Frontier Doctors Of Indian Territory Of Oklahoma

Introduction

On the western frontier, most of the Doctors had very little medical training. Some of the men that did the Doctoring were Dentist, Barbers and Veterinarians. They did there best with what knowledge they possessed. In today’s world, the Emergency Medical Technician most commonly called EMT’s, has more training then the Doctors of the 1800’s or even over into the early 1900’s. The Doctors of the late 1800’s knew how to do very simple surgery, dig for bullets, sew up cuts and to maybe set broken bones, deliver baby’s and treat very little of the diseases that confronted them. Some of the early doctors learned remedies from the Indian Shaman, herb healers, of the medical plants that grew locally in the area they settled. There medical knowledge of medicine to give people was very limited, to say the least, but the Doctor’s were valued in any community.

Doctor Mullins told the stories told in this novel to me. The town that he first set up practice and about the people that were in his town. Eventually the town died out and most of the people moved away to a town near the branch line of the railroad that didn’t exist until later years. In 1966, Doc was 90 years old and had relinquished practicing medicine long before that time.

In his early years, he had treated people in the late 1800’s and for his pay had received barter goods more times than money. The Doctors of old, at times, didn’t make enough money to buy medicine to replace what they used and had to resort to trading what they received as payment for money or use other means to get money to enable them to buy the medical supplies they need.

Even though Tanner became one of the ghost towns of the old west because the railroad missed the town by thirty miles and the people moved to the railroad.

Also about the happenings of the Doctor who was in the area of Reams Oklahoma in the San Bois Mountains of Indian Territory. Some of the old timers that he had treated when they were children talked about doc Light foot or he treated their parent before 1900. Reams town became the end of track for two years during the War Between the States. After the war the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway pushed on into Texas from Reams town. The people of Oklahoma referred to the railway as the Katy.

Reams town finally became nothing more than a whistle stop for the railroad. The last time I was through Reams town there was just a sign left standing and I could see mounds of ruble left of some of the buildings down along the lake shore. Nevertheless, that was in 1970 and knowing the people of Oklahoma, it might be a thriving city again.

The San Bois Mountains, Winding Stair Mountains, and the Kiamichi Mountains make up the Ouachita Mountain Range in eastern Oklahoma. This was a haven for the outlaws to take refuse in when the law was hot and heavy on there trail.

This novel in no way reflects on the living or dead when using names. Even if the names might refer to some of your kinfolks or mine.

The towns and places named in these books are all real. As the Indian Territory came closer to becoming the State of Oklahoma, a lot of the town names changed or simply no longer existed. Towns such as America, Moon, Ida (Battiest), Dookesville, Punkabua (Broken Bow), Bismarck (Wright City), Chance, and Scullyville (Bartlesville), wouldn’t make it after the Indian Territory was awarded statehood, some became ghost towns, or just places with some reminisce of where they was.

This novel in no way reflects on the living or dead when using names. Even if the names might refer to some of your kinfolks or mine. Any derogatory remark made only as what people used in the old days.

There are other novels that I have written of stories told from over fifty years ago. One of the men who told some of the stories fought under the only Indian General, Stan Waite of the Cherokee, in the Civil War between the States. Other members of my family have delivered food and supplies to Robbers Cave in Oklahoma, as late as 1915 until the Officers of the Law knew about the cave. In addition, they delivered to other places near the cave until the 1930s to what people of the time called the modern day outlaws.

Chapter 1

Rod Haines set straight up on his bedroll because something had awakened him. He saw the horses head had came up and they were looking in his direction. Rod looked out from under the trees in the moon light and saw nothing, turning his head to look at where the horses were his head seemed too exploded. His head hurt like hell and the bright light in his eyes wouldn’t go away. He rolled over on his stomach and realized he was lying on the ground. His eyes and head hurt as if he had been on a two day drunk and was now sobering up.

Rod finally got his eyes open and could see none of his things that he had in camp. Even the fire he had laid for coffee and cooking for this morning was only ashes. He knew the creek was just down the hill from the camp so Rod started crawling toward the creek. He would have to stop, heave his guts out, and then he continues on toward the creek. He finally made it to the creek and lay in the water drinking and throwing up until he was finally able to keep some of the water on his stomach. Rolling over on his back and letting the water run around his head and body with only his face above water seemed to help some with the pain.

He didn’t know how long that he had laid there in the water but as he opened his eyes, he could see an old Indian with long gray hair setting on the bank of the creek looking at him. He must be dreaming he thought to himself and he must have passed out. The next time he opened his eyes he saw an Indian setting on a horse looking down at him. The Indian had long black hair with a red cloth tied around his head to hold the hair out of his eyes. Rod couldn’t keep his eyes open and knew he must be hallucinating.

Rod knew from his medical training in the New York Hospitals that he had one hell of a concussion. It was a wonder he had survived and he had no idea of how long he had been passing in and out of consciousness. He got to felling better and decided to try to set up. Opening his eyes he didn’t see either Indian and knew it must have been only in his mind of seeing them. It seemed that it took all his strength in doing the normal thing in getting to a setting poison. After a while his head quit spinning so he crawled on his hands and knees to a tree on the creek bank and pulled himself up to stand. Holding to the tree until the wave of nausea passed.

Staggering back to camp, by holding to trees, he looked the situation over and found he had nothing left. Whoever hit him had taken the horses, panders, saddle, guns, and even his bedroll with his clothes inside the blankets. All he had left to wear was his cotton waist drawers on and was almost naked as a jaybird.

It was about noon, with the sun out and getting hotter in the day the best he could figure, and Rod started following the trail of the horses. It was a slow process, from being so wobbly and unbalanced, also because his feet were so tender from wearing shoes and boots so long. Along the way were several kinds of flowers and the grass were a type of gamma that his father feed his stock in the winter. After about a mile his feet were starting to leave bloody footprints in places where he had lifted his feet from the ground. Whenever he came to a creek or even water that had pooled from recent rains, he had to stop and drink all the water he could or what pooled and was drinkable.

It was coming dusky dark when Rod saw something in small mounds up ahead. As he neared the mounds, he could see that it was his panders and other things scattered around on the ground. Evidently, the robbers had just turned the panders upside down and dumped out what was inside. They had scattered some of the things and had broken most of the glass medicine bottles.

Rod knew he was gaining on the men because he could see where several people had lain down after drinking the alcohol, with the mixed opium and cocaine, which he had in some of the bottles. He found his medical bags dumped upside down and scattered out. Rod gathered his things up and restored them to his panders and medical bags the best he could. None of the food was there and Rod was getting hungry.

Taking his longest scalpel Rod cut the tarp, tore into pieces, which he had used to cover his bedroll. He got some salve balm from his black bag, smeared his feet over good, and wrapped his feet in the canvas. Tying the canvas pieces onto his feet with strips of cloth, he tore from a stack of bandages. While he was wrapping his feet, he saw in the distance, big black birds circling in the sky and he knew they were buzzards to scavengers the dead.

Rod got up from the ground, after some effort, and started following the trail again. He was carrying with him some of the bandages with the salve tied up inside. The rest of his things would have to wait until he came back with a horse. His father had been proud of all his sons being over six feet tall, broad shoulder, black hair like his own, and all weighing over two hundred pounds. Nevertheless, right now Rod wished he didn’t weigh so much because his feet were starting to hurt again. If he had weighed less maybe, they wouldn’t hurt so much.

The closer he got to where the buzzards were circling and at that time, Rod could see a large hump on the ground. As he got nearer, he could tell the horse had a broken front leg and a bullet hole in the center of its forehead. The saddle was still on the horse but the bedroll and saddlebags were gone. There wasn’t anything there he wanted and he knew he was getting closer to the men that had robbed him. The trail led on past where the horse lay and Rod continued following it past the horse.

Just as it was getting too dark to see, Rod could see where one of the horses had turned and headed north at a trot. The rest of the horses kept going west. It wasn’t long until he found where one of the men had fallen from his horse. The other man had dismounted from his horse and laid on the ground while holding their horse’s reins.

Rod was tired and about to fall from exhaustion. He couldn’t see two feet in front of him. He decided it was time to rest until the moon came up and furnished enough light to follow the tracks. Laying there waiting for sleep to come, he got to thinking about his grandfather. He had been the one to teach Rod and his brothers about the woods, how to track, to live with just a knife, to hide and not be found. His grandfather was a Winnebago Indian and came to live with them when Rod was ten years old.

The moon came up about two hours before the sun and the morning air was already hot. Rod moved on because he knew he had to get even with whoever stole his things and left him to die out here. The trail was easy to follow and by noon, his thirst was humongous. There still were no sign of the men but Rod trudged on and by over in the evening when the sun was on the downward slide and the air cooler, Rod saw a jackrabbit sprang from the shade at the bottom of a Cactus and hustled along the top of the bank like a gray streak. Rod watched the rabbit as it ran ahead of him and suddenly diapered.

Rod remembered reading from the books at medical school about how some animals could go about getting moisture to sustain them. The Rabbit could endure for months without water, surviving on the scant moisture in the plants it ate. Walking and stumbling on for he was in need of water and his feet were hurting plumb up to his armpits.

Coming up to the lip of a wide draw, he could see the body of a dead horse across the way near the bottom. The body of the dead horse meant much more to Rod than just skin and bones of a dead animal. It rested, with its dry skin and its ribs bleached white, on the path that came down the bank into the bottom of the wash. The carcass indicated high odds there was water close somewhere in the gulch. Half a hundred paces downstream Rod spotted three holes where horses had dug at the sand and gravel. The largest was a yard in diameter and at least two feet deep. As he neared the holes he could see about a gallon of water filled a small pocket in the bottom of the cavity.

The desert-wise mustangs' keen sense of smell had found water where some impervious obstruction forced it to rise almost to the surface. The mustangs were able to find water where humans and cattle were unable and they would die of thrust with in a few feet of the water. A man could have died of thirst never knowing water flowed less than an arm's length away. Rod evaluated the path of the horses. All sign indicated, only a small number of animals used the water hole. Even those mustangs traveling many miles to water tarried barely long enough to dig out a drink. They would find little grass close even if just a mile away there were grass belly high to a horse.

Feed grew on the mountain where precipitation fell in greater abundance and especially on the northern slopes where snow accumulated in the winter. The shade lingered for longer periods of the summer days. Rod had seen these areas of more hospitable climates before and he knew grass was there in moderate quantities.

He drank some water and dug the hole out to a larger size with his hands. After letting the water clear he drank some more and then set his aching feet into the cool water. Resting some Rod scooted down in the hole and enlarged it enough so he could lie down and soak his body to get some of the aches and pains out of his body. As he scooped out the dirt in the hole, he smeared it on his arms and legs. Also, he let the muddy water splash on his back the best that he could. It was full dark now and the moon would be up in a couple of hours to where he might be able to track the men some more.

As he lay in the hole with the cool water around him, he saw the tall Indian setting on his horse just back from the edge of the hole. He knew he must have still been hallucinating to keep seeing the Indian. It must be a figment of his imagination but he closed his eyes. There was no need to worry for the only thing the Indian could take was his hair for the dirty underwear was ragged.

Rod came awake as the moon was coming up in the eastern sky. He had no idea of how long he had sleep but it felt like he had just lain down. At least he wasn’t hurting as bad. Setting up in the water, he moved to the side, set down. He took his make shift moccasins off and greased his feet again with the salve. His shoulders and back was burning from the sun cooking him that day, but not as bad as it had been before he lay in the water. Rod took a piece of the bandages and put a glob of salve onto it. He then smeared the salve on his back by pulling the long bandage back and forth. After getting another drink of the good water, he started back over the bank of the shallow creek bed and onto the trail of the men, he followed.

He was feeling better than the day he woke up, crawled to the creek, and now he was able to trot along the trail without his head or feet hurting too much. Back home he had been able to run several miles and trot along for half a day when following a trail. Nevertheless, he was getting soft from being in towns and learning how to be a Doctor. The water soak had done him good and his body felt like he had a lot more strength even if his stomach thought his throat was cut.

After several miles, Rod came to a road that ran north and southward. It took him only a few minutes to see his horses had turned to the south. When he had his horses shod, not long ago, he had marked the rear left shoe on the packhorse with a file. He then had marked the right front shoe on the horse he rode with a saddle.

Rod was able to make good time on the road and could trot a ways then take to walking until he rested some then go back to a trot. The moon was starting down in the western sky and the dawn was getting brighter in the eastern sky. He saw up ahead a lot of trees and several high hills. He also saw where the horses turned off the road and down into the creek line where a lot of willows and live oak grew.

The wind was blowing gently from the creek toward Rod and he could smell wood smoke. If he had been two hours earlier, he could have gone into the camp and gotten the upper hand of the robbers. Now by the time he could scout the camp out, the robbers would be up and moving around. Rod knew he would have to look the situation over and see what he was up against with the robbers. Then he would have to wait for the right opportunity and make his move in getting his things back.

Rod eased down into the creek bottoms and was able to get within a hundred feet of the camp. The two men were cooking some bacon and boiling coffee. This made Rod hungrier than a bitch wolf with nine pups. He could hear them talking about a stage coming through sometime before noon. They set back, had there meal, and decide to pull there clothes off to hold up the stage. That way no one would know what they were wearing or what horses they were riding. It would make it harder for the posse to recognize them.

After about two hours, the two men saddled the horses and loaded their gear upon Rods pack horse that had a saddle on him. Then they took off their clothes, stripping down to their long john union suits. Then buckling the pistols back around their waist they headed through the trees for the road. Rod had never been able to figure out how a man could wear them union suits in the summer, especially as hot as it had been lately.

Rod watched the men going through the trees until they were out of sight. He then walked over to where all the horses were, untied the reins from the tree they were at and then led the horses back up the creek for a hundred yards. He tied them in the brush and then he pulled his Winchester from the rifle boot. Checking to make sure there was a round in the chamber. The men had hung their clothes over the saddles on the horses. Rod took the cleanest shirt and eased into it to keep from scratching the burn on his back. Looking the pant’s over there wasn’t much choice but to put on the longest legged pair, which was still shorter than his legs, and they were filthy.

Rod took the canteen from one of the saddles and then walked over to where the horses had been tied to the tree limb. He set down in some bushes to wait on the men to return. He was mad enough at the men to kill them for all the headache and trouble he had from them robbing him.

It wasn’t long before Rod heard the stage coming and the men hollering at the driver and guard. After about ten minutes, the stage started back up heading south and Rod could hear the two men coming back through the brush in a hurry. As they came up out of the creek bed where they had left their horse, Rod could hear them cussing each other out for not tying the horses well enough.

The two robbers finally relinquished their shouting at each other, and that is when Rod setting in his hiding place spoke up. You two drop you weapons. The two men went to looking around and Rod cocked the Winchester, the racking sound of the rifle made a believer of the outlaws because they dropped their pistols.

Now drop the money bags.

Who the hell are you mister? The fat man asked.

I’m the one you stole the horses from and nearly killed me. Now walk over to the campfire and lay on your belly. Rod told the outlaws.

After the men had lain down on the ground, Rod walked over and picked up the pistols and money bags from the stage holdup. You skinny pull off that pistol belt and throw it toward me. The skinny man slung the pistol belt toward Rod. Rod picked it up and buckled it around his waist then holstered his pistol, which they had stolen.

Who is the man that turned off north?

Don’t know what your talking about? replied the fat man.

Wrong answer, replied Rod and sent a rifle slug between the man’s legs close enough to his crouch that dirt was thrown up on his stomach. The next shot takes off your family jewels, so who was he and where was he headed?

Jed. Jed Haley, he was heading for the Triangle C ranch house north of Tanner. That’s all I know about him.

If I‘ve found that you are wrong, I’ll be back hunting you. Now I’ve two choices kill you or let you go like you are?

You can’t leave us naked like this without horses and food, The skinny man replied.

That’s more than you left me with. At least I’m letting you keep your boots. At that parting remark, Rod eased back into the trees and up to where he had tied the horses. He tied the money bag onto the back of the saddle and swung aboard. Turning the horses to the east, going back onto the road, and heading back down the road to where he had come from on the prairie. He had found some jerky in the saddlebag on his saddle horse he was ridding.

It didn’t take him long to get back to where his stuff had been scattered out. He took the saddle from the pack horse and put the pack frames and panders on his pack horse. Going through the saddlebags, which were on his pack horse and not finding anything worth while, he headed toward the north. Four miles across the prairie, he came to the horse track heading north. Following the tracks until almost dark, Rod camped for the night.

The next morning, he was up early and had doctored his feet and back with the salve ointment. After eating and having more coffee than he usually would have, he saddled up and hit the trail. The trail was easy to follow and probably because the man didn’t think, anyone would be coming after him. The trail led to a road going north and south, the man turned north.

Late in the afternoon Rod heard several horses on the run coming up behind him. He turned his head and seen it was the stage with the horses at a full gallop. Rod rode the horses over off of the road and waved at the driver and shotgun guard as the stage rolled past. Rod knew the stage driver’s only drove that fast to try and get away from outlaws or going into town. He knew town must be just over the hill, topping over the hill the town laid before him. The stage driver was pulling up to what must be a hotel.

Riding on down the hill and into the only street in town, Rod pulled up to the livery stable. The liveryman was taking the change of horses over to the stage and Rod watered his four horses while waiting on the liveryman to take care of his other business. Rod could see one large store with General Merchandise sign over the porch on one side of the street and the Longhorn Saloon, Hotel on the other side of the street. There was what looked like a lot of empty buildings that no one was using on both sides of the street. On down toward the rest of town were several buildings and one had a sign with Bank on the front.

The liveryman finished taking care of the stage horses and walked over to Rod. What can I do for you young man?

Take care of my horses and gear, replied Rod.

Be a dollar a day for the horses and I can put your saddle and panders in the tack room. Hay is free but the grain is ten cents per head. The money comes first because too many has run off and not paid me before.

Rod handed the man a ten-dollar gold eagle and replied, Don’t know how long I’m going to stay so you can work on this.

Sure thing young man, the liveryman said with a smile as he took the reins of the saddle horse, lead rope of the packhorse, and led the horses inside the barn.

Walking up the street toward the general store and in through the front door, Rod was surprise at the store this far west having more than the one back in LeMars Iowa, near his dad’s farm. Walking over to the counter the man behind the counter asked, What you need?

Clothes, replied Rod.

The man led the way across the room to a stack of jeans and cranberry shirts. Rod picked out one set that might fit and went over to the underwear picking up one set of short ones. On the way back to the counter, Rod saw a pair of moccasins that might fit his big feet. The clerk was looking at Rod’s footgear and asked, Wouldn’t you prefer boots?

Yahua, but not until I take a bath and clean my feet. I don’t want to ruin a good pair of boots with the salve ointment and blood that’s on my feet.

The barber shop is up the street, they have hot water, and tubs in the back just in case you’re interested. The clerk said.

They have soap to wash with?

Yes, he always has a good supply of soap and cotton towels to dry with.

Rod paid for his purchases and headed up the street to the barbershop. The barber was setting in his chair reading a newspaper and looked up as Rod came through the door. Rod said, Bath first and then a shave with a hair cut next.

Come on in the back and I’ll fix you up.

After over an hour at the barbershop, Rod felt much better. Going back to the General store, Rod bought a pair of socks and a good fitting pair of boots. He had the man put the moccasins behind the counter for him because he would be back tomorrow and get some more things. Rod headed across the street to get him a cold beer and he would then be ready for a good meal.

Chapter 2

Rod walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. The bartender brought him a large stein of beer and there was a lot of loud talking over at the table where a poker game was in progress. Rod asked the bartender, What’s the trouble with them guys?

Jed Haley must have gotten the cards that he wanted.

Which one is he?

The man at the table, with the vest on that has his back to us.

Rod took his beer and ambled over to the card game. As he came up beside Haley, Rod pulled his pistol and stuck the gun in Haley’s ear. The man across the table, wearing a Sheriffs badge, saw what happened and started to rise up from his chair. Just everybody set easy because my problem is with Haley here. You remember me Haley? Rod asked the man.

Why should I remember you stranger?

I’m the one you hit in the head with a rifle barrel and left me for dead. The one you stole my money, boots, clothes, horses, and gear. You left me buck naked out on the prairie with nothing but a spit scalp and a set of short drawers on to die.

You don’t know what you’re talking about.

The wallet stuck there in your shirt has Rodford Haines on it and did have five hundred and forty two dollars in it. Pull it out, hand it to the Sheriff, and let him see if I’m wrong.

I’ll do no such of a thing. That’s when Rod bounced his pistol kind of hard on the top of Haley’s head. Oh I can get harder and let the Sheriff take the wallet from you when you hit the floor.

Haley pulled the wallet from the inside pocket of his shirt and laid it on the table. The Sheriff picked up the wallet and replied, That’s what’s on it alright.

Sheriff, look inside and see if my money is still in there along with a bill of sale on the two horses I’m riding?

The Sheriff opened the wallet and replied, The bill of sale is in here along with two hundred dollars.

How about counting what money that Haley has in front of him on the table and making up the rest of my money.

The Sheriff picked up the money from the table and counted it as he stuck it in the wallet. He’s short one hundred dollars.

Haley do you have a horse, rifle and gear tied up at the hitch rack out front?

No I don’t.

Yes he does I saw him tie up in front of the saloon, replied the Sheriff.

Rod bounced his pistol off Haley’s head again and said, Wrong answer Haley.

Yahua, the pie bald horse, there’s a Sharps Rifle in the rifle boot.

"Sheriff, can you write me