Just for fun

From 1906 to 1913, The Oklahoman published a column called “New State Notes.” It consisted of several short items from state newspapers. The reporter who wrote these probably gleaned them from other newspapers, but he had a knack for the humorous. These items were published in the September 22, 1909 newspaper. Read and enjoy!

Mayor Steel of Cordell asserts that during July and August he was the happiest man in his town, for the reason he says, that his pastor, Sunday school superintendent, the city marshal, his wife and his mother-in-law were out of town at the same time.

A Woods county farmer shipped a carload of chickens to New York and by the time they arrived enough eggs had been laid to pay the freight. This recalls the old story of the hen that laid an egg for Beecher after he had saved her life when she was a mere chicken, wet bedraggled and half frozen by the roadside.  The story ends thus:  “And in this way did the Henry Ward Beecher.”

An Alfalfa county merchant closed out his stock of goods and failed to give his family any of the money, whereupon his wife had him arrested on the charge of embezzlement.

Bootleggers in Custer county have removed Judge Lattimer from the bench ten times but he retains his regard for the bench and proclaims his willingness to sit on the carcass of any bootlegger in the county. The indications are that Judge Lattimer has not treated the bootlegger fair, according to their ideas of fairness.

About the next thing you hear from Oktaha will be an announcement from the editor of the Leader and the next issue of his paper will be edited as Christ would edit it. The Rev. Mr. Frazier is one of the typo(grapher)s on that journal and the Rev. A.M. Beman was the first paid subscriber.

Governor Donaghey of Arkansas once lived in a tent in Sayre. He was townsite promoter for the Choctaw railroad at that time. Senator Jeff Davis of Arkansas used to have a duck hunt in Beckham county and occasionally he came into Sayre. Once while there he  was told that Donaghey lived down the street in a tent. “Keep him here, ” said the budding senator, “Arkansas can do without him.

It looked for a time like the Beggs fair was going to be a dry affair, owing to the scarcity of water, but the asssociation drilled a well 260 feet deeep and found 140 feet of water. Thus was removed any excuse for other wet goods.

Mary Phillips

mphillips@opubco.com

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