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Vol 17  Issue 874   October 24, 2013

PO Box 2, Ardmore, Oklahoma 73402 Email:  butchbridges@oklahomahistory.net Phone: 580-490-6823

The Daily Ardmoreite
Ardmore, Oklahoma
September 28, 1990

Big Stink at Courthouse
There was a big stink in the Carter County Courthouse Annex Thursday when a skunk wandered into a water shed drain on the building and became agitated.
Assistant Election Board Secretary Katy Merritt happened to look out her window as the small black and white animal ambled across A Street SW and into the drain.
Ardmore Animal Control Officer Jerry Stone, called to survey the problem, and the animal peered at each other through a hole in the pipe where it runs through the vault at the election board, Clerk Mina Howard said.
The stink began when Jerry Stone poked at the skunk hoping it would exit peacefully, Howard said. Instead the animal let loose its natural defense.
Ardmore firefighters were called to the scene and shot water down the drain, causing the skunk to retreat into a waiting cage.
The problems were not over, however, for employees in the election board, county superintendent’s office and Carter County Health Department, which are housed in the building.
The odor had penetrated the air conditioning vents and quickly spread the obnoxious smell throughout the building, which has no windows which open.
Doors were propped open to allow in as much fresh air as possible, without much success.
A liquid industrial strength chemical called Nilecho was sprayed into the vents and on the air conditioning filters by Bill Hamilton, health department sanitarian. Sharon Stewart, administrative assistant, said the chemical was chosen because it is an oil soluble deodorant.
Election Board Secretary Janie Tipps scattered mothballs in the election board vault and offices, Howard said, and Hamilton also put out used coffee grounds to help absorb the smell.
Stewart said the odor is gone from the health department offices today. Employees in the election board offices, where the odor was strongest, are only getting an occasional whiff, Howard said.

Last Saturday Jill and I took our new camper, again, to Lake McGee east of Atoka.  We sure love it there, so peaceful and nature everywhere. I took a couple of pictures to share.

Sunset at Lake McGee

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/McGeeLakeSunset101913.jpg

We saw a lot of American Beauty Berry bushes.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AmericanBeautyBerry011913.jpg

While there we stopped in at Ables BBQ in Antlers, Oklahoma.  We didn’t try their bbq but their $2.50 BLT was one of the best I’ve tasted. Took a while to get our order, but the wait was worth it. The dining area was adorned in western decor, so I snapped some photos.

This stuffed mountain lion was on a beam in the ceiling of the restaurant.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AblesBBQ102013a.jpg

This mounted wild hog really looks mean.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AblesBBQ101913b.jpg

And this is one big buck mounted on the wall.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AblesBBQ101913c.jpg

Inside view of Ables BBQ.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AblesBBQ101913d.jpg

Outside view of Ables BBQ.

https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AblesBBQ101913e.jpg

Q.  “Does any of your Readers know about an author who wrote a book entitled “Morning Glory”.
It’s fiction of course but was set in the oil boom years in Healdton. The author’s name is Carolyn Brown. That might not even be her real name. Just kinda curious.”

A. Yes, there is such a book by Avalon Romance. I found it on amazon.com and abebooks.com Can even be ordered on Kindle for 99 cents.  But I don’t know anything about the author.  Maybe someone on here will reply about the author and her connection to Healdton???

Clara Anderson has her routine, and she likes it that way. But oil has brought change to Healdton, Oklahoma, and she doesn’t like it one bit. She might not have the means to stop history in the making, but that doesn’t mean she has to rent rooms in her boarding house to oil well riff-raff. Needless to say, her temper flares when she discovers that while she was out shopping, her help rented a room to Briar Nelson, a roustabout.

Briar just wants a place to sleep and eat and if the lovely, crazy woman has a problem with that, she can take it up with a lawyer. He signed the contract for three months and paid the rent in advance and nothing is going to make him leave. Besides, he already has two women in his life and doesn’t need another.

Can a woman who was jilted ten years ago fight the past and fall in love with the very kind of man she vowed to have nothing to do with? Changes more personal than the discovery of oil take place in the Morning Glory Inn as Clara and Briar fight the past and fear the future.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=carolyn+brown&sts=t&tn=morning+glory

Q. “My daughter is being plagued w/ hundreds of small worms in her house. She can’t seem to get rid of them.  We were over the other night and they were all over everything, coming in her house. She literally sweeps them up about every hour.. creepy small little worms. Any suggestions?

A. Those are millipedes.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8_XPH9LQJ4

Concluding that your computer has a hardware problem is just the first step. If you?re dealing with a hardware issue and not a software issue, the next step is determining what hardware problem you?re actually dealing with.

http://www.howtogeek.com/174068/how-to-identify-which-hardware-component-is-failing-in-your-computer/
 

Q.  What’s so special about an iron door in the Wichita Mountains?
A.  Legend has it that behind the iron door is a cave with treasure from the Jesse James robberies. http://students.ou.edu/W/Michelle.L.Wilson-1/Storyone.html

Q.  Where might you find buffalo (bison) chili?
A.  (answer in next week’s T&T)

From This and That newsletter archives of October 9, 1999:

“Butch, I just notice the name of your bell site is Oklahoma Bell. Are you aware that the first baby born after the Landrun Of ’89 in OKC, was named Oklahoma Bell? I think her maiden name was Cunningham, but her married name was Cheever. She was born May 19, 1889. She and her husband had a floral shop for years. Her grandson, or great grandson, still runs it in Quail Plaza in OKC. So much for a history lesson this morning.. HA”
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“Butch, Thankyou for the great pic of the old Simpson building. My father bought the building when he and my mother came to Ardmore. I remember so much of that building especially the boiler in the basement, the entire building was steam heated. It was huge and I can still remember the excitement of lighting of the boiler by my Grandfather Penn Scott each year, it was not to be missed. There was of course the old Ardmore Pharmacy on the first floor along with the bank, my Mother still has some great old photos. I can even remember old Mr Felix Simmons showing me all the money in the vault of the bank at one time. The building was remodeled in the 60’s and as I look back, lost so much of its charm. All the ceiling fans which pulled air up at a very slow speed so as not to ruffle the papers on one’s desk were removed. Most were sold for junk. Still have one over at Mom’s. There was even a huge old style water chiller in the basement that pumped cold water up to fountains. It was fascinating for a boy to see. This could go on for way too long, but a nice memory brought to mind. Thankyou.”
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Someone told me you wrote a story about James Stevenson of Pauls Valley who killed Sheriff Cathey. He was a GG Uncle of mine and I have been researching this line of the Stevensons. His mother was Texas Adalaid (Houston) Stevenson who married a Solomon Gay. Can you tell me anything on this family and I would like to have your article. If indeed you did write one. His brother John Houston Stevenson was married to Tecumsi McClure’s Daughter Malinda who was the step son of Smith Paul, founder of Pauls Valley. Let me hear from you.
katbuss@brightok.net  of Wilson, Oklahoma

Follow-up:

“Butch, Have read with interest the last couple T&T particularly the notes about the Law Enforcement Memorial and about the letter from Don Haggerty in Durant and his relationship to the four men hanged in the barn at Ada. I’d like to add my own piece of the story. I received a letter recently from a man who included an article by Ken Butler titled ” the troublesome Stephenson Brothers. It told the story of two outlaw brothers who lived near Pauls Valley around the early part of the last century. One of them, Jim Stephenson, ambushed and murdered a Pauls Valley city Marshall named Randolph Cathey. This link tells the story of Marshall Cathey’s death: http://www.rootsweb.com/~okgarvin/catheyshooting.html

I was recently given the honor of making some commemorative remarks at a ceremony at the Oklahoma State Law Enforcement Officers memorial in Oklahoma City, where Marshall Cathey’s name was added as a Pauls Valley peace officer killed in the line of duty. As the only known descendant of Cathey’s who wears a badge today, I was asked by the chief of Police here in Pauls Valley if I would like to make the remarks at the ceremony.

Marshall Cathey’s name was also placed on the national Law Enforcement memorial in Washington D.C. during a ceremony there earlier this month. Although I was unable to make the trip to Washington, I am very pleased that a relative of mine was honored in this way. This link shows Marshall Cathey’s name added this year to the National Memorial.

Now I know this is long, but here is where I tie all this together. Jim Stephenson was tried and acquitted for the murder of Marshall Cathey in 1911. Stephenson was defended by shyster lawyer Moman Pruitt. Pruitt was also set to defend at trial one of the four defendants down at Ada. When news of the acquittal of Stephens reached people in Ada, they didn’t want to take the chance at trial that any of these four might get away with their crimes, and took matters into their own hands. That’s the story as it was told to me by Ken Butler and by the man who sent me the article this month. A odd chain of related events, the murder of one of my relatives indirectly causing the lynching of one of Haggerty’s relative and three other men. Just thought you and your readers might find that interesting. Still enjoying T&T almost since its inception, thanks Butch, keep up the good work.” -David Cathey
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Gas prices today in the Ardmore area……

http://www.oklahomagasprices.com/index.aspx?mss=152754

Check gas prices by town or zip code anywhere in U.S.

http://www.kmov.com/traffic/gas-buddy

Non-ethanol gas (pure gas) stations in the Ardmore area (updated).

https://oklahomahistory.net/puregas.html

Some mail from this week’s MAILBAG…..

All Murray State College graduates, and friends of Murray you are invited to attend our Alumni Reunion, November 7th, 2013. Registration begins at 9 am in the campus center. Banquet and Hall of Fame inductions starting at 11:30 am in the ballroom. Sunken Garden concerts and Campus Homecoming promenade- 1:30-4 pm. Former MSC President, Dr. Clyde Kindell will be signing his new book, Genesis of the Sunken Gardens. Agriculture Department will be hosting a reception at the Fair Barn beginning at 2 pm. Lots of events and former friends and classmates will be on campus…so come out and enjoy the day with us.
https://oklahomahistory.net/ttphotos13a/AlumniNewsletterFall2013.pdf


“Lots of your fans will probably tell you that there was once a Sulphur Spring in the middle of Woodford. The test of a true native was drinking sweet tea made from the water. Haven’t been there in a coon’s age. Is it still flowing?”


“There is another artesian well in southeastern Oklahoma. It is at Camp Simpson BSA camp west of Bromide. It resides on what used to be Staff Row in the old part of the camp behind Matthews Hall. I don’t know what it’s current condition is as I haven’t been back to that part of camp in awhile.” -Kevin O’Dell


“Butch, the guy who buzzed Ardmore in that big C130 was a guy named Munson, I believe. I just remember guys I knew from AAFB talking about him. I can describe him but don’t remember his first name…seems like it was Bob though!”


“Hi Butch. Just finished your newsletter. I was interested in the Artesian wells. When I was young about 73 years ago, we lived on a place that was about two miles west of Oswalt and about one half mile south .it belonged to Charles Tucker. he had 400 acres there. it had a artesian well on it. The water was always cool. it was close to what dad called a slew. I called it a creek. it flowed year around. don’t know if it is still there” -Jim


The Daily Ardmoreite
Rambling Reporter
January 29, 1946

Black James at one time carried space in this paper to tell of his building stone. Stone is now about the only material that is available for construction work. I stood at the quarry and saw the flat uniform stones lifted from the mountain top and saw them placed on trucks. Then I saw them built into a wall. Such a wall would last 100 years or maybe 500 years. All this section ought to beat a path to the James ranch home at this time to get his fine building stone. To get there go on State Highway 18 (now Highway 177)  to Nebo and turn west. That road will lead you direct to the James Ranch which is near the quarry.

Lawrence Hodgson, proprietor of Ardmore’s Mulkey Hotel, came to Ardmore 25 years ago from the Atwood at Durant. He came to be the first clerk of the Mulkey. When the hotel got into financial difficulties Judge McMillian, master in chancery, appointed Hodgson trustee of the Mulkey estate and he took over the management of the hotel. Hodgson devoted himself to the hotel management and made it a success. It was taken out of trusteeship and little by little Hodgson acquired stock until today he has the controlling interest. Hodgson has spent $20,000 in the last two years making it a better hostelry. His last bit of work has been the installation of four showers which are said by traveling men to be the prettiest in the state.



Halloween is just around the corner (Thursday).  If you are out on the streets that evening, be sure and practice safety.  And keep the children close when on the candy runs. Times have changed since I was a kid and going house to house all over NE Ardmore.

History of Halloween (3 minutes)

See everyone next week!

Butch and Jill Bridges
Ardmore Oklahoma
PO Box 2
Lone Grove, Oklahoma 73443

Carter County Courthouse Paver Project
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/pavers
Save on long distance calls, just a couple cents a minute!
http://www.CheapLongDistance.org
Ardmore High School Criterions Online
http://www.ardmorecriterion.com/
Oklahoma Bells: https://oklahomahistory.net/bellpage.html
American Flyers Memorial Fund – Administration Webpage
https://oklahomahistory.net/crash66.html
Official American Flyers Memorial Website
http://www.brightok.net/~wwwafm
Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Base Website
http://www.brightok.net/~gsimmons
Mirror Site of the Ardmore Army Air Field/Ardmore Air Force Website
https://oklahomahistory.net/airbase/
Carter county schools, past and present
http://community.webshots.com/user/oklahomahistory
Carter County Government Website
http://www.brightok.net/cartercounty/
Ardmore School Criterions
http://www.ArdmoreCriterion.com

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