We had one visitor this week in between cold days.
Clay was out this week and helped Barbara set up her office. The walls were painted and carpet was laid on the back porch room so it can be used for the office. He also worked putting weather stripping on the doors. The fierce wind this past Saturday blew down part of our fence. Barbara and her husband were able to drag it onto the yard out of the alley.
We have a friendship quilt made by Bernita Smith Dewey’s mother in the 1930's. Bernita’s mother was a member of a quilting club around Fay, Oklahoma. The club would make a friendship quilt for the member’s daughters when they became engaged. The quilts were made out of scraps of printed flour or chicken feed sacks. Bernita married Marvin Dewey and they made their home here in Watonga for a number of years then moved to Big Springs, Nebraska and lived there for fifty years. Marvin was the nephew of Ray Dewey that had a shoe shop on the south side of Main Street for many years. Bernita is glad that it is on display at the Ferguson Home and said you might recognize some of the names of the people on it.
In They Carried the Torch, Mrs. Ferguson said she felt like too much space was wasted on lambasting the rival paper. “Almost every county seat was afflicted with too many papers. In most cases the articles were not written from the hatred they would indicate of their rivals but with the hope that the other would see the light, quit and leave the field. Many of these articles said everything about their rivals that could be said and avoided libel suits. Most of the more conscientious editors wouldn’t print applications for saloon licenses, whiskey and cigarette advertisements. Refusing so they wouldn’t contribute to the pollution of the youth of the community by printing in their columns things harmful to their morals. Seven or eight hundred copies of a weekly paper was a godly grist to grind out with a hand cranked press. Five cents an inch was charged for display of advertising. Sometimes the rival editor cut the rate to four cents and they were said to be a cheapskate and not fit to associate with a respectable public. If the paper was full and there was only room for the editorial column and the paid advertisement, the advertisement was left out. There was no telegraph dispatches, no telephones or radios to announce the latest news so careful attention was made to make sure worldwide interest were printed.”
Hopefully the weather will cooperate and the members will be well so plans can be made for Women’s History Month and the Chicken Noodle Dinner. Both will be in March. Then the Easter Egg Hunt in April for 5 year olds and younger. More to follow on all three events.
We are open Wednesday through Saturday 10:00am to 3:00pm. We’re always glad to open for other times if anybody wants in.