Vol 16 No. 05 - February 1939

A Trail Driver In Reminiscent Mood

By Odle Minatra

Account of John Tally, cowman and gentleman of Austin, a native of Hays county, Texas. He has been a cowboy, cattleman, merchant, banker, and public official. But his heart has always been in the cow trails. Here is his story.

Further Mentions: Old Johnson Institute * Driftwood hills * Jim Reed * Fort Griffin * Hume Brothers * Independence Cattle Company * Ben Landa of New Braunfels * Thurston, on the Southern Pacific * Roy Bean * Langtry * Major Ellison of San Marcos * Jack Robinson * John Wesley Hardin * Doc Burnett * Clabber Town * Frank Fritz * Cuero * Old Indianola fire company * Sheriff Livingston of Milam county * John Selman * Jim Bowles * John Bowles * Dr. Hoclaw * Mitt Livingston * Jim Wilkerson

Edward Conrad: An Outstanding Patriot

Judge J. M. Woods, in the "Freie Presse fuer Texas"

History has failed to adequately acknowledge the debt that Texans of today owe to one who was unusually active in establishing Texas government and in defending it from its enemies. Edward Conrad was but one of a great host of people of his race who emigrated to Texas and who rose to the defense of human liberties and the establishment of a free government. His devotion and service to Texas must ever be held in the esteem of those who are now the happy residents of this great state.

Mentions: Captain William G. Cooke * Refugio * the Grays * Geo. C. Childress, James Gaines, Collin McKinney and Bailey Hardeman * Lieutenant Colonel Henry Millard

The Hill Country's Benefactor

Account of Captain Charles Schreiner, the Hill Country's greatest philanthropist and benefactor, who assisted many people in the counties of Kerr, Bandera, Kimble, Edwards, Real, Gillespie and Mason to a successful start in life. Captain Schreiner gave over a $1,300,000 for public benefactions in some of these counties. This account details his life and his deeds for the citizens of the Hill Country.

Mentions: Schreiner Institute * Kerrville General Hospital * the U. S. Veterans' Hospital * the S. A. & A. P. Railroad * Riguewhir, Alsace Lorraine, France * Dr. and Mrs. Gustave Schreiner * San Antonio and Aransas Pass Railroad * the city of Kerrville

SAN SABA PIONEER PASSES ON.

Brief account of Warren Hudson, who was born at Maringo, Alabama, January 15, 1842, and came to Texas by boat with his parents, landing at Old Powder Horn, an early Texas seaport. The family moved on to Prairie Lea, in Caldwell county, where they remained until the boy was 16 years old, when he went to San Saba county, where he made his home the remainder of his life, with the exception of two years he spent in New Mexico. During the early days he belonged to a company of minute men, under Captain Ledbetter of San Saba county, and Captain Moseley of Brown county, and was the last of a group of men who buried Sebe Gaines, who was the first white man killed by the Indians in San Saba county.

Mentions: his daughter, Mrs. M. J. Parker * Richland Springs, Texas * Miss Martha Eleanor Hall * Mrs. M. J. Parker of Hall * Mrs. Ennis Penn of Mercury * Mrs. Nellie Matlock of Holt, Jimmy Hudson of Richland Springs, William Hudson of Brady, and Fletcher Hudson of Brownwood * the Richland Springs EyeWitness

Dr. Robert T. Hill: Dean Of Geologists

Account of the life and accomplishments of Dr. Robert T. Hill, of Dallas, Texas, known as the dean of Texas geologists. Dr Hill became interested in the structure of the earth while a boy apprentice on a weekly newspaper at Comanche, Texas. He spent his odd moments roaming over the hills of that region, trying to discover the reasons for the various types of outcropping rocks and soils and the nature of the terrain peculiar to that district. Although his fame today rests on his accomplishments as a scientist, he never lost interest in writing.

Mentions: Dr. F. W. Simonds of the University of Texas, Austin; Dr. H. L. Fairchild of Rochester University, Rochester, N. Y.; N. H. Barton, geologist of the United States Geological Survey, Washington, D. C.; E. O. Ulrich, Paleontologist of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., and W. F. E. Gurley * Cornell University * the Cross Timbers * the Texas Cretaceous section * Rio Grande Embayment and Edwards Plateau * the TransPecos region * Geography of the Black and Grand Prairie regions * Geologic Atlas of the Austin Quadrangle * the great Balcones Fault system * Dr. Charles Schuchbert

Historical City Of Seguin

Willie Mae Weinert

At first named Walnut Springs because of Walnut Branch which runs through the town of Seguin, in February, 1839, the name was changed to Seguin in honor of Colonel Juan N. Seguin who commanded the only company of soldiers at the Battle of San Jacinto that were of Spanish and Mexican descent. Seguin had its first postmaster, James Campbell, in 1839. Here is an excellent account of the origins of the city.

Mentions: the DeWitt grant * Robert Trail * Michael Erskine * In 1845 the German immigrants * Guadalupe Male Academy * The Guadalupe Female Academy * J. R. King * The Seguin Mercury * General Henry E. McCulloch and his brother, Brigade General Ben McCulloch * Lieutenant Kittredge * Henry McCulloch * Governor Davis * John Ireland * A. C. Erskine * the Southern Pacific Railroad * C. M. Holmes * City of Seguin * Ferdinand Weinert, J. M. Abbott Sr

A Remarkable Funeral Oration

This account is from an old article that appeared in The Eye-Witness, a weekly newspaper published at Richland Springs, Texas. It is a funeral oration delivered by H. W. Knickerbocker, in the rear of a saloon, over the body of Riley Grannan, a gambler, who died in Rawhide, Nevada. Knickerbocker Was a member of a family famous for its ministers, but at the time of delivering the oration he made no other claim than that he was just a prospector. The funeral oration wits delivered when rough men in a rough world found they could not put into words their feelings and they asked Knickerbocker to do it for them. It is a remarkable speech.

The Famous Dick Duncan Murder Case

By J. Marvin Hunter

Account of the gruesome discovery of the foul murder of four, and possible five, people found dead in the Rio Grande near Eagle Pass in 1890. The investigations led to the suspect of two San Saba county men, known as Dick Duncan and Walter Landers. Here is the story.

Mentions: Captain Frank Jones * Ira Aten and Sergeant John R. Hughes * the little town of Barksdale * The eldest daughter, Luvina * Luvina Holmes * Mrs. Williamson and her family * The youngest daughter, Bulah * Ben Williamson * Judge Winchester Kelso * Governor J. S. Hogg * Ysleta, near El Paso

On A Mexican Mustang Through Texas

By ALEX E. SWEET and J. ARMOY KNOX

This is part of a serial account of two daring adventurers who colorfully describe their exciting and sometimes humorous happenings on their trip through the wilds and wiles of Texas during the 1870's.

(Continued from Last. Month)

Mentions: Prince Solms * Anzeger desWestens * Sophienburg * Baron Otto von Meusebach * Prince Frederick of Prussia * Adels Verein * Hon. Gustav Schleicher * a Mr. Marsh * B. Oppenheimer & Co * Gus Mueller * Patrick Maloney and Michael McSweeney * Fritz Schimmelpfenig * Kirschwappel * the Main Plaza in San Antonio * the Menger Hotel *

Some Neglected Facts In Frontier History

By R. C. Crane, Sweetwater, Texas

This is an excellent account of the formative events that led up to the historically significant "Battle of Adobe Walls", which occurred in June, 1874. This battle marked a milestone in the development of the frontier region of west Texas.

Mentions: Bent's Fort * Kit Carson, who was then a Colonel of New Mexico volunteers * Ft. Bascom in eastern New Mexico * Billy Dixon * Major Comption * Woodward, Okla * Lt. Col. J. W. Davidson * Gen. Mackenzie * Ft. Sill * Gen. Miles and Gen. A. R. Chaffee * Gen. John Pope * the mouth of Tule canyon on the banks of the Red River * Reynolds City * Ft. Elliott, on Sweetwater creek in what is now Wheeler county * Miles O'Laughlin of Miami * Charles Goodnight * Taylor, Jones, and Haskell counties * Tom Green county *

Bowie's Battle Ground On The San Saba

By J. Marvin Hunter

There is a doubt in the public mind as to whether the early Spaniards ever discovered a silver mine on the San Saba river, although there are rumors and traditions of such a mine, generally referred to as the "Lost Bowie Mine." This mine was supposed to have been in the vicinity of the old Mission San Saba, located on the San Saba river, just one mile above the present town of Menard. This mission was established in 1757, and according to records, was destroyed in 1790. It was restored as a. Texas Centennial project in 1937. Geologists find no surface indications that would warrant even a remote supposition that silver existed in paying quantities anywhere in the San Saba Valley. Notwithstanding all this, history and tradition attest the existence of a silver mine so often referred to by the old chroniclers as "La Mina de las Almagres," "La Mina de las Amarillas," and in later times as the "Bowie Mine." This is a detailed account of Bowie's efforts and endeavors in this area and the mine that bears his name.

Mentions: Breve Compendio * Antonio Bonilla * Governor Don Jacinto de Barrios * Don Bernardo Miranda * James and Resin P. Bowie * Xolic, a Lipan chief * Pecan Bayou * Matthew Doyal * Tresmanos, a young chief * the Llano river at the falls at the mouth of Comanche Creek, now in Mason county * spring on what was for many years known as the Rock Spring Ranch, which belonged to Felix Oldham, and is about four miles west of the Double Knobs, a noted landmark in Mason county, on the Mason and Menard road * Calf Creek * Calf Creek in McCulloch county * Celery Creek * Mrs. Mary A. Nunally of Thorp Springs, Texas * David Buchanan, Cephas K. Hamm * Thomas McCaslin, Robert Armtrong, James Corriell, Jesse Wallace *

Death Claims Gaston B. Means

Account of arch swindler, master liar, and gifted detective, Gaston B. Means, who was born in 1879 of a highly respectable and well-known North Carolina family and who died at Springfield, Mo., a prisoner of the Government, serving time for defrauding Mrs. Evelyn Walsh McLean, wealthy owner of the Hope diamond, of $104,000. This is his story.

Mentions: Mrs. Maude King, a Chicago widow * the Burns Detective Agency * Concord, N. C. *

L. D. Campbell: Fearless Texas Sheriff

Account of old time sheriff is L. D. Campbell of Vernon, Texas who served as a peace officer in Northwest Texas for more than thirty-six years. Gunfights were plentiful for the veteran officer, particularly in the early days of his service, but his record includes no death notch on his pistol. Many of West Texas' most dangerous characters were captured by Campbell but some surrendered without a fight. Others were subdued without serious injury. Here is his story.

Mentions: peace officer at Crowell * Elected sheriff of Foard county * chief deputy of Wilbarger county, under R. L. Rheay and E. P. Williams * a ranch twenty miles south of Thalia, in Foard county * an altercation at Chillicothe * Charley Holloway, a constable in Wilbarger county * the Odell bank in the north part of the county * Tipton, Okla * The apprehension of Jack Sullivan, West Texas desperado * Mountainair, N. M * gunfight in which a Plainview officer and a convict were killed * Perchmouth Stanton * Miss Jessie Sandifer * J. D. Linton * E. P. Williams *

MUSEUM MUSINGS

Mentions: Mr. and Mrs. Ed Paradowsky of Ingram * Mr. and Mrs. O. P. Couch of Kerrville * Blickensderfer typewriter * Mrs. George E. Fehr, of Beeville, Texas * Mrs. Merle Kohne * Louis Lenz * Frederick C. Chabot of San Antonio * Dr. I. .T. Rush of El Paso * A. S. Bush of San Antonio * Mr. and Mrs. Laurence White of Winkelman, Arizona. and J. R. White of Medina, and C. E. Jones of Lockhart, Texas * William E. Chisholm, eldest son of Jesse Chisholm * Asher, Oklahoma * Mr. Louis Lenz, of Lake Charles, Louisiana * Edward Clark, Governor of the State of Texas * PIONEER WOMAN - By Eve Simmons.

OLD AGE DREAMS.

By Mrs. J. S. Torbett, Gatesville, Texas

The Assassination Of Pancho Villa

Account of the assassination of Francisco Villa, noted bandit chieftain of Mexico, which occurred on July 20, 1923, at Parral, Mexico. The true facts in the case were brought out in an article written by Elias L. Torres, published in El Siglo de Torreon, November 10, 1935, of which the account is a translation furnished by Dr. I. J. Bush of El Paso, Texas.

Mentions: La Cochnrero * Meliton Lozoya a farmer and ranchman * Don Hilario Lozoya * Victoriano Huerta * Canutillo Ranch * Murguia * Don Adolfo de la Huerta * Jurado family. Don Adolfo * Nieves * La Cochinera * Crisistomo, Juan and Jose Barraza * Juan Lopez * Saenz Pardo * Juventino Ruiz * Ruperto Vera * Jesus Salas Barraza * Maturana * Sallas Isarraza * Ramon Contreras, Claro Ilurtado and lot. Altnottte Medrano * Antonio Medrano, who came from Aguas Calientes * Ramon Contreras * Mary Austin * The Road to Mammon * Ralph Pembrok, F. M. Richards * Richard S. Waring, and Ira G. Yates