A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 17

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: 972

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entry into the arena as an embryonic cattle king.

In 1888 Mr. Myers began the purchase of land, buying three thousand seven hundred and seven- ty-five acres three miles south of Blue Grove, and this he fenced and cross-fenced, put on his ranch buildings and established himself in his perma- nent home. His tract cost him from $3 to $7.30 an acre, and he soon started his ranch as a breed- ing farm, handling Short Horn cattle. These he raised and dealt in till 1897, when he substituted the White Faces, heading his herd with "Jef- fries," No. 2150, "Buckeye" and "Colonel," northern bred animals. He has a small herd of registered Herefords and his home ranch is de- voted exclusively to the promotion of this in- dustry, while his upper ranch, embracing some fifteen hundred acres, near Henrietta, furnishes pasture and feeding ground for his beef cattle.

From 1896 to 1901 he was a member of the firm of Myers, Nutter & Neville, having exten- sive ranching interests between Blue Grove and Henrietta and handling a large amount of beef and other cattle. Since selling his interest to his partners he has confined himself to his individual matters and, as the proprietor of the Blue Grove Hereford Stock Farm, he is reckoned one of the successful "cowmen" of his county.

Myers' ranch is widely and popularly known for its hospitality and good cheer. Its bachelor quarters are presided over by a genuine Virginia gentleman, inured to all the environments of a frontier life, yet happy at the prospect of being able to serve and provide for the welfare of friends away from home. In sympathy with the unfortunate, charitable to those at fault and loyal to his multitude of friends, "Billy" Myers is an honored representative of the ranchers' brother- hood.

THOMAS GRAY WORLEY. Widely known in the druggists' sundries and general drug business of Montague county and the oldest established business of the character in Bowie is that presided over by Thomas G. Worley of this review, whose business life has been passed within the limits of the county which he honors and whose success has been measured by the steady and upward trend of a quarter of a century of active, conservative business life.

Since 1883 the drug trade of Bowie has known Mr. Worley, at which time he came here from Montague without a cash capital, and with no property save a home in Montague town worth $500, and arranged to take a half interest in a $2,- 600 stock of drugs and sundries owned by White, Bivens & Company, then doing business at the foot of Mason street. His experience at the be-

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

ginning of this venture embraced two years as a grocery clerk in Montague, but this only served him as a means of forming acquaintance and he was wholly without knowledge pertaining to the important business in which he was about to em- bark.

With the assurance that one familiar with the stock and proficient in the business would re- main with the store for a time, and while he him- self was becoming able to conduct the business, Mr. Worley made the trade and took his place be- hind the counter. Before the lapse of two weeks he was left without his experienced clerk and, although barely able to tiptoe and touch bottom, as it were, he kept a steady head, surmounted every difficulty and mastered his stock without any embarrassing consequences to the public.

At the end of a year J. S. Smith purchased the other half interest in the White, Bivens & Com- pany, and the firm of Worley & Smith existed for two years, when Mr. Smith sold and Mr. Fore- man came in, and the firm of Worley & Fore- man continued in business till 1889, when the junior partner sold to the senior, and since then Thomas G. Worley has been in business alone.

Mr. Worley's prosperity and growth in Bowie has warranted his expansion in realty lines and he has substantially aided in Bowie's development by building him a commodious home on Mason street and shown his abiding faith in the town by purchasing other residence property here and a half interest in a business house on Smythe street.

In 1877 our subject came into Montague coun- ty and took up his residence in Montague. It was during the closing scenes of his youth and his individual efforts promised all that contained anything substantial for him. His education was somewhat hampered and meager, yet sufficient for use as a teacher, and to this vocation he ap- plied himself for one or two terms of country school. He was recognized, in the early years of his majority, by political leaders, and was named for and elected constable of Precinct No. I of Montague county. Following this he spent about eighteen months as helper in a livery barn in Montague, and then the grocery store, and out of it all some substantial accumulations had re- sulted.

Mr. Worley came to Texas from Hardin county. Tennessee, where his birth occurred Jan- nary 17, 1857. Michael Worley, his father, was a farmer and, prior to the war, owned a few slaves and was born in Tennessee in 1794. He was twice married and in his first family of children were: John V., of Hardin county ; Mrs. Marga- ret Williams, who died in Arkansas ; Mrs. Lucin-

da Nichols, who passed away in Tennessee; Mrs. Louisa Brisco, who died in the home state; Mrs. Lydia Richardson, who left a family at her death in Tennessee, and Martin Worley, who died in the army during the Civil war. For his sec- ond wife Michael Worley married Livina Bost, who passed away in Montague county in 1884. Her children were: Charles P., who left a fam- ily at his death in Montague county in 1894; Abraham J., a Montague county farmer ; Peter P .; likewise a farmer here, and Thomas G., our subject.

In Montague county, February 17, 1886, Mr. Worley of this review married Miss Mattie Stal- lings, a daughter of J. W. Stallings, who came to Texas in 1875 from Coffey county, Alabama. Mrs. Stallings was Miss Parker before her mar- riage, and she was the mother of six children. Mr. and Mrs. Worley's children are: Earnest Lee, James Andrew, John D., Lawrence Charles, Olympia, Arthur and Alton B. Parker.

Mr. Worley is without honors gained from pol- itics, but as a citizen he has rendered public serv- ice to his town. He served six years on the city council, helped provide some of the substantial educational facilities of the city school houses and the like, and was a member of the committee on water works, which public utility was pro- vided during his official term. From 1898 to 1902 he was city recorder, where his efficiency was shown in a clerical capacity.

JOHN ALFRED MARTIN, who has been a resident of Tarrant county since 1877 and for a number of years was known to the busi- ness world as proprietor of a hotel at Arlington and in Fort Worth, is now serving his second term as clerk of the district court at Fort Worth and is one of the most popular and efficient of the county officials.

Mr. Martin has passed through a varied and active career. He was born on Boone's creek, near Jonesboro, Washington county, Tennessee, in 1842, a son of Dr. Alfred and Sallie (Hunt) Martin, both of old and well known families in that part of the state. His father was an old- timer and prominent in the affairs of Washing- ton county, which was one of the earliest set- tled portions of Tennessee and the scene of a part of the life of Daniel Boone. Besides being a physician he was a member of the state legis- lature, and later of the state senate. He died at the old home in Washington county in 1883, age eighty-two years. The mother, also a native of Tennessee, was a daughter of Major Samuel Hunt, one of the first sheriffs in his part of the

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

state. She died on October 8, 1861, aged fifty- three years.

Mr. Martin's mother died while he was serving his country in the war. Though reared on a farm, he passed his young days in a home of comfortable affluence and with surroundings of culture and refinement. He received most of his education at Boone's Creek Institute. He was on the verge of young manhood when the Civil war came on, and early in 1861 he enlisted for Confederate service in the Twenty-ninth Tennessee Regiment, Company G, which was one of the first companies organized in that part of the state. He served under several of the prominent Confederate leaders, including Bragg, Beauregard, Joe Johnston and Hood. Begin- ning with the battle of Wilson's Creek, he took part in several of the great campaigns of the war; was in the campaign through Georgia, fought at Dalton, at Atlanta, thence went to Jonesboro and participated in the engagement there; from there accompanied Hood to Nash- ville, and in the battle of Franklin Mr. Martin was wounded twice, so that he was completely disabled for further service. This brief outline of his army life shows that he participated in the most important movements of the Confeder- ate armies of the west and south. Beginning as a private, at the time he received his honorable discharge on account of his wounds he was ad- jutant of his regiment. He had three brothers in the army who spent much of their time in Federal prisons, and one of them, Captain Je- rome N. Martin, commanded his company at the battle of Franklin.

After his army career Mr. Martin remained at home about three years, and during that time was married to Miss Mattie A. Brown. He then went to Christianburg, Virginia, where he lived seven years. In 1877 he came to Tarrant county, Texas, and has made his home in this county ever since. Both at Fort Worth and in Arlington he was in the hotel business, con- ducting a hotel in the latter place about seven years. He has also had considerable and suc- cessful experience in farming in this county, having a place south of Fort Worth. A man of recognized worth and of very popular stand- ing among all his fellow citizens, in November, 1902, he was elected to the office of clerk of the district court of Tarrant county, and in 1904 re- ceived a re-election without opposition. The dis- trict court of this county is divided into two branches, the seventeenth and the forty-eighth judicial districts, so that the business of the clerk's office is very heavy.

Mr. Martin is well known in fraternal circles, being affiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Red Men; and is a member of Lee Camp of the Confederate Vet- erans. Eight children have been born to the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Martin. One daugh- ter, Mattie A., is deceased, and the others are: Flora, Mrs. Lallah R. Rollins, John A., Jr., Mary L., Horace H., Walter, Hortense.

HON. HENRY P. BROWN of Cleburne, whose reputation as a lawyer has been won through earnest, honest labor and whose high standing at the bar is a merited tribute to his ability, has since 1886 practiced in Cleburne and in 1902 formed his present partnership with W. H. Bledsoe under the firm style of Brown & Bledsoe. Mr. Brown is a native of Alabama, his birth having occurred in Marion on the 15th of March, 1857, his parents being W. R. and Mary (Parish) Brown. The father, now de- ceased, was a native of Virginia and throughout an active business career engaged in banking. His wife, who has also passed away, was born in North Carolina.

Mr. Brown of this review was reared and educated in his native city and after acquiring his preliminary education he continued his stud- ies in Howard College. He began preparation for the profession under the direction of Mr. Pettus, now United States senator, at Marion, while his brother, Hon. Charles G. Brown, ex- attorney general of Alabama, also acted as his preceptor. Mr. Brown was licensed to practice at Marion, where he remained as an active member of the profession until 1886, when he removed to Cleburne and has since been identi- fied with the legal fraternity here. Distinguished honors have come to him in connection with his chosen calling. He served as assistant at- torney general of Texas under Hon. M. M. Crane, now a prominent member of the Dallas bar, filling the position for about a year, when he resigned to assume the private practice of law at Cleburne. Here he was first associated with D. T. Bledsoe, one of the original members of the Cleburne bar, and later was a partner of Judge W. F. Ramsey, under the firm style of Ramsey & Brown. His next partner was Col- onel J. F. Henry, and in 1902 he entered into his present relationship with W. H. Bledsoe un- der the style of Brown & Bledsoe. This is a strong legal firm, having a large general law business that connects them with much of the important litigation tried in the state and fed- eral courts of Texas.

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

On the 9th of November. 1881, at New Or- leans, Mr. Brown was married to Miss Annie G. Lockett, a granddaughter of A. B. Moore, the war governor of Alabama, and they now have a daughter, Miss Bennie Brown.

Mr. Brown is prominent in the ranks of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, in which he has been accorded high official preferment. He is now past grand chancellor of the grand lodge of Texas and is the supreme representative. He has also gained a wide acquaintance in political circles and his oratorical ability has made him a popular public speaker throughout Texas. He has done much campaign work in support of the Democracy and was one of the noted speak- ers in the celebrated campaign for governor- ship between Clark and Hogg. His attention, however, has been chiefly concentrated upon his law practice, which has now assumed extensive proportions. His careful preparation of cases is supplemented by a power of argument and forceful presentation of his points in the court room, so that he never fails to impress court or jury and seldom fails to gain the verdict de- sired. His scholarly attainments and genuine worth have gained him the friendship of many of the most prominent citizens of the state and he is accorded a position of leadership in fra- ternal, political and legal circles.

BARNEY G. GIBSON, one of the leading farmers of Montague county, Texas, was born in Meigs county, East Tennessee, October 4, 1855, son of Randall and Sarah (Brady) Gib- son, both natives of Tennessee and members of representative families of that state.

Farrell Brady, Mr. Gibson's maternal grand- father, was a pioneer settler of Tennessee ; owned a large plantation and many slaves ; was a consistent member of the Primitive Baptist church, and a highly respected citizen. He died in Tennessee at the ripe age of eighty-five years. In his family were the following chil- dren, namely : Sarah, Polly, Betty, Polk, Sellers, Smith and Charles. Randall Gibson, after his marriage to Sarah Brady, settled on a Tennes- see farm, where he prospered until the war of the rebellion interrupted the various industries of the country, especially farming on the bor- der states. Both armies foraged from him, de- vastated his farm and left him financially ruined. While a southern man and a sympathizer with the southern cause, he did not on account of age, take an active part in the war, but two of his sons, James and Charles, served all through the struggle as Confederate soldiers. After the

war he continued to reside on his farm and tried to replenish his wasted fortunes and he re- mained there until 1881, when, his children all gone, he sold out and came to Texas, locating in Fannin county, where he bought a tract of land and for a few years carried on farming operations extensively. Here he died in 1891. Of his children, we record that James died in Arkansas ; Charles died in Fannin county, Texas ; Lizzie is the wife of a Mr. Asbury; Farrell is a resident of Gibson county, Texas; Smith died in Tennessee; Hiram lives in the state of Wash- ington ; Mary is the wife of C. Hackleman; and the youngest, Barney G., is the direct subject of this review.

Barney G. Gibson spent his first sixteen years on his father's farm in Tennessee. Then in 187I he came to Texas, stopping first in Fannin county, where he secured employment as a farm hand, and was thus occupied for six years. In 1877 he married and settled on a rented farm. Five years later he came to Montague county. Here he bought a small farm on which he lived eleven years, then sold it and bought the six hundred acres of land on which he has since lived. To the few improvements that had been made here at the time of his purchase, Mr. Gib- son has added until he now has a valuable, well- improved farm. He has built a commodious residence, has two tenant houses and other good farm buildings, and has two hundred acres of his land under cultivation, the rest being used for stock purposes. He also has a. fine orchard.

Like his father before him, Mr. Gibson is a Democrat, and has never sought or filled public office, preferring to give his time and attention to his own private affairs. He and his family are members of the Missionary Baptist church, in which he is a deacon.

Mrs. Gibson was before her marriage Miss Margaret Wriston. She was born in Kentucky, daughter of Reuben and Venetta Wriston, both natives of Kentucky, who came with their fam- ily to Texas at an early day and located in Tar- rant county, whence they subsequently moved to Fannin county. In each of these counties Mr: Wriston improved a farm, and on the latter one he died. Both he and his wife were members of the Baptist church. Their children, five in number, are as follows: Clay, Mrs. Jane Bell, Mrs. Emaline Chidix, Lewis and Mrs. Margaret Gibson. Barney G. and Margaret Gibson have six children: Charles; Josephine, wife of J. Eller ; Ladora, wife of J. Ashford; Hattie, wife of O. Hutchison, and Minnie and Effa, at home.

JAMES M. SMALL

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

REV. JAMES M. SMALL. A life of activ- ity. such as has been experienced by the subject of this review, it is rarely our privilege to re- cord. Rich in deeds which win humanity for the Kingdom, and pregnant with events whose rehearsal would find interest at every fireside. its evenino is passino in a clear sky and a glow- ing sunset and night will mark the splendorous closing of a life whose longevity is rarely equaled and seldom surpassed. Eighty-seven years marks the last milestone of his onward journey. and fifty-three years marks the period of his life's labor in the ministry. In the quiet retreat of his comfortable and modest home his retirement is surrounded by his books, by the blessings of prosperity and health and the influences of a united household.

James M. Small was born at Harper's Ferry. Jefferson county. Virginia. May 25. 1818. His father. William Small, was a merchant tailor. who also had some interests in agriculture. was born a few years subsequent to the close of the American Revolution and was a native of the state of Virginia. During the war of 1812 he was captain of a company sta- tioned at Norfolk, Virginia, and helped to pre- vent the capture of that place by the British on one occasion. His father was a wagon-master in the Continental army during the Revolution. while a brother of his father. a Tory. was a colonel in the English army. The family are of Scotch-Irish origin and are, according to residence and service indications, entitled to all the honors due original and patriotic Ameri- cans.

William Small was prominent in Free Mason- ry. His home in Virginia was along the Potomac river and in the forepart of the nineteenth cen- tury the Masons of the state held convocations at points along the river annually, at which much important degree and other work was done. He was an attendant upon these meet- ings. was prominent in their councils and filled the post of grand marshal. on which occasions he wore a sword-a Damascus blade-presented to the lodge by a relative of General Washington. along with a Masonic apron of sheepskin, which paraphernalia was presented to Washington by the Czar of Russia just after American independ- ence had been won. Both being Masons, the Czar desired to express his high regard for America's greatest citizen and soldier and ac- complished his purpose in the six-word inscrip- tion on the blade, "From the oldest to the great- est."

About 1831. William Small left his native state and brought his family westward, and for some years, lived about over Southwestern Ohio.

but before the Civil War he located in Lincoln, Illinois. where he died some time in the latter sixties. His wife, who was Elizabeth Koontz, passed away in Virginia. being the mother of Mary A., wife of Dr. John Rush, died in Royal- ton. Ohio: Hettie died in Lincoln, Illinois, as Mrs. Daniel Jackson; Elizabeth, who died at Lincoln, Ill., was Mrs. Dr. A. Cook; and James MI .. of this record.

The coming to manhood of our subject oc- curred in Virginia and Ohio and his education was acquired in those states and in Tennessee. Viney Grove Academy, near Fayetteville, Ten- nessee, rounded out his life as a college student, to which place he went intending to prepare for the law. While in school a spiritual conversion visited him and he felt a call to the gospel in- stead. and all idea of the law was abandoned. He engaged in teaching school as a livelihood in Tennessee and did his first religious work there.

In the spring of 1849 a select company was formed from four counties, numbering thirty-six young men, to emigrate from the east to the west. The gold fields of California was their destination and their train of wagons was sup- plied with about every appliance needed in the trades or professions in that new Eldorado of the west. The company elected Colonel Fergu- son captain and took the southern route. going from Memphis to Fort Smith by boat and thence struck boldly into the wilderness to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Striking the Rio Grande river they followed it down to Cook's trail and. at Mr. Small's suggestion. rafted down the Gila river with their heaviest supplies to its cros- sing and on to their destination. The trip down the Gila was made for the purpose of lightening the loads on the teams and the rafts were laden with medicine-for which the govern- ment had offered them $1.000, at Santa Fe-with blacksmith's tools and other bulky and heavy articles, being a complete outfit for the wilder- ness. While Mr. Small proposed to undertake this journey alone, seven others finally joined him and so long as the river remained narrow and swift they made good time and without in- cident. When the mountainous country had been passed and the valley land appeared the river grew shallow and sandbars impeded the progress of the navigators so much that they decided to make a lighter raft, load it lightly, and one desperate fellow took charge of it and start- ed on. declaring he would neither ask nor give help. Several of the others decided to meet the wagons below on foot while Mr. Small threw away some of his load and continued his journey down stream. The man on the light raft ground - ed so often on sandbars that he abandoned

HISTORY OF NORTH AND WEST TEXAS.

his raft and its load and, footsore and weary, he reached the wagon crossing on the river on time, while our subject, finding a note tied to an overhanging tree, from the captain, telling him to abandon everything and come to the cross- ing by a certain day, obeyed, and thus ended the journey down the Gila and thus, much re- duced, the company continued and finally com- pleted its tramp to the Pacific.

His first efforts in California were directed in mining. A company was formed, of which Mr. Small was treasurer, for the purpose of turning the Macalomy river, whose bed proved to be rich in gold, but toward fall of 1850 Mr. Small abandoned his mining project, located in Napa City, near San Francisco, and began his career, regularly, in the ministry. He was the first preacher to visit that place and he talked to its inhabitants in the dining-room of a boarding house until better accommodations could be pro- vided. He organized the first Sabbath school, furnished testaments and made seats for the room, filled all the offices from janitor to min- ister, himself. He started the organization of the first Masonic lodge and rented a two- story box house, the first floor of which was used for a church and school-room and the upper floor for a lodge room. He taught the public school of the place for two years and while carrying on his church and pastoral work, at the same time found it necessary to make long journeys at night that it might not interfere with his educational work. The church which he organized became the first Cumberland Pres- byterian church of Napa City and with it and with the surrounding country in Sonoma county he was identified, as a minister, until 1872, when he removed to Texas.

In the autumn of 1873 Rev. Small became the pastor of the Cumberland Presbyterian church in Fort Worth, but resigned the follow- ing year and for the succeeding eight years gave his time to various places in Central Texas where Cumberland Presbyterian congregations were without pastors. In 1882, he came to Mon- tague county and was, for four years, situated on his farm some four and a half miles from Bowie, engaging the while in his favorite call- ing wherever the opportunity presented. In 1808, his voice failing him, he preached his last sermon and his quiet residence in the city of Bowie has since followed.

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A twentieth century history and biographical record of north and west Texas, Volume II, Part 17

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: 972

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: 972