Vol 13 No. 04 - January 1936

A Description Of Texas Sixty Years Ago

Description of Texas frontier from the New York Times, 1874

Mentions: La Saba * Magee, Kemper, Gutierez, Perry * Jean Lafitte of Bordeaux * Dr. Long of Tennessee * Claiborne * Mr. Baker *

School Times In Pioneer Days

By Mrs. B. M. Roberts, Austin, Texas.

In the early school days of Texas very few people lived near the school house. Many of the pupils had to walk from two to four miles twice a day to and from school, and three months was the limit of the school term. A dollar and a half to two dollars was the regular tuition fee charged each scholar. This was paid at the end of each month. Later the South was given the benefits of free schools, when the term was lengthened to six months.

Often the fathers or older brothers would have to take their guns and accompany the children to school, for the Indians had not been entirely driven out of the country, and often a band of these savages would swoop down on a little settlement of white people during the light of the moon, and strike terror to the hearts of the bravest of them. The children, in going to and from school, went through many dangers and hardships, which the boys and girls of todev know nothing about - This is an excellent account

Bits Of Historical Information

By J. Marvin Hunter.

Mentions: Disturnell's treaty map published in 1850 * the Republic of Fredonio * Hayden French * Mr. C. A. Dwyer, cashier of the Union National Bank of Houston * George R. James, of Washington, D. C. * Fort Graham, in Hill county * the old Jose Maria village * Hillsboro *

MILAM A MASON.

Mentions: Ben Milam * Veramendi Palace * Milam's Masonic membership was asked by William Eiler * Guy T. Cude, secretary of Scottish Rite Bodies * Jesse Jones (secretary of Alamo Lodge) * Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Dillingham * Mr. and Mrs. G. R. Woodward of Kerrville

THE FINGER OF SUSPICION.

Col. F. M. McCaleb, veteran newspaper man, who wrote of early days in Southwest Texas, his articles being published each Sunday in the San Antonio Express, tells of a near-tragedy in Frio county, in the middle 1870’s wherein Virgil Johnson, a pioneer rancher, came near being the chief actor. This is his story.

Further Mentions: Mrs. Oge * Miss Laura Hamner of Amarillo, Mrs. Max Bader and Miss Edna Lewis of Bellville, Texas * Mr. and Mrs. I. N. Stephens and Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Willingham, of San Antonio

Gail Borden, Early Newspaper Publisher

San Antonio Express West Texas, Borden County and its county seat, Gail, are named for Gail Borden, who with his brother edited at San Felipe, in 1835 the first Texas newspaper-then called The Texas Telegraph. This Gail Borden was also the inventor of condensed milk, now a popular culinary necessity. The town of Borden in Lavaca County, 160 miles from San Antonio was named for him. This is his story

Mentions: Stephen F. Austin * Ben R. Milam, F. W. Johnson, J. C. Neil

The Battle Of San Jacinto

Mentions: the Buffalo Bayou * the San Jacinto River * "Twin Sisters" * Colonel Sherman * Deaf Smith * President Burnet

Story Of General Thomas Jefferson Chambers

From The Progress, Anahuac, Texas. The story of General Thomas Jefferson Chambers, Texas patriot, and the man for whom Chambers county was named, is one of the state's most thrilling tales. Centering it is the village, now the bustling little oil metropolis of Anahuac. General Chambers, a dramatic figure, called it Chambersea and planned a city for it. His life was one of the most tragic in all Texas' long story. He died from the bullet wound of a murderer in his home in Anahuac, believing that the state which he helped to save from the clutches of Mexico, had been unjust to Him. Read the story and you will... Further Mentions: Orange county,Virginia * The Louisville Courier Journal * Miss Abbie Chubb * Chief Justice Roberts * Trinity Bay * Governor Jim Hogg * Miles Crowley of Galveston * Marsene Johnson of Galveston * Mrs. Kate Chambers Sturgis, and Mrs. Stella J. McGregor * Governor Miriam A. Ferguson * Dr. James F. Long, a native of Tennessee

A Journey Through Texas In 1856

By Frederick Law Olmsted (Continued from Last Month)

Mentions: Nachitoches or Grand Ecore * the Sabine * Mrs. Stokers * Bushy Park * Mr. Strather, an adjacent planter, originally from Mississippi * Gaines's ferry * the Fraternity of Masons * the Presbyterian University * The Masonic Institute * Mr. Brown *

Name Of Andrews In Texas History

By Marjorie Rogers, Marlin, Texas

The name of Andrews is listed with the great pioneer builders of Texas. The last statement of Big Dick Andrews, as he was mortally wounded in the early struggle of Texans with Mexico, "I'm a dead man, boys, but don't let the others know it; keep on fighting to death," is one of the greatest patriotic heritages bestowed upon Texans.

The Texas Revolution was in the brewing when Richard and Micah Andrews of Alabama oiled their guns, packed their covered wagon and started for the "little two-horse republic under the Lone Star." Little did these two strong, large men dream as they drove over the muddy trails guided only by familiar landmarks, watched for Indians and made plans for the new life that they were destined to become Texas heroes. This is their story.

Mentions: Big Dick Andrews * Richard Andrews and Micah Andrews of Alabama * Captain Billingsly * the Battle of Mission Concepcion * William Andrews * Richmond in Fort Bend county * the Battle of Brandywine * Sandersville, Georgia * Louis Rodriguez, a native of San Antonio * Mina * Noah Smithwick * Captain Eastland * brothers, Richard and Redden * the Cordova-Flores combination * La Grange * Redden Andrews * Redden Andrews, Jr., a Baptist preacher *

"Never Fool With A Fool"

By Max Coleman, Lubbock, Texas.

This is the true account of how the career of buck-toothed young William Bonney began and swelled under the notorious name, "Billy the Kid."

Mentions: a Texan known as Bill Roberts * a ruddy cheeked Englishman named Tunstall * the Ruidoso river * Frank Coe * the Rio Felez * Dick Brewer * Baker and Morton * the Lincoln County War * Silver City * Pat Coghlin * John Chism * Murphy and Dolan, * William Bonney * John Middleton, Charlie Browdre, Tom O'Pallard, George and Frank Coe * Blazer's Mill * Sheriff Brady * Seven Rivers * Lew Wallace * Tom O'Pallard * Pat Garrett * The LX Ranch at Tascosa, Texas * Fort Sumner * Jim East * Stinking Springs * a jailor named Ollinger and one named Bell * Barney Mason * Kip McKinney and John W. Poe * Roswell * Pete Maxwell *

Taking The Law To The Rio Grande

By Clyde Wantland

Story of the Dad Noakes' store raid and the pursuit that followed led by Captain Lee H. McNelly, (includes old photo) March 26, 1875.

Mentions: Dad Noakes at Nuecestown * Lee H. McNelly (includes photo) * John Lane, Mike Dunn and Tom Nelson * Burton * Corpus Christi * George Durham * the Santa Gertrudes ranch * Captain King and Captain Kenedy * Rancho La Para * Martin Culver and Hines Clark * Culver * the "Big Sands," * the Arroya Colorado * Laguna Madre * Raymondville * Herman Rock of Brownsville * Rancho Las Rucias * Mercedes between the present city of and the Rio Grande * Red Thomas * Jesus Sandoval * the old Taylor road * Horace Maben and Deaf Rector * Dick Heye * Resaca de la Palma * Pital Hill * Sergeant Orrill * George Durham * Sonny Smith * Participants in the Pital battle were Sergeants L. L. Wright and R. P. Orrill; Corporals Polly Williams and W. L. Rudd, and Privates S. A. Adams, George, P. Durham, Matt Fleming, Horace Maben, Tom McGovern, H. J. Rector, Jesus Sandoval, Sonny Smith and Jim Wofford * Rancho El Sauz, the lower part of the King empire * Durham, for almost sixty years has been a foreman on the King Ranch * Karnes county * Mr. Wantland * Cortina's bandits * Mr. and Mrs. Jim Berry of Pearsall * Miss Esther Berry and Mrs. Dick Praessell, and Mr. Praessell, of San Antonio * Mrs. M. Rose * Viola Holloway, Anna Lee Tinney, Lilla Jeanne Tuck, Josephine Hauser, Martha Nell Beddingfield, Walton Daniel, Ronald Baldridge, June Gillaspy, Milton Heimann, Joe Henry Mills, Neal Matthews, Jackie Palmer, Louise Niehaus, George Holliman, Charles Vandever, Florence Harris, Edwin Gulledge, Ernestine McDonald, James Shattuck, Gloria Anneola, Concepcion Arredondo, Sophie Bowles, Billie Cochran, Jimmie Taylor, Tommy Morris, Jack Hardy, Maxine McClung, Patricia Dial, Ruth Wilson, Anna Belle Reynolds, Mary Josephine Lowrance, Mary Bowles, Mary Elaine Oehler, Leroy Baker, Mary Etta Kelsey, Charles Hurst, Aaron Robertson, Robert Bryant, Ruth Garrett, Loraine Estes, J. C. Carlisle, Carlos Lopez, Harris Swearingen, Raymond Riley, Harold Rogers, Tom Calvin * Hal S. Hudspeth * Mount Green, in Bexar county

Some names mentioned in this volume:

Pvt S. A. Adams; Capt Andrews; Dick Andrews; Micah Andrews; ; Redden Andrews; Redden Andrews Jr; Richard Andrews; ; Richard (Big Dick) Andrews; William Andrews; Gloria Anneola; Concepcion Arredondo; Gen Austin; Mrs Max Bader; D. W. C. Baker; Leroy Baker; Ronald Baldridge; Dr Florence Barns; Martha Nell Beddingfield; Esther Miss Berry; Mrs Jim Berry; Bertillion; Capt Billingsly; William Bonney; ; Gail Borden; CharlieBowdre; Charlie Bowdrie; Mary Bowles; Sophie Bowles; DickBrewer; Charlie Browdre; Brown; Robert Bryant; Burnet; Burr; Jerry Bywaters; Tom Calvin; J. C. Carlisle; Melissa A. Castke; Gen Chambers; ; Kate Chambers; Stella Chambers; Thomas Jefferson ; Gen Thomas Jefferson ; John Chism; Abbie Miss Chubb; Charlotte Churchill; Gov Claiborne; Hines Clark; Billie Cochran; Frank Coe; ; George Coe; Pat Coghlin; Coke; Coldwell; Coleman; D. E. Conwill; L. L. Cook; Cos; Miles Crowley; Guy T. Cude; Martin Culver; Walton Daniel; Patricia Dial; J. D. Dillingham; Mrs J. D. Dillingham; Mike Dunn; George Durham; Pvt George P. Durham; Duval; C. A. Dwyer; Eastland; Chas Eckhart ; Hayden Edwards; Herman Ehrenberg; William Eiler; Tex Elam; Loraine Estes; Gov Miriam A. Ferguson; Joseph E. Field; Pvt Matt Fleming; W. R. Fletcher; Henry Stuart Foote; Z. T. Fulmore; H. P. N. Gammel; ; ; Ruth Garrett; June Gillaspy; Thomas J. Green; James K. Greer; Edwin Gulledge; George Hall; Laura Miss Hamner; Jack Hardy; Florence Harris; Gertrude Harris; Josephine Hauser; Mrs Ray Hay; Milton Heimann; Dick Heye; Jim Gov Hogg; Mrs Mary Austin Holley; George Holloman; Viola Holloway; Boyce House; Hal S. Hudspeth; Charles Hurst; Gen F. Huston; George R. James; Marsene Johnson; Virgil Johnson; Jesse Jones; Mary Etta Kelsey; George William Kendall; Capt Kenedy; King; Lafitte; Gen Lamar; Lane; B. F. Langford; Robert Lefwich; Edna Miss Lewis; John J. Linn; Dr Long; Dr James F. Long; Carlos Lopez; Mary Josephine Lowrance; Horace Maben; Pvt Horace Maben; Barney Mason; Neal Matthews; Pete Maxwell; Col F. M. McCaleb; Maxine McClung; Ernestine McDonald; Pvt Tom McGovern; Mrs Stella J. McGregor; Kip McKinney; McNelly; ; Capt Lee H. ; John Middleton; TOC Milam; Ben R. Milam; Joe Henry Mills; Dr Francis Moore; H. A. Moos; Paul A. Morgan; Tommy Morris; R. Mosoriak; Col Neil; J. C. Neil; Tom Nelson; Rev Chester Newell; Louise Niehaus; Mary Elaine Oehler; Frederick Law Olmsted; Tom O'Pallard; Sgt R. P. Orrill; Sgt Orrill; Jackie Palmer; Col Poe; Dick Praessell; Mrs Dick Praessell; Deaf Rector; Pvt H. J. Rector; John C. Reid; Sam C. Reid; Anna Bell Reynolds; Raymond Riley; Marianna Roach; Mrs B. M. Roberts; Bill Roberts; Chief Justice Roberts; Aaron Robertson; Herman Rock; LouisRodriguez; Harold Rogers; Mrs M. Rose; W. L. Cpl Rudd; Pvt Jesus Sandoval; Gen Antonio Lopez Santa Anna; Shackelford; James Shattuck; Col Sherman; Smith; Sonny; Pvt Sonny ; Smithwick; ; W. Preston Stapp; I. N. Stephens; Mrs I. N. Stephens; Mrs Kate Chambers Sturgis; Harris Swearingen; Jimmie Taylor; Fred Thalmann; Red Thomas; Eugene Thumim; Anna Lee Tinney; Lilla Jeanne Tuck; William Tunstall; Vaca; CharlesVandever; Wallace; Lew; Clyde Wantland; Wantland; Ward; B. G. Wiemers; J. W. Wilbarger; Polly Corp Williams; G. B. Willingham; Mrs G. B. Willingham; Ruth Wilson; Pvt Jim Wofford; G. R. Woodward; Mrs G. R. Woodward; Sgt L. L. Wright; Lt Linton Wright; HendersonYoakum; Yett;