The Washington times., 1921-03-08

Having no particular taste for
scandal. ] did not look for them. A
day or two ago, having returned to
Ardmore after an absence of one year,
met substantial citizen who held
formerly an important political post in
Missouri. He stated that he came
to Ardmore four years ago and that
one of the first things he heard was
that Jake Hamon and Clara Hamon
we're living together at the Randol.
WAS COMMON KNOWLEDGE.
It was a matter of what Is called
common talk. Ardmore seemed TO
take the situation for granted. Dur
ing the fifteen months Of my resi-
dence in this city, first as telegraph
editor and then for year as editor
OF the Daily Ardmorite, the only daily
paper published here, / heard fire.
quent mention OF the propinquity Of
the oil man and his female secretary.
Most of those who took occasion
to mention the situation did so but
casually, even as one might remark
that 1t looks like rain or that Sim
Smith Is building new bungalow.
Having been reared elsewhere than in
southern Oklahoma, considerably to
the north. in fact, the temporary jour
hoiioliS ~HCu Hc tiiuC
to wonder about anything. wondered
about this thing. To paraphrase:
Can such things be and overcome US
like summers clond and we not
care a continental?" So far as with
out inquiry. discovered nobody
seemed to care a continental where
or how or with whom Mr.. Hamon
was living.
Miss Clara" as many persons
called her then and call her now.
rode about a great deal with the mil
lionaire politician by train and by
automobile. She was understood ger
orally to be his secretary That is
to say. outside of Ardmore. In Ard
more she was understood to be gen
orally his mistress.
NAME HAD HIGH MAGIC.
As 1t was my business to work
about twenty hours in producing tho
Sunday newspaper, did not get to
church often, so / did not gather the
conglomerate attitude of the church
folk upon the matter. l met, how
ever, from time to time all the To-
cal pastors and many members of
the several thriving church bodies,
for Ardmore is opulent OF churches.
Memory holds but perhaps two or
three instances where the relations
of the oil man and "hls woman"
were mentioned with severe disap-
proval. "Oh, it's Jake. SO what's the
e,"-that seemed to be the prevail
ing note. The name Jake Hamon had
high magic in Ardmore. Many men
spoke il with a thrill in the voice.
To the outlander it appeared that the
smash through politician was an as
set of which to be immensely proud.
An,S hi0 auUreSSiyp anal
titles keynoted most OF the COM
ments.
Jake Hamon is big asset to
Ardmore." newcomers were told frst
on "Why we just simply couldn't
get along without Jake. You might
say that he has made Ardmore."
Personally the editor of the Ard
moreite found reason to differ from
the general estimate as to the making
of Ardmore. No doubt Mr.. Hamon's
railroad building, oil finding had done
much toward building up the town
in a commercial way. but, as mat
ter Of plain fact, il was picturesque
and tragic explosion OF a big tank car
of gasoline at the Santa Fe Railroad
station in 1916 that made Ardmore.
That tragedy was turned into a tre-
town building asset through
the prompt and generous settlem mt
made by the railroad company.
MILLION IN DAMAGES.
About forty persons were killed by
the explosion and many buildings
wrecked The Santa Fe paid over in
damages more than $1,0O0,000 to sur
viving citizens. New and better
buildings took the places of wrecked
ones. Money paid for personal in
xla ,,h too1
aspect of the growing little city.
Everybody. it appears, was thoroughly
we'll satisfied with the settlement.
Thus one tragedy turned out to be. In
a sense, a blessing after all.
Just now I have learned of some
what amusing incident in connection
with the settlement A certain hotel
man had been offering his hostelry
for sale for $4,000, with no takers.
The house was wrecked in the explo-
sion. Mine host asked damages In the
sum of $4,000, and he still owned the
site, which was not hurt in the least.
The appraisal board sought to cut
down his claim, but the railroad COM
pany paid him $4,000.
Almost any town can be made
through such generosity, one might
assume. But Jake Hamon undoubt-
euly was u kTcdt dsSCt W
Ardmore. In his oil operations he
employed a large number of men, and
he paid them literally.
The railroad. which was built
through his promotion. running out
to the Healdion oil field. with the in
tention eventually to continue to
Lawson, solved the transportation
problem. About a year ago a citizen
told me this version of the genesis
Of the Ringing railroad, named for
it's owner. John liingling, circus
celebrity.
Jake Hamon had dreamed that
railroad, but it got no further than
a dream" he said. "He had little or
no resources himself. He went to
New York to find capital, failed, be-
came morose, went out, tanked up on
booze, and in a bar met John Ring
ling. Jake got back all his enthusi-
asm for the road and more. Mr..
Ringling was won over, financed and
built the line. and Hsmon got his
real start toward prosperity by SELL
ing lots on the townsite out there in
the oil fields"
WEALTH GAVE HIM NERVE.