Anadarko daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 1901-190?, 1902-04-17
The Giant whistle.


The biggest willow whistle that
ever came to light was, perhaps, the
one made by the boys at Point Creek
last spring The May flowers dotted
the banks OF the stream and the sky
was blue when the trio started out for
the valley below where the finest will
lows grew The trio was not armed
with guns, no fish poles were present
but each lad carried a newly sharpened
hatchet that glittered in the sunlight
Mines sharp as a meat AK.
mines as sharp as butcher knife
And mines like a razor" said the
third boy as he cleft two-inch elder
with one clever stroke.
Close by the river side, near Spook
Hole, they found the tree they had
agreed upon 1t was foot through,
smooth, clear of branches for at least
ten feet from the base. Just the kind
of willow to fashion into whistles.
The tree would suffice for many
''tooters" 1t, however, sufficed for
just one; an affair that went on record
as the greatest thing in the way of
willow whistles The three sharp
hatchets soon laid it low. The trunk
was quickly severed close to the first
branches There it was, as clean as
piece of willow as any you ever saw.
Then the lads began to pound the bark
with the faces of their hatchets. That
was an operation that required great
care, for they did not want to bruise
the bark they only wanted to loosen
it from the sappy wood. There was
much rolling and turning of the log
before that was accomplished. After
satisfying themselves that the bark
was in shape to peel off. the boy with
the ra2or-like hatchet was intrusted
with the delicate task of splitting the
bark in a straight line from end to end
of the log.
Its all right" he said, dropping his
hatchet and pulling the bark back from
the cut. In few moments the bark
was pulled from the trunk without a
break or flaw. They shouldered the
shell and went away, leaving the de-
nuded willow glistening in its sap and
nakedness by the side of the river 1t
was little bit of tug, going up the
steep side of the hill. but as they had
secured the shell they were not wor-
ried about a little extra exertion
When they reached the top of the hill
they laid the willow shell carefully
upon the grass and sat down to rest
They felt that half of the work was
over-but it was not
1t took two more days before a plug
was fashioned for the whistle and a
mouth-end put in place. Then place
IL. 4 -. raSf haH n
be found, and next it took some little
time to fasten the whistle with ropes
to the trees so that no strong gale
might tear it away. Then they waited
a good wind-but none came. Forty
boys couldn't have raised enough wind
to blow even the most tiny "toot." Two
days and nights the giant whistle was
up there on the hilltop before 1t be-
gan to speak Upon the third night
the wind came up the valley, bent the
tree-tops and moaned. When the wind
began to blow the good people of Point
Creek began to arise from their beds
Such sound had never been heard by
even the oldest inhabitant. A shrek
to split ones ears, followed by heavy
bass that almost made the windows
tremble. Then all would be quiet for
an instant, and when gale came tear
ing along a roar as of dozen trains
of cars would boom forth. Some said
the last day was at hand. Others said
there would be war, and not few
wondered what ii all meant and We're
not able to solve it. But these young
sters, in separate beds laughed. stuffed
sheets into their mouths and felt that
they were having a gay lark. A good,
stiff blast came; the giant thundered
once more and it never even made
tiny "toot" again. The wind kept
blowing during the night, but the big
whistle was dumb. The boys wonder
ed why-and they found out when they
went next morning to the public
square, where a crowd of merchants,
clerks, Office boys and others stood
gathered about the broken and twisted
remains of the giant whistle that had
been blown from its fastenings as it
gave forth its last "toot. ."-H. s. Keller
in Chicago Record Herald.