A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 46

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968

USA > Texas > A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I > Part 46

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One of the strong characteristics of Mr. McCaulley is his ready recognition of opportunity. His most important work and that from which the largest benefits have been and will be derived for

the west has been in connection with the building and operation of the KANSAS CITY, MEXICO & ORIENT RAILROAD. His efforts have been large- ly instrumental in securing the construction of the road through the western part of Texas. In 1900 he and his partner, Thomas Trammel, induced A. E. Stilwell, the president of the Orient road, to investigate the value of building a line which should enter the state on the Red river and cross it in a southwesterly direction, and as the result of this investigation the loca- tion of the road was made through the desired district followed by the subsequent construction of the line. Since that time Mr. McCaulley has given, his entire time and attention to further- ing this great enterprise and at the present time is the vice president of the Orient Railroad in Texas and has charge of the right of way and of town-site matters in this state. The Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Railroad begins at Kan- sas City, Missouri, and extends southwest, pass- ing through Wichita. Kansas, and crossing a portion of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and the republic of Mexico, its terminus being Topolo- bampo Bay on the western coast of Mexico, covering a total distance of about sixteen hun- dred miles. It is about five hundred miles nearer from Kansas City to the Pacific coast by way of the Orient road than it is from that point to Pa- cific ports reached by other transcontinental lines, and thus opens up a new way to the Orient trade of China, Japan, the Philippine Islands and other countries. For years it has been the dream of railroad builders to construct a line opening up the great southwest, but it remained for Mr. Stilwell to evolve this great plan and carry it forward. The Orient road has been construct- ed along most modern lines of railroad build- ing and its value to the state of Texas and other southwest points cannot be overestimated. Time alone will prove its full value, but all recognize its great worth, affording as it does a splendid highway of transportation to the eastern sec- tions of this country and for outgoing trade to the Pacific.

On the 27th of December, 1883, was cele- brated the marriage of Mr. McCaulley and Miss Irene Neblett. He is prominent in social and

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fraternal circles and for twenty-three years has been a Mason, belonging to the blue lodge of Sweetwater, Sweetwater Chapter, to the com- mandery at Abilene, and Hella Temple of the Mystic Shrine at Dallas. He is a notable type of the men of affairs in Texas who have been the real builders and promoters of the great western section, and his connection with railroad interests today makes him one of the prominent residents of the western part of the state, his labors be- ing of marked material value to his fellow citi- zens as well as a source of gratifying income to himself.

LIVINGSTONE GARDNER HAWKINS. vice president and manager of the Waggoner National Bank at Vernon, is a strong factor in the financial, business and community af- fairs of this town and, in fact, all over North- west Texas. A fine type of the able, self-re- liant, progressive business man and citizen, he has, during a short life of less than forty years, worked out a career which could be a mat- ter of pride to men of twice the age. The strenuous has been no inconsiderable factor of his life with specific application to business activity, and he can say that he has been en- gaged in the serious performance of life's affairs since boyhood.

His life history begins in the town of Mans- field, Louisiana, where he was born Dec. 13, 1868. He comes naturally by his energy and alertness, for his father accomplished much during his comparatively short life. James Edward Hawkins was born in Mississippi, whence he moved to Mansfield, Louisiana, dur- ing the later fifties. He enlisted in the Con- federate army, was made quartermaster, and held that position throughout the war. Among the battles in which he served was the one at Mansfield, his home town. In 1869, when Gen- eral Granville M. Dodge and Colonel Morgan Jones began the construction of the Texas and Pacific Railroad across this state, he was ap- pointed right of way agent. In that year he brought his family to Marshall, Texas, which was then the eastern terminus of the road in this state. From this point Mr. James E. Haw-

kins worked to the west, engaged in making contracts for rights of way for the new road. He was still performing this work when his life was cut short by fever, and he died at Can- ton, Van Zandt county, in 1873.

Mr. Hawkins' mother, Parolee (Self) Haw- kins, was born in Alabama. Her brother, A. L. Self, was cashier of the Citizens' National Bank of Kaufman, Texas, for a number of years. She now makes her home at Fort Worth with her son, W. E. Hawkins, who was connected with the Panther City Hardware Company at Fort Worth, and now with the Waters-Pierce Oil Company at Fort Worth.

Mr. L. G. Hawkins was but five years old when he lost his father. The latter had, just previous to his death, prepared a home for his family in Dallas and all arrangements had been made to move there, so that after his death, in 1873, the mother and her children took up their residence in Dallas. Mr. Hawkins was nine years old when he performed his first remuner- ative service, as cash boy in Sanger Brothers' store at Dallas, wages two dollars a week. He made his home in Dallas for a number of years, and entered upon his career of promotions in business affairs at that city. At the age of thirteen he became messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Dallas, and two years later was made yard clerk for the Santa Fe Railroad at Dallas. This con- nection with railroad affairs lasted until a few years since, and he has done much efficient work for various Texas roads. He left the Santa Fe to take an office position under the local agent of the Houston and Texas Central at Dallas, following which he was in the agent's office of the Cotton Belt Line at Waco, and then in a similar position with the "Katy" road at the same place. On April 1, 1892, he was appointed agent at Vernon for the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad. During his five years' tenure of this position he became close- ly identified with the town which has since become his permanent center of business ac- tivity. He was promoted to the position of agent at Bowie on the same road, and re- mained there three years. In 1900 he returned

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to Vernon to become connected as cashier with the Waggoner National Bank, from which po- sition he was promoted to vice president, and is the active managing officer of this conserva- tive and highly reliable financial institution, a brief history of which follows.

Mr. Hawkins is a Knight Templar Mason and also a Woodman and a Knight of Pythias. He is a very popular gentleman, is enterprising and public-spirited, and spends his time and money freely to help along worthy projects in local business, church and social affairs. Be- sides his connection with the bank he has large ranching interests in Foard and Knox counties, being associated with John H. Houssels and B. Houssels.

He was married at Vernon, November 1, 1893, to Miss Senie Rosamond Houssels, daughter of Robert Houssels, who is a promi- nent rancher, cattleman and capitalist of this city. Mr. and Mrs. Hawkins have two daugh- ters, Ruth and Louise.

THE WAGGONER NATIONAL BANK organized during the summer of 1899 with Mr. R. C. Neal, president, W. T. Waggoner, vice president, and John H. Henry, cashier. In 1900 Messrs. Neal and Henry resigned from their respective positions, and the officers then 'became: Mr. Waggoner, president, L. G. Hawkins, at first cashier and then vice-presi- dent, and C. E. Basham, cashier.

This bank has a capital stock of $50,000, with surplus and undivided profit of $40,000, and by its conservative management and courteous treatment of patrons has built up a very strong institution and one in which the people of the Panhandle place great confidence.

Mr. Waggoner, the president, is a multi-mil- lionaire cattleman, having lived in the Pan- handle since 1873, and is known and respected by all the people both rich and poor. Mr. Hawkins, the vice president, up to 1900 was connected with the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad, resigning from that company to ac- cept the cashiership of this institution, and by his record gained the promotion to the vice presidency, which position he now holds. Mr. C. E. Basham, the cashier, started in the bank-

ing business in 1893, with the private bank of R. C. Neal, which was afterwards merged into the Merchants and Cattlemen's Bank, and then in 1900 into the Waggoner National Bank. Mr. Basham's reputation as a banker is known all over the Panhandle, and he has the entire confidence of not only the stockholders but the people, and by his conservative manner and courteous treatment is building up the reputa- tion of the already strong institution.

JUDGE JAMES C. PAUL, of Amarillo, is treasurer of the Pecos System and for many years one of the foremost business men, ranch- ers ånd farmers of the Panhandle. His identifi- cation with the Santa Fe Railroad brought him into this section of Texas, but since he has been here he has given attention not only to the transportation and commercial features of the country but to its industries, and especially to the development of its agricultural resources. Judge Paul has firm faith, founded on over fif- teen years' experience, in the Panhandle as an agricultural center, where the varied fruits of the soil may, by proper care and intelligent in- dustry, be raised in the same or greater profu- sion than in supposedly more favored localities. And his enthusiasm born of conviction has borne much fruit, and during the period of his residence here the country around Amarillo has grown with a rapidity and permanence that make it today one of the most remarkable re- gions in the state.

Judge Paul is a vigorous man of fifty odd years, with a wealth of vitality and the ener- gizing power which are essential to the con- trol of large affairs. He was born in Augusta county, Virginia, September 15, 1852, a son of James M. and Susan (Kiger) Paul, both of whom were Virginians by birth and training, and died in that state, in 1892 and in 1882, re- spectively. His father was a life-long farmer in Augusta county.

The son James C. was reared on a farm, and his early education was received in the schools of his vicinity. When he was twenty years old he left home surroundings and came as far west as Illinois. He finished his education in the

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Illinois State University at Champaign and af- ter graduation he went to Iowa, locating on a farm near Rock Rapids, where he carried on a successful farming business for several years. About the time the great boom began at Wich- ita, Kansas, he moved to that place and went into the real estate business. He bought prop- erty which at that time was held at enormous figures, and he still owns considerable Wich- ita real estate.

He later became connected with the building of the Southern Kansas division of the Santa Fe Railway southwest into the Texas Pan- handle, and in 1887 he moved to Panhandle City, in what is now Carson county,-although at that time no counties had been organized in the Panhandle, or at least none with organized county governments of their own. Mr. Paul as treasurer of the Southern Kansas Railway, had his headquarters at Panhandle City, which was then the terminus of the line and was just beginning its career as a booming western town. In that town, also in 1887, he established the first bank of the Panhandle, called the Pan- handle Bank. He made his home at Panhandle City for some fourteen years, and besides his other varied interests he carried on a large ranch and farm, and experimented and raised for profit all the grains and cereals and fruits of which the soil and climate are capable. Dur- ing the same period also, he was elected judge of Carson county, being one of the leaders of public opinion and action as long as he resided in the county.

By 1900 the importance of Panhandle City as a commercial center had been much over- shadowed by Amarillo, with its several rail- roads, and in that year he removed to the lat- ter city, which has since been his home. But even before this time, however, he had acquired important interests in the town, having, among other things, in 1894 helped to organize the Amarillo National Bank, of which he was presi- dent for four years. In the meantime the Santa Fe people had extended the Southern Kansas Railway in a southwesterly direction through Amarillo to Roswell, New Mexico, and Pecos, Texas, making Amarillo a division point and

the official headquarters of the road. The branch from Amarillo to Pecos is known as the Pecos Valley Railway, and, with the original line, the Southern Kansas, is called the Pecos System. This five hundred miles of road ex- tends from Woodward, Oklahoma, to Pecos, Texas. Of this important transportation sys- tem, which has meant so much in the develop- ment of the southwest, Mr. Paul is treasurer. He is otherwise prominent in the city of his res- idence, and at the present writing is president of the Amarillo board of trade.

Mr. Paul's first wife, to whom he was married in Chicago, was Miss Nina Darby. She died in Panhandle City in 1892, leaving two sons, Frank and Howard. In April, 1904, Judge Paul married, at Paris, Miss Cora Bryant.

CAPTAIN JAMES M. KINDRED, postmas- ter of Amarillo, is a leader in public-spirited en- terprise in this flourishing city of the Panhandle, and it is to men of just such energetic and pro- gressive caliber as he that Amarillo and the sur- rounding country owe their rapid development of the past few years. Courageous and resolute in . whatever he undertakes, broad-gauged and lib- eral in his interests, and exceedingly popular with all classes of citizens, Captain Kindred has nat- urally made himself an important factor and has been a doer of things in every community where any part of his lifetime has been passed. He has lived in Amarillo almost from the inception of the town, and for the past ten years has been perma- nently and closely identified with the welfare of the place.

Born in Madison county, Kentucky, March 27, 1837, he was a son of Lorenzo Dow and Mary Jane (Varner) Kindred. His father, a native of Kentucky and of Virginia parentage, whose an- cestors came from England, was a farmer in Madison county nearly all his life and died there in 1899 at the age of eighty-three years. The mother, of German ancestry, is also deceased, having passed away in Madison county.

The old farm in Madison county was the scene of Captain Kindred's earlier efforts and rearing to useful manhood. He was well privileged from an educational standpoint, and after his school

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days were over he began teaching school. He' was engaged in that occupation in Estill county, Kentucky, at the time of the breaking out of the Civil war. Enlisting as a private in Company E, Eighth Kentucky Infantry, of the Union army, he served with that regiment as long as it was. with the army, it being attached to the Army of the Cumberland. From a private in the ranks he was almost at the beginning of his service made a quartermaster sergeant, and through subse- quent promotions, based on bravery and meritori- ous service, he became quartermaster of his regi- ment, with the rank of first lieutenant and the pay of captain. Just prior to the battle at Chatta- nooga he hauled the last train of Federal supplies to Lookout Mountain, and his was the first regi- ment of the Union army to plant the flag above the clouds on that mountain. The Eighth Ken- tucky was all over Tennessee two or three times, and also in Kentucky. Captain Kindred was in a number of important battles. After the battle of Kenesaw Mountain the regiment continued no further with Sherman's army, but Captain Kindred went on to the siege of Atlanta with supplies, and at the end of the war he was mus- tered out at Louisville.

A short time after his return to Madison coun- ty and his re-engaging in school teaching he was elected sheriff of the county to fill out an unex- pired term, and remained in that county for about two years after the war. After a brief experi- ence in Washington county as a school teacher he went to Louisville and became a commercial salesman, a line of business which he made his principal occupation until a few years since. As a "drummer" he was on the road throughout the southern states for nearly thirty years, represent- ing a number of prominent houses in St. Louis and Louisville. Fifteen years ago, in 1889, he moved out to Amarillo, Texas, to make this his home, and bought a ranch in Randall county, the operation of which, however, he turned over to his son-in-law, and he himself continued on the road for five or six years longer. In 1895 he gave up traveling altogether and took charge of the Amarillo Hotel, which he conducted very suc- cessfully for two years and a half.

Captain Kindred has held the office of post-

master since June, 1898, when he received the appointment from the late President Mckinley. In the subsequent six years he has rendered a most excellent and progressive administration of the postal affairs of the city. Only recently he has secured free city delivery, and the way in which he worked for this indicates the enterpris- ing energy with which he undertakes every worthy work. He had no sooner become the in- cumbent of the office when he began a systematic effort to get Amarillo from a third to a second class office, and in this he was successful. When the postal receipts were brought to the necessary limit when a free-delivery system might be legal- ly demanded, the authorities from Washing- ton could not yet be satisfied by the absence of good sidewalks, lights and house numbers, so that a civic campaign had to be waged for munic- ipal improvements. The city council was stirred to activity, the postal inspector was convinced of the reasonableness of Captain Kindred's de- mands, and in the end free delivery was installed and the city has taken one more long step in ad- vance. Captain Kindred is also interested in im- provements outside of the postoffice, in fact is foremost in every enterprise that means better schools and institutions, ampler growth and the permanent welfare of Amarillo. He is an active worker on the board of trade, and his services are in demand and freely furnished whenever a plan is on foot to plant some other industry or enlarge the commercial influence of his adopted city.

Captain Kindred is a leader of the Republican party in Texas, and it is said that, by reason of his great popularity, if it were possible to elect any Republican in Texas he would be "it." In July, 1904, he was honored by the Republicans of the thirteenth congressional district by being nominated for congress, and he made an excellent run at the fall elections. Fraternally he is a mem- ber of the Masonic order.

Captain Kindred married first Josephine E. Cooper, of Lebanon, Kentucky, in 1866, who died fourteen years later in Lebanon, leaving one child, Minnie C., now wife of C. H. Lelfwich. In 1881 he married Mrs. Maria (Haner) Rodman, a native of Scott county, Kentucky.

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HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

CAPTAIN ISAAC W. CARHART, now en- gaged in the abstract and real estate business at Clarendon, has been an important and influential character in this town since its establishment in the early days which marked the first real de- velopment and opening up of the Panhandle country, Clarendon being almost the first town started in this part of the state. The name Car- hart has been identified with Donley county about as long as any other, and Captain Carhart him- self is an authority on the early history and times of Northwest Texas. He is a man of broad and varied experience in life, has been connected with different business pursuits and industries, has been an Indian fighter as well as a Civil war vet- eran, has taken a leading part in the public af- fairs of the communities wherever his lot has been cast, and his useful and honorable career justifies the high esteem in which he is held by friends and fellow citizens.

A native of Broome county, New York, where he was born September 4, 1843, he was a son of Isaac D. and Nancy (Bangs) Carhart. His father, also a native of York state and of an old family there, moved west to Wisconsin in 1853, and spent the remainder of his years in the southwestern part of the state, in Trempeleau county, near the town of that name, where he died. Rev. Nathan Bangs, the maternal grand- father of Captain Carhart, was a noted author and theologian of the Methodist Episcopal church, and wrote numerous works on doctrinal subjects that are standard literature in the libra- ries and colleges of the Methodists.

Captain Carhart spent the first twenty years of his life on a farm, and in the latter part of 1863 he enlisted at Trempeleau in Company C of the Thirtieth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Being assigned to duty in the frontier service against the Indians, he was in an expedition sent out by the government under the command of General Sully as a result of the massacre at New Ulm, Minnesota. These troops went up the Mis- souri river and built Fort Rice at the mouth of Cannon Ball river, and were engaged in general service through the bad lands of Dakota and in Montana. In the latter part of 1864 the regiment was called back to the middle west to assist in the

campaign about Nashville, Tennessee, but stopped on reaching Bowling Green in order to head off the raids made by the Kentucky cavalry. Later Captain Carhart himself was ordered back to Louisville to serve as clerk of court martial, and continued in that capacity until September, 1865, when he was mustered out at that city.

On his return to Trempeleau county he re- mained only a brief time, until his removal to Ouachita county, near Camden, in southern Ar- kansas, where he became a successful cotton planter. He became prominent in public affairs, and was one of the foremost Republicans of those days in Arkansas. He subsequently removed to Hot Springs, Arkansas, and when that place was withdrawn as a government reservation and in- corporated as a city he was elected its first mayor, in 1876, his election being approved by Governor A. H. Garland. Previous to this he had been secretary of the state senate of Arkansas. Fol- lowing his four years' term as mayor he was ap- pointed postmaster of Hot Springs by President Garfield, and held that office eight years. During his mayoralty he spent considerable time in Washington, securing by legislation a settlement of the disputed titles to the lands on which Hot Springs stands.

In 1887. when, through the extension of the Fort Worth and Denver Railroad to this region, the town of Clarendon was started, Captain Car- hart became one of its first citizens, opening a real estate office. Some time later he was ap- pointed manager of the "Quarter Circle Heart" ranch, belonging to the Clarendon Land, Invest- ment and Agency Company, an English corpora- tion. This was one of the famous big ranches of that period, and Captain Carhart continued as its manager for several years, after which he once more got into the real estate business, of recent years making somewhat of a specialty of ab- stracting. When Clarendon was incorporated as a city in 1901 Captain Carhart was elected the first mayor. He is a popular and successful citi- zen, and has played an influential part in each successive place of his residence.

Captain Carhart is senior warden of the Epis- copal church, and his wife is also a member of this church in Clarendon. While living in Arkan-

Slater

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sas, Captain Carhart was married to Miss Julia Scott, a daughter of Judge Scott, who was a su- preme judge of that state before the war. Mr. and Mrs. Carhart have one son, Isaac W. Car- hart, who is associated with McClelland Brothers in the real estate business in Clarendon. He is also a prominent young Mason, being high priest of the local chapter.

Captain Carhart's brother, Rev. L. H. Car- hart, who now lives in California, was one of the founders of the old town of Clarendon, which was situated five miles north of the present town, on Salt Fork, and which was established ten years before the new town came into existence, the reason for the change of the town to its pres- ent site being the building of the railroad as above stated. Reverend Carhart was a Methodist min- ister in Tennessee, and was sent out by that de nomination to found a church somewhere in this country. With his associates and family he ar- rived at the place referred to and founded the first town of Clarendon, which at the time was three hundred miles from any railroad or im- portant settlement, and the first religious services which this devoted minister held were in a tent.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume I, Part 46

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1906 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co. Number of Pages: 968

Author: Paddock, B. B. (Buckley B.), 1844-1922; Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1906
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing co.
Number of Pages: 968