The Indian Journal from Eufaula, Oklahoma • Page 10

T. Gladstoo Btnery S2S Kirkwood Drive Dallas, Tiui July 2S, 1973 Indian Journal Eufaula, Oklahoma DMT Idltor: Just ratumad from a trip to Arizona, visiting with my cousins the Jeff Wards In Phoenix, at which time they showed me an issue of the Journal in which there was an article about Belle Starr In the July 10th issue of the Dallas Times Herald. A staff writer wrote the attached article and I believed it might be of Interest to some old timers in the Vivian and Stidham area of your circulation. As my grandfather, Lewis Hence Posey settled near Stidham at the vicinity of Bald Hill prior to the turn of the century, and my grandmother retained the home for years following the death of her husband and in the old home Alexander Lawrence Posey, my uncle was born on August 1873. Alex was drowned in the North Canadian River near Bufaula on May 27, 1908.

Assuring you of the appreciation of the family and of many old timers who might recall Uncle Alex, as he was on his way back to negiotate for its purchase on that fateful day and attempting to cross the Canadian River when drowned. Most sincerely J. Oladston Emery (Thank you Mr. Emery for the article and also your letter. This certainly Is of Interest to this Lady Editor.

Our daughter, Kay recently married I assume one of your Joe Johnson, whose Grandmother Is Mrs. Ella Mitchell. Rule). QrVENS Author recounts Belle Starr death Dear Mary: I want to praise Stoney Hardcastle far his comments about our dty water, in his recent column in your paper. I have heard so many people privately mpnas their opinion about the dty water, but none of them want to let these eptoniona be known publicly because It mSgnt offend son si one.

It seems to be alright to keep the secret that bad water can cause audi things as diarareah. It is O. K. to let hundreds of innocent people take the chance of becoming in, while we are very careful not to offend certain folks. We will buy our water at the grocery store, or haul it from out-of-town, but we wiH keep very quiet about it.

Stoney Hardcastle the only brave parson in EofanlaT As for me, I am one of the so don't publish my A Fl'VERAL, the likes of which has not been recorded In modem) times, was held Feb. 6, 1888, three days alter the death ol one o( the most notorious female outlaws In the history of the Southwest i For some of the details we are Indebted to a former Oklahoma state senator who spent almost two decades In the proofroom of The Times Herald and wrote one of the most important books ever to be published about the historic period of turbulence, dramatic crime and punishment and exciting racial conflicts enacted against the 19th Century background of the raw Arkansas-Oklahoma territory and the extensive, government-created Indian Territory' Belle Starr, known as the outlaw queen of Indian Territory, lived on a farm in the Scyene neighborhood a little east of Dallas. Her parents had operated a hotel in Carthage. but after the Civil War, they picked up stakes and came toward the Trinity. In 1872.

in the area of what now is Dallas city limits, Belle eloped with a horse thief and one thing led to another and one husband Jed to another before the funeral. Author J. Gladston Emery delineates, thus: "Her daughter, Pearl, saw her mother's stallion, riderless and lathered with froth. She ran to the animal and searched for a note or some clue. She found on the saddle 1 "Pearl was about to mount the frightened animal when Mllo Hoyt, a neighbor, rode his horse up at a gallop and told Pearl that he had found Belle's body lying face downward on the mountain path leading to the cabin.

She had been shot in the back with charge of buckshot Belle had tried to say something, Hoyt said, but then gasped and died. "The day (of the funeral) was bright and clear. Women of the neighborhood dressed the body and a carpenter from Briartown fashioned a col- fin of new pine boards. Belle's own son and mountain men dug a grave in the rocky dirt just 15 feet from the front corner of the cabin. "She was laid to rest In the samel, black satin dress that she had worn the funeral of her husband, Sam.

her right hand, resting over her across her chest, they placed her vorite pearl-handled six-shooter. (L is one of the few women in America) buried with a gun on her bosom.) "There were no religious neither white nor Indian nor Negro. No! hymns, no chanting of Indian dtrgesj no eulogy. Indian pallbearers, each heavily-armed, came through the door way carrying the coffin to the freshly "SLOWLY, THEY PLACED the body at the graveside and removed the lid, withdrawing and watching those who passed to view the body Intently Each Cherokee, in passing placed it small piece of combread in the coffin, in compliance with the tribal ritual for the dead." The pages ol AuthoT Emery's book. "Court of the Damned," come alive with more vigor and reality for me because I have known him many, years Today, he has forgotten his crazy-quilt pattern ol publishing and printing and editing.

He and Lucille vacation at the drop of a steamship folder. They're Dallas residents who never worry because his book now is out ol print. As Comet Press commented, "His heritage and background bring to him a highly authentic and autochthonous flavor." He was bom in Wagoner, and is a descendant of Nancy Tiger Posey, a full-blooded Creek Indian. His maternal grandfather, Lewis H. Posey, was a Scotch-Irishman adopted in infancy by the Creeks.

He ranked high in Creek Council affairs and served as a tribal Judge. Emery's parents were teachers at the Creek Orphan and Indian School. HE WAS EDUCATED in Oklahoma and California. Haskell Institute in Kansas and McAlester Business College and Eastern in Wilburton, also sweetened his learning pot. He qwned The Talihima American when he Was only 19 years old and for Oklahoma or any other state, that set a record.

He has served at top desks for many big newspapers and finally settled In Corsicana before coming to The Tunes' Herald (his uncle was Alexander Lawrence Posey, the late Creek dian poet and editor of the Indian Journal, Eufaula, I. oldest newspaper in Oklahoma.) EMEBV SERVED enough time in World War to get three battle stars and a Presidential Unit citation for his iJ.S. Nasy record. Belle-Starr, who claims only a portion of the book, was bom in Missouri! and spent her childhood on a stock farm in a community called As Myra' Belle Shirley, she learned toi ride and shoot deadly accuracy and doubtlessly during that time' picked up many ol the tricks that she. later employed as a horse thief.

There is no recorded evidence that she was pretty or The fact that shq could shoot a frog eye as long as there' was daylight earned for her much respect among the outlaws. She lived in a bee's nest of bad people most of her life near Younger's Bead, named for the brothers, on the north side of the Canadian River: Jim Lemonds, manager of the local Dept- ment Store, reports that the Eufaula store is the winner of the annual blanket sale held by all Sharpe's stores each June. The Eufaula store won over the other sixteen stores for the sixth consecutive year. Vivian Pendley, of the local store, was the high individual employee. The other employees Ann Bean and Jewell Hammett.

GRASS FIND County Investigators Tony Overra, left, and John Thornton, show off marijuana they pulled up during the noon hour Tuesday on the Arkansas River east of here. The men had kept the "grass" under surveilonce for sometime, hoping to determine who the marijuana belonged to but finally decided the patch was'-uncultivated. District Attorney Jim Conrad said the grass will disposed of by burning it in the county incinerator. Beal The Heal You can say what you want to about Oklahoma's weather, but In the summer it's hot! After weeks of sweating and steaming, It's not uncommon to find the heat is beginning to wear you down. You ean't do anything about the outside temperature.

You can avoid It If you are fortunate enouih to work and live in air- conditioned comfort, but it still will be hot outalde. The Oklahoma State Medical Association points out that there are some things you can do to be more comfortable things that can help you beat the heal Stay out of the tun as much as possible, especially during the middle of the day when rays are hottest Wear light, loose doth, in if. The ladles have the edge over the men In this respect Drink more liquids than usual. Row- ever, take extra salt only on your physkian's advice, particularly If you have liver or kidney trouble or a heart condition. Take a shower or a dtp In the pool or twice a day to cool off.

Get plenty of rest and sleep. Eat your regular diet and don't go overboard on cold-cuts and salads, unless you like them anyway. If you must do heavy work out of dcorse, do It early In the morning. This Is particularly good advice for those who are not used? to working outside. Everyone should try to avoid heavy exertion during the hottest hours of the day.

In Oklahoma's hot weather sun strokes and heat strokes are likely to occur. Too much exposure and too much exercise In the hot sun may produce sun stroke. Prolonged excessive heat, either in or out of doors, can cause heat stroke. Sun stroke victims will have high temperature and if important to keep them cool. Heat stroke victims, on the other hand, will be cold and clammy, and should be kept warm and allowed to return to normal more gradually.

Prompt medical attention is vital in both conditions. Sunburn has hospitalized many a vacationer. Everyone should know that gradual exposure to the sun, beginning with only a few minutes each day. is the recommended course. But many of us forget to watch the clock and to take precautions against sunburn in the excitement of the Drat day at camp or on vacation.

The more relaxed outdoor life for the summer has many advantages to compensate for the neat Stay relaxed and use common sense and you can beat the hctaV at least somewhat ttfE INDIAN JOURNAL. Eufaula. Oklahoma lltUMUAY, HAPPY ANHIYEHSARY ft AUGUST 2 Thank Ton For 27Happy Yew. lH 'isjtj assJIini mmfl NURSING HOME Better fir Tender Loving Care Bed-ridden Patients need venry special care. And.

that's time consuming. Besides, they must be under constant ana close medical auperrlelon. We have the proper staff and facilities they need. Mrs. Evelyn Spest.

Office Mrs, Doris WHaa. R.T.THck -Wime .1 Mrs. Lois Sostthee. B. K.

Mrs. Geonnlne Dfatoav 1L N. Imc DnrixnB. Mrs. beta L.

P. N. Eufaula Nursing Home 107 rant MMU1 at MMH1 afjfsss iHnnflu sfjen Vivian Stites (Here Us Vivian and sorry but all letters that are published must be signed. Thank you for writing. 1 afsxyRule.) JOUBNAL'WAHT AOS get results THE INDIAN JOURNAL TRUNK LINE More than 20 centuries, ago, when Hannibal's army crossed the flooded Rhone River en route to France, special rafts bad to be built for the elephants.

In the battle, the beasts were armored. sasaiaskisjisiSjgsWWM ORDER YOUR CHRISTMAS CARDS Eufaula 'Monster 9 Seen-or Was It Mayor? EUFAULA Are Lake Bufaula's tinker bass and other game fish sharing tbeir habitat with a Curtis and Arnett Bailey, who live six miles north of Eufaula. are convinced they saw a very unusual creature in the lake Monday night. Curtis Bailey, a McAlester service station employe, said be and bis brother, Arnett, were out on the south part of the lake fishing about mid; Monday. HAD SET A trot line and were flashing a light around when we saw the thing's head sticking out of the "My brother said, 'What's that over We went closer and saw it was some big creature, kind of like a big lizard.

Half of its bead sticking out of the water. "It seemed to be as big as a yearling cow's bead. It was a land of dark brown color and it had warts all over its bead like a warty frog. "It started to open its mouth but it didn't open it far enough for us to see its teeth." Bailey said they got within about IS feet of the monster, and were going to hit it with a 2by 4 they had in the boat. CLOSER we got.

the worse it looked," he declared. "We kinda got we circled around it. It kept turning its head and kept looking at us. We tried to get behind it but it would turn around and watch us all the time. We went off and left it." Bailey said the two brothers returned the next night "and we took a gun with us.

We went early, and we beard some kind of big too big for a we didn't see a thing. We haven't seen it any more." Bailey said they estimated, from the size of the bead, that ''it would have weighed between 800 and 1,000 pounds." Mayor Tully O'Reilly of Eufaula, who read the account of the monster in a newspaper, expressed some surprise. "I'VE THOUGHT of putting a monster in the lake to attract attention for the town, but not this one," he said. "I swim a lot in the maybe they saw me swimming." A police 'officer contacted this morning at Eufaula also expressed consternation. "I've been out here in this area 47 years and I've never seen or heard of anything like this before," he declared.

CENTURY MASTTOtnCCK QUANT HUNDREDS TO CHOOSE FROM TfWShl at v'T LAKE LOT SALE AT EXCITING EAGLE BLUFF ESTATES ON BEAUTIFUL LAKE EUFAULA! MANY FEATURES INCLUDING: ir Swimming Pool City Water All Weather Roads if Tennis Court 00 Community Park it Boat Ramp if Wooded Lots if View Lots Terms No Interest EUFAULA ENTERPRISES, INC So. el Ofctgr on Bus, Bay. OPEN 9:00 AJf. to 5:00 PWL 91848M191 P. O- BOX 811 WVWMVtA, OKUL lasts Art THE UNUSUAL TOUCH OF TRULY CREATIVE ARTISTS AND THE SKILL OF ACCOMPLISHED CRAFTSMEN HAVE BEEN COMBINED WITH THE RELIABILITY OF OVER FIFTY YEARS EXPERIENCE TO BRING YOU THESE DISTINCTIVE PERSONALIZED CHRISTMAS CARDS.

3 You con hove a jolly Santa, a beautiful nativity scone or a clovor little card. Hurry in while it at its best. The Indian Journal I.