Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-02-18

l"60he " TUT CODD. AueFe ne JOIN
ed the Chickasaw Battalion and wal
In George James company. He wa.
stationed with this company on from.
tier duty on the Washita river neai
Anadarko.
This company was disbanded N
November and Mr. Collins returned
to the neighborhood near his present
home, where he lived until May, OF
the year 1862, when he Joined Ful.
tons regiment, Watkins company of
the Confederate army, and was in the
army until his regiment was disband-
ed in 1865.
The following year, after the army
was disbanded, Feb. IL, 1865, to be
exact, he was married to Sarah Potts.
then % years of age.
Mrs. Collins was born March 3. In
the year 1914. Just short distance
from where she now lives. At an
early age she went to live with her
aunt. Sally Albertson, in the house
in which she and Uncle Dan now re-
side. II is not known just when this
house was built as Mrs. Collins aunt,
Sally Albertson, built IL in young wo-
manhood, and she was 115 years old
at the time of he death in 1895.
Mrs. Collins is a duarterblood "in-
jun" as she expressed it, being of the
Chickasaw Nation. Her father was
Joe Potts and her mothers name was
Rhoda. Mrs. Collins was the oldest
of five children. three boys and two
girls, two of her brothers living near
the old home place.
Mrs. Collins descended from long
lived and hearty ancestors. Her
grandmother, Molly Gun, who was
full-blood Chiekasaw Indian, is a per-
sonage in history. the most notable
event narrated of her life being of
her swimming the Mississippi river
on a wager for a barrel OF sugar.
This feat was performed near Horn
Lake, few miles below Memphis,
Tenn. It was said that this Molly
Gum was the only woman to ever
swim the big river at this point. Molly
Gum swan the river, grabbed hand |
full of earth from the opposite bank
and returned without resting.
Uncle Dan Collins and his wife |
have lived in their present home ever
since their marriage, where they have |
reared two sons and four daughters. 1
These are: Dan H., and Charlie Col !
Inns, 35 and 81 years of age, respect
lively, both of whom live in the Col
bert community: Mrs. George BeeI- |
er, of Chickasha; Mrs. Louis Murray,
Of Colbert; Mrs. Mittie Trot. of Du-
rant, and the youngest daughter,
Maud, who lives at home with herl
Two sons, Ben and Allie.
died at an early age.
Besides the children who were in
attendance, there were twenty-three
grandchildren and ten great grand
children.
Although there are twenty-seven
grandchildren and eleven great
grandchildren but three of the for
ner and one of the latter were un-
lble to be present.
Mr.. Collins has been stockman
III of his life, and at the resent time
WINS some eight or nine hundred
cres of fine land situated around
nd near his present home.
Besides their home, which is the
ldest inhabited residence in Okla
oma, they have many quaint and
ndque pieces of furniture and a big
of old guns, tomahawks
ipes of peace, and many other relics
hat call to mind the early days of :
his country.
One of the quaintest pieces of fur
iture in the home is a baby's chair.
ome-made, which has been used by
II of the children and many of the
randchildren and served the great =
randchildren last Friday