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It was at Wynnewood, Oklahoma, that Culvin and Ada settled down. They stayed with Ada's two sisters who had moved there. Oris by then was past six years of age. It was decided he was to start his education. His hardest subject was spelling. Ada, Minnie, and Maude were determined he should learn his words and spent many hours drilling him. (Mamie was still living with her maternal grandparents.) Oris recalls two incidents from Wynnewood. Culvin owned a rambunctious pony. One day Oris was tending him. He had hold of the end of a long rope that was attached to the halter when the pony let out a kick. Oris was at the precise distance to catch the blow on his forehead. The blow was light and left only a hoof print there! Another memory included a face full of dishwater. Back then housewives, in the absence of sanitary plumbing, would throw their dishwater out the kitchen door when they were done with it. One evening about dusk Oris came around the house at just the correct time to catch a pan of it full in his face! Shortly thereafter another move was in store for them. This time it was somewhat more exciting as it was by covered wagon. Ada had a trace of Choctaw Indian blood. The federal government was then dividing the land in the Indian Territory and allotting it to the Indians. Ada, being a descendent of the Choctaw tribe, was required to file her claim in the Choctaw Nation as it was known. Culvin selected a site in Atoka County, not far from McAlester that would become known as the town of Reynolds. Upon arrival at this new location they set up camp in tents for temporary shelter. Here they lived while Culvin constructed a building from native lumber that later became the barn. This also was temporary as Culvin then began what was to become the house. Culvin had been a carpenter in his younger days and was able to do this work himself without additional help. In 1894 Ada gave birth to a boy. He was named Ruford Sinclair Reynolds and went by "Clair" all his life. was their only child. Mamie had joined the family by this time. Oris was now eight years old. He considered himself an experienced horseman and got into trouble with his father. Culvin had hitched up the pony for a trip to town and tied him to a sapling. While Culvin was shaving, Oris invited Mamie for a buggy ride. She accepted. After getting Mamie into the cart, Oris untied the horse and climbed in, too. However, the bridle reins became tangled and, as the horse moved ahead, one wheel of the cart caught on the sapling completely upsetting the cart, horse and all. What a mess! The horse was lying on his back unable to move until completely unharnessed. Fortunately, no injuries resulted. At that time in Oklahoma there were no highways. Improved roads simply had not been thought of. The country was sparsely settled with a few white families scattered here and there among the Indians. Most travel was either by horseback or in farm wagons. The Reynolds family lived about five miles from Kiowa where there were several general merchandise stores and a blacksmith shop. The population of Kiowa then was probably about 100. There were no country schools at that time and few in the towns so education for Oris and Mamie became a problem. Most people in the area were not interested in knowing more than just to read and write their name. All the men outside the towns were either cowboys or ranch hands. A cattle grazing was about the only industry, most of the land being open range or free grazing. Each ranch had its own group of cowhands. The usual pay was around $20 to $25 per month with free board and laundry plus a horse to ride. During the early summer the principle jobs were round-up and branding the young stock. In the fall there was a general round-up to bring in for shipment the best of the stock that had survived the previous winter and were in a salable condition. No winter-feeding was ever done. Most all of the range cattle had to survive on what they might find. A number of times Oris saw ten or more animals that had become so weak they were unable to arise from the frozen ground and had perished. This was common practice then. As for branding stock, Culvin followed the custom. His brand was a capital H over a capital R with a line under the H. You read his brand as "H Bar R." Because Culvin was concerned for Oris and Mamie's education, they were sent to live with their maternal Grandma and her third husband in Marion, Kansas. --end Chapter 2-- |