Vol 07 No. 01 - October 1929

The Restoration Of A Paleface

By Marjorie Rogers, Marlin, Texas

Very touching and true account of the other side of the story of the white settler and the savage Indian. This account occurs in Falls county when a venerable Indian chief, Jose Maria offers to take the responsibility of caring for a sickly white lad with the hope of seeing the boy healed from a deadly sickness. The parents with some reluctance, but being assured of the chief’s goodwill, yield their son to be taken from them for months to undergo Indian-style treatment for the disease. The bond that is established is tender and moving, though it is finally threatened by the ill-will of white settlers who see no good in the relationship.

Further Mentions: camp on Big Creek, about ten miles east of the present location of the town of Marlin.* Captain Isaac Smith, a native of Falls county * Z. N. Morrel, a pioneer Indian scrapper and Baptist minister* his son Allen Morrel * Henry Woodland, a Mier ex peditioner * Jasper Garrett * Been Long * Captain Sul Ross * Cynthia Ann Parker * Blue Ridge * Robert Smith * Square Barkley * Captain Ike * a bad man, named Golson * the Trinity river, about where Fort Worth is * Bray's Bayou and Buffalo * John R. Harris * Harris County *

Romance, Adventure And Tragedy Fill Texas Names

By Sam Miller, Mineral Wells.

Mentions: The name San Jacinto * Saint Hyacinth * Austin, Bexar, Brazoria * Apollo * Nacogdoches * Bevil * Viesca * ), Liberty, Matagorda * Gonzales, Harrisburg, Jasper * Goliad * Zephyrus * Colorado, Jackson * Red River and Sabine * Cold Springs *

AN OLD MUSTER ROLL

Mentions: Mr. R. Holdsworth, of Kerrville * Hon. Geo. W. Hareral * San Augustine de Ahumada * W. M. Watkins * Jas. D. Harper * Geo. Redus * Geo. W. Rathbone * Geo. W Harper * Christain Bado * Wilson Baily * Bendick Burel * Martin Huzeler * Charles Maegelon * Captain J. C. Oaks * John Folmer, second corporal * Joseph Maegelon * P.J. J. Vanpelt * David A. Vanpelt * Buffalo Bayou * J. B. Wernett * D. S. Johnson * Wm. A. Burrows and S. Boone * R. Anson Jones * Mr. Polk *

Anson Jones And Annexation

Thrall's History of Texas

Mentions: Mr. Van Zandt * President Tyler * Plan of Zaval * Mr. Van Buren * Mrs. Mary McCrory * J. Pinckney Henry * Dr. P. Smith *

Early Exploration Of The West

By Chas. H, Coe

This is an excellent account of the famous Lewis and Clark expedition in 1804-06. The story focuses primarily on the unique hardships, mishaps and terrible tragedies that were experienced on the great expedition.

Further Mentions: present town of Butte, Montana * 18 miles portage at the present Great Falls * Nez Perce Indians * Boats quite often were upset * some of the men were frozen * intense storms * Bismarck, N. D

KNEW COLONEL BAYLOR

Mentions: Col. George W. Baylor * General Walker * Floyd S. Sisk * Mrs. A. B. Looscan, of Houston * John R. Baylor * Mr. H. C. Miller, Sr., of Brenham * General Albert Sidney Johnston *

Early History Of Comfort

Mrs. Herman Schulze.

[SELLER’S NOTE: THIS ACCOUNT CONTAINS MOST EXCELLENT EARLY HISTORY AND GENEALOGY OF THE AREA AROUND COMFORT, TX (Kendall County, but Kerr County then) FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON THE VERY FIRST GERMAN SETTLERS OF THE REGION]

This is an exceedingly well-written and heart-warming narrative of life in the earliest days of Comfort, TX when German settlers decided to make their homes along the banks of the Cypress Creek on August 27, 1854. At that time, Comfort was part of Kerr County until Kendall County was organized in 1862. If you have German ancestry in this area or are looking for very early history of this area, this great story is unparralled in value. It continues on to relate changes in the town over the next 50-75 years.

Mentions: Brunko* Rigi and Jungfrau * Wolkenburg * Wallachei * Hasenwinkel * Fritz Goldbeck * Altgelt * Velss * Ernst * Friedhof * Holekamp, Fuchs, Grothaus, C. Dietert * Goldbeck, Schemmelpfenig * Breitenbach * Mueller * Kutsfeld * Telgmann * Schladoer and his family * Mr. Hall * Rosalie Hess * Christ Dietert * Mr. Walter Brink * Welles * Ernest Flach * Huber * Comfort's park * Mrs. Clara Faltin, Mrs. Johanna Steves, Mrs. Sophie Crenwelge, Mrs. Anna Strohacker, Mrs. Anna Langbein, Mrs. Augusta Grenshaw, Mrs. Dora Karger, Mrs. George Holekamp, Mrs. Johanna Hamer, Mrs. Emilie Schwethelm, Mrs. Louise Gass, Mrs. Augusta Allerkamp, Mrs. Gertrude Schoeninger, Mrs. Oscar Doebbler, Mrs. Gottfried Schellhase, Mrs. Auguste Pfeil, Mrs. Julius Pfeil, Mrs. Julius Liek, Mrs. Elise Heil, Mrs. Dorothy Dienger, Fritz Sauer, Carl Roggenbucke, George Holekamp, Julius Holekamp, Dan Holekamp, Emil Wiedenfeld, Robert Schaefer, Ernst Stieler, Lulius Lindner, Herm. Altgelt, Gottfried Schellhase Fred Boerner* Order of Herman Sons * Camp Idlewilde * State Home for the Aged and Orphans * Camp Laf-A-Lot *

F. M. Mccaleb Tells A Few

Col. F. M. McCaleb, of Austin, offers numerous observations of pioneer life in Texas and especially in and around old San Antonio. He focuses on details that would otherwise go un-noticed. Very interesting observations. “We never saw a girl riding with one foot east and one foot west” “In the Pioneer Days never a watch without a key” etc, etc

Mentions: Frank H. Bushick * Tilden, the county seat of Mullen County * Frio Town * Hondo City * Pleasanton * Fort Crogan * Burnet * J. H. Faubion of Leander * Williamson County Old Settlers * giant liveoak tree at Jolleyville * etc, etc

Disappointment In Love Made Kenton An Indian Scout

Account of famous Indian fighter and Revolutionary War spy, Simon Kenton (formerly Simon Butler) who probably would never have become the great man he did if not for a very misfortunate love affair in 1771. This story traces out his experiences, courage and dangerous exploits.

Further Mentions: John Mahon, Jacob Greathouse * O. Bishop * Yager and Strader * the Kanawha River * Dunmore * Simon Girty * Daniel Boone * Monongathere * George Rogers Clark * Gov. Shelby of Kentucky *

Day Events Given By Kerr Pioneer

[SELLER’S NOTE: HERE IS MORE GREAT EARLY KERR COUNTY HISTORY]

By W. S. Adair.

J. J. Denton of Center Point, Kerr County recalls early days in Kerr Co. Tx. His father, B. F. Denton came to TX from Montgomery County, Arkansas in 1859 and settled in Burleson County but at the end of the war came with the settlers who were beginning to move into Kerr County, then beyond the frontier. In that region free lands were open to all comers; the head of a family could file on a tract of 160 acres and a single man 80 acres. His father took a survey in the fertile valley of Turtle Creek, a crystal-clear stream fed by pure mountain springs and tumbling into the Guadalupe River. This is where the account begins.

An excerpt:

"When we went to Kerr County all that part of the country was covered with the most luxuriant native grass, three to four feet in height, and as thick as it could stand, over the mountains, as well as the more fertile valleys. Unbranded cattle that had no owners peopled the country in incredible numbers. Deer, bear and turkeys, which had not as yet learned to fear man, abounded. The buffaloes, however, had moved farther west, but the ground was still white with the bones, hoofs and horns of them, which the cattle chewed for the sake of salt they yielded, and which, getting lodged between their teeth, or in their throats, often killed them. Many times we removed pieces of bones that had lodged in the mouths of our milch cows and thus saved their lives.

"But the bullfights were what interested us boys. These wild cattle had a place on the creek near us where they mustered in the evening to get water and to bed. We went in advance of the time for them to come and climbed trees a short distance from their bedding grounds, whence in safety we could observe the war. When the cattle had drunk their fill of water the bulls went at it to determine who was who and to keep themselves in practice. Sometimes there were a score or more fights in progress at once and the cattle of the herd seemed to enjoy it as much as we boys did. The exciting moment of the battles came when a fighter realized he was beaten, for he knew that when he turned to run the victor would cut him in the flank with his horn. He dreaded this final stroke so much that he never failed to fetch a despairing moan or bellow when he unlocked to run. This thrust in the flank seldom proved fatal, but it almost always inflicted a deep wound.

"For some time after our arrival in Kerr County we lived in a tent after the manner of the Indians, but a year or so later a settler set up a sawmill on the creek near us and there father got lumber enough to build him a house. The first year we had to pay $2.50 a bushel for meal, but father fenced a tract of 10 acres and planted, or rather, sodded it, in corn and made 40 bushels to the acre. We hauled the corn to Fredericksburg, a distance of 35 miles, in order to get it ground. We had no flour. The first biscuit I ever saw my grandmother sent me as a present and curiosity when I was 9 years old. We could buy coffee from Charles Schreiner, merchant at Kerrville…

Further Mentions: his son Howard Denton * uncle, John Lowrance * The first mill established at Kerrville was a small steel affair, owned and operated by Christian Dietert * M. A. Lowrance built a water mill at Kerrville * Alamo City * mercantile business at Ingram, eight miles west of Kerrville * served six years as County Commissioner of Kerr County *

Finds The Lost Mine

James Bee.

Story of Frank Hobson, who discovered the long lost “Bowie mine” part of the San Saba silver mines originally developed by the early Spanish soldiers but abandoned after Indians raided the Franciscan mission, leaving the old San Saba mines lost. That is until…

Carefully collecting all the information he could regarding the subject, Hobson set forth on a systematic search...With the ruins of the old mission church as a center, he described a circle in the country round about, going carefully and patiently over all of the ground within its circumference. Then he described another, and many others, with constantly increasing orbits...All through the hot summer months he searched, and one day early in the fall he was walking slowly up the bed of a little creek seeking a prominent landmark from which to locate his next circle. There were narrow bottom lands on each side covered with a dense growth of shrub and prickly undergrowth. Beyond were high hills, strewn thickly with boulders and spotted with a scattered growth of mesquite and scrub oak. It was the dry season and the creek was but a succession of long reaches of gravel, relieved by far-apart water holes. Hobson had his head down looking for "float", that is, pieces of gravel containing mineral…

…He now discovered that he was tired, so, divesting himself of his accoutrements, he sat down, with his back against a mesquite tree growing at the base of a great boulder. He took a pull from his water canteen and looked idly about. There was a crescent shaped hole at the foot of the big rock which at once obtruded itself upon his attention. It was barely large enough to admit an average man's head and shoulders, and had a dark, cavernous look that suggested profound distances beyond. From Pure impulse Hobson pushed his head and nearly half his body into this opening. An ordinary man would have hesitated, thinking of snakes and "varmints" with teeth and claws, but Hobson, was neither cautious nor reflective and anything but ordinary. He found the place opened out within and his arms were free to move and feel around. Above was the hard bottom of the boulder. In front and below he swung his arms into empty space. Further investigation disclosed that his chest was resting upon the edge of a hole whose bottom might be just out of reach or hundreds of feet below. Judging from the contour of the rim as far as he could feel, it was a circular pit about four feet in diameter. A wild idea came surging into his brain. He backed out and began with feverish haste to claw away at the loose soil and sand at the entrance so as to enlarge the opening. Then he looked in again and lit a candle. Sure enough, he was bending over a round hole to which the feeble light showed no bottom. On its sides, however, were the certain marks of tools. Hobson's heart gave a bound so tremendous that he thought it almost leaping from his mouth. He drew out in the sunlight again, uncoiled his rope and tied knots at intervals along the entire length. He fastened it securely around the mesquite, threw the other end into the pit's mouth and then, taking a firm hold, let himself through the entrance, feet first, and began to descend. The sides of the shaft were so close together and so jagged and uneven that he could brace himself with feet and shoulders, relieving his arms. Down he went, down, down, until he came to the rope's end. He swung out, but his circling feet touching nothing substantial.

His disappointment was so keen that he was almost tempted to let go and jump but he didn't. He braced himself again, lit his candle and peered below. Luck was with him. There below him, not more than a dozen feet, was the bottom, vague and indistinct it is true, but certainly the bottom. He let himself loose and dropped like a plummet. The rush of the fall blew out the candle, and he lit feet first into a pile of something that crashed and cracked. A pungent dust arose and stung his nostrils until he sneezed again and again and tears came into his eyes. On relighting the candle he found he was standing nearly knee deep in a pile of bones, too, for there were skulls among them. But bones had no terrors for Hobson; to his quick mind it called for increased exultation. They were probably the remains of the old task-masters thrown down and covered in-a punishment in harmony with their crimes. At the bottom two drills or tunnels led away to right and left, high enough for a person to walk through with little stooping. To the right he went for some fifty feet to the end, a solid face of mineral that glistened and glittered in the candle light. On the floor a pile of it lay broken up like macadam. It needed but a glance. It was galena, rich with silver the richest the had ever seen. What extravagances Hobson committed down there in that dark hole can only be imagined, but the circumstances certainly justified the cutting of as many capers as the limited space allowed. The lost mine was found ! He would at once go up and get a sack and take away some of the ore with him as evidence and for the almost superfluous certainty of an assay.

But when he came to the foot of the shaft he made another discovery that changed all joy to despair and froze his very blood with horror…

Further Mentions: Menard county * Menardville * James Bowie * Ken Maynard *

Robert E. Lee In Texas

By Colonel M. L. Crimmins

Crimmins does history a valueable service by clarifying much of the misinformation that exists with respect to the events of the great general’s life, activities and duties while in Texas. His sources are primarily from the actual correspondence of Lee to his family in Virginia.

Further Mentions: Travis, Williamson, Burnet, Llano, and Mason counties* General Fitzhugh Lee * D. Appleton * Burnet * Fort Crogan * Hamilton Creek * Fort Leavenworth * Fort Mason * Hardee * Camp Cooper * Belknap * E. Wool * Fort Chadbourne * San Angelo * Ringgold Barracks * Fredericksburg * Major Giles Porter, Fourth U. S. Artillery * Jollyville * Judge Biglow, and Colonel Bowers * Fort Brown * Indianola * Colonel Albert Sidney Johnston * the Utah Expedition against the Mormons * Colonel Lee's father-in-law, George Washington Parke Custis, died * General G.- Twiggs * Fort Duncan at Eagle Pass * Rio Seco * W. G. Tobin of San Antonio * La Mesa * Cortina * Edinburg, opposite Reynosa * Captain Brackett * Brownsville * Major Samuel Peter Heintzelman * Tamaulipas * General Garcia * Mrs. Phillips * the old Leonard house * the Big Bend * Lt. William Echols * Camp Verde * Amasa Clark * Brevet Major Earl Van Dorn, with B and G Companies of the Second Cavalry * Captain William R. Bradford * First Lt. Walter H. Jenifer, Second Cavalry, * Lt. John B. Hood, Second Cavalry * Fort Territ. * General Winfield Scott * Wm. J. Hardee, Earl Van Dorn, Edmond K. Smith (Kirby Smith), Nathan G. Evans, Charles W. Fields, Walter H. Jenifer, John T. Shaaff, ` George B. Crosby, John B. Hood, Joseph F. Minter and Charles W. Phifer * G. W. Harmening, Grandview, Texas *

Coal Oil Johnny

This is the amazing story of John Washington Steele, the "Coal Oil Johnny" of Pennsylvania's petroleum heyday. This man was suddenly over whelmed by money, and just as suddenly overwhelmed by the passion to be rid of it, and get rid of it he did.

Further Mentions: Sheaklevike * Oil Creek, in Venango County * the Culbertson farm * a man by the name of Drake * Mrs. McClintock * Eleanor Moffitt * Seth R. Slocum * Steele & Slocum * Quaker City * the Rouseville station * Ashland, Nebraska * Coal Oil Johnny Soap * Mrs. Tobe Joy, wife of the famous frontier character and Indian fighter * . Mrs J. A. Parker, near Roosevelt in Kimble county *

Old Times In San Antonio

By Vinton L. James (4th Installment)

Here is the fourth installment of the excellent recollections of Mr. James who was a resident in the early days of San Antonio. His eye-witness accounts of the city and its history are superb and valuable in detail. In this account he relates interesting issues recorded in city records as early as 1840 involving certain disputes between those claiming “squatter’s rights” and the City of San Antonio. The town authorities found themselves helpless, and it was only after great expense and litigation that the rights of the city were firmly established and squatters finally ejected. I most highly recommend this series to any who have interest in early San Antonio history.

Further Mentions: the sudden appearance of General Cos * J. M. Smith, Mayor * James Goodman * Mr. Patterson * Military Plaza where the present City Hall now stands * Van Wess * Ed Dewyer * Alderman Garza * City Attorney Spencer *

Fought Cortina And His Raiders

By Milton M. Dodson.

In November, 1859, John Donaldson, a stockman of Live Oak county, got together a party of cowboys to go out to the Rio Grande to the assistance of Tobin in his efforts to rout Cortina. The party consisted of Donaldson, captain, and the following eighteen cowboys: George Frazier, John Crump, Martin Culver, Nathan Bartlett, Floyd Powell, Cephas Winters, Moses Hill, Jim Wilburn, Zack Wilson, Alf. Robison, (a son of the famous Sally Skull), John Futch, William Hubbard, John Ellis, John S. Givens, P. S. Hagy, Van Meter, William Ferrell and Dodson. These were later joined by a party of men from Corpus Christi, about sixty, in Captain Berry's charge. Cortina and his men were entrenched in a corral of brush and fortified with a small cannon, about ten miles above Tobin's camp. This account offers the details of that engagement.

Further Mentions: the Nueces River * Banquette * Brownsville * Lieutenant Littleton * John Fox of San Patricio * Bill Quinn of San Patricio

SOME NAMES MENTIONED IN THIS VOLUME:

W. S. Adair; Mrs Augusta Allerkamp; Ernst Altgelt; Herm Altgelt; D. Appleton; Austin; Christain Bado; Wilson Baily; Barker; Square Barkley; Barkley; Barkley; Nathan Bartlett; Col George W. Baylor; Lt John R. Col Baylor; James Bee; Capt Berry; Judge Biglow; H. O. Bishop; Fred Boerner; S. Boone; Col Bowers; Bowie; Capt Albert A. Brackett; Capt William R. Bradford; Walter Brinkmann; Brown; ; Bendick Burel; Judge Burnet; Wm A. Burrows; Bushick; Simon Butler; Simon (See Simon Kenton) Butler; Capt Calder; Capt Capt (See Ike) Ike Calder; F. G. Carnes; Clark; Gen George Rogers ; William Capt; Henry Clay; (See Steele) Coal Oil Johnny; Chas H. Coe; Juan N. Cortina; Cos; Mrs Sophie Crenwelge; Col Crimmins; ; George B. Crosby; John Crump; Martin Culver; George Washington Parke Custis; R. F. Cutler; B. F. Denton; Howard Denton; J. J. Denton; Ed Dewyer; Mrs Dorothy Dienger; C. Dietert; Mrs Christ Dietert; Christian; ; Mrs Olive K. Dixon; Dobie; Milton L. Dobson; Milton M. Dodson; Mrs Oscar Doebler; John Donaldson; A. J. Dunlap; Duval; Robert N. Eagle; Lt William Echols; John Ellis; Nathan G. Evans; Mrs Clara Faltin; J. H. Faubion; William Ferrell; Charles W. Fields; Ernest Flach; John Folmer; John Fox; George Frazier; John Futch; Gen Garcia; Jasper Garrett; Alderman Garza; Mrs Louise Gass; Gillett; Simon Girty; Fritz Goldbeck; James Goodman; Goodnight; Col Grayson; Jacob Greathouse; Mrs Augusta Grenshaw; John S. Gwens; P. S. Hagy; Mrs Johanna Hamer; Maj Hardee; Wm J. Hardee; G. W. Harmening; Geo W. Hon Harper; Jas D. Harper; John H. Harris; John R. Harris; Hayes; Mrs Elise Heil; Maj Samuel Peter Heintzelman; J. Pinckney Henderson; Gen Herrera; Rosalie Hess; Moses Hill; Frank Hobson; R. Holdsworth; Dan Holekamp; George Holekamp; Mrs George Holekamp; Julius Holekamp; John B. Hood; Lt John B. Hood; Houston; William Hubbard; ; M. R. Hunter; Martin Huzeler; Capt Ike Huzeler; Jackson; James; Walter H. Jenifer; Lt Walter H. Jenifer; G. S. Johnson; Slim Johnson; Col Albert Sidney Johnston; Anson Jones; Dr Anson Pres Jones; Chief jose Maria; Mrs Tobe Joy; Mrs Dora Karger; Simon Kenton; ; Lt Manning N. Kummel; Mrs Anna Langbein; Col Lee; Fitzhugh Lee; Gen Fitzhugh Lee; Robert G. Lee; Lehmann; Vernon Lemley; Capt Lewis; Capt Meriwether Lewis; Mrs Julius Liek; Lulius Lindner; Lt Littleton; Mrs A. B. Loascan; M. Maj Loascan; Been Long; John Lowrance; M. A. Lowrance; Charles Maegelon; Joseph Maegelon; John Mahon; Ken Maynard; F. M. McCaleb; Col F. M. McCaleb; Mrs Mary McCrory; Van Meter; H. C. Sr Miller; Sam Miller; Joseph F. Minter; Eleanor Moffett; Allen Morrel; Z. N. Morrel; Capt James Oakes; Capt J. C. Oaks; Mrs J. A. Parker; Mrs Auguste Pfeil; Mrs Julius Pfeil; Charles W. Phifer; Pres Polk; Giles Maj Porter; Floyd Powell; Bill Quinn; Geo W. Rathbone; Geo Redus; Roberts; Alf Robison; Carl Rogenbucke; Marjorie Rogers; Rose; Capt Sul Ross; Fritz Sauer; Saunders; Robert Schaefer; Gottfried Schellhase; Mrs Gottfried Schellhase; Mrs Gertrude Schoeninger; Schreiner; Mrs Herman Schultze; Mrs Herman Schulze; Mrs Emilie Schwethelm; Gen Winfield Scott; John T. Shaaff; Gov Shelby; Floyd S. Sisk; Sally Skull; Seth R. Slocum; Edmond K. "Kirby" Smith; Capt Isaac Smith; J. M. Smith; Dr P. Smith; Red Smith; Robert Smith; Coal Oil Johnny Steele; ; John Washington ; Mrs Johanna Steves; Ernst Stieler; Capt George Jr. Stoneman; Mrs Anna Strohacker; Hon Hamilton Stuart; Billie Thompson; W. G. Tobin; Gen G. Twiggs ; Earl Van Dorn; David A. Vanpelt; J. J. Vanpelt; Gen Walker; George Washington; Lt W. M. Watkins; J. B. Wernett; Emil Wiedenfeld; Theo Wiedenfeld; Jim Wilburn; Zack Wilson; Cephas Winters; Henry Woodland; Gen John E. Wool; Wortham; Worth