite then I knew who it
was from
There is bou-cope of pretty girls
IN
HEAVY STORM
over here but there’s none of
them that looks as good to me as
the little girls in the U S A I
guess you know what boucope
means It merely means much
Well I will now tell you about
mv trip on the boat coming over
here We got on the boat at
Hoboken N J and got off at
Brest We stayed on the boat
two days after getting over un-
loading the cargo Then we' got
off and hiked to what is called a
rest camp We got there about
six in the evening and we were
so tired vq could hardly put one
hoof before the other one There
we stretched tents and prepared
to go to bed for a good night’s
sleep when the whistle blew for
us to fall out for retreat then
we got new orders to be prepar-
ed to leave there at 2:30 the net
morning 'When the time came
we were all ready to go on a new
hike We hiked back t Br
where we got off the si p 1
we got a train and fro 1
we went to Charast a ve y s‘
town here we staid abo t
weeks I think Then on ey'
ing we got on th'e the t ai
Charast not knowing w) eref
were going' but we kraw
were going up toward th fro"!t
We were on the train about thrive
days the best I - remem 1 or a
one night about 7:30 we ffoFPt1
at a town and some of as
in the box cars and some of u
went out upon the hillside an
made us beds down there W
had not heard no big guns yet
but about 10 o’clock in the nigh
I woke up Here I relized th
war was on About 10 ocloc i
they began to send over a bai
rage and it only lasted until dai
light the next morning Thofee
little old eight-inch guns wejre
certainly telling it to those geariy
Here we only staid a few weelds
We put in a railroad switch We
were camped in a big pinte grojj e
where you could hardly sea to Lo
through in daytime much! less an
the night ! i
When we left the pine grove
we went up the line to some dtig
outs called the French dugoufc
We staid here three days
then we moved to Marelayg
west better known as th& Ger-
man dugouts Here we were n
paradise but we did not know it
We had fine baths and here ws
saw our first deer Theyj were
on the hillside by the road jThest
dugouts were in the Argone for
ear They were made ip jhis
hillside You would go straight
into on door -sun dirt: tha-ba Ck of
the dugout there was another
door which went down m the
ground at an angle of 45 degree1?
These steps went about fifty fei-t
into the ground and at the eurf
of these steps there was another
dugout and in this dugout ybu
could go for miles There were
no rooms in this dugout only a
long road Something like they
have in the mines You could
go for miles under here and
never see daylight About half
a mile from where you entered
these dugouts there were air
shafts just like they have in the
coal mines These roads in these
dugouts did not go straight
They w e r e - zigzagged One
night we went down in these
dugouts with a light and we
rambled for about two hours and
never did come to the end
I was on guard one night and
it was as dark as the mischief
Everything was as' quiet as it
could be All at once I heard
something sound like an airo-
plane I knew it was a geary
plane by the sound of the motor
I could not see him only when he
came between me and the moon
He flew around over me for some
time and as he could not see any
lights he soon went away If
he had ever seen a light he would
have given us a little air raid
Here close to these German
dugouts was a big aion tree that
they used for an observation post
It was something like 150 feet in
heighth You see the German
spies would get up in this tree
and they could see far and near
When we left these dugouts
we went to a railroad head call-
ed Chalengerange We -only
staid here a few days The first
night we were' here we worked
nearly all night trying to get
some freight unloaded and here
we saw a big bunch of Boche
prisoners They were putting in
new railroad We left this
town and then went to Vaux
We got there about 12 o’clock
and camped there until the next
(Continued on page four)
FLORIS CITRON
DROPS DEAD
( Floris Citron age 60 year 10
months and 11 days dropped
dead Tuesday -afternoon about
3:30 while out sowing oats on his
place near the Keystone mine
Mr Citron was a native of Bel-
gium but came to this country
many years ago and is one of
our pioneer citizens in this com-
munity and during all the years
he has resided here he has made
friends among all the people who
knew him Mr Citron was an
honest upright man who num-
bered his friends by his ac-
quaintance He h$s worked in
the mines here since coming to
this community recently he has
done some farming He was a
member of the Improved Order
of Red Men Besides’ his life
"ng companion he leaves five
children to mourn his loss They
ate Elmer Citron Fred Citron
Mrs Dolph Glasco Mrs Fose
Hamilton and Miss Alice Citron
a 1 of this community Funeral
services will be held at the resi-
dence Saturday at 2:00 p m
ar d burial will be in Lehigh cem-
etery Sm CARANTO
ililij
iouis Caanto hasne
He was nust-d out of tboar
"i e at Camj Logan' Texas an
’‘ived hop 3 Tuesday afternoon
V qie hay g°ne through a varied
ef 5rrrt-ibs &lce helentefad tlie
service’ with the second bunch of
C'-d county boys to be called in- '
ervice October 3 1917 that
calcinated to try men’s souls'1
t’i he says he is lucky to be
b v'-k homq and mighty glad too
F e was aboard the illfat£d troop
slip Tuscania which was torpe-
doed off the Irish coast February -5
1918 He was in the cold wa-
ters two hours before being res-
cued He was reported among
the missing but he showed up in
time to get over to France and
do ten months front line service (
before the war was over Twice
he went to the base hospital
The first time on July 20 with a
fl'sh wound and on November
11 with very severe wounds On
November 4 he was wounded by
a machine gun ball when his
right leg was shattered below
the knee As he gave to this
wound and started to turn al-
most instantly thereafter his
left arm was broken by a ma-
chine gun ball and he received
an additional flesh wound mak-
ing four wounds he received
while in the service ' He says
he does not see how anything
could live in such a place He
was overseas one year less six
days and was in a number of
the hardest battles He served
all the way through as a private
in Co I 9th Infantry and was
in all the battles in which the
Second Division participated
All of Louis’ relatives and friends
are glad to welcome him home
The boys are coming in right
along now from overseas and the
training camps in this country
The Courier would like to men-
tion every one of them but we
can not do so unless the relatives
and friends of our soldier boys
help us in the matter to secure
thejr names and where they
were located
' Born— To Mr and Mrs Mon-
roe Kidd Monday evening twin
boys weighing 7 pounds each
All parties are reported as get-
ting along nicely
'
tuurjNM
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The Coalgate Courier (Coalgate, Okla.), Vol. 10, No. 16, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 20, 1919, newspaper, February 20, 1919; Coalgate, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1762590/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.