Henryetta Daily Free-Lance – 1922 (George Riley Hall, Editor & Publisher)

Feb. 7, 1922

HENRYETTA MUST BUILD NEW DISPOSAL PLANT TO MEET GROWING DEMANDS

Henryetta, past present and future, the rapidly increasing oil production, the wonderful coal output, the fast growing population, ethics of high finance, gas, electricity, horse power hours, kilowatts, municipal ownership, water, the obligations of a city to utility corporations, the duty and obligations of the company to the city and many more subjects were discussed in the regular meeting of the city council last night and all this came about through the efforts of Mr. Kretz, of the electric company, now furnishing the power to pump water from the North For, of the Canadian River to the city reservoir, to eliminate one clause from a contract.

The present contract will expire in a few months and Mayor Hawes and the councilmen were desirous of beginning in the time to make a new contact, failing in which they would have time to make other arrangements.

The relative cost of steam and electric power for pumping the water came into the controversy, for by reason of comparative cost, Mayor Hawes caused to be inserted in the proposed contract a clause providing that either party thereto might at any time terminate the contract by giving the other party six months’ notice. It is to this clause that Mr. Kertz objected and he objected persistently. He showed that all large corporations operating as does this one, must go into the market for money and when they do they must lay their cards on the table to the investment bankers and be contended that anything less than a 5-year contact, or one with a provision in it for its termination, would be looked upon with suspicion by the financiers.

The real six months clause which brought out the big objection was one providing that the city may purchase the high line from the city to the pumping station on the river, at any time during the life of the 5-year contract, by giving the company six months’ notice of its intention so to do.

The water is pumped from the river to the reservoir by the electric power and from the basins to the stand pipe and mains by steam power and Harry LaRue, superintendent of the waterworks, said last night that the cost of handling the water after it reached the reservoir was about one-third the cost of what the city was paying the company to bring that same water to the city.

This had led Mayor Hawes to the belief that the city might handle the pumping proposition at a much lower figure, hence the demand for this purchasing clause in the new contract. Mr. Kretz said they were willing to have the contract provide that the city buy the line at the end of the 5-year term, but not before.

Two hours were taken up in the discussion, Mr. Kretz doing most of the talking, but it all being friendly with determination standing out on the part of him and the mayor and councilmen so they were getting nowhere at nearly 11:00 o’clock when a motion prevailed that the matter be referred to the mayor and city attorney to thresh it out with the company.

Another subject which took up much of the time of the meeting last night was a petition from Mrs. Kate Campbell, owner of the Campbell hotel, at Third and Main Streets.

Third Street from Main north to the half block alley was paved at its full width, but the paving recently completed from the alley north to Trudgeon Street was cut down, leaving a wide parking along the lots she owns in the north half of the block and fronting on Trudgeon Street. She is desirous of improving that property, and through her attorney, asked that the lots be taken out of the fire limits and that she be allowed to build an air dome thereon.

Mrs. Campbell said the city, by its manner of paving, had made residence property of her lots, yet she could not build a frame dwelling house on it as it was in the fire limits.

She said the plans were drawn for a brick building to be placed on the lots for an oil supply company but this failed by reason of the company objecting to the parking left in Third street, so she claimed her lots were rendered useless for either residence or business purposes and she asked to have them taken out of the fire limits that she might build an air dome on them, saying she intended making it a building which would be an ornament to that section, rather than something to detract from it.

Mrs. Campbell finally determined that she would confer with the owners of the remaining property in that half block and see if they cannot agree on terms for removing the parking and paving the remainder of the street and this will enable her to rent the brick building she will erect for the supply companies.

It was nearly 11:00 o’clock before the routine work of the meeting was taken up. The first presented was jitney bonds of W.M. Gibson and A.B. Toots and drivers bonds of Stanley Sinnot and Tony Woodrich, all of which were approved.

Then came the matter of a sewage disposal plant. The mayor laid before the council the recommendations of the state board of health and the subject was discussed at length. There was no denying the bad condition along Coal Creek, it being stated that some miners had quit work because they could not live in that locality; that a mass meeting had been held at Dewar and a committee was to have been present at the meeting but its members did not show up.

The mayor said the people of Dewar were making complaints of a serious nature and even legal proceedings were threatened. It was found that the present plant must be enlarged and it was also decided to remove a dam in the creek which it is believed will improve the situation some, until the new plant can be established.

The mayor will confer with the owner of the property on which the dam is located and see if it can be removed without legal action.

A motion prevailed that the city engineer proceed at once to make the necessary survey for the disposal plant, furnish plans, specifications and estimates in order that a bond issue for the purpose of enlarging the plant and at the same time constructing sewers, that a bond issue may be prepared for Mayor Hawes impressed the councilmen with the necessity for prompt action as the situation was one that must be delivered at once. The report of the mayor, sitting as police judge, was submitted and approved. It showed fines collected during the month of January amounting to $464.

The monthly reports of the city treasurer and city clerk were received, approved and filed.

The report of the fire chief, under the new building ordinance was submitted, showing six building permits taken out and a statement showed that there were some others, since the ordinance went into effect only a few days ago.

MORE ROOM IN CITY SCHOOLS IS NECESSARY

At the regular meeting of the board of education last evening the matter of addition al school room was taken up and discussed. The destruction of the Irving building makes it necessary to formulate plans for the three and a half hundred children formerly attending there, and for the additional number of children which will need room by another year.

The necessity for a ward building in the southern part of the city was admitted, and plans were made to do the necessary building in the spring. This is essential, for the rapid growth of the city makes the situation critical with regard to school facilities for another school year.

Since the means at the command of the board is only sufficient for the running expense of the schools, it will be necessary to sell building bonds before the additional building may be supplied. The law regulates the matter of bonds and restricts the total legal bonds to only five percent of the total assessed valuation.

Even this will permit the selling of a sufficient amount of bonds to enable the board to provide room enough for the next year, and the steps toward this solution of the problem were authorized at last night’s meeting.

Feb. 8, 1922

LARGEST FLAG OF THE COUNTY IN HENRYETTA

Lyman C. Hill may not be the most patriotic man in town, but he works at the job more persistently and effectively than any of us. He has been the recognized keeper of the flag here for the longest time, and has for a year past sustained similar relations to our arrogant sister city of Okmulgee. He buys the flags, and gives them that affectionate attention that a marksman gives his favorite rifle – a sort of loving care that is good to look on.

The tall flag-pole has been gilded under his personal supervision, and he had ordered a great flag from Philadelphia. His instructions to the flagmakers were to send him the larges flag ever floated. It came, and the measurements are twenty by thirty feet. The stripes are almost two feet wide.

Yesterday afternoon with the enthusiastic help of friends, Col. Hill ran this great flag to the top of that ninety foot pole. The guy-wires attached to the pole at the second joint served to entangle the lower reaches of the flag for a little time, and we all waited to see if it would clear. It did, finally, under the influence of a gentle wind. Then the full thirty feet of shimmering glory floated out over the admiring people who stood – uncovered – and gazed at what is believed to be the biggest flag ever floated from a ninety foot pole.

This great flag will be floated on special occasions, and will always be greeted with enthusiasm. We measured the stars and stripes – they are bigger than one could imagine. The stars are nine inches from tip to tip, and the stripes measure eighteen inches wide. Yet, when floating out at the ninety foot height, one can scarcely believe the measurements.

SIXTY PRISONERS AND COUNTY JAIL CROWDED

The Okmulgee County Jail is probably more crowded now than it has ever been before, says the Okmulgee Times.

With new prisoners coming in daily the sheriff cannot take any of the ten prisoners sentenced to the penitentiary, away, because of the quarantine on the state penal institutions.

Three life termers are included in the list due to go to the penitentiary. They are Calvin Shipman and Roy Massengale, convicted slayers of Policeman Bob Burden, and Jake Williams, convicted slayer of a woman at Beggs over two years ago.

There are more than sixty prisoners now in the county jail here, and Sheriff Frank Sowers says if the number keeps increasing, he will be compelled to make other arrangements for keeping them.

Feb. 10

KIDNAPS HER OWN CHILD AT SCHOOL HOUSE

Mrs. Emma Shelton of Tulsa, is reported to have kidnapped her own child here yesterday and left the city with it in a big Cadillac car.

As the police got the story, the custody of the child had been awarded by a court, to its father, Lloyd Shelton and it was here with him at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Tom McMahan and was attending school.

Yesterday afternoon, it is alleged, Mrs. Shelton went to the Webster school, where the child was in attendance and asked the teacher if she could take it for a walk. Permission being given she took the child, it is alleged, left the school building and never returned.

ONE MORE BIG WELL FOR THE BARCLAY “80”

Henryetta parties are again in the “big stuff.” The Carter Oil Company brought in its fourth big producer on the W ½ NE 25-11-11, known as the Barclay Morgan eighty, last night and it was reported today that after having been drilled deeper into the sand it was making 200 barrels per hour, or about 2,500 per day.

DIVORCE CASES FILED IN SUPERIOR COURT

Two divorce cases have been filed in the superior court. Albert Villers has filed suit against his wife, Rettie Villers, for divorce. He alleges in the petition that they were married at Clarksburg, West Va., May 29, 1914 and have two children aged 7 and 5 years, respectively. She also alleges that on July 1, 1920 the defendant abandoned and deserted her.

The other case is that of Frances C. Seybert who sues her husband, Solomon Seybert, alleging in the petition that they were married in Montgomery County, Illinois, February 27, 1883; that since the year 1900 the defendant has been guilty of gross neglect of duty in that he would not work and support her and that on September 1, 1918 he abandoned and deserted her.

IN POLICE COURT

There was only one case in police court this morning that of Miss Lucina Stevens, charged with speeding. She entered a plea of guilty and was fined $10. Last night after the prize fight, it is alleged, she was driving up Main Street at a speed which broke holes in the traffic ordinance and Assistant Chief Don Stormont arrested her.