July 28, 1904, Sun Monitor, Mangum, OT
WILLIAM LAVEY NOW LIVING NEAR HOLLIS,
SAYS HE IS 103 YEAR OLD.
WENT TO TEXAS IN 1818.

Mangum had a remarkable visitor last Friday in the person of William Lavey, and he is remarkable from the fact that he is a centenarian and two years over and is still active and as bright of eye, keen of wit, sharp of hearing and, but for a crippled foot, would be as nimble of limb as the average man of forty.

Mr. Lavey was born in East Tennessee in 1801, came to Texas in 1818, and spent his whole life on the western frontier except the four years that he was in the army. Mr. Lavey's wife died many years ago and he never married again. The only member of his immediate family now living is his youngest son, forty-three years old.

The old gentleman says the boy's health has been quite bad for several years and has caused him a great deal of care and anxiety as the boy has a wife and a number of kids. Three years ago they went out to New Mexico and the old man took up a claim and settled his son and family on it. He fenced, then broke, forty acres, but the dry weather came and burned up his crop. As his son's health was worse there, they decided to try their luck in Greer County, so he sold off what horses and cows he had and came to Greer.

They stopped at the home of Mr. Wooley, near Hollis. Mr. Wooley let him have twenty acres of land and told him he could have the use of it as long as he lived. He said the proposition was good enough for him, so he took it up and expects to remain there the balance of his life. His business at Mangum was to see about getting a claim for his son as his health had greatly improved since coming to this country. The son accompanied the old man, but the latter did about all the talking.

The old man does not smoke but chews a little tobacco, or rather "gums" it as he has no teeth. He says a dime's worth of tobacco will last him a month. When asked if he drank whiskey he replied that he had not taken a drink of whiskey in "in sixty years." He continued, "We used to have good whiskey made out of corn, and the pure article, but I don't want anything to do with the firey stuff they make nowadays and call whiskey."

In answer to a question as whether he liked beer, he replied in great disgust that if he had a hog that would drink that slop he would kill it. His features are very thick, his nose and chin come in close proximity as he munches his little wad of tobacco. On his face was a thin stubble of gray beard, but his head was covered with closely cropped brown hair with not a thread of gray nor a suspicion of a bald spot. It was more like the head of a boy of fifteen years than a man of over a century.

When asked what ticket he voted at national elections, Mr. Lavey very promptly replied that he voted the "Yankee ticket." He said, "I voted that ticket, that is the Union ticket, before the war and I vote it yet and always will. They said I was a dam Yankee and made me join the Southern Army and I served four years, but I never voted their ticket."

He got the information he wanted and Saturday afternoon the old man and his son drew anchor on their prairie schooner, and sailed for home.

Sun Monitor, May 4, 1905, Page 1
A MOUNTAIN LION

Mr. Settles who lives northeast of Blair, near Settles mountain, was in town this week and related an exciting incident that occurred at the home of a neighbor of his a few days before.

A woman and her little girl were out a short distance from their home on a path leading up toward the mountain when they saw in the path in front an animal that they first took to be a large yellow dog. But, as they got nearer the woman saw that it was a mountain lion. She hallowed at it hoping to scare it away, but instead of running, it growled and started toward them.

The little girl turned and ran to the house, but the woman realized that if she showed fright, the animal would surely attack her, kept facing the beast and at the same time backed toward the house. The lion, no doubt awed by her bravery, advanced, but slowly, toward her. She kept backing until she reached the gate and fell fainting inside.

By that time the other children came running out of the house and the animal turned and ran away. The woman was seriously ill for several days after the adventure.

It is reported that two mountain lions have been killing calves and young pigs in that neighborhood for some time, but this is the first time they have shown a disposition to attack persons. The place is about 15 miles southeast of Mangum, O.T.

May 25, 1905 Sun Monitor taken from the Outlook, May 18, 1905

J.W. Edwards from the Olustee newspaper, Olustee Outlook, drove out to the home of M.E. Kizziar, eleven miles northwest of town, Monday morning, and as a matter of course, it was impossible to get through the business in hand until the midday meal.

Mr. Kizziar is a wealthy farmer in that section, owning 1,440 acres of farm and grazing land where he lives, also a quarter section adjoining the town of Altus, together with some lots and business property in that town. He is an old Greer county resident, coming here from Texas more than fifteen years ago and he has watched the country grow from its large cattle ranches and wild prairie, to it's present cultivated condition with a house on nearly every quarter section.

Mr. and Mrs. Kizziar are the proud parents of ten very intelligent children, seven sons and three daughters. The sons are all young men. They are getting a large part of this vast farm under cultivation. It is his intention to have a thousand acres under cultivation within the next two years. The hospitality and the good dinner were very pleasant features of the day.

SIXTY-THREE YEARS.

Today our "ole man", Mr. A. M. Dawson passes into his 63rd birthday, and was forcibly reminded of the fact yesterday, while busily engaged in writing, to hear the presses all suddenly stop. One of those intuitive feelings come over him that several eyes were fastened on him.

On looking up he found the whole office force, consisting of 12 persons, men, women and boys gathered around. Mr. Granlee then stepped forward and in a few remarks presented "de ole man" with a beautiful two bottle ink stand. The intrinsic value, as he said, was not much, but, as it did unnerve "de ole man" and he acknowledged that he was 63 years old.

During the time of the Mexican war, the expansion of the country from the big river to the ocean, the railroad system only then begun, extended over the whole country. The telegraph stretched under the ocean, the telephone, the phonograph, and the beginning of the wireless telegraph, the air ship, and what not? One does not have to live always to see how fast the world moves and especially our own beloved land of the free.

But, to get closer home, see how our own little town expanded into a city of no mean proportions. I have been with it now eight years, and have seen it grow from a mere town, with little commerce and no importance; with only 750 people to a city of 4,000 and a rating second to none in this Indian Territory.

A. M. DAWSON

On Oct. 13, 1887, A.M. Dawson brought to light of day THE MANGUM STAR. With a wheel barrow full of type and a George Washington press. "The Star" flung its banner to the breezes with "Major" Dawson at the helm.

Dec. 17, 1903, Sun Monitor, Mangum, OT
WILL HENRY

One day last week a warrant was issued for the arrest of a man named William Moon, on the charge of obtaining money under false pretenses. The warrant was placed in the hands of Officer Henry to serve.

Henry located his man at a farm on Salt Fork, about 25 miles from Mangum, He tarried there late in the afternoon and securing his man, started back to town. When about half way they came to a bad ditch and hill to climb and one of the horses balked. The officer tried both moral persuasion and physical force until the patience and perspiration had both about all oozed out of his system, meanwhile the evening shadows were gathering thick and thicker.

Henry sat and thought moment. A new idea struck him and he acted on it at once. "Here Moon, you hold these lines and I'll make him go," he said, and handing the lines to Moon, he jumped out of the buggy. Unhitching the traces of the balky horse, took the hitch rein and tied the animal's tail to the end of the double-tree. "Now start 'em up", said he to the man in the buggy-- it worked like a charm, "Keep 'em going," shouted Henry, as the team started plunging up the hill.

And the man did as he was ordered, but instead of stopping when he got to the top of the hill and waiting for the officer, he just kept on going. When the officer got up the hill he could just see in the dim and dusky distance a small cloud of dust that marked the passing away into the night of his prisoner, his horses and his buggy.

When the awful truth dawned on him he was the lonesomest man in Francis township. In his anxiety to get the team started, he had forgotten for the time the relation that existed between himself and his traveling companion.

There was no farm house near and the only thing to do was to strike out on foot on the trail of the fugitive. He started and about a mile down the road found his team tied to the fence, but the man was gone.

Henry would not come back to town without his man, under the circumstances, if it took a year to catch him. He studied the situation over carefully and decided to wait in the neighborhood a while and see if the fellow did not show up. Sure enough after a day and half's waiting, he recaptured his man and this time landed him safely in jail. He says he will not start on an official trip again with a balky horse.

Moon is a man of family and lives in the Teacross neighborhood. He gave bond and was released. His neighbor, Beall made the complaint against Moon.

Dec 24, 1903 Sun Monitor, Mangum, OT

A buggy stopped in front of the court house about 11 o'clock Wednesday and a young man in a new "store "suit, high collar and doe-skin gloves alighted and tenderly helped to the ground his driving companion-- a pretty young woman gowned in a neat white dress and picture hat. As she fluttered from the buggy to the ground, flashes of several bright colored silk petticoats and underskirts struck the eyes of bystanders.

The young man hitched his team and they both went up stairs to Probate Judge Clay's office where they procured the necessary license and had the Judge then and there do the rest which made them man and wife, after which they went out into the world happy.

They were Miss Hattie Anderson and Mr. W.W. Sutton of Roger Mills county.

Jan. 29 1904, Sun Monitor. Greer Co. OT
NOTED POLITICIAN IS IN RETIREMENT

Out on a ranch near the little Panhandle town of Mobeetie, is a man fast dropping out of sight as a man of public affairs.

Honorable Temple Houston was at one time prominent in the legislative halls of Texas and several years represented the people in the Panhandle district as senator. He was one of the finest criminal lawyers in the whole state of Texas. His oratory and sound judgement won him many noted cases, but as years passed the demands, for Houston, as professional man grew less.

Until today, he is barely thought of as an available lawyer. Not because he lacked knowledge, but because of failing health. However, there are many people in Oklahoma, where Houston once lived, who still call upon him for legal advice and services.

Recently, there was a noted murder case at Woodward and friends of the defendant insisted on retaining Houston. They sent a guard to his home to escort him to the scene of the trial, in order that he might be in the best possible condition when he reached Woodward.

It is related of him that with his earnestness and eloquence, Houston secured the young man's acquittal after he had twice been sentenced, once to life imprisonment and once to twenty-five year's imprisonment.

Houston, himself, has seen much trouble during the early opening up of the Oklahoma country. He lived on the western border of that country, and became involved in several difficulties which resulted in killings. Houston did the killing, but when the cases went to trial, he always proved that it was done in self defense.

He is considered one of the strongest lawyers that ever stood before a jury, and his eloquence has swayed thousands, but those who have known him in his palmy days may soon know him no more, as Houston is reported in very bad health. He still lives the life of a cowboy, dresses in the typical cowboy style, and wears boots with high heels. He has spent most of his time on the western frontier of Texas and Oklahoma during the past several yeas, and is little seen by his friends, preferring obscurity in his declining days. He has always been of a restless spirit and loved to be on the plains, "mixing" with the cow punchers. He inherited the fire and patriotism of his great father, General Sam Houston, who was president of the Republic of Texas, His brother, A. J. Houston, is at present United States Marshal of the eastern district of Texas, and one of the most prominent men in the state.

Temple Houston is well know in Ft. Worth and this bit of news of his bad health will be received with regret through all Texas.--Fort Worth Telegram Jan 6, 1904-- Sun Monitor, Jan 29, 1904

Feb 4, 1904, Sun Monitor, Mangum, OT

J.W. Carothers, from the Sand Hill schoolhouse neighborhood north of Granite, is attending district court as a petit juror. He created quite a sensation on his arrival in Mangum Sunday evening owing to the fact that he was towing behind his farm wagon Dr. Dawson's automobile.

Dr. Dawson started out Sunday afternoon, accompanied by his wife and baby for a spin in the auto, and went to Granite. They had made good time and were on the return when at the turn of the road six miles north of Mangum the machine balked and could not be induced to go. Mr. Carothers came along with his farm wagon and mule team. He took Mrs. Dawson and the baby in his wagon and wrapped them up in quilts and after some "joshing" agreed to tow the machine in, but one of the stipulations of the contract was that the doctor should ride in his machine and toot the whistle occasionally.

This he did, and that is why Mr. Carothers attracted especial attention in coming into town last Sunday. He says he believes he now has a pretty good idea how it feels to be driving a band wagon in a circus parade.

Sun Monitor, Mangum, OT July 21, 1904
Page 1
JOHN ROSE

John Rose came back. He never did like water much and so left Mexico to remain here during the rainy season.

John Rose came in last week from El Chamal, Mexico, and will remain until November. He says the health of the Greer County colony was very good when he left, some little sickness, but not more in proportion than in this country. He says the men of the colony are generally contented, but the women are not, they would rather be back in Greer.

Mr. Rose says the rainy season is on there now and will continue until September and that the people will not begin planting the heaviest crop there until next month. John's well known salutation sounds quite natural. He has not grown handsome in feature since he went to dwell in the land of the Montezumas, but his general appearance is much improved from what it was here in the early days of Mangum, when he was Justice of the Peace and held court in a dug-out.

He now wears wool pants with no holes in them, and regular store bought galluses with rubber in 'em and a clean shirt and, wonderful to relate, he actually wears shoes, this hot weather too, and carries a watch. John Rose is getting to be something of a dude.


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