USA > Oklahoma > Oklahoma County > Oklahoma City > The story of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma : "the biggest little city in the world" > Part 10
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1896-FUSION AND FREE SILVER
Previous political campaigns, which had resulted in repub- lican victory in the Territory in spite of the fact that a demo- crat occupied the White House, were like preliminary contests compared to that of 1896. When William J. Bryan was nominated by the democrats in Chicago and later by the populists, and when the populists of Oklahoma fused with the democrats, it fired republicans with a fervor they had not previously demonstrated. A series of debates on the prin- cipal issue of the campaign, gold standard versus free silver, enlivened the Territory throughout, and the campaign ended with great rallies in Oklahoma City. The first of these was staged by the democrats and populists in honor of J. Y. Calla- han, their nominee for Congress, and the second by republi- cans in honor of Dennis Flynn, their nominee.
The campaign opened with unprecedented enthusiasm immediately after the Chicago convention. Samuel Murphy, a gold-standard republican, fired a challenge to Col. J. W. Johnson, a free-silver democrat, to engage in a series of de- bates. These hardly had begun when the growing fight spirit inspired other speakers to spring into the argumentative fray. Selwyn Douglas, a local republican leader of education, train- ing and influence, sent a challenge to Amos Green. A. C. Scott, from the beginning a local leader in education, polities and civies, challenged Thomas G. Chambers, a lawyer of un- common ability. Colonel Johnson, already burdened with a load of disputative responsibility, was challenged by H. H. Howard. Each challenge was almost immediately accepted, and these men enlivened a summer with wisdom and wit and oratory.
A statehood convention held in the city carly in the year was virtually a fiasco. It split over the question of whether one state or two should be created out of the Territories. The proceedings consisted mainly of speeches, and among the
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speakers was Gen. Powell Clayton of Arkansas, a dis- tingnished soldier and politician. T. F. Hensley, an editor of El Reno, presided.
A free-homes organization was perfected early in the year at El Reno and M. L. Turner was elected treasurer. The con- vention was attended by 100 delegates who in a resolution asserted that it was an injustice for homeseekers to pay $15,- 000,000 to the Government for 13,000,000 acres of land then subject or soon to be subject to homestead entry.
The city having been awarded a patent by the Goverment to what was known as the Hill corner at Broadway and Grand Avenue, District Judge John H. Burford rendered a decision against Hill Brothers, saloon keepers who occupied the corner. in a suit in which they songht $77,000 damages from the city. One last step, that of possession, remained to be taken by the city. The Hills refused to vacate. Whereupon Mayor But- ton ordered that a charge of selling liquor on Sunday be pre- ferred against them. They were arrested and thereby ejected from the property and the chief of police for the city estab- lished the nine points of law.
Whit M. Grant was this year appointed United States commissioner to succeed Col. H. Wilkinson, who resigned, the appointment being made by District Judge Scott. Mr. Grant was installed in office April 4th. He was at that time vice president of the State National Bank, and had been, under the first term of President Cleveland, United States district attorney in Alaska.
The spring municipal campaign in a measure foreshadowed the more acrimonious one that succeeded it. Although there had been no serious faults or obvious omissions during the democratic administration, a majority of electors believed that C. G. Jones was entitled to a reward for his earnest efforts in city building and they elected him mayor over Richard Avey. the democratie nomince. Republicans, under the influence of that quadrennially recurring spell of party infatuation, voted their ticket almost solidly, and the victory was assured by diverted democratic votes. The First ward cast 290 votes, the Second 250 votes, the Third 324 votes, and the Fourth 308 votes.
Probably for the first time in the brief career of the Terri-
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tory votes of women were east in this election. Seven of these votes were counted, all in the Fourth ward. Three were cast by white women and four by negro women. A contest was threatened because of this, and a bill of particulars drawn by democrats recited that other irregularities had been discor- ered. The contest propaganda was not popular, however, and Mr. Jones and the new aldermen were in due time installed in office with acclaim of well wishes from virtually the whole electorate. The new aldermen were Capt. F. S. Goodrich, F. S. Rhodes, Dr. A. L. Dunn, J. S. Lindsey, E. J. Streeter, W. M. Warren, Frank Menton and J. H. Loughmiller. The inaugural speech of Mayor Jones was well received, and it was prophetic of important accomplishments in the near future. One of his early official acts was the appointment of Abe Couch as chief of police. Mr. Couch had been the city's first police department head and had made an excellent record.
It was said of this election that little drinking was in evi- dence and that only a few drunken men were seen on the streets. The fact was narrated as the beginning of a new era when intoxicants no longer would exercise a baneful influence over the ballot ; for election day in the West had been a day of free and unlimited distribution of whisky and beer, and its ap- proach had signaled an occasion for the inebriation of poor and purchasable and the carousal of the influencing rabble. Prior to this election saloon keepers, at the instance of the mayor, had removed all screens from the front windows of their shops.
J. R. MeLain, who was reelected superintendent of schools, announced that the estimate of the cost of education for that vear was $20.000. He declared prospects were bright for a year of unusual educational progress and prophesied that Oklahoma City soon would be the educational center of the Territory.
Valuations of taxable property in the city that year totalled $1.047,513. while county valuations outside of the city totalled $871,273. The assessor's report showed that he found in the city 504 horses, 46 mules, 138 cattle, 3 sheep, 7 hogs, no dogs, 223 carriages, 292 gold watches, 35 silver watches, 114 pianos and householdl furniture valued at $30,000. He found $13,500 in coins in banks and among taxpayers.
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Oklahoma City was beginning to eut a figure in the base- ball world. A regular team was maintained during the season and some sensational contests were had with Guthrie, El Reno and other places. Horace Wilson, who probably should be credited with being the father of organized baseball in the city, resigned during the season as manager of the city club and was succeeded by Usher Carson.
On June 19th the Department of the Interior issued a patent to the tract of land known as Maywood and arrange- ments were made for the sale of lots. This ended litigation over the tract that lasted for four years.
Hardly were the city officials warm in their seats in the city hall that had been taken strategically from the Hills than Frank MeMaster, eager for another fight, served written no- tice on the mayor and council that he was owner of 50 by 140 feet overlapping the Hill corner and that he had in his pos- session a deed thereto. He asserted that the property had been taken by the city without his consent or permission. He asked that a board of appraisers be appointed in order that the property might be legally condemned and sold. The Me- Master instrument appears to have been relegated to the mu- nicipal archives. It was the topic of much official and unoffi- cial discussion, and MeMaster was countered against with charges that he was not a legal resident of the city. These set forth, with purported proof, that he was a homesteader in the Pottowatomie Indian country, and they concluded that in ad- dition to his being a nonresident, he had sat on the council without legal right.
In September a charter was granted to the Bank of Com- merce and it was opened for business in October, at the corner of Robinson and Grand avenues. The directors were T. W. Williamson, Richard Avey, J. B. Wheeler, D. W. Hogan and J. W. Wheeler. J. B. Wheeler was elected president and Mr. Hogan cashier. Mr. Hogan came here from Yukon where he had been cashier of the Bank of Yukon.
Judge Henry W. Scott, who was a district judge and was also an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the Terri- tory, resigned. and on September 24th President Cleveland appointed James R. Keaton. then of Guthrie, to fill the vacancy. Judge Keaton had taken an active part in Terri-
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torial polities since the Territory was organized. He had been a delegate to the Chicago convention and after the nomination of Bryan espoused the cause of free silver and spoke in behalf of that issue and the party nominee throughout the Territory. He took the oath of office, which was administered by Chief Justice Frank Dale, on September 28th, and came at once to Oklahoma City to begin his service. His reception by Mayor Jones and a committee of representative citizens was an un- usual event of that busy autumn of political speaking and political bushwhacking. Hundreds of citizens attended an evening meeting, which was an inipressive sign of the city's welcome. Participated in joyously by republicans, the un- qualified nonpartisan warmth of it seemed to presage har- mony, a virtue born out of two years of ill-tempered dissension.
More railroads became the slogan of the Board of Trade, which that year reelected O. A. Mitcher president. Construc- tion of the Frisco extension from Sapulpa, under direction of the Oklahoma Central Railway Company, was a virtual cer- tainty. At a rousing mass meeting fathered by the Board of Trade citizens pledged a bonus of $50,000.
Catholics of Oklahoma City and other representative citi- zens attended an observance at Guthrie, November 21st, of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ordination of Bishop Meer- scheart. The Most Reverend Archbishop Janssens of New Orleans and Bishop Dunn of Dallas took part in the ceremo- nies. Twenty-five years later, in Oklahoma City, observance of the fiftieth anniversary of the ordination of Bishop Meersheart constituted the chief religions event of the year.
Among county officers elected this year were Jolm R. Barrows, sheriff : William L. Alexander, treasurer : Asa Jones, judge : Robert Caffrey, clerk ; James McKee Owen, register of deeds; W. R. Taylor, attorney, and Alice V. Beitman, super- intendent of public instruction.
Of Judge Keaton a writer of this period says: "Judge Keaton was born December 10, 1861, in Carter County, Ken- tueky. His father, who passed his active years in agricul- tural pursuits in Kentucky, served in the Union army during the Civil war, and as a member of General Sherman's com- mand was captured at the siege of Vicksburg and for six
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months held prisoner. With the organization of the Grand Army of the Republic, he became active in its movements, and for some years was commander of his post.
"Judge James R. Keaton was given his preparatory edu- cation at the National Normal University, Lebanon, Ohio, where he was graduated in 1884 with the degree of Bachelor of Science, following which he went to Texas and from 1884 until 1887 was principal of the Hico (Texas) High School. During this period he became proprietor and editor of the Hico Courier, which he published from 1886 until 1888, and also, in connection with his editorial duties took up the study of law. In 1888 he entered Georgetown University, Wash- ington, D. C., and in 1890 was graduated from the law depart- ment thereof with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, shortly thereafter being admitted to the bar and coming to Oklahoma. He at once entered upon the practice of his profession at Guthrie, where he continued until 1896, then coming to Okla- homa City and being appointed associate justice of the Su- preme Court and ex-officio judge of the Third Judicial Dis- trict of Oklahoma Territory, but in 1898 resigned to become the fusion candidate of the democratic and populist parties for delegate to Congress. Being unsuccessful in his cam- paign, he again took up his practice, continuing alone until April, 1902, when he became a member of the law firm of Shartel, Keaton & Wells, at Oklahoma City. This firm con- tinued until November, 1913, when Mr. Shartel retired and the style of Keaton, Wells & Johnston was adopted and thus continues.
"Judge Keaton is a member of the American Bar Asso- ciation and was, for several years, a member of the general council thereof, which is the directing body, and has also been a member, since it was created, in 1911, of the committee to oppose the judicial recall of the association, this body con- sisting of one member from each state, Judge Keaton being selected to represent the State of Oklahoma. He also holds membership in the Oklahoma State Bar Association. Al- though his professional and official duties have been arduous and exacting. they have not absorbed his energies to the exclusion of the general interests of the community. He has interested himself in the development of Oklahoma commer-
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cially, industrially and educationally, and has varied and ex- tensive interests in the oil fields and other industries.
"Judge Keaton was married July 17, 1890, to Mrs. Lucille Johnston, daughter of William R. Davenport, who was a native of North Carolina and consul to Mexico for the Con- federate government during the Civil war. One son has been born to Judge and Mrs. Keaton: Clarence, who is a resident of Long Beach, California. The Keaton home is situated at No. 118 West Sixth Street, Oklahoma City."
Vol. 1-12
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1897-THE SEEKERS OF PIE
The inauguration of William MeKinley as President, March 4th of this year, which ended four years of democratic administration, was followed by a lively and long-continned scramble for appointive offices in the Territory, and Okla- homa City and Guthrie were convenient assembly points for place seekers and their busy political supporters. The United States marshalship seemed to be most desired and Oklahoma City led other places in the number of candidates for that office.
Capt. C. H. DeFord, former sheriff of Oklahoma County, and W. F. Harn began early a bombardment of the national . capital. DeFord had the support of former Delegate Dennis Flymm, who had been favored by stanch politicians for ap- pointment as governor and who had been defeated by Cassins M. Barnes, former mayor of Guthrie. Indeed the over- shadowing contest of the early part of the year was waged by friends of these men, and the Flyum-Barnes political fond was long remembered by veteran party workers.
Charges against De Ford were filed with President Me- Kinley by Frank Cochran and Frank Gault of Oklahoma City. They related to the collection and distribution of re- wards acerning from the capture of what was known as the Bly gang of law-breakers. These charges, however, were less responsible for the defeat of DeFord than the fact that he was a resident of Oklahoma City; for Governor Barnes, who undoubtedly had major influence in Washington, was credited with being a stalwart Guthrie partisan. Already the matter of a permanent capital was a potent and ever-present issue between the rival young cities.
When it was apparent that neither De Ford nor Harn was without Washington official favor, the name of A. C. Scott was presented to the President for consideration. About the same time out of Guthrie came the announcement that James
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Cottingham, a lawyer of that place and a member of the firm of Asp, Shartel & Cottingham, had entered actively into the race for the marshalship. In later years Mr. Cottingham became a resident of Oklahoma City and was among its lead- ing lawyers and capitalists. The other members of the firm. Henry Asp and John Shartel, also in due time came here, the latter to become and remain vice president and general man- ager of the Oklahoma Railway Company.
The marshalship fight was ended October 25th when President MeKinley announced the appointment of Harry Thompson of Enid. Among the earliest appointments made by Thompson was that of W. B. Fossett of Kingfisher as first assistant. Fossett was for many years one of the most in- trepid law enforcers of the entire Southwest and his experi- ences would fill a volume as interesting as ever has been written about men of the frontier. Twenty-four years later when officials of the city were wrestling with a veritable rampage of violations of the Volstead Act this veteran was again called into service, as a member of the city's police force.
Thompson's first field deputies were Ned E. Sisson, Wil- liam Tighlman and Heck Thomas. In after years Mr. Sisson was clerk of the United States Court in the district presided over by Judge F. E. Gillette and at the advent of statehood he became associated with the New State Ice Company in Oklahoma City and continued there until his death. Tighl- man and Thomas already had acquired a reputation through- out both Territories as kings of the foes of outlawry. No braver officials ever traveled the treacherous trails of the Southwest, and the records they made are worthy of per- petuation in a more detailed work than this. Thomas mi- grated to the Kiowa and Comanche Indian country after it was opened to settlement in 1901 and was the first city marshal of Lawton. Tighhan later settled in Chandler. After state- hood he was elected to the State Senate from his district. resigning his seat after a session of the Legislature to become chief of police in Oklahoma City. Here thereafter he made his permanent home.
Governor Barnes was inaugurated May 26th. Among applicants for appointment to Territorial offices that flowed into the exeentive office during the succeeding few weeks were
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those of A. C. Scott and the Rev. A. V. Francis of Oklahoma City for superintendent of public instruction, Henry Over- holser for treasurer, and Dr. L. H. Buxton, then of Guthrie but later of Oklahoma City, Dr. G. D. Munger and Dr. F. S. Denny, both of Oklahoma City, for superintendent of public health. Col. James H. Wheeler, being a democrat, sent in his resignation as inspector general of the Oklahoma National Guard, but Governor Barnes is said to have been so touched by the man's frankness and sincerity and by the soldierly record that he had made that he requested Colonel Wheeler to continue in office if to do so would not be burdensome.
The free-silver wing of the democratic party, which was composed of a large percentage of the membership of the party, coalesced with the populist party in the city campaign this year, as it had done advantageously the previous year, and elected Maj. J. P. Allen mayor over Henry Overholser, the republican nominee. Before the beginning of the cam- paign, N. H. Sampler resigned as chairman of the democratic party that he might become a candidate for office and he was succeeded by Dr. C. B. Bradford. The committee that of- fected an agreement with the populists was composed of Frank Harrah, William A. Moore. L. G. Hinds, L. M. Lee and E. S. Dyer.
With local and Territorial political filibusters fairly well disposed of toward the end of the year, factional differences were relegated in the organization of a renewed fight for statehood. The next statehood convention was to be held at Kingfisher on January 13, 1898. Calls for election of dele- gates were made by Sidney Clarke, chairman of the Statehood Executive Committee: Dan W. Peery, representing J. J. O'Rourke, chairman of the Democratie Central Committee of the Territory: L. V. Laverty, chairman of the Populist Cen- tral Committee of the Territory: Virgil Hobbs, chairman of the Free Silver Central Committee of the Territory, and William Grimes, chairman of the Republican Central Com- mittee of the Territory.
The Chamber of Commerce, which during the previous year had thrived and then virtually disintegrated, was snc- ceeded early in 1897 by an organization first known as the . Merchants Club and later as the City Club. Its president was
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W. W. Storm, a substantial and far-seeing pioneer business man. F. J. MeGlinchey was elected vice president; Fred Smith, secretary, and E. HI. Cooke, treasurer. It had a charter membership of thirty and the roll was increased to fitty-two within a few months. Its charter provided that no gambling or drinking in the club would be tolerated. The club did some constructive work during the year. Besides assisting in se- curing a land bonus required to guarantee construction of the projected railroad from Sapulpa, it contracted for the erection of a large cotton compress. It lent assistance to A. S. Connellee of Eastland, Texas, who announced his intention of establishing a 150-barrel flour mill and a grain elevator of 100,000 bushels capacity. Connellee's project resulted in the organization of the Plansifter Milling Company, which in- stalled the plant and remained one of the leading flour-making institutions of the city.
Early in the year Gen. Henry G. Thomas, one of the city's leading real estate owners, died. His funeral was attended by a large number of persons, for he was generally beloved. It was under auspices of the First Regiment of the Oklahoma National Guard headed by Governor Renfrow and his staff from Guthrie. The body was sent to Portland, Maine, the birthplace of General Thomas. His quality of charitableness was notable. His distribution of useful gifts to the poor at Christmas was a regularly recurring illustration of that quality.
Anton H. Classen, whose name afterward was a household word in Oklahoma City because of his industrial and civic accomplishments, was this year appointed receiver of the United States land office. Another notable appointment of the year was that of Maj. HI. D. MeKnight of Perry as register of the land office at Mangum. Major MeKnight had been a comrade and mess-mate of President MeKinley in the Union army. MeKnight, for many years one of the Territory's most progressive citizens, was transferred to the land office at Law- ton in 1901 and served through the great land rush that was the equal if not the superior of agencies of that period that contributed to the growth of Oklahoma City into the class of leading cities of the Southwest.
The Gloyd Lumber Company of Kansas, controlled by
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S. M. Gloyd, in 1897 purchased the business here of the Ar- kansas Lumber Company. Mr. Gloyd became one of the city's best-known business men. In 1921 he purchased an interest in a department store and the eight-story building it ocenpied and the concern after reorganization became known as the Gloyd-Halliburton Company. Lee Van Winkle, who had been manager for the Arkansas Lumber Company, was retained as manager for the Gloyd company. Mr. Van Winkle developed into business leadership and once later was mayor of the city.
A committee of lot owners on the reservation petitioned the City Council to order a reappraisement of unsold lots of that tract, so that prices would be reduced, and a sale of the . lots. It asked also that the Choctaw Railway Company be ordered to open streets crossed in the reservation. The com- mittee was composed of W. W. Storm, Sidney Clarke, Boston Wilson, J. S. Jenkins and R. Q. Blakeney.
It was on October 1st of this year that the Jennings broth- ers and their associates held up and robbed a Rock Island pas- senger train between Minco and Chickasha. Newspapers re- ported a few days later that Al Jennings passed nonchalantly through Oklahoma City and said in an interview that he was in Kansas City on the date of the robbery. The newspapers reported also that, during the man hunt, in which Oklahoma City officers participated. Jack Love, an avowed enemy of the Jennings brothers, barely missed being assassinated by a bul- let fired into a train on which he was riding to Oklahoma City. The search for the ontlaws rivaled political affairs in furnish- ing extraordinary entertainment and food for gossip during the last few months of the year.
Some political appointments were yet to be made. Chief among them of local concern was the selection of a successor to Judge J. R. Keaton, who was expected to retire because of a change in the national administration. Contestants for his seat were B. T. Hainer and B. F. Burwell, both of whom later received judgeship appointments. F. S. Goodrich, who had been a local republican leader and a member of the City Council, was appointed by the new secretary of the interior to the post of special agent for the general land office.
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