PHILLII
PHILLIfB, THOMAS E. INTERVIEW. 8374. - 8 - Form A-(S-149) 2 >4 DIOGRAFIIY FORM WORKS HtOGRBSS ADMINISTRATION Indian-Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma j ji v> v^nrvr.r's name John f. Daughertv. T'iis r-pert raade on (date) August 26 f 1937. Thomas E. Phillies -, rz-z O'^'ico Address Sulphur, Oklahoma. i 3. Residence address {or location) 1412 V.'est kuskoeee. ] 4. DATZ OF BIRTH': Month January ' Day 4 year 1858. 5. Place of birth Pennsylvania. 5. Name of Father 3?ice Phillips Placc of birth penn ' Other information about father Nephew of Wendell Phillips.. Name of Mother L e vina I.ichols Place of birth Penn. Otner inform^.t ion -_::out mother Iv':t2.- ;r 2Cr.;pl,.tc narrative by the field worker dualir. - ;!''- the lifo cn.d ~-*:r- c* :ht error, int rviewod, Ru^cr-to Ma r >ual for ^..: 4( ;d sut.juets 2".i 'i-ie-ti-r.3. Continue on blank shcetc- if necessary '-ni attach firmly to *'.:s forn. v imbtr of Sheets attached 3.
PHILLIPo, THOMAS E. INTERVIEW. 8374 Daugherty, John, Field Worker. An Interview with Thomas E, Phillips, 1412 West Muskogee Ave, Sulphur, Okla. Iviy parents were Br'ice Phillips and i^vina Nichols Phillips, both born in Pennsylvania. Father was a farmer. There were nine children in our family. I was born January "4, 1858_,in Pennsylvania. I came to the Indian Territory in 1683. and settled at Cameron in the eastern part of the Choctav/ Nation. The Frisco Railroad was bein,? built when * ce^e, and I got a job filling scrapers. I worked between Oameron and Talihina. -all the grading was done with plows and scrapers. I taught a term or two of school uear Bengal and then I began preaching. I was on the jury a nurr.ber of tines in Judge Parker's court st Fort Smith. I remember the feud at Poteau in the Choctaw Nation between the Webb and the Harris families. These were white people. It started over a foolish argument. In 1833 or '84. when the Frisco's first train came through Poteaj, thes^ two families went to the tracks to see
PHILLIES, THOMAS S< ' INTERVIEW. ^ 8374. -2- the train. One said the cow catcher ran on the rails, and the other contended that it was above the rails. They got into a heated argument, and both sides became furiously angry. Each family decided to "kill the other, and there were many killed before bloodshed was.finally stopped. I had a running lease on a farm owned by a fullblood Ihoctaw Indian nsmed Brown. He and I became great friends. One night he was at my house and we sat in front of the fireplace smoking. I smoked a cob pipe end he smoked a very fine pipe. n e said, "Ivl? trade my pipe-for yours". I said, "Brown, you wrulda't want to trade your fine pipe for my old dob pipe." "He replied, %'e love you, me want you to have, my pipe". He gave it tfb me. x his shows th' t an Indian will rive up his most beloved possessions to '. one whom he loves. I moved to I-o-.tawatoirtie County about 1893. I bought a relinquishment on forty seres, and filed on it. That was a hard year for me. Our clothes got ragged, and the food Supply got low.
267 PHILLIPS, THOMAS E. INTERVIEW. 8374. -3- Before I gathered my crop ray neighbors said, "Vftiy M don't you mortgage your team and crops"? I refused to do that. We made a good crop that year, and I was better off than my neighbors, because I didn't owe a penny when the crop \?as gathered. I married Arby 3rooks at Bengal in 1889. We have" three children.