Vol 24 No. 11 - August 1947

H. S. Varner, Schoolmaster

Account describing the life of H. S. Varner, of Cottonwood, pioneer school-master who spent almost 48 years teaching in Callahan county, TX rural schools. Mr. Varner taught his first term at Pilgrim, fourteen miles west of Cross Plains, in 1891. From Pilgrim he went to Cottonwood in 1892 as an instructor in Yonley's Polytechnic Institute, and although he taught at times in nearly every early-day school in the county, more than 30 years of his teaching experience has been spent in Cottonwood. Here is his story.

Mentions: the Coffey family, the Freelands, the Coats family , Atwell , Turkey Creek, Cedar Bluff, Colony, Putnam, Oplin, Bayou.

Rise and Fall of Mission San Saba

J. Marvin Hunter, Sr.

This article describes the rise and fall of the San Saba mission, one mile above the present town of Menard, on the San Saba river. There is much documentary evidence that such a mission was established, and this account cites such eminent authorities as Morfi, Bancroft, Bolton, Yoakum, and other historians who searched Spanish records in Spain, Mexico and Texas to bring to light the facts described here.

Mentions: the province of Nuevo Santander , the Hasinai Indians , Dr. Herbert Bolton's "Texas in the Middle Eighteenth Century," , Fathers Santa Ana and Dolores , Captain Rabago , Lieutenant Galvan and Fray Miguel Aranda , Cerro del Almagre , two rich deposits called Los Almagres , The larger of the veins, El Almagre Grande , Cerro del Almagre , Miranra , Cerro del Almagre , San Joseph del Alcazar , Honey Creek , Pachuca, Don Pedro de Terreros and Don Manuel de Aldaco, Mazapil, a mining town between Zacatecas and Saltillo , Diego Diraud , San Xavier , Cruz de Quaretaro , Fray Alonzo Giraldo de Terferos , Conde Parrilla de Regla , Captain Pedro de Rabago , Colonel Diego Ortiz , Father Terreros , Friars Joachin de Banos and Diego Ximenez , Jose Santiesteban and Juan Andres , Parrilla , Fathers Terreros, Santiesteban, and Molina , Father Terreros , Eyasiquiche , the great Taovayas chief, Eyasiquiche , Captain Phelipe de Rabago , Antonio Trevino , the Marques de Rubi , El Canon , John Warren Hunter , Bonilla and Marfi , San Luis de las Amarillas , Don Pedro de Terreros , Los Moras creek.

The Lost Child

Frank S. Hastings

The author of this account, Frank S. Hasting, was for more than thirty years manager of the great S. M. S. Ranch near Stamford, Texas, and was known and highly esteemed by the ranch hands and cowmen of West Texas. Here is an eye-witness account of the story of Little "Curley" McNutt, who went missing at age four, and the desperate attempts to discover his whereabouts. Also Mentions: the Tongue River Ranch , `Molly' O'Hare, the horse wrangler.

Last Indian Raid in Frio Canyon

A. J. Sowell

Account of a bloody raid in 1882 when the Indians struck their last blow at the settlers in Main Frio Canyon. For more than thirty they had made constant raids and many whites were slain, and in this last two more victims fell — Mrs. Kate McLauren and Allen Lease, a youth who lived with the McLauren family. Here is the story.

Mentions: John M. McLauren, husband of the murdered woman , Miss Kate Ringer , Lockhart , the town of Leakey , Cherry Creek, below the Leakey settlement , Allen McLauren , Maud McLauren , Alonzo McLauren , Frank McLauren , Richard Humphreys , Mr. John Thompson , George Fisher , Mrs. Goodman , James Hicks, Henry Wall , Mr. Fisher , David Thompson , James Hicks , J. B. Johnson , W. J. McLauren , Tobe Edwards , Caryell , H. T. Coston, Henry Wall, (better known as "Boy" Wall), Frank Pollard, George Leakey, M. V. Pruitt, John Thompson, and Frank Sanders , H. T. Coston , Kickapoo Springs , Lieutenant Bullis , Galbreath Fuqua.

The Texas Ex-Rangers 28th Annual Reunion

Col. M. L. Crimmins

Account of three old rangers responded to the call and lived up to their motto "To The Last Man," at the reunion in the Ranger's Memorial Hall at Santa Anna, Coleman County, on August 4th and 5th, 1947.

Mentions: Major C. M. Grady , Gradyville , John T. Morgan, the Confederate Raider , "Terry's Texas Rangers", , Capt. Jack Maltby's Company "E" , Mrs. R. C. Gay , Captain Noah Armstrong of Coleman , Salado in Bell County , Capt. G. W. Arrington , The Rev. Wm. B. Bloys , N. J. Jones , Archer City , Capt. June Peak's Company , Captain John R. Hughes of Austin , Major C. M. Grady , Rep. S. J. Isaacks of El Paso , Sen. H. L. Winfield of Fort Stockton , Sergeant Ira Aten, El Centro, Calif , Mr. W. H. Rischworth of Center Point , Jeff D. Milton of Tucson, Arizona , Owen P. White of "Colliers." , Dallas Stoudenmire, the Marshall of El Paso in 1880 , Johnnie Hale, George Campbell , Mayor, R. F. Johnson , City Attorney William H. Burgest , Mrs. C. D. Bruce , Sheriff John R. Bannister , Ben Moore, of O'Donnell, Lynn Co , Rev. C. H. Richards , Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bolander.

D. H. Palmer, A Pioneer Preacher

Jean Baker

Account of the activities of D. H. Palmer, who went to school at West Point Military Academy after his father tried to fashion some sort of elementary education for him. His last college work was taken at the old Bevans Institute in San Marcos, where the scholar received a diploma equivalent to our present law degree. Upon graduation Mr. Palmer practiced law for seven years, during which time, he experienced the call into the ministry. Though the call was serious enough for him to maintain a way of life from it, he explains his reason for withdrawing from a legal career as "I was afraid I would learn to tell a falsehood." Here is his life story.

Mentions: the Hext community , Bronte , the settlement of Cottonwood, Callahan , J. R. Kelley , Miss Zimrude Norton , Mr. and Mrs. P. D. Norton. , the little town of Honey Grove , The Chickasaw Indian territory, Sparta, Miss , Goliad City , other preachers, J. H. Carroll, George Truitt, and A. R. Watson , Garden City , Ben Palmer of Hext, Mrs. O. E. Allen of Bronte, Mrs. C. J. Brooks of Garmon, Okla., Harvey Palmer of Corpus Christi, Bill Palmer of San Angelo, Albert Palmer of Brown-wood, Mrs. W. L. Cooper of Fort Sill, Okla., Mrs. Curtis Walker of Silver, Mrs. G. D. Kennedy of Forsan, and John Palmer of Brownwood.

Figured in Spectacular Shooting

Franklin Reynolds

Account of the incident that occurred on the ranch of Otto Schauer in Irion County, on Rockey, near the line of Tom Green, about 28 miles from San Angelo. It was then that Sheriff Shield proceded to arrest Otto Schauer and Sam Murray, on a warrant that had been issued in Irion County charging them with the murder of Ben Cole. Here is the detailed account of that event.

Mentions: Deputy Sheriff Bob Bannerman , Field Marshal Knight Leo Ritter Von Schauer , Karl Von Schauer , the Austrian Military Academy , Charles E. Schauer well known Del Rio real estate operator and insurance main, John Lackey, county clerk , Leo von Schauer , Otto Schauer , Miss Ella Corum , Mrs. Mitah Wiggins , Mrs. Mary Allan of San Antonio , Baden-Baden, Austria , Charles E. Schauer, Jr., Billy B. Schauer, Nelson C. Schauer, Mrs. Ellen Walker and Mrs. Buck Taylor , Miss Anna Montgomery , Ella Corum , Father M. G. Painer , Miss Irene Schutzee, , Hector McKenzie and Robert Ferguson, well known West Texas stockmen , W. E. West and the late S .E. Couch , Deputy Sheriff Bob Bannerman , Jeff G. Byrd, L. F. Blanchard, Sam Dowdy, J. A. Braddock, S. A. Brooks, E. O. Roff, S. H. Manuel, L. S. Faucher, S. M. DeLong, Frank Harris, E. P. Ditmore, and J. L. Millspaugh , Jesse Hoy and Sam Murray , Ozona , Miss Clomar Mackin Holden , Neuvo Laredo, Mex , Joe Funk , Bob Mims , Crockett County.

Wild Bill Hickok, Scout-Peace Officer

Frank J. Wilstach

Account of Wild Bill Hickok who was not killer in the same sense as Willie Bonney, otherwise Billy the Kid, for he was neither a desperado nor a had man. While Wild Bill had, as they say in border literature, forty notches on his gun—a dead man for every year of his life—he never shot to kill except in the exercise of duty or in self-defense. He had amazing success in killing instead of getting killed. This luck has been attributed in great part to his well-nigh unbelievable speed in drawing and to his accuracy in firing his pistols. Here is his story.

Mentions: Bat Masterson and Buffalo Bill , General George A. Custer , George Ward Nichols of Boston, Mass , Mrs. Elizabeth B. Custer , Joseph Wheelock , La Salle county, Ill , General Samuel R. Curtis , David Tutt, a gambler and former Cqnfederate scout , the renowned Boot-Hill cemetery , Phil Coe , Mrs. Emma Lake , Lake Circus , Gil Robinson , William Lake , Jack McCall, a desperado , Mount Moriah cemetery , Charlie Ulter , Mrs. James Butler Hickok , "Queen of the Plains," the famous "Calamity Jane," otherwise Mrs. Mary E. Burke.

Small-Pox Plague in San Antonio

Account of the days when the red plague of smallpox walked rampant down the streets of San Antonio during the 1880's.

Mentions: Alexander Sweet and (Doctor) J. Armoy Knoz , Don Jose Maria de Calgeme Dios tres Palacious , the Old Alamo Ditch , Upper Labor Ditch.