The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1908-02-27
COAL FOUND BY ACCIDENT
The Place Where He Could Secure
Fuel Without Cutting Looked
Good TO Him and He Filed on
on all Coal Land Possible.

/ ldhuma was discovered IN the early
days by some romantic adyenturer,
who pushed his way into the un.
known Indian country i'm the sheer
love of adventure, or the search OF a
new home away from the grind or
white civilization. This is particu-
larly true of Henryetta. in Okmulgee
county the second greatest coal min.
ing and shipping point in the state
Hugh Henry, Texas ranger and
confederate soldier, a quarter.breed
Indian, driven out of the Lone Star
state after the close of the civil
war by heavy losses In the cattle
business. finally found himself with
his wife and children. a Studeba.
ker wagon and a team of mustangs
camped on the banks of small
stream in the Creek nNtion on
the fourth of July, 1879. He had
camped there for the sole reason
that he had found bee tree and
wa'urd the honey. On this national
holiday an Indian boy passed by on
horseback with sack full of some
thing which he said he was carry
ing TO an Indian blacksmith not far
distant Henry examined the sack
and he saw that it was coal He follow
ed the trail Of the boy from whence
he came, and found on the banks OF
the creek a ledge of fine coal crop
ping out
He returned TO camp and told his
wife that they had found firewood
without cutting, honey for the TAX
ing and venison for the shooting,
what more could they want for a
home. And there he settled, and on
the exact spot from which he Clipped
pieces of coal that day mine No. /
now stands at Henryetta, shipping
train loads of coal each month from
the same vein from which the Indian
, boy got coal for the blacksmith.
, But at the time Mr. Henry discov
cred the coal there was no railroads
|. and no demand for the coal But he
made his claim for an allotment by
< settling on the land, and the follow
ing year he again went into the cat
o tie business forming a partnership
S with the Graysons at Eufaula, anC
4 getting GA head of cows. He kept uI
z the cattle business until 1894, wheI
he rounded up $4,000 head, sold then
- and quit the business. 1t was Will,
living in his COW camp that his homt
was often frequented by the Daltons
the James boys and other noted out
E laws, as well as by the federal off
GERS. He treated them all alike. y,
officer ever learned from him of tn
visits of the outlaws, and the out
I laws were never informed of tn
A presence of officers, for TO have Civ
y en- a hint as to the movements O
y the outlaws would have meant deaf
to him, and to assist the outlaw
meant joining them, so with tru
Indian characteristics, he treate
them all like, kept his mouth shu
and prospered
Then came the allotment of India
lands, the building of railroads, an
the town of Henryetta was founde
n upon the lands owned by Mr.. Henry
1' The coal companies commenced I
L. dig the coal and the oil men TO dri
l., for oil. And through 1t all this qua
ter-breed Indian continued to grow
e. wealth, The coal men pay him 70!
y atty on the coal mined and the o
men pay royalty on the oil. Wher
n the cow camp and the corrals ono
- stood and the bandit rendezvouseC
ST where the cowboy awakened the sol
n tudes OF the pleasant valley with hi
midnight revel and the howl OF tn
B, wolf was heard, the busy minin
town is building brick busines
I. blocks by day and by night the mil
K ers down In the bowels of the cart
lie blast and drill at the great Coz
le veins.
IS, Yet, sometimes, when in a rem
~ iniscent mood, Mr. Henry regrea
- . that this prosperity has grow
s up around him with its attendar
r. civilization and created him the mos
IS distinguished citizen of the COMMIT
II. nifty. He says:
The railroads and the Standar
N Oil company have so encroached "
to on my rights that If | knew wher