B. AND Mt&k. INTERVIBV 4380

Transcription

1 B. AND Mt&k. INTERVIBV 4380

2 ZBBJ, BBK B. AND EMMA. 1 ghtehvsiw '. Form A-(S~140}' 385 BIOGRAPiri: FGHK ; WOItKS_ PKOGRESS ADMINISTRATION Indiaji-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma Fi&ld Worker 1 s name This report made on (date) Zaidee B. Bland June ? 1. Name Ben B. and mm 2, Post Office Address Zinn ' Blair, Oklahoma. 3. Residence address (-or location) ^B% aln Styeet December 4. DATE OF BIRTH: Month ^ 5; Place of birth ' Texas. MTOR. Zinn,*Inarch 11, 1861 Day Year Collins County, Texas 6. Name of Father Jacob -' 0WBrd zinn Place-of bi^th Georgia Other information about-father 7, Name of Mother i5arah Ann Ro «Q ' rs ' Place of birth Missouri Other j.n ormation-abcrut Notes or convplete j ^ ^ ^ng with the life and 7erson interviewed, Rof^r to Manual for sa^csted subjects and questionc -Continue'on blank sheets if necessary and attach firmly to, this, form, ' Number of sheets attached.' \_. ^ - -- : ~^ : :

3 38a ZIHN, BEN B. AND EMMA. INTERVIEW Journalist, Zaidee B. Bland, June l\ t Interview-with Ben B. Zinn and Emma Zinn, Blair, Oklahoma. I had been through this country several times and had a brother living up here in the disputed territory as it was called at that time. 'In 1892, my wife and I decided we would try our fontune up here so I bought out a claim from Elk Reid for $50.60, put a dugout on it and a store house, and went back, for my family. I started with two wagons v "ith two horses ^hi tohed to each nagon. My wife drove one wagon and I hired a man to drive the other while I drove the loose stock. It took us only three days to make the trip. It'was in Novemberi the dry time of the year, and we came straight through"with no*trouble at all, I had the advantage over some people-~i knew where I was going and the way. A post offloe had already been established at

4 387 <2INN, H if.bl AND EMMA. ' INTERHTSW «, Martha and about thirty-five miles north of us at Quartz Mountain. I wanted to offer for S.?1R the.fthings that pioneers heeded from day to day so they would net ' have to go fifty miles across a bad river and I knew it would help to have a post office, so I made applies- ^2 ^ tion to 'Veshington for' a post office at once and had to have a name for the store; My little girl, five years old, lite present ia 'the store as some of-the neighbors, were discussing the name and on of them suggested "Dot," the name of my daughter, and Dot it became until the railroad one through and moved the town and the 'town was named Tor a.-railroad.official, "Blair, w postioffice was established ef-rly in We got bur mail daily from Veraon and it proved a great convenience and pleasure'to a great many people. I kept on-hand v> flour, sugar, coffee, spices,.ca'lioo, jeasa, domestic * *. ' land lots of small things under the head of sundries <such as matches, Ppffev needles, etc., including, also, oil fonamps..later. I Sept'implement, wagons and harness.

5 H 383.ZINN, BEN B. ifflj BMA. INTKRVIBff, 4380 ', All business was done, on a credit basis with settlement in the Fall, The first year there was e, drouth and I lost practioally everything I had but.; I could get credit from the wholesale people, so tried it again. I ordered neerly everything out of Fort WorjSh and Dalles. The goods cane by railroad to Vernon and had to be freighted.from -there in iragons. I had to pay fifty*eeatts a hundred from Vernon to 9 get it delivered at mydoor. I tried buying the people* f s «produee and applying it on their indebted- *nesa end sending the *heat and cotton down to Vernon or Quanali "for salevit fqiand I nearly always lost. Mr. Blake'or some other buyer it Vernon woul<i send out word that they would pay five cents ajpound for cotton. A freight wagon would usually haul five ginned bales of cotton, not compressed. The would get there. J / I would get five cent-ivfor the/ first bale and " h * 9 oents for t P e next *OUT./The... ' - - ^ / -cotton would be the very seme gxbde, too.. The five

6 38 S) ZINN, BEN B. AND EMMA. ESfTERVIEfl cent offer was to get people to bring itae cotton there and then they would accept the cheaper price"isefck&-.. they would haul it so far home agein. Once I bought \p» - * a lot of wheat, allowing the farmers thirty-five' cents - a bushel on account. Paid fifteen cents to get it hauled to Vernon, making the wheat coat me fifty cents a buahel, and had to sell for, fifteen cents a bushel. There was no use to buy produce. Everyone UP ised at home everything in the world they could use. all our neighbors made soap out of butter. I think We lived in the back-end of the store and the dugout for a long time, till one day my little daughter came to her mother erying and said, "Mother, I ah tired of this old rag house, ' let's go home." Then, I built', 4>ut we lived in only a * one -room house for a long tine.. My neighbors were ell honest and never tried to best me so when we did make a crop they would pay up. >, the town of Dot moved and became Blair, X moved my business and became Blair*s first postmaster as I was- Dot's first and only postmaster. I continued my

7 ZINN, BM Br-AMDBStt. INTERVIKV busineas far many years and nowray* son has a business. Many funny instances occurred as the years went by. Sometimes I had to go for the freight_ myself. There had been e schoolhouee built right by the store on my land. I was gone end five men rode up just at nightfall and asked my wife if they might camp in the schoolhouse, - as it looked like it might turn cold. They looked so wild my wife was afraid to say yea when she was there alone -with small children. She told them she could not say,» they would have to ask the trustees. She told them o who the trustees were and they knew one of them so decided it would be all right t<i*8vstr My wife was very much afraid and'set my gun right by the door and locked and barred all doors and windows. During -fee night a big bliszsrd came up and one.of the men ceme to the door in the morning and said, "Lady, we fceve been looking at your woo'd-pil and have decided we are afraid you will not have enough wood to; last until your Husband comes home an<kthijak with your permission we.had better cut you some before we go this morning.".

8 BEN B. AND EMMA. INTEBVIEW Another time, four men cane up late. There had been rumors of stores all around being robbed and.one man had been shot. My wi'fe would'not let-me go, to.. the door at all, she just knew they were the desperadoes because they all had guns, They asked her if they could get supper. I thought.i knew one pf the voices and stepped out so I could see? and it was the officers from down home, hunting the robbers, fle let - v - them st*8y for supper and "then they went' on and reallycaptured the robbers next day about fifty miles" north ' in the sand hills, flhen 'I stepped out one of the boys said, "Hello Ben, w and we felt very "foolish for hpving. been afraid of themj-bit you. could not alwsys -tell v»ho.. was who and my wife felt like even a stranger would not. try to harm an unarmed, deftaeeless mother with several children standing near her. Mrs. Zinn f 's Interview. ^.fe. raised ten children and never had*i desth in our family in our life. I have hafr^pneumonia four times in my life an- 3 typhoid once. la sickness we did every-

9 ZEW, BEN B. ANB pouk. ^INTERVIEW thing we could think of and most everything that any one suggested. I.guess a little faith and careful nursing-had as much to do with curing R sickness as anything, Mr. 7inn was never sick, just the children and I. >'<& never were what you would call s puny family.' All our children ere grown and married. When we celebrated our fortieth marriage anniversery, all tec were at horns with the wives and husbands I My a. sterin-law, who cooked our wedding dinner, was present end served the twenty-two, who were seated et the table at one time. -Ve have been married fifty-six years not*, have fifty grandchildren, and eight great-grondchild.ren and'have never had a natural death among us yet. We had one little grandson/to get burned^to.death. tfe always had plenty to eet. One spring I.counted my cured haias and I had forty to do me till next Sog killing time " There were no, hotels and rooming.houses those deys and when traveling salesmen began to' come we alwrys had them eat wi th us. -I did all my own work, and had lots of company so.had to teach my girls to help me early.

10 ZINN,"-4?EN B. ASDEJBflA. INTERVIEW There were wild gcapee, plums, currants and merries in the sandhills and thers were lots of bearing orchards when we came, so we always >nd lots of preserves nnd jelly and fruit p-ies in season. # All neighboibwere friendly in thote deys. ;:ver/boay went to church when th^re w-s.any. -e were Cuinberl&nd Presbyterian. ' Mr. Zinn*s father was a rroecher as sas one of his brothers.