The Guymon Herald. (Guymon, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 7, 1914 Page: 1 of 8
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The Guymon Herald.
VOL. 24
GUYMON. OKLAHOMA, THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1914
NO. 9
STORM WROUGHT HAVOC
lTp on the Cimarron the Home of Mr.
ami Mrs. Perry Brite was Swept
Away am! Two of Their (.liildren
Were Drowned.
Monday, after communication with
the outside world had again been es-
tablished, it was learned by wire that
the hard rains had caused an awful
rise in the Cimarron river and that
Perry Brite's home at Point Rocks,
Kansas, had been washed away, two
of his children drowned and other
serious losses sustained. Then came
rumors that the report was unfound-
ed, but Tuesday a phone message
from Liberal to Edwin C. Summers
confirmed the original report. Yes-
terday J. W, Jordan returned from
Point Rocks and the story he had to
tell of the Borrow and devastation
the raging water wrought is some-
thing pitiful and hard to tell. John
says the story runs something like
this:
Early in the morning Mrs. Brite
arose, went to the door and noticed
that the river was on a big rise, but
went back to bed. At 6 she and
Perry both dressed and by that time
the river had risen tremendously,
reaching up to the south side of some
of the surrounding buildings. Perry
started out to the meat house to get
some meat for breakfast while Mrs.
Brite started to prepare the morning
meal. Just then a terrific wave of
water came down the raging stream,
getting up into the bunk houses of
the hired men, and Perry started for
the building yelling Tor them to get
out. Together they were working to
get a lot of chickens out of a build-
ing when on top of this came anoth-
er gigantic wave, which filled the
building half full. Perry kicked out
a window and attempted to get out,
but wire netting on which vines had
been trained, entangled him and he
came near being drowned before an-
other big wave tore him loose and
with one of the men he was carried
about 200 yardB and lodged in the
top of a cottonwood tree. Here they
rested a second or two and the fellow
with him was so nearly exhausted he
wanted to give up. But Perry yelled
to him, "be a man and let's get out
of here," and together they started
for the bank. They got there Just
as another big wave came on and
snapped the tree like it might have
been a match. Then both started for
the house to rescue those in the
building. When they got there the
water was then far into the house
• and Perry noticed his oldest girl,
Madge, at the window of the second
story. He called to her to jump to
him and she replied she would as
soon as she could get a board to hold
the window up. She opened the win-
dow, without the least loss of nerve
or haste, jumped into his arms, and
together they turned for the bank
Just as another wave completely en-
veloped them, sweeping them down
the stream about 100 yards where
they struck a post. Perry held to
the post with his legs to regain a lit-
tle strength, when another wave hit
them, snapping off the post and car-
rying them away in the swirling cur-
rents. The force of this last wave
tore his child from his arms and her
body was not seen again until it was
SCHLOSS
fine CUibes
Baltiaare ibJ
Gentlemen
••
We have the Clothes you want for
Spring and Summer wear.
All the latest makes, colors and
Btyles.
The very suit you are wanting now,
$10
to
$20
NOTICE
Chopping off prices
clt ••••••
Latham Dry Goods Co.
Big Sale Continued Until May 9
Every article In our store will be Included in this sale and you will
be agreeably surprised when you get the sale prices on the various arti-
cles too numerous to mention.
OUR WHITE GOODS SALE
We intend to make this sale one of the special features. Any arti-
cle in this department will be especially reduced to make this sale a
money saver to you.
Gentlemen's Suits. Summer Underwear. Men's Oxfords. Dress Shirts
and Hosiery. Ladies' Dress Goods of all kinds. New Spring Oxfords.
Ribbon, Laces and Embroidery and in fact everything in our store is in-
cluded In this sale.
We invite you to call
LATHAM
DRY GOODS
COMPANY
A Good Place toTrade
The Condition of Crops
Never before In the history of the
county has the ground been In such
thorough condition for the prepara-
tion of spring crops, and never be-
fore has wheat had the chance to
make good that It has right now. The
ground Is wet down several feet. The
surface Is wet now by one of the
gentlest of rains that ever fell and
with the surface and subsoil wet in
many places from six to ten feet
is it any wonder that the farmers
are looking forward to this fall with
c onsiderable hop£. Texas county wlli
raise this fall the most wheat she has
ever raised. The feed crops of Kafir,
maize and broom corn will be the
largest they have ever been. The
farmer who gets a few cattle about
him, who builds a silo or two, an<l
who goes in for business the stock
and dairy route is going to make a
great success In Texas county. Crop
conditions have never been what
they are now. To the farmers who
have stayed with it in this- county
there will be a reward this fall to a
certainty, and a good one at that.
A Big Coat to the County
The hard rains will make the cost
to Texas county something big in the
way of bridges. The heavy water
was a terror to the bridges and hand-
led them like they were made of
tin. And this brings to the public
mind the fact that what should re-
place these same bridges Is concrete,
and not the old tin bridge. A con-
crete bridge is the only thing to
build. They cost about the same and
maybe less. As far as solidity is con-
cerned there is about as' much com-
parison as there would be between a
frame house in a cyclone and a
mountain In building bridges to
succeed the ones washed away, Texas
county should build for the future.
found two days later 15 miles down
the stream in a lot of drift. With
his thoughts still on his home Perry,
realizing that his child was gone,
started back to halp save what he
could of those left. Mrs. Brite, when
the first great wave hit the house, at-
tempted to get Into the bed room
where the baby. Merle, aged 3, was
sleeping, but the terrific force of wa-
ter had floated the piano over against
the door of that room, barring the
entrance as solidly as cement would.
After trying in vain to get Into the
room and with the water steadily
rising she started for the second story
where she placed her third child on
a davenport. Then the water got to
this floor, and as It crept higher and
higher the davenport floated with
the child to the top of the room. Mrs.
Brite didn't dare rest on it, but swam
about the room while both decided
they were lost and would certainly
be drowned. Then Perry arrived.
The men tied ropes to him while he
swam out to the house. By hard
work he got his wife and child out
to the bank by the aid of the men
who pulled on the ropes. They had
hardly gotten safely to the bank be-
fore the house fell In a crumbled pile
of rock and mud. Then they waited
r
)/
Our Specialty Is
GOOD DRINKS
Now and Always
Give Them a Chance to Play
Plenty of room for dives and dens (glitter and glare of sin),
Plenty of room for prison pens (gather the criminals in);
Plenty of room for jails and courts (willing enough to pay),
But never a place for the lads to race—no, never a place to
play!
Plenty of room for shops and stores (Mammon must have the
best);
Plenty of room for running sores that rot in the city's breast!
Plenty of room for lures that lead the hearts of our youths
astray;
But never a cent on playground spent—no, never a place to
play.
Plenty of room for schools and halls, plenty of room for art;
Plenty of room for teas and balls, platform, stage and mart.
Proud iB the city—she finds a place for many a fad today ;
But she's more than blind if she falls to find a place for the
boys to plaj. ^
Give them a chance for Innocent sport, give them a chance
for fun—
Better a playground plot than a court and Jail when the
harm is done!
Give them a chance—if you stint them now, tomorrow you'll
have to pay
A larger bill for darker ill. So give them a place to play!
—Dennis McCarthy, in the Survey.
some out In the country say it rtlned
harder than that, there. At any rate
the whole southwest, clear over Into
Mexico, where they say it seldom
rains, has been flooded in an swful
manner. The Beaver river has been
the highest the past week in years,
in fact there are mighty few old tim-
ers who can remember when it was
any higher. It has taken out four
or five bridges and among them is
the bridge north of town. It is swung
around In the middle of the river and
will be an awful thing to ever handle.
The Beaver river bridge was washed
out, too, and the big bridge across
the Cimarron at Arkalon hag suf-
fered an awful fate. Trains have
been tied up all week and there has
been no through traffic, only a stub
running to Liberal and that is even
hung up at the Beaver bridge here.
Saturday the town was absolutely
safe from Mexican Invasion, the town
being on a perfect island. The big
rain was a dandy, though, and it has
put new life into people all over the
country as nothing before has ever
done. The damage in washouts will
amount to an awful pile, but what
It will mean in the crop line can not
be calculated with any accuracy at
this time.
— i IfiW FAVORITES —
Coca Cola
Orangeade
Milk Chocolate
Allen's Red Tame Cherry
Ice Cream Soda
Ginger Pep
Root Beer
Ginger Ale
Grape Juice
All the popular Late
Drinks
About
Cold Drinks
We know how to prepare a drink
that will satisfy. Our drinks are su-
perior because they are made from
the purest ingredients; cooled to a
nicety and served cleanly and expert-
ly. Better drlnkB than ours cannot
be served.
To quench your thirst,—to please
yur palate,—visit our Boda fountain
and ask for your favorite drink.
Frank D. Hood Drug Co.
Guymon,
We sell the . . .
Penslar Remedies
Oklahoma
and watched tor the waters to sub-j
side and later in the day were able"
to clear away the rubbish and found
the body of little Merle, whom Perry
kissed just as he got put of bed to
go to work, lying there as peacefully
as though she had Just gone to sleep.
The Iron bed was twisted and bent
Into several shapes, but the clothing
about the little corpse was Just as It
had been left and the body was un-
injured. For two days they searched
for the body of Madge and finally lo-
cated It 16 miles down the stream.
Strong men say that Mr. and Mrs.
Brite's grief and worry and physical
strain were almost unbearable until
the searching parties found the body
of Madge. Kind hands prepared the
dead for burial, Merle being buried
Sunday and Madge the following day.
The buildings about the place are
all gone, the big cottonwood trees are
washed away and the bed of the cur-
rent is now located almost where the
house Btood, and a bank 15 or 20
feet high prevails where formerly a
level second bottom stood. It ap-
pears impossible that such a raging
| current could have ever reached the
I place, and (he suddenesB of its com-
J1 Ing nearly swept the entire family
and several men away. The current
must have been between 150 and 200
feet deep, for the house is located
well up toward the brow of the hill
and what seemed like far out of
harm's way. Not a man in a million
would guess that water could ever
reach it and it seems that it has been
there for nearly 30 years. John says
Perry lost no cattle or live stock, not-
withstanding contrary and conflicting
reports. The many old friends of
Mr. and Mrs. Brite are deeply pained
to hear of their sorrow and losses
and the bitter grief that must be
their portion and are one in express-
ing their most profound regret and
heartfelt sympathy.
A Hard Rain Friday
The rain Thursday night and Frl
day, which was practically a contin-
uation throughout Thursday night,
Friday and Friday night, was one of
the hardest and best rains that has
ever visited this section. The gov-
ernment rain guage registered 3.1
inches, but from reports from many
different places it seems that the rain
must have been heavier In places.
Some men here In town claim water
! filled their tubs over four Inches, and
Suitable Gifts for
Graduates
Next to their wedding day perhaps the most Interesting event
in a young person's life Is the school occasion of their graduation.
Parents, friends, schoolmates, and others are glad of the op-
portunity to present some token of appreciation. However, it is
not always easy to decide Just what the gift shall be. A list of sug-
gestions may be helpful,
HOOKS, PERFUMES, LEATHER
GOODS, STATIONERY, FOUNTAIN
PENS, CAMERAS.
Come in and make your selections while the assortment Is full
and complete. We like to show goods whether you buy or not.
Wanser & Hamilton
The Rexall Store
Guymon
Damages Will Ron High
The damages done to bridges, rail-
roads, telephone and telegraph lines
by the recent heavy ralss. can hardly
be estimated. Train service was dis-
continued Friday and hasn't been re-
sumed to date, owing to the big
washouts on the ivock Island at Ark-
alon, Guymon and,the other side of
Tucumcarl. Construction gangs have
worked as hard as possible day and
night and have done a great amount
of work. The telephone lines to Lib-
eral were put out of commission and
the washed out bridges all along the
Beaver have caused untold incon-
venience and vast losses. The bridge
north of town, which Guymon
built by subscription money, stood
the hard flood better than any bridge
up and down the stream, but it Is
turned around to the bank and
dumped upside down, broken and
twisted and part of the piers washed
away or buried under the sand. The
bed of the stream is now widened
considerably, and the cost of a new
bridge will be considerably greater,
for It will be by reason of necessity,
considerably longer. There may have
been harder rains over the southwest
but old timers like Jim Denlson can
remember nothing of the kind, unless
It was In 1896, when the river was
about the same width and cut up
considerably. It is certain that no
time In recent years has It ever cre-
ated hardly a particle of the damage
wrought this time.
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Zimmerman, Warren. The Guymon Herald. (Guymon, Okla.), Vol. 24, No. 9, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 7, 1914, newspaper, May 7, 1914; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc274951/m1/1/: accessed April 17, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.