Gypsies and Indians
*A Sad Accident
*My Heels in the Air
*No Lights Or Water
*Two Old Ladies
*
03 Jun 1926
Interesting Letter from Kate Strong to Leon Reporter
To the Reporter and my many friends – a long deferred letter to the Reporter in the old home town and others outside. The turnpike of life has turned another wheel, and I am writing one more letter to the ones I remember so well, as some may have wondered why I never wrote after I came home a year ago on the 10th of June. There was nothing to write about. It was my first trip back and forth from Oklahoma to Iowa that no incident of any kind happened and this letter will be short, but some of you may want to hear of my home town luck by the roadside of red sand in southwest boulevard of Geary. In last weeks Reporter an item published made me a little indignant about a band of gypsies being taken for a band of Indians. They do not rove at all like gypsies. Always a white man is the boss. Their language is not like the jargon of a gypsy. The Indians do have some outlandish names. Cupid works among them quite often. Last week at Watonga, county seat of Blaine, Herbert Belly Mule married to Harriette Island, both of Watonga. That item reminds me of the last pair of Siamese twins born in Indiana, joined together at the stomach. If ever they can walk they can dance the Charleston.
A sad accident occurred last Friday just south of our house. A man living west of Geary came in town, bought a new car and was driving it home. Another man coming from the east dashed into his car killing him instantly. He was alone in his but the other had several persons in his car but none were killed but some seriously injured. Such accidents happen every day but when so near are very sad. I was in a car ready to go to the cemetery but I did not go.
We are having very dry weather at the present time – Oklahoma luck as usual. Zero weather in February killed the fruit and now the sun is baking bread out of wheat.
Guess I had better tell you of the accident that happened to me last week, before the sun bakes me. They have graded quite a ditch across the street in front of our house. I concluded I would step across it. I did and caught a bush but the bush broke and I went backwards in the ditch, hurt my neck for a day or two, but there I was with my heels sticking up in the air and an auto passing. If I’d had on silk stockings I wouldn’t have cared, for that is about all you see of women in this crazy age.
Well I told you about I told you about my heels in the air will tell you about my head being up in the air higher than a kite last February. That month is always my fatality one. I went to the city clerk’s office to pay the light and water bill for month of January. I thought it was a little high - $4.55. I says to him that I do not have even an old hen to water and I go to bed at eight o’clock. He said that "isn’t all we have against you-we have $19.38 on the books." That was when my head went up. "If you have that much against me where are the checks I sent you. Didn’t you get them? You should have for I sent every one by mail." "Well I didn’t get enough." Well," I says, "this is the first unpaid bill that has ever come up since I lived in Geary." Well I handed over the $4.55 and took a receipt and would settle up when I got my bank statement. I told him not to have the light and water turned off as I was too old to be without. That was Feb 13th. I came on home. A neighbor said he would come by the bank and get my statement. Away he went to both banks and got them. We looked over the statements, found July, August, September and December, but not October or November. I told him I would swear I sent them. I told the clerk what checks were missing and to hunt them up. Well the next evening I went to get supper and not a drop of water in the house nor any light – that was when my head went up in the air. I phoned to the clerk, mayor and meter man and they said it was the city clerk’s orders. I did not say anything more but made up my mind I would never order lights and water turned on until I got my checks. I rigged up two coal oil lamps, one a vase lamp that I bought of Dr. Hildreth years ago in Leon. I used cistern water. I said I was raised by home made lights and could die by them. Several offered to and see about it but I would not let them. I told them I could fight my own battles yet awhile. All through the month of February I burned coal oil lamps, neither did I pay for that month, but before the first of the next month the light and water was turned on but who ordered it done I never could find out. I never would have. I received the May notice yesterday – lights $1.00 and water $1.25, and the name of a new city clerk.
I suppose you are tired by this letter. It isn’t near as good as M.F. Springer’s tourist letters. I enjoyed those for he found so many relatives. Our Mother’s day program of the Literary and Study Club was very good. Each member invited some old mother as her guest. At the close all were requested to stand and sing "God Be With You." When through I said while we are standing I have a word to say – Mrs. Douglass claims to have the honor of bringing as guest the oldest lady residing in Geary but I believe Mrs. Dillon has the honor as I am her guest and I was 82 in February and Mrs. Doulass’ guest was only 80 last July. I waited a little while and saw a shadow of disappointment on the sweet old lady’s face like she wanted the honor after all so I said I believed Mrs. Douglass has the honor for her guest walked and I rode. I was glad I said it for she smiled so sweetly. Old folks often are hungry for love. They all shook hands with her and gave her a ride home. Hope next time I write it will not be a letter like this one but more interesting.
Goodbye old friends, and may youth cling to thee as long as it has to me.
KATE STRONG, GEARY, OKLA.