Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1902-05-22
FANAN. OKLAHOMA,

in South Africa Ed.
FANAN OKLAHOMA.
May 18th, 1902
Dear Friend:
We received your letter some time
ago and was glad to hear from you.
Well, it's summer time with us. and
everything looks lovely, even the prai-
RE dogs aid coyotes, both peculiar to
this section.
We have a very lovely country, and
some of the most graceful Indian
squaws have ever had the misfortune
to meet on my pilgramage through my
journey of life. The buck Indians are
just as good as an Indian can be, al
though not ''in it, with the squaws.
sell the Indians considerable lot of
goods, especially carpet tacks and mop
sticks; they are "a wonderful class of
humanity, judging from their smell
they must use large quantities of per-
fume, the quality of which is prob
lem to solve, bnt think the ingredi-
ents IS largely FILTH, but for all that
we get along fairly we'll with them, the
only Inconvenience find is their lam
guage, yet expect to overcome this
defect i'll time. Saw, George, did you
ever pillow corn, if you have you know
something of the pleasure there is in
the work, but if you are not aware of
the amount of grief, then you have es-
capped wonderfully. know all about
it. am trying to farm as we'll as run
store. have pair of Texas ponies,
one is fast and the other is faster. and
it would do you good to STE the start,
but you wnull have needed help to the
tinish--one to see us come and the 9TH
or to see US go: them horses thought
they we're attached to trotting smlkey.
My neighbors applied to the Sheriff for
restraining order to prevent me from
blowing on the ground, that it would
be unfair to those living in the outside
country to be- thus disturbed, but the
Sheriff, being personal friend, refus-
ed to interfere and said: as long as L
did not let my horses and pillow run
over into the adjoining townships he
could do nothing for them. Well. /
did manage to keep in my own town
ship which is SIX miles square, had it
been smaller the result would have re-
suited different, and might have been
put liz til.
When / came down here last autumn
intended buying cattle and stocking
my place, but after purchasing COW
and September calf, changed my mind
very much. Say George, were you ev-
or deceived by q neighbor? Ii so, you
can sympathlse with me, if not per-
haps my experience may bs a lesson to
you; however, this may be, never buy
a milch COW on the recommendation of
the owner unless you are personally
acquainted, and satisfied that the man
is not from Texas. l don't mean to
say that all the people from Texas are
unsafe to deal with, far from it, but
most of the honest people that have
lived in Texas are still there, and from
what can learn, have no intention of
leaving. | will tell you how it hap
pened about my COW. wanted to buy
COW so told several of my neigh
bors and it soon got circulated that
was on the buy. One day one of my
close neighbors call and said he had
COW that he thought would suit me if
we could strike bargain; he said he
had been offered $50 for her several
times but icing it was me, he would
take 1875 for her so l bought her with
out pedigree, as long as chapters of
Sol Smith Russelps feet, strange to say
the recommendation would not give
milk. l met the man about a month
later and questioned him about the
COW and complained about the qnanti-
ty also the quality of the milk we were
getting, he said he could not under
stand how it was, as the COW always
gave good milk and plenty of it. L
asked him if he had any steers for sale
that he would guarantee to give good
milk, and he said he was just, out but
knew man in Texas who had some.
Well, after talking the matter over
with our family we concluded that his
stock is a 16 to democratic buckets
of food to of milk, so you see the COW
is all o X but the policy wrong, but I
will forgive the COW if she brings me
twin calves, but will never take the
word of man from Texas again.
When we came down here last fall
We had designed $4,000 mansion to
be built On our claim, so we started to
build, but after building one room Tx
16 with shed roof slanting one way and
standing with it back to the road, half
window on near side and 2 doors in one
end, we concluded this would do for the
present, and it did until about weeks
ago when cyclone came along and
wiped 1t off of the face of the earth,
and now we have about car load of
kindling wood for sale. We lost about
all we had, the only thing left was
pair of jeans pants, collar button and
my reputation, also, pair of suspen-
ders with one buckle smashed.
We are, however, getting along in
this new country as we'll as could be
expected for bran new people like us.
fo;,lv -,o,.d g..