The photograph is 4 x 7.
It was found in Muskogee, OK.
Beneath the vignette is the photographer’s signature in pencil “Wheat.”
At the end of the cross of the t in Wheat, are two tiny numbers, 04.
Do you know what happens when you enter “photographer Wheat” into a search bar?
You get hundreds, if not thousands of photographs of wheat fields.
It is almost as frustrating as searching for a Smith.
As of now I have only found two photographers with the last name of Wheat who fit the right time period … one in Michigan … another Calvin Wheat in Texas.
But while running down leads, I ran across the first article below and decided that since there were so many Smiths listed in the Arlington Journal in 1904 and since some of the articles covered Muskogee and other parts of Indian Territory, I would separate these (for the most part unlucky) Smiths and save them for future reference.
This is how some of the Smiths around here fared in 1904 ...
Thursday January 7, 1904 - Twasn’t Loaded as Usual.
Muskogee, I. T.: The only casualty that has occurred in the vicinity of Muskogee happened Tuesday at Enterprise, I. T. Will C. Davis and Miss Lulu E. SMITH went to the photographer to have their pictures made, carrying a target gun, which as usual was not loaded. In some way the gun was exploded, the ball entering the breast of the young man, and as a consequence he is in a precarious condition.
Thursday January 28, 1904 - Call Boy Drops Dead.
Denison: While engaged in the discharge of his duties as caller for the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway, Henry Klein, aged 18 years, fell dead Monday from heart failure, at the residence of Engineer Edward SMITH. He had signed Mr. SMITH to go out on a run and walked to the front gate of the SMITH residence when he was overcome by heart failure, fell and expired instantly.
Thursday February 18, 1904 - Watson Community.
Henry, the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Bob SMITH died Tuesday and was buried in the Ford Cemetery.
Thursday March 3, 1904
At Cleburne James SMITH was seriously and it is thought fatally injured by a vicious horse which kicked him in the stomach, on the head and in the face. He was unconscious when found and physicians say his chances for recovery are slight.
Thursday March 10, 1904 - ALL OVER TEXAS.
At Sherman the jury in the case of Mary Gilmore, a negro woman charged with the murder of Hanna SMITH last fall, returned a verdict finding the defendant guilty of manslaughter and assessed her punishment at two years in the penitentiary.
Thursday March 17, 1904 - Preparing to Hang SMITH.
Waxahachie: Preparations for the hanging of Brozier SMITH, the convicted wife slayer, will begin here this week. The hanging will not occur in the jail, which has no suitable place, but will probably take place near the National Compress, on the outskirts of the city. The rope with which Fred Sawyer was hanged here about five years ago, and which has been used in sixteen hangings in the State, will be used by Sheriff Binnick in this execution.
Thursday March 17, 1904
Wood SMITH was tried in the Dallas County courts in 1898 on a charge of having murdered H. J. Spillers, a Garland merchant. SMITH was adjudged insane and ordered sent to the asylum at Terrell where he has remained until he escaped Thursday night.
Thursday March 24, 1904 - EVENTS OF EVERYWHERE.
Last Sunday some boys were throwing stones at some quail, near Graham, when Ottie SMITH accidentally struck and killed Luther Moore.
Thursday March 31, 1904
DeWitt, Ark.: Five negroes who had been arrested as a result of the race troubles at St. Charles, this county, were taken from the guards by a crowd of men last night and shot to death. The five victims were Jim SMITH, Charley SMITH, Mack Baldwin, Abe Bailey and Garret Flood. This makes nine negroes that have been killed within the last week within the vicinity of St. Charles in connection with racial troubles, arising over a trivial quarrel.
Thursday March 31, 1904 - UXORCIDE HANGED.
Brozier SMITH, Negro Wife Murderer Hanged.
Waxahachie, Tex., March 26. – Brozier SMITH, colored, was legally hanged here yesterday for the murder of his wife in this city on the night of Feb. 24, 1903. SMITH maintained his nerve and composure to the last, and was one of the coolest persons on the scaffold during the preliminary work of preparing for the execution.
Sheriff Minnick and party arrived at the scaffold with the prisoner at 11:25 o‘clock in the morning. Upon arrival SMITH calmly mounted the scaffold steps unassisted, and asked for a cigar, which was given him. He smoked this as he listened to the religious services, and, when his pastor, Rev. (unreadable) ... upon his knees and joined in the prayer. (unreadable) ... the negative and signified his readiness for the preparation for the execution to begin. He stooped and pulled off his shoes and stepped upon the trap, when he was bound and the noose adjusted around his neck. After the black cap was placed he told all the officers and friends present good-bye, shaking hands with them. Just before the trap was sprung he asked Rev. Hill to tell his mother good-bye for him.
Sheriff Minnick sprung the trap at 11:37 and SMITH shot down to his death. Though there was a seven and one-half foot fall, his neck was not broken, but he died of strangulation. After hanging for ten minutes, County Physician Simpson announced that he was dead and after hanging for nineteen minutes he was taken down and the body delivered to his mother and friends for burial.
A large crowd, estimated at 1500, was present around the enclosure, though only those who had permission were admitted within.
The rope used belonged to ex-Sheriff W. A. Stewart of Cleburne, and was (unreadable) ... Cleburne, about six years ago, since which time it has been used in the execution of seventeen men, one of whom was Fred Sawyer, hanged in this city in January, 1899.
Thursday April 14, 1904 - Two Babes Burned.
At Candon, four miles north of here on last Saturday morning at ten o‘clock, the five months old twin babies of Mr. and Mrs. J. D. SMITH were burned so severely that both died in a few hours. The family were living in a tent and while all were out the tent caught on fire from the stove pipe, and in a few seconds fell down on the bed where the babies lay, with fatal results. A Mrs. Collins was the first to reach the burning tent and succeeded in rescuing the babes, before life was extinct; she herself being severely burned about the hands and face. The pathetic sadness of such deaths can but touch the heart of every father and mother specially.
Thursday May 19, 1904
A negro named A. D. SMITH, aged 48, a cook in a Fort Worth restaurant, took an opiate through mistake Wednesday and died in the afternoon. The doctors worked on the patient for five hours but were unable to ascertain what the poison was, the patient being unable to speak.
Thursday June 16, 1904 - FLOODS IN THE TERRITORY.
Crops Damaged, Trains Stopped and Lives Lost.
Antlers, I. T., June 13. – The flood situation just passed has been the worst in the history of Antlers. At this point the river was nearly two miles wide, and for a time communication of all kinds has been cut off. Antlers has had no mail since Saturday, the 4th inst., and it is hard to say when service will be re-established.
A section crew in from Wadena reports the drowning of a family by the name of SMITH at that place. The father, mother and three children were caught and could not be rescued.
At Kosoma the water is reported to have risen fifteen feet in fifteen minutes. Deputy Cal Berry and Constable F. D. Copping crossed the river Monday at this place. Firing and shouting had been heard on the other side and they found a negro family on an island, badly frightened, but safe. In getting to the river they passed through the tops of the trees, and myriads of insects and vermin crawled into the boat. In mid-stream the velocity of the current was almost beyond belief, trees, a foot thick being snapped like pipe stems by the water.
The water is rapidly receding, and every effort is being made by the railroad company to repair the track. Northbound No. 6 on the Frisco, which has stood in the water near Tuskahoma since Saturday, came back Sunday night and went to Paris. The train was loaded with passengers, many of them bound for the World‘s Fair.
The damage to crops and other property can not be estimated. Scores of horses and cattle are drowned, and practically all the hogs that were in the bottoms.
Thursday June 23, 1904 - ALL OVER TEXAS.
While on their way to the picnic at Walnut Springs, a number of young men were trying the speed of their horses when the horse ridden by Geo. SMITH, a young man about 18 years old, fell, fatally crushing young Mr. SMITH.
Thursday June 23, 1904 - With Unloaded Weapons
Cameron: On the farm of Hon. Hillary F. SMITH, a few miles south of here, a negro by the name of James Jones left his children at home Wednesday while he and his wife were at work on the farm, and on hearing the discharge of a gun, they returned home, to find that their thirteen-year-old boy had been shot to death by their eleven-year-old boy. The parents thought the gun was unloaded and left it and a pistol where the children could get them and after they had left the house the children thought they would have a fight with the gun and pistol.
Thursday July 21, 1904 - EVENTS OF EVERYWHERE
Francis Willis, 11 years old, a farmer‘s son, was shot and killed after returning from a fishing trip near Guthrie. John SMITH, aged 11 years, has been arrested and jailed at Cordell.
Thursday August 4, 1904 - ALL OVER TEXAS.
Al Brite, a negro farmer, was shot and perhaps fatally wounded at a rent house on his farm, near Lockhart. Joe SMITH, colored, the renter, is in jail charged with the shooting.
Thursday September 22, 1904
The grand jury has indicted Mayor T. W. SMITH and Sheriff A. D. Rogers of Huntsville for dereliction in duty in allowing a mob to lynch Horace Maples a few days since. Other prominent citizens are also under indictment for participation in the act.
Thursday September 29, 1904 Johnson Station.
Mr. and Mrs. Meek and Mr. Drury SMITH, were attendants at the bedside of their kinsman Mr. Wiley SMITH, who died at Arlington Monday night.
Thursday September 29, 1904
W. W. SMITH who has been running a delivery wagon here for some time died Monday night after a short illness from Meningitis. Mr. SMITH was highly respected by all who knew him, and his death was much deplored. The body was embalmed and prepared for shipment by undertaker, J. P. Jones, and accompanied by the bereaved and little children, and a brother, left Tuesday evening for Tennessee, his old home, where the body will be laid to rest. The brother arrived from East Texas Monday night just after he died.
To read more articles from the 1904 Arlington Journal …
https://www.arlingtonlibrary.org/files/journal1904.pdf
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