The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1915-01-26
INCIDENTS
Of EARLY DAY
OKLAHOMA
OLD TIMERS OF CAPITAL
TELL or TERRITORIAL
GOVERNORS

Jams as the third governor Of the
state of Oklahoma recalled to early
day Oklahomans in Washington the,
spectacular Inauguration OF George
w. Steele as the first governor OF
Oklahoma Territory in 1890, the big
parade in Guthrie, then the capital,
and how wind and rainstorm pre-
vented the new governor from com
pleting his inaugural address.
Governor Steele was from Indiana,
appointed by President Harrison. and,
as did many others. believed the ter
ritory would become state within
year or two He was looked upon
as probable candidate for the
United States senate. At the end o.
twenty months It was apparent that
statehood for the young territory
was still in the dim distance He
resigned and returned to Indiana,
from where he was afterwards elect
ed to congress for several terms.
Governor Steele was a veteran Of the
Civil war He had declined appoint
ment to the directory of the Union
Pacific railroad soon after leaving
the army He is now governor Of
tile National Military Home at Mar
ion, Ind
l3f
Street Meeting Government.
For year before Governor Steele
was appointed, Oklahoma Territory
had no laws. What regulation there
was resulted from spontaneous street
meetings held in Guthrie, where
every fellow had vote without re-
gard to residence and without TAX
ing into account previous condition OF
seryitude. hen street meeting was
held and question put for vote,
people from the states would gather
in spots and convention like, cast
their ballots orally. 1t was iowa or
Kansas or missouri 50 many votes
3 for or against the question. The
majority ruled, and little grumbling
\ was heard
With the coming Of the governor,
which brought within the terrtiorys
borders the first semtlance Of cr-
ganized law, there was held legis-
i lative session, the members having
been elected under provisions OF al
act Of congress. The first legisla-
ture will long be remembered from
the fact that it had 100 days within
which to legislate, and that it spen
nearly all the time in trying to III
the seat of government and place
territorial institutions. Not until t1e
limit had almost been reached did Ut
occur to the members that the terri
tory needed code of laws. Formal
tiles were quickly dispensed with and
copies of statutes were ripped bodily
from the codes of other states The
civil code came from Kansas, the
. CTtulllldl dOQC iiOhi ihai} Ht0S>Ss
these, with other laws, were enacted
in a hurry, without the members
knowing what they contained. In the
tumble there was enacted law on
marine taken from the state of New
York, a feature Of which was fixing
the number OF times steamboats,
were to whistle in passing and the
color OF lights seagoing crafts were
to display, Some of the useless laws
were not removed from the booEs
until codifiers overhauled the terri
tcrial statutes years afterward.
Coming of Governor steele.
The coming OF Governor Steele was
made a gala event in Guthrie. Tnc
man who was to give the new gov
ernor a start was Cassius NJ. Barnes
of Arkansas, himself afterward one
of the territory's governors, and now
a resident of Emporia, Kan. Barnes
was connected with the Guthrie land
Office. oHOltiy uANtt t"s - N'.'N
morning there was a rap at the door
OF Barnes home. and when inquiry
was made from within the caller an
nounced that he had come to be gov
ernor of the territory.
sThe people will be greatly dis |
appointed" said Barnes to Governor
steele 'for they had arrange4 10 !
give you welcome in style, and
committee has been appointed to go
to Arkansas City to receive you at
the territory boundary
Not wanting to disalppoint them
Governor steele agreed after orief
parley quietly to get out of town.
travel back to Arkansas City and I
there await arri al of the reception
committee No one knew that the