USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 43
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The mesa land, foothills and prairie lands have never been and probably never can be ir- 'rigated successfully and cattle and sheep rais- ing is about all the use they have ever been put to.
The report of the commissioner of the Gen- eral Land Office says that there are 2,056,084 acres of school land in this county subject to pre-emption and 549,872 acres of university lands, but from excessive drouths, the lack of water or from the general topography of the county the land may never become valuable.
In the eastern portion of the county consid- erable attention has been paid to mining, but with the exception of possibly two mines, no ore has ever been shipped in paying quantities.
What the possibilities are in this line the writer has no means of ascertaining, and the future alone can tell.
There is very little timber in the county, ex- cept in the Bosques of the river-mostly cot- tonwood, with some tornillo and mesquite. Al- falfa grows luxuriantly when irrigated prop- erly, and will yield three or four cuttings per year. On the mesa and foothills, prairie, gram- ma and other grasses grow plentifully and wild.
Market gardening is carried on quite ex- tensively in the valley, east of the city of El Paso, mostly by Chinamen, and all the common garden vegetables, with the possible exception of potatoes, are easily and plentifully raised by irrigation from the river and by pumping.
Fruits-The pear, peach, apple, plum, quince and Mission or El Paso grape are profitable crops and find ready sale.
Indeed, the El Paso grape and El Paso onion have a national reputation on account of deli-
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cious flavor. Strawberries and celery are also good crops.
The state lands are classified as dry grazing, $1.00 to $1.50 per acre ; watered, $3.00; mineral, $25.00 and $100.00 per acre. There are few, if any, watered sections left in the county, and I know of no sale of mineral lands, the price be- ing prohibitory, unless pay ore is known to exist, so that what sales are made are as dry grazing land at $1.00 to $1.50 per acre.
JUDGE JOHN M. DEAN, a pioneer lawyer of El Paso, and a distinguished attorney whose knowledge of legal principles and correct ap- plication of the points in jurisprudence to the case in litigation, have made him one of the strongest lawyers connected with the bar of Western Texas, was born in Forsythe county, Georgia, May 13, 1852, a son of Dr. Y. S. and Martha (McCulloch) Dean. The father was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, but for several years resided in Forsythe county, Georgia. When his son John was in his seventh year, just prior to the Civil war, the family returned to North Carolina, settling first at Statesville in Iredell county, and afterward at Salisbury in Rowan county. The father was a physician of note, very successful in his practice and dur- ing the Civil war served as a surgeon in Lee's army. He maintained his residence in the old North state until 1874, when he came to Texas, settling in Lee county, where he died. He was active in his profession, keeping in touch with modern methods in the practice of medicine and surgery and was the acknowledged peer of the leading representatives of the calling in Texas up to the time of his death. His wife, who was a native of Rowan county, North Car- olina, was a daughter of John McCulloch, of that county, and came of a long line of distin- guished Scotch ancestors. It is a well-known fact that many of the citizens of Salisbury and vicinity were of Scotch lineage and that the lo- cality was settled by emigrants from the land of the hills and heather. The McCullochs have been living in Rowan county since about the time of the reign of James II, and there is on file at Salisbury a deed from Lord Carteret,
Earl of Grenville (who had received his grant from George II), to one of the McCullochs conveying the property in Rowan county on which John McCulloch lived and died.
Mrs. Dean also passed away in North Caro- lina. She was a lady of superior talent and education and had the distinction of attending a school taught by Marshal Ney, Napoleon's marshal, who, though, according to French history, shot in 1815, in reality escaped to America and, taking the name of Peter Stuart Ney, lived until his death in 1846 in the vicinity of Salisbury. He was a friend and associate of Judge Dean's maternal grandfather and a fre- quent visitor at his house, and during the ill- ness which terminated his life in 1846, he was attended by Judge Dean's cousin, Dr. Matthew Locke, to whom the patient admitted just be- fore his death that he was Marshal Ney. This fact has been somewhat in dispute, but Judge Dean relates many interesting events and in- cidents concerning Ney, and has a number of books and documentary evidences which prove conclusively that the man referred to was in reality the famous marshal .who served under Napoleon. These things awaken great interest in Judge Dean's mind in the French emperor and the history of the French Revolu- tion and the Napoleonic wars. He has a very extensive library, containing nearly everything extant on these subjects from which he quotes freely from memory, and few indeed are those who are more thoroughly versed upon the his- tory of the great Napoleon.
Judge Dean was provided with good educa- tional privileges and after attending school in Statesville, North Carolina, took up the study of law when he was still quite young. Following his father's removal to this state he continued his law studies in Texas, and was admitted to the bar in Giddings, Lee county. On the com- mittee that examined him for admission was Joseph D. Sayers, afterward governor of the state, Seth Sheperd, G. Washington Jones, N. A. Rector, and A. J. Rousseau, all of whom were distinguished lawyers of Texas. In 1878 Mr. Dean came to the western part of the state, which was then an open country infested with
El Paso, Fever
-1906-
NOYES RAND
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Indians and the work of progress and develop- ment had scarcely been begun. It was his de- sire to enter upon the practice of law but he was without capital and the early years of a lawyer's career do not bring in any great in- come, for advancement at the bar is proverbially slow. Accordingly in the months of February, March and April of that year Judge Dean drove a stage coach for the Overland Stage Company, his route being from Fort Davis, in what is now Jeff Davis county, to Van Horn in El Paso county .. This was the overland mail route and formed a link in the chain connecting the Mis- sissippi river to California, and then the longest stage route in the world. In May, 1878, how- ever, Judge Dean entered upon the active prac- tice of his profession and soon demonstrated his ability as a lawyer, having comprehensive grasp of judicial principles, combined with an analytical mind and keen powers of logic. In 1880 he was elected county attorney of Presi- dio county, in which capacity he served for two years, and in 1882 he was chosen by popular suffrage to the office of district attorney of what was then the twentieth judicial district and is now included in the thirty-fourth dis- trict. It comprised several counties includ- ing El Paso. At that time the district was much larger than it is at the present time and covered all of the country west of the Pecos river, together with a section of country east of it and including Tom Green county. In 1884 Judge Dean was re-elected and again in 1886 and 1888, and in 1890 he retired from the office as he had entered it-with the confidence and trust of all concerned. The years of 1891 and 1892 were devoted to the private practice of law and in the latter year he was elected to the state senate, where he served for four years, during which period he was closely connected with important constructive legislation and served on a number of the leading committees in the upper house. In 1896 he was re-elected district attorney, once more in 1898 and the third time in 1900, and since 1902 he has again engaged in private practice.
Judge Dean was united in marriage to Miss Louise Haggart and in social life in El Paso
they are well known, while the hospitality of their own home is greatly enjoyed by many friends. Judge Dean is connected with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and also the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the degrees of the lodge, chapter and commandery. He has had an interesting career and as a lawyer has made a notable record, pros- ecuting perhaps more cases than any other pros- ecuting attorney of the state. He is absolutely fearless in the performance of his duty and never forgets that he owes his highest allegi- ance to the majesty of the law. His practice has been extensive and of an important character. His legal learning, his analytical mind and readi- ness with which he grasps the points in an argu- ment all combine to make him one of the most notable lawyers in Western Texas, and the pub- lic and the profession acknowledge him the peer of its ablest members.
MAJOR NOYES RAND. The history of the pioneer settlers of Western Texas would be incomplete without the record of Major Noyes Rand, a capitalist of El Paso, who from the earliest founding of the town has been a prom- inent factor in its substantial growth and im- provement. Widely known, his life history cannot fail to prove of interest to his many friends, and it is therefore with pleasure that we present the record of his career to our read- ers.
He was born in Charleston, West Virginia, then a part of Virginia, April 23, 1840, his par- ents being William Jackson and Ellen ( Noyes) Rand. The father was a native of western Massachusetts and in his early boyhood ac- companied his parents to Kanawha valley, Vir- ginia, where in later years he became a noted and wealthy salt producer and subsequently was closely, actively and prominently connected with the financial interests of Charleston. The Rands are of Scotch-Irish descent and although not strong numerically the family history con- tains the names of some who have won note and success in business life in America. Will- iam Jackson Rand was united in marriage to Miss Ellen Noyes, a daughter of Isaac Noyes,
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a native of the state of New York, also of Scotch lineage. Her grandfather, William Morris, and the famous Daniel Boone were the first representatives from the Trans-Allegheny country to the Virginia legislature. The Rand homestead at Charleston, a beautiful structure surrounded by fine grounds, is yet one of the at- tractive features of the landscape in that sec- tion of the country and is today occupied by the sister of Major Rand of this review. At the time of the emancipation proclamation none of the father's old slaves left him, for they were greatly attached to him because of his kindli- ness and generosity to them and some of them are still found at the old homestead.
Fortunate is the man who has an ancestry back of him honorable and distinguished, and happy is he if his lines of life are cast in harmony there- with. Major Noyes Rand in both the paternal and maternal line comes of a family of which he has every reason to be proud and in person and talents is a worthy scion of his race. He was reared at Charleston and pursued his education in part at Maysville, Kentucky, while later he entered the Washington University at Lexington, Virginia, from which he was graduated in the class of 1859. Previous to the Civil war he was a member of the military company at Charleston known as the Kanawha Rifles. This was a mili- tary organization of which the townsmen were most proud and at the outbreak of the Civil war the company joined the Confederate army. Major Rand became a staff officer and during the greater part of his service was acting as- sistant adjutant general. He took part in the Wilderness campaign, also the movements of the army in western and northern Virginia and was wounded at the second battle of Cold Harbor and again in the engagement at Perryville. He was inspector general of Wharton's division at the battle of Cedar Creek and for a time was acting assistant adjutant general of the staff of General Cerro Gordo Williams. Thus throughout the war he was on active duty, largely in detail ser- vice, being frequently transferred in order to meet the exigencies of the times and for several months he was held as a prisoner of war. When hostilities were brought to a close he was lying
wounded at Louisburg, West Virginia, but was nevertheless discharging his duties as acting as- sistant adjutant general.
During the period of the Civil war Major Rand was married to Miss Annie Warwick Nor- vell, who belonged to a noted family of Lynch- burg, Virginia, of which Senator Daniels was also a representative. Major and Mrs. Rand have become the parents of five children: Mrs. Ella Thomas, who is now living in New Orleans ; Mrs. Flora Dawley, whose husband is at the head of the Dawley Furniture Company at Charles- ton; Mrs. Maude Slawson, of Toreon, Mexico; William J., manager of the Pomeroy Transfer Company of El Paso and likewise active in pub- lic affairs as a member of the city council ; and Gaston Norvell Rand, who is living in Charleston, West Virginia.
Major Rand's career in the west has been romantic, adventurous and interesting in the ex- treme, and his history is replete with many events and stories that would fill a volume if written in detail. Following the period of the Civil war he was engaged with the Great Kanawha Salt Com- pany, at Charleston, and for about seven years, prior to 1880, he was connected with White Sul- phur Springs, Virginia, being associated with a company that was operating that resort. He also figured in political circles in the state and filled the position of assistant clerk in West Virginia legislature during the winter months. He has also had favorable associations with monied men and capitalists of the east and it was through the influence of some of them that he was induced to come to Texas in 1879 and investigate and re- port upon some promising copper prospects. Accordingly he made the trip and in 1880 came again to Texas, since which time he has prac- tically been a resident of El Paso, although he has traveled considerably in the interior. From the first he has been at the head of or connected in one capacity or another with the large affairs that have made El Paso what it is today and it should be mentioned that he has often labored for the welfare and upbuilding of the city to the detriment of his personal interests, where had he concentrated his efforts upon the acquirement of wealth he might have gained a princely fortune
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for himself. As chairman of the executive com- mittee he built the first bridge across the Rio Grande river at this point and also built the first street railway which was operated by mule power. This was the foundation of the present splendid railway system of the city. Moreover, Mr. Rand has carried out several other business enterprises that have resulted most beneficially to El Paso through his association with Boston capitalists.
Major Rand has great faith in the richness of the mineral resources in the country surrounding El Paso and has himself discovered and exploited properties that have become famous. A most interesting history is that of the "old padre" mine, a semi-legendary mine of fabulous wealth which was supposed to be located somewhere in the Franklin mountains a few miles north of El Paso and which had been worked by the Span- iards several generations ago until they were driven from the country by Indians. Mr. Rand obtained a clue to the location of this mine from an old Mexican priest, Padre Ortieze at Juarez, and after much investigation and exploration found what was then believed to be the original "old padre" mine. Major Rand re-christened this mine the Florella-a combination of the names of his two daughters. The Florella prop- erty has recently been disposed of to the Greene Copper Syndicate for fifty thousand dollars. It lies nine miles north of El Paso and gives every promise 'of proving a very paying property. About two miles from the Florella, toward El Paso, Major Rand has discovered and is develop- ing what has since proved beyond doubt to be the original "padre" mine, it, like the other, bear- ing evidence of having been worked in ancient days by the Spaniards.
When Major Rand came to El Paso he pur- chased one hundred square miles of land which he bought at a very low figure in the south- eastern part of El Paso county and this tract is today owned by a company of which he is a member. He was the originator and one of the owners of the well known Cotton addition to El Paso, containing about eight hundred acres and he still owns a large interest in that tract. He was the pioneer and originator of irrigation in El Paso and vicinity by machinery, and on the
Cotton addition he has had twenty wells dug, ten feet apart, connected with piping, while the water is pumped by a gasoline engine, the first to be used in this part of the country. Major Rand likewise acted in inducing capitalists in financing the Mexican Central Railway southward from El Paso, and other railroad propositions have all had the benefit of his experience and advice. He was also the vice president and chairman of the original company that built the first street railway in El Paso, was manager of the same and pur- chased all the material, including steel, lumber, cars and other equipments, managing the busi- ness after the completion of the line with such success that under his control the street railway paid the investors a handsome dividend on their stock.
In many of these enterprises Major Rand has had the assistance of his friend, the late Governor and United States Senator Bates of Tennessee. Coming to El Paso in early days when there was a large lawless element here, such as is always found in a pioneer district, he served on the vigi- lance committee which stood for law and order. In those early days he never went to the postoffice without his six-shooter strapped to his belt. He is today one of the best informed inen of the state on mining interests in the southwest, of its pio- neer history and in fact of everything connected with the annals of El Paso and vicinity. Care- fully watching the growth of the country, recog- nizing its needs and its possibilities, he has labored for its permanent development and sub- stantial improvement and has been particularly active in the growth of El Paso, where he still makes his home. His memory goes back to the time when the entire southwest was very sparsely settled, when the Indians were more numerous than the white men and the land had not been reclaimed for cultivation or ranch purposes, but still remained in its primitive condition from which it had come from the hand of nature. Throughout the years of his residence here he has been a most prominent and helpful factor in the advancement of those interests upon which the growth and prosperity of a city always de- pend. He is vice president of the Pioneer Society of El Paso, Judge Magoffin being president.
CHAPTER X.
RAILROAD BUILDING AND GENERAL DEVELOPMENT .- FORT WORTH BE- COMES A RAILROAD CENTER .- THE RAILROAD ERA IN NORTHWEST TEXAS.
During the decade of the eighties the rapid building of railroads transformed North and West Texas from an isolated region in which cattle-raising was the only practicable industry, to a country whose means of transportation have enabled it to produce varied and abundant crops and to reach as high a degree of material pros- perity as can be affirmed of any other part of this state or any other western state.
During this decade Fort Worth became a rail- road center. All the important lines of North- west Texas center at this point, and it is with much pride that the citizens mention these eleven trunk lines, which are: Texas and Pacific ; Missouri, Kansas & Texas; Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe; Houston & Texas Central (Southern Pacific System) ; Fort Worth & Rio Grande (Frisco System) ; Trans-Continental branch of T. & P .; Fort Worth and Denver City ; Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf; St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) ; St. Louis & San Francisco; In- ternational & Great Northern.
The M. K. & T. was extended into Texas no further than Denison for six years. In the win- ter of 1878-79 what was at first known as the Denison & Pacific Railroad began building from Denison west, was completed to Whitesboro in March, 1879, and by November had reached Gainesville. In January, 1880, this road was purchased by the M. K. & T. company, which some years later pushed the line on to Henrietta, and still later paralleled the track of the Fort Worth and Denver City to Wichita Falls. Thus Gainesville was given a railroad, and in Decem- ber, 1879, the telegraph line between that town
and Denison was put in operation. Gainesville has for twenty years been considered the com- mercial metropolis for Cooke, Montague, Wise counties and for the Chickasaw Nation of the Territory. Shortly after the first railroad reached the town it put on municipal propor- tions, and by the time the G. C. & S. F. com- pleted its north and south connections at that point, it claimed a population of five thousand and was a considerable manufacturing and trade center.
Until 1880 Sherman had remained the western terminus of the so-called Transcontinental line of the Texas and Pacific from Texarkana, but by rapid construction it affected a junction with the M. K. & T. at Whitesboro and thence was extended south to Fort Worth, reaching the lat- ter city in May, 1880. Both the T. & P. and the M. K. & T. trains were operated over this branch, as they are today, but when the road was built it was known as a part of the Missouri Pacific system, the M. K. & T. being in that combination during the early eighties. This road had no sooner been completed between Fort Worth and Whitesboro, when the Interna- tional Improvement Co., which was then engaged in the extension of the Missouri Pacific lines through Texas, began building south, toward Waco. The construction of this line is thus explained by the Denton Press in May, 1881 :- "The Missouri Pacific extends from Hannibal, Mo., to Sedalia, where it joins another prong from St. Louis. From Sedalia the main track runs to Parsons, Kansas, thence to Denison, which remained its terminus till two years ago,
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when it was extended to Gainesville. It was then thought that the road would be built from Gainesville south, leaving Denton on the east ; but the Missouri Pacific formed an alliance with the T. & P. to build a joint road from Whitesboro to Fort Worth, thus passing through Denton and connecting with the Dallas and Wichita line. As yet the Missouri Pacific is com- pleted only to Fort Worth, but the line is most- ly graded to Waco, from there will be extended to Austin."
May 28, 1873, the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad was chartered by Galveston capi- talists, and two years later construction work was begun, with the intention of carrying the road northwestward through the state to the capital of New Mexico, opening up a country of splendidly varied productiveness. By February, 1881, the line had reached Belton and was in operation. This was evidently one of the trunk lines which would bring prosperity and develop- ment to a large portion of the state, and the citizens of the several counties north of Bell con- sidered it worth much effort and expense to get this line constructed north toward Fort Worth rather than along the original route. In Sep- tember, 1880, over seventy-five thousand dollars were raised by the public-spirited citizens of Fort Worth to secure the building of the road through this point, and in a short time contracts were let for the construction of the road between Cleburne and Fort Worth. The citizens of Cle- burne had also labored zealously for this road, and it was due to the liberal contributions of towns all along the route that the building of the line was made possible. Work between Tem- ple and Fort Worth was pushed rapidly during 1881, and on December 2, 1881, the first train ran into Fort Worth over this route, giving the first direct connection with the Gulf. The Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe was, originally, a dis- tinctively Texas road, promoted by Texas capi- tal and the generous bonuses of citizens.
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From Temple, the junction point of this road, what is known as the Lampasas branch was con- structed and put in operation as far as Lam- pasas in May, 1882; extended to Brownwood in January, 1886; from Brownwood to Coleman,
March, 1886; Coleman to Ballinger, June, 1886; and Ballinger to San Angelo, the present ter- minus of the road, in September, 1888. From Cleburne, the branch to Dallas was put in opera- tion in 1882; and thence extended to Paris by June, 1887. During the eighties, also, the branch from Cleburne to Weatherford was constructed.
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