The Depew Independent February 6, 1920 Takes Own Life Word was received here Friday that Clyde Lagow, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Lagow had killed himself at the state penitentiary at McAlister. Mr. Lagow left Saturday to have the body prepared and brought home for burial. He arrived on the Governor Monday morning and the funeral was held at the residence and interment made in Bristow cemetery. Rev. Melton preached the funeral sermon. Clyde Lagow, according to the daily papers, was placed in solitary confinement on account of breaking some of the rules of the institution and he took a leather belt and wrapping around his neck fastened it so that his feet were touching the floor when he was found. Death resulting from strangulation. Mrs. Lagow is the mother of ten children and all of them have died, Clyde being the last one of the family. The sympathy of the community goes out to the bereaved father and mother. Card of Thanks We wish to express our sincere thanks to the good people of Depew for the many acts of kindness shown us in the death and burial of our son, Clyde. Mr. Frank Lagow. Mrs. Frank Lagow. ----- Buys Residence Site A deal was made a few days ago whereby Jay Donaldson became the owner of the three lots on the northeast corner of the block of ground recently purchased by W.A. Middleton. Jay acknowledges that he "went up in the air" after this site, but all agree that it is one of the best in town. We understand that he paid $475.00 for it. He will build a fine home on the lots this spring. ----- Work Started On Garage Building The ditch for the foundation for the garage building is being dug and rock put on the ground for the building. The building is to be 100x50 feet and is being built on the site left vacant by the fire some time ago at the corner of Main street and Malley Ave. The work will be pushed and it is

expected to have it ready for occupancy in a short time. ----- Ford Hardware Store Robbed Saturday night some party or parties broke the back doors of the store and came in and helped themselves to several watches, a lot of rings and other jewelry, some knives and left the store. About 3:00 W.A. Middleton came in on the Governor from Oklahoma City and was walking down the street south past the bank and saw a couple of fellows back of the P & H Hardware store, with flashlights in their hands. He stopped a minute and the fellows took to their heels. Later a crow bar was found back of the store with which they were endeavoring to break into this store, but were scared away by Middleton’s appearance on the scene. ----- Another Rural Telephone Line The Euchee Telephone Company was organized last week with the following officers: C.T. Wasson, Pres., J.F. Howard, Vice Pres., E.R. Kaser, Treas., A.J. Fry, Sec., O.R. Johnson, N.I. Rush and Wilber Livecy, as directors. The line runs six miles south of the section line east of town and will connect with Depew. ----- We heard a perfectly nice lady almost swear over the telephone the other day because she couldn’t get service. We are too much of a gentleman to kick at a lady or bunch of ladies, but there is room for improvement in the telephone service we are getting in Depew. We do not undertake to say whether it is the system, the wires, or the folks who are handling it, but we are paying for more than we are getting. ----- W.A. Middleton and W.R. Stidham attended the State Socialist convention at Oklahoma City Saturday. Eugene Debbs was endorsed for the nomination for president and Kate O’Hara for Vice President. As both of them are now serving sentences in different penitentiaries there is not much likelihood of them occupying the whitehouse any ways soon. ----- W.I. Sexton is doing some much needed work on the streets today. (Continued on page 2)

*************************** The Depew Independent February 6, 1920 (Continued from page 1) Contributed Dear Editor: I noticed your invitation in last week’s paper, so here I come again. It has been some time since I have written any news. Mr. Howard, one of the prosperous farmers living south of town, bought a brand splinter new buggy, as a birthday present for his son, Charles. Charles is proud of his present and says, "Papa, wont you buy me a buggy team now?" A number of the farmers south of town met last Wednesday night and organized the Euchee Telephone Company. This is a rural line extending 6 miles south of Depew, work has begun, and the line will soon be in talking order. Mr. Peters motored to Stroud last Saturday on business. A large number of Apostolics met at brother Melton’s residence, Thursday night. And lots of good work was done for the Lord. EARLY DAYS IN DEPEW Some time back in the year of about 1899 Depew first started, with one store, with about a spring wagon full of goods. The owners name was Morris. Later, the store was robbed, the robbers taking all the tobacco, canned goods, money and most everything the store contained, this discouraged Mr. Morris. He sold the remainder of the store to L.N. Cothern, in a short time, Mr. Cothern sold the store to John Collier. In the meantime came our friends, Pate and Malley. Mr. Malley was our first post master. Then came booze and chock, from then on our little city has prospered and climbed the hill on high. The Rail Road company built a switch and stock pens, as there quite a number of cattle in the country, around Depew, to be shipped to various points. John Collier’s wife, Buster, was often seen to throw a mail sack over her shoulder and start to meet the train, she would throw the mail sack containing Depew mail on the train. The train men would kick the other one off. The Post Office was a small room in John Collier’s store, scarcely large enough to turn around in, and needed not be larger; as there was but little mail came to our city those days. A few years later, one by one more

*************************** stores came, and now, Depew is noted as a good business and trading town. Before there was a depot here, they had a gunny sack filled with hay, that was used to flag trains when there were passengers to board the train. Then a box car was supplied the public, as a waiting room, which served the purpose, perhaps a year. A depot was then moved here, and a few months later an addition was built which gave much more room and convenience. During those days there was a bench in front of the store and post office, but they were soon whittled away. Rev. Ras Atteberry and a number of others could be seen daily, sitting there making shavings and kindling for the store keeper to start fires with. Depew now has 6 general merchandise stores, 3 grocery stores, 2 meat markets, 1 second had store and shoe shop, a bank, a drug store, 2 hardware stores, 3 garages, 3 blacksmith shops, 2 barber shops, 3 restaurants, a newspaper, a nice church, a fine school building and an accredited school. Depew also has a number of beautiful homes. J.W. Livecy was in Stroud Saturday, on business. Mr. Charlie Curl is down with the-old-hen-flew-end-ways, Charlie says, "It’s a devil of a bad thing to have." One of the prominent young men living near town, went to Bristow a few days ago, to get his marriage license. He soon found that he would have to go farther than Bristow, to obtain anything except dog license. ----- Local Items Born to Mr. and Mrs. C.E. Brown Friday January 30th, a 7 pound girl. The browns live on the James West place north of town. ----- There will be a box and pie supper at the Bigpond school house Friday night February 13. The proceeds are to be used in improving the school building. ----- Depew needs one hundred residence houses and needs them NOW. Every day sees more teams hauling material out of Depew for the different oil fields and prospective O.F.

*************************** Depew Independent February 6, 1920 (continued from page 2) Census Taker Uses Aeroplanes Everything from aeroplanes to snowshoes is being used by the agents of Uncle Sam in taking the 1920 census of the United States. About the only modern method of transportation either on, over, or below land or water that has not been employed in enumerating Uncle Sam’s nieces and nephews seems to be the submarine. Aeroplanes have come in handy in enumerating the dwellers on the islands off the coast of Florida; yacths and rowboats have been used in the harbors of the country; native canoes have been in demand among the Hawaiian Islands; "flivvers" are being used everywhere; the tried and trusty mule team has carried the census takers out on the desert regions; and snowshoes have become the trusted aides of the census gatherers in the northern states of Alaska. Enumerator Turns Rescuer In the central part of New York state, near Oswego, a few days ago an enumerator making his rounds on snowshoes arrived at an isolated farm dwelling only to find that an able-bodied man was needed more than a census gatherer, as the man of the family had been sick in bed for several days and the farm animals were suffering for the want of food and water. The census man, like any good neighbor would, stopped long enough to do the chores, dig out pathes through the deep snow and put things in ship-shape order before continuing his journey.

*************************** ----- James Embry was down from Chandler yesterday. ----- Miss Newton is having a round with the flu this week. ----- Mrs. Chas. Pettegrew left Sunday evening for Pratt, Kansas, in response to a telegram stating that Dan Pettegrew’s family was down with the flu. ----- F. R. (Short) Runkle was here Saturday and Sunday from Yale, Okla., where he has a good position with the Roxana Oil Co. ----- J. D. Ward, father of Mrs. E. R. Brown, is here from Colorado visiting. ----- Rev. Peak and the writer left Monday morning on the Governor for McCurtain, Okla., returning Thursday evening. McCurtain is in the coal mining district, but since the strike of last June none of the mines are in operation, but several strip pits are being worked and a good deal of coal is being shipped out of the place. ----- Miss Beula McGaffee has a position at Fairfax, Oklahoma. ----- Frank Mason is enjoying a visit with a sister from Sulphur, Okla. ----- Wanted-Hides and Furs. Bring them to Ben Bennett before you sell them. ----- It will pay you to bring your eggs to Ben Bennett before selling them. If you don’t believe it try it.