The Eufaula Indian Journal
Stories from the past
143 Years Ago
Wednesday, September 16, 1880
Land for Indians
Marlin, Texas, June 17 – I was very sorry to see in the minutes of the late General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church North, as published in the New York Oberver, the recommendation to our government in reference to the disposition of the Indian lands. They say: “The assembly expressed its earnest hope and desire that, as rapidly as possible there may be … individual ownership of land guaranteed to them and made inalienable for a term of years.”
Now, although it is very apparent that the assembly were “deeply stirred” in sympathy for the poor Indians, and very anxious to aid in ameliorating his condition, and advancing him in Civilization and Christianity, yet this recommendation is evidently most unwise, and if carried out by the government would effectually deprive the Indian of his country.
For very soon at the expiration of that “term of years,” when the Indians would be permitted to sell their lands, the very sad spectacle would be witnessed of more than half of them without homes or a foot of land they could call their own.
NEWS IN BRIEF
– Smallpox is almost epidemic in the iron works district of Troy, N.Y.
– It is reported that a preliminary treaty of peace has been signed between Chili and Peru.
– Fuller details of the bridge accident at Loground, Spain, show that a regiment of troops were crossing on a pontoon bridge when it gave way, carrying into the river more than 100 men and officers. The panic- stricken soldiers on shore were unable to assist their drowning comrades, who were clinging to the debris of the bridge, and most of them sank as they were in marching attire and armed with Remington rifles and supply cartridges.
LOCAL ITEMS
– Major Foreman will receive this week a new 60 saw cotton gin.
– Mollie Wilkie left for school at Osage Mission last Friday evening.
– There was a large attendance at the camp meeting at Fishertown last Sunday.
– Mr. Duncan, late principal of the Cherokee Male Seminary, called at the Journal office Tuesday.
••••• 117 Years Ago
Friday, August 31, 1906
REPUBLICANS FIXING UP SOME SCHEMES If the republicans can’t win by fair means to obtain control of the constitutional convention they will adopt any other plan that will serve their purpose.
Organization of Democratic Club
At Frame, Thursday evening, Aug. 23, a democratic club was organized in the arbor there. It was no milk and water affair, organized for the purpose of having a club merely, but was organized to do work that will count in the coming contest.
MURDER OF J. BURDETTE
The mysterious death of J. Burdette is again brought into question. The Penn Mutual Insurance Co. has filed suit to require Mrs. Burdette to produce certain letters and telegrams from and to J. Burdette, which it is believed are materially connected with a solution to his death. Some of these letters and telegrams were exchanged on the evening of his death, it is claimed.
••••• 100 Years Ago
Thursday, August 23, 1923
72 DAYS DRO UTH BRO KEN IN EUFAULA Rain, which fell generally over Oklahoma Tuesday night, broke a drouth in Eufaula, with the exception of a light shower a short while back, of 72 days’ duration; the first general rain to fall here since June 10.
The moisture will be of inestimable benefit to crops, according to John A. Whitehurst, president of the state board of agricultures, and will aid materially in fall plowing.
BIG SHOW COMING TO TOWN
Cole Bros.’ world-toured Shows and Wild Animal Exhibition to be in Eufaula Tuesday, Aug. 28 just north of the Jefferson Davis school house.
CRO QUET IS ALL THE RAGE DOWN AT HANNA Hanna, Okla., Aug. 17 – Other towns have gone in for golf, some for swimming and what not, but down in Hanna the citizens have gone in for croquet. Temperatures ranging from 100 to 109 do not affect the enthusiasm of the players, ithr. They re too absolutely
KLAN CROSSES SPIT FIRE IN OKLAHOMA OKLAHOMA CITY, Ok., Aug. 18 – Fiery crosses blazed simultaneously at 260 places over Oklahoma Saturday night, “signifying a statewide drive by the Ku Klux Klan against lawlessness, and as memorial to the late President Harding.
“While the signal flashed over the State has nothing to do with the martial law situation in Tulsa county or other places, the Statewide campaign has been started because of the many acts of lawlessness attributed ot the klan,” state klan officials said.
••••• 75 Years Ago
Thursday, August 26, 1948
Mouser Lists Requirements For Enrollment Eufaula public school doors will swing open Sept. 6 for all students of the district together with those transferred from other districts, E.G. Mouser, superintendent announced this week. All children six years of age up to 21 years are eligible to enroll.
Hitchita Movement To Secede From County The covetous coal mining town of Henryetta, northwest of Eufaula, has all but incorporated into its limits the northwest corner of McIntosh County.
In a front page story last week, the Henryetta Free-Lance reported that the town and the consolidated school district of Hitchita, has a movement underway to secede from McIntosh county and join Okmulgee county.
Two More War Victims En route to Eufaula Bodies of two more Eufaula boys who sacrificed their lives in World War II are among 129 Oklahoma War Dead en route home for reburial this week.
The two are: Sgt. Yaha Aingell, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.R. Aingell and Private John D. Pizarro, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Pizarro.
Bodies of the Eufaula heroes were on ships docking at New York this week, from Europe.
••••• 50 Years ago
Thursday, August 23, 1973
Come To the Fair Parade Saturday
The Annual Eufaula Fair opens today Thursday, Aug. 23 and will continue through Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24 and 25, at the Eufaula Fairgrounds, located east of the city on the shores of beautiful Lake Eufaula.
Social Security
Social security beneficiaries will receive an increase in their monthly benefits of 5.9 percent next June instead of the 5.6 percent initially estimated when the benefit increase legislation was enacted early in July.
••••• 25 Years ago
Thursday, August 20, 1998
Brid ges Ent ers Plea, Mayor’s Trial On goin g Eufaula businessman Randy Bridges, 43, entered a guilty plea on the opening day of a criminal trial that began Monday. Bridges and co-defendant Mayor Joe Johnson were to face 14 felony charges together, but Bridges decided he could no longer hold out.
Bridges maintains his innocence but agreed to a plea bargain of one felony count of conspiracy against the state. He was sentenced to one year deferred, unsupervised probation and was ordered to pay $5,500 restitution to the Eufaula Industrial Authority and Public Works Authority plus $500 court costs.
Bridges told District Judge Steven Tylor that he could no longer afford to defend himself.
