Duchess & Sadie's Domain

Bayfield, Colorado - Latter part of last week we accumulated about 4-inches of snow up around the North end of the Vallecito Reservoir and chilly temperatures in the low teens to 20s in the evening. You can still see some of the snow on the mountain peaks around here.

We have been busy winterizing the windows and other outdoor items to a safe place for the Winter months ahead.

We hear Northwest Oklahoma had quite a bit of rain this last week before the cold, chilly temperatures arrived on the Okie scene in your neck of the woods. That sounds like the moisture the farmers/ranchers have been looking for before Winter temps set-in.

Good Day & Good Luck! Keep Warm and Cozy this Winter! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Home Comfort Cookbook (1934) - Tips & Hints

America - Did you know that after boiling salt beef, leave two or three carrots in the liquid until cool. These absorb the salt and the liquid may be turned into soup.

Instead of wasting skimmed milk, our ancestors made it into cottage cheese.

If syrup returns to sugar, reheat, add a small piece of butter making a sugar butter; use on hot cakes instead of syrup.

Did you know that a little baking soda added to boiling syrup will prevent it from crystalizing; a little vinegar likewise will prevent syrup from returning to sugar.

Our ancestors used to save all the grease not suited for cooking and turned it into soap by the use of lye.

Here is a unique hint that sounds promising. Small sccraps of soap tied into a cloth or bag is excellent for cleaning bathtubs, graniteware, etc.

Rats and mice can be driven away by putting potash into holes or where they are likely to go.

Save that sour milk to add to the water with which oilcloth or linoleum is washed. It gives it a luster like new. In fact any kind of milk is good.

What about broken bits of licorice sprinkled about pantry shelves will banish red ants. Borax is also useful, the crystal and not the powder being preferred.

If your oven would get too hot for the proper baking of what is in it, our ancestors would put a basin of cold water inside. As the water becomes hot add more cold water and in this way keep the oven at the desired temperature.

And last but not least, a double layer of brown paper on the pantry shelf and kitchen table covered with oilcloth will enable the oilcloth to last longer. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

NW Okie's R & R

Bayfield, Colorado - We have some memory joggers to see if we can jog past memories of Northwest Oklahoma Territory. If you can enlighten us with your stories and photos, we would love to hear from you. We are hoping you can help us!

William Castle commented on an article found in Vol. 9, Iss. 6and stated, "James Hiram Mondy was my Great-Uncle. He was my grandmother's brother. I have two photos, one from a locket from my grandmother, Myrtle Belle Mondy Downs, and another in the old postcard format of a younger young man. I do not know the ages in either photo."

Does anyone remember the Tony (Anton) Schnitzer Slaughterhouse near the Santa Fe railroad tracks North of Alva, Oklahoma? Schnitzer Slaughterhouse does not ring a bell with me. I think the Schnitzer Slaughterhouse was before this NW Okie's time. If anyone reading this remembers the Schnitzer Slaughterhouse, please jog our memories with your stories, location, photos and dates of this slaughterhouse.

Does anyone out there remember Bill Henderson's saloon that was called Bill's 444?

Here is something else to jog your memory cells, concerning Bill Sholtz and his butcher shop near Snyder's dry goods store, in Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma.

Good Night & Good Luck! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Air Tour - June 1, 1946

Waynoka, Oklahoma - In Vol. 7, Iss. 8, dated February 26, 2005, we had a photo with information that read, "This photo was taken June 1, 1946 during an Air Tour we believe was at the Waynoka airport, in NW Oklahoma. Why we say Waynoka is because the gentlemen on the left with his back to the camera is Roscoe Kelsey. Next to Roscoe is Gene McGill with his wife Vada. On the far right in the background is another gentlemen by the name of Oscar Callison."

R. Callison left a comment stating, "Yes! That is O. S. Callison in the background." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

This Day In History - November 15

America - This Day In History - November 15 On this day in history, November 15th brings many things to mind. Such as: Civil March to the Sea; Stock Ticker and Pike's Peak.

On this day in 1867, the first stock ticker is unveiled in New York City. The advent of the ticker ultimately revolutionized the stock market by making up to the minute prices available to investors around the county. Prior to this development, information from the New York Stock Exchange, which has been around since 1792, traveled by mail or messenger.

The ticker was the brainchild of Edward Calahan, who configured a telegraph machine to print stock quotes on streams of paper tape (the same paper tape later used in ticker-tape parades). The ticker, which caught on quickly with investors, got its name from the sound its type wheel made.

1864 - Civil War, with the march to the sea begins. Union General William T. Sherman begins his expedition across Georgia by torching the industrial section of Atlanta, pulling away from his supply lines. For the next six weeks, Sherman's army destroyed most of Georgia before capturing the Confederate seaport of Savannah, Georgia.

Sherman captured Atlanta in early September after a long summer campaign. He recognized that he was vulnerable in the city as his supply lines stretched all the way from Nashville, Tennessee. Confederate raiders such as Nathan Bedford Forrest threatened to cut his lines. Sherman had to commit thousands of troops to protect the railroads, rivers that carried provisions for his massive army. Sherman split his army, keeping 60,000 men and sending the rest back to Nashville with General George Thomas to deal with the remnants of General John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee, the force Sherman had defeated to take Atlanta.

1806 - Zebulon Pike spots an imposing mountain.

Remember the story of Pike's Peak origin? On this day in November 15, 1806, Zebulon Pike approaches the Colorado foothills of the Rocky mountains during his second exploratory expedition. Pike spots a distant mountain peak that looks like a small blue cloud. The mountain was later named Pike's Peak in his honor.

Pike was more of a professional military man than either Lewis or Clark, and he was a smart man who had taught himself Spanish, French, mathematics and elementary science.

Pike's second exploratory mission was in July 1806 when he was picked to explore the headwaters of the Red and Arkansas Rivers. This route took Pike across present-day Kansas and into the high plains region that would later become the state of Colorado. When Pike first saw the peak that would later bear his name, he grossly underestimated its height and its distance. He had never seen mountains the size of the Rockies.

Pike told his men they should be able to walk to the peak, climb it, and return before dinner. Pike and his men struggled through snow and sub-zero temperatures before finally taking shelter in a cave for the night, without even having reached the base of the towering mountain. Pike lair pronounced the peak impossible to scale.

After attempting for several months to locate the Red River, Pike and his men became hopelessly lost. A troop of Spanish soldiers saved the mission when they arrested Pike and his men. The soldiers escorted them to Santa Fe, thus providing Pike with an invaluable tour of that strategically important region, courtesy of the Spanish military. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Bill's 444 & The Barleycorn's Benediction

Alva, Oklahoma - Have you ever heard of W. H. Henderson's notorious saloon in Alva, Oklahoma? Henderson called his place "Bill's 444." Where exactly was Henderson's saloon located in Alva? North, West side of square? If anyone has any stories to share about Bill's 444, we would love to share them in the OkieLegacy newsletter.

We understand that when prohibition first struck Oklahoma, a passer-by passed Bill's 444 and saw that the door was draped with crepe. A cartoon was in the window showing the inside of a church with a lot of saloon keepers in the pews and a big, red-faced beer-and-whiskey dispenser in the pulpit. He was just saying, "Brethen, we will now all rise and sing No. 23, Shall we gather at the river?" View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

F. M. Cowgill - Advice Not Wanted

Alva, Oklahoma - It has been spread around through stories of the past and news articles that F. M. Cowgill was one of the best men and the best lawyers and one of the best fathers and the best citizens and one of the most congenial. At the same time on of the most indifferent and uncongenial men that ever lived in Oklahoma or anywhere else.

If you had heard it from Jesse J. Dunn, Cowgill and he loved each other like David and Jonathan. Not sure who the David and Jonathan was that Dunn referred to nor shall I ever know, because Jesse Dunn has long since been deceased. Anyway, Dunn and Cowgill were two men in many particulars who could scarcely differ temperamentally to a greater extent.

After Cowgill was elected to the bench in northwest Oklahoma, he concluded to quit practicing law and went into the general store goods business, opening this stock at Alva, Oklahoma. He had for one of his clerks long, lean lanky, sarcastic Tom Adams. Business flourished. Tom ascribed it to his employer's lack of congeniality and lack of ability to mix with the trade in a proper way.

As the story goes, one day Cowgill came into the store and said, "Tom, I don't want your advice, but I want to know what you think about it. I've got a notion to move this stock to Dakota. What do you think about it? Tom looked him over in a quizzical way, and in his halting speech said, "W-w-w-ell, M-mr. C-c-cowgill, y-y-y-you m-might t-t-try it a wh-wh-while. It w-would be a h-y-year be-be-before the-the p-p-people g-get acc-ac-acquainted w-wi-with y-you, and the=then y-you c-c-could m-mo-move ag-gain." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

In the Nick of Time (1895-1896)

Alva, Oklahoma - It was in the fall of 1895 when the City of Alva voted $15,000 waterworks bonds. One Jesse F. Scanlan had a hardware store in the city and made a contract with the City Council, agreeing to put in a system of waterworks for the bonds.

It was there that the entire issue was turned over to Scanlan, and he left the city. Immediately on his departure Richards and Conover of Kansas City, Missouri, wholesale hardware merchants, acting through Mr. Womack attached and closed his store for $4,000 of indebtedness to it.

It was thereupon that the city dads became exceedingly busy to find Jesse F. Scanlan and the bonds. Jesse Dunn, acting as City Clerk, and when telegram after telegram and inquiry after inquiry failed to locate Scanlan and nothing could be heard from him the city vested in Dunn authority as its agent, and the sheriff appointed Dunn deputy. Dunn was armed with a warrant and fared forth in the world to find Scanlan and the bonds.

Scanlan was expected to go to Kansas City or to ST. Louis, so Dunn went in November, 1895, as thousands jammed the old Union Depot early. Dunn arrived in Kansas City and crowded his way among the morning crowd, to the telegraph office, intending to ascertain from Alva if they had any news of Scanlan.

As Dunn pushed his way up to the telegraph office window, he came up against the very man he was looking for -- Jesse Scanlan -- who was sending a telegram. Dunn stepped back and when Scanlan turned around he saw Dunn and recognized him, and said, "Well, I suppose you are after me."

Dunn told Scanlan he was and said he was and asked asked Scanlan, "Jesse, have you the bonds with you?"

Scanlan said, "No, they are in a bank in St. Louis."

Dunn and Scanlan talked for a few moments, then Scanlan said, "I wish you would wait here a little bit. I want to go across to the Blossom House, and I will come back." Dunn was agreeable to this and Scanlan left.

Scanlan did not do what most would have done and disappeared, though. In a few moments he returned and asked Dunn to go with him to the Blosom House, which Dunn did.

It was there that Dunn met Elmer E. Beach, who was the traveling salesman for the Richards and Conover Hardware Company, and who had sold Scanlan the goods for which he was indebted. Beach evidently knew that Dunn had been informed that the bonds were in St. Louis, and that Dunn had come for them.

Beach said to Dunn, "Dunn, there is no use in going to St. Louis on this morning's train, because you will not get in there until night, and you will not be able to do any business until tomorrow morning. You had better stay in Kansas City all day today, and then take a sleeper out of here tonight for St. Louis, and you will arrive there in the morning in due time for business. In the meantime, Scanlan and I have some business at the house and will be glad to see you at the Midland Hotel for lunch."

It seemed fair to Dunn and he was agreeable. This is where the story starts to take its proper course. Dunn kept the luncheon engagement and nobody showed to meet him. Dunn proceeded to the wholesale house and Scanlan and Beach were not there.

It was then that Dunn tramped the streets of Kansas City and hunted for the two of them. Never seeing them during all this time. Dunn's suspicions had been confirmed, though, that he had been made the victim of too much confidence, and He got on the telegraph wires and sent about a dozen messages, one to every prominent bank in St. Louis, as follows: "The Alva waterworks bonds held by you have been embezzled. Under no circumstances deliver them to anyone as the city will hold you responsible for them."

That night a very much disgusted, chagrined and bewildered mortal occupied a sleeping car berth on one fo the trans-Missouri trains from Kansas City to St. Louis.

It was 7:30 in the morning when Jesse Dunn arrived in St. Louis. Without waiting for more than a cup of coffee and a doughnut, and not delaying for a shave or brush-up, Dunn started from one bank to another about the business streets of the city just as fast as he could go.

Of course, Dunn found no one in but the janitors, but to each one of them he said that in that bank there was $15,000 of Alva waterworks bonds and that people were going to come to try to get them, and that he wanted him to see the first officers of the bank who arrived and to tell him that the agent of the city was there, and not to deliver them under any circumstances.

In the course of these rounds, at at nine o'clock, Dunn came to the Commercial Bank on Pine STreet. A clerk had arrived by this time, and when Dunn had sung his piece, the clerk said, "The cashier is not in, but Mr. Nichols, the president, has arrived, if you would like to speak to him" Dunn told the clerk he would. Dunn entered the presence of the president, presented his credentials, and told him who he was and what he wanted. The Mr. Nichols said, "Yes, I got your telegram. The bonds are here all right, but what is the matter?"

It was then a page came in and said, "Mr. Nichols, there is a man in your office in a big hurry, and he wants to see you."

Mr. Nichols excused himself and shortly came back and said, "There is another fellow here for those bonds, and he has got the receipt with him that we issued when we received them, and also an order from Scanlan, tha man who left them here, and demands that turn them over."

Dunn immediately went with Nichols, and there in his private office was the Kansas City acquaintance, Elmer Beach, fully credited with authority to receive the bonds and absolve the bank from all liability.

Dunn explained the situation to Mr. schools, and he declined to deliver the bonds to ether of Dunn or Beach.

It was after that Dunn brought a replevin suit in a Justice of the Peace court, alleging that their value was $250. George T. Parry and Jesse Dunn went to St. Louis in the spring of 1896, tried the case,a nd removed the bonds.

The moral of the story is ... The time it took Elmer Beach to get his breakfast, shave, shine and manicure was less than the difference in the time of his arrival and Dunn's at the Commercial Bank which held the bonds. Jesse Dunn arrived "In the Nick of Time." View/Write Comments (count 1)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

A. C. Towne & Jesse Dunn

Alva, Oklahoma - [Photo image on the left is a photo copy of A. C. Towne.] -- One afternoon, A. C. Towne and Jesse Dun drifted into the court of J. J. Hughes, who was judge of they county court, to argue a demurrer. On coming in, we found the Hon. C. H. Mauntel, who was then county attorney, was prosecuting a young fellow, who was charged with having stolen three hogs at Isabella in Woods county and having loaded them into a wagon and taken them to Waukomis to the railroad, where he sold them for $21.50.

The defendant, about twenty-one years of age, had no counsel and had entered a plea of guilty. Under the statute, the value of the property being in excess of $20.00, he was guilty of a felony and was headed direct to the penitentiary. If its value could be reduced it would be a misdeameanor, which a jail sentence would cover.

Towne and Dunn, grasping the situation and seeing that the young fellow was without counsel, and being acquainted with his people, asked the court for permission to talk to the boy and see if a defense could not be found for him. This was granted.

The trial was proceeded with, and Towne and Dunn established by witnesses that it was worth $3.00 to haul the hogs from Isabella to the railroad, secured credit therefore upon the price received, reduced the offense thereby to a misdemeanor, and justice in Oklahoma once more triumphed.

Jesse Dunn stated afterwards, "Chris Mauntel is one of the best hearted fellows in the world, for he did not much oppose such a flagrant breach of the law, even though he was county attorney." View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Sholtz Butcher Shop Incident

Alva, Oklahoma - Have you heard this story of Bill Sholtz, who was a butcher and had a shop near Snyder's dry goods store?

One day Bill Sholtz, after having done all of the butchering for the community that he deemed necessary, concluded he would try it on himself. Back of the big, tall ice box reaching the the ceiling in the middle of the room, he rigged up a rope and putting about his neck swung himself off. Sholtz's swinging body was discovered and cut down, but too late to save his life.

There was one negro about town by the name of Bill Franklin, who did just about anything. Franklin was a porter, janitor, scrubber and man of all work for everybody.

A few days later, the owner of the Sholtz meat shop building hired Bill to scrub it out. Claud McCrory, Clark Hudson, Roy Stafford, Frank Shelley and a number of others, gained access tot he rear entrance of the building. They fixed up a dummy and hung it up by a rope in the same place where poor Sholtz had hung.

The next morning Bill Franklin came in with his bucket of water and scrubbing outfit and was busily engaged about his work until he came in back of the ice box and was confronted by the swaying figure. Frklin gave two wild whoops and started for the front door.

The sidewalk was covered with sleet and ice and the street was full of mud and water, and when Franklin struck the sleet the ice he did not stop until re reached the mud and water into which he rolled, to the intense merriment of the sacrilegious onlookers. That day somebody else scrubbed the shop.

How cruel can a few grown men be? I hope today (21st century) that the citizens of Alva, Woods County, Oklahoma have grown beyond these sacrilegious pranks of our founding fathers in the northwest Oklahoma Territory. View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Anton (Tony) Schnitzer (1893-1955)

Alva, Oklahoma - Vol. 9, Iss. 41 - Obit, June 4, 1955, Tony Schnitzer [Oklahoman-Times Northwest Bureau] - Alva -- Services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in the Hill funeral chapel for Tony Schnitzer, 62, longtime Alva resident who was found dead Friday in the area between his slaughterhouse and the Santa Fe railroad tracks north of Alva.

Death apparently came from a coronary occlusion of the heart, the attending physician said.

Schnitzer was born in Denver, Color., March 6, 1893. he had lived in alva many years, and was engaged in the wholesale and retail meat business.

Survivors are his wife, Alice; a son, Merrill of Bartlesville, and two brothers, Joe Schnitzer, of Ponca City, and August Schnitzer, Corpus Christi, Texas.

Salt Lake City Jail, 1930 Index of Prisoners -- Joseph Schnitzer 1866 Germany

Enid Cemetery Records -- SCHNITZER, August (WW I) 8 OCT 1969; SCHNITZER, Carrie A. 1 SEP 1944; SCHNITZER, Freda Mae (FROMHOLZ) 28 JAN 1989; SCHNITZER, Joseph A. 14 MAY 1928.

Tony Schnitzer Memorial Scholarship -- This scholarship was established in 2004 by memorial contributions made by his son and wife, Dr. and Mrs. A Merrill Schnitzer of Bartlesville, OK. Tony Schnitzer was born in Denver, Colorado on March 6, 1891 to John and Katharina (Kohl) Schnitzer. While still a young boy, Tony's family moved to a farm southeast of Woodward, OK. After his father died, the family moved to Alva where the brothers opened the Schnitzer Brother's meat market. He married Genevieve Alice Criswell in 1918 and to this union a son, Anton Merrill, was born. Both Alice and Merrill are graduates of Northwestern. He was a lifetime hunter and fisherman and was known as a hard working businessman with a cheery smile. The purpose of this scholarship is to provide financial assistance to a member for the Northwestern Rodeo Team majoring in Agriculture. View/Write Comments (count 2)   |   Receive updates (1 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe