Smyrna times., 1906-08-01

Supplied Pen Used by President
Roosevelt In Signing the Statehood
ELL. Is Now Stuffed and Has Been
Christened "OId Statehood"
Dec -, 1905, a golden eagle soaring |
high in the clear, crisp air of western |
oklahoma descended on the ranch of |
Il farmer seven miles northwest of |
Woodward and was caught by both !
feet separately in two steel traps that
had been set for coyotes, says a Guth-
rie (Okla) correspondent of the Kansas
City Star. From the wing of this
eagle was taken the quill with which
President Roosevelt signed "ROOse-
velt' to the bill giving statehood to
Oklahoma and Indian territories The
body of this eagle, which died after
period of captivity, was mounted by
Professor George Stevens of the North
western Normal school in Alva and
will be preserved for historical pur-
poses under the name "Old Statehood"
When the delegation of $50 citizens
Oh OhlOHOulu anu luuldl lcl IIlOl lCS'
carrying the "raZorback' hog, went to
Washington last winter to boom state
hood the delegates were presented in
body to President Roosevelt by Dele
gate Mcclure. Among the delegates
was Charles Hunter. Il rough rider"
sergeant unGer Colonel Roosevelt in
the Spanish-American war, of whom
If,,t Tbno.nN-nlt
Hunter now is clerk of the court in
the oklahoma city district.
"Presdent Roosevelt, to whom are
YOU going to give the statehood pen?"
asked Hunter.
President Roosevelt turned and said;
Charley, you shall have the pen.
| Mr.. Loeb. make a note that Charles
Hunter gets the pen with which the
statehood bill is signed"
D. =. Marum of Woodward, one of
the earliest and most loyal supporters
of Joint statehood, suggested to Hunter
| tAat, inasmuch as oklahoma originally
was an Indian country and as the
cage was sacred to the Indian and
also the national emblem of the United
| States. quill from the wing of live
| Oklahoma eagle would make an apprO-
| pirate pen. Hunter was pleased with
| the suggestion. but did not know where
he could find a live Oklahoma eagle.
One of the pioneer citizens of Wood
ward is l.. Il. C'Dad'O Nall, for many
years Il cattleman in Texas and now
landlord of the Cattle King hotel in
Woodward. Marum remembered that
Nall had Il big eagle in Il cage and told
Hunter that there would be no trouble
in getting an eagle feather. When
Marum reached home in February he
found two eagles in Nails cage, the
new one being a large golden eagle
that had been caught in steel traps by
a farmer. who had brought the eagle to
Woodward and offered it for sale
Finding no buyer, he gave the eagle
to Nall.
Dad" Nall was delighted to furnish
the eagle feather. and Feb. 21 he en-
tered the eagle cage and after lively
bout with the golden eagle got two
quilts from its wing. each quill meas
uring twenty-five inches in length
Marum sent the Quills to Hunter. A
druggist in Oklahoma City named
Redding cut one of the quilts into {
J pen. Hunter sent this pen to Presi
dent Roosevelt.
Here follows a story about the eagle
which Dad Nall says he is willing
to back up with his sixshoOter if nee
essary: March 0, the day the senat,
amended the statehood bill. the eagl,
refused food and began beating it
head and wings against the wire net
ting of its cage March 30. the da.
the house insurgents lost their figh
and the statehood bill was sent t
conference. the eagle died.
President Roosevelt sent the pen t
Hunter after the statehood bill ha
been signed. and it is now the pei
sonal property of Hunter, who wi
place it for safe keeping in the Scot
tish Rite temple in Guthrie. Man
OklahOmans would prefer that the pc
be deposited with the Oklahoma Hi.
torical society. Hunter said lately tha
the pen belonged to him and he woul
please himself as to where it shoul
be kept.
- Nall has been offered $500 for I'll
mounted eagle, which he has name
Old Statehood. This historic bird prol
ably will be given to the state when
capital building has been erected an
rooms provided for the State Histori
al society.
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