'I'YP;C.::3C1,IP.c1 Gr' J',;I'J.;D lltl'�iVIh�.i 1.'l'l'll DH. DAlll.KL 'fl. l•UulPci..l.lbYS, CU.31,L\G, OKL/UiOl,;_;\, DECf�,,t�l:;i( 10; lS,u iJ, O]J£'1\1lJJ.c:l) BY H. l!i,Uu :.t-( 1;0\ihl<..IJ, 11 • .:J., P.i.XJ'/1:.:.3;':;()1; 01<' IlL311 (JH1 (Jli' 1 i,iZ.LHCli:E, U1:IV J..:i:JI'l'i (J}' OKL1l[1Ui,:1'1 SCi1uuL OJ.c L.1.1. :.UICIL]',;, Ol�l,/\Ji.Ol-li\ CI'l'Y, 01CL�',1i(J:1u\; 1 1 Dr. }n1:G::cd 11 '.L 1"is is Dcccni,:,c.:1" 10, 15166, ancl. I have t.1e privile._;e of visitin;:,; i11 C'u:3i1ii1_; 1:it1.1 Oi1e oJ.' th, p�qcj_c:i.c,ns ii:1 t.1e stu0c Wa lO i\[:S prcccticc<:l 11cre lOil[:;Cl' t11au .s.l::nst a11y0o(l�,r C::lsej et lc;:-,.st, Le lw.s uec;1 a pi1ysici2"1 fur :'.'ii'ty ::.·our JEcu:r:s, Dr• Dc:rdcJ. Lilso; i Ii:rnp, ,i•eys. IJow, Dr. HLL!lpa1reys, V11crc die. you start in life? 11 Dr. HuT-1prll'c/S : ltl wc.:s born in Parnell, ki..scouri, on lfo· -etd)er 1st, l0US), a11d my ✓ fatl1cr Uc-'.S a duct or, 2nd \iC1,t to wed:i.cal sc:"lool in Cincim1c,Jci, 01:io. I llud 1uy priu.ary eu'.lC��tion in R1r11cll and I ::;ttende:d I-is.ryvj_lle lli�i1 sc�100J., I,:c_ryvjJ_J.c, lti.ssouri. A:i_'tET leaviri..,::; Lr:.ryville, I,listwu1·i, I ,.-enc to j=\rokcn I:'ow, Ne bro.ska. Iu the: UC;:'.c',iTci1,\c1 iv family moved fro;;1 MnrJville to 011.:::,sso, rn�lai1or,1a 1 and I cs.r.1c to 01-;::sso jn 1909". Dr. Howar0. '\rou that w2s, of course, before you wcnc to l1K:dical c:o.lle0e - 11 Dr. HcllL1p:·n·efS : "Yes sir, thc.t was the yeo.r I went to ucclical colleGe, in 1909, at Cir1cirw.stj_, Obio. I graduated f'roo t:Cle l�clcctic Eediccl ScJiooJ. in J_913, on th"' 12.:,lj 6::.i/ of i13.y. Followinc; that I took 2n iircerw:;liip iu tlic ;3c:::.ton HospH,sl one yoa.T in C incinrwti, 01.1io, and one yeer in tltc Sp1°in:::_si'ield Ci-c;,r l1os2itel, Sp:cin;:::i'j eld, Onio" . Dr. Houc::ro. "1·1as this a general internship - you did surc;ery as Fell as 1;1edicine'? ·,, Dr. Hu.1 :1_p1ll'eys "It was a e;ene1·al irrc21.·n:::;ltip. In those days very few interns ever d:i_d Eny suri:\ery. You assisted in su.•_'c::;ery and you made you:r oYn c1elivc.;cie:.:i and m.any 't..l1in0s of a minor 11at'..rre, o,rc never did interns enter inco major s·u.:i.·c;ery, only as 2.ssistc.nts - that's the ,-ray it was 11• Dr. Eoward "Hell t11eil; in your intern days �rou rertlly dici len:c�1 to do f 1.u:·c;er;,-?" Dr. r,,_,,,�,;,:re�rs tl'J:'hat Is ri:3ht II. Dr. H::r\·iaro. "and look ai't e1· ,-,-olL71ds - " Dr. fo1�.�p::�:::eys "Yes sir, gunshot wounds &nd stat) \-,ounds c..nd coni_poui�a. i'rE,ct Ln·es anci. all t:.1os e t hinc;s 11 • DJ:. Hovard "yes, and then what did you do after those tv;o yeai·s of i"rcc;1Tiing?" Dr. fautp: 1:r eJs "Hell, I went 'oack to t:C1e little tmrn of Ovasso - tut i'irst; before I ,;-;er,t ·oE,cL to Owasso, I ,,;ent to Cleveland; Orlio, to D:c •· Criles' Clinic to tr:ke li:y physicnl 2z2Lirrntio;1 for the Anny". I ,:-2.s exar;1ined by Dr. Sloa::-1, his a.3sj.stc·.r1Jc. '11 .i.'len I 1·etu:cned to my ho-ac in Owasso, Oklo.hor.a, 2.nd wo.s co.lle6 to actj,,.,e;: duty on the se;cornl dey of Je.nua:cy, 1918. I wns sent to Fore Sill, Ok2.n::\o,:,2., Sch:Js..,l for P."-,1·.Co 0",.1servers, as a r:1.edical officer a.c: .i was assi::;ned to ti:112 13'(tl1 .t-".er eo Sq_uadron 1 whici:1 ,.-2.G 2. co:,,_!_xmy of ....-\irplane taeci:i:=:nics ) t11e 31+th, 35th 1 36th and 3'(tll ilericJl Sg_w:,drons. 1·ie le.i..'t. E'ort Sill on tl,e 18th d2.y of Pebruo.ry, 1918 1 and a:-.Ti'recl. in Mineoh ;�iel<i l'To. 2 on 1•:ashin��on I s 0irt.:1day, ?eJn1ary 22nd, 1918, and oa the fii�ch 1 • day o:r L::rc::11 tlley vere ns.kin:3 an ent'oa::c}-:2..tion of troops to be sca"c overscGs s.nd Ocll'.' fo·,u: H:i:c SC'"-:.ndro,is of L:iec:?1c:nic3 we1° e o.ss:;.0ned to the 3tco.1: 1.ship C•;:;dric. It was a sister sLi3_-, to u�e Celtic:. \;e were loaded on lisLteTs o.rd t2:�eil c1o,tn to Bu.sh St1:.­ tion in :Srooklyn aoout 3 o' clo.::k in tl'J.� afternoon and ferried on a scow with e. tug-· ·bo2.t aroll:ic1 by the Statue of Liberty and up tl1e Hudsou Biver to Pier 55, at w'l1ich we dise.i:;,::d:ed fro:.1 the scou aud loaded on the 3tea!;l3i::ip Cedric. })reryoody vas acco1.mte:,cl :;:\:,r end that e"re:J.ir12; we had dee:: privile_:;es and. a l3reat mL111er of the men con.::;re,sated on the back of the art deck or' tr,e Cedric and they clit10cd the rig­ gin,3 and sat dOi·:n on the booms and sane; rc1any of the old Ar,;i.y son::;s . . 1 It's a Lor}2;.• Lo� 'iwy to Tip:perri.ry', that was one of the1,1 •.. but there's many so�s like that, and we saDG 1.mt il the c1.u:.fcv was sounded. 'l'hen we all retired and en the r..10:cnir\; of '.;lie 6�11 of r.;arch, 1918, ,ie were all closed in. Nobody had opportunity to see 2 Interview-Dr. D. W. Hwnphreys, Dec. 10, 1966 outside, and we went down the Hudson Hiver and took off into a raginc; sea. It was a very high storra, and it was quite an experience for a.n old poor boy from the short grass country of Oklaho@J, to see a wave as big as a ship. lie had this storm c;oing up the coast of !1Bine, and the first day out we organized a l-ledical Corps and I was the Quarantine Officer. In this quarantine we had an isolated area which was later kno.m c.s the brig. It was in the bow of this ship on the first landirJ.2;, and on the second day we had mlrnlps, scarlet fever, diphtheria ancl meningitis". Dr. Howard "And this ,,·as lone; before the days of streptomyc:Ln and penicillin II Dr. Hw,1phreys "Yes, we guessed at it . We had nothing else to do, but we did have sor.1e antistreptocd.c vaccine or antitoxin, which was just in its infancy, and diphtheria (antitoxin)uo.s just in its infancy too. I had to administer this after dark, a:t'ter lights were out, and with this ragiric; sea, and all the hatches were closed and all the bull01eads were closed excepi; to me, I being the Quarantine Of­ ficer, and I proceeded to administer this antitoxin to those men in the bow of the ship, do,m in the hold. I came up to the hatch on the aft deck and it was so dark I couldn't see ny hand in front of rne ... I just got oriented end walked straight ahead until I came to the cabin and followed the rail around to the cabin 'til I came to t,1e forecastle, and the forward deck was a,msh bui; still there was a hold that I c',:mld enter that I knew was there, and I made my way towards that hold In the mercJ1tiiue the ship becaoe completely awash and it took me with j_t 11 • D:c. Ho,,r,;.·d "Oh, I was wonderin6 what was goilJ.2; to r,appen 11 • Dr. Efaaphreys: 11'I'hat 1 s what hap11e;1ed ..that 1 s exactly what happened. I was float­ ing w:i.tll the seo. right over the deck. Hy foot was on the dee!;: bui; ny body vas aoove it and I ,ms worried about hitting the gangway where there was just a chain, but when i;1y foot hit against the gunwhale, vell, that we.s a great relief because I could stop. When the bow of the ship came up and she cleared ,mter I dogged it, harY1s Pncl. l~::::.c~cc, l~_'.1t:tl I c?.ec to this hot ch c::-id ·went do,;•:n, very 1,ret nnd very frightened 11 • Dr. Howe.i·d "yes, and you still hac1. your antitoxin - " Dr. H\nnp:ireys "Absolutely, I had my antito}dn - I didn't lose it - so I admini- stered ti·,e antitoxin, the diph~heria antitoxin, to two of the boys, and one small dose of streptococcic antisenun to the scarlet fever, and the rJu.mps boys just had to get along. The sea was rollins and the old ship was ·diving back and fori;h and I sat down ancJ. bec;an to realize what it meant to be an officer, a medical officel', tryi1i,:; to ser-re his duty". Dr. Eowerd "yes, this was 2.boui; your most dra.,natic e2..'J)erience - " Di·. Hui-,;p:i.reys : "'.£he most drm:.iat ic experience, because I had not see;;1 light fror.1 the tine I left the hold in the aft until I received con'cact with the one on the pore, wl1ich I cou.ld raise the lid and c:;et i.n; and I cot to thin.l;:i::1z, tL1!).t nobody knew ,,here I was, for I walked by every sentinel on tr.at boat on the lee side of thc:.c caoj_n and tl,ey never knew w::10 I vas or where I was - they never smr me. I could have beeu we.shed to sea a::i.d nobody kne~, where :( was. I would have just been ruissinz, adt it ,;as a serious realization. But I lived over it. I carue back the sarae way I caue, only I tined r.•.yself. 11:.'len just the bow started up I clinbed out c.nd took c,fZ cl.Ed c;ot to the :front portion of the caoin and made my haucls fast so it cov.lc.n 't uas,1 me: away, and got back - and ,:as very c;lad to c::;et i.Jac::. It ,ms an e;:pc:cience I¥d never had .. 11 Dr. lb,mrc1 "Well now, did you have uuch 2.ctual military exrieri.ence yourself, or were you at a oase hospital?" Dr. hunphreys : "Well, I missed hospital experience, but I ha.d ju.st a few da.ys when I arrived at Fort; Sill on the 8th day of January, and left on thelc',th of Jammry. ·" 11 Dr. Howaru "Yes, but when you got to Enrope - 3 Interview-Dr. D. W. !Iumpllreys, Dec. 10, 1966 Dr. Ilrn,1plrreys "Oh nmr, that I s anothe1· areo.. \'ihen we c;ot to Europe, you see, we were seni; to a srilall place dmm in souchern Enc;land just a short distance f:com South,,ri!pton. Then we were broken up into groups ancl sent to the various airdromes in Enc;land, and \ie just acco,npanied the troops, and I ,ras the medical officer for 1200 troops that clocked at Ducksford, Enc).and, about 111. miles from Ca:n,,ridc;e, E'nc;­ land, and aoout lrO r;1iles from lJewr.tarket Hacinc; '.11rack 11 • II Dr. Howard And where did you spe,1d your time - in the old collec;es of Cambrici.c;e, or New,ca.rket Had.ng Track, Doctor'/ 11 Dr. Hurnp}ireys "Well, we could Q:Ct to i'lewMarket and we could c;et to CarJbridge, bu:'G the races were only on at a certain time. I have the pictures of the English Derby bein.:c; ,-ron by GainsboroUQ:h 11 • Dr. Howard. "No! 11 Dr. Humphreys : "And G1.dnsborot12,h is a sire of the lineac;e that cones dmm to the great horse, Nazrullah . • who is the sire of Bold Ruler, the greatest sire of the day". 11 Dr. Howard Hell, I hau.n't heard of Gains·oorou:::;h, I'll aclrnit, but I had heard of I !'l.;c:rullnh ·· and Bold Ruler". Dr. Hwr,prrreys : 11 Gainsborou::;h won it - GainsboroUQ:h won it 11 • Dr. Hmmrc1 ''Hell, there were some interestine:; times j_n K1.:;land even thou.sh the war was on 11 • Dr. Hu,;ip,rreys : "Yes, but then while we were out there we ,'ere invited to rr,any of the colle.::;es, Kings Colle.ze and the Cm,illriac:;e CollE\:;e anci. tJ:se Colle.:;e of t1:e Crmm, and four or five of the lar~-;e universities. T11c fac·,1lty wo 1.1lc1 invj_te ·,1e f'ouT Anerican officers, of which I was the medice.l ofi'icer., and ·we were .:i;reatec1 royttlly and they were very interesting people, and macle us like tLcta and ve tried he.rd to ms.ke them like us, only the difference s-1as this -- they tr:i.ed to apply all their rules to us, a11d vc c,i6.d't pa:cGicularly <.:arc for it uecause ... we \-re:ce11 1 t ad;ii1z; ·coo ,11.;ll as Americ8.n off'icers ... we just thou::;ht we'cl declare ourselves free .. because it was a free Jb1e:cica and we ,-:e:re w1C::.e:r the dorc1inatio11 of the E:JGlish ,1hicl1 we didn't will­ ingly like:, ·out never got ciisagreeable abouc it, see, but after a while we all got· alons fine". Dr. IIowo.nl "Well now, Dr. :m.unphreys, I know :,rou. u.ust havc had a valuable e::-:-• perience in var-time Enc;land, "'.Jue this period of yoUJ:· career vas relutively sl1orL and the ,-:ar ended for you, I suppose, in auout 1919. H11ere we:ce you c1cr;;ooilized'! 11 Dr. Hw:iplu:eys : "I wo.s de,,1o·oilized afi;er retu:cn fro.:i France at Ca;:i:p Dix, Trenco,1, Hew Jersey, on July 10, 1919, and from there I carc;e to the small tmm of Owasso, Okla,10",a, ,,,l1ere rcw fauily lived". 11 Dr. Hovard "Oh yes, was your father practicinc; there? 11 Dr. Hunphre;ys "Yes, he 112.s • 11 frr. to;•tG.rci.. "He was a pl1Jsicia11, too - r.r. Eu;1pl.lre;;s "i-ly father [;I'O.duatcd fro,a U1e Eclectic J,'.ec.ical Collcc;e in 1883 a_nd I grc:J.uated in 1913, thircy ye2.rs late1·." Dr. Lo,ran1 : "Yes, that's wonder.t'ul .... your c;randfather ,:asn't a Doctor, thouz._;h?" Ir£. HtL:ip}"lreys : ni,tr grandfather \,'as a 'grenny doctor 1 • I-·ly gre.ncl.fathe!' and. DIJ four uncles waL-:ed of:? ti1e front porch of t:ncir hGIJC in S·c • Charles, Ohio, and j oineu. the Oh:i.o Vollmteers. Ey 6 ram1father was placed as a uedical orderly in tl1e Arni;r and he was uari; of t~1e .oattle of the 1·:ilderness. In the &rctle of the \,ilder,iess my grandi'atlier step1x:d 0;1 a stoo (stuc,:p) o.nd injurecl his l!ee.l. .lmd a s:1orl; heel, •. and it neve:c' did hit the grouad. When he car:1e back he sat clown in soi,,e docto1·' s office end r0ad so;,1e uedical liooks. That was the sc}100:!..inc;, he read sor1e medical books in t).ie 18f:'..") 1 s and after two or tlu·ee years of reac1i111.:; 1aedical oooks, why he becaue a doctor 11 • Dr. Hov'lrd "You mean he practised - 11 4 Intervieu-Dr. D. W. Ilwnphreys, Dec. 10, 1966 Dr. Hw,1plireys "He practised, that's it 11 • Dr. Howard "And where ci.id lie practj_se'i" Dr. Hw,1plireys "Well, he practised in Oi1j_o. That's where he practj_se;c1 ..tLat's beyond ue, but he wo.sn't really a 0 radm,:i;e. He was a doctor of the day, like the Sooner cJoctors here, all of these doctors here who never graduated. '.l.'hey read books and practised all over. \·!hc:n statehood came in they were all given a b.cense to practice - that '\1as in our lives, 1907 11 • Dr. Howard "Yes, I know, b;f..; now yocu· f2.ther, thou::;h, ,ras a licensed doctor, and he w2s :i.n Owasso; so how lon::; iKtd he been there?" Dr. Humpl1reys "1908 was '\Then he came - and this ,ms afcer the war in 191911 • Dr. HowarcJ. "Yes, I know, not tell me a::;ain, in Wh:'..t part of Oklahorw. is Ovo.sso?" Dr. HumplEeys "It 1 s twelve miles north of Tulsa, Okls.hor,w., in TuJ.sa County, near Collinsville". Dr. HO'\·rard "Hell, those tovms are better b1mm to me, both Tulsa and Collins- ·ville, - and Owasso nov is pretty small?" Dr. Humphreys : "Owasso now is c;etthig very larc;e. It's almost gro,m to Collins­ ville, it's abou-l; five tj.r,,es as bic; as Collinsville - it's come up to '\There this big factory, Douc;las Airplane - it's only four miles over there to Owasso". Dr. Howard "I see, so j_t is in Tulsa County, and that's where you started again afi;e:r the war in 1919 - " Dr. Humphreys : "After the war in 1919 I neve1· ste.yed at Owasso. I cai;1e to Oilton on the 29i;h day of Au0 ust, 1919" . Dr. Howard "Anc'i. why did you choose Oilton? 11 Dr. Hun::ph:reys "Well, my siste:c lived in Shmmee and I came back from the Army to Shawnee by the way of '.l.'ulsa - from Ouasso - from '.l.'ulsa to Jennings, Oklahoma, and then from Jermin;::;s, Oklahoua, I came to Cushing and then got the train from -eushj_n,?; to Shn\,'Tlee, becanse r-1.y sist~r lived there. My s:i.ster hr.cl. heard fro-:n one of our fe.mily acc1,:2intances that his brother was a d.err'Gist a.t Oilton ana. we were ac­ quainted, so I stopped off at Oilton on the afcernoon, and he was glad to see me and made me acqclainted with one Dr. J. H. Noah". Dr. Rowani. "Noah'i" II Dr. Humplrrey·s "Yes, J. II. Noah, now he Fas one of those Sooners, see Dr. Howard "How do you spell Ho?. W " Dr. Humphreys " II - 0 - A - H, just like Dick swallrnred the whale , and that after- noon he sa;;s, 'Well, I got a lot of practice, I I cl like to have somebody con1e in vith me', and about thet tine the;y b1·ouc;ht in a fellow who had been '\lOrkinc on the road, and he'd been kicked square in the face ,-:2.i;i1 a horse, and it lmocked out his front teeth and crushed t,1e upper pore ion of ti1e :.:alar cone 211cl the outer ridc;e, flattened his nose 2.nd he co;.1.lc.n 't breatl1e, hc:,cl a lar 0 e lace:ro.tion on his hco.d ansl ... of course, the doctor had neve1· Lu.cl any- experie,1ce, ouc I had had two ye8.rs hospital work and two years in tLe l,r1.r:1 and thc,t ,:as just soi.tctllin.:; I wns usE:c1 to. So, he had 2.c;out four dolla;:s wor~it, l1e ctidn 't ha"" u,my instr,x,1E:11ts, but I did get the alveol.2.r procE:ss on the r,·.alc'.r ii one c2.c1':., l.,ui:, U1e t eet,1 '\•,ere 0 one. I took t}1ern ou'c - t~1ey were j'J..st iia11.::_;iu~ - t:1ere l.'E::.s no v2..y to ;.::;et t~t"!.2."i.::.J bLrG I did tal-:e sone cocaine, four per cent soltfr,i:)E oi cocc.:Lne, and }/~.ck his nosC= t0 anaesthetize it, ·which is still 1 the best 1:r.s.sal e.~1,~.c;::;·:~1.H..:t j_c, ecd too:-:: a CLn·ved KellJ lle1:1ostat, slip9ed it up ti::.e sides of the scp~--.L~ E'..tJ.t..1. raised tl1e t.cnes fr01,l the im:Jedcicd o.ren in tl1e r1ialar Lone, pulled thelil up 0:1 oi;.c sicl.c encl gusl1c:c.~ t:12n ba.cl-: up on the otl1e1~ side, c~na. paclced his nose wo 11e d.idn 't ·oleed, and sewed U]) the lo.cerations. He seer:iin;:;ly felt r,,uch better fro1,1 the t:ccc~t::1cnC, Uecause his face had lost ti1e sensation of pe.in. Diel you ever fix a brc,l:cen nose?" Dr. Howard "I hr,cl ,,v 01,11 no:-;e orol:en, but I lw. 1ren 't }Jrac'i;iccd su1\_;ery 11 • 5 Interview-Dr. D. W. Hu.i;1phrrc,ys, Dec. 10, 1966 Dr. Ewnplireys "I ariaesthetized the supraoroital, n;,-:,nd:i_buJ_ur and the lin[:;ual. They don't feel on,:,rthi11c. Ju.st pack it and take a fin;_:;er and push that thine; back up, put the plates to 0 ether and you cnn't_ever tell they were oroken. Ric;ht soon after thut, they brou.;::)1t up a 1i1sn from tl1e pool hall that was unconscious and havinc; co11-.ru..lsj_ons. Red had been hit in the hu1d with a brick, ju.st the corner of a brick, and r:1ade a small dent in his he2cd. It was bleedilJG profusely and we called the b.:3.rucr up there to shave his head. We got that done and we washed it off with a washpan anc1 ivo.cy soap and then painted it with iodine and cut the open­ ing into the scalp w:i_de enoui_)1 so we -~oulci sec what it was. It had crushed the skull like a dent, rurl pushed the little mar6 j_n of the fractured skull up, and I reached in with a forceps, hemostat, and wj_Gc;led them all loose and took ther.i out as if having done a trephinc. 'l'he blood spL1.rLed and it did this and that, and we just pairrced it with sor.1e raore iodine anci packed with iodoforrn gauze. And it wasn't lons uncil Red quit havint:; convulsions, for the pressure was off, and he got up fi1)1tin' and wanted to go". • .That same hou:r, we didn't anylilore than get Red loaded up and back to the roornin.:,; house 'til in carc1e sor,1e people with a home­ made stretcher vith a man on it on a cr01:rbar. How way back in the early days these pumpers to start; an efi2;j_ne would have to jack the enc)-ne over with a crovbar, and he was U:'.J on this crow'oar with his lq:; over it, o:c sto.nc1inc; by it with his leg by it, ja.ckinz this en3j_ne, only it bacl:fired and threw the crO'\f.:>ar right; throu;:;h the thigh of his le.:; and they urouz,;ht him in there with j_t throu0 h it, and sone fella says, 'Oh, my God, you need a silk hancll:erc11ief, Doc, you neecl a sj_lk hancll:erchj_ef'. Well, of course, the theory was ttis . . I just ,rashec1 off the handle of the crow­ bar, just pulled on it, just pulled it out. It bled profu.selJ and then the man said, 'Ol1, Doc, wait 'til I c;o home and get my silk handkerchief.' Hell, you could stick your finc:;ers clear throuz,;h. 1/e couldu 't do anything else, only take the silk handke1·ch:i_ef when he got back there with it, and soak it with iodine and take i,_ het:101,·i;a.; anu. push the end tlu·uu,)..1 arnl then pull i'G clear Un·ou0 l! and every­ body vas satisfied. But we did pack the wom1d with iodoforw gauze and wrapped it up with co1aprcsses. Dr. Hovard "And who kept the cro,.-uar?" Dr. Hut11phreys : "Hell, that uelon0 ed to the company that he worked for': .. Dr. Noah said, 1 \-iell, I never clid have such a time in r:iy life. You're just the man. I want you to work ·with 1,1e and I' 11 just stare in fil'ty-fifty with you if you' 11 start; up with me rj_3ht now'. Of course, the doctor hs_d never been inside the walls of a medical sci1ool. Ee read sode lioolw dmrn in Poncotoc Comrey and dom1 at P:Le1'son' s Switci1, tl:at 's where he was froL1. Tbac was a location thEm known as the Indian Doctor's 11 • Dr. Hovard "Dr. Noah ,-:esn 't hi1:1self part; IncH,m, was he, do you think', 11 Dr. Htunp~·ire:fs u 1-Jo, I do11 1 t -Chiti."'..: :1c: ,,·as. Anywo.--J, ·we start.eel in the·p:cactice of mcdicj.11c ir:l:.11ecl.i2.tely, and a yc21,., end one nont}1 0.:C'-Ler our association, 1-;l1y he de­ cidecl for 1;easons not to Oc r:1crrG:i_oncc~, to mo'-lc, and I Lave hiu a thousand dolle.rs fer a.ccount.s :rcceival)le anCl. 1,;hnt feu little i11stl'u1.1errts he l~o.d. I had acclU"l1ulated quite a few in the yeC\r. He tool: of l on the lQ'Gl1 clay o:c' Octo-,ier, 2-nd on the 15th day of OctoiJE;r I went up and pc.id of1-' tl.1e t;1ousG,d dollar note I hac'i bo1·rowed to . give '11111 1 . • 1 n 1~.ive unys' ' 7 l 2~l'J 11 • I co_11 cc\~' eel- a t-,nous-:i..2-~u-- co__ Dr. Ho,,.r2.rU. 1 1\-lell, t~no:C ,,.,To_s co.p.i.t2,J_is1u in ti.ll'. e[=.rly days 11 • 11 1 Dr. HuL1phreJS i hat vrn.s cn27itclis.a in tLc c.:n~lJ- c..ln:.--s. I practiced in tl~::i.t, loc0- tion over the ri1ile1;~an DrUJ Store fol' tju•ec :,rcc:t3. I i i the nco.ntiue the First I:atio:c1::1l l3a:tLk; failed and r~ovecl out, anc'i I r.,o-,.ceG. rv o,_':i_'j_ce fro:,1 tl12 \;ile.113.n Drue Store to tl:e First ITational Ec.nl-: b;_rildinJ) o(•.. d t:·:::-~L ,:~:s j_n 1'.;:}2j o:i.· l), 20. AnU WJ office, I ke2_)"'c 1 it open in thn.t tu.iluin~ until l~/:-). 'l.1hc 1.·tinc101,:--s in tL~J.-t Ou:i. .~ . din.3 anc1 the clod:: that han,3s ir1. wy of.L-.ice no~r 1 .:.1.~t~: tl·:e 012.ss tl..z~t 's j_11 tL2 "Le.n:: Uuildin~ li-j_nC-..ovs cr..1-c'J; from the Lib,2rGy He:.tiona.l L: .nk afCcr t11c1 h2.Q ~niit tl1cir s":curLCl l)nnk. 1 6 Interview-fa•. D. Ii. Hw,1phrcys, Dec. 10, 1966 Dr. Howard "Now we' re toltinc; uoout the Lilieri;y Nat:i.on2l .Jank of Okla;10::1a City". 11 Dr. Jlw,cplircys '.L'ilc ba.n'.: o.i.' Ol:lo.)·,oc1<1 Ci:cy. '.!.'tey're all ti,ere for U1e evidence, the clock's in my of:c'ice :i:·01· the ,, ride,1ce, n.id tlw ;_;lass still stands and is so scnrred 0 by all the wear of all the years in Ol:lnhoL1n City a11d for fifty yenrs, practicnlly , in Oil'con. They are very dinc;y bui; they stiJ.l sco.nd. I stayed in Oilton and prac­ tised sm·c;ery in the Drw;1Yic:;J1l; Hospital, which was headed 'by one Dr. Gcorc;c S. Rey­ nolds ar,ci. Ir,·. I✓• 0. s•:~a1T. liow Dr. Rcj11old::; is dece:::::;ed and Dr. Starr is n,i;irecJ. and lives a.t Spavinaw, Olr~lahoE10. . and a.i'ter the 'uig storm of 1930 it vas decided that ..,e would close". Dr. Howarc1 "Close the hospital?" Dr. HwJp!1reys "Close the l1os:pitaJ., because in Cushinc;, Oklaho1;ia, they had a good hos pie al ouild:i.nc; out; their stuff was of the local c1oc·cors ancJ. closed steff. There weren't any doctors v:110 ever c2:,:ried any patj.ents to the Cu.shine; Eospital oecause there was a closed staff. But the no.sonic Lodc::;e of Payne County took hold of the situation of the hospitnl, an6 they orc::;anized what ,.cs known as the Payne County Masonic ,;ospH,2.l Associatio:.:1. If you wer·e a l-'.ason :Ln good st2.ndii:13 you could becot1e a member of the assocj.1cition for $25 r,1en1bcrship and $10 a year fee, and wlic;1 they did that, triey op2ned the doors to the outstanding country doctors. I was the first af'ter the big storm of 1930, which ·carricndecl all the roads for two weeks; you coc1lc1 only set arouncl if you had a tractor to run or sor,1ebocly to pull you with a tea1,1. I broui}:i.t tbe first t.1,;ro pay cnses from the co1-urt:cyside to the Pe.yne Cou:-Ycy 1..2 .sonic Hospital of Cushing". 11 Dr. Ho,;,12rd \ 1lhat month ,;,;as that stor1i1? 11 11 Dr. Ruuphreys '.J.'hat r;1onth was Junuary". Dr. Howard "And it was a great big snm-r storu ! " Dr. Hwuphreys "It was a terrific .ston1, never lms been such a storn before or since; it got 20 dec;1·ees belov zero and it had sl;:,et snow that was 11. ioches thick. A man lost his car iu t~1e snow in the curve ucnd ol' ·i;i1e 1·oac1 at the D all ·:ranl: ·· (,;,. ½ia ) everybody kuo,rn about it - it's at the end of the Col:er lease betvccn Oilton and t!'o.•cc~· Dr1.m1ri1)1t - be lost his car there nnd didn't get it for five days. :3nc, as tha:c storm be 0 an on the 7th clay of J211uary 1930, Dr. S·tarr of Drumrigdc called ancl says, 1 D-r. Hu,,1]}hreys, I want you to come down and. visit one or~ riy patients I've c1elive:r.ed, and she has an a·ocecsed brc2.st. He called w.e just as it we.s gettinc; dark and I closed rny office and e;ot all the tM.ri::;s I vould need to t2ke care of an abcesscd breast. I ste.rted do,m the road in my 1-:0del A car but I didn't ge-t nmch farther than the Y, that's an area half mile south o? Oilton, until everythj.ng was frozen in, nncl I got out 2nd scraped off all the j cc I could. I didn't have a heater and I dicln 't :Cmve a windsh:i.eJ.d ,6per, ou·c I drove oack froi:1 the Y down to the &J.l rl'a.~,k, and got arCJund this cc.x· tho.t. 1ras stucl:, and kept on goine:; ancl drivj_nc; do1-ri1 this hiGh­ way with the i::i.nc,ow on the left side turned do,m so I could teJ.l .,::1en I w2s in the road. I kept couin::; until I cc:me do,m to the railroad hill. Eve1·y nic;ht out at the 'l.1j_c1ei:.-.:ater Rcfinc1·y there ";·:as a tank tr2ii1 ca:11e out e.Dout 80' clock, c.nd 8S I c2.ce dmm that hill I could not see throu3h tl1e ,r:i.ndshield. I co1.1.ld see lic;h"~ and I could tell -:hen a l:i.::;11ted car vas couin.::; anc1 I would lo,:ik ou~ and see where I was, and I would £,;et o--rer for it; "out tiie little li:.:)rc on the caboose that cor.ie throu:,)1 the Prairie Fur.ip S·cation Ycrc7 w:i:i:;h a milL'on li::)1ts, I never noticed. I caL1:2 0.om1 to about, I'll srxy 1,iftecn or twenty steps fl'o,:1 the railroad, then I cou.ld s cc;e son·e glitterj_nc;, and I put; on rn.y brakes, mechanical 'urakcs, 2.nd with tids ice those ,rh"els just slid ric;ht into timt :.:'rd::;ht train. I hit the rreic)1t train! \/hat frj.,:)rG c,L:cd me the Erost ,;as that I couldn't sec exactly. I was afrnid I w-as goinc; to .run ·oe­ hind the t:!:-ucks of the wheels 2.nd run under the bell:,, of this tank train. I ,rould have been a .:,;ood suoject for a c;ri11dir1;3 up! H.1t I did,1"t. °J.'hc wall: on the to.ul: car hit squnre in the mi.dclle of my ro.cliato:r· nnd kEoc\:cd nc t.1n.ck a.oout five or si.x feet. I think I sat t11e:::-e ahout mr holU' wait in::; for all the 0 lns,; to 0 et d.01-."11. 'lite hood of the car caue r:L;)1t straic;Lt 1,2.d: 0v b ' 1;1y l1cad thro,~n • 1s h'ic 1·Cl 11 • • t J1e wim 7 Interview-Dr. D. W. Ilump11reys, Dec. 10, 1966 Dr. Howorc1 "Well, Doctor, your m:n busy practice of 1966 interrupted this story ol' 1930 by a telephone call just now, but you were tellinc; me that fortunatE:ly the car was pushed back by the freic;ht train anc1 you were dazed for a uhilc, and then "1hct happened?" Dr. liuu1ph:ceys : "Oh, I v:as never dazed. I just seemed like .. it just seerned a lone; time when tl1at glass c8rne dmm .. it seer,1ed a long time .. I wasn't dazed. I ,•iasn't hurc a bit. A man cm,1e runnin' clmm there and se,ys, 'Doc, oh r,iy goodness, look what it did to your ce.r', and I said 'Yeah, look at me. I can get a new car but I couldn't get a new lee; that I don't need'. But I did go on and attend the 1:02;:m patient for Dr. Star1"u. Dr. Hmmrd "Oh yes, fine! Well now, one day when I saw you a fev years ago, I think we were talkinc; about the fact that some of the men around Oilton in those early days ,-:ere very rouch. Once in a uhile you even had to operate with a gun in your back. Tell me about; that". Dr. Hw:iphreys "One night I was called down to my office. There had been a car wreck. S o:.1e people had run off the sid e of the road. and g.:it in a ditch, and there was thre2 men and tuo wor<1en. They -orought tl1eu up to ray office and I went down to attend theci1. '.l.'he men were drunk, and I went back .. and Hi was a suall doctor's office .. and I had to get the water hot and I had to get rriy instnw1ents reaC:Cy and prepare the table and. all these thinc;s. One of them said to me, 'How, da,nn you, Doc, don't be so long. I got the difference to that', and he walked up and poked me in tl1e r i;)s with e ,3;w.1, anc1 I said 'l'!ow lay that daran gun dmm be caelse I can't do anychin3; when you .. 1 and he said, 'That don't Ii1al:e no difference. Ifow you just take can, of this guy' . So I sewed up that one. His face vas cut all over 8ncl he ,,;r1.s 1J.c<-~\:/ c.1J4 o·rc1~. P.~1.Jv thcJ- vc:r-c r_J_1.;r0..J~s st.o.n::~:i.J1 1 G.t r:c_-:l beck o.nd they we:'.'-:: al1,1e.ys in the we,;,•; so vhen I go-c that done, well, tl1e other fellow got up there. In the meantice, you see:, I had to change my tressi11;:;s and get the other things bact. Well, it tool;: a little tiue, and he said, 'ITow, dar.m you, yocl're ta:dng too much tine, 0 et do,m here'. 'l'hen he took this gun, you know. Ile ,ras doin' it all the tine. AiJout the tiue I c;ot thl'ough with the second r.1an, in caue the Chief of Police, Ben Cla,-·k, and e, r,1an oy the n2c1;1e of 1;:alter Doolin. Ben Clark was a good. rne.n p:1Jsically in those ciays, ·and. \·!alter Doolin - it wasn't to be g_uestionec1 1:ow goo{t a. c2-n he ,.,-o.s - he ,,:ns just a t:,;oocl r.:cn.1. They said, 'Doc, '\•lhat 1 s e;oin' on here·: ' and I said, '\·:ell, this tian' s been stand.inc; here holc1inc a gl-1.n on rne for an hour'. Ben Clar;:: says, 'Fbere 's that gun? ' Ano. he took ahold of tliat fellow anc'c hit him in 'che he2.d 11itl1 his pistol, anu old ifalter Doolin grabbed the other and they dru:.:,; theu out of r;iy reception roo1:1 and Oe2.t.... . Old Ben ·whar:1:iJ.ed that fello\"1 a0o;_,i_t t}u·ee or fom· ti,::c,s am1 he stooc~ still with the c;un. The other 6 uy, well, olci 1:alter imci hit1 dm·:-n, jc1.st aoout, and he snys, 'You' 11 never hold a ,:;i-111 on Doc acain '. ' So t!ley got all three; of the c;;_,ys nnci put 'eu in the city jail up there". Dr.. II0,m1·d "You dicin 't llave to do any uore - " Dr. }lLli.:i.:.9i1xeJs "Ho, tl1.2vt e:i:10.ed it 211. rl1hcy just too:c theu up thel'e and put, tlleu in jej_l, tLcil tl>cre 1ms no 1:1ore trou'.Jle. 'l'he 1.'01 ten, now, they were there. I guess they got drtu11<:.. 'I1hey were in rJ.;y- i.-raitiii:~ rood .. it neier had a 1:ey on it. Be:n Clark was the nolic;e and he'd ,._;all:;: do,.,111 the street alic1 Glt;et soraeboLly he l.rnntecl to ~,.-isit with unlL... say-, 'Co1Gc on in the due's ol'l'ice' - . . '11hc v.-ouen, ve lef-G them tl1cre. The next:. 0.2.y \le took tl~e1:t belo1·e the Justice of tl-ic Peace and he si~ned thcEl over to the County Courc and they all got three years in the penitentiary for hcmul:LJ1L a gtm. i'km tl"at 's just one of 'eu - I've lmcl it happen in the hor.J.es and nll crounJ. A ms.n stop:i_,2d Lee on tlle roac1 one dcy, was tryin::; to 6 et even with me for one: t.ii.,e he got in trouole in DnUJ:right ,;ith the polj.ce, vhen he GOt out of to,111 ,1itl1 his G Interview-Dr. n. 1.-i. Hwap~,r,:;ys, Dec. 10, 1966 i1eaiJ.all CU·-~ Ul). }_._E.: CLd<:! l~O Lil~r .LiOUSC: Oi11C :.c10:r:•i1i;j0 allCH.J.-t L',/8 or 0.:-1T(:;C O I clocJ: c!(1U saio., 'Doc, co:;:e: 011 c.owa a1.:.u sc,-r !J,./ 11e£;c.~ up; I ,...,ot i.ci o li\~·clc -~rouble 1 • I so.:i.c1.., 1 Go on o.oi•.:11 aHG_ I'll be:.: CLCit.ri:1 t1cer~ la-ve:i:·', [L1G. I ,,:en'L U2.cl:: ·l,o slec£). A:Jout. en hour la.-L,er J::.e cn.n~ up a:uc.. I.1u opc,1ec1 -c.~ie fr•o.:.!t ci.uur \'i1_1_ic...1 I Qj_c.i1 1t f·..a're locl~'.:-<•., 2tL0. he S8J s' f !Ji.)~,' GoU G.D.1;111 ~ ou, Due, :/oU ClLit: out ill:TC a.uC!. Se\,: d,/ dee.cl up OT I 1 11 C()i:lC: aacl tJE:t JOU•. \iell, I just 1.1alkcU out t:cere 0£1 t,_(·.e porc..:i £L1ci snid., 1 Huw 1-1J.1a-~ cliQ you se.y'!' 'You sc1.-r 111J ht:2Q up or 1 1111 L~O;.li.10 t.akE: you'. I just J.1j_t ~.1.iL,t one t.iG~e on the lJut . . oi1 aHll ;1e fell cleo.r off L1y- po:ccJ1 iJ.1 t:Le :cosc bnsi1 n11ci .::1is f.cie11Cl wit11 hict came and urc1 ilin out m,6 saj_c,, 'Cor,ie on, Jack, let's '-'et out; of' i-1ere. Ue 've been 0 beat up ouce no1:1, we do,1 't want aay more trou,)le. Let's 1__,o' " Dr. Howeru "Well, it m::s luckJ ,/OU were a ui:__; r:1a11, I ,,1ay sa/'. Dr. Hw11p~n~t.:,;- s : 11 He 1-.ras one of tl1e mea.t1est GU/S you ever sa-w. lie triec:l to JlolCl rne up 011e ci,_/t; 011 ti1e roau a ild I i:ould11 't stop for i1im a.11u I ou-c;ran 11iiJ.. I hac, a better !-bu.el T t,mn i1e ,ia(i.". Dr. Howard "Is tnat ric)1t?" Dr. Ew,1p;u:c::,rs "YeaJ,, I too;, of'f u.own throu;_;h a sit'tc roao.. he tried to follow 1,1e and I rau off froL1 hi1,1. I ran vay out 0,1 one of the leases I knew". Dr. Hm'ard "Hell r;ow, didn't you. nave to "'o and dc:liver a woman - t;,e wife of one of t,ir,se men - or did you operate 0,1 a wo.ian out iu the couirl:;ry?"' Dr. Eump,:rcys : "Yu3.,1, i,ut ti1is was t;1e ·way it w&s .. it was a very oac1 stmi~, nicht. I went six niles to8.st of to1m a,1d two miles north ric.,hl; on the 0an1: of t,ie CL,arron River. I 1Tb1t do'.T11 ove1· the oan?;: of' t11e river to a little 11ouse. T:iis little woE11cm was havin__, a very difficult. tirc1e deliveriilc_:; i:ucl just s)ie a,1d he1· 6 rs,,c,,not;ier vas there, ar,d her 1iusl,a,1d. .l\:iout ti1e time I ti1ou,_;lrc I could delivsr vitn instru,,ents, well, we re,1 out of coal oil. '.I'his ma,1 said, 'Fait a milmte now, I 0 ot to 2:0 t;et sor,1e coal oil' . I thou;_;l,t to li!Jself, -'Well now, we can't wait for c0al oil, we :;ot to have a 1igdc, there isn't any liJLt.' . So I ~,acl,ec1 uy Model A c<'r up and tunkd it arou11d aim let it co,;;e down ti1e side of' t,1e ;1ill rig"t tl1rou_;.:1 ·(;Le wimlow - tile bed was ti,ere - and tun1ed wy lic;i1ts on. I waslleu. up t,:in~s the best I could. Old grandr,1a, s·i1e cave tLe clllorofon1 anaesthetic and I applieci t,1e instnr...e,rt.s; and it was as hal'C,_ a clelj_very as anyuody ever clid - ,:iti:1 tile lic;nt sLi11i11g t;,rou,)1 the window. Tlie neJ'..t ti1.1e I s&w ti,at man ,,,as five ,years late:t·. He hacl gone to Calif­ orni& s.1,cJ. code -oac'.: a.ud stopped at a cotto,1 pate"', p:i_c;:L1' cotton, 2.r:d ,1is wife i-;as very ill wi-\:,;1 p2lJ.agra. Si,e had been treateci ouc t,1ere iL C&lif'ornia with this thil1c; and tliet t/.in~. 81-ie lived t:o::::ee days aft.er sl1e cot bnck ho1l1e 1Jitn 1;,:=Ila3ra. Dr. Ho,-iar(c "Hou, tl1e baby lived, tnou..;h?" 11 Dr. hw:1_piu-c,::,rs 011 yes, tne baby lived - now lives in '.I'ulsa a11d 11as tlu·ee nice childr·e,1. '.i.'hat 's ric)rt, I've cot all ti1e records." II Dr. Ho1,,21·d Hell now, you've had a lot of tiE1e in these 5L, years .. you de- livered a lot c>i' baoies". Dr. Hu:1p,,reJG .: 11 011 yes. Just t11e last t'ew years, oefore I moved oircc here, dicl I ever d.eb.ver tLe,J in tllc hospital 'cac1se I ,;2-s 20 uiles a•..a1. 0:1e ti':le I -or·oiz;l1t a. patient over '.1ere I d.elivered. five liaoies f'ro1,1 11 o' cloc~: at nir;::ct 't il one o'clock in the af"cc:L100". '.I'nat 's just ebout 12 hours. Dr. Ho1:ard "Well, ho,, old 9-0 yDu tl1i11k tl1e oldest one is 1,011, t;:e olecest uaby you delivereci'? 11 Dr. IIu:c,1p,ll'e;,s : "Oh, t,1c oldest ba'Jy I delivereu, 1 couldn't say tLat. I delin::red 15 bauic:s in r:iy jL1nior y<"2,r .. colored childrc,n". 11 Dr, Howe.rd "Hhen you were j_n medical school . . but ia Oldahou&. - 11 Dr. Hump:ireys " In O'.:lahoi::a, now ,.,ait a r.1inute . 11 11 Dr. Hm:arc1 You cleli,rerecl so,ae in Owasso when YOLl caa1e? Dr. Huu_p; ,re JS " Yeah, I had a terrible experieHce 01,e t iue. Now look here, I' 11 tell you aooL1t tlle::;c exi1cricilce::;. You. sec, my father was calh,d u:1t ,1ere, a"d old Dr. Kiri:s ,;as called out; and I went out to help hii:1 and 1c1y fati,el' we11t aloi!J, end this wo;;"a,1 - t;iey lived iu a box llouse. T hey had a floor a1,d it was lloardcd u 1, 0,1 9 Irrtervieu-Dr. D. W. Hu1ap:ireys, Dec. 10, 19"G the side;s four feet. '~hey had a'oout four fe(;;t, may'oe three fcc,t o:t' canvas around, and a c£'.L1.VO.G top. It \<:ts called a Uox house. • . 'l1his wo:.l1s.n v:as ha vine; convulsious and I ,1eut alone::, sE:c. They had used all trie linens. '.!.'he two old doctors, II.J f'athE:-r c11ci. this other doctor, left -oec8u1,e I had e:;iven the chloroforu and they did a ma,rnal delivery and deliverE:d a live child .... i:mc after they ;:;ot throu;__;i',, thu1 they lei't.. It ,,as out, there in this little tin and thc:y didn't have but very fev thine;s of any kind and this wouau ha.vine; h2-d a lar;:;e c,ose of c1a:::;ncsiurJ sulphate was havjn:_,; profu_se stools and everytl1inc; w2s soiled, a,1.rl there wasn't anjoody there to _t2l;E: care of her but 1:ie ancl unother wo"ian. I enckd up the next day vith tlw leaves of a Montt;oLlery Ward catalo.:; . . and she lived 11 • • T:nat was over on Din1 Crsck at O\.asso, Oklnhot1a .. Ilow the olciest one at Oilton - you have ti:1e picture or' her there - slw 's 47 years old - 1919 she Y!as born - on the Gth day of Decem'.oer, 1919 - Her fE',wily had,1 't co11tracted a doci;or because it ,ms iu the early days, nooody :,new the doctors - but I had beeu down there in C.ilton in Septeuiier or Octobe1·. This was in Dec<2uber. I was a tall, sle"der cuy, weii_;hed 11."( pounds, 6 fe<::t 2 inches tall, and haci a little tic_;lri; suit of clothes, one s,1it of clothes that I c;ot altel' I got out of the Ariity. I was still weariue; it, civilian, and I wore a cap, an E,1::;lish cap I had, see ... liow thj_s -was at Oiltoll and I was dubbed the Yin;_,; of the Ktci c,octors, and some people va;itec1 the kid doctol', and soc1e did11 't want the kic1 doctor, so when they sent to tmrn they scmt 1-Jayne Van Born anci lloy Grec;ol'y- ,,ho were t,.o yocmc; 1Jen that lived Ou·~ et Cro,-1. '111.2.t. ,.,,as a little stat io11 in the oil ficlCt \there the passen­ gel' t1·ain stopped. T1:o young uen, not 1;;arried; each hEd a pre-i;ty goocl car--an6- they would Leed a doctor at niglk - they' c1 be co;,1i11,::; back - they'd send a doc·'Gor - or if the,:/ wasH't goin::; any-9lace, why they'd get hold of 1:ie e.nd .. How the iidorn:e.-i;ion was this - 'You go down to Oiltol} and c;et a doctor but don't you get tlmt ::.icJ. docto1'' . So, they 0 ot ue and I e;ot in my old cer, and I didn't ever get there .. I had to walk. It was rainin' and I was pretty wet by the ti1,1e I got to the house and I co1i1e in with ;,1y little old grip aud a few thinc;s I had, and. this 1,,aternity bus:i.ness was kind of new to me. I had been in the ar,:;y for tvo yt::a:cs, you see, a11d the/c just was11 't vc--ry s·i;rou3 in the ar,uy. So I heard 'e,;1 ,:,ay, 'Oh, they got tl,2:c i--iu doctor, they get that kici doctor'. '.l'hey shut the door, wouldn't let lile in, cid11 1 t invite me j_nto the roon vhere the oe_by was born. So I clililbed over· behind the old cook stove a110. tried to dry out tlle best I could for I was pretty wet fro,;1 valk:Lnc; in the rain. . I could hear . . Oi!e of the -:ouen cm.:e out with a ,;,rashpan, ancl one with this and tha 0. '.['hen t;1ey'd go back, a;1d they gave me a glance. I was there and it was 0 ra.i;i:Ln:_; aud hell, I wasn't ,:,;oj_nc; to leave. I stayed ,;j_th 'er:1 and pretty soon l,L"t·s. Geori::;e Dr2tke said, 'Fell, get th2-t kid doctor in here; if he ca.n do me any 0 ood, all ric;ht, a.nd if he ean't, just tell hi1:1 to stay where he is'. So that gave me an opportunity to put IJY f'oot in the crac:, of the door and I ca ,1e in a:ed I spread 0 out a few instrun:ents and a bottle of chlorofor1,1 and a mask. .i'lo ruo;ier glo'res, no-:lody used ruooer glo'res, jusi; \-:ash:d your hano.s with some raore lava soap. And I e;mninecl he1· a.id the 'oa.oy ,,c1s a'oo11t to be boru, so I greaGed her i'ace· witl:1 a. little vasc.:line e.nd told one of the wo,nen to give the anaesthetic. She said, "I dor: 't knou how to give it', 8-ncl I sai6, 'I know you doll 't but I' 11 tell you ho,,' . Yo,t put that 11;0.s'..: over her face and you put t,:o finc;ers under it ano. hold. it wj:c,h the uCher three so ti1at the c.ir \-."ill cone around it a11c1 yuu wo11 't c;et t.oo mucl1, a:..1d yo"J. d1·:)p tho.t. on thC.:rc a c1r·up at 8 tirile and you lcecp tall::Lns to t~12.t pe1·so11 ancl ,.,hen she ans,.iei-·s you, \•lllJ you keep droppin._:: j.t, anO. whcne\rer sllc c1uits E'.Lsueri:1_1~, you stop' . Arni so she did, aJ1d pi·etty soon ti,e patieut start.ed to talking fa!lcl I so.id 'Drop your cltloroi'or,.1 Ulltil slle q_cj:cs -cal:dnc;, q_u:Lts ans\:c;rin::;' . S,1e C.id, and 1 after a :Cashion the -oaby was uorn, the cord was tied, and the :;,other tool~ it out in the other roon and rubbed it with compouild cottonseed lard, which ,ms all riLl-it. But I hcd some little piece::; of ca.uze which I had ster:U_:Lzed, a.11d I tied the cord ancl deJivereci t1_1e placeuta auc1 helped char~e t,ie bed, and about that ti::1e Lt·s. Drake ,-;as ti."1r1al:c a:..1d she snys 1 'Hell, ,,rl1cn 's that, lJaUy goin0 to be born'!' 'J..1:lc:y all spoke up, 'iiell, l•h-s. Dr2l,e, you've alreac,y had the baby'. 'Oh, r,iy God', G'.ic c2:i.d, 'the fil'st bc,by I ever had i;i 1..y life, and I've had si:~, and never did kno,1 it, - J. 10 Interview- Dr. D. W. Hw,1phreys, Dec. 10, 195G I've had six, lmew evcr-y one:; of them', ancl when she saicl that I was in t1ie baby business! F1·ow then on I was in the b:::;iy busincc,,s - c;o auy place and d.o instnMen­ tal deliveries and. many a doctor I I ve gone to the cou;1try tl11x~ hacl · to do a.11 instru­ t/lental dclis.'cry .. have troulilc, I'd be cc1llEccl, for they ,:oulcli1 '·c know Low to do a delivery in th"' home wi.th i11str,u:iurcs - aoout half of' thc:n dicln 't k,1ow how". Dr. Howard "Well, how 1,1any di.cl you have in an averac;c 0 ooc1 yEcar, Ductor, abouG 300 oa·oi.es a year?" · D:c. Huu1:pllreJ,s : "No, thc:re weren't that u1a,iy. I think I had 23 baoics one rnoHth, -:.mt they'd rui1 aiiouc 12 a 1,101kh for a,)out five years; then they be;:;an to d:co:p of'f bccallse afte1"' a 1,1l1ile, you see, the bie:; Dood \/2.s O'f(;:T c:.ncl all. It settled 0.oi:-iJ.l to tht: routi11c o:f those ,-11:i.o too~-:;: cai"'e of oil anU th~ st1'G.~3lex-s and such 1x:::ople heel to lEja •1 e. i:.t]1c Ga;.1,;Jle1~s, the Oootlec;c;e:rs, hijackers and thieves all hscl to lea-,re beenuse ... Most of these went to Seminole". 11 Dr. llavmrd '..Chey took the WOMcn with thera, did. they'," Dr. fiump,1n7s : "Oh yes, they too'.( the wor:1en with theru when t11e;y- hac1 the:;1. Now you talk E1.bout the llu:aen, ·wl1y there \•:as a noto1"ious place do,-r.L1 at DrL,uuriglrG callt:O. J..1l1e liur.1p. There was plent;,; of those people c:.O"\m th01'e if you wantec, to see 'em. Just co do\·a1 tl--ici-·e if you hacl any 1·c.:ason to go do1\/~1 there .. and they ,1e1·e locc.t.ec1 iu Oilt.0::.1 a.-~ tilt'.:! l~o·Cels, too 11 • 11 Dr. Eo1-~2.:cO. And so part of the ba·by business -was css·ocietecl 1-ri·011 the wives arid frJ.crn:Is o:f the ga.ablcrs :i. Dr. iJE,1p,.11·eys : "Yes, well the oilf'iel.cl workers. The gac,10lers didn't have so ,,;any wot11cn ,-,~itl.1 cllil6.1·en Uorn, bu:'c I dj~d clo it . I wen:t 01er one nigJ:!t anc1 Cieli ve:c06.. a ba-.:,y in a :,ouse, just o,ie suall room, o.ivi.deu with a cui~t;a:i.n inside; and they ~1ac1. a cu.r'cain in tl:.c corner of tl1e roor:i. I knew who tl1ese people \·/t.:re a11U they knew rnc. '.!.'hat fsmily 0vcn can·iec1 it to the poi.nt where -·- this man, he and his orothc,r ro1/1;eu a bank in, I think it; ,:cl.S Rock hill, Y.znsas, a,1cl csot cau3ht . He and his brother got CL.Ut.;~_10, hJ.10. "t.,l_._eJ BCa.l(. ti!L:~,1 tu tl.1<.:: j_.)cni"Geul.iary iil L:u!Sin~J E:c.:..1sc.s. I picL.C.:cl 'ClL. up afte:c tl1ey had. been thcr0 a ,;-11ile anc, this one w-rote !:le, ancl he said, 'Doc,' he said, 1thir1~s e.J::·e he.rd u.p here and don't have r1iuch money, don't have r.:t.any ciGaret"Ges. I ids,1 you'd sen:i us so;ic ci2,a1·etces 1 , he said, 1 w,1at I'r.1 w:ritin' you for, I'm goin' bli_nct cno_ I ,1ant you to ;:;et the Ai,1erican Legion hold of i.t anci see i.f you ce.n 't get me o,i_:;; 01- Here, 'cause I'm goin' olincl'. So I sent l1i;;1 a little .. raade a point to senci hir,; a cari;on, a,1d thc:n i-cTote him and I said, 'Where's olcl Geor;:;e?' ¥oh, he saJs, 'he: 1s over here with ;::1e, he's goj_n' blj_nd, tooJ he needs cigai"cttes, oJ.1 no, he •.:u.Et,s Prince AlbcrG, if ;you can sencl hin sone Pr"ince 1\lOerC, hE:: s1no:-::0s e pi~e and su.ol;:es c:i.c;2.rctt es, e.nCl he suokes P-rj_nce Al-ocrt 1 • So I sent 'era a c2..::ct,011 of cic:;ru·ettes m1ci three cans of P:cince Albcr·t every L1onth. Alon0 co.-.1e t;1is wo,,10.11 and she sr:Js, ':i.·:ere, Doc', c',Dd there ·,:o.s a picture of Georc:;e and l,bnroe i.n fronc of t::1e prtson at I..c.nsj_n~;, Kanss.s, ac..cl they Dotl1 he.Q Orec;on boots on, and they ·uoth wer~ b.ruidcnfi\.::d ~.1enC:. to hand, and I saiO., 1 \i'ell, wh.s..t 's this'~' 1 I ·said, 'That's just wl1erc '·i'(N l,i_l -.,1 +•1r., J. \.; ] a,'·+ 011 G'"Ol''"'-' V'-'--~- ·c' ' l ' .-.l,_j.._l.., ..._. ~111 L>..._ C,,1, l l-'on' j l • n.r.,11--• '(1<...- • ) s'1,~ _..._. S"'''S UJ J 'I , ~,(.,,.~ l, -'-o lj ,.,~,1·· l., ,,·c··'· .L, Y'OU to s ,..__Ui. 7 ····1. 1 this petition i'o:c parll:.J11 • • • Out this picttu~e 1.:as taken five yec.rs before sh2 ce~:1e eL.m,::; •. a!lcl I si,:_;-tlCCL it, and they di.cl i:;ci; out, they did. ;:;et out. hell, Georc;e went plu,io o.r::s~,lutely olind. 11onroe, now old 1-'.onrue, he stoppe:d ol'f in Joplin or Ko.nsas City, no-.;-r I could nt;;vcr c;<:;t. it str2i2)rt; - it 1 s two stories, thcr2 ,;,12rc t,-:-o stv:~ies. O:r.1e st.oTJ; he sto.2.yt.ccl to heist a [;D.J,l1Jlin~ house, see, and !1e sot kilJ.cd.. i:i1he otlier on(::, he st2.x-~c(1. to heist a ,J}j_skey store on the l,:'3.in Strt:ct in Joplin, and this yotuic_; r;uy ruanin' it. ,;.:us just a~1 c:(-rnc.rine; o.nd. sh:::>t hitLl five t in1.es be1'ore he coul{t get th;; ne,,s. They brought hi.m down t11ere to bm'y ldli1. Now, do you ,:ant this story-;¥ Dr. Ho1-:arc_ "Hell, how cUc1 you know th,.:se rcllows to be:_:;in with'?" Dr. l"Lu1.11._1:11~c~/S ttoh ril/ gosh, they l.rere rc:sidc.:nts for many years or Oilton. T~aey V."ould co,'.tL! to 1:1e. I'd c;o up - thc;:.r'cl sr.. . y, 'I 1 E1 gonnn be cone uow, Doc, you take care cf !.h' . And I' cl go up to their house - I've even c;one over there - they I cl call '-'-" up o.m1 soy, 'Doc, co o-.cer to tl1c, she.ck, over to Georce' s . old Georce Burgess, 11 Interview- Dr. D. 1-:. Hwnphreys, Dec. 10, 1966 now thc:sc ·ooys lwd corniect ion with the top k1nc:iits. 1'hey' re not l:Lttle ones, they' re the crew.1 of the cru,K1. This cuy, this l-ionroe, he ,ms the mo:::it .. I could take you in 30 ininutes to the hidin.:; place where he drove the car whc:11 they starLed to :rob ti1e }~xcelsior 3prin::;s Iluilc"tin:.:; r:nd. Loan, Geo1·.::;e and J.Iuuroc. ,ms the most ex]_)crc soup 1.ian in the vhole souGh'.1est. 1-lhen there was a safe being blo,1ed tlmt fellow ·oleI: it. You look up the rucords in February 1922, when the So.n'ca Fe - -tr2in was held up and ro00ed in Bch,ond in broc.d daylight and that c;uy shot it. I could. nE.:ve1· cet over old l,b;-rcoe. He e;ot killE.:d and his brother coiae in and says, 'Doc, I got to plant 1-!onroe' . I saj_d, 'What do you rnean, you got to plane l-bnroe'.' ' 'Oh', he says, 'he ,ms in a car ,n·eck and got killed. He e;ot ottl; a little ,rhilc, and hE: couldn't see too gooci and. 13ot to d:civinc; a little too fast and he got killed and I've got to plant bim' . Aud this ,ms getting a little late j_u the e•reninc; - in Novc,:t1Jer - and it uas ccginnin::; to c;et just; a little dark and I said, 'Hou, why don't 1 you ;::;et - have you c;ot a preacher? ' Ho' .. 'You have to have a prcaclwr. He says, 'Mon - old Conley, and Bake 2nd Blue is out there c1ic;e;in' a grave', he said, 'we: can't get a preacher', and I said, 'Hell, I' 11 c;et a - ,;hat do you want me to do·? 1 And he said, 'I want you to get me a preachE;r and get this fic;c;erec1 out;, I ,,arri:; you to taLe cm:·c of t':1c Aucrican Legion', and I said, 'i\" .l right, I' 11 take care of it' . 1 Ancl my wife and this 6 j_rl thc(c vorked for ue, they came up to the funeral houe, and I went and 6 ot Harry BracJ.ford, he ,.-1as the su9crintenci.ent of schools, and I said, 1 }12.rry, ~rou got to oe the chaplain for a funeral', and ne se.id, 'Funeral';', and I said, 'Yes, don't ;;0ke any difference, the guy just i:;ot pardoned ou:c of the peniten­ tiary at i,2.nsj_ns, Kansas, and he got killed; he had a car wreck - tLouz:;i1 I don't be­ lieve it; I tnink souebody sl,ot him'. Old Harry said, 'All ric)1t, all ric;ht, I'll be there. il}1eu is it•t ', 2.nd I said, 'Righc nou!' 1 m1,' he says, 'all ric)1t'. So the word :::;ot o,rt. tr2.t 'lie was gonna have l>!onroe I s funeral that nie;ht and, gosi1, there was a er•oi;d dmm tl:cere. So we went up there and we had some boys, two boys ont of the service, tuo boys with their uniforms, and two just walkc:c1 off the lE.:Eise, as the · Color G uard. '.L'llc pallbE.:ctre1's was k,terican Lec;ion boys, just kinda picked. up. '.L'he Scrgcant-a·c-Ar1,1s vas this Beil Clark, old Ben Clark. And Har:cy Dra6.fo:cd gets up and he rer,6.s t,1e ritual, pore of the ritua.l, and says tlle se1uon of who's bein:c; ou:ried. Re say·::;, 'i-'.:)m·oc A. Qu.icJ:, oorn in Searcy, Arl:2.nsas, in 1085, with honoraole c'..is­ clia1·gc f1·c.,,, the Ai.wrice,i /\r,,1~r, served overseas, Oh Lord, Anen. Monroe Quick, bo1·n Sea1'cy, A~·~:aus2s, ·oor,1, J.c,85, lionore.0le disc~:ar.:_,;e, served the Arr,iy, Oh Lo:cc1, A;-,,en'. Said i·c tuice, e.nd tha·;, ..;as the end of it. It was then ths·i.; rny vifc and this 6 irl se..1.1.~; t 1,.ro scn:.;s [1.8 p1·L::tty as an:;rthin3 :/OU ever he2.:cd j.n your lii'c. 1:L'hey 1ve i'or~ottcn what tLey \·.Tls c:11c1 I have. So D2n Cla2·}: said., '~i1ell 1 Colo:r GuarO. fall outside; f'ord outside' 1 3['.,.j_Q 1 'Prill-uearers will ta.kc the 1·t:::L:!2.ins to the hc.?.rsc 1 we 1;ilJ_ no•,r pro­ cec.-:Cl. to the ccL1e:tcr_y'.. And he:ce ;,,,Te so to the c8ueter;/ 1 end it's c;ett.in' d-..1sk. He get up tl-:i.ere, uow this is a funuy t}1i1~, you c~o11 't need to Oclieve it ~· I belic..-.re it 'cc.use I've tolci. it so dr..!.Ul 1~~a11:,r tj_ucs - Ec1·e: 's ?ake 1 he is a typic2.l 016.. Gu.r.1 1 shoes uu'c. et. tl1e toes, a:od olc1 p:=::.nts ~oa~0in' 1 •,~c-cs.rs a o1c1 c.:02t the.t. 's GOt a velT/et collnr t:-i2:C 's nll wo1·n oft, no hc..t, a bandanna bc..nclkcrcllief a:c-cLuicl hir.1 1 and his nose is 2n r..:.:d 2"s £. Oect pic~~lC;, anc.1 not shr:v,/0U, 2UoLrC 70 y~2rs olcl, he's jLtst an old bu.,.i1; h·2 's just an olc1 cl.rLu.L:;:; a1:c1 his colte2.2/-.1e 1 he's one of ny S)'JJl1ilitic p2.t-­ ie11t.s. He says) 1 \-;uit a n:i.nu"Cc: 1 t!.1ey 1 1·~ co::1in', th~y're couia', yco.J, tllt2s 1 re comin! 1 1 a~.-K1 old I}c-'1.l:e sa;y-s 1 'Hel.1 1 I've Got to c~t it', and olC. .:3lu2 says, 'G0d dan.ll it, ,:llcJc 'd yuu Clo ,..T ith j_·c, w:1nt c1icl you (o with i-'c, here -Lhcy ar12, they're ell. here, lnn:ry u,:,, lrn..1:-ry up, J·esus Clu·ist, hurry up! ' Ole. ,=ELe ,-1as du;m c1ic:;c;in in the cor,1cr of the clirc, just a' die;3j_n', and they' c1 h2.d tLeir ju;:; of wilis::ey and they'd i.Jee,1 thro1,in' dirt oul:. mid covered it up and hc:1·c c.:;•ce tlle fm1e1·2.l cortec;e, sec:, to "Lury this u:J..1 nn6. they couldn't find thc:il· ju-.:;. Pretty soon they cot th,, jug, and off tlwy weut " 12, Interview- Dr. D. \-1. Hw.1phn,ys, Dec. 10, 19:SG 11 Dr. Ho1mrc1 '.1.'he job was ,uurc irnpori,anc than the bu.rial, eh'/ 11 D~·. Hm1phrcys "That 's what tlicy 1,0.nt cu. '.l.'i1is Blue, he was a c;ood friend o:l' uiue auc1 I took cn:re of ltim. Ee ncv(:r coulc.l c;ct drunJ: enou,c;h to have his teech pulll.,D, so one Satrn:c1ay he just ::;ot as drunk as he couJ_d 1ic, ·a11d he stn::;::;erecl dow,1 to uy offic(: a!1d he cm1e in am1. he says, 'Doc, I ,ra11 1 you pull I\'/ tooth'·· I said, 'Hell, I'vl: ceen tryin' to cet 'un all pulled'. 'Ah', he says.