Dust Bowl Humor
Only thing that is higher than that dust is your debts. Dust settles, but debts don’t.
–Woody Guthrie
The wind blew the farm away, but we didn't lose everything—we still got a mortgage.
–Unknown
Those people who remained in western Oklahoma faced their dilemma armed with a sense of humor. Beaver County residents tested the strength of the wind by nailing a chain to a fence post; the wind could not be called a stiff breeze until the chain blew straight out.
Another story told of a New Mexican farmer who sued an Oklahoman for his farm, which had blown east and settled at Guymon; reportedly the Oklahoman filed a countersuit, saying he had just planted a crop on this land when the wind blew it back to New Mexico.
One humorist told—with a straight face—that he had seen a prairie dog digging a hole up in the air ten feet off the ground.
—Odie Faulk and William Welge
The above article is a bonus to the fascinating historical content found within our book
Oklahomans Vol 2 :
Statehood - 2020s
which can be purchased HERE.
View the inspiring 2-minute preview video HERE.
