The Hollis Post-Herald. (Hollis, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1918 Page: 3 of 8
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- —■ -Hi
THE CROSS DRY GOODS STORE
Has been a busy place the past two weeks. Our Sale has been a SUCCESS. The recent cold weather
has been hard on our customers but we certainly appreciate the efforts put forth to help us.
This is a world of "Give and Take/' "No Mas Liveth to Himself/' When our farmers prosper and make
good crops we share their prosperity in a business way, but when crops are short we too suffer. This year so
many have not been able to pay us and some others have not made an honest effort to pay, that we have been
forced to sacrifice our merchandise in order to meet the heavy burden that this has placed upon us. This is the
year that the merchant who holds tight to his goods makes money by so doing, as the prices have advanced so
rapidly, but on the other hand this is not a Patriotic Spirit and we should not Hoard in any line. We must stand
by each other and lend a helping hand wherever necessity demands. You have helped us by responding so lib-
erally, and we have trjed to help you by putting prices down in the face of higher prices for Spring.
Our Sale Closes Feb. 2 With a Fined Climax
Monday Special-From 10 to 12 o'clock White Goods Laces, Embroideries, Sheetings and Table Linens.
Tuesday-From 10 to 12 o'clock Indian Heads in colors, the newest thing for Spring Suits and Dresses for
children, also short lengths in silks.
Wednesday-From 10 to 12 o clock Odd Sizes in Shoes. A bargain if you can get your number.
Thursday--From 10 to 12 o'clock Fancy Shirtings. Some beauties in this department. Now is the time to
buy that new spring shirt. ,
Friday-From 10 to 12 Men's and Boys Suits a special feature. Here the prices have been cut the lowest.
Saturday will be the Big Day. Prices all over the store will be so low that you will not feel that your pur-
chases have cost you anything. Avoid the Blue Days by putting by a little merchandise even tho_ you
have to borrow the money to do so. You will not regret it. Do not Forget the place, The Right
Store on the Wrong Side of the Street. Come and help us stay in business if you are
friendly towards the store.
CROSS DRY GOODS STORE
A PEN PICTURE
A Missionary's Thrilling Ex-
perience
(By J. H. McCuistion.)
A true story of the trials and
hardships experienctd by a mis-
sionary while traveling in the
"wild and woolly" west.
It was on January 27, 1891.
The wild Indians had scarcely
ceased their ruinous raids over
the sparsely settled plains of
western Texas. The great herds
of buffalo had all vanished, save
here and there a few specimens,
protected by some friendly
ranchman. But there were
many wild, and some dangerous,
animals, such as the large gray
wolves, coyotes, Mexican lions,
wildcats, etc. There were plen-
ty of deer and antelope and
smaller game. I had been sent
as a missionary to the ranchers
and cowboys of four counties.
Mv headquarters were at Can-
adian, on that treacherous riv-
er of the same rfame. At one
o'clock, p. m., I left Canadian to
go to see my church clerk, 32
miles to the northwest, then on
to old Fort Elliott. My first
hit the storm square in the face.
The blizard seemed to be anger-
ed at my resistance and so it
drove into my face with tremen-
dous and1 increasing force. It
soon began to get dark, snow
came thick and fast, and colder
and colder it grew until by the
time it was pitch dark I had
lost my trail. I was almost
frozen. I was thinking of the
12 or 15 nues of storm-swept
prairie that lay between me
and the nearest place of shelter,
ed1 the world would not have
bee colder to me. However, des-
pite existing conditions, I kept
chugging the wolf on the head
in no gentle manner with my
left until his hold tore loose and
the blood spurted out on the
snow. The taste of the blood
made them worse than ever.
I knew that I had about
reached the limit. My blood
was ebbing away, while the
hungry pack was closing in on
me. I thought of the past, all
in the one vivid flash, then of
and wondering if it would be the bitter end on the cold, bleak,
posible to keep from freezing
to death through the long night,
when my cold dull ears caught
the unmistakable sound of wol-
ves in the rear. That was a
new and startling element in
the battle for the life of myself
and pony. That noble beast
seemed all at once to become al-
most a part of my very own be-
ing. His trained ear knew as
well as mine that the howling
pack was on our trail and gain-
ing on us all the time. They
were soon alongside and snap-
ping at the frightened pony. I
was 30 cold that I had not good
use of myself, and my pony was
so frightened that he could
friendless plains, and of the
scattered, bare bones that would
some day bear mute witness of
the fearful tragedy. Those aw-
told me they had found easier
meat. My sympathy for the un-
fortunate cow was very strong,
and if it had been possible to
help her I certainly should have
gone to her relief.
The herd of cattle soon passed
on and I was left alone. Then
it was that I took stock of the
situation, and found that I was
still in immediate danger. The
blood from' my wound had froz-
en and I was almost helpless
from the cold. My hard work-
ed pony was getting stiff and I
knew that our only hope was
to keep moving. Where I was
or what direction and how far
to shelter, I had no idea at all.
The outlook was indeed cold
ful minutes. Their very memo- and bitter. The events of the
ry fairly scorches my brain, past crowded my memory, as
About I was commending my Death seemed to draw near his
soul to him who gave it and icy folds about me. It was prob-
whom I had tried to serve, I re- ably near midnight and I con-
18 miles were through canyons; hardly defend himself at all.
and deep gorges, so I did not There were about a^dozen large
4ride hard, expecting to make ~~ ~
better time when I reached the
plains. Along the canyon I saw
some large wolves, eyeing me
in a way not calculated to com-
fort me as night drew on.
When I came up out of the
canyon onto the plateau, the
sun became darkened and I saw
that both night and a storm
was closing in upon me; along
the northwestern horizon great
black clouds were rolling and
tumbling and gathering force
and blackness. Instead of fol-
lowing instructions, for such
turn and ride with the storm. I
determined, in the face of the
storm, to try and make my des-
tination. Possibly the wolves,
back in the canyon, help nerve
me up to face the storm. I put
my pony out at full speed and
wolves howling and snapping
all about me, and the storm only
seemed to increase the fierce-
ness of their fury. The very
fury of the storm seemed to re-
lease them from the fear of
man that God put in every an-
imal. Several times we plung-
ed into canyons and they tried
to close in on us, but we man-
aged somehow to get out. One
time a heavy large wolf suc-
ceeded in getting his teeth fas-
tened in my left leg and swung
to me for quite a distance. My
right arm was hooked around
the horn of my saddle and I
held to the bridle reins With my
teeth, and my right leg. with
spur on heel, was hugging the
horse in the flank and had the
world been a sheet of ice and
every star in heaven blindfold-
membered Daniel, and the an-
gel that stopped the lion's
mouths that trying night in
Daniel's life. Up through the
blackness of the raging storm,
above the howling of that fierce
pack of hungry wolves, went
the preachers cry to know if
the same God were yet there,
and could he again save his ser-
vant. Somehow in fervent
trust, and glowing hope I cove-
nanted with my God that what-
ever of my life escaped that
night should abide on his alter
until he should take me home.
That is why I am still tramping
the frontier in his name.
Just about that time there
came a thundering, bellowing
roar, like the seven thunders
had broken their moorings and
were running with the storm.
Some flash of inspiration told
me it was cattle, and I and my
faithful pony dashed into the
midst of a wildly stampeded
herd of cattle and the howling
pack of wolves were not to be
mentioned in the same breath
with the wolf fangs. Then
there might be a friendly cow-
sidered it very improbable that
I. could keep alive until morning.
But I remembered that the
same God who had saved me
from the wolves, was on his
throne and I determined to keep
moving as long as there was
strength enough to move a limb.
After some wandering I heard
the barking of a dog. I did not
know whether it was a dog or
a Mexican lion, or possibly a
large wolf, but it might be a
dog, and I felt like the lepers in
the gate of Samaria, if I stop-
Ded there I knew it was death.
If I went to the sound it might
be into the very jaws of death,
but that might be a friendly
house dog. and I determined to
try and get to him. As we came
near the dog answered my hoi-
After a while I heard a man's
lowing with fierce barking and
I soon knew it was a house dog.
and there must be a house near,
voice and none ever heard mu-
sic like that. It was sweeter to
my dull, frozen ear than the
svmphonies of a thousand harps
When I saw am man with a gun
'wolves. But the man fought
him off and half dragged me
down into a canyon and back
into a hole in the bank, behind
a picket wall. That was his
home. He called to his wife:
"Here is a lost man nearly froz-
en to death." She said: "That's
what Towser has been barking
at, the wolves have chased some-
thing past here twice tonight."
Doubtless my faithful pony had
tried to reach that place of shel-
ter before, but the wily wolves
had once succeeded in tharwt-
ing his effort to save our lives.
They split the ends of my
frozen fingers to start the blood
to flowing, and then rubbed me
with snow until I began to
warm up. The good woman
stirred together some milk and
meal and gave me to eat.
The rooms of this under-
ground house were lined and
carpeted with the skins of wild
animals, and a pile of the same
material in a corner made a
comfortable bed for me. After
I lay down a while I heard the
man and woman talking about
what they would do with me
when I was dead. They expect-
ed roe to die before morning.
I was not pleased with the deci-
sion and decided not to die.
When morning came I got up
and when they set before me
some venison, hot biscuits and
coffee, I soon convinced them
that there was no immediate
need of shroud and casket.
After breakfast my host
walked over a portion of the
circle made several times the
night previous around his home
and found that the trail could
be easily followed by the drip-
ping blood.
The man had coiqe out there
Rome years before with a survey
ing party and the climate and
game had agreed with him so
well that he had brought his
wife there and they lived a free
and easy life by trapping and
ned up a bit, but not seriously
hurt.
I found that I was about 15
miles from my church clerk.
About one o'clock I started oat
to finish my journey. I saw
some large wolves at a distance,
but they only barked at me and
did not offer to chase me. Just
about sundown I reached the
brother, M. Walls, and found in
the home of my kind Missouri
friend a warm welcome, and
sympathetic hearing of my
dreadful wolf story.
I am getting old now, and the
gray hairs are gathering thick
about my temples, but the hor-
ror of that awful night on the
plains will be vivid in my mem-
ory until the years cease to
come and go. I shall never
cease to thank God that he
heard my prayers of his frozen
messenger, and drew me out
from the jaws of death. And
ere I go on the way of all the
earth, I want to turn a multi-
tude of erring feet into the way
of righteousness and peace.
J. H. McCUISTION.
Mrs. Robt. R. Huff and daugh-
ters of Gould spent Monday in
Hollis with the lady's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Chappell, and
sister, Mrs. Ernest Aust, of
Chickasha, who is spending the
week here.
We have the only fully equip-
ped Dry Cleaning Plant in Har-
mon county. Call 67, City Tailor
Shop.
Mate of Ofate. Ctty mt NA
Ucm Co—ty. m.
rraak J. CImmt Mta wife *■
to aulor partMT tftefeaK 1
CImmt a C*.. mto mm to Ito
rvt
_ I collapsed from the loss of, w „ _
boy drifting with the herd. The blood and fell to the ground.. hunting. My pony had been
wolves soon left me and the pit- The dog was on me in a second j cared for in another hole in the
iful bellowing of a cow soon and was almost as bad as the wall. I found that he was skin-
•vara te Mara m aa*
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Huff, Thomas B. The Hollis Post-Herald. (Hollis, Okla.), Vol. 15, No. 21, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 24, 1918, newspaper, January 24, 1918; Hollis, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc268051/m1/3/?q=kitchen+cabinet: accessed July 4, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.