A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V, Part 85

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644

USA > Oklahoma > A standard history of Oklahoma; an authentic narrative of its development from the date of the first European exploration down to the present time, including accounts of the Indian tribes, both civilized and wild, of the cattle range, of the land openings and the achievements of the most recent period, Vol. V > Part 85

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On August 22, 1894, Mr. Laing married Miss Mina O. Menzies. She was born at Peterboro, Ontario, a daughter of Thomas and Isabelle (McIntyre) Menzies. Both pa- rents were born in Perthshire, Scotland. Her father was a grandson of John Menzies, who was captain of the Seventy-ninth Highlanders under Sir Ralph Abercrombie at the Battle of the Nile in Egypt, when the British so thoroughly whipped the forces of the great Napoleon dur- ing his Egyptian campaign. Mrs. Laing's maternal grandfather, Donald McIntyre, was major in the Scotch Greys Cavalry at the Battle of Waterloo. Mr. and Mrs. Laing have three children: Ronald B., Christine I. and Louise M.

JOHN F. PALMER. A man of justice in all his rela- tions with his fellows, is a tribute which no member of the Osage Nation deserves in a higher degree than John F. Palmer of Pawhuska. During the years since he was admitted to the full rights of citizenship in the Osage tribe he has stood steadfastly for the right as he sees it, and in a manner surpassing the abilities and opportunities of most men has succeeded in trans- lating high ideals into terms of practical service and usefulness. In the ordinary aspect of his career Mr. Palmer was for many years an attorney, practicing both in the tribal courts and afterwards in the state and federal jurisdictions, and has likewise made his example stimulating to a large community as a rancher and farmer. But the interests and value of his career are chiefly due to his varied relations as a public leader, though seldom in official positions, among the Indian people in Northeastern Oklahoma whose heritage has made them the wealthiest people in the world, and no one man has fought more indefatigably, earnestly and unselfishly to safeguard that very heritage. .

Though he is the son of a white man, his birth occurred on the wide open prairie in the far Northwest, hundreds of miles from the outposts of civilization, in what was then known vaguely as Dakota Territory, in 1862. The Palmers were prominent frontiersmen in Missouri and the western territories, and his grandfather was a phy- sician of excellent ability and high standing. His father was an early owner of freighting outfits from Dakota to Oregon. He married a Sioux Indian woman, but the mother died at the birth of John F. Palmer. He was reared for the first few years of his life among

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HISTORY OF OKLAHOMA

Indian relatives in Dakota Territory, but in 1869, when seven years of age, he was taken by his father to the latter's sister at Fort Scott, Kansas, and soon after- ward his father placed him in the old Catholic school, known as the Osage Mission, at what is now St. Paul, Kansas. That school was conducted by the Jesuit Fathers, chief among whom was the noted priest of the Southwest, Rev. John Schoenmacher. Two or three years after he had been put in this school the news came that his father had been killed in Oregon, where he owned a cattle train. John F. Palmer remained at the school at Osage Mission until 1876, and was then adopted into the family of Samuel Bevinue, a member of the Osage Tribe. He accompanied his foster father to the Osage Reservation in what is now the State of Oklahoma, and they all settled on Salt Creek twenty-five iniles west of the present City of Pawhuska, where they opened one of the first farms in that region.

His independent career outside of school and home influences may be said to have begun in 1881 when he went out as a cowboy in the employ of different outfits through the Chickasha Nation and Northern Texas. That was his regular occupation until 1887. His foster father, Samuel Bevinue, died in 1883, and in 1887 Mr. Palmer returned home to aid the family in managing the farm.

In the meantime Mr. Palmer had been formally adopted as a member of the Osage Tribe of Indians. This adoption required a procedure of an interesting and somewhat impressive character, including his appear- ance before the council of Osage chiefs and head men, prominent among whom were such men as Pawnee Numpahshe or Governor Joe and Black Dog, Wahtinkah, Strike Axe, Gus Strike Axe, Alvin Wood, Samuel Bevinue, Ogeese Captain, Cyprian Tayrien, and Ne-kalı- wah-she-tan-kah, and others. All of these chiefs and headmen are now deceased excepting Cyprian Tayrien and Ne-kah-wah-she-tan-kah, prominent old residents near Gray Horse, Oklahoma.

On June 11, 1888, Mr. Palmer married Martha A. Plomondon, a member of the Osage Tribe. To their marriage were born six children: Mabel (Dot), John E., Mary E., Clementina, Martha M. and Marguerite. All of these children are living in Osage County except John E., who was drowned in Clear Creek when eleven years of age.

After his marriage Mr. Palmer engaged in the regular practice of law under the old Osage Tribal Govern- ment. In the meantime he had studied American law, and after the tribal form of government was abolished by department order, continued his studies in different offices, but chiefly in the office of W. S. Fitzpatrick of Sedan, Kansas, who formerly was a United States con- missioner, located at Pawhuska, and is now serving as general counsel for the Prairie Oil & Gas Company of Kansas and Oklahoma. While in Mr. Fitzpatrick 's office Mr. Palmer was admitted to the bar by Judge Aikman, then judge of District Court in Chautauqua and Elk counties, Kansas. For several years Mr. Palmer continued to practice law in the state and federal courts, but about 1912 discontinued this as a profession and has since given his entire time to his farming and stock raising interests. In fact, farming and stock raising has been his chief business for fully a quarter of a cen- tury.

Another distinction in the career of Mr. Palmer remains to be noted. In 1898 he enlisted as a volunteer private in Company K of the First Territorial Volunteer Infantry for service in the Spanish-American War. This famous regiment it will be recalled was recruited largely from the four territories of the United States at that

time, Oklahoma, Indian Territory, Arizoua and New Mexico. Mr. Palmer was the only volunteer from Osage County in this splendid regiment of frontiersmen and rough riders. Several others enlisted from the Osage Tribe and went into other regiments, but he was the only one in the First Territorial. He remained with the regiment in its arduous service during the actual period of hostilities, and received his honorable discharge Febru- ary 9, 1899.

Mr. Palmer is a deep student of politics in the better sense of that word, and has always been particularly active and influential in public questions as they related to his own people. Though a democrat, he has never held office, but has served on various delegations. He was chairman of the first important statehood convention held at Oklahoma City. In practically every national, state and local campaign since 1896 he has been on the stump, both in Oklahoma and Kansas, and in this connection there may be stated another well earned dis- tinction, that Mr. Palmer is known as the most eloquent Indian in Oklahoma. In. the course of a speech at Pawhuska a few years ago, Senator Gore referred to Mr. Palmer as "the most eloquent Indian alive."

He served as the first master of Wah-Shah-She Lodge, No. 110, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Paw- huska, and is also affiliated with the Royal Arch Chap- ter, has taken the various degrees in the Scottish Rite, and is a member of the Knights of Pythias. He was reared in the faith of the Catholic Church, and his wife and children are all members of that denomination.

Twenty-five years of his life have been spent in the active service of his chosen people. He probably would find it difficult to recall the number of times he has gone to Washington either individually or as a member of delegations during the past twenty-five years for the purpose of representing the Osage people in import- ant matters under the jurisdiction of the department of Indian affairs or calling for a consultation with com- mittees of Congress, or the President. In this time he has stood shoulder to shoulder with the public spirited men of the Osages in their fight on Indian traders. Indian agents, big cattle interests and the still bigger oil interests of recent times. He is even now engaged in what appears to be the final effort to wrest the richest oil and gas country in the world from the monop- olistic control and domination of the Standard Oil Company and its various subsidiary corporations. Mr. Palmer has courageously fought a fight in the interests of all his fellow citizens to secure the full benefits of this marvelous aggregate of wealth, against which the plots of the most cunning and brilliant legal talent have been devised. Particular reference is made to the blanket lease which would include a territory of approximately 680,000 acres.

At the same time Mr. Palmer has for years favored the allotment in severalty of the Osage lands, believing that by such allotment individual initiative would be bere encouraged and a great impulse given to the actual development and improvement of the rich agricultural lands included in the Osage holdings. He has worked not only for raising the standards of agriculture, but also for the building of schools and churches, and has advocated the policy of inducing farmers from other states to come in and add their experience and enter- prise to the Osage people in developing their lands Several times he has appeared before the State Board of Agriculture in favor of the small farmer and stock man as against the big cattle interests, and has never failed to secure the object for which he was working. All of this service, it is perhaps needless to state, Mr. Maude Palmer has given absolutely free to his people. He has her

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never accepted a fee in return for any of his work as an attorney or advocate in behalf of the Osage country and its people as a whole, and hence it would be diffi- cult to find, going through Oklahoma in all directions, a man of more fixed ideals of loyalty, of sturdy honesty, with more directness and simplicity of character and with finer natural abilities in mind and eloquence and in rare powers of judgment than John F. Palmer.

EDWARD S. MCCABE, the superintendent of the city schools of Kingfisher, is an educator of proved ability and long experience. Several things make his record one of interesting and distinctive character. The four- teen years he has been superintendent of the Kingfisher city schools constitute the longest term in the same superintendency in the State of Oklahoma. Another distinction is that he has been continuously in school work in Oklahoma since 1893, in just one county, King- fisher County. He is a pioneer settler in the Cherokee Strip and in point of continuous service one of the oldest school men in the territory and state.

Edward S. McCabe was born at Newton County, Indiana, on September 11, 1870, and acquired his com- mon school education in Gentry and Harrison counties in Northwest Missouri. His formal entrance into school work was preceded by a thorough course at the Chilli- cothe Normal School in Missouri, from which he gradu- ated, and he had an experience of three terms in charge of country schools before coming to Oklahoma. In the spring of 1893 he accompanied his father, S. L. McCabe, to Kingfisher County, and in September of that year they participated in the opening of the Cherokee Strip, ocating in Garfield County.

Mr. McCabe's first school work in Oklahoma was begun at Wandel, where he taught three terms. He then went to Kingfisher and had charge of the high chool as principal but resigned as the close of the first rear in order to enter the State University at Norman, where he continued higher studies for two years. He ext took charge of the Hennessey public schools as uperintendent, and during the four years there was argely instrumental in placing the school system of that ity on a high plane of efficiency.

In the fall of 1902 Mr. McCabe was elected superin- endent of the Kingfisher city schools, succeeding Charles H. Roberts, who had been elected to the chair f history at the Central State Normal at Edmond. His york at Kingfisher will probably constitute his best monument as an educator. A fine proof of his efficiency directing the city school system is found in the nanimous support given him as to his work. At each ecurring annual election since he was first made superin- ry of endent at Kingfisher he has received the entire vote of Savored e Board of Education for superintendent, and though he board's personnel has frequently changed there has lieving ever been a member who has opposed his election.

Mr. McCabe has been a constant student and is as uch in the van of educational progress in Oklahoma ow as he was twenty years ago. He graduated from ingfisher College in 1910, and during the past five years as done post-graduate work at the University of Chicago. e is well known in school circles all over the State of klahoma and has been vice president of the State teachers' Association, and was twice elected secretary- easurer and was twice on the executive committee of association. He has also served as vice president the Missouri Teachers' Club.

Mr. McCabe married at Hennessey in May, 1901, Miss aude Binding, daughter of Charles and Kate Binding. tate, Mr. He has hey have two sons, Edward Earl and Charles fayette.

RUFUS LAFAYETTE SLAUGHTER. The present superin- tendent of schools at Macomb, though a young man of only thirty years, has been identified with educational work more or less for fully fourteen years. He did his first school work in Oklahoma in 1910, and is one of the highly competent educators of the state.

The family to which he belongs came from England to Virginia in colonial times. One of his ancestors was Philip Slaughter, who served in the Revolutionary war. Still another ancestor was a colonial governor in North Carolina. Professor Slaughter was born at Booneville, Arkansas, November 21, 1885. His father, W. L. Slaughter, who was born in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1857, is still living at Booneville. He spent his early career in Memphis, at Newport, Arkansas, but when still young established his home at Booneville, where he married and where for a number of years he has been successfully practicing as a lawyer. In politics he is a democrat and has filled the office of county judge. He is a mem- ber of the Missionary Baptist Church, the Masonic fra- ternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. W. L. Slaughter married Dora Walker, who was born at Booneville, Arkansas, in 1866. Their children are: Frank L., a traveling salesman whose home is at Jones- boro, Arkansas; Robert N., a teacher at Jonesboro; Rufus L .; and H. S., who is a teacher at Saratago Ark- ansas.

Rufus L. Slaughter grew up in his native village of Booneville, attended the public schools there, graduating from high school in 1901. His first work as a teacher was as principal at Waldron, Arkansas, where he re- mained two years. For another year he was principal of the school at Cauthron, Arkansas. His higher education was continued in the Ouachita College at Arkadelphia, where he spent two years, finishing the sophomore course in the normal school. Leaving educational work for a time, from 1906 to 1910, Mr. Slaughter was in the rail- way mail service with a run between Memphis, Tennes- see, and McAlester, Oklahoma.

In 1910 he came to Wilburton, Oklahoma, to take the principalship of the local schools for one year. During 1911-12 he was in charge of the schools at Heavener, Oklahoma, and after being out of school work again for a year became superintendent of schools at Asher during 1913-15, for two school years. In the fall of 1915 he became superintendent at Macomb.

In politics he is a democrat, is a member of the Christian Church, is affiliated with Logan Lodge No. 408, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, is past high priest of Van Hoose Chapter No. 111, Royal Arch Masons; and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. He is active and well known in educational organizations, a mem- ber of both the county and state teachers' associa- tions, and was chairman of the Pottawatomie County Teachers' Association in 1913 and 1914. In 1912 at Fort Smith, Arkansas, Mr. Slaughter married Miss Eleanor Hull. Her father was the late H. W. Hull, who for a number of years was a machinist in the employ of the Kansas City Southern Railway on the Heavener division.

DANIEL K. CUNNINGHAM. In the settlement and development of Oklahoma thousands of men revealed their real character and ability. Probably much the greater part of those who came at the opening were unable to stand the testing and sifting processes, and have long since settled down into obscurity or have gone to other regions. Among the hosts of men who have had the opportunities of pioneers comparatively a handful can be classed as "men of light and leading," men who have been persistent in their ambitions, have worked steadily for the fulfillment of ideals, and from

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first to last have exercised a great force iu the upbuild- ing of the territory and state. One of the most con- spicuous of these lives at Kingfisher and is an attorney, one of the three still in practice out of the 150 or more who arrived at the town site within a few days of the opening in 1889. Daniel K. Cunuiugham secured and maintained against all opposition one of the first locations near the land office at Kingfisher. He has practiced law and represented hundreds of clients in the courts of the old territory and the new state. But perhaps his chief claim to distinction has been his broad publie spirit, his vision of the future, and his untiring work in behalf of his home city. He is one of the men who has supplied faith and courage through all the years of prosperity and vicissitudes since Oklahoma first became the home of civilized meu.

Daniel K. Cunningham is a Canadian by birth, born in County Kent on a farm iu Ontario January 17, 1854. When he was seventeen years of age he went into Michi- gan, and for three years was identified with the lumber industry wheu that business was at its height in Western Michigau. He served as a lumber inspector at mills in Muskegon, Whitehall and other places. Those towns were then among the most important lumber centers in the world. Muskegon alone operated forty-five large mills, aud all the country back of that city for miles was oue vast pine forest. The panic of 1873 caused a severe decline in the industry, and about that time Mr. Cunningham returned to Canada and gave serious attention to the acquiring of a liberal education. He attended the high school and college at Gault and Hamilton, and spent five years in preparing for the legal profession in the Upper Canada Law Association at Toronto. He gave close attention to his studies in a private office, and passed the required aunual examina- tion conducted by the association above named, until his final examination in 1880 admitted him to Osgoode Hall at Toronto-a body corresponding to the famous Inns of Court in London. Thus he became a full-fledged attorney, solicitor and barrister. Much of the five years of study and experience had been in the office of Richard Baily, Q. C., of London, Ontario.

Mr. Cunningham began practice in his native county and remained there until 1885. He then removed to the United States, locating in McPherson County, Kansas, and was soon in possession of a promising practice. It was with little thought or desire to remain in Oklahoma that he responded to the persuasion of his friends to accompany them and take part in the long- looked for opening. He had just completed an arduous term of court, and being in need of a vacation he con- sented to accompany a party of friends, and while en route became infected with the prevailing fever which possessed the many thousands of emigrants to the uew land of promise. On reaching the outskirts of the terri- tory he decided to enter aud secure if possible a home- stead. The United States had designated the location of a laud office at the present site of Kingfisher, and with this point in view he set his stake at a poiut about half a mile distaut from the office. His reasoning was that he could thus secure a quarter section adjoining the town site. At this time no town site had been provided for by the Government. His stake was within a few paces of the northwest corner of his tract. He was one of the crowd of thousands of others who were con- gregated iu the same locality, but the land office for filing of claims was not opened until April 23rd. At 2 o'clock in the morning Mr. Cunningham found four men on the steps of the land office, and a line was quickly formed. By 9 o'clock, when the office opened for the filing of the first claim, there were probably 4,000 men in line,

and about 15,000 people on or near the possible towu- site. Mr. Cunningham's papers for filing were not at first received, and iu fact not for about thirty days, until considerable correspondence had passed between the local authorities and Washiugtou aud instructions had issued from the central Government. Many others tried to secure this same land, and thus there ensued contests extending over a period of two years. Mr. Cunningham's claim was finally sustained. Iu the meantime he built a cabin and made it his home in order not to lose any rights of possession. At one time the contention became so bitter that a United States officer was secured to remove his house beyond the borders of the land. This act was subsequently repudiated by the Government, the deputy was dismissed, and the same man who had removed the house placed it back on its original site. A fence was also constructed for the purpose of shutting out this determined claimant, but with a knowledge of the location of survey lines, he subsequently built a far better residence, in fact, what was at that time the best house in the vicinity.

Mr. Cunningham has many interesting recollections of those pioneer days in and about Kingfisher. From the first he showed his public spirit and willingness to co-operate with and lead his fellow men to important improvements and undertakings. It was generally understood that the city blocks should be 300 feet square, and accordingly stakes were set as near the outer boundaries as could be determined. Naturally those stakes which were subsequently found to be in the street were thrown out and the claims thus instituted were lost. On the 23rd day of April public meetings were held which brought about the organization of two city governments. One was at the north and the other at the south of the land office. To one organization was given the name Kingfisher aud to the other Lisbon. Each village chose boards of aldermen and mayor and other officials, and thus ou one day two towns came into existence. The dual city continued for about two years until they were consolidated, and the name carried by the land office was made the title of the larger city. There was no law in Oklahoma Territory except such as emanated from the people themselves and from the rules of the Federal authorities until 1890, when the Government announced as a code a compilation from the statutes of Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana which should be applicable to the new country of Oklahoma. As is well known, all the later openings of Oklahoma Terri. tory were much better systematized, town sites were established in advance, a system of registration and drawing was formulated, and in general these later openings were characterized by much less friction and bitterness.

In the very early days of Kingfisher about 150 attor neys did more or less law practice, and as already stated only three of these are still active members of the bar Mr. Cunningham was also a leader in the movement when Kingfisher became au aspirant for the territoria capital location. He and two other men were a commit tee appointed to represent Kingfisher in the contest fo the capital. They were in constant attendance at th Legislature from August until December, when afte its second passage, the bill making Kingfisher the capita was finally vetoed by Governor George W. Steele.

Mr. Cunningham has added part of his laud to th city in subdivisions and additions, and most of thes lots have already beeu sold. He has made himself factor iu both local and state affairs during the develop ment of Oklahoma, and has been one of the dominar influences iu the progress of Kingfisher. Some of hi ambitions have become realities, while other are still i

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Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941 Publication date: 1916 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society Number of Pages: 644

Author: Thoburn, Joseph B. (Joseph Bradfield), 1866-1941
Publication date: 1916
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 644