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THE ATLANTIAN 19 II Attention Barbers? I “WE LEAD-OTHERS FOLLOW” End your troubles by buying Barbers’ Furniture and Supplies from us. We are exclusive agents for “KOKEN” Barber Supply Co. REMEMBER: We carry a full stock of Furni ture and Supplies in Atlanta. Phone, telegraph or write us and your orders shall have prompt attention. | Matthews & Lively f 21 EAST ALABAMA ST., ATLANTA, GA. BOTH PHONES 311 SOME EARLY OKLAHOMA HISTORY. In spite of the fact that Oklahoma is the youngest of the states, it has historic associations as numerous and romantic as attach to many of the older states. Parts of Oklahoma are as old in point of settlement, for that matter, as some of the states farther east. Without going back as far as Coronado's visit, the evi dences of which are numerous and indis putable, Oklahoma’s authentic history reaches back at least to the second decade of the nineteenth century, and has been replete with historic interest ever since that time. One fact in connection with the his tory of the new State, which is not very •generally known, is that the country be tween Hobart and Chickasha is the tract chosen by Aaron Burr and Gen. Wilker- son for the original southwestern empire. Emissaries of Burr and Wilkerson went over this territory over 100 years ago and gave a glowing report on it throughout the east. Gen. Wilkerson, who had made a personal investigation of the country, said of it: “It is a marvelous land, surrounded by lovely hills, which in the spring time are clothed in the bloom of innumerable fruit trees. The soil is the richest that 1 know anything about on the American continent and some day it will support a great population.” How well Wilkerson's prophecy is be ing carried out, a visit to the country he described will demonstrate. The country is filled up as thoroughly as Burr and Wilkerson believed it would be. Burr died a disappointed man except for one fact; he lived long enough to hear the story of the victory of San Jacinto in Texas, and he knew that the future of the Oklahoma country was safe. The story of Port Gibson, established by the United States government in 1816, would of itself fill a good sized volume. It was for many years the extreme out post of civilization and the link between the older states and the new American empire which was gradually growing up in Texas. Gen. Taylor and Jefferson Davis were both stationed there in the days before the Mexican war, and it was there that the future president of the Confederacy courted and eloped with pretty Betty Taylor in defiance of the objection of her parents. It was to Fort Gibson that Sam Hous ton came after suddenly resigning the governorship of Tennessee. It was there that he wooed and wed Talihina Rogers, a beautiful Cherokee girl, leaving there as suddenly as he had Tennessee to go to Texas and begin his career as the liberator of the Lone Star State. Henry M. Stanley taught school at Fort Gibson. Washington Irving stopped there in 1832 during his famous “Tour of the Prairies,” and described in glow ing terms the country to the westward from the fort, now comprising the State of Oklahoma. Longfellow visited the post and became intimate with many : of the Cherokee and Delaware Indians. It was from the mountainous country along the Grand and Illinois rivers, near Fort Gibson, that he obtained the inspiration for some o*. the scenic descriptions in his poems. Many historic associations are also at tached to Fort Supply, Fort Arbuckle, Fort Sill, Fort Reno and the other army posts maintained in Oklahoma in the early days. From Fort Supply, now used as a general hospital for the insane, Custer, Sheridan, Miles and many of the other Indian fighters of the United States army went forth on their campaigns. Custer’s historic battle of the Washita was fought on Oklahoma soil, and the bodies of the heroes who were slain in that fight still rest in the old National cemetery at Fort Gibson. During the Civil War, as well as in the Indian campaigns which followed, Oklahoma was a battleground. A full brigade of Indian troops, under Gen. Sam Watie, the Cherokee chieftian, entered the Confederate army, while the Osages, Cherokees and Creeks were also well rep resented in the Federal armies. Quan- trell’s guerillas and other irregular troops operated all over the northeastern part of the State. Historic “No Man’s Land,” now divided into the three counties of Beaver, Texas and Cimarron, could also furnish enough historical reminiscences to fill a book. Cut off from Texas because of the fact the territory was a slave-holding State could not extend north of Mason and Dixon’s line, it was for years without any law or sovereignity. Tiring of the rule of vigilance committees, the resi dents of the strip tried to establish a government of their own by organizing, the provisional government of Cimarron territory, but it was never recognized by congress, which finally attached the territory to Oklahoma in 1856. William H. Taft, now president of the United States, played an important part in establishing the jurisdiction of the United States government over the unique tract of land. When he was solicitor general of the United States he presented the legal argument which de cided that question. The case arose over the county seat war in Stevens county, Kansas, in which a number of persons were surprised and killed in No Man’s Land, just across the State line from Stevens county, in what was known as the May Meadow massacre. The defend ants escaped because of defects in the trial in the lower court, but the control of the Neutral Strip by the United States was clearly established and for the first time. Both No Man’s Land and the Texas Panhandle were in the path of the pio neers who went through to California in ’49, and also of those bands of travelers, free-booters and soldiers of fortune who sought Spanish treasure in both Old and New Mexico. In consequence of that fact many buried treasure stories have arisen, and even yet a party occasionally appears, armed with maps and diagrams, and digs a few holes, apparently without result. Almost Equal to No Man’s Land in the interest of its history is Greer county, where many of the older settlers have lived in two states, one territory and two counties without changing their hab itation. Originally a part of the State of Texas, then of the territory of Okla homa and now of the State of the same name, citizens of Beckham, Jackson and Harmon counties, carved from old Greer, have lived in Greer county, Texas, and Greer county, Oklahoma, in addition to the one in which they now reside. Capt. Payne’s Oklahoma boomers and their efforts to secure the opening of the country to settlement added another in teresting chapter to the history of the State, while the development of Okla homa in the last twenty years, its adop tion of the constitution which has been pointed to as the best ever and its suc cess in putting into operation experiments in government hitherto untried have add ed a fitting climax to the romance of “The Land of the Fair God.” WANTED A PARADE. (From Judge) When Henry Irving was making one of his last tours of the country he found himself with an open date in Michigan. His manager wired the manager of a small opera house in a near-by place, asking if ho could use Irving on the night in question. The following mes sage came back: “What does Irving do?” The manager used up much expensive space on the wire explaining the leading points about Irving, and for his pains received the following reply: “Can not use Irving in this town un less Irving can parade.” UNASSISTED. Meek Sister (sorrowfully): “Seems like it wa’n’t hardly fair fer Providence to give you four husbands and me nary a one.” Aggressive Sister: “Now, Hetty, don’t you lay that onto the Lord. He never had nothin’ to do with it. I jes’ got out an’ hustled fer them husbands.” —Harper’s Magazine. W. E. TREADWELL & CO. Real Estate Agents Loans Made on Atlanta “Dirt” Rate of Interest 5 to 8 Per Cent LONG OR SHORT TIME Call and See Us 24 South Broad Street