A sidelight to James Brooks Ayers ROBERTSON (Governor of Oklahoma, 1919). In the early 1880s, as the story goes, my grandfather, William Carlisle PARNELL and ROBERTSON traveled from Fort Smith, Arkansas through Indian Territory to Oklahoma Territory to 'cowboy' for a year. Upon their return, my grandfather was reported to remark that "all I have seen is Indians and cows for a year. I'm going to marry the first white girl I see." PARNELL and ROBERTSON stopped at the Sac - Fox Indian agency in/near Stroud to spend the night. They asked the Sac - Fox Interpreter to stay in his barn for the night and for water. The interpreter, Ed CLARY, called inside the house for Emma to "bring the bucket." A sixteen-year old girl appeared and the cowboys filled their canteens. A year later PARNELL returned to Indian Territory to court Emma, working as a cowboy around Spencer, and married her. PARNELL staked a farm south of Chandler on the Quapah and founded the town of PARNELL (now Payson) north of Meeker. He became a County Commissioner and Post Master of Parnell, Payson and Meeker. My father, William Carlisle PARNELL, Jr., born at Parnell, I. T., September 12, 1896, and died December 7, 1977, in Oklahoma City. I apologize for the historical trivia, but the ROBERTSON post brought back many memories. I still own the farm by the way. William Carlisle PARNELL, III Colonel, US Army, Retired Bradenton, FL PARNELL, GOODELL, CLARY, WHISTLER