Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-08-03
A cLovERITE IN OKLAHOMA.
Mr.. w. p. Smith Writes Interestingly
Of His Experiences and Observations
In Oklahoma.

In Oklahoma.
Correspondence Of the Yorkville Enquirer.
Duncan, Okla, July Thinking
that the readers Of The Enquirer
might be interested in crop condi-
tions and some Of the personages,
sights and experiences that are inter-
esting me during a short visit to
relatives in the great, new state of
Oklahoma, have decided to write a
few lines thereto.
On our trip out we arrived in Mem
phis on the evening Of the goth in
slant, and taking sleeper across the
Father Of Waters over the Choctaw
route via Little Rock, South McAlis-
ter, Oklahoma City to FL Reno, thence
south over the Rock Island via
Chickasaw and landed at NARROW, ten
miles north Of Duncan on the morn
ing Of the 22d.
We found the crops west Of Little
Rock to be good, but after we passed
Oklahoma city we noticed that there
Is almost no cotton at all. The corn
Is good where II was planted early
enough and properly cultivated. The
corn rows seemed to be from to 81
feet apart, with the stalks from to
IL inches in the row. We found the
same mode Of planting around Mar
low, and although they are now in
the midst Of very severe drought,
the corn on the low lands Is very fine.
In the NARROW country the farmers
have planted from 10 to 80 acres OF
cotton to the quarter section OF 160
acres. About 30 acres are In pasture
and the balance in corn. Indeed, I
appears like corn Is everything and
cotton almost nil, though what cotton
there is, Is standing the drought ey-
tremely well-everywhere green and
blooming.
We went on 25 mile drive north
west from NARROW and found good
farm house, necessary ,outbuildings
and a plentiful supply Of good water
on every quarter section.
In travelling, one goes either due
south, due east or west, everything
having been laid Off with exact preci-
sion.
After staying at NARROW for eight
days, and learning With some alarm
that Mrs. DR.. Montgomery only had
about 2 chickens left a per day hav-
for Duncan, which is the county seat
of Stephens county. We are now eat
in 80 cents breakfast bacon and is
cents roast at the pleasant home of
Mr.. and Mrs. Jarrel Deane Wade. We
drove out yesterday towards the town
of Lawton, in Comanche county, to
an Indian picnic on the farm owned
by Isthu, an old Comanche Indian
who is second or next to Quannah
Parker in influence with the various
tribes. We saw a nice ball game be-
tween the white boys Of Duncan and
the Indians, which resulted In favor
of the pale faces. The Indians had
a splendid pitcher in the person OF
Conner, who lives near there and Is a
.son-in-law Of Quannah Parker. He
was educated at the Carlisle school
in Pennsylvania and Is now govern
ment interpreter. He cuts his hair
and dresses as the white men do, but
about all the others wore their hair
long, plated and tied at the ends.
Each wore a shirt, pair Of pants,
hat and shoes and had a long, loose,
white sheet, big enough to cover a
bed, tied around the waist. They are
called blanket Indians" The squaws
wore dresses with gay colored shawls
with the thermometer at SO degrees
and bare headed. Some Of them had
their babies strapped in their shawls
and to their backs.
We took supper out there, 1t being
rumored that. the visiting Wichitas
from above Anadarko desired to en-
I6rIaln WIFI Tic wal "hoOP oAN
dance. About dark we heard them
coming, beating their drum. They
marched in, dress in full Indian at
tire, their chief wearing feather
cap, with feather streamers to his
heels. All wore more or less feath-
ers, also buckskin pants fastened on
with belts of leather. A leather strap
extended down the seam Of the pants
to the knee and thence around the
leg, and it was loaded with jingling
brass or tin buttons which made a
weird sound as they walked or dane
ed. They had only one musical instru-
ment,l a drum. At $50 the drum was
laid flat on the ground and all of
them got around it; all sitting on the
ground and commenced to hum and
pound on the drum and then it was
that the war dance and whoop stunt
was on. They seem to be Quakerish
in that they dance or whoop as the
spirit moves them. The chief, bucks,
squaws and children were all in one
ring, and they were whooping and
dancing when we left at 10 O'Clock
and seemed to be enjoying it as
though they had had a battle and
killed a thousand pale faces. These
two tribes seem to be pure blooded
and it is said that they neither inter
marry with each other or with the
whites, although / was informed that
a daughter of Quannah Parker, the
big chief, did marry white man.
desist for the present.
VIM. P. Smith.