Document text
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Text of Interview (Unedited)
F. W. Raul L. A. Rollins .ADDRkZ8 Fastimet.1.4?t
Nay. 1948
suwizT Foiklor0
lilatE ANL ADDI(E8r. OF 1IIIANT Mr. Earl heath, Ilastincst lieLreska
Story No. 1
"'t4hell, I MG in the twenties, I went to Prague, Okla. Prague vat
a L:ood town. 'fie had no attos in those horse and I:Nay days. One of
our cremtest anusomente was quail hunting. We would htirnese a tem%
itch it to the y an. rive out int the eountry a short distances
Then v.o woulC, dismount and walk one of us on each side of the ri snd.
shoot ualls as the: flow up, v&ile the horses woule draw the rig slowly
.:24: the read. Usually we quit shootinti when we had begied e...:out a peek
of !lie Ards and CO home and leather theta, -other the women. vvuld prepare
nom. "uoh short quail Inuits were greet sport and real anuserienrb."
Story No. 2
Hmo wort oxperience I ever had vr to Lot lost at night. It
hapy.ened near Prac,-uo, Okla. I had a d-,te with a L;irl. It war on a
Sunday evening. I hitoheC w teen to rTy top buiggy sncl started for
her hone. rar Itorm otme up. I had to cross a creek like river
known as the eep river. The voter in this stream YJEI:• elvays of a
re lah color. The rivor %asrit any ligcel- than our i1uo river here
in Adams Cf.-unty. Of c‘..:Irse I ot soaked.. I wry: suit wan a efisi•
It wa
a- Atch40 L (rove oL a “ays, when
that I vas lost. The tem stopped near a buildinc which I found to
be an old ice house. I had a few dry matohes in ny matoh case. I
left ny team etand and walked about looking for a road lighting a
notch now and then. It seemed to cot darker every time I had ignited
c match. I oouldn't find a road. I started t: co baok to the teem
and laggy. I found that I had lost ma, direction book. I 0ouldn't
find them. It seemed as though 1 had been weakinL in a circle, then
soiin it seemed as though I might have !Awn walking away further from
them. Lly matehes were all gone. my °lathes was wet. I was lost.
team and butcy wave lost. It was pitch dark. I an telling you,
I was in a territle fix. Thera I etood„ lost tn a dark rainy night,
covered with wet °lathee.. without tom or rig. I didn't know that
do. To meke things worse it was pouring down all the
After two hours I heard noise. It sounded as though somee,hina
rattled. E;e1ieve me my u_rs :43m at attention to await a reocourring
of this rattle for I had determined that it might have Leon oaused
by the rinas on the harness of my horses. ''his proved to Le the oase
ant eventually helped no relocate and And them. I mourted ths rig
and ,'rove on. After some time I sIjed a di light at a (Ilea no°. It
wa tho light of s oettlo.uran's shack. 11e took no in and listened
to my nevor-to-Iv.fJrgotten experienoee of that nigh ly the
neat morning I drove hack to Pregue of oourse wit out having seen
my girl. I'll nev,-r forcet that night."
Story be. 5
KA
'rogue. Okla.. I worked in the postoffioe durine the day
and helped out me caw* at the Tyr& at night. The people of the
country were good, hard workers mostly farmers, some rancher.
The ha their fun veen they °ems to town, There vas a dance every
Saturday night. There was lots of driekin but few got real drunk.
T:ore was an Ant eeorseeThiefeessociation here. All horses of its
members were branded in the flanks. The assooiatien had c record
of all branded horses. If a man was found with a stolen horse his
trial was held at once by memeere of the ascooletiern. If the thief
ees found guilty, he es deem any with, either shot or lynched and
horse returned to the owner."
Story io. 4
*My biggest excitement happened at Straud, Okla., not far from
Sprague Okla., when the bank was rol.],ed in July 6, 1901.
'was clerk at the eank. The night before, the boys needed
oree money. I loaned then a gooe. sum. The next morning two men
entered the ank, pointed
ut me, who was alone at the bank.
They made me lie down and tied me. They then took all the money,
except one 5 pieoe.
'ho money that the crap players had borrowed the night before
wee saved for the boys paid it cok ac usual. oo the robbers only
cot 0 000."
Note: LI..'oath had no titles for .the above s'e)ries. Said "Just
things that happened, that seer only yeeterdey te me."
Story No. 5
"When the railroad vas built through Prague, work. are of 30
to 75 men would come to town 'Shen the had boon paid. It meant,
c000 business for the loyal saloon. The ber tender would set /em
up to the whole Gang. Then he would point to two tie fellows of
his oidking and say, "You and You." This meant the axhiLition of
a free—for•all.fight for the amusement of the whole gng. \hen
the fight was over and the arced had laughted it off between drinks,
the keeper would repeat, "You and You," piO ri anothr pair to ficht
for the amusement of the crowd. The drinking and social fichtinc
would continue throughout the nicht, when toward morning, the unc
would depart in pairs for their bunks at the, rcilroad oonstructiJn
t,uprters."