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1 Notice of Copyright Published and unpublished materials may be protected by Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S. Code). Any copies of published and unpublished materials provided by the Western History Collections are for research, scholarship, and study purposes only.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 Citing Resources from the Western History Collections For citations in published or unpublished papers, this repository should be listed as the Western History Collections, University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.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.

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3 ,4 Form A-(S-14?) 20 V BIOGRAPHY /ORI' ' 'ORKS Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma, ABBOTT, J. * X0W7. Field Worker's name This report made on (date)' Post Office Address Residence address (or location) 4. DAT2 0? 3IRTH: i.'onth Day Year 5. Place of biith 6. Mame-of Father, _.. Other information about father \ Place of birth rl 7. of y Other information about mother fote's or complete narrative by the field worker dealing with the /life and story of the per.son interviewed. Refer, to Manual,for /suggested subjects and questions. Continue 1 on bla ik sheets if ^necessary and attach firmly to this form. Number ior sheets / attached. I

4 21 ABBOTT, J. I. UffSRVIKW. 105E7. Bobert i. Snail, ibvestigator, April IB, Interview With *T* '#«Abbott, Nswkirk, Gklahouu I was bom February 10th, 1866, in the state of Missouri* When the Qierokee Strip was opened on September 16th, 1893, I was in the line for the raoe just west of Chi locoo and right i-*er me was a ttetn who ted a house of small dimension* loaded en stringers betwttn'^o wgc n e. His wife was driting one teem and his son was drlring the othor. Ths7 hfad this house as near the line as they could get ex4 the map wat* right on the line with a stake in his hand, Wh«i th* signed gun was fired he stepped briskly a few stsi.e and drcwi his stake, and his wife and son at the same Has rurud their teema with the house and 1 in an instant they were acxoss the line and the house was let down upon the land where the nan had his stake* This was about the record tigp of 4vttl&& improyemer>ta on a claim* Anothtr sen and I mode the run together by hitching our two horses to the hind wheels of a wagon in which

5 on ABBOTT, J. W. IOTEHYIBW, we had placed, a tongue and bolted a box on to the outfit o it oouldn't bounce off, in whioh we bad food for ourselves and feed for our horses* We drove to e point about the due treat off present site of Ponca City end not far. from the Chikaakia River, but we failed to get any claim as we couldnh drive fast enough tc keep up with the swift moving men on horseback* Ws conped that night at a spring an Cattle Creek and next day returned to our homss. In April, 1894, I came to ttewkirk and established the f i r s t cash produce house in "the torn** I conducted t h i i produoe buaineaa for v~ -vy %.-> I had ny own wagon and teen and did my own heuling^xaostly^fbr a number of years* It was said that the farmers along the route I traveled to and from market could tell the ttae of day when they saw me condng or going because I traveled with such regularity of time In going and coming. I bought greet quantities of gg*» butter and poultry and also bought hides, furs and in faet everything in the produce line. I heve bought Many esses of eggs for #2*10 a case and butter fb* 6 and 7 sects a po«uad. I hauled all say produoe to WinfltU, Kansas,

6 A13BQTT, J. W. XMHRVXElf , -8- whore X sold It* X have hauled as ^uch as 4000 pounds of batter on one wagon* The distance to W infield was about twenty-eight miles* X have bought as many as 900 turkoys from one man at a tliae* On one occasion a man came to my place from New York and said he wantnd a full carload of ohickena aiid that he would pay 10 cents a pound for them which was two cents abodflkthe regular raarket at that time* We announced that on a certain day we would pay this increased price for chickens and «h*ri the day c * e 1' *ed the oar to capacity, and the odditional chickens that wore brought in that day were placed in bulldii^s thct I obtained for a day or two until we could get c; rs to load then into,. We bad two additional carloads of chickens, making three carloads that were bought in one day* Tha hide market rraa subj-act to fluctuations in irice that caused me loto of grief at times and a&de eusaies of my frienls* I have paid as high as SO cents a pound for grtsiihides frota cattle and $10*00 to $15,00 for horse hides, and at other times X hare paid as low as one cent a pound < tor cattle hides end gpod horse hides wars worth less than

7 24 ABBOTT, J» W. INTHHYIE, Thai* were evoral fur bearing animals through the country such as skunk*, cirwt cats, nuakret, oppossum, raccoon and coyotes* skunk furs, $1.50 for I paid as high as $5*00 each for oposaun and $5.00 for rtusfcrat; these were extremely high prices and veery much above ths average* I also handled coal and feed stuffs* I hav* sold wheat bran for as little as 40 cents p«r hundred pounds* I bought lots of corn, 08t$ and hay in the early years; such aore corn and oats ware raised In the early period after settlement than has been reised in recent years* There was also lota ol. >.r,» ' sold on the markets and shipped out to other roints* I engaged in the dry go^ds and ladies resdy-to-w»ar business three years ago and esr. still in that business in the town of Newklrk. In addition to sy business in the tovn I own ninety seres of land on the Arkansas Rirer which I rent out each fear or hire it eultlrated*