From The Files of The Seminole Producer

The Maud posse is not an idea, it’s a reality. This fact was disclosed Thursday night at a meeting of the Pottawatomie County Cattlemen’s Association at the Maud Civic Center.

Curtis O’Daniel, Maud rancher and chairman of the posse group, told the 50 cattlemen in attendance that the posse had been patrolling the Maud area since March 13.

Seminole County Sheriff Bill Merryfield, who attended the meeting, said, “I’m very much in favor of this posse I think it’s a good deterrent to crime.

“It has a psychological effect in that it will scare thieves away from this area if they know that groups of people are out patrolling.”

O’Daniel, who also operates a real estate office in Maud, said that some 65 Maud ranchers are members of the posse. “four cars, with two men in each car, patrol the Maud area every night,” he said.

“We haven’t caught anyone yet, but we haven’t heard of any cattle or hay being stolen since we started the posse.

“What got us to thinking about forming a posse was the fact that J. C. Hurst’s hay barn was burned down, and two of his cows were stolen by arsonists and thieves,” O’Daniel said. “There has been several calves stolen around Maud.”

O’Daniel said that posse members have placed special neighborhood crime patrol stickers on their pickups and cars “This way when we are out patrolling, we can tell when a car or pickup is a member of our group,” he added.

The posse chairman said that each man in the posse pulls one night of patrol duty a week. “I usually drive around 170 miles on a single night of patrolling,” O’Daniel said.

Bill Sharp, Pott. County Cattlemen’s Assn. president, said he was in favor of the posse. “Neighbors should help each other to watch after their livestock and property,” he said.

On Monday, March 12, 38 Maud ranchers held a public meeting at the Maud civic center and discussed forming a posse. The following day, The Producer carried a story concerning the meeting.

O’Daniel told the Producer March 13 that no definitive plans had been made concerning the posse idea at the March 12 meeting. However, in a contradictory statement, he told the cattlemen Thursday that the posse had been patrolling since March 13.

Sheriff Phillips told The Producer on March 13 that he was in favor of the posse, but he did not want the thing to get out of hand with people running up and down the roads carrying guns. He said “transporting loaded weapons on state roadways is against the law.”

When asked if the posse were carrying guns, O’Daniel replied, “No, not that I know of.” Some posse members indicated to newsmen, however, that they were carrying guns while on night patrol. -oOo Arlo Guthrie of New York City, folk singer and son of the late Woody Guthrie, will be presented in his first Oklahoma concert Tuesday, April 3, at Tulsa Municipal Theatre. Seminole and area residents are advised Mr. Guthrie is the nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Hulett Edgmon, Mockingbird Lane, City.

Mr. Guthrie began singing professionally in 1966. He appeared in many clubs in eastern states and made a tour of Japan in mid-1967. His first album included the underground hit, “Alice’s Restaurant.” Since then, the singer has recorded “Arlo,” “Running Down the Road,” “Washington County,” and his latest, “Hobo’s Lullaby.”

The singer has been a guest on popular television shows including the Johnny Cash Show, Dick Cavett, Johnny Carson, David Frost, Today Show and the Great American Dream Machine.

Born in Coney Island, New York in 1947, Mr. Guthrie’s father, Woody, also gained fame in the folk singer world. Before he was stricken with a crippling and fatal illness, Arlo’s father, Okemah born, wrote many songs still popular and in great demand by folk singers. -oOo School Daze – Tryouts for the high school talent show will be held on Thursday, April 19 at 3:30 p.m. They will be held in the high school auditorium. ~ The band will be going to State Contest at Stillwater. They will be going on Friday, April 13. They will also be participating in a contest at Davis on Saturday, April 28. There will be a parade and a concert band and also a stage band contest. ~ The Honor Roll Teas will be held at the Methodist Church Monday. Students attending this will be dismissed from school at 2:30 p.m.

Several students have received the Governor’s Honor Roll Certificate. The silver certificate is for students with a 2.5 to 3.5 grade average and the gold certificate is for students with a 3.5 to 4. grade average. ~ School Daze slants – Roger Dillman talking… Debbie Lewis having a good notebook… Steve Rees having a cute picture of himself… Rosalie Robbins knowing the time… Terri Lockhart enjoying another day of class… Mike Upton pitching a good ball game… Cathy Morgan having problems… Deland Dooly growing a fourth of an inch… Tommy Taylor solving a mystery… Ronnie trammel being boggish… Marta Lemons not understanding something… Brenda Stone saying she wasn’t absent… Tim Wantland being a source of answers… Amy Bishop being surprised about not having homework… Dawn Chesser squealing… Pam Roberts not getting something… Jon Neal being guilty.