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Gov. Locke and Secretary S.B. Spring
The Choctaw Herald-March 16, 1911- Front Page - Transcribed by Doris Dykes iisixmilionii@1starnet.com May 22, 2002

     Victor M. Locke Jr., of Antlers Okla., who was recently appointed Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation by president Taft to succeed ? Green McCurtain, deceased, was born at Doaksville, Towson county, in the year 1876. His father, Victor M Locke Sr. , was a native of Tennessee and an ex-Confederate soldier. His mother of Choctaw Indian blood, was of the McKinney family, a relative of hers, Thomas McKinney, was once Principal Chief of the Choctaws. When quite young his parents moved to Tiokbusha Allttumoha, in Kiamichi County, where he spent his early boyhood days. When the Frisco railroad built through this country and the town of Antlers was laid out, the Locke family moved to that place where all the surviving members of the family still reside.
     Gov. Locke’s education began with the neighborhood school in his community, later he attended Austin College, Sherman Texas, and Drury College, Springfield, Mo. During the Spanish-American War he enlisted with company E 4^th Texas Volunteer Infantry. He served for two terms as a member of the Choctaw council. In national politics: Gov. Locke became identified with the Republican Party when quite young. In 1901 he was elected as one of the delegates from the Indian Territory to the National Republican convention at Chicago that nominated Roosevelt for President.  Following his retirement as assistant district Indian agent, he was appointed secretary to Gov. Green McCurtain, at the same time serving as one of the campaign managers of Joe McNeal, Republican  candidate for governor of Oklahoma.
     Later state chairman James Harris nominated him from the 4^th congressional district as the republican member of the state election board. On February 5^th last, he received his commission in Washington, D.C., and qualified as Principal Chief of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.
     Gov. Locke has always manifested an interest in the Choctaw people. He speaks both Choctaw and English fluently, and being young and active, we predict that his will be an aggressive and successful administration.
     S.B. Spring, of Hugo appointed secretary to Gov. Locke, was born and reared 1 mile south of the city and is too well known to require an introduction.
     He is a man with a college education, speaks English and Choctaw and has filled a number of important positions in the Choctaw government. His father, Levi Spring, was a democrat and ex-Confederate soldier, but his son Bailey, affiliated with the Republican Party long before Statehood. He was the first postmaster of Hugo, being appointed to that position in 1901. He was a delegate to the State convention in 1903 that endorsed William H. Taft for president and stumped the county in 1910 for the county and state republican ticket.