The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1911-02-12
Personal "reminiscences of Ardmore
The Home City of Governor Lee Cruce

wagon, perhaps Wltn no coNereu top
TO II. The tired little children and
babies are laid carefully on rugs or
mats, and wraps are put over their
bodies to keep them warm. Then
the long drive, under the bright
Oklahoma starry night, begins, back
to the distant, isolated farm home,
ten, fifteen, twenty miles, or even
farther away. One prays that an
ever watchful Providence will convey
these farmer families safely back
to their respective homes.
The somewhat varied nature of the
population of Ardmore and vicinity
may best be studied on a Satur-
day. particularly during the height
of the cotton-picking season. when
large numbers of country-folk come
into town. While the majority of the
people arew hite, of the best stock,
there is a strong admixture of Indian
blood, and, indeed some of the fin
| est Ardmore families, as the Cruces,
| Addingtons, Carriers and Webbs are
very proud of their Indian extrac-
ton The world loves "a fighter, and
| il is fortunate for the Indians, such
as survived determination, that they
have always stubbornly fought for
their rights. Fine specimens of the
full-blooded Indians are to be seen,
alongside of the almost black Miss!s-
sippi Choctaws, whose peculiar fea-
lures almost incline the observer
to believe that they are of African
descent. AS for the negroes, while
there are a considerable number Of
them in certain quarters OF Ardmore,
they form a decided minority of he
total population. Some of The ne
groes are exceptionally worthy and
much respected for their sterling
qualities.
The Ardmoreites, as a whole, have
their own little foibles, bat, taken
al in all. are eXceieG. tolk. They
have none of the dash and fashion
of great cosmopolitan city, and
sometimes their dress may seem
provincial. Among the women, the
Quaker poke bOnnets ale very com
mon, and when worn by pretty
young girls that sort of headgear
is infinitely more becoming than
the frightful monstrosities placed on
the heads of fashionable society
ladies in the big cities.
Critics frequently remark that the
people of Ardmore neglect the won
derful mineral and other natural re-
sources all round about them, and
are content 10 stake their chances
of prosperity on the tradition staple
/ crops of cotton and corn. When
the season is too wet and cold, the
former becomes almost total fail
, ure: when it is too hot and dry
the latter suffers. There are toe
many "nesters" who stick in the
old ruts, yet, to the idealist, there
is an element of deightfulness in
living in a community which has
, not gone commercially mad after the
almighty dollar.
, If somewhat backward in Industrial
and commercial enterprise, the
growth of Ardmore is after all
healthy and steady. In its quiet
unobtrusive way, it has much to
be proud of. Its public schools are
among the best in the state. Its
corps of teachers are exceptionally
able and conscientious, and are pro
ducing notable results. For over
two years one thousand children
were trained by that remarkable
musical genius, Miss Verna Van Wor.
mer, now in charge of the depart.
ment OF music in the East Central
Normal at Ada, Okla. Thanks to
her influence, the love of music has
become widespread in Ardmore and
that little city has given its full
quota of excellent musicians and
singers to the world
The alert, bright boys and girls
of Ardmore are a credit to Oklahoma.
They possess, in their High School
Moot Congress. one of the best young
peoples Hocieties In the United
States. When, in the spring of 1910,
they held their annuar debate in
the opera house, which was packed
by an interested audience, they dis
cussed, with rare ability, the ques-
tion; Ought the Navy of the Unit
ed States to be Increased?" the ar
ray of facts, statistics and argu-
ments presented both by the af-
firmative and negative sides showed
an astonishing amount of research,