The Guymon Herald. (Guymon, Okla.), Vol. 21, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 27, 1911 Page: 2 of 8
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Do
You Intend to
"Prove Up"
<1
i prepared to take Final Proofs. Only the legal
Fees charged. No Extras.
w.
Office In Flr t
National Dank Building.
C. CROW,
County Judge
Examine Our Line of
HIDING A\I> WALKING LISTKK8
DISC HARROWS
GANG, BULKY AND WALKING
PLOWS
WAGONS AN1> VEHICLES
ECLIPSE, SAMPSON, FREEMAN
AMI RAYMOND WINDMILLS
tr WE LEAD IN LOW PRICES "M
Langston Hardware Company
paper In Oklahoma, powerful enough | turn out the officials, and for the
to make and unmake nun In public first t.me in Oklahoma e*«rcise the
life Gre«*r came to Guthrie with flist1 right of the recall. Only ona official
In his pocket and some second band j ea« aped the proalns kuife—he had
newspaper material which he had been abaent during the alleged pec-
bought with borrowed money j ulatlons. It was e* Iniat. d that cloae
The suspension of the Capital be-1 to $10,000 had disappeared, as re-
came Inevitable with the removal ot ceipt after receipt was presented by
the state capital from Guthrie -lo^s taxpayers, and found to be unrecord-
ed business made it impossible longer ed. The official under suspic;ou di-
to publish the Capital in the form of i appeared, and never returned. The
a metropolitan newspaper, and to re- other oflkiala, guiltless ot wrong,
duce its siz'- and news service woul I survived the recall, and are among
have destroyed its prestige in the'the respected citizens of Oklahoma,
state at large, l nable to escape his| Guthrie's second city election was
predicament Greer applied the about as spectacular as the explo-
match and blew up the ship. 1 aioti of all the ti reworks at a Fourth
The history of the Capital would of July celebration. The populace
he largely the hlitory of Oklahoma, was divided between those who cliam-
t.reer'B per onallty gave vigor to his' pioned the economy of the retiring
editorial writings and they wer I adminlstrati ti and tho-e
widely pad. kow«Ter vitriolic their nounced Its extravagance.
contents and partisan their view-
point. It is said of him that phya-|
who de-
The first
faction nominated for mayor a Mis-
aourian named 1). M. Ross, an 1 the
other faction plighted its faith to
J ames M. Dooley. Irom Iowa. Both
were men of ability. Ros« was the
Apollo of the town; I) oley. well.
|iuo)<y would have lost even the
"booby" prize at a manly beauty
ditorial
ically he never knew the sensation of
fear, save once when lie was caught
beneath a circus tent blown down In
a tornado. Me carried his pistols in
the "kiiii" days of Oklahoma and
shot It out with hi< adversaries
though he never hit anybody nor was show. Greer hooked his
he ever hit himself. But only bad tugs to the Dooley wagon,
marksmanship cans, I this mis.-arri j There w. re rumors that K< ss had
age of hull ts. He was six feet two left some kind of a record behind
inches In height, weighed 1*;:! j h ni In Missouri. The Dooly ites dug
pounds, but had an angular appear-1 up a big campaign fund, and used
ance Hiat caused men to say of him: I ll.'ioo of it In sending a sleuth to
"Greer has the running gear of a Missouri to learn what lloss had been
katydid." By others lie vva- called doing in the laud of blue (ran lid
"The Tall Sycamore of the C tton-lbig mules. The accu-ations and afli-
wood." the Cottonwood being the Id,nits that the Doo'y digger brought
Ktream that passes through the town back were as bad as they could make
of Guthrie. Greer was a good plat- them. The Ros- factio i knew what
turiii speaker, user of homely but I was going on. and began getting Its
convincing phrases, and took part In ear to the gr und to hear the noise
all the political campaigna of his of the explosion
party
First National Bank,
of Guymon, Oklahoma
Capital and Surplus . $27,500.00
Our officers are experienced bankers, and our policy la
liberal, yet conservative, and every proper accommodation is
extended depositor*. Our great desire li to serve our customers
faithfully.
YOUR account, whether large or amall, Is cordially
invited.
\V|: PAY FOUR PER CENT. INTEREST ON TIME DKPOSITS.
We do business today as though we expected to do
business with you tomorrow.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK
of Guymon.
-I
OVER
OKLAHOMA
If the physician accused of taking
advantage of the Big Heart disaster
to perpetrate a fraud Is convicted,
some man with Ideas should be set
to work to figure out the proper pun-
ishment.
Nobody thought to inquire recently
how the Los Angeles suspect held tit
Idabel, Is coming on. He must have
been In Jail something like two
months. Doubtless the officers have
forgotten him.
A Gulhrle newspaper special now
says that the bones of a mastodon
have been found near there, it would
be Interesting to know who's been
| when Its finer sensibilities are not
i stroked the right way It pines and
j droops like a weeping willow and Is
liable lo run ofT all Its fat trying to
j find a hole In the fence to go forth
j into the cruel world In search of more
l congenial company. Be good to your
1 hugs and they will love you as de-
votedly as a shepherd dog.
A hill re apportioning the member-
ship of the house of representatives
and almost Identical with the ('rum-
packer bill which passed the house
last session but died In the senate
was reported today by the committee
on census. It provides for a mem
bershlp in the house of -Clil. No
state loses any members in the housi
by the re-apportionment and the fol-
lowing gain: One member each
Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia
Idaho, Louisiana, Michigan, Minne-
sota, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio
Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dako-
ta, Utah and West Virginia. Cali-
around planting such a crop In Oklii-, foruja. Illinois, l'; Massachusetts,
homa. Tin- same thing has been ^ New Jersey. 2; New York ti; Ok-
found In one of the southeastern |a,„„na :5; Pennsylvania, 4; Texa-.
counties recently. Washington. 2.
The name of the Tulsa Democrat
Is submitted lor membership In the editing with a Ki\.Sho«Her
Honorable Order of Those Who Speak With the filial suspension of the
Unpleasant Truths. "There is a man Guthrie State Capital on March 2f>.
In tlil- town who pays a quarter fori Oklahoma lost its most individual
a bottle of beer, an.l then kicks when pioneer newspaper. Its first Issue ap-
his wife buys a pound of coffee." pea red April 22, 1SS! , the day Ok-
Don't jump; that referred only toj lahoma was opened to settlement.
Tulsa. and its editor and owner from begln-
I ning to end was Frank Hilton Greer,
The Rock Island "Larger Crops a man of aggressive personality, who
Special" speakers advise the farmers mine from Wlnfleld, Kansas. Al-
to cultivate the friendship of their ways radically republican In politics,
hogs Sure, who wants a grouchy the Capital fought Its party battled
porker around the place. Treat at white heat. It grew from a mere
them kindly and you will be sur- hand sheet to a newspaper of metro-
prised to learn how much your kind- politan size, a property valued at
ness will be appreciated. The swine one time at $300,000 and for a n ti ni-
ls naturally kind and affectionate and her of years was the dominant news-
AUTO LIVERY P,h9°-N-
Steele & Lyons
GARAGE AND MACHINE SHOPS
Agent for Buick and Maxwell Cars Guymon, Okla
HARRY CLARK LOAN Co.
farm Loans, Bonds and
Insurance ....
QUICK and SATISFACTORY ADJUSTMENTS
Our Line of
STOVES, HEATERS and
x RANGES
Is always complete. Coma in and
let us talk something to you In this
line. Excellent line of Hardware al-
ways on hand.
Mathews Hardware Co.
Second Door South
of First National Rank.
GCYMO.V
OKLA.
When Guthrie w)ke next morning
after It had been settle)! In a day by
twenty-five or thirty thousand for-
tune hunters, all living In tents, it
was found that the genuine, double-
eyed, quick-action, "bad" man from
the woolliest regions of the tanned (
and sunburned and wrinkled West
was thicker than coyotes along a cat-
tle trail, every mother's son of them
with a gun in his belt and a bad
weather sign In his eye. The peo-
ple had only such government as they
organized themselves, the organic
act giving lnw to the territory not
having passed congress. A lot of
sunken places, overrun with briars
and crab gfas« that still may be
found in the environs of Guthrie,
show how hard is was to dodge bul-
lets In those first fierce days of Guth-
rie.
Greer's newspaper was vitriolic
beyond the imagination of newspaper
readers who ponder upon the Bible
texts that glorify editorial pages In
these peaceful days. Everything was
called by it< true name which may
have been bad taste, as well as bad
judgment, yet never in the history of
th.' Capltai did an editorial apology
appear in its editorial columns. Many
a gun was poked In Its editor's face
but mild words or another gun. if
there was time to draw It, averted
the Impending tragedy.
Nut so many years ago Greer
looked tip from his desk i ne night,
and found his nose within an inch of
the muzzle of a Colt's "4r ." a most
colicky weapon. Holding the gun
was a man with murder in his eye
In his other hand was a written apol-1
ogv which Greer was ordered to sign
and publish next morning. Greer
was unarmed.
"You can shoot every damned 1 ad
out of your gun and still I'll not sign
this apology nor publish it," said
Greer. I have nothing except my
fists and you can get that kind of a
tight in a second if you'll lay down
your gun. If that is not satisfactory,
shoot. You may kill me, but I'll
guarantee that in fifteen BHlUtM
vou'U be swinging to a telegraph pole
in front of this office. Now, blaze
away."
The tnan gazed at Greer a moment,
lowered his gun, and began crying.
They adjusted their trouble, but
without a newspaper retraction, and
afterwards became warm friends.
The first recall election In Okla-
homa was caused by Greer and his
newspaper. There were four town-
site governments at Guthrie In the
first days. Each collected revenues,
though its officers were not under
bond for the proper expenditure of
the funds. Greer became convinced
that the funds of one of the townsite
governments were not being properly
used and demanded In his newspaper
a public accounting by the officials.
There was no response. The demand
was repeated many times, without
bringing forth the desired financial
statmont. It was estimated that
about $ I ."i.OOO had been collected.
There were no courts that could
be used to compel the officers to
make an accounting. The "city hall"
of this townsite government was a
frame shack that could be entered
so easily by pulling off a board that
it was never thought necessary to
lock the door. Late one afternoon
Greer and his city editor, in passing
the shack saw that the little iron
safe containing the official records
was open, the clerk having failed to
shut the door upon his departure for
the day. The books were extracted
and carried to Greer's office. The
clerk returned during the evening
and. seeing the safe open, closed the
door and locked It. thinking the rec-
ords were Inside. During . .ie night
the records were copied In detail,
each dny's collections bclnir shown.
Next morning before daylight the
records were carried to the shack and
laid on top of the safe, where the
clerk found them upon bis arrival
and was astonished at his careless-
ness in not having put them In the
safe.
The Capital opened broadside with
a page of facts and figures. The
"Vox Popull" and the "Pro Bono
Publlcos" of the townsite jumped
and cracked their heels together
when they read thp article. They
were sure the public treasury had
been looted. The townsite officials,
most of them honest men, were dis-
mayed. Nobody could solve the mys-
tery of how Greer had obtained his
Information.
The officials had been elected 1"
mass meeting and It only required a
few loud "kl-yls" to bring the people
together for another purpose to
In big type in his newspaper Greer
printed seven accusations, with the
statement that at the proper time
each accusation would appear on a
separate day, supported by the affi-
davits. The political atmosphere
grew red with talk of bloodshed In
the neighborhood of Greer'* sanctum.
In the Capital office wa- a compositor
known as "Mizzoo," who Imposed
himself as a kind of body guard for
the eidtor. To gee "Mizzoo," at I _
work setting type was Ml Uk to]
make rt man's blood chill. At the {
-id ■ of 'ti- ease stood a Winchester,1
In the 3-em quad box was a six-
shooter. h i I sticking in the "hell'
box was a Howie knife. The galley
boy admired "Mizzoo" and his weap-
ons with all the devotion of a noble
youth.
News came one windy night that
the Ross clans were gathering In an
old shack to conspire for the destruc-
tion of Greer. With "Mizzoo" rat-
tling with arms. Greer hastened in
the darkness and secreted himself at
the rear of thp shack. Its cracks
were wide, and Inside could be seen
a id heard the angry minions of Ross.
Ross himself was there, pacing the
floor, stroking his silken beard, and
exclaiming that all day he had barely
been able to resist buckling on his
pistols and seeking the blood of his
enemy. Affairs has come to the
jumping off place, and unless the at-
tack upon him shoujd be abandoned
there would lie crepe on the door ot
a newspaper office and a fresh mound
in the cemetery. Pat Doran, an ar-
dent Rogslte, was chosen as emis-
sary to convey this ultimatum toj
Greer.
Greer and "Mizzoo" hastened
away an 1 were sitting quietly at
work when Doran appeared. Doran
was confident that only instant flight
from Guthrie would enable Greer to
sa\e his life, as Ito-s every instant:
was becoming the more and more un-
able to restrain himself.
"You go back." said Greer to Dor-
an, and tell that old snoozer that I
heard every word he said, that he is
a coward, and if he shows up around
this shop, I'll shoot his whiskers off."
Patrick Doran grinned and said:
"Pace be wld ye, me bhoy; faith,
Oltne only tellin' ye as a frind It's
not me to moind yer own business,
lad."
The accusations with their affi-
davits were printed one by one, and
the Dooley ites chuckled in glee
C.reer had been told that he might
be assasinated. On the morning be-
fore election, long before dawn, he
was aroused at his home by loud
knot king on his door. His wife
uged him not to open the door. With
a pistol in each hand (and without
lighting a lamp,) Greer pulled the
door suddenly open and asked what
was wanted. Dooley stood before
him, wretched and distracted. He
was in fear of his life and declared
that only his withdrawal from the
race, giving the victory to Ross by-
default, would save him. He had
stopped the presses of the Capital
that his withdrawal might be printed.
"I dare you to resign." said Greer.
"Desert your cause at this time and
you'll be run out of the country. No,
sir. you can't resign after all this
fight has hern made for your elec
ton. Don't let 'em bluff you,
Dooley."
Dooley took fresh courage at the
sight of the militant editor and swore
that he would stay in until the last
drop of blood was shed. He was
elected by a majority of 288 votes.
The election that day was a riot
from start to finish. Hundreds of
pistols were drawn and used as clubs,
but not a shot was fired. Ross swal-
lowed his rage and shook hands with
Greer, asking only that Greer should
not continue his attack on him. Ross
went to Washington, married a rich
widow and never returned to Okla-
homa.
In Greer's employ In early days as
advertising solicitor was a former
preacher of the gospel. W. H. Wilson,
who had gone broke In the ministry
and had come to Oklahoma to make
n stake. Wilson was a big, strong
man. about 50 years old and wore a
long beard. He was called "Deacon"
and was probably the most scientific
boxer In Guthrie and In the alley be-
hind the Capital office dally put on
the gloves with all aspiring pugilists
that chanced to come that way. The
idea got abroad that Wilson was
Greer's father and owned the news-
paper, due to Greer's youthful ap-
pearance and his constant association
with Wilson. It was a dally occur-
rence for somebody to enter the Cap-
ital office and sav to Greer, "Dub
where's your father?"
YOU DON'T HAVE
TO HUNT AROUND
for a place that has good groceries,
flour, Queensware, etc., when you
tome to Guymon. You can tie up,
come In here and get enough of ev-
erything to last you ten years. Try
it and see if you can't.
Star Mercantile Co.
Wholesale and Retail Groceries, Flour and Feed
Col. C. K. Wilmeth
Better known as
"RABBIT FOOT BILL"
Lhih1 and Townsite. Commercial and
Live Stock
AUCTIONEER
20 years actual experience
Will cry sales at any spot in Texas County
any day.
Make Sale Dates
at the
Guymon Herald
Office
WE HAVE
: $15,000 z
PER MONTH
*
to loan on Texas county deeded farms
or to furnish money for final proof.
Prompt service and satisfaction
guaranteed. Write, or call and ae«
us if you need a loan.
Geo. E. Ellison & Co.
•V
One of Greer's most graceful and i Ing the spot he beheld the manly
polished writers was Frank Cook, a form of the widow's champion
Southerner. Cook was the first man j stretched in the dust, his face bleed-
to appear In the streets of Guthrie at- ing, both eyes swollen shut, and un-
tired In the silk hat, frock coat, light j able to rise. "Creek" Hill had found
trousers and gloves—the morning Wilson.
garb of the gentleman of fashion. When Greer returned to his office,
His pen ran to humor and when a i Wilson was leisurely at work, bland
flood came one day and inundated as a May morning.
Guthrie's most noted dance hall, the "Did you see "Creek" Wilson?"
"White Elephant." and the latter's j asked Greer.
lightly c lad inmates scrambled1 "Yes, just for a minute or two on
through the yellow waters to places the bank corner," replied Wilson,
of safety, with here and there a male "1 think you'll find him there now."
visitor seeking concealment In a The widow's champion was In bed
plunging flight. Cook compiled a rec-; three weeks. Cook, chronicler of the
ord of the event that made the whole flood, wrote an apology and the
town shake \*ith laughter. "Alas, widow regained her composure,
for Cook, there was striking slmi-1 "Creek" Hill sent for Wilson to come
larity between the names of the own. to his bedside. Wilson feared treach-
er of the "White Elephant" and a re- er.v, but finally went. Reaching out
putable. hard-working woman that his hand, "Creek" Hill said. "Old
conducted a boarding house. The j man, put her t*here, and let's shake;
latter's name by mistake was used in you are the best and fastest perform',
the story. , < r that ever struck the Cottonwood,
The mistress of the boarding house and I've heeoi in this country forty
was in tears. Incidentally, she was years."—Kansas City Star.
a widow. A widow In tears may i
summon untold champions. Among *
the boarders that lodged at the home contest hlanfe. nfn, ^
of this widow was "Creek" Hill, nte8t blank at the Herald office,
a mixed-blood Indian, whose pistoi — ——,
belt was shiny from long use. When
"Creek" Hill panopolied for war, sal- i
lied forth to avenge the widow, he
was followed by the prayers of the
other boarders and of the w idow her-1
self, that his hand should not be1
stayed until he had wrought destruc-
tion,
C.reer had Just reached his office
and had not read the story, when |
"Creek" Hill, swarthy and grim, en-
tered and said: "Bub, where's your
pa?"
"Guess he's still In bed down by
the railroad depot," answered Greer.
"What do you think of that?"
queried "Creek" Hill, pointing to the
offending article.
Greer saw that It was a bad blun-
der, and assured the widow's cham-
pion that "Dad" would make a cor-
rection. The champion departed,
with oaths whistling between his
teeth.
Greer decided that It might he wl«e
to find Wilson before "Creek" Hill
encountered him, and went In search
of the quondam minister of the gos-
pel. His attention, after he had
walked several blocks, was drawn to
a crowd In the street. I'pon reach-
Lon Holland
BLACKSMITH
t the same old stand, north
of Jackson Livery Barn, and
guarantees the same first claaa
work.
Horseshoeing a Specialty
Buy a lot
In
ARTKSIA, BACA COUNTY,
COIiORADO,
For Information address
J. W. JORDAN
GUYMON, OKLAHOMA
-
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Zimmerman, Warren. The Guymon Herald. (Guymon, Okla.), Vol. 21, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 27, 1911, newspaper, April 27, 1911; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc273211/m1/2/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.