The Coalgate Nonpareil
Coalgate, Atoka County,
Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory

Submitted by: Anita E Emberlin
aeberlin@texhoma.net

Please Note: This may only be a partial part of this paper

February 16, 1894
Territorial Melange items

WILLIAM and MCDILL MILES of Louisiana, who were traveling through Oklahoma in a wagon, stopped at Omega and when they were getting ready to start, McDill’s foot slipped from the hub of a wheel and he fell across the wheels striking a revolver and a flask of whiskey in his chest pocket together with such force as to explode one of the cartridges in the chamber of the revolver. The bullet passed through his body and killed him instantly.

MARVIN WELLS and LUCIEN MONKERS, two lads aged 13, went hunting with a 22 caliber target rifle in the Indian Territory near the Texas line recently. The gun was accidentally discharged and Wells was shot through the heart.

An Indian claiming to be a deputy permit collector has been operating in Tishomingo county, Chickasaw Nation. He has issued over $700 worth of bogus permits for this year. U. W. marshals are after him.

Short Articles

WILLIAM GREER, who lives below No. 4, while adjusting his shotgun yesterday accidentally discharged it, slightly wounding one of the little ones and blowing off the right hand of the other one. Dr. COBB amputated the hand, leaving the thumb, although it is doubtful whether that can be saved. The father was rendered almost insane by the accident.

The unknown man found killed at Limestone tank last week, weighed 140 lbs., 5’8” tall and in pocket was found $1.60 in money and a letter to MRS. R. S. STOCKTON, Foyle, Indian Territory with no name attached. In the letter he stated he was going to Denison, Texas. The supposition is that he undertook to board the train and fell under the cars.

F. H. TROUTMAN of Shephardsville, Kentucky, brother-in-law of Dr. HUME, who is here on a visit, received a telegram Wednesday of this week the unpleasant news his store and home were burned, entailing a great loss of property.

REV. G. T. MATHEWS from Arkansas fills REV. H. H. CORDELL’s appointment at the Baptist church this week. Mr. Mathews is capable, who may take Rev. Cordell’s pastorate in case the latter should conclude to seek another field.

J. S. HARRIS, the foreman of the Leader office at Lehigh, and J. A. ELLIS, a Kansas City typo, were callers during the week.

STEPHEN COBB, a prosperous farmer from near Whitewright, Texas was the guest of Mr. and Mrs. JOHN A COBBA. He returned home Monday.

N. F. FOY and daughter are sick with pneumonia but on the mend.

MRS. J. A. COBB of Lehigh is sick with catarrhal pneumonia, but recovering slowly.

The school taught by M. C. HOOKS still keeps full, despite the cold and hard times.

Company Stores Upheld

A special from Denison, dated Feb. 12 to the St. Louis Republic is of general interest to our people and we publish. A celebrated case has just been substantially settled in the U. S. court for the Indian Territory at South McAlester. The matter in controversy arose by the attempt to forfeit certain store privileges enjoyed by PERRY BROS. at Coalgate, under a lease from H. MCBRIDE, a Choctaw citizen and one of the original lessors of the Southwestern Coal and Improvement Company now conducting the great coal mines at Coalgate.
HODGES, one of the company lessors, with MCBRIDE and others, reserved the right to run company stores at their mines and MCBRIDE rented his privileges to PERRY BROS. who have been enjoying them for several years and have been conducting a large store at Coalgate.
In September last MCBRIDE declared a forfeit on the lease and PERRY sued the coal company and McBride and J. J. MCDOUGAL, the latter conducting the other company store at Coalgate under the HODGES privileges, charging collusion to deprive them of their privileges. The suit was for $10,000 damages and for restoration of store privileges and an injunction. It was supposed that this suit would test the long-mooted question as to the validity of the store privileges reservation. After an argument lasting two days, the court held that such store privileges were not in restraint of trade, but were valid, setting aside the forfeiture, issuing his writ of injunction and restoring the status quo between the parties.

From Savanna

Savanna, I. T., Feb. 4—SAMUEL WESLEY, stepson of MR. MARQUETTE and wife, died Feb. 10, aged 8 years and the stricken family are receiving heartfelt sympathy.

Our Savanna people felt the effect of the blizzard Sunday.

Measles average 2 to 8 case to a family, closing school for the week.

PROF. ASTON and wife are teaching a school here with an attendance of 100 scholars.

The Tebo Mining Co. have put in a pair of scales and run steadily.

Johnstown had a little blow-up, no damage to anybody, but bottle.

The mines have started to run steady, leaving the town in fair shape.

We have Sabbath school and meeting each week regularly.

Items

Under the management of Mr. and Mrs. OUSBURN, the Star Hotel has gained an enviable position reputation as a first class hotel…

A report current here a week or two ago that a bunch of miners would be let out because they were single men, is without foundation.

Coalgate is the best mining town in the Territory and has few idle miners to its population than any portion of the Indian Territory.

Recently in Pope County, Arkansas, U. C. revenue officers raided illicit distillers in the Ozark Mountains, captured 19 prisoners, had a fight killing two moonshiners, destroyed 19 stills, burned 2500 gallons of malt and meal, brought in one prisoner who was only three years old.

F. M. MADDEN is fixing up the old post office as a reading room, where books, periodicals, and later papers will be kept, and he may add lemonade and soft drinks. A good reading room should be a decided acquisition and Mr. MADDEN who was a gallant Buckeye (Indiana) soldier, will open up in a week or ten days.