The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-25
oKLAHoMA's FIRST BABY.
Selling the Privilege OF Naming q
Future White House Lady, Perhaps
a A., vi. TH-.b,,-.


lege Of naming tbs first baby born in Okla
homa. Win you give me an offera Twenty
five do.larsl Do hear twenty-five dollarsa
Nos Twenty dollars, thell Twenty dollars
for the privilege of naming the first baby
born in Oklahomag'
Five dollersIn
Five dollarsi Five dollars for the ex-
traordinary privilege Of bestowiug name
upon the first baby born in Oklahomal
Why, gentlemen, has chivalry flown in
these degenerate days. has gallaatry de-
partedl Behold, gentlemen:
Although the print be little, the whole matter
And copy Of the moth ?; eye. nose. lip,
The trick Of her frown. her forehead; nay, the
The pretty dimples Of her chin and cheek; her
smiles,
The very mold and frame Of hand, nail
finger
"What am bid for the estimable prlvil-
ege of naming the first baby born-a girl,
gentlemen, girl, don't forget that-born
in Okla loma! I've dollarsl Five dol ars!
Why, I'll give my corner lot over yonder
myself for the privilegew
1t was an extraordinary scene, surely.
There, under the cottonwood trees on the
banks of the river, in the early hours of the
morning, stood the throng surrounding
the auctioneer, mounted on the stump of a
fallen tree-boomers, cowboys, land specu-
latOrs, gamblers. Tents ard shanties were
deserted; eating houses had temporarily
suspended business; the long line in front of
the po,toffice was no longer in quest of ''let-
ters from home" even the men holding
down" claims on the out klrts of the town
mad mounted their ponies and come to attend
the auction. Beside the auctioneer stood
an old wea her-beaten boomer in a loose
blue flannel shirt, his trousers tucked
INTO an enormous pair of boots
ornamented with spurs weighing prodigy
on ly, gray SLOUGH hat drawn over his
face, the inevitable revolver and cartridge
belt strapped around his hips, and in his
arms, covered by the shred of a torn
blanket, the most forlorn and frail-looking
little bit OF humanity which ever lived to
see the light of day. Somehow or other
the face of the auctioneer seemed familiar
10 me, | YVES sure / had seen him before.
Yes, could not be mis5aken-I recognized
IN him gambler run out of Guthrie the
other day for playing one of the forbidden
games, a graduate Of an eastern college and
the son of very prominent lawyer ia
little town of New EngIund. But had no
time to reflect upon the strange Weiss tudes
of life, nor upon the devious paths by
which this man must have troi to reach his
present station, for presently he resumed:
"What am bid, gentlemens Come, now,
attend to business and don't be fJoling
around theren
Ten dollarsl"
"Ten dollars: thank you. Ten dollars is
bid for the privilege of naming the baby
born yesterday morning to Mr.. and Mrs.
Lewis. Tea dollars, ten dollars, ten golden
dollarsn
Twenty dollarsl"
Twenty-Five dollarsr
Thirty dollarSn
Rather thought you would be warming
up by-and-by. Thirty dollars is bid! | see
thirty-five over there! Do l hear thirty
fivel Thirty-five dollars l have. Only
think, stop for moment to think of the
future of this baby! Twenty years from
man The relgning beauty at the capital
Of the nation"
''Forty dollarsp
'Much obliged-she may grow to be the
corsort of the governor of the great state
of Oklahoma"
''Forty-five dollarsr'
"Forty-five dollars, thanks-and wouldn't
you feel like eEerlastingIy Kicking yourself,
gentlemen, if. in time, she bscams the wife
of United States senator"
FIFTY dollarsn
''The mist ess of the white house, perhaps,
and you had thrown away the opportunity
of giving her name"
FIFTY five dollarsm
The limit seems to have been reached.
Beyond the white house, No, that is not
possible. The bidding lags. There is
Struggling "raise" of 81 on the right. 1t is at
once ''seen" on the left. And then deter
mined voice cries:
Fifty eight dollars"
"Fifty-eight dollars, says the auctioneer:
'sfifty-eight dollarsi Fifty-eight dollars for
the first time-fifty-eight dollars for the
second time-fifty-eight dollars for the third
and-last tmew
Down comes the hammer-fgurativel
speaklng-the contents of hundred shoot
ing-lrons are fired In the air, and the wd
breaks out in wild shouts of applause for
the plucky bidder.
''Aurrah for J. C. Almeyer Hurrah for
Jiml By -, he's a dandyp
"Namei NameF cries the auctiooneer,
'Namew echoes the crowd,
"Jim" hesitates moment and bushes
"Name? NameW comes from every
quarter.
"oklahoma," says "Jim" at last; "Okla-
homa Lewis"
"Three cheers for Oklahoma Lewism
They are given with a will. The poor
baby looks frightened, and, wildly clutch
ing the beard of its grizzly nurse, nestles
closer for protecti N. A whimper and a
WuLue SScdpSS ~. 4uo NURSE LOOKS u0clQeQly
uneasy.
"lake it to its mother, Jack; you're no
good at nursing" vel cowboy.
mot worth -" is the Judgment of
the crowd.
And presently it surges back to where
TIE outfit of the Lewis family stands-a
dilapdatei wagon. with bony pair of
mules feeding at the crib, the torl canvas
covering but half of the wagon box, aud
affording poor shelter only to the mother,
who lies beneath, wondering when that
baby of hers will be returned. The father
yellow. raw-bo ed, gue-shaken-looks
foolish and emba raised as the spokes nan
hands over the money, but tear trickles
down his furrowed cheek. more eloquent
than words. Their poverty is the result of
a series of misfortunes, and not their
fault. The privations and hardships en-
dured on their way here brought on the
premature birth of baby. Neighbors col
lected SIS for the family yesterday, but the
doctor-at least he calls himself one, though
he is a disgrace to the profe sioa-hearing
Of it, put IN bill for exactly that amount.
A com mlttee Of citizens aiued on him last
night, paid the bill and then requested him
to lesve the town on the next train. He has
not been heard of since.
Oklahoma Lewis-well, it's a pretty
enough name," unused the gambler d
auctloneer on his way back to the tent.
where soon after l found him engaged in
the active practice of his profession: ''it's
tiful land. Little o. K. will have to rustic.
though, to keep up with the procession"
TRMPTED A MAD nOn