(Continued From Last Week) “In March of 1918, C.W. Buskirk, vice-president of the Eureka Petroleum Co., sold his one-sixteenth interest in the Great Southern Oil Co’s. acreage and production in the Sallyards pool to Jones Brothers for $125,000. Jones Brothers, who constitute the Great Southern, owned fifteen- sixteenths of the property. They, in turn, have sold one-half of the property to the Tidal Oil Co., of Tulsa for $2,5000,000. Mr. Buskirk made the locations for the Great Southern which was the first to discover oil in Western Greenwood County. The fact that the Tidal Oil Co., one of the largest in the business, has paid a big price for an interest in the Great Southern holdings shows what it thinks of the possibilities of Greenwood County.
In May of 1918 an emergency call was made by the U. S. Food Administrator for the return of all surplus flour in the hand of consumers, and the appeal asks all persons holding more than a thirty-day supply to turn this back to their dealers by May 15.
It is not intended by this call to attach any blame to persons holding quantities of flour, nor cast any reflection upon their motives in obtaining same, but rather it will be looked upon as an act of patriotism in the case of every citizen making the return.
In many instances, stocks of flour have been accumulated in accordance with the life long custom of laying in a supply in the fall of the year, when as a rule stocks were large and prices low-yet by reason of the existing emergency, it becomes imperative to make this request and the Food Administration expects that this appeal will be met with a ready response.
It is hoped that this call will be looked upon as a patriotic duty, rather than an order, and that all surplus stocks will be returned promptly; but in case the return cannot be made at once, the holder is asked to advise the local administrator of the amount he holds and when the return can be made.
Failure to comply with this call before May 15th would make the offender guilty of hoarding under the federal statues; yet it is expected that all will share a willingness to share some part of the burden.
The corn meal should be sold to the consumer at not more than 8 cents per pound and many cities are selling it at seven. There is abundant supply of potatoes and under present market should be retailed at not more than 80 cents per pound. 60 per cent of the material of which sacks are made of is needed in Europe in making linings in the trenches. This makes an acute shortage in sacks. If you have any second- hand sacks they should be marketed, not so much for their market value, because every sack returned will release a new one to be used in the trenches to save the life of some American or Allied soldier.
In July of 1918 S.G. Mead, first editor of The Herald recalls one of the problems he faced was keeping a supply of printing paper in stock. The paper was purchased in Leavenworth or Kansas City and had it shipped from Topeka. The paper was shipped by horse teams over a route crossed by several large streams, including the Kaw River, the depot being on the north side of the river. There was a pontoon bridge which had a habit of breaking loose and going down stream whenever it rained. Mr. Mead tried to keep a three months’ supply of paper on hand, but more than once ran very close. One issue of the paper containing an important legal notice was only saved by taking a team and driving out to meet the load which would not have reached Eureka in time to have made the issue.
In September of 1918 production of motor cars by Ford Motor Company was suspended entirely so the company can devote its entire facilities to government work.
In October of 1918 the prevalence of Spanish Influenza caused the Eureka Mayor to warn the citizens and ask them to follow the following precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.
1. Keep in mind like most contagious disease’s influenza is spread by contact, that is, by transfer of the poison from one person to another. It is spread by sneezing, coughing and spitting at which times the discharges from the nose and throat are scattered in the air. 2. When sneezing or coughing, place your handkerchief before your nose and mouth. 3. Avoid common drinking cups, common towels, and similar utensils. 4. Spitting on the sidewalks, halls and stairways and in public buildings is prohibited by ordinance. Violators will be prosecuted.
Proclamation: Whereas, a Resolution has been passed by the Board of City Commissioners deeming it necessary for the protection of the public health, that all Schools, Churches, Sunday Schools, Societies, Theatres, Picture Shows, Clubs, Billiard Halls and Bowling Alleys be closed, and that all meetings and gatherings be prohibited: All of said places be closed and that all meetings and gatherings be prohibited from 12 o’clock noon Oct. 10, 1918, to Monday, Oct. 21, 1918.
Later the closing order was extended and the City Commissioners and Board of Education recommended that the above closing of the above places and meetings be continued until further notice.
The closing order was finally lifted on Saturday morning, November 16 and all businesses may be conducted as usual. On advice of physicians all buildings that have been closedThe marchers carried every conceivable kind of device for noise making. There were cow bells, horns, and many persons beating joyously on battered tin pans. Buckets, tubs, even chicken coops and milk cans trailed over the pavement, tied to the backs of automobiles, each making its own peculiar style of racket.
Placards carried by marchers bore appropriate wording. One carried by school children read: “We Whipped The Kaiser.” Some enthusiasts had rigged up a dummy which was labeled: “Kaiser Bill.” This they dragged up and down the street for hours. The big mule team driven by Race Parks had a prominent place in the parade. A man was perched on each mule and the hay rack was loaded to the edge with a yelling, happy crowd of youngsters.
No one enjoyed the celebration more than A. Auget and L. Vanhaverbeke. Mr. Auget is a native of Alsace and Mr. Vanhaverbeke was born in Belgium. (These two areas had been taken over by Germany) They were among the first to begin celebrating and were the last to quit.
In mid-December 1918 strict quarantine regulations and a stringent closing order in Eureka were ordered to combat the epidemic of influenza which had been on the increase during the previous week. The action was taken by the board of city commissioners and is to continue until December 31, unless rescinded prior to that date. The wide spread prevalence of influenza following the lifting of the ban some weeks ago was the direct cause of the action taken. The mayor gave notice that a meeting would be held in the city clerk’s office to discuss the situation. The meeting was attended by 25 representative citizens, including commissioners, city attorney, doctors, business men, members of the school board, city superintendent and patrons of the public schools.
The session was somewhat stormy, those favoring strict quarantine regulations, but not the closing order, expressing their opinions freely as did those who favored the more drastic action including both quarantine and closing regulations. The matter was discussed from every angle and after much argument the mayor asked for a vote on the question by those present. The vote was more than two to one in favor of a strict quarantine of all cases and the closing order which includes the closing of the public schools, churches and movie picture shows, also prohibition of dance parties and all public gatherings inside buildings.
After the meeting the commissioners went into executive session, but deferred action until the following day. The commissioners met the following day and decided by unanimous vote to put on both the strict quarantine and the closing order.
The following letter from State superintendent Ross in January 1919 was received by county and city superintendents of the state and will no doubt be of interest to the patrons of the schools in Greenwood County: To County and City School Superintendents and High School Principals: At a meeting of the State Board of Education held December 20, careful consideration was given to the school situation growing out of the prolonged influenza epidemic and the following resolutions relative thereto were unanimously adopted by the Board: “Be it resolved by the State Board of Education, assuming that schools may resume work not later than January 1, 1919, that if schools make up at least one-half of the time that has been lost neither the credits of their pupils nor their standings as schools will be called into question on account of the time lost, and that for making up this time any one or all of the following methods will be acceptable: Teaching every school day regardless of the usual holidays; teaching at least every other Saturday; extending the length of the school day by equal additions to the recitation periods; extending the length of the term in the spring.
“Be it further resolved that the case of schools not following the above suggestions will be considered only on individual showing, and special investigation by the Board.”
Since even this plan means one-half of the time that has been lost will not be made up, it will be absolutely necessary in order that the course of study may be covered as effectively as possible that all distractions, extra-school activities and “side issues’ generally be rigidly excluded so that there may be no interference with the legitimate school work; also that all but the most important and essential matter be eliminated from the course and the recitations to the end that by concentration and “speeding up”- by intensive work generally, pupils may not be crippled in their future progress in their school lives.
In keeping with the foregoing and on advice of the attorney-general that in such an emergency it had the authority to do so, the Board also voted that the county school diploma examination for rural schools this year shall be held on April 26 and 26, and for graded schools on May 30 and 31; also, that the normal training and high school credit examinations be held on June 6 and 7.”
(To Be Continued Next Week)
