The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-07-17
JUST A CROSS
IN THE SQUARE
THE DEVOTION OF AN OLD. TIME
TEXAS FRIEND CATCHES THE
SYMPATHY OF A CROWD.

general air OF the Westerner tnat enl-
cred the post office building yester-
day. Asking at the general delivery
window for his mail, the clerk handed
out few copies of papers and one
lone postal card. Placing the papels
under his left arm and clinching down
with the muscles of his shoulder as
much as to say he did not want any
of them to drop upon the floor he
cast his eyes quickly TO the card as
he passed from the window to allow
the next man to get his mail. His
face wore an expression of delight,
There was something on the card that
pleased him. a friend, who was evil
IDENTIFY a stranger and not expecting
anything from the postoffice but who
stood near the door while the farmer
walked in, approached him. He Wore
an anxious look upon his face. The
man with the card began to explain.
There were expressions of delight in
every sentence. You see there,
that's him, you know ! was speaking
to you about Milas last night You
remember he was reared on big
ranch on the line of Palo Pinto and
Jack counties in Texas. NIilas was
always good hand wherever you
put him. Whether in the hay field, in
the camp, on the roundup or in school
he made a full hand After going %
school at Whit until the teachers
there could not carry him any further
Milas went to Indiana and was n
school there. He graduated from one
of those schools, | don't remember
which, if ! ever knew" The stranger
then broke in with a deal of pleasure
in his remarks. Why yes, remem-
ber that boy. ! have been in the sad
die many a day with him, and 20 on
tell me more of him" BY this time
a crowd was sembled-attracted by
the interest the principals were TAX
ing in the conversation. The farmer
said We'll, when Milas
had finished school and was looking
for a place to cast his fortune, he Sc
lected Indian Territory and moved to
Pauls Valley in 1892. There he has
been since that time. Mostly on the
ranch and farm the work he learned
so well back at home. Finally there
was call for him to come to town.
He was wanted to take charge of
bank, He did so and that bank thrived
just like every other piece of work he
ever touched. | believe they say it
is the First National Bank of Pauls
Valley Mlas finally needed another
call. He joined Sam Hays, one of his
neighbor boys in Texas, and a num-
Der Of other men of the state and they
wrote the constitution of Oklahoma.
Milas was recognized in that conven-
tion as an authority on English ant
After the men had all
labored together then Milas Lasater
took the constitution and went
through it word by word and sentence
by sentence to see that it was right.
And that piece cf his work must have
been alright too, for the people have
refused to make any changes in i; so
far"
The conversation then drifted into
minor matters concerning the Lasater
family and their neighbors and finally
the speaker said, and you remember
I. j. McComb, he was whole
hearted fellow and was elected the
first fire insurance commissioner #
the state, you remember he lived in
West Texas near us; well he did 50
well with that work that some com
pany came along and offered him so
much more than the state was paying
him that he resigned and Governor
Haskell appointed Milas Lasater to
fill out his unexpired term. Nlilas has
kept up the record of McC5mb and Il
possible has done just a little better.
You know he would always do just a
little better than the other fellow or
he would work so hard his father
would have TO call him down. This
card you see here is just t. remind
me that Milas Lasater is in the race
for insurance commissioner. nis
name will be on the democratic ticket
on the End of August and | am just
going to move down the list and put
a cross opposite his name before
mark the ticket anywhere else" And
when the two men walked away stu
interested in their talk the fellows
who crowded around remarked that
they would hunt up the name of Milas
Lasater, the West Texas boy, and
would put a cross in the square op-
posite his name.