Northern Oklahoma College - Roundup Yearbook (Tonkawa, OK)

Page 150 text:

--az-'--an ,:w1e-Q., gf'-n-4:12, ,,aa'e.+w,-Y-2 iii 31. mga w.1.+.ff, awe, gt: . ,L ,Shag ,, ' ,s I ' sal' .- 'ff' 'TSW 'W '9' 1m.,:'- -:t...z-' Wa i P- Mai. .ws....d aa Does It Pay Leona Edmondson, '16 Does it pay to he honest, straightforward and true? In classroom, in business, in play? If everyone else cheats, can't 1 cheat, too? To he strictly true, does it pay? The World seems to respect a dishonest man, If he's Wealthy, and friendly, and smartg Were I to do wrong, would the World still demand That I play the honest part. In the classroom i'exams, when y0u're trying so hard To do the right thing and be square, You see open books, ponies, and cards- It takes all your grace 'to be fair. Your teacher may ask why your grade fell so low, When some of the rest did so wellg You could answer her truly, for surely you know- But isn't it hard not to tell? But then, after all, I find it does' pay To hold to your standard of truth: For all through this World, all along the rough way, lf you be man, Woman, or youth, You'll find there are times when you're plungped in despaii When your skies are black clouds, Where once blue: Those are the times. if you've always been fair, That the world will reach out and help you. 159

Page 149 text:

I-2- aff , -.1 , -... . .. . , wj,'f' ?flS,sv,,Iz'P.. a?if5? 'gx,j 'fe iq ,f ,W . ,.A ,.f , A -af 1 ', ' ff ' ' .wwf -is. .:4 'v1' J! 3' . .s51 trailsg the rolling prairies are diyvi ' - , ded 1 - . . . .- comfortable farm houses. A H10 SQCUOIIS and ale dotted heie and there with l L -A5 .X A - - . , f A. . mo, Vgtfflgggogg 'UUE the ll1Sf015 oi Oklahoma is one of romance, in others it is teem- 1.Dt Y , D , 5' lsf as the Dame llllplles, a land of the Red Man. In the earlier Slslori ofleveiy other state, the Indian has played a brief, pathetic part' In Oklahoma ' 0 If las le been SUCH 411 11HD0.1't21I1t constructive force. So close has been the relation 'S uffi, as a s a e, she 1 1 ,,. . . - , - ment to the white man. D may one me bleatel pmt of hel develop The first white man to cross her boidei C ., . 4 H ' 1. I - I ' ' was o1'onado in 15-ll while se r- i 0- ' 223351-Olllgt ieven aities of f'llJOl3..U' ln 1803, Oklahoma was bought f1'o1iiaF?a1i1?e fix' , Y cc : Va as anc set as.de as ll1Cll2lI1 Territory, and the Indians were moved here to-make tll9.l hciues. Countless tribes came he1'e to start life anew. Many had been driven from the land of their fathers and forced to come to this new land broken- hlearted and llstless, to frequent new haunts, to build new homes, to make new council Iires, and to stzirt new burial grounds. The way to Oklahoma for some lay over the trail of tears and nothing short of death could heal many broken hearts. Even as the old Arc-adians, they were a nation in exile. v -For a time, Oklahoma became the field for Indian feuds and Indian wal-S-I The Livil War wrought utter devastation among the Indians of Oklahoma, but the passing ofthe years and the coming of the white man brought a. change, and the indian, led by the Five Civilized Tribes, entered into- the work of developing his land. Oklahoma is the youngest pioneer state of the Union. Every Oklahoman knows and thrills at the memory of the opening-of the long struggle of the Boomers to settle in Oklahoma and how one April day at noon the Suns' were fired and the long race for claims and homes' began. Then followed the long years of pioneer life, of the struggle against drought and loneliness, when the pioneers lived in dugouts and thc smallest frame house seemed a luxury, and finally the triumphant victory over all these hardships-Oklahoma took her place among the 'foremost states of the Union. The opening of Oklahoma was the -culmination and climax of the story of American pic-- neering. Not even so much because of ber scenery or even because of her history is Okla- homa a splendid background for literature, but rather because of her great variety ol' citizens, I-ler citizenship is a composite of every state in the Union. Okla-homa is considered the melting pot of America, because every race and every nation represent- ed in America is found in Oklahoma. Here the North and the South, the East and West, have met and blended through their people. Here the horneseeker and the pros- pector, the politician and the townbuilder, t-he ranchman and the pioneer may be found side bv side. Here also is found the blood of the Puritan and the Cavalier, thexPatroon and the povenanter' while many of her people are proud to trace their descent from the American race as well, and out of these have sprung 21 11901919 Ufleflllavled f01' thell' llhflft- sociability and practical intelligence. h ' Thg Indian wo, whose character 'ns a peculiar combination of good and bad, coma prises a large part of 'her citizenship. Nature has stamlied the llldlangwith a 'hard ani stoic physiognomy. His cold temperament is. often hard to 'reach -thiough fiiendshgig but once a friendship is formed there Us no tie strong GUQUE-ll 'to bleak It-, HIS sets all language at defiance and his wild love of liberty IS l1?S 11111113 PHSSUOQ- MQW' of the old inenkare real philosophers, and their ideas of life, t02i9U161' WIUI tllell' qllallll . - . f . listinctness all their own. wa 's of ex ISSSIII' them, 5? WG fllem F' f A - 1 . ,, cyAt films? oflancg it seenrs that Oklahoma is much too YOUH8- to 0131111 3 lJ21CkS10UHd, . D , . , , . F - - 'ts amazed at the vastness ol lor literature but when one pauses to -Olislflel he is almo take Hd ,. '- . 1 - - Almost any ylace of her his-tory .may be ' 11 fl nmtiiimg ihft liolfoarlly glieeeis the home of a race that is fast being 9Xtel'1mUflted ,and nlout efl lllhosadl little has been written. Many unique Indian characters 11.21VG l1VGfl iL3iul'ul1l'lG1'6 Stlih as John Ross, Geronimo and Quanah Parker. At .Fort 1 Sill totlflb 'mc Elec ', ' - . of War t-he tribe of Apache Indians, the only prisoneis of wal Ill she holds as pr1sone1S I f - bgblx' the oldest place of note, founded in 1322. the United States. Foit Gibson is nronh . IMHO, The Cowboy, lore too, his bauadg and Visited' ,ten years later' l:?y1V1'?A:h1n'5Eii1l1Y Oklalioma is an excellent background fo-r and his stories, belong '10 Ok H10 literature. 149

Page 151 text:

?? ?1..e5 3--41' s is -Q-, A !5,g.ik.43f. QW- va, - fade pi l eases 4 9 .- 1. A , F iddlin' Joe Constance I-Iausam, '16 Since my arrival in this land of f d I ' ' I sunshin s - 1 ' 1 I ha . I H Q C iee om ant e ome two months previous tl16SgE7?fg?g3EE!2lr lciiillflrgei gbilile unlisgfu d?S1'BG of sobriety which prevailed among D 1 ' ' 1'en o ie p ains-it bein contrar f t 11 1 - 1 ceifved notions and expectations and it ' g 1 O a my Diagon- - - was because ot m curiosit ' f thatlthe appended conversation ensued. I y y on the Subway .tWa...,., ff - . vu I i . ' boasted Ib Wiltllgnoglllxef anilin oui 1 shack' at the tar end of tue one street the village mg Smile muh C- lailhlll ie. inteiesting anduhlghly satisfactory occupation of broil- feg Wmlin ,md Lhelifeutdrltarlizing.odor or the sizzling strips, the aroma of brewing coi- friendl, ' Cu. se 191115 IW1-1811i Without seemed to promote such an intimacy and iness uit I xentuied to bioach the Subject uppermost in my mind, Jim, I said to the sharer of my domicile. why is it that you fellows are S0 fo-nfl C I ' y - , . 'qu 1 Q N, 4 01 thi W afel ll H3011 - 10119 S0011 g10WS accustomed to the free and unconventional iff Qgglligegtgileygloallwaiys had a notion that you folks out here were pretty good -11111 Smlled 121COI1iC2lllY and cut another notch in a piece of harness that he was mending before answering. f'Better ask Fiddlin' Joe that question, was his non-coni- mittal answer. And with this I had to be satisfied for not another word could I get from him on that subject. I determined to visit this unusual character who seemed to be a sort of desert her- mit and guide according to Jim's brief statement. Several days elapsed be' re I was able to put this determination into effect. But one evening when the sun famed like a spirit-fire in the west and the magic stillness of the plains seemed to have folded within its grasp mysterious, unseen forces, I set out across the sands to visit Fiddlin' Joe. The distance being long, twilight had softened the view before I discerned in the perspective a tiny speck that I surmised must be his shack, As the space lessened between me and the object of my visit I drew rein and advanced more slowly, for l could not overcome a certain feeling of awe as I approached this mysterious' individual. ln my imagination I had conjured up all sorts of fantastic visions of some great prophet, teacher, or guide 'who had dedicated his life to the uplift o-f his too-free brothers of the west. Immersed in these and other reflections, I rode slowly forward, until before me, a mere speck, his' cabin stood at the mercy of the plains. Not a trace softened the outline or lent a caressing shade to the hot, weather-beaten boards that formed a haphazard shelterfrom the elements. No blossom sent its fragrance across the evening airg no blade of grass eased the tread of weary feet. So discouraged and sad and lonesome was the aspect, I likened it to an old man from whom all life's inter- est had fled. I was almost inclined to turn back, so unlike my dream was this appar- ently deserted ruin. I had even turned my pony's head, when, hark! across the even- ing's' stillness there came the quivering. pulsing notes of a violin-soft and dreamy at iirst, then rising into a wail like the sob of a soul in anguish. The air seemed to Yi- brate with the indescribable melody, and instantly I forgot ,the wretchedness of the surroundings. The music seemed to ascend until its notes iluttered on pinions of thought and floated on and up into the regions' Where the imagination could scarcely follow, and then wisth a faint wail the music ceased. I dismounted and rapped timidly at the door. After a silence that seemed almost interminable the door slowly opened and a. form appeared at the threshold.. I said a form, for to call this apparently hopeless ruin cf mind and body a human being seemed a travesty on the human race. Bent, misshapen, disease-racked, hollow and iusterless o-f eye, sunken of cheek, shaken with palsy, he Stood bef01'e.n1e-the Stamp of e m3111210 impressed indelibly upon every inch of him. It was Fiddlin' Joe. I . . Thus we stood, gazing at one another, obvious to all else. I in mingled surprise 151