Afternoons around these parts as found the pugs snoozing in their favorite place atop the cusiony sofa while this NW Okie works on her weekly newsletter. That is Sadie in the photo to the left.

We are glad to hear that Hurricane Gustav was downgraded to a "3" before coming ashore west of New Orleans and that the walls holding the water back held.

We have had reports from Tallahassee, Florida that during Gustav's arrival on the coast, Tallahassee had the best weather that they have had in the past 4 weeks. Gustav was all to the west of Tallahassee. Now... what about Hanna and Ike?

Is it really cooling down in Oklahoma ... NOW!? It might be about time for this NW Okie to head back and take care of some personal business around the northwest Oklahoma area.

Before I head out of here, let me wish J. T. Colon a Happy Birthday today, September 7, 2008!
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Chief Sapiah Led Ute Indians

Chief Sapiah (Buckskin Charlie) ... The reasons we are talking about Chief Sapiah (a.k.a. Buckskin Charlie) who led the Ute Indians is because of Bayfield, Colorado's Heritage Days that is coming next weekend, September 12 thru 14, 2008. Does that Heritage Days celebration mean it is time for the sheep herders to bring the sheep down from the higher elevations to the valley?

Anyway... Buckskin Charlie's real name was Sapiah, Chief of the Ute Indians. He was born about 1840, years before permanent settlement had encroached upon Ute lands. Buckskin Charlie went on to become the chief of the Capote band. Eventually succeeding Chief Ouray as the Utes' official treaty negotiator, he learned the white man's rules out of necessity and mastered the white man's tongue.

Chief Sapiah even allowed himself a white man's name, Buckskin Charlie. He impressed United States officials with his savvy, playing a difficult hand with enormous skill. But Sapiah only embraced white culture to the extent that it helped the Utes preserve their own.

Recognized as Chief of the Mauche and Servero Bands and Prinicipal Chief of the Capote, when Chief Ouray died in 1880, Buckskin Charlie became priniciple chief of the southern Utes in Ignacio.

Buckskin Charlie is remembered for leading the rescue of the women and children abducted during the Meeker masacre and also riding with Geronimo in Theodore Roosevelt's 1905 Inaugural parade. Buckskin Charlie was among the leaders who showed how to live a Ute life in a white world.

Despite constant pressure to change, he remained a traditional chief, sustaining the customs, dress, and language of his people. He served as chief for 56 years until his death in 1936, at the age of 96. His son, Antonio Buck Sr., succeeded him as hereditary chief and became the first elected chairman of the Southern Ute Tribe. His descendants still live on the reservation in Ignacio, where he is buried.
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Beer City (White City) OK

The following information comes from Ghosttowns of Oklahoma, by John Morris.

Beer City was located in Texas County, Sections 10 & 15, Township 6N, Range 19E, Cimarron Meridian, 21 1/2 miles north, 27 1/2 miles east of Guymon; 9 miles north, 10 miles east of Hooker.

In 1888 the SAnta Fe railway extended its tracks through western Kansas to a place now known as Tyrone in Texas County. At Tyrone, which was to remain head of the line for fifteen years, large, sturdy corrals were built. Liberal, Kansas, located about five miles northeast of Tyrone and also on the Santa Fe, was started about the same time.

When these two places came into existence Kansas had rigid prohibition laws, but law enforcement in the Public Land Strip (NO Mans Land) was almost unknown. Cowboys and cattle dealers wanted their liquor and women after a long drive, or after shipping was over, and enterprising merchants did their best to supply the product demanded. As a result, Beer City was established south of Liberal and east of Tyrone in the Panhandle lands known as No Mans Land where both seller and buyer would be least disturbed.

At first Beer City was referred to as White City, for it was a tent town. The place never had a post office, church, or school, nor did it have cattle pens or gathering pens for livestock. The townsite was never platted. A part of the main street extended east-west just south of the Kansas border, but there were also norh-south extensions, the whole being a a melange of red lights, saloons, and dance halls. The primary business was the selling of whiskey and beer at the numerious dance halls and saloons. Thus, the place became known as Beer City.

Many liquid refreshment places had several games of chance in continuous operation. Much of the liquid refreshment was manufactured locally near a stream named Hog Creek. A large and well concealed cave, shielded by a leanto and adjacent to an adequate supply of fresh water and plenty of firewood, provided the ideal place for the still. The product was tax free and was said to be bottled dynmaite. J. R. Spears, in his storys of No Mans Land stated that Beer City was composed exclusively of disreputable houses, the only village of the sort ever heard of in America.

The leading businessmen did, to some extent, tried to provide some law and order. They hired enforcers to keep con men, pickpockets, and holdup men away from those who had had too much to drink. Many saloons had drunk pens at the back of the premises where customers would be relatively safe until they could sleep it off. The merchants also provided free wrestling and boxing matches, horse racing, and wild west shows to attract patrons or to celebrate some event.

Harry E. Chrisman described some of the actions, "At the end of one celebration Pussy Cat Nell, the madam in charge of the house above the Yellow Snake Saloon, put a load of buckshot into the body of the town marshal, who was in turn an active rustler."

With the addition of the Panhandle to Oklahoma Territory in 1890, law and order came to the Public Land Strip. Beer City, which had lived two exciting years, soon disappeared. The entire area is now used for agricultural purposes.
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Growing Up In Oklahoma & Buyin' Diamonds

We are in the process of taking down Kenneth Updike's stories and ramblings of "Growing Up In Oklahoma" because Kenneth asked us, "To remove all of my previous writings to you about my Ramblins. Personal stories that I told you and your readers. My Son has had all of my writings, and notes copyrighted so that we can put them in a book or booklet. His idea. I really have no objections to this, but he insists we can be viewed by more people. I leave it up to him. Thanks for your help in the past, and I still read your Okie Legacy nearly every week."

If you find some of Kenneth's Ramblings that I have missed, Please email me the link with Vol. and Iss. numbers so that this NW Okie can remove them. Thanks for your help!
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Roy's Contributions

"I marvel at Roy Kendrick's memory and the amount of interesting information he contributes each week. Your ezine is lucky to have such a correspondent." -- SBW
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Dating in 1957 Chuckle

"This is for my friends with a good memory or sense of humor, or both. There was a certain innocence in those days.

Dating in 1957 ... It's the summer of 1957, and Harold goes to pick up his date, Peggy Sue. Harold's a pretty hip guy, with his own car and a 'Ducktail' hairdo.

When he goes to the front door, Peggy Sue's mother answers and invites him in. 'Peggy Sue's not ready yet, so why don't you have a seat?'

Peggy Sue's mother asks Harold what they're planning to do.

Harold replies politely that they will probably just go to the malt shop or to a drive-in movie.

Peggy Sue's mother responds, 'Why don't you kids go out and screw? I hear all the kids are doing it.'

Naturally this comes as quite a surprise to Harold, and he says, 'Whaaaaat?'

'Yes,' says Peggy Sue's mother. 'We know Peggy S ue rea lly likes to screw; why, she'd screw all night if we let her!'

Harold's eyes light up, and he smiles from ear to ear. Immediately he has revised his plans for the evening.

A few moments later, Peggy Sue comes downstairs in her little poodle skirt with her saddle shoes and announces that she's ready to go.

Almost with breathless anticipation, Harold escorts his date out the front door while Mom is saying, 'Have a good evening kids!' with a small wink for Harold.

About 20 minutes later, a thoroughly disheveled Peggy Sue rushes back in to the house, slams the door behind her and screams at her mother.

'Dammit Mom....it's the Twist!...... It's called the Twist!' " -- Steve
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Remembrance Memorial Blog

"We finally had a good rain and may get more if Gustav cooperates this far north. We need it-but appreciate what the last one did for the pastures and lawns.

Received the picture of Lt. Boyer the other day from a grand-niece. Sure glad she came through with it. It is attached for the Memorial Blog and the
"Lt. Charles H. Boyer, Jr., 27, Fort Worth, Texas, was one of 11 who died in the, April 24, 1944, 3:40PM crash of B-17G (42-102786). The aircraft was on a local transition training flight. Lt. Milton Hansberry, 23, Seattle, Washington, an instructor pilot, was at the controls. The aircraft had left the base about ten minutes earlier and was circling the Dornick Hills Golf Course, north of Ardmore, at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 feet. Apparently sightseeing, the heavy aircraft exceeded 90-degrees of bank, spun into the ground and burst into flames. All crewmembers perished. Lt. Boyer, pilot of the training crew, was not at the controls at the time of the crash. It is not known if he was in the co-pilot seat or standing behind the pilot. This flight was probably the first flight of the aircraft with a training crew from Ardmore. It was delivered new to Ardmore a few weeks earlier and only had 85 hours on the aircraft and engines. The crash was used by the base commander, Colonel Donald W. Eisenhart, as an example to other pilots as “what not to do” in a heavy aircraft close to the ground."
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More Rain & Low Gas Prices In Oklahoma

"9/6/08 ... We've had an additional 33/100s of an inch of rain this week which means more lawn mowing! I've been mowing again today at my business property and some of the grass there was already more than 12-inches high in places. 9/7/08 ... Lightning and thunder, lots of it, and then came more rain. My gauge here at home shows 7/10ths more rain for a total of 1" (perhaps just a little more) this week.

Also, the price of gas has come back down to $3.39.9 at the Conoco station here. I didn't check the others but imagine that their prices are about the same.

Next Tuesday the bank next door to my shop will once again feed everyone who shows up FREE BARBEQUE from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m. (catered by a local restaurant) and furnish music through the lunch hour by "Jim Edgar and The Country Travelers" (a locally famous band that's been performing for many years)." -- Roy
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1950 Presbytarian Church Choir

9/7/2008 ... Kathy (Walters) Racette Email: diamondfire1947@yahoo.com says of the 1950 Presbyterian Church Choir, "The little girl on the end of the front row, under the organ pipes is me, Kathy Walters. I have this same picture!! Am going to save the picture and print a copy as well." -- Kathy
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The Winning of the Spring

The following was found in the book, Pioneers of San Juan Country, page 130, by the Sarah Platt Decker Chapter NSDAR. It is entitled, "The Winning of the Spring," arranged by Josie M. Crum, and referring to Pagosa Springs

"Near the Pagosa Hot Springs in 1866 a clash took place between the Utes and Navajos over possession of the great spring. The battle was a stalemate, so it was decided that each side should choose a representative -- the two to settle the issue by personal combat. The Navajos produced a powerful man, but the Utes had no warrior to equal him.

Finally, Colonel Albert H. Pfeiffer, who was with the Utes, offereed himself but, in order that there might be no concealed weapons, stipulated that both combatants should enter the ring stark naked, each armed only with a bowie knife. Colonel Pfeiffer was much the smaller of the two, but with the skill of an expert, cast the deadly bowie and killed his opponent. The Navajos withdrew and the spring was won for the Utes."
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Oklahoma Socialist Party

"Oklahoman socialist parties date back to the time when Oklahoma was trying to become a state. When George W. Steele was elected territorial governor he met with the Oklahoma Socialist Party, as well as many others, including the Farmers Alliance Party, Greenback Party and the Populist Party. The two factors of low crop prices and high credit costs restricted most farmers in Oklahoma to live in debt and in poverty. Many responded to this by turning to the Socialist Party. Difficult conditions prevailed throughout the South, and in no other southern state did a mature socialist movement emerge on a scale even approaching Oklahoma's. In 1907, the Democratic Party took control of the primarily Republican territorial government. All the while, the Socialist movement was gaining momentum." -- wikipedia info on socialist Party in Oklahoma
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Cast Your Vote In Our Poll

2008 Presidential Poll - USA ... Cast your VOTE in our 2008 Presidential Poll if you have not already done so. We have it set up so you can NOT vote more than once.



Don't forget to VOTE this November 2008. Your Voice DOES/Will Count! You CAN Make A Difference! View/Write Comments (count 0)   |   Receive updates (0 subscribers)  |   Unsubscribe

Inquirying Minds - Jesse Dunn at Northwestern

We are looking for information about the entrance to the Jesse Dunn building on Northwestern''s campus in Alva. Do any readers have photos or recollections of the light fixture that hung over the steps inside the front entrance on the north of the building? Did it look like the fixtures in the "library" where the natural history museum is now housed? Thanks for any help. -- Kathy Earnest Email: kearnest77@sbcglobal.net
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