The Caddo Herald
August 25, 1899
Local News
Wednesday a race between Pete Godfrey’s horse and the Masterson filly attracted a crowd of about 400 persons to the track. The distance was 400 yards and the event was won by the Godfrey animal for a purse of $50. There was a good many side bets. The backers of the Masterson horse were disappointed to find her in bad condition.
Misses Lyle and McArthur gave a reception yesterday evening from 9 to 12 complimentary to their guests Misses Scratch and Rathburn of Atoka, and Misses McClary and Dabney of Bonham. The function was greeted with pleasure by the society people who have observed scarcely a ripple upon the social stream during the hot weather up to this occasion.
Planters living beyond Blue do not have to pay toll coming to Caddo and Caddo, as a result, gets the trade from over there because, all things being equal, folks had rather do business in Caddo than any other town. There is a section of country however, that goes to Davis and possibly a little of it to Durant which logically belongs to Caddo. That is over towards the iron mines 30 miles from Caddo, 45 miles from Davis and 40 miles from Durant. All that is needed to secure this trade is reaching out for it by putting a bridge over the Washita River. Persons living over there know Caddo of old and like to do business here but they require some encouragement.
The continued dry hot weather has damaged cotton somewhat in the sandy lands on the Washita and Red rivers. That upon the black uplands east and west of Caddo has not entirely escaped damage, but from conversations with a number of farmers this week it is learned that the damage is not near 50 per cent. Of course anyone who knows anything about cotton is aware that worms do not thrive in hot weather. In fact there are no worms worth mentioning in the Blue County fields, and had there been rain in plenty, the worms would doubtless have done as much damage as the heat has accomplished. There will be more cotton raised this year than the growers will get paid for and they may begin soon to learn that the man who raises hogs, corn, and wheat has a distinct advantage over the man who attempts to buy them with cotton he has raised.
Out at Push-ma-ta-ha last week the first punishment of the present term of district court was inflicted upon Edmund Gardner who was sentenced to twenty-five lashes upon the bare back. The culprit in such cases is stripped to the waist and held with his arms around a tree- there is an oak at Push-ma-ta-ha which has served for this purpose for many years. A man holds each arm of the prisoner and he is held firmly against the tree while officers lay on the lashes; each one laid on five in the instance mentioned. It is an ancient method of punishment, but it seems to have a good effect and is not open to the objection that imprisonment for a month or more is- that a man’s family is deprived of his support and the taxpayers of the county pay for him. There will have been others punished in similar manner by the time court adjourns in the forks of Boggy.
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