A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume II, Part 7

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704

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Mr. Ripps was married in San Antonio, in November, 1891, to Miss Anna Hehn, a native of this city. He has often been solicited by his friends to become a candidate for public office but never accepted until the spring school election of 1906, when he became one of the candidates for member of the school board on the people's ticket, which was defeated by a small majority. His attention has been closely con- fined to his business interests and he has made steady advancement in trade circles until he is now in control of an important and profitable commercial enterprise.

JULIUS BRAUNNAGEL, M. D., physician and surgeon of San Antonio, practicing along modern scientific lines which indicate his thorough familiarity with the most advanced methods of the leading members of the profession in this country and abroad, where he has studied large- ly, was born in Strassburg in Alsace-Lorraine, of French parentage and was reared and educated in that city, completing his classical course in the University of Strassburg. In 1874, soon after the completion of his collegiate work, he came to the United States, settling in San Antonio, where he has since made his home. He later took up the

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

study of medicine, attending the College of Physicians and Surgeons at St. Louis, Missouri, from which he was graduated in February, 1883. In the spring of that year he located for practice in this city and since that time has pursued post-graduate general courses in medicine and surgery in Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1899 and again in 1901. He also pursued a post-graduate course in the medical department of the University of Strassburg in 1903, and has attended various clinics abroad. It is part of his plan to further continue his studies in the University at Vienna and perhaps at other centers of medical science in Europe, a fact which indicates his laudable ambition to attain a high degree of proficiency in a calling which many regard as the most important to which a man may devote his energies. He is a thoroughly equipped physician and surgeon, keeping abreast of the best modern thought and investigation and is a successful and able practitioner as well as student.

Dr. Braunnagel was city physician of San Antonio from 1883 until 1893 and was the founder of the Santa Rosa Hospital Training School for nurses in this city, of which he had charge for more than a year. He was at one time president of the West Texas Medical Association, which was finally merged into the present organization of the county and state medical societies. He now belongs to the Bexar county, the Texas State and American Medical associations, the American Society for the Advancement of Science and the Biological Society of Wash- ington. He is a man of broad scholarly and scientific attainments, his reading embracing many lines of knowledge outside of the direct path of his profession and is recognized as a cultured gentleman of social as well as professional prominence.

ANDRES COY, JR., district clerk at San Antonio, his native city, was born in 1873, and is a son of Andres and Anita (Sanchez) Coy. He was reared and educated in San Antonio, spending nearly eight years as a student in St. Mary's College in this city. His parents represent old-time families of this city of Mexican descent. His father, who is still living, was born in San Antonio and is one of its well known resi- dents. He served as assistant city marshal for a number of years but is now retired from active life.

Since leaving school Mr. Cov has been connected with public offices in one clerical capacity or another, serving first under Jose Cassiano, county collector, and later with Paul Meerscheidt in the same office. Subsequently he was with Albert V. Huth, county assessor, and until November, 1906, was with Mr. Celestin Villemain, the city collector of San Antonio. In the Democratic primaries of July, 1906, he received the nomination for district clerk of Bexar county to succeed the late Captain C. L. Nevill and was elected to this office in November follow- ing. This is one of the most important offices in Bexar county and in his previous public service Mr. Coy has demonstrated his ability to suc- cessfully cope with the duties that devolve upon him in this connection. He is a public-spirited man and one whose devotion to the general good is above question.

Mr. Cov was married in San Antonio to Miss A. Hernandez, and they have three children : William, Catharine and Andrew. Mr. Coy

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

is a prominent member of the Knights of Columbus. His continuous service in public life has gained him a wide acquaintance and he enjoys in large measure the respect and good will of his fellow townsmen and is popular with many friends.

CHARLES F. SCHREINER, a prominent horse dealer of San Antonio, is a native son of this city, born in 1862. His parents, F. and Louise B. (Ziegler) Schreiner, were both born in the town of Reichenweiher, Alsace, and emigrated to America in the latter part of the year 1849, landing in San Antonio on the Ist of January, 1850. The parents were accompanied on their trip to the new world by the father and mother of Mr. Schreiner, who also located in San Antonio, where the father's death occurred in 1894. He was a representative citizen of this city and took an active and helpful part in many movements and measures instituted for its advancement along various lines. He was also a member of the city council for twenty-six years, representing the fourth ward, the richest ward of the city, and he was also mayor pro tem. His widow still survives and yet lives at the old homestead at No. 317 North Flores street, which has been her home since 1869. A paternal uncle of our subject, Captain Charles Schreiner, also came to America in 1849, and is now a noted capitalist and stockman of Kerrville, Texas. He is one of the wealthiest residents of the southwest, owning large tracts of land in Kerr county and surrounding districts, and he is likewise a banker and merchant of Kerrville, besides being interested in enterprises in San Antonio.

Charles F. Schreiner was reared and educated in his native city, and has always been interested to greater or less extent in the horse business, which is his present business connection. He is widely known in political circles, having served for eleven years as deputy under Sheriffs McCall and Campbell. His political and business connections have gained him an extensive acquaintance and there is perhaps no man in Southwestern Texas better known than Mr. Schreiner.

HARRY L. BENSON, well known as the organizer and now the head of the Santa Anna Industrial Company, which was formed to develop and promote the oil interests of Southwest Texas, was for a long period identified with commercial interests, acting as traveling representative for the well known firm of C. H. Fargo & Company, of Chicago, whole- sale dealers in boots and shoes, in which connection he gained a very wide acquaintance not only in the state of Texas but throughout the United States. It was during his labors in the latter capacity that he was attracted to this state, believing that its natural resources furnished excellent opportunity for the acquirement of a competence, and that his labors are being crowned with success is indicated by the fact that he today stands at the head of one of the most important industrial enter- prises of this great state.

Mr. Benson is a native of Illinois, his birth having occurred in Fulton county, and it was in 1880 that he established a permanent home in San Antonio, where he has continued his residence to the present time. He was for a long period a traveling representative for the firm of C. H. Fargo & Company, of Chicago, wholesale dealers in boots and shoes, in which connection his territory embraced at one period twenty-

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

four different states, including Texas. He was everywhere known as a most successful business man and his services commanded a splendid remuneration. It was during his travels throughout the southwest that he became convinced of the business opportunities offered in this south- western district, and, accordingly in 1880, he established his home in San Antonio and began to make investment in local realty, still con- tinuing his connection with the Chicago firm. After the disastrous finan- cial panic of 1893, real estate greatly depreciated in value, and in 1898, Mr. Benson turned his attention to the search for oil in east Texas, for during his travels in that section he had become convinced that oil ex- isted there. From that time forward Mr. Benson's investigations were crowned with a series of successful exploits in the oil fields that have made his name prominent as a promoter and operator of oil properties. He was the pioneer promoter in the Sour Lake oil field, which preceded the Beaumont excitement, and his most extensive exploit was the pro- motion and organization of the Sour Lake Springs Company for the purchase of the original Sour Lake oil lands for fifty-five thousand dollars, from the sale of which this company realized a handsome profit, disposing of the property for nine hundred thousand dollars. He was the promoter, organizer and secretary. Since that time he has been engaged in numerous other large operations in the oil districts of Beau- mont, Sour Lake, Batson and Humble, in all of which he has been a leading promoter, and he was likewise the promoter of the Batson- Midway properties.

Mr. Benson's latest project, and the one to which he is giving all his time and energies, is the Santa Anna Industrial Company, of which he was the organizer and is now secretary and manager. This company was formed for the development of the oil industry in Coleman, Brown and McCulloch counties, having a lease on twenty-five thousand acres of land in this district. Up to the present time the drilling has been done mainly at Trickham, in Coleman county, and at Milburn in Mc- Culloch county, with very gratifying success. A most favorable report on this field was made by J. W. Otley, a well known geologist and oil expert, and this fact combined with the excellent business ability and keen foresight of Mr. Benson, assures the success of the company, which has already proved a most important element in the industrial life of Southwestern Texas.

JOHN R. RICE, after a successful business career, in which he has acquired a handsome competence, is now living a retired life in San Antonio. He is one of the oldest native Texans, for his birth occurred in Shelby county of this state in 1829, and it would be difficult to find one who has lived longer in the Lone Star state than has he. His parents were Lemuel and Mary (Masters) Rice, the father from Tennessee and the mother from North Carolina, and they came to Texas in the early '20s among the first American settlers, arriving about the time of the first Austin colonists. They settled first in Shelby county, but later removed to Houston county, which remained the home for a long number of years and where the father subsequently died. The mother died in later years at the home of her son John on the Salado in Bexar county.

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

John R. Rice spent the early years of his life on the plantation near Crockett in Houston county, and after arriving at mature years he engaged in the farming and stock business for himself, vocations which occupied his time and attention throughout his entire business career. In 1866 he came to Southwestern Texas, and two years later, in 1868, located on a farm on the Salado creek in Bexar county, about four miles southeast of San Antonio, which remained his permanent home for thirty-eight years, retiring from active life early in 1907, and re- moving to his home in San Antonio, at 601 Wyoming street, a place that he had owned for several years. During his long life Mr. Rice has witnessed many changes in Texas, living as he has under the flags of Mexico, the Texas republic, the Confederacy and the States, and his early experience brought him in contact with the Indians and all the rough phases of pioneer life with its attendant hardships. Although many ups and downs have checkered his career, he has passed through them all successfully, and now as he is passing down the western slope of life he is resting from arduous cares in the midst of family and friends, who esteem him for his honorable record and his many com- mendable characteristics. It may be a matter of some interest that his farm on the Salado, a valuable one of about five hundred acres fronting on Salado Creek, was purchased, the first part of it, in 1868, for four dollars and a half an acre, while the second addition to the farm, pur- chased some time later, cost him ten dollars an acre, and the place is now worth thirty-five dollars an acre and represents a total value of over seventeen thousand five hundred dollars.

Mr. Rice's first wife, who is deceased, was Orrie (Robbins) Rice, and by this union there was one daughter, Mary J. Highbom. His present wife, to whom he was married at Crockett in 1866, was before her marriage Miss Amanda Grounds, a native of Louisiana, but a mem- ber of a family that has resided in Texas for a long number of years, first settling in Houston county. Mr. and Mrs. Rice have become the parents of seven children: Mrs. Alice Schroeder, Mrs. Callie Glass. Mrs. Susan Conway, Elias Rice, Mrs. Annie Douglas, Della and Mattie Rice. The home is a happy and attractive one, where warm-hearted hospitality is always to be found by their numerous friends.

A. H. JONES, a stockman of San Antonio, was born in Gonzales county, Texas, in 1859, a son of Captain A. H. and Minerva (Lewis) Jones. The father; a native of Georgia, came to Texas in his youth and as the years passed was recognized as one of the most prominent characters in the early history of the state. He arrived here in 1834, while Texas was still a part of Mexico, and when the residents of the state began their struggle for independence he joined the revolutionists and did valiant service with the patriots who brought about the birth of the new republic. He fought under General Sam Houston at the battle of San Jacinto, April 21, 1836-the engagement which was the decisive factor in winning Texan independence. Later Mr. Jones served in the Indian and Ranger service and was also a soldier of the Mexican war. While a great deal of Captain Jones' time was thus given up to military and frontier life he established a good home in Gonzales county and was a successful planter and stockman, living there until his death,

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

which occurred in 1878. He deserves mention among the notable per- sonages of early Texas. His wife, who is still living at the Jones home in Gonzales county, was born in Mississippi but came to Texas when very young.

A. H. Jones was born and reared in Gonzales county and acquired his education there. From his earliest boyhood he has been in the cattle business, being reared in that industry, and when still a youth he spent some years on the range and trail before the days of fences and enclosed pastures. As a business man in the cattle industry he has been un- usually successful. For several years past his cattle interests have been centered in LaSalle and Dimmit counties, where he has a big pasture, aggregating over two hundred thousand acres, of which he owns one hundred and thirty thousand. The Jones ranch is one of the most valuable in Southwestern Texas and the owner is one of the leading stockmen of this part of the state, thoroughly conversant with the busi- ness in principle and detail and so managing his interests as to win gratifying success.

Mr. Jones' only connection with political or public life was when a boy of twenty-one he was elected city marshal of Gonzales. Pleasantly situated in his home relations, he has with him his wife, formerly Miss Sue Willie Peck, and three daughters, May, Anna and Carrie. In 1901 they removed to San Antonio, where they have since lived, having a pleasant and attractive home on Laurel Heights, in West French Place.

WILLIAM C. IRVIN is the owner of the well known Irvin ranch comprising sixty thousand acres of land in LaSalle county, Texas, but he spends the greater part of his time at his home in San Antonio, the ranch being operated and managed by his sons. Mr. Irvin was born at Seguin, Guadalupe county, in 1846, a son of J. A. and Sarah (Tom) Irvin. The father was a native of Alabama and located in Texas in 1838, settling first in Washington county, while later he removed to Guadalupe county, where he was engaged as a planter and stockman. His death there occurred in 1865. The mother represented an old family of Tennessee, some of its members having become distinguished in the early history of Texas, particularly in the Indian fighting. Her brother, Captain J. F. Tom, was numbered among the early pioneers of this state and had command of a company of Rangers during the Civil war and took an active part in subduing the red men both prior and subsequent to the war. He was wounded at Battle of San Jacinto.

William C. Irvin has two sisters, Mrs. Ann Elizabeth Dewees and Miss Tommie Irvin, who make their home in San Antonio. Mr. Irvin was reared in Guadalupe county. He was quite young at the time of his father's death, and later he lost his elder brother so that the re- sponsibility of caring for his mother and sisters was thrown upon him at a very early age. He took his place at herding cattle when quite young and has been engaged in the stock business throughout his entire life. He made trips over the old Chisholm trail soon after it was first opened, in 1870, and became thoroughly familiar with all the cattle country from the Rio Grande to the Canadian border, and has passed through all of the hardships of the cattleman's life of the early days although owing to his conservative business qualities and careful man-

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

agement he escaped the difficulties which usually confronted the stock- man's career and has met with very gratifying success in his business operations. He made altogether seven trips over the trail to the north, and on his return trip in 1875, he located a ranch at Seymour, in Baylor county, in the northwestern part of Texas, where he placed seven thou- sand head of cattle during the winter. He remained in that district for about five years and then returned again to the southwestern part of the state, establishing what has since become known as the Irvin ranch in LaSalle county, this ranch embracing sixty thousand acres of land, lying east of Cotulla and almost bordering the limits of the town although the house stands about twenty miles from that place. During the last few years there has been a great influx of settlers into this region so that the land has become very valuable and perhaps in due time the ranch will be divided into farms for it is becoming too valuable to re- tain as pasture land. Mr. Irvin has sold 10,000 acres for colonization. Mr. Irvin has become one of the wealthiest stockmen of this state. He has spent a busy, active and useful life and through his careful business management and sound judgment has now acquired a competence that enables him to leave the more arduous duties of a business career to others, while he spends a portion of his time at his home in San Antonio, while his ranch is managed by his two sons.

Mr. Irvin was married in Seguin to Miss Medina Dewees, a repre- sentative of a prominent pioneer family of this state. Their family numbers two sons and four daughters: Jourdan J. and Eugene, who conduct the ranch; Mrs. Mabel Wilson; Grace; Mrs. Dr. S. T. Lowry; and Clara Irvin.

TIMOTHY J. BUCKLEY, of San Antonio, a representative of the live- stock interests of the Lone Star state, was born in county Cork, Ireland, in 1843. He came to America in 1867, and for nine years was a resident of New York city, after which he came to Texas in 1876, and made a start in the sheep business in the southwestern part of the state. He began operations as a stockman on a small scale but of late years has become a successful and wealthy man of prominence and influence in stock-raising circles. He has cattle and horses and owns extensive pastures amounting to fourteen thousand acres in LaSalle county. His ranch headquarters have for many years been at Encinal in the southern part of LaSalle county.

Active and influential in community affairs there, he not only con- centrated his energies upon his live-stock business but also became a factor in the promotion of many public measures of general benefit. He was on the first board of county commissioners elected in that county after its organization and he also served for some years as assessor of the county. He also extended his efforts to other lines of business and was engaged in general merchandising at Encinal under the firm style of T. J. Buckley & Son, mainly establishing the store for the business education of his eldest son, Cornelius Buckley, who is now deceased, having passed away in 1904. Mr. Buckley has had the usual experi- ence of the stockman of Texas, his labors sometimes attended with reverses and other times with success. Altogether he has prospered and his capable management and enterprise have been the factors that

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have enabled him to overcome all difficulties and obstacles and work his way steadily upward. He is an extensive buyer and seller of all kinds of live stock, including cattle, horses and sheep, and he still maintains his business headquarters at Encinal.

Mr. Buckley was married in New York city to Miss Kate Fitz- patrick, who died in Encinal in 1893. To them were born seven children who still survive: Elizabeth, Annie, Mamie, Kate, Jeremiah Timothy, Daniel and James. Mr. Buckley maintains a home at No. 107 Wood- ward Place in San Antonio, mainly to give his family educational and social advantages, but his business interests call him much of the time to his ranch.

RICHARD G. SCOTT, well known as a contactor of San Antonio, in which connection he has done much for the improvement of the city in the way of street paving and park development, was born in Monterey, Mexico, November 14, 1868, a son of Walter and Mary (Perie) Scott, both of whom were natives of Scotland. On coming to America Walter Scott located at Toronto, Canada, where he operated a sash and blind factory and also engaged in building operations, becoming closely con- nected with industrial interests in that city. During the early years of his residence in America he also went to New Orleans, where he executed a large contract, and later he came from Canada to Texas, locating at Brenham, but prior to the Civil war he went to Monterey, Mexico. where he lived for about seventeen years. There he engaged in con- tracting and did a large amount of work in the repairing and mainte- nance of artillery equipment for the Mexican government. In 1878 he removed with his family to San Antonio, which has since been his home. He was the pioneer in the business of mesquite block street paving in this city and did the first work of that kind in San Antonio's streets. Mr. Scott is a most interesting man. He has traveled extensively, living under various flags, and he possesses many of the strong and sterling characteristics of the Scotch people, including the perseverance and ready adaptability which have made him a successful business man in the various places in which he has resided. His wife, who died in San Antonio, in 1900, was related to the Peries, who were prominent news- paper men of Ontario, notably in connection with the Guelph Herald.

Richard G. Scott received his business training under his father's direction, being trained to the work of the various mechanical pursuits necessary to the business of a general contractor. For several years he has been engaged quite extensively in taking and executing contracts for street paving in San Antonio and vicinity and has made a splendid record in that business. Following in the footsteps of his father he has put in much of the street paving in San Antonio. For four years. from 1899 to 1903, he was street commissioner of this city, under Mayor Marshall Hicks, an administration that inaugurated and carried out a system of modern street paving in San Antonio after years of inactivity in that direction, and making San Antonio equal to other cities in this class of improvement. Mr. Scott also, under Mayor Hicks' administra- tion, carried out the improvement in the walks and drives in San Pedro Park which have made it one of the most delightful public parks in the south. During the winter of 1906-7, he executed a large contract for

RlScott

HISTORY OF SOUTHWEST TEXAS

paving the roadways at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, for the federal government, this work being in connection with the enlargement of the fort to a brigade post and making it one of the principal military head- quarters in the United States.

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A Twentieth century history of southwest Texas, Volume II, Part 7

Author: Lewis Publishing Company Publication date: 1907 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 704

Author: Lewis Publishing Company
Publication date: 1907
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 704