The Aline Chronoscope

TROOPS CALLED OUT BY HASKELL

Two Companies Of Militia Ordered To Stand In Readiness To Assist.

To Move The State Records

Wagons Are Stopped by a Sheriff. Governor Declares Transfer Will Be Made If “We Have To Whip Them to Do it”

January 6, 1911—The Aline Chronoscope—Oklahoma City, Okla.—After having ordered two companies of the state militia to stand in readiness to move to Guthrie and assist in bringing the state records down to Oklahoma City, Governor Haskell received a message from W. A. Ledbetter stating that there would be no interference o the part of Guthrie citizens. It is believed now that the moving of the records will pass off without serious friction.

Governor Haskell ordered out the militia after he received a message stating that three wagonloads of records had been intercepted en route to the station in Guthrie for transportation. After having issued order to Companies A and B of Tulsa and Chandler, respectively, to stand to readiness to move, Governor Haskell stated that the records would “be moved from Guthrie if we have to whip them to do it.”

Sheriff Mahoney of Guthrie, who is said to have stopped the wagon carrying the records, do so by instructions of the district court, it is said attorneys for Guthrie claiming that the original injunction proceedings filed June 11, 1910, ordering the state officials not to move to Oklahoma City, still held their power.

MILLIONS MAY BE ALLOTTED

Commissioners Recommend Division of $49,000,000

Free Apache Prisoners

In Annual Report, Indian Commissioners Favor Disposition of Tribal Funds—

Congressman Ferris Fighting the Move

January 26, 1912—The Aline Chronoscope—Washington, D. C.—Recommendations that the 240 Apache prisoners of war at Fort Sill be released and that the tribal funds, consisting of $49,000,000 be distributed to members of the entire tribe has been made to the secretary of the interior by the board of Indian commissioners in their annual report.

The recommendation in the report that the Indians who desired to stay be allotted lands in the Fort Sill reservation, where they have been for years, is sure to cause a big fight for this action is bitterly opposed by the residents of Comanche county, and all those people in Oklahoma who are interested in the enlargement of Fort Sill. Representative Scott Ferris, has taken up the matter with both the interior and war departments and he is seeking to stave off final action which will keep the Indians at the fort and hopes finally to have the Indians removed to Mescalero reservation, which action has been urged by Col. H. A. Scott, in his report to the war department on the future of the Indians following his investigation. Mr. Ferris does not oppose the release of the prisoners of war however.

It is feared by the friends of Fort Sill that should the government offer the Indians allotments on the reservation, if they so desire them, a great proportion of the reds will stay at Fort Sill rather than return to their brothers at Mescaleto. In this case Oklahomans declare, the development of the fort will be interfered with, as Uncle Sam will hesitate about spending any more money there.

“The board believes that every Indian entitled to share in these funds should be recognized by name upon the books of the treasurer and have his share either credited to him by name in case he is an incompetent to manage it or paid to him if he is competent and legally entitled to receive it.”

This recommendation, if adopted, will mark the inauguration of a new policy on the part of the government.

THOMAS RESIGNS AS U. S. MARSHAL

March 23, 1912—The Aline Chronoscope—Guthrie, Okla.—Heck Thomas of Lawton, for fifty years a deputy United States marshal in the west and southwest, has tendered his resignation to Marshal W. S. Cade of Shawnee as had also Deputy Marshal Johnnie Freeman of Pawhuska, for many years the Osage Indian nation deputy. It is understood that J. M. Bellamy of Lawton will succeed Thomas.

PONCA CITY HIT HARD BY A TORNADO

One Person Is Killed

Houses and Other Property Are Destroyed

Storm Comes up at 4:15 P.M., and Sweeps Through Several Miles, Strewing Houses, Barns, etc., Along Its Path

May 10, 1912—The Aline Chronoscope—Ponca City, Okla.—Coming from the southwest and sweeping through the 101 Ranch oil field, a tornado of the twister variety hit the western part of Ponca City Thursday evening.

One woman, Mrs. a. H. Crooks, was killed and several injured by none seriously.

Every building in Ponca City west of the Santa Fe railroad track was completely wrecked or badly damaged. The storm passed on and through the small town of Cross, sweeping everything in its path.

About a hundred people here were rendered homeless, but all are being cared for by citizens.

No serous damage was done in the main part of the city.

At 4 o’clock the cyclone could e very plainly discerned from the 101 Ranch, about five miles west. It passed through the orchard of the Vanselous ranch, about 12 miles southeast of Ponca City. No one was injured there. It then traveled northeast and was time by George Miler passing between two points, seven miles apart, in ten minutes.

The reporter followed the track of the cyclone in an automobile and passed three houses that were total wrecks, except the Smith residence, where only the barns and farm stock were the loss. The other householders were named Pearl Rice and Green. Whether any of these parties were injured has not been learned.

On the road to Ponca City nearly all telephone and telegraph wires are down.

In the oil fields, fourteen derricks were blown down. No oilmen were injured

DO ANY OF YOU KANSANS REMEMBER –THIS?

May 31, 1912—The Aline Chronoscope—Mack Cretcher, who was a 69-er, struck a reminiscent mood this week. He said: “In this part of Kansas early history dates from 1874, commonly known as “Grasshopper Year.” The real pioneer aristocracy is composed of those who settled here before that date. All the rest, to them, are ‘newcomers.’ Kansas has had grasshoppers before and since that date, but never such a deluge of the pests as at hat time. They came rolling in from the west in perfect clouds one Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1874. Our folks were over at Frank Dick’s west of the Little River visiting that day. When the bank of grasshoppers was discovered in the west, my father said he thought it must be prairie fire. There was much discussion as to what was really coming, the fooling, and tumbling mass resembling clouds of smoke. But all doubt was soon dispelled. Within a few minutes everything was covered wit hoping, kicking grasshoppers, long bodied chaps that were very hungry. The ground was not only covered with them but the air was thick with them for hours traveling on east. They had to go and because they were so thick they couldn’t thrive very well three or four feet deep on the ground. With in two or three hours everything green in the way of vegetation had vanished, everything but the castor beans. That was one thing no hoper would ever tackle. When we got home that evening thing looked quite desolate. The hoppers had actually eaten holes in some cheese cloth curtains which mother had put up in the kitchen windows. And the pests did not travel on east after they had secured a good square meal. The came when corn was in the roasting ear stage and remained until they cleaned up the wheat that was sown late that fall. They made it a clean sweep. The wheat field north of our house would look quite green of a morning but by night it was barren. The grasshoppers kept this up until the wheat was killed. And that was a hard winter for us all. Some people here who hold their heads pretty high now used to scramble pretty lively when they heard that a box of “aid” goods had arrived at the depot and scrap to a finish to get their share of the cast off clothing sent by charitable include people from the east. But we all pulled through somehow and those who have passed through the privations of that time were the real pioneers, and a good many of them are still living in this locality.”