Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.], Part 63

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 826

USA > Arkansas > Faulkner County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Garland County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Grant County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Hot Spring County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Jefferson County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Lonoke County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Perry County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Pulaski County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63
USA > Arkansas > Saline County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.] > Part 63

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

The Buddenberg Furniture Factory is located about one-fourth of a mile west of the Union Depot, in Little Rock, and is the property of the Budden- berg Furniture Company, of which H. Buddenberg is president, and C. E. Ferguson, secretary and treasurer. The business was established by Mr. Buddenberg in 1885. when he erected a two-story frame factory 65x65 feet in size. This burned down August 7, 1888, and completely destroyed the business, the loss being $11,000. with only $3,000 insurance. Not discouraged, however, the company immediately went to work and erected the present factory, which is a two-story frame building 60x120 feet in size. They have also erected a two-story frame warehouse 30x70 feet in size. The firm employ forty-two men, and make what is known as the common grade of furniture. They employ one traveling salesman, and find sale for their goods mostly in Arkansas. The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad has a switch out to this factory which gives it convenient shipping facilities.

The business of Pettefer Brothers, architects, builders and brick manufacturers, has been estab- lished about twelve years. Their office is at 117 and 119 Cumberland Street, and their brickyard covers about four blocks in the suburbs of the city. The company is the only one here using what is known as "elamps" or stationary kilns. Their clamps are four in number, each 25x60 feet

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on the grounds, with walls eighteen inches thick. The capacity of the yard is 3,000,000 bricks per year. Sixty hands are employed in the yard, and the company own seven dwelling houses for the use of employes. They also build houses and sell them to their employes on monthly installments, which is a wonderful help to the poor men who want homes. In all the tract adjacent to the yard. not a single man buying a house on this plan has had to forfeit it. This firm also does a large contract- ing and building business, and has about seventy men employed in that line, making 130 employes in all. Their weekly pay roll is about $1,500. On last year the firm erected the Martin Block on the corner of Second and Spring Streets, the Young Building on Markham and Rock, the Board of Trade Block, Fort Steele School house, the Pulaski County Jail, the Methodist Block on Main Street, two ice factories, and six other buildings. They have a planing-mill on Cumberland Street, where they do all their own planing, and make all their own mouldings, etc. They are here to stay, and their business is increasing rapidly. The two brothers are Ambrose and Harry, natives of Eng- land, who came to America in 1868, locating first in Canada, afterward in the State of New York, and in 1877 in Little Rock. since which time they have been closely identified with the growth of the city. On coming to this place they had about $300 in money. They are now worth from $40,000 to $50.000, the result of strict integrity, hard work and close attention to business.

The Little Rock Foundry and Machine Shops of D. R. Wing & Co., are located on East Markham Street between Ferry and Sherman. This firm began business about 1874 in the old James Brodie Foundry located on Commerce and Second Streets, and continued business there until 1879, when they moved to their present location. Here they first erected a foundry and machine shop combined. it being a two-story brick structure 50x150 feet in size, and a two story storeroom and pattern-shop 50x100 feet in size. Three or four years later a new foundry and boiler shop, 45x150 feet in size, was added. This is a frame building clad with corrugated iron. About 1886. in consequence of

the great increase in business, the company erected another building. a two-story brick 50x150 feet in size, for a storeroom and warehouse. They now own the block bounded by Markham Street and the Arkansas River, and Ferry and Sherman Streets, besides three lots and a storeroom on the south side of Markham Street. When this com- pany commenced work they did a small amount of business, but it increased rapidly, and for several years this was the only foundry in the city. A machinery and mill supply department has been added, and the firm carries the heaviest supply of goods in these lines of any house in the southwest.

They are general agents for the Melburn Gin and Machine Company, of Memphis; the Water- town Steam-Engine Company, of New York, and several other large manufacturing establishments abroad. The business is largely in the line of re- pairing saw mill machinery and agricultural imple- ments. They also manufacture boilers and en- gines, and architectural iron work, and are agents for iron fencings, castings, etc., and also do a full line of business in brass goods. From seventy- five to 100 men are employed. and the pay roll amounts to from $800 to $1,000 per week. From three to five traveling salesmen are kept on the road in the territory covering Arkansas, Tennessee and Texas. The firm does a business of about $350.000 per annum. Mr. D. R. Wing has charge of the machinery department and C. E. Stephens of the office and sales department. Fifteen years ago they had only five men in their employ and did at first a comparatively small business.

The Little Rock Chair Factory Company was organized May 27, 1888. The business was com- menced by Mr. Whitmarsh, a native of New Hamp- shire, with a capital of $4,000, which was soon increased to $20,000. The factory is located in Argenta, with a frontage of 237 feet to the Iron Mountain Railroad. The building is a two-story frame above the basement story. The company also manufacture split, cane and rattan bottomed chairs, and the other material used is oak, ash, hackberry, hickory and maple, all grown in the near vicinity. Two traveling salesmen are kept on the road, and find sale for all their chairs in Arkansas,

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Louisiana, Texas and Indian Territory. Some 150 men, women and children are employed, the heavy work all being done with steam power on the best machinery. The capacity of the factory is twenty- five to thirty chairs per hour. Dr. J. P. Webb is secretary and treasurer, and W. C. Whitmarsh, superintendent.

On January 24, 1889, H. D. Layman, of Little Rock, the inventor of the Layman safety car coup- ler, received a patent for the same from the United States, and on the 31st inst., he transferred it to the Layman Safety Car Company, which was or- ganized for its manufacture. This coupler is con- structed on the "link and pin " principle, and is partially automatic. It is worked from the side of the car, obviating the necessity of the brakeman going between the cars in the manipulation of either "link or pin," the cars being attached and detached by raising the link by a lever, which is easily worked while standing on the side of the car, and performs the work of raising the link or pin as the occasion requires.

Eben W. Kimball is president and H. D. Lay- man secretary of the company, and the general office is at Little Rock.

The Little Rock Cooperage Company was or- ganized in 1879, with Henry M. Cooper, president, R. A. Edgerton, secretary, and Logan H. Roots, treasurer. The works of the company are located in Argenta. About 100 men are employed, manu- facturing chiefly cotton-seed-oil barrels. The busi- ness embraces the territory of Arkansas and Texas. This factory supplies all the cotton seed-oil mills of Little Rock with barrels. The capital stock of this company is about $35,000, and the business is increasing rapidly.

Raible & Kramer are wholesale candy manufact- mrers at 508 East Markham Street. This business was established in 1SSS by H. J. and J. Raible, under the firm name of Raible Bros. About a month later Mr. J. Raible died, and subsequently J. P. Owen bought an interest in the business, which he afterward sold to Fred Kramer, Jr. The firm name of Raible & Kramer was then adopted. The business is located on East Markham Street, in the Valley Route depot, the firm occupying a |

room 25x140 feet in size. They manufacture all kinds of candy, and have built up an excellent trade all over the State of Arkansas, and employ one traveling salesman. This is one of and the largest of the only two wholesale candy manufac- tories in the State. They employ twenty hands, and the business aggregates a large amount, hav- ing increased 300 per cent the first year. Hugh Raible, the senior member of the firm, is an ex- perienced candy maker, having learned the trade twenty years ago, and he has charge of the mann- facturing department and the city trade. He hails from Chicago.

A manufacturing agency business was estab- lished in 18SO by Thomas Baird and W. A. Bright. The latter sold his interest to the former on No- vember 17, 1887. Harry P. Baird is now associ- ated in the business with his father, Thomas Baird. They represent a large number of the most noted manufacturing establishments in the North and East, and have a two story brick build- ing, 78x87 feet in size, the lower story being occu- pied with their business. They employ nine travel- ing salesmen, and cover the entire States of Arkan- sas and Texas, and parts of Louisiana and Missis- sippi, and do an extensive business.

The extensive marble and stone works of W. L. Funston, at Nos. 605 and 607 Main street, date their inception from 1880. Several skillful artisans are employed in the business, and a large amount of first-class work is turned out.

Renton Tunnah's Marble and Stone Yard, at Nos. 402 and 404 West Markham Street, is one of the landmarks in the history of the industries of Little Rock, having been founded as far back as 1849, by Mr. James Tunnah, father of the present proprietor. These works are 100x140 feet in size, and here several skillful workmen find employment at good wages. The business is extensive.

There is one ice manufactory in Little Rock, 50x160 feet in size, and one in Argenta 150 feet square, both of which are under the same manage- ment, that of the Little Rock Ice Company. The combined capacity of these factories is from sixty- five to seventy tons of ice per day. The business was first established in 1885.

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There is a cider manufactory, besides several planing mills, lumber yards, and small manufact- uring establishments in Little Rock and Argenta, too numerous to mention in detail.

In 1819 William E. Woodruff shipped his little printing press in a canoe down the Ohio and Mis- sissippi Rivers, and up the Arkansas to Arkansas Post, and there, on Saturday, November 20, of that year, he issued the first number of the Arkan- sas Gazette, the first paper ever published in the Territory. "Of this small, but neat sheet, Mr. Woodruff was the editor, proprietor, printer and publisher. It contained a summary of the pro- ceedings of Congress some three months before, gossiping news from Europe by the last ship, the health of George III, the doings of the Prince Regent, and accounts from St. Helena, telling of the condition of Napoleon six months before, with extracts from recent poems by Byron, Scott and Shelley; no local news items, except to mention that a keel-boat had arrived with a family of immi- grants bound for Little Rock. Some local corres- pondent prophesied the immense future prosperity which was in store for the Arkansas Post. That village has since entirely disappeared; not, how- ever, until it was immortalized by a battle fought there, when it had almost ceased to exist. Here, too, followed in successive issues the account of the death of George III, and of the troubles of George IV and his queen, the letter of Phillips to the king, the crowning of the ill-starred Iturbide as Emperor of Mexico, the death of Napoleon, and extracts from 'The Voice from St. Helena,' by O'Mera." *

The Gazette was moved to Little Rock with the Territorial capitol, and until the Advocate was established, in 1830, it was the only paper pub- lished in the Territory. It continued to be owned and published by Mr. Woodruff, as an advocate of Democracy, until 1843, when he sold it. Then for a few years it advocated the doctrines of the Whig party under the management of Benj. J. Borden, and perhaps others. Afterward it became the property of the late Columbus C. Danley, a

young man who gained distinction in the Mexican War under Col. Yell. Since its purchase by Dan- ley it has been Democratic. It is now published both daily and weekly by the Gazette Publishing Company, and is the only paper in the State that can be said to have had a very long life.

The Advocate, a Whig paper, was established in Little Rock in March, 1830, by Robert Crit- tenden and Charles P. Bertrand, and afterward, in 1834, the noted scholar, Albert Pike, was called to the editorial staff. This paper continned to be published for years, but just how long the writer has been unable to learn.

The Intelligencer followed soon after the Advo- cate. It was established by Gov. John Pope, with John Steele as chief of the editorial staff. It was a Democratic organ established to support Gov. Pope and his political friends, the Gazette having become lukewarm in his support.

The True Democrat was established about the year 1850, by the Anti-bank party, with that able and powerful writer, Richard H. Johnson, at its head. The publication of this paper continued up to or near the beginning of the Civil War. It was also Democratic.

The Arkansas Democrat is published at 214 and 216 East Markham Street, Little Rock, by Messrs. Mitchell & Bettis. The tenth number of its nine- teenth volume (daily) was issued September 16, 1889. It is a six-column quarto, very ably and independently edited, and advocates Democratic principles. It is published both daily and weekly.

The Arkansas Press, a weekly paper, is pub- lished every Sunday at Little Rock, by its proprie- tors, George K. Brown and Charles H. Lewis. It contains twelve pages of six columns each, is non- political or rather independent politically, pays much attention to writing up and publishing the advantages of the State, and does much to promote immigration thereto.

It is well edited and well illustrated, and is in its first volume, its twenty-third number having been published September 15, 1889.

The Arkansas State Register was established early in August, 1889, by its proprietor. M. A. Hull. Thus far it has been published as a seven column

* From the pen of Dr. W. A. Cantrell, a recent sur- geon of the United States army.

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folio, but will soon be enlarged. It is neatly printed, edited with ability, and has already be- come the leading Republican organ of the State. It is published at Little Rock, in both daily and weekly editions.

The Arkansas Methodist, devoted to the inter- est of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, is published weekly, at Little Rock, by Bennett & Emonson, the former, Rev. Z. T. Bennett, being its editor. It is now in its eighth volume, num- ber twenty-one thereof being dated September 11, 1889. It is said to have the largest circulation of all the papers published in the State. Its motto is "Speak thou the things which become sound doctrine." It is a six-column quarto.

The Arkansas Baptist, a six-column quarto, is published weekly in Little Rock, N. Hall and W. A. Clark being editors, and Allen W. Clark busi- ness manager. In circulation it is said to be sec- ond only to the Arkansas Methodist. It is now in its ninth volume, number fifteen having been pub- lished April 11, 1889. Its motto is, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." These religious papers are doing valuable service in the cause of Christianity.

Other papers, of less notoriety, published in Little Rock, as given by the last annual issued by the Board of Trade, are the Liberator, Arkansas Staats Zeitung, Arkansas Ladies' Journal, Arkan- sas Mansion (colored), Arkansas Evangel (Baptist), Little Rock Republican, Little Rock Clipper (sporting), Ladies' Chronicle, Mosaic Guide (col- ored), Snn (colored), Argenta Incident, Wheel En- terprise, all weekly publications. The Arkansas Teacher, and Rural and Workman, are both month ly; the Farmer and Mechanic semi-monthly. In addition to the foregoing, The Call has just been established in the interest of the laboring classes. Many papers not mentioned here have been pub- lished at Little Rock at different periods, some for a long and some for a short time only. The press of Little Rock compares favorably with that of any city of its size in the country.

In addition to what has been mentioned, Little Rock contains numerous schools and churches fully mentioned elsewhere, several hundred mercan-

tile houses, among which are some of the largest and finest wholesale and retail stores in the South- west, Hyde's Opera House and the New Concordia Hall, the United States Postoffice building, two railroad depots. Union & Arkansas Valley Ronte, two railroad and wagon bridges across the river, the State house and State institutions, about ten hotels, several livery stables, lumber yards, a board of fire underwriters, several building and loan associations, offices of the Pacific & Southern Express Companies, railroad and telegraph offices, about twenty-five incorporated commercial com- panies, offices of three commercial agencies, nearly 100 notaries public, offices of telephone companies, abstract offices, numerous architects, artists and engravers. six Masonic lodges, five Odd Fellows' lodges, five lodges of Knights of Honor, seven lodges of Knights of Pythias, and other lodges of tradesmen and laborers, and other orders, making from forty-five to fifty in all, a full complement of United States local officers, a sufficient number of physicians and other professional men, and many social and business enterprises too numerous here to mention.

In the days when it was considered honorable to adjust difficulties between individuals under the code duello, a number of duels were fought between parties of whom one or both were early citizens of Little Rock.

As early as 1819, a difficulty arose between two lawyers named, respectively, Robert C. Oden and Col. William O. Allen. A challenge to fight a duel was given by one and accepted by the other, and in the winter or spring of that year, the duel was fought with pistols on the bank of the Arkansas River, on the opposite side from Arkansas Post. Oden was not injured, but Col. Allen received a wound from the effects of which he died. The former was a talented young lawyer, a member of the first bar of Little Rock. and one of the found- ers of the town.

Major Isaac Watkins, who has been named as one of the most prominent pioneers of Little Rock, was one day sitting in the store of John McLean, when a desperado named John Smith rode up to the door with his rifle in hand, and without alight-

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ing, deliberately and in cold blood shot and killed Watkins, then rode rapidly away and was never thereafter heard of. This occurred only a few years after Little Rock was laid out.

In 1821 Joseph Selden succeeded the brilliant Robert P. Letcher, of Kentucky, as one of the as- sociate judges of the superior court of Arkansas Territory. Some time thereafter, a difficulty arose between him and Judge Andrew Scott, a member of the same court. A challenge to fight a duel was given by one and accepted by the other, and the parties repaired to the Mississippi and there, either on an island just above Helena or across the Mississippi opposite Montgomery's Point (Scott), they fought the duel with pistols at a dis- tance of ten paces. One shot only was exchanged. Selden was killed, and Scott escaped uninjured. That polished scholar, writer and jurist, James Woodson Bates, brother to Att .- Gen. Bates, of President Lincoln's cabinet, acted as the friend and second of Judge Selden, and Dr. Nimrod Menifee acted as the friend, second and surgeon for Judge Scott. (Dr. Menifee was subsequently killed in a desperate encounter in Conway County, by - Phillips, and Phillips afterward died from the effects of a wound received in the same combat. - Hallum) This was a very unfortunate affair, a bad example set by two associate judges of the highest tribunal of justice in the Territory.

Two versions of this affair are before the writer, the one having been written and published in 1885, by J. R. Homer Scott, son of Judge Andrew Scott, and the other by Hon. John Hallum in his recent "Biographical and Pictorial History of Arkansas." Neither account gives the exact date of the duel, but Hallum says that the difficulty between the parties arose early in May, 1824. He also says that Judge Selden accepted the challenge, while Scott says the challenge was given by Selden and accepted by his father.

The accounts of the Newton vs. Sevier affray, as well as that between Conway and Crittenden, have been obtained largely from Hallum's History of Arkansas. Referring to 1827, the historian says: Politics on the Arkansas frontier was then a very robust and vigorous institution, and one method of

proving adhesion to party creed and stern devo- tional honor, was by resort to the code duello. An apt illustration of the punctilious bearing of gen- tlemen toward each other in those days, is found in the duel between Mr. Sevier and Thomas W. Newton. Newton was then a high-strung man. making his way in the world on his own responsi- bility, without any adventitious or extrinsic factors of support or reliance, and he banked on that capital with as much assurance as the directors of the bank of England do on the bullion in their vaults. He was a Whig, and the warm personal friend of Robert Crittenden. Sevier. on the streets of Little Rock, with language more robust and expressive than elegant, applied, in the hearing of Newton, some harsh criticism to the political course of Mr. Crittenden, not noticing, nor caring par- ticularly who was present. Newton stepped up to him and said: "Mr. Sevier. perhaps you are not aware that Mr. Crittenden is not present?" To which Sevier replied: "Perhaps he has some friend present to represent him." And Newton, with a Chesterfield bow and wave of the hand, said: "In- deed he has, sir, and you will soon hear from him." The duel was fought on September 4, 1827, in the Cherokee Nation, now Conway County. The celebrated George W. Jones, of Iowa, was New- ton's second, and the author is informed that Maj. Wharton Rector, of the United States army, was Sevier's second. The first and only fire resulted without injury; their seconds and friends then interceded and prevented any further combat.

In his biography of Henry W. Conway, Mr. Hallum states: "In 1827 his right to a third term in Congress was warmly and ably contested by his old townsite partner, Robert C. Oden, who was ably supported by Robert Crittenden, another one of the town-site partners. The Democratic party was then centering on Gen. Jackson, and party lines were drawn to their utmost tension. These contests often drew after them a history and record of blood. Conway was a man of great ability, spirited, sensitive, chivalrous and fearless, perhaps to a fault; certainly so in the light by which these things are viewed at the present day. He was as honest as he was fearless in the expression of his

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conviction, that Crittenden had gone farther than his relations warranted in the support of Oden; and that the zeal and ability displayed in the effort to defeat his election, was fraught with more than political significance, and challenged him to atone for it on the field of honor. This challenge fol- lowed immediately on the heel of his election to a third term. Crittenden, too, was a man of daunt- less courage and exalted ability, but it is said by contemporaries with much force and plausibility, that his support of Oden did not warrant the ex- tremes embraced in Conway's convictions, and, therefore, he replied to the challenge in the fol- lowing conciliatory language:

"' Mr. Conway, you have been elected by the people three times to serve them as their delegate in Congress; you have served them two terms with honor to yourself and satisfaction to them; they now have superior claims on you. Go and discharge this obligation to the people, and when you return, if nothing short of what you now demand will satisfy you, I will then meet your demands.'

"Conway then published him as a coward, and cut off all honorable accommodation but the field. Maj. Wharton Rector, of the United States army, acted as the friend of Mr. Conway, and Col. Ben Desha as the friend of Mr. Crittenden. The duel was fought on October 29, 1827, on an island in the Mississippi, opposite the mouth of White River; tradition says John J. Crittenden, long a distinguished senator in Congress, was present; Robert was his protege and youngest brother. Gov. Elias N. Conway informs the author that there was a serious misunderstanding of the cartel, which (it is claimed by the friends of Mr. Conway) saved the life of his adversary and sacrificed his own. Wharton Rector understood the backs of the principals were to face until the word, 'Fire!' when they were to wheel half round to the right and fire. Desha understood they were to stand with their right sides facing, and were not to move out of their tracks before firing (this was the way they fought), leaving Crittenden the advantage of the method in which he had been instructed, and Conway the reverse.

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Pulaski, Jefferson, Lonoke, Faulkner, Grant, Saline, Perry, Garland and Hot Spring counties, Arkansas, comprising a condensed history of the statebiographies of distinguished citizens...[etc.], Part 63

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company) Publication date: 1889 Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co. Number of Pages: 826

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago. (1886-1891. Goodspeed publishing Company)
Publication date: 1889
Publisher: Chicago, St. Louis [etc.] The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 826