The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1919-07-27
WILLIAM |. CRUCE, LAWYER
by MRS. EMMITT T. REID

When Ardmore was In her swad'
&ng clothes. 30 To speak, and little
bre than foundation for the now
prosperous city was being laid; when
corn and cotton flourishod where now
flourish churches and schools and
homes and buildings. there came from
Kentucky young lawyer who cast
his lot with the pioneer citizens Of the
village.
Through the trials and tribulations
and. the joys and prosperity of the
ensuing twenty'four years he remained
TO give his time and energy to the
upbuilding and betterment OF the town
OF his adoption.
And today the name of w. |, Cruce
stands so prominently in the history
OF Ardmore that to think OF one is TO
think of the other.
Early Ardmore Days
well, you know, there Is something
funny about that" Mr.. Cruce remark
ed with that wellknown chuclle which
no pen can portray. 81 built my home
In cotton field that was away out
from town'-today. though the home
Is on the same site. 1t is one Of the
handsomest and most frequented resi-
dental streets of the city. This Is
the greatest poor mans country the
world ever knew. | have seen Ardmore
grow from n little town to what 1t
is today. it has always pleased me and
I've never had desire to leave"
Mr.. Cruce is known throughout the
professional world as the lawyer who
will not assis. in or accept n case in
volving the prosecution of any man"
To hundreds of the men, women and
children of the city he Is known as the
beloved superintendent of the Sunday
school of the First Presbyterian church,
In which capacity he has served con
tinuous for twenty years.
Twenty Years Superintendent
~ You know | really never was elect
ed superintendent" he said, sit was my
brother, Lee. Shortly after coming to
Ardmore l joined the Presbyterian
church. We had only a small mem
bership and Lee was elected superin-
tendent Of the Sunday school. He felt
he couldn't serve but said that he
would take n class if / would serve
as superintendent-and after | prom
ised to do this, do you know he taught
five or six Sundays and then, claiming
the class wouldn't stay with him, just
quit coming. That was in April, 1899.
AT that time" continued Mr.. Cruce,
'the church building was located on
First avenue, northwest, near where
the high school building now stands.
We had about 80 pupils, and seven
teachers-our building cost something
like $S00--now we have building
that cost in the neighborhood of $50
900. and enrolment of 800 pupils, with
IS teachers"
During the twenty years service,
Mr.. Cruco has missed Sunday school
twice only. on account of sickness,
and only a few other times, when out
of town on business and so far away
that he could not get back in time for
the services. If he was within 100
miles of Ardmore, the pupils knew that
their superintendent would be with |
>them. The work has been interesting |
II through the time" Mr.. Cruce re-
marked, "and we have one of the best
\ unday schools in the country. This |
us especially true from financial
Handpont. as we have never been |
compelled to take up a special colec-
tion for anything but the building we
now occupy. But my teachers must |
be given credit for the success of it |
all"
Why He Is n Lawyer
All of us, at times, wonder why such |
n man is a lawyer, a physician, !
banker or engaged in any other line |
of professional work and there comes .
a feeling that well, he was always .
a lawyer or grew up with his father
who was a lawyer
And so it is with Mr.. Cruce. One ,
thinks of him as always having been
O lawyer. just growing up in the bust
ness as ii were, but such is not the
case. for w. !. Crucc was the first
Crucc that over selected Il profession.
His family werH all farmers or mer-
chants and a. II" relates. Long some
where in GS or 80 | was working on
tho farm it was hard work too--and
was getting thoroughly disguised with
a farmers life. | had no money, but
I was determined to get out of that
lifo-and upon looking around | decided
that | could learn to be a lawyer on
less money than anything else'-and
upon attaining my majority | left the
farm wended my way to the city ana
sine that date I have prospered, the
neonIc have all been good to me, |
never went hungry, and | will add
have never regretted the step | took
First ThinC-Get a Continuance
"I remember well my first expert
once in law" he said, tine first law
,or.ner had was the father of Ollie