History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families, Part 98

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532

USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 98
USA > Texas > Galveston County > Galveston > History of Texas, together with a biographical history of the cities of Houston and Galveston; containing a concise history of the state, with protraits and biographies of prominent citizens of the above named cities, and personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families > Part 98

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George P. Werner was reared in Mem- phis, Tennessee, and in Galveston, Texas. His educational opportunities were limited. At the age of eight years he became a news- boy on the streets of Memphis, and from . that time since has done for himself. In

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August, 1868, he apprenticed himself to the trade of tinner and roofer under E. M. Brock, of Galveston, and after two years spent with Mr. Brock entered the employ of Ernest Engelke, for whom he worked seven years, beginning on a salary of six dollars a week, which was advanced from time to time until he was paid three dollars per day. On March 29, 1879, he began business for himself, opening a small shop on the alley between Winnie street and avenue H, where he remained until 1881, when he purchased two lots on the northeast corner of Winnie and Seventeenth, where the following year he erected a building to which he moved. He lost his residence by the great fire of 1885, his shop being the only building that withstood the conflagra- tion-this shop has a fire-proof roof, and led to the adoption, by the city, of fire-proof roofing. In November of the same year he began to rebuild, and in January again oc- cupied his old premises, where he has since resided and carried on his trade. Mr. Wer- ner has done a great deal of work in liis line in Galveston, having had contracts on many of the principal buildings in the city. He enjoys the reputation of being an indus- trious, upright, public-spirited citizen, one who is willing to assist in any way he can in advancing the public good, and who by liis thrift and energetic methods is yearly adding his quota to the taxable wealth of the community.

On November 5, 1879, Mr. Werner mar- ried Miss Mary K. Elbert, a native of Gal- veston and a daughter of Nicholas and Louisa Elbert, who emigrated from Ger- many in 1845 and settled in Galveston. Mrs. Werner's parents still live in this city, being now numbered among the old resi- dents of the place. Her father was a vol-

unteer in the war with Mexico in 1846, in which he served for eighteen months. He was born in 1815, and his wife in 1827. They were the parents of several children, those living being: Mrs. Werner; Charles H .; Caroline, now Mrs. John T. Hess; Otto H .; and Ida, now Mrs. J. K. Kissinger. Mr. and Mrs. Werner have had six children, namely: Louisa Rosalia, Mary Clara, Caro- line Sophia, Paul Henry, Charles William and Alice.

The religious connection of the family is with the German Presbyterian Church. Mr. Werner is a member of the Knights of Honor, Galveston Lodge No 774; Knights of Pythias, Schiller Lodge No. 56; Sons of Herman, Galveston Lodge No. 46; and the Texas German Friendship Band. .

UFUS H. READ, Commissioner of Roads and Bridges of Galveston county, was born in 1833, in Orono, Maine, where he was reared and resided until coming to Texas, in Decem- ber, 1855. He came to this State to work on the Galveston, Houston & Henderson Railway, which had but a short time previ- ously been projected. His first work on this road was receiving and stringing ties, at which he was engaged for somewhat over a year. He was afterward connected with the construction department until 1875, when he severed his connection with the road, and during the years 1876 and 1877 was in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railway, and while with this road laid the first track ever laid into the city of San An- tonio. Other lines were the Houston & Texas Central .(Hempstead to Navasota, 1859), Houston East & West Texas, Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe (out of Fort Worth),

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Galveston & Western and Houston Heights Electric line.

In 1893 Mr. Read was appointed in- spector and supervisor of construction for the county bridge spanning the bay, and, in September, of the same year, was made Commissioner of Roadsand Bridgesof Galves- ton county, which position he now occupies.

On December 31, 1858, Mr. Read mar- ried Miss Eliza Clayner, who was born aboard the vessel on which her parents came to Texas, her birth occurring shortly before the vessel's arrival in port at Galveston. Her father and mother both died of yellow fever during one of the early epidemics at this place.

Mr. and Mrs. Read have had six chil- dren as follows: Maggie, William (deceased), Phoebe, Henrietta (deceased), Rufus H., Jr., and Minnie.

EORGE NICHOLS YARD, son of the late Colonel Nahor B. Yard, of Galveston (see sketch of the latter elsewhere in this volume), was born September 17, 1863, at Harrisburg, Harris county, Texas, during the temporary resi- dence of his parents at that place, whither they went at the opening of the late war. He was reared in Galveston, in the schools of which place he received his early mental training, finishing his education in the State Model School, at Trenton, New Jersey.

From 1884 to 1886 Mr. Yard was ein- ployed in the cotton business at Galveston; from 1886 to 1889 he was with the Morgan Steamship Company; and from 1889 (De- cember) to the present (January, 1895), he has been with the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railway, occupying the position of as- sistant paymaster and cashier.

August 8, 1892, Mr. Yard married Miss Lillie Wright Southwick, a native of Gal- veston, and a daughter of Sandford B. Southwick, an old settler of this city. (See sketch of Sandford B. Southwick in this volume.)

ENRY W. RIESEL is a native of Saxony, Germany, born February 19, 1836. He was reared in the land of his birth, where he learned the trade of a weaver and acquired, in con- nection therewith a general knowledge of the machinery used in producing fancy cotton and woolen fabrics. In July, 1851, he came to Texas and located at Galveston, where he at once secured work in the construction of cotton compresses. He was one of the originators of the old Merchants' Cotton Compress Company in 1854, and put in the greater part of the machinery in its plant. He was the builder of the Shippers' Com- press and put in the machinery for that in 1874. In partnership with the late William Bothman he founded a boiler factory and machine shop on Mechanic street, Galves- ton, which was conducted by them for a period of about two years, when it was dis- continned because of a lack of a-demand for the product of the same; but in the mean- time, Mr. Riesel was experimenting in other directions, and invented and put in practical use a cotton-bale ejector capable of being attached to the various styles of compresses, upon which he obtained letters patent Oc- tober 18, 1875. He also introduced an in- provement in hydraulic packing, which was patented and which for a time was manu- factured on a somewhat extensive scale. In August, 1880, he was granted a patent for a new forin of bale tie, and organized a

HISTORY OF TEXAS.

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company for the manufacture of this tie, which company put in an extensive plant and manufactured the tie in large quantities until inimical national legislation interfered with its profitable production, at which time Mr. Riesel bought up the stock of the coin- pany and reduced the output. Mr. Riesel is senior member of the firm of H. Riesel & Son, Galveston, compress contractors and engineers and dealers in compress supplies, and in this capacity has perhaps furnished as much machinery for the handling of cot- ton as any other inan in Texas. He is well and favorably known throughout the State among ginners and cotton inen, and is gener- ally looked to for all sorts of improvements in the matter of preparing cotton for ship- inent.

At the opening of the Civil war Mr. Riesel enlisted in the Confederate army and was detailed to work in the ordnance factory at Anderson, in Grimes county, where he spent the most of the time fromn 1861 to 1865.

In 1856 he married Miss Rosina Hagen- locker, of Galveston, by whom he has one son, George W., now his associate in busi- ness. George W. Riesel inarried Miss Eleanor Sidenstriker, of New Orleans, in 1889, and they have two children: Henri- etta and George W., Jr.

ENJAMIN F. BARNES, senior member of the firm of Barnes & Palliser, contractors and builders, Galveston, was born in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana, July 9, 1844. His parents were Charles Barnes and Elizabeth Price, both of whom were natives of Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, whence they mnoved about the close of the first quarter of the present century to New Orleans, where the

father was engaged for many years as a con- tractor and builder, and where both he and his wife died.

The subject of this sketch was reared in New Orleans and there learned the trade of brick-mason under his father, and later took up contracting and building, which he pur- sued in the Crescent City until 1867. That year he came to Galveston, which has since been his home and where he has, for the past twenty-nine years, been engaged in the successful pursuit of his calling. Mr. Barnes has erected many of the most substantial buildings in the city of Galveston, public and private, having in this way added ma- terially to its growth and prosperity, in which he has also manifested a proper interest in other ways. Not to attempt a full list of the buildings which have been put up by the firm of which he is a member, but simply to give an idea of their character, the fol- lowing may be mentioned: The Ball high- school building, the Rosenberg free-school building, the county court-house and jail, the Masonic Temple, the Catholic Orphans' Home, Eaton Memorial Chapel, and L. & H. Blum's building on the corner of Mechanic and Twenty-fourth streets. In 1880 Mr. Barnes became associated with Mr. Robert Palliser, who has shared with him the labors, and is entitled to his proportional part of the credit for the excellent showing which the firm is able to make in connection with the building interests of the city.

Mr. Barnes married Miss Amelia Allen, daughter of Richard Allen, of New Orleans, and the issue of this union has been four children, -Josephine, now wife of H. C. Oppermann, of Galveston; Susie, wife of T. J. Hartigan, of Waco, Texas; Harriet, wife of Thomas Byrne, of Galveston; and Carrie.

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Mr. Barnes had one brother older than himself, Charles Barnes, who was at one time a resident of Galveston, but returned to New Orleans, where he died in 1878; and he has one sister also older than him- self, Josephine, now Mrs. Henry C. Dawes, living in Louisville, Kentucky.

ON. WILLIAM J. JONES .-- Prob; ably one of the last living links that bind Texas to the ante-Revolution- ary Mexican State of the same name, is William Jefferson Jones, of Gal- veston. He came to Texas in 1837, about two years after Sam Houston, with a hand- ful of American settlers, on the field of San Jacinto, had achieved the independence of the Lone Star Republic. In the remarkable events of that period of Texas history, Judge Jones played a conspicuous part. He is a native of Virginia, born on the banks of the Rappahannock river, in the county of Caro- line, September 27, 1810. His parents, Stanfield and Narcissa (Burdette Philips) Jones,' were of Stafford county, Virginia, the former being a son of Gabriel Jones, who was a first cousin of the distinguished lawyer of the same name, conspicuous as such in the early days of Kentucky. The ancestry of Gabriel Jones is traceable for · many generations past, extending finally to Wales. The founders of the family in this country were amongst the first to settle in Virginia. Gabriel was the youngest of six brothers, all of whom took active part in the Revolutionary war, and Judge Jones' mater- nal grandfather commanded a regiment throughout the struggle.

Young Jones was early sent to school and developed what proved an inherent love for books and study. He was naturally

of a delicate constitution, but wedded to his studies. He gained a good academic edu- cation. When he arrived at the age of fif- teen years, his mother's brother, who was at that time County Clerk of one of the largest and most populous counties of that State, appointed him to a clerkship in his office, and he assumed charge of the department of Recorder of Deeds and Wills, benefiting by all of the emoluments of that office, and proved himself competent and faithful in the performance of all the arduous duties.

As Recorder he saved up several hundred dollars in cash, and decided to expend it to further complete his education, to which he was then devoting all of his spare time both day and night. In this way he acquired a good knowledge of Greek, Latin and a fine knowledge of the Hebrew, and in these re- spects was soon equal to all requirements of the legal profession, which he had decided to pursue, and enabled him to begin its study at a very early age. By the same de- termination and assiduity he quickly pre- pared himself for examination for a license under the laws of Virginia. He went to Winchester, where his school days closed, appeared before Chancellor Henry St. George Tucker, who conducted a law school there, made up of students from nearly all of the Southern States, so far-famned was his reputation as a jurist. Young Jones stood a most searching examination and received the coveted license. This was the year 1829, when he was about nineteen years . of age.

Having received his license he was al- most immediately admitted to practice in the county of Loudoun, Virginia, the home of ex-President Monroe, and enjoyed the pleasure of that distinguished gentleman's acquaintance, and received from him much

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friendly encouragement and advice. Upon consulting his friend as to a promising field for a young and ambitious lawyer to locate in, the ex-President advised him to visit Georgia and consult some of his (President Monroe's) friends, who were better posted as to the situation in the new Southwestern States. Equipped with letters of introduc- tion from Mr. Monroe to John Calhoun, Governors Haynes and Hamilton of South Carolina and Governor Crawford of Georgia, he proceeded to Charleston, reaching his destination early in the fall of 1829. There he quickly sought out Governor Hamilton and presented President Monroe's letter, which opened the way to a strong personal friendship, lasting until Governor Hamil- ton's sorrowful death, on a wrecked steamer in the gulf of Mexico. Young Jones was kindly received by all those to whom his let- ters of recommendation were addressed.

After a short sojourn in the city of Charleston he made the acquaintance of Commander Renshaw, then in command of the naval station in Charleston harbor; they became warm friends, and the Commodore made young Jones his private secretary, who did all of his official writing and cor- respondence. From Charleston he paid a' visit to Baltimore, Norfolk and Washington, District Columbia, in 1831. In the latter city he met William Wirt, the eminent lawyer and eloquent orator who was tempo- rarily there attending the famous impeach- ment trial of Judge Peck of Missouri, as counsel for the defense. William Wirt in- terested himself in young Jones and readily obtained his admission to practice before the United States Supreme Court.

With his credentials and friendly letters of introduction from Mr. Wirt, Mr. Jones paid his home a brief visit and started on

his trip in quest of a final location to estab- lish himself. He visited various points in Georgia, spent several days with the eminent lawyer and statesman, John C. Calhoun, and his interesting family, and with letters from Mr. Calhoun to some of his personal friends, Mr. Jones visited Milledgeville, then the seat of State government, and there he mnet William H. Crawford, Presi- ,dent Monroe's Secretary of the Treasury. He also met Governor George M. Troup, M. B. Lamar, and many other prominent states- men. Lamar was then acting editor of the Georgia States' Rights Times, the organ of the Democratic party at that time, and he was then conducting a vigorous canvass for a seat in Congress. He arranged with Mr. Jones to have the latter take his place on the editorial staff of the Times, that he might devote his undivided time to his politi- cal affairs. Mr. Jones assumed and held editorial control until the close of election, which resulted in Lamar's defeat, when Mr. Jones retired. The friendship then formed proved life-long.

Mr. Jones then visited Macon, remained several months and made many friends. From Macon he went to Montgomery, Ala- bama, and from there to Mobile. Having just had a brief, but successful newspaper ex- perience, he cast his "weather eye" over the newspaper field of Mobile. The city supported two daily papers, but almost en- tirely devoted to political discussions, in the interest of the two factions which then dominated the State. He saw an opening for a business newspaper, referring only to politics as a matter of news. He had some mneans, with which he purchased a job print- ing office, converted type, presses, etc., to newspaper use, and established the " Mobile Morning Chronicle," which was kindly re-

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ceived, both in the city and the country; soon gained a wide circulation and extensive advertising patronage. The enterprise pros- pered until the great financial crisis of 1837, which carried away with this many other good enterprises, prosperous, but not out of debt. Mr. Jones wound up his affairs in Mobile, much impaired, both in pocket and - health ..

He had purchased a one-fourth interest in a cotton-seed-oil mill near Mobile, which he was compelled to dispose of. During his connection with this oil mill he shipped to Petersburg, Virginia, two barrels of cotton- seed-oil for the purpose of testing its quali- ties for table use and for cooking purposes, and thus enhance its value on the market. The product was returned to him fully re- fined. One barrel he distributed amongst families for table use and culinary purposes. The reports he received from those who used this oil were of the most favorable character, and this experiment is said to antedate all others of the kinds, i. c., the use of cotton-seed oil in this manner. Of late years it has come into general use.

While associated with Colonel Lamar, before mentioned, much talk had been had about Texas and its glorious future, and as Mr. Jones settled up his affairs at Mobile he contemplated a removal liere. Colonel La- mar in the meantime had visited Texas, be- come vitally interested in her political welfare, and had participated in her glorious struggle for independence, distinguishing himself on the field of San Jacinto. Soon thereafter, he paid his friend Jones a visit at Mobile on his return to his home in Georgia. The Colonel consenting to re- main in Mobile a few days, Mr. Jones ar- ranged, at his own expense, a public dinner, at a leading hotel, where he stopped, and

gathered around the banquet spread a large circle of the influential men of the city and State, who listened to a brilliant discourse upon the great event of Texas' history and the mapping out of a great future for a new republic. Colonel Lamar proceeded home- ward, and, after a stay of some months, paid Mr. Jones a second visit, on his return to Texas, to persuade him to make the new republic his future home. Mr. Jones as- sured Colonel Lamar of his fixed purpose so to do, and immediately set about arrang- ing his affairs accordingly.

When the fact became known that Mr. Jones had offered for sale the "Mobile Chron- icle," a meeting of the business men of the city was convened, most of whoin had be- come the personal friends of the editor and proprietor, and the facts which demanded the move were discussed, and it was pro- posed to place at Editor Jones' disposal $10,000, -a sufficient amount to safely tide over his affairs; but Mr. Jones felt im- pelled to return to them his thanks for the kind offer and decline their generous favor, not so much for business reasons, but on account of failing health, which he believed a change of location would benefit. Mr. Jones sold the "Chronicle" for $23, 000, re- ceiving $8,000 in cash, that being the amount in excess of his indebtedness. He soon took final leave of Mobile and took up his residence in Texas.

He arrived in Galveston harbor on the 9th day of November, 1837. There were no completed buildings on the spot at that time, as the town had only just then been surveyed, mapped out and the town dedicat- ed in the month of August previous. Soon after making a landing, the steamer, Sam Houston, drew alongside the ocean ship and took on board all freight and passengers des-

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tined for the city of Houston, and started for their destination. On their trip thither the schooner drew up to a wharf near Spil- man's island in San Jacinto bay, at the per- sonal request of President Houston, who was on board, and the passengers were, by the hero of the famous battle, conducted to the scene of the decisive conflict, and he ex- plained to them in his graphic manner the salient points occupied by each of the con- tending forces.

They soon reached the town of Houston, which then comprised a few log cabins and the uncompleted capitol building of the New Republic, which was completed in time for occupation by the first Congress, which convened in special session the follow- ing April.

In the winter of 1858-9 Judge Jones was commissioned by President Lamar to raise a battalion of three companies of mounted men for the protection of the fron- tier. With these companies under the com- mand of Captains Lewis, Oconsby and Gar- ratt, he was on the frontier in the vicinity of Austin until June, 1839, when he was or- dered with two companies of his command to join Colonel Edward Burleson with two companies of regulars and report at a desig- nated point in the Cherokee country to help quell an Indian uprising. He took part in the Cherokee war, assisting to tout Chief Bowles and his men and forever extinguish by arms the Indian claim to what is a por- tion of the most valuable section of the State.

After his Cherokee Indian campaign and upon his return therefrom, many of his friends assembled at Austin in attendance at the first session of Congress held at that place, urged Colonel Jones to become a candidate to fill a vacancy in the Judgeship

of the Second Judicial District, composed of six of the oldest counties of what was then known as Austin's first colony. He had fully determined to enter upon the practice of law and prepare himself fully for the land practice, which promised in a brief time to be very profitable. He, however, deferred to the wishes of his friends and received the appointment. At the end of one year, his term having expired, his candidacy for the position, to succeed himself, was renewed. The names of two other prominent mem- bers had already been announced. Judge Jones reluctantly consented to abandon his plans of practicing in land law, but the mat- ter was urged upon him and he again yielded to the wishes of his near friends, consenting to succeed himself.

In the interim he had married, changed his residence to the town of Columbus, Colorado county, and commenced the im- provement of a farm, where he had decided to make his future home, and for this reason also he felt reluctant to continue on the bench, the duties of which would absorb too much of his time. . Judge Jones was chosen, however, all of the votes (but four) of the members of Congress in joint session having been cast for him. He therefore gave up his cherislied hope of practicing law, and turned farmer, planter and stock-raiser. Land speculation and legislation were in those days lively in Texas, consequent upon the rapid settlement of the country, and Judge Jones was the first to be called upon to adjudicate many important legal points at issue, and as his legal opinions were most generally sustained he soon acquired a legal reputation in this line of practice.

After annexation and the lapse of his official duties he formed a partnership with R. Jones Rivers, one of the most eloquent

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members of the bar of the State, and con- tinued with him until his retirement from law practice and settlement at Virginia Point, in Galveston county, in 1852. The law firm of Jones & Rivers did an extensive business, the larger portion being in the de- partment of land litigation, which. Judge Jones handled chiefly. The trial of criminal cases fell mostly to Mr. Rivers, who stood without a rival for his quick wit and elo- quence, and was from his general habits and manners very popular. It is said by one who knew intimately both members of the firm of Jones & Rivers, that to his personal knowledge the firm never lost land a case; that Judge Jones made it a rule to investigate fully the law and the facts before undertak- ing a case. It may be stated that as As- sociate Justice of the first Supreme Bench of the Republic of Texas, Judge Jones de- livered the second opinion of that august tribunal, and for the past twenty years has been the only survivor of the thirty-six in all who at various periods were associated with him on the bench.

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Author: Publication date: 1895 Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895 Number of Pages: 1532

Author:
Publication date: 1895
Publisher: Chicago, The Lewis publishing co., 1895
Number of Pages: 1532