Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1896-01-16
INA THRILLING SITUATION.
High Water Yarns Written for "The
Chieftain.o

was 81 uluCLl lnlCIccl6u III
reading that very graphic account
of high water experience copied
from Springfield paper, that /
am moved to send you these jot-
tings which | vouch for as accur-
ate and truthful, for l got them
right from headquarters. l talk
ed with those who were with and
witnessed some of the actors and
transactions.
A Mr.. Oslen, a music teacher
and composer, well known il var
ious portions of our territory, ar
rived at Fort Gibson a day or two
before Christmas. He had been
gone from home so long on a visit
to Alabama, that he was very
anxious to get TO his family in
Muskogee. He wanted to be with
them en- Christmas day. He tele-
phoned to his wife to send team
to meet him at the river bank by
1 o'clock p. m. A couple of men
at FIT. Gibson built boat Is feet
long for the special occasion. Mr..
Oslen brought a niece with him
from Alabama blooming dam
sci of 16 or Is years. Friends in
FIT. Gibson feared for them and
tried to pursuade Mr.. Oslen not to
risk 1t. but nothing would turn
him from the attempt TO reach his
family with his Christmas tricks,
which, with books and other things,
filled big trunk and weighed 240
pounds. So on Christmas morn
ing at 10 O'Clock or after, they
launched their frail craft on the
stormy waters. and four persons
seated therein. Mr.. Oslen, his
niece and two men from Fit. Glib
son who had built the boat and
agreed to land their passengers
safely on the other side of the
raging food. These men, feeling
a little skittish themselves as to
the outcome, had braced them
selves inwardly with a generous
draught of that which so many
men do imbibe to give them cour-
age and strength(?) They had
also the Zig, heavy trunk, worth
to him 5000 or $500. Mr.. Oslen
had also his large, heavy valise,
and the young lady had her "best
hat in a band box. A fifth per-
son, Dr. Harris, of Muskogee, had
engaged passage, but at the last
moment backed out and declined
10 take his seat" for which he
will thank his stars as long as he
lives. Just below Fort Gibson
there is an island in the river,
The party took the west side
where the water was not so rough
nor the current So swift as ON the
east side. They made good speed
till they reached the lower end of
the island where they would come
into the main river again, and then
and there their voyage ended, for
their barge struck log or snag of
some kind and as quick as a wink
all four people, big trunk and
"best hat" were adrift in fifteen
feet of swift food. Fortunately
and providentiaily all four grasped
trees or logs They were not far
from the bank. and the three men
soon pulled themselves up onto
the bank. and with a pole reached
the girl and pulled her up. Mr..
Oslen hung onto his grip sack.
The whole earth was flooded, and
now the next thing was to hunt a
house. And now see the four ship
wrecked, forlorn beings as they
wade for four or five hours through
that sea of muddy waters, slosh g,
slosh, slosh-not a dry foot of
dirt did they see-froln six inches
deep TO over head once or twice as
they came to a slough or deep
hole. Just at dusk they found a
vacant house, and just in the nick
of time for Mr. OsleE, clinging to
his gripsack all the way, gave out
as they reached the yard fence and
the other two men had to help him
In. The girl, who had most won-
derfully and bravely held out
through the long and terrible or
deal, in the yard, half way be-
tween the fence and the house,
gave out, sank in the water and
would have drowned right there
within so feet of shelter, but ali
got safely into the house.
The water had fallen a few
inches 1t had been up in the
house and the floor was two inches
deep in soft mud. A forlorn, be-
draggled company, no place to sit
or lie down, tired, exhausted, half
| famished, for they had not a bite
since morning One of the men
had bethought himself and had
put some matches in his hair on
top of his head, under his hat, and
they built roaring fire. They
demolished shed Of some kind in
the yard and used it for fuel. They
took off door and put it down to
Stanu on.
The house had been abandoned
only a day or two and they found
eggs, butter and a little milk.
They found cooking utensils,
they found some corn which they
parched and ate. They found in
a hog pen six big fat hogs, all
drowned, and cut from ones ham
some generous slices and cooking,
had ham and eggs, parched corn,
butter and milk, and so they did
not starve. NJ. Oslen opened his
grip and found his clothes not en-
tireiy ruined. The girl took a
pair of pants, put them on, took
off her own clothes and dried them
/ L 1.