Notice of Copyright. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections

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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only. Use of certain published materials and manuscripts is restricted by law, by reason of their origin, or by donor agreement. For the protection of its holdings, the Western History Collections also reserves the right to restrict the use of unprocessed materials, or books and documents of exceptional value and fragility. Use of any material is subject to the approval of the Curator. Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma. An example of a proper citation: Oklahoma Federation of Labor Collection, M452, Box 5, Folder 2. Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.

2 ATiqJJS, S. T. INTERVIEW #18595

3 'ATKINS, S. T. ' INTERVIEW AH Interview with Mr. S. T. Atkins, McAlester, Oklahoma. By - Charline M»-Culbertson, Investigator. D» comber 31, I never located in the Territory to make my home but had many experiences there in traveling through from Clinton, Missouri, to Austin, Texas. My first trip through the Territory was in the year of I had an immigration ticket on the M.K.&ff. Railroad from Missouri to itxas which cost $ I was only it a young boy seventeen years of age* The train was drawn by the first type locomotives. It ran at a speed of only * twenty miles am hour* It was very rough riding as where the rails came together the train rooked like a cradle. The ground'was uneven and had settled in places. My next trip to the Territory was in the year 1879 when I started back to Missouri on horseback. I traveled along with three or four other families who were traveling in covered wagons and were also on their way to Miseouri. I recall only the names of two of the four families, Bailey and Creel. We always camped together for the night. I would

4 223 ATKINS, S. T. INTERVIEW take my horse out and make a bed of my slicker and use ray saddle for a pillow. We traveled some days from twenty to twenty-five miles a day. We had to watch our horses very closely to keep them from being stolen or sometimes they would be turned loose. One night we lost four or five head of horses* Vfe looked all day to find theai but finally gave up. A man who lived near the road said that he was familiar with the country and would be able to find them for $5.00. He returned isith the horses and we gave him the money he asked for but felt that he had had the horses hidden and had been practicing this act before* I paid one of the families $5.00 to board me through the Territory. meat, bread and coffee* Our food consisted mostly of At night we would build a big bonfire" and when it burned down to the coals the women folk would cook the meal. Their cooking equipment was that used in cooking over the fire place. We cooked our bread im this way* We killed very l i t t l e game as

5 229 ATKINS, S. T. INTERVIEW we were unable to find aay near the trail and we seldom wandered from the main trail; however, I am sure that there were plenty of wild deer and turkey to be found. We usually bought meat from the Indians paying 25^ for half a venison. We very seldom saw a home near the road as the houses were back in the woods and little trails led to them* They were mostly log houses with stick and mud chimneys. None of the land was fenced; all the stock ran on the range and the grass would grow up to the backs of the ponies. Ten acres was the limit of a farm. Mostly the planting was done in little patches. Some people used corrals for their stock and others let the stock run outaide. I recall one ferry boat called the Colbert ferry. Crossing by wagon cost 75^ while crossing on korseback cost.250. Mr. Colbert had the charter on the pas.s-way acroas Bed River. If a man attempted to ford o the river it cost 25# just the same.

6 ATKINS, S. T. INTERVIEW The city of Muskogee is closer to the river than the main part of Maskogee was in the Territory days. Water was some times very hard to find on our way through the "territory. We would f i l l a five gallon keg for drinking water and carry an extra supply for the team. However, on our second trip through it was much easier as we had kept a memorandum of the distance from place to place and knew'the best places to get supplies and also where we would be able to get water. We would often times meet people traveling in the opposite direction who would be able to direct us to places where we wanted to go. We were asked but did not accept. to stay in the Territory many times A man in Maskogee assured us 50 cents a bushel for all the corn we could raise and wanted to - v rent us- from fifty to five hundred acres of land on the bank of the river. We paid 75 cents a bushel for corn far the horses and it was not extra good. tvhen we arrived at Baxter Springs, Kansas,we paid SO cents a bushel. We bought dry salt meat in the twrritcry for 10 cents a pound, flour for $4.00 a hundred pounds, corn meal for 80 cents a hundred pounds.

7 ATKINS, S, T. ihtehtcew, l 595 s Ihile J never lived in Indian Territory, I did oome to MsAleater in 1985, after Statehood t and have continued to make this my home'sinoe that year.