Vol 19 No. 08 - May 1942

Did R. M. Potter Coin The Alamo Phrase?

By J. Marvin Hunter

In the last issue of Frontier Times appeared an article, "Alamo Phrase Buried in Obscurity," which addressed the authorship of the famous phrase, "Thermopolae had its messenger of defeat—the Alamo had none." Various persons have been credited with having coined this immortal phrase, among them being Gail Borden, Edward Burleson, Tom Green, and others, and now comes another claimant for that honor in the person of Reuben Marmaduke Potter, eminent patriot of the days of the Republic. More light is thrown upon this subject by Mr. Louis Lenz of Shreveport, La , who sends in a Photostat copy of a portion of a pamphlet by Captain Reuben M. Potter. Here is the story.

Mentions: Rev. Edward Fontaine * Mirabeau B. Lamar * Miss Fidelia Burchard * Naugle * Louis Lent * James Gordon Bennett

Boyce House And A Texas Horned Frog

Boyce House, now a prominent feature writer and radio commentator of Fort Worth, is the man who started "Rip," the Texas horned frog on his road to fame, and landed him on the front page of nearly every paper in the United States, back in 1928. This is the account of House and the famous frog by R. K. Phillips of the Weatherford (Texas) Democrat.

Mentions: Eastland, Texas * News-Scimitar and Commercial Appeal * the Daily Oil Belt News * Judge Edward S. Pritchard * Eugene Day * Mr. Singleton * Dr. William T. Hornaday * Andrew Volstead * Wings Over Chaos * Knowles Witcher Teel * Lilith Lorraine * Sara Borschow, Ruth Clark Callis, Aline B. Carter, J. E, Crews, Mary Estelle Daunoy, Blanche hing Fitch * Willie Hardcastle, May Laufenburg, Lilith Lorraine, Dora Price, Rowena Selby, Knowles Witcher Teel, Mabel Lindsey, Vick, and Ethel Young

Texas Rangers On The Scout

By A. J. Sowell (Continued from Last Month.)

In 1870-71 the Indians were very numerous and hostile on the Texas frontier, and a call was made by the Governor for several companies of volunteers to go on a campaign against them. There was an immense scope of country to protect, stretching from the Rio Grande to Red River. The Indians were more numerous in the northwestern part of the State, and committed many depredations under the notorious leaders, Big Tree, Satanta, Sittanka, and others. This account especially deals with the conditions of the Texas border at that time, especially in the northwest, and relates incidents of Indian warfare as recalled by old settlers in that region. Account includes detailed record of the brutal Indian attack on the poor Keenon family.

Mentions: Dave Smith * Jacksboro (or Fort Richardson). * Brit Johnson * Lost Creek in Jack county * General Braddock * Captain Baker and Lieutenant Hill * Big Sandy Creek * Bud Seglar * Jim Schuler * John Fitzgerald * Lieutenant Hill * Dave Woodruff * Sergeant Payne * Jim Townsend * Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees, Caddoes * Captain Cox * Captain Sansom * O. T. Brown * Col. Bean * Keenon's ranch * the Keenon family * The widow Paschal * (Continued Next Month.)

Notable Texans I Have Known

Elmer J. Edwards, Jr., Waco, Texas

The account describes individuals that have always had the interests of Texas foremost in their lives and will always be the noblest of Texans. They have kept the sparks of tradition and romance burning in the hearts of all loyal Texans by their untiring, unceasing efforts to preserve a realization of the historical heritage of the people of Texas.

Mentions: Misses Adina and Mary De Zavala * Lozenzo De Zavala * Pat Neff Hall * the Cullen F. Thomas Carillon * Baylor University * Ursuline Academy * Sam Houston State Normal in Huntsville * Dean Thomas Ulvan Taylor * Mrs. Annie Pennybacker of Austin * Mission San Francisco de las Tejas * El Santissimo del Nombre de Maria * Mrs. G. Keith Gordon of San Antonio * Mrs. Bessie Lee Fitzhugh of Waco * the old Tehuacana College * Mr. Guy Bryan Harrison, Jr., * Senator Tom Connally * Pat M. Neff * McGregor * Miss Alta Jack * town of Burleson * Burleson Renfro, the son of William Henry Renfro * Dr. Rufus C. Burleson of Baylor University

Guadalupe County's First Cotton Gin

By J. M. Woods, San Antonio, Texas

The growing, sale and the manufacture of cotton into cloth, the varied use of the by-products of cotton, is such an important factor of the lives of such a vast number of people that the story of the effort to further the commercial production of cotton in Guadalupe county is an interesting one. W. R. Posey, of Seguin, recalls in this article, his grandmother's account of the work of her husband, Ben Posey, in erecting the first cotton gin in Guadalupe county:

Mentions: the Posey family came to Texas from Virginia * he located on York's Creek on the line between Guadalupe and Comal counties in 1852 or 1853 * Rogue's Hollow

When A Thin Dime Brought Good Luck

By Clifton Seymour Stuart

Author of this article, Clifton Seymour Stuart, was an old time telegraph operator in Texas, and spent several years in Marshall and Dallas, and he wrote many interesting stories of early railroad life, which were published in Frontier Times. Here is another of his fine offerings from his early Texas life experiences.

Mentions: Dan Stuart * Maurice Barrymore * Ethel, Lionel and John Barrymore * Eagle Ford * T. C. Junction * Daddy Alvoid * Henri Marcella of New Orleans * the old St. James hotel * Old man Herman Kretz * Jake Shaeffer * Pop McNaughton * the Jeffries-Johnson fiasco * Dangerous Dime McGrew

Frontier Culture In San Antonio

Mentions: Beethoven Mannerchor * The story of Old Man Mullins * Jake Mullins * William McManus

Reminicences Of Jeff Holt, Frontiersman

As Told to His Son, Roy Holt.

Account of Jeff Holt, who was born in Erath county, Texas, near Granbury, May 17, 1862. He spent most of his years in Coleman county, Texas and offers excellent detailed glimpses into life in early days there. This account offers some rich and rare early Coleman county history and genealogy.

Mentions: Jim Holt * settled in Erath county, between Robinson and Kickapoo Creeks * Zebudee Holt * William Carroll Holt * Jackson Holt, Allen Holt, Nathan Holt, Charlie Holt, Acie Holt * Wood county * Rains county * Boone county, Arkansas * Aunt Martha Bellah * Bosque county * Valley Mills * Father bought land on Mukewater Creek about four miles southeast of the Santa Anna Mountains * Mukewarrah, Comanche chief * the Council House fight in San Antonio * the old Lone Star cemetery north of Point, Texas * Sam Bellah * Jim Beaird * Emory * Sheriff McConnell of Kaufman county * Mattie Gertrude Beaird * Will Beaird * C. C. Burk * Charles Cock * Pink Barton and Bailey Barton * Jack Woodward * Chris Burk * Bob Campbell and Ellie Campbell * Trickham * Fort Griffin * the Busk Ranch * John Hardin * Allen Holt * Gouldbusk * Fred W. Turner * Talpa * the Beck and Overall ranches * the Turner ranch * Rockwood * Dick Cheatem * Miles Wofford * Chris Burk * John and Jim Brannan, Rich Coffey * William Jennings Bryan * Jim Hogg * Brownwood * Coleman City * C. M. Grady, ex-ranger and my neighbor for many years, who now lives in Brownwood; H. H. Brown, another neighbor for many years; also S. H. Duggins, a near neighbor yet; L. L. Baker, Ellie and Bob Campbell, Chris C. Burk, George, Thomas, Andy, and Bob Kirkpatrick, Miles and Frank Wofford, Lewis and Henry Brooks, Dr. J. P. Matthews, L. L. Shield, Dr. T. M. Hays, Linnie and Charlie Hunter, Sam Phillips, L. V. Stockard, W. R. Kelley, V. L. Grady, Sam Harper * Rich Coffey, Captain John Elkins, W. W. Hunter, Joe Green, Tom Johnson, John Cox, Bose Blackwell, Pink and Bailey Barton, Henry Sackett, Veach Woods, John Bannister, Thad Knox, and Joe Morris. * were J. L. Vaughan, Charley Shield, the Porters, the Featherstons, Billy Guthrie, Henry Voleutine, Lee Page, Charley Haynes, John McClatchey

Happy Recollections Of Boyhood Days

By J. Marvin Hunter

"It is pleasant to look backwards sometimes and recall amusing incidents that occurred in the days of our youth. In the years that I have lived I have had many varied experiences, some strange, some tragic, some blood-curdling, some sorrowful, some humorous and delightful. Through all these years there has been enough happiness and sunshine to outweigh whatever sorrows and misfortune that has come to me."

"My happy childhood days were spent at Mason and Menardville, and I have a vivid recollection of many things that occurred, particularly at Mason,, which, to the reader, may not be interesting, but to me they are treasures and souvenirs of my boy-hood that will never be forgotten."

"One of the humorous, yet pathetic, incidents that I recall happened at Mason in 1892. The Baptist congregation had erected a new church building on High Street, just across from D. Doole's store, and shortly after its completion a protracted meeting was held there, the services being conducted each night for about two weeks. Rev. C. A. Mangham conducted the revival. A family by the name of Harris had just moved to Mason from Hunt or Hopkins county. Mr. Harris was a lawyer, and had three sons one of the sons, Charlie Harris, was also a lawyer, and a little later this young man was elected county attorney. Charlie Harris was a fine looking young fellow, always went well dressed and, like his brothers, was very popular with the girls…"

Further Mentions: a German by the name of Heimann * Aunt Nancy Garner * Bud Garner * Sam Garner * Centennial Spring * the Scott Cooley gang * Charlie Gowan * College Spring * Post Hill * Billie Todd, Mick Hey, Manks and Sterling King, Wes Smith, Holmes Doole, Charlie Broad, Orb Stapleton, Will and Jim Lemburg, Otto Schmidt, Charlie Bernhard, Cal Moody, Edgar Mebus, Will Sands, John and Irvin Mayo, Robert and Otto Bogusch, Clyde Traweek, Willie Garner, John Butler, Frank Garner, George, Jess and Wils Leslie, Lawrenge Christopher, Emil Schroeder, Dee Payne, Mark Adcock, John Hubbard, ,Kay Hubbard, Felix Eckert, Gus Eckert, Fritz Klett, Willie Dye, Otto Keyser, Henry Keller, Ike and Bud Martin, Ed Henrich, Will Holland, Max McAllister