A history of Texas and Texans, Part 76

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906

USA > Texas > A history of Texas and Texans > Part 76

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Of Mr. Fleming's parentage, we record that the late Amos M. Fleming, who died near Lindale in 1892, was his father. Amos M. Fleming was born at Milton, Flordia, in 1826. At the age of twenty years he came to Texas, and in Smith county this State he passed the rest of his life as a farmer. In the war between the States he served as a Confederate soldier. He married in Smith county Miss Aran Chambers, who survived him a number of years. She died in February, 1912. Their children are: J. Amos, the subject of this sketch; Jesse L., of Lindale, Texas; Julia, wife of James Thedford,

of Palestine Texas and Ida who died unmarried. Amos M. Fleming had been previously married to Nancy Cham- bless and the children of his first wife are Maude, wife of Caleb Simmons, of Texas; "Sis," widow of William Heghey, of Smith county, Texas; Columbus and Sula, of the same county, the latter being the wife of John Bowman; Aden, deceased; Milton of Smith county; Gus, of Rusk county; and Mattie, wife of Lon Franks, of Oklahoma.

In February, 1891, J. Amos Fleming married Miss Dora Perryman, daughter of James Perryman, a prominent citizen and farmer of Lindale. Seven chil- dren have been given to them, namely: Elmer, Esther, Amos, Eva, Ora, Pauline and J. W. all of whom are living except Eva, who died in childhood.

Mr. Fleming's fraternal relations are confined to a membership in the Woodmen of the World; politically, he is a Democrat, and his religious faith is that set out in the creed of the Baptist church, of which he is a member. His identity with Lindale has been marked with many activities, all of which have contributed to the material growth and welfare of the town. He has erected four of its several blocks of new brick business houses, and his support is always given to any move- ment tending toward betterment. While his own ad- vantages for schooling were limited, he is a progressive on school matters and is a member of the school manage- ment of the town.

AUGUSTINE HAIDUSEK, a native of Moravia, was a member of the first colony of that nationality to settle in Texas west of the Colorado river. It is a distinction generally accorded to Augustine Haidusek that he is the most prominent Bohemian in the state of Texas. Early in his career a Confederate soldier, a member of the Texas bar over forty years, now president of the First National Bank of La Grange, and editor and proprietor of The Svoboda, the most influential journal published in that language in Texas. Mr. Haidusek's attainments and services in behalf of his people and his thorough American spirit are scarcely to be appreciated from the following brief recital of his career.

Augustine Haidusek was born in September, 1846, at Missi, a village in the northeastern part of Moravia. His parents were Valentine and Veronika (Kladiva) Haidusek, and the mother died in 1847, leaving three children: Theresa, who married Joseph Lebeda; John, who died at Brownsville, Texas, February 14, 1863, while serving as a member of Captain Alexander's company of Texas troops during the war; and Augustine, the youngest. In 1848 the father married Mary Broz, and in September, 1856, when Augustine was just ten years of age, all the family left the old country for Texas, arriving at Houston in November of that year, and from that city they traveled west by ox wagon to La Grange. Two weeks later they settled at East Navidad (now Dubina. Fayette county), with six other Bohemian fam- ilies. These were the first Bohemians that settled west of the Colorado river. Incidentally it may be noted that Fayette county is one of the chief centers of Bohe- mian population in Texas. According to the last census, of a total population of about thirty thousand, the county had about twenty-five hundred inhabitants born in Austria, and nearly four thousand native Americans of Austrian parentage on both sides. Subsequently the father moved on a farm four miles west of Schulen- berg, where he died December 23, 1867.

Augustine Haidusek had but little schooling as a boy, and his knowledge of the English language was very meagre until the beginning of the Civil war. About that time he attended a school taught by a man named Black. In 1863, at the age of seventeen, he went with a drove of beeves to Louisiana, swam the cattle across the Mis- sissippi river at Port Hudson and they were sold to the Confederate Government. On his return home he enlisted in Company F of the Bates Regiment, was stationed at

Affaidusek

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Velasco on the Gulf coast and continued in service until June 6, 1865, when he returned home and helped his father put in a erop.

The year 1866 was spent in farming and in attending a school taught by old man Mays below Weimar. During 1867 he clerked for G. W. White in La Grange several months, then returned home and spent the fall in cutting and splitting four thousand post-oak rails for George Morysak, and put the evenings to good advantage by studying the English language by the light of the fire. The year 1868 was a continuation of his farming experi- ence, though he also taught a term of school in the summer. Difficulties and disadvantageous circumstances seem to act only as a spur to the efforts of some men, and while he undoubtedly has possessed exceptional native endowments of intellect and character, Mr. Haid- usek during his early career overcame obstacles which would have disheartened a man of ordinary determination. In 1869 he settled at LaGrange, read law in the office of Jarmon & Cross, and was admitted to the bar on December 22, 1870. He claims distinction to have been the first Bohemian to practice law in the United States.

During the following Congressional campaign between John Hancock of Austin and Degner of San Antonio and between Giddings of Brenham and Clark of Galveston, he took an active part supporting the Democratic can- didates who were elected. During 1872 Mr. Haidusek taught school at Ross Prairie, near Fayetteville. He was elected chairman of the Fayette County Democratic Ex- ecutive Committee in 1874, and in the following year was elected mayor of La Grange, defeating A. H. Brandt, and was re-elected in 1877, defeating P. Y. McAshan. His election to this office gave him another premier distinction, since he was the first Bohemian mayor elected in the United States. In 1878 the Hon. J. C. Stiehl defeated him in his race for the office of county judge.

In 1880 Mr. Haidusek was elected representative to the Texas state legislature from the counties of Fayette and Lee, defeating John L. Smith by over two thousand majority. His work was notable in the legislature. It included the introduction of two amendments for the state constitution. One was to amend the immigration clause so as to authorize the dissemination in foreign countries of facts as to the revenues, resources and bene- fits of Texas; the other was to authorize the investment of the permanent school fund in county bonds and sim- ilar securities. Both propositions were defeated. He opposed the amendment to the constitution, proposing that voters should be required to pay their poll tax before being permitted to vote. This amendment was introduced by C. L. Wurzbach of San Antonio. Mr. Haidusek secured the amendment of the law compelling county convicts to work public roads.

When, in 1982, Mr. Haidusek was urged by some of his friends to make the race as an independent candidate for the office of Congressman, he replied in an opeu letter that he was a Democrat for principles and not for office-that he proposed to stand by the Democracy be- canse that party in 1856, when know-nothingism was rampant, had stood by the foreigners.

Fayette county has among many other things reason to be grateful to Mr. Haidusek for his work thirty years ago as county judge. He was elected to that office in 1884, defeating the Hon. J. C. Stiehl, and continued to administer the fiscal affairs of the county for six years. His administration was notable for his work in improv- ing the public schools, and especially in raising the standards of the local teachers. As Fayette county was chiefly populated by Germans and Bohemians, he found that the local schools employed either the Bohemian or German language exclusively and neglected English books and the English language altogether. As county judge he required the school trustees to employ teachers qualified to teach the English language and urged all the teachers to make English the language of the school room. At the time this was a daring step, and for it he was pronounced a renegade by nearly all the Bohemian

papers of the United States, particularly by the Slovan, a Bohemian weekly published and edited by Joseph Cada at La Grange. His stand in favor of English language incensed the people of his nationality through- out Texas, and indignation meetings were held condemn- ing his efforts to make English the official language of the school room in Bohemian localities. At that time there was practically no organ for the expression and publicity of his views on the matter, and the friends of Judge Haidusek therefore started another Bohemian paper, the Svoboda, which was owned by a joint stock company comprising about fifty members. The company secured the services of a man from New York City to perfect the paper. The Svoboda was started in Decem- ber, 1885, and by 1887 had about four hundred sub- seribers with an indebtedness of twenty-four hundred dollars. The New York editor, Mr. Chudoba, was dis- charged, and Judge Haidusek took charge of the paper. Under his management the number of subscribers in- creased rapidly, the debt was paid off in two years, and in 1890 he became sole owner of the journal. Since then he has devoted nearly all his time to its management and has made it one of the best paying papers of its class in the entire country. Its circulation in 1914 reached to about five thousand copies and its subscribers are found in one hundred counties of Texas, besides in other states and in Europe. While it is a Bohemian paper, its sentiment is thoroughly American, and its policy and editorial control have always reflected the sterling American spirit and democracy which are so deeply characteristic of its proprietor. Besides his work in connection with the schools, Judge Haidusek as county judge inaugurated the improvements by which public roads were graded and macadamized, and nineteen iron bridges were built and the bridge spanning the Colorado river was bought by the county. Another thing that made his administration notable was the letting of the contract for the building of the present court house at La Grange, and the foundation was laid before he left office.

In the split in the Democratic party in IS92, when the Hogg and Clark factions were at war, Mr. Haidusek espoused the cause of Clark. Although an advocate of the gold standard, he supported Bryan in all his cam- paigns for the presidency, since he could not conscien- tiously abandon the Democratic party. However, in the Congressional fight between R. B. Hawley, the Repub- lican nominee, and W. S. Robson, the Democrat, he sup- ported Hawley, and it is said that on this account Rob- son was defeated.

On January 14, 1896, when the First National Bank of La Grange was found to be in a bad financial condi- tion, Judge Haidusek was elected president of the bank, and has since brought its affairs to a most substantial condition and has made the bank one of the strongest, considering its capital, in the state. During his admin- istration the stockholders have received in dividends more than their original investment. He is yet the presi- dent of said bank. In 1905 he was appointed by Governor Lanham as one of the directors of Agricultural and Me- chanical College of Texas, in which capacity he served until 1911.

Judge Haidusek affiliates with the Knights of Honor, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, is an honorary member of the C. S. P. S., a Bohemian order similar in organization and purposes to the Knights of Honor. He and his family are all members of the Catholic church. In May, 1872, he married Miss Anna Becka, daughter of John and Catherine Becka, of Ross Prairie. She was born near Belleville, in Austin county, in June, 1856. Of their five children three are living, as follows: Jerome, who married Fanny Mosig: George, who grad- uted from the University of Texas in both the literary and law departments, took post-graduate work in Har- vard University, is now a successful lawyer at Seymour. Baylor county, Texas, and in 1904 was a presidential elector on the Democratie ticket; Vlasta, married Joseph Koss.

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As this brief sketch indicates, Judge Haidusek is a man of unusual force and determination, is broad- minded, thoroughly democratie in his nature, and few citizens of Texas in his time have accomplished more and made their activities more fruitful for the general welfare of community and state. While subjected to severe criticism for his course in the matter of education thirty years ago, Judge Haidusek has long since outlived that brief unpopularity, and many of those who opposed him then are now as strongly convinced of the justice and the necessity of his course as he himself.

SAMUEL W. LAW. To become the directing head of an institution which adds prestige to a locality and pro- vides employment for many of its workers requires the possession of much more than ordinary ability and strength of purpose. The men who during their active careers have directed their strength and capability to- ward the upbuilding of these enterprises have not alone gained prominence for themselves, but have contributed materially to the welfare of the section in which their labors have been prosecuted. Samuel W. Law has gained the right to be included in this class of helpful citizens, for as the head of the Law-Sprinkle Mercantile Company he has brought recognition to Cameron in its commercial circles, and has demonstrated his ability to cope with the keen competition of modern trade and commerce in such a fashion as to make him one of the leaders in his line in this part of the state.

Mr. Law was born in Elmore county, Alabama, No- vember 14, 1866, and is a son of Charles W. and Sophina (Batchelor) Law. His father was born in Alabama, May 25, 1842, and was there engaged in farming until coming to Texas in 1873, and for several years there- after moved around from place to 'place looking for a suitable location and visiting various points in Wash- ington, Brazos and Limestone connties. Finally, in 1886, he came to Milam county, and here he still resides, his home being at Adhall. Mrs. Law, also a native of Ala- bama, was born in September, 1849, and died in July, 1898, having been the mother of eleven children: Samuel W., Thomas, Texana, Mamie, Addie, Charles, George, Asa, Clyde, Ida and James of whom Thomas, Ida and James are now deceased.

Samuel W. Law was a lad of six years when he ac- companied his parents to Texas, and his education was secured in the country schools of Washington, Brazos and Limestone counties. He worked on his father's farm from the time he was sixteen until he was twenty- two years old, and at the latter age embarked upon a career of his own, renting thirty acres of land in Milam county. There he continued to carry on agricultural pur- suits until 1900, principally at or near Adhall, and then took charge of a farm, cotton gin and general store. In 1906 he took charge of the store as owner, and continued to conduct it until 1912, when he moved to Cameron and purchased a two-thirds interest in the Gaston-Sprinkle Mercantile Company, the present style of which is the Law-Sprinkle Mercantile Company, of which he has been the president to the present time. This venture has proved a decided success, and now carries a thoroughly up-to-date stock of groceries and hardware, valued at $25,000. The business is incor- porated for $30,000, fully paid up. An extensive trade is attracted from all over the surrounding territory and the business is enjoying a consistent and healthy growth, due in large part to the able manner in which Mr. Law is managing its affairs. Mr. Law is possessed of a mind fertile in resources, means and expedients. He leads a rational life, works hard, and has a friendly feeling for others and an understanding of life's com- plexities that assists him greatly in his dealing with his fellow-men. He has not put "all his eggs in one basket," for various other enterprises have had the benefit of his sagacity, his judgment and his energetic aggressiveness, and at this time he has holdings in the

Cameron State Bank, the Robert MeLean Company of Cameron, the Amicable Life Insurance Company and the Southern Union Life Insurance Company. In addition to his residence at Cameron, he owns 140 acres of im- proved farming land in Milam county and three val- uable vacant lots in the city of Houston. When he can spare the time from the numerous duties of his large business, he devotes his attention to farming and stock- raising, of which he has made a hobby. He seldom finds time for a vacation, but was formerly fond of hunting.

Mr. Law was married (first) in 1891 to Miss Lou Docky, who died in 1900, having been the mother of five children: Thomas, who is a clerk in his father's office; Ollie, who is deceased; Roy, who is clerk for his father; and Ludie and Truely, attending school. On November 11, 1900, Mr. Law was married (second) to Mrs. Eddie Denson, daughter of R. F. Gregg, a well- known resident of Milam county. Mr. and Mrs. Law have had no children, but by her former marriage she was the mother of one child: W. B. Denson. Mr. Law is a consistent member of the Baptist church, and Mrs. Law is a member of the Christian church. In politics a Democrat, Mr. Law has taken some interest in the success of his party, and has served as deputy sheriff under three sheriffs of Milam county. While primarily a domestic man, with a love for the surroundings of his home, he is not indifferent to the pleasures of com- panionship with his fellows.

For fourteen years Mr. Law served in the capacity of postmaster of Adhall, to the management of which office he gave the same conscientious attention that has characterized his activities in his private enterprises. Few citizens have strived more earnestly for the better- ment of their communities, and none are held in greater general esteem.

HUMPHREY HUGH JACKSON. For twenty-five years a lawyer, and a former county judge of Chambers county, Mr. Jackson represents two of the very oldest families in southeastern Texas, and there are few American families in any section of the State whose settlement dates back to an earlier time. Humphrey Hugh Jackson came with Austin in the year 1823, and James Taylor White in the year 1826, when Austin undertook to lead his first band of American settlers into this region.

Humphrey Hugh Jackson was born at Double Bayou, Chambers county, in 1864. His parents were James and Sarah (White) Jackson, the former of whom died in 1895. The mother is still living at her old home at Double Bayou, where practically all her life has been spent. Her father, James Taylor White, grandfather of H. H. Jackson, was born in Louisiana, and came to Texas in 1826 locating in what is now Chambers county, but which at that time was a part of the un- broken wilderness of the Gulf coast, and only nominally under the jurisdiction and in the possession of the Spanish-Mexican government. James T. White estab- lished a home on Turtle (or White's) Bayon, where his family have lived ever since that early day. James Jackson the father of H. H. Jackson was born in Ver- millionville, Louisiana, but nearly all his life he lived on Double Bayou in Chambers county.

Grandfather Humphrey Jackson, who was a native of Belfast. Ire- land, and came to America with two brothers Henry and Alexander in 1808, settled in Lousiana, near Ber- wiek 's Bay, where Humphrey Jackson was married in 1810. He was a member of Andrew Jackson's army in the battle of New Orleans, Louisiana, and in 1823 crossed over into the Province of Texas. His settlement was in the heart of an unbroken wilderness in what is now Liberty county. Later he moved to Crosby, in what is now Harris county, and in 1823 the Mexican govern- ment granted him a headright, allowing him the pos- session of the usual amount of land for stock raising and farming purposes. He lived there following his regular vocation until his death in 1834. He was killed by the

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falling of a limb of a tree. About the time of his death, his three sons, including the late James Jackson, moved to Double Bayou, in 1840 what is now Chambers county. Both the White and Jackson families have been among the largest land and cattle owners in Cham- bers county. John H. Jackson, a cousin of H. H. Jackson, in 1913 sold thirty-one thousand acres of his land to a syndicate that will colonize it with small farmers.

Humphrey Hugh Jackson was educated by private tutors and in Soule College at Chapel Hill in Wash- ington county. His student days in Soule College were during the years 1884-1885-1886. His law studies were carried on under his cousin, Hugh Jackson, at Wallis- ville, then the county seat of Chambers county. At Wallisville he was admitted to the bar in 1888, and his practice as one of the leading lawyers of the county has been continuous since that year. In 1909 Mr. Jackson was appointed county judge of Chambers county, was elected in 1910, and reelected so that his service con- tinned until the close of 1912. Chambers county has never had a more efficient administrator of its fiscal affairs than Judge Jackson. During his term as judge and under his efficient administration, notable improve- ments were instituted. These include the splendid sixty thousand dollar courthouse at Anahuac. Anahuac, the historic old town which figured in the time of the Revolution and was one of the most important centers in South Texas during pioneer times, has in recent years been made the county seat instead of Wallisville, and is now once more taking its place so well justified by its early historic reputation. Besides the court house there were built under Judge Jackson many miles of good roads, and these and other improvements have helped to place Chambers county among the class of most pro- gressive localities in south Texas. Judge Jackson has lived at Anahuac since 1909, and has a beautiful home overlooking Galveston Bay. Besides his law practice he does a large business in real estate and abstracts, hav- ing his offices in the Chambers County State Bank building. Like his ancestors, he is also interested in the cattle business, and he and his brother Claude have a stock ranch at Double Bayou.

At Chapel Hill, Texas, Mr. Jackson married Miss Emma Toland, who was born at Chappel Hill, a daugh- ter of the late Dr. A. W. and Mary (Atkinson) Toland. Her mother was a daughter of the late Col. Atkinson, who commanded a regiment from Texas during the war between the states. Dr. Toland was a native of Mississippi, and both he and Col. Atkinson were among the old settlers of the historic town of Chapel Hill of Washington county.

WILLIAM OSBIN RAWLINS. President of the Dallas Linotyping Company, William Oshin Rawlins learned the printer's trade at Dallas more than twenty years ago, and established the present business in 1905. He operates it as a general commercial linotyping business, having a battery of linotype machines and other equip- ment for prompt and efficient service in typesetting.

Mr. Rawlins, though he was born at Bloomington, Indiana, in 1874, represents some of the very earliest pioneer stock in Dallas county, Texas. His parents, both now living in Dallas, are William K. and Sarah (Anderson) Rawlins. The parents moved from Bloon- ington, Indiana, to Lancaster, in Dallas county, in I879. Various members of the Rawlins family had lived at Lancaster and vicinity since 1843, and were among the very first white people to locate in what is now Dallas county, then a territory included within the jurisdiction of Nacogdoches.

Some interesting genealogical and pioneer annals are connected with the Rawlins family name. James Mason Rawlins, from whom W. O. Rawlins is descended, came from England with two brothers, previous to the Revolu- tionary war. During that war he took the side of the

mother country, while his brothers were colonial sym- pathizers. James Mason Rawlins was captured as a Tory, but managed to escape, and while returning to England is supposed to have perished at sea. His son, James Rawlins, moved to North Carolina, where William Rawlins was born, and finally located in Illinois. Wil- liam Rawlins, who was an uncle to Willian K. Raw- lins, father of W. O. Rawlins, was the founder of the family name in Texas, having located in this state in the early forties. He and the company of which he was the head attained tracts of land in the vicinity of Lancaster, and all became prominent as settlers, as citizens and left numerous descendants. A member of the family who attained wide prominence during his lifetime was Rev. John M. Rawlins, known far and wide in Dallas county as "Blacksmith John, the Min- ister," who was not only a pioneer and skilled black- smith, but a man of deep religious convictions and a leader in all public matters.

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A history of Texas and Texans, Part 76

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960 Publication date: 1914 Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society Number of Pages: 906

Author: Johnson, Francis White, 1799-1884; Barker, Eugene Campbell, 1874-1956, ed; Winkler, Ernest William, 1875-1960
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Chicago, American Historical Society
Number of Pages: 906