New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 97

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1416

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The Beatty Archer Company operate a branch house in Beaumont known as the Naff Brokerage Company, also one in Lake Charles, Louisiana, known as the Beatty Brokerage Company.

The headquarters of the company are located in Houston in the First National Bank Building. The business was incorporated in 1919 with Mr. Archer and Guy Beatty as owners.

Mr. Archer was born at New Iberia, Louisiana, in 1887, son of William R. and Emma De Perier Archer, his father being a sugar grower and planter of that state. Mr. Archer was educated in the schools of his native state, attending the Louisiana State University for five years. After completing his education, he taught school for three years, then spent two years in the lumber business, coming to Houston in 1919 and establishing the brokerage busi- ness with which he is now connected. During the recent war he enlisted in the services of his country, in May, 1917 and was in the officers' training camp at Camp Pike, Arkansas, where he was commis- sioned lieutenant. He was later sent to Camp Perry, Ohio, then back to Camp Pike and discharged the twenty-fourth of December, 1918.

Mr. Archer makes his home in Houston at 4312 Caroline Street. He is a member of the University Club.

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MEN OF TEXAS

VIRGIL SCOTT is an executive of one of the largest and best equipped cotton com- presses in Texas, and is well-known in business and social circles in Houston. Mr. Scott is vice-president and treasurer of the Hous- ton Compress Company, and maintains offices at the plant at Long Reach. From its organization in 1917 as a Corporation of Texas, the growth of the Houston Compress Company has been great and they now own and operate the New Orleans Compress Company. They have two warehouses and five presses, with a capacity of 10,000 bales of cotton every twenty-four hours. They employ one hundred and twenty-five clerks and one thousand laborers at the two plants, and handle as many as 900,000 bales of cotton in one year. They have a storage capacity of 300,000 bales, and load steam- ers at the rate of twenty-five per month, at their own docks for all the principal ports of the world where cotton is used, which includes Europe, Japan, and other countries. Their inbound and outbound cargoes of general commodities amount to a vast tonnage. They have the necessary railroads, track- age, and deliver during the busy season, 12,000 bales per day from the tracks. Their plant is considered to be one of the best constructed in the entire coun- try, and is built entirely of re-enforced concrete, with a floor space of 1,400,000 square feet. The entire plant is equipped with automatic sprinklers, and this, together with the fireproof construction gives the Houston Compress Company an insurance classification AAA. This large plant covers 75 acres of ground, at the two plants, and has electric conveyors and electric car loaders, making it one of the most complete and modern plants of its kind. Mr. Scott is interested in other commercial enterprises and is president of the Southern Bag and Burlap Company, one of the leaders in this line of business, is president of the A. C. Invest- ment Association.

Mr. Scott was born in Harrison County, Kentucky, on December 22nd, 1888. He came to Texas to become associated with Anderson-Clayton Company and for about twelve years prior to becoming vice- president and treasurer of the Houston Compress Company, was connected with this well-known firm. Mr. Scott was married in Oklahoma City to Miss Louise Thomson, a member of a prominent Okla- homa family. They have one son, John V. Scott, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Scott reside at 1204 Bissonett Avenue.

In fraternal and social organizations, Mr. Scott holds membership in the A. F. & A. M., and is a 32nd degree Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner of Arabia Temple. He is also vice-president of the Rotary Club, and is one of the Board of Directors of this organization, and is a member of the Hous- ton Country Club, the Houston Club, the River Oaks Country Club, the Houston Riding and Polo Club, and of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Scott has a host of friends in Houston, and is popular in both the business and social circles of the city, and is identified with all movements tending to promote the growth and importance of the city of his adoption.

B. WALKER, although a comparatively re- cent addition to the business fraternity of Houston, has entered into the spirit of the South Texas metropolis and has been a fac-

tor in building up a large and profitable business. Mr. Walker is president and general manager of the Walker Furniture Company, Inc., located at Rusk and Milam Streets, and prior to removing to Hous- ton he had been engaged in the furniture business for several years in Brownsville, Texas, and in Sep- tember, 1922, moved his stock of furniture to Hous- ton and opened the Walker Furniture Company, Inc. The business of this firm has grown to such pro- portions that in 1923, they built a fine, new home at Rusk and Milam Streets and moved into this splen- did building, which has thirty thousand square feet of floor space, on October 15th, 1923. The Walker Furniture Company, Inc., sell at retail only and carry a large and complete line of home furnishings, con- sisting of furniture, rugs, draperies, and everything for the home, with a range of price and quality to suit all purchasers. They employ thirty people in their establishment, and give particular attention to their delivery service. Other officers of the Walker Furniture Company, Inc., are L. A. Morrow, vice president; Dr. E. H. Casey, secretary, and P. C. Champion, treasurer.

Mr. Walker was born near Toronto, Canada, Jan- uary 12th, 1882. Both of his parents, who are now deceased, were natives of Canada. His education was obtained in the public schools of Canada, and he began his career in the furniture business there at a very early age, and continued in business in Canada until 1908, when he came to the United States. When on this trip, he missed a train at Sioux City, Iowa, and at this place met some real es- tate men, who were selling Texas lands and he de- cided to come to the Lone Star State and see for himself the vast opportunities offered here. In pass- ing through Houston, he liked this city and had a de- sire to remain here, but his destination was Browns- ville, where he went and opened a furniture store under the name of Walker Bros. and Hancock Fur- niture Company. This was at first a partnership, but later Mr. Walker purchased the interests of the other members, and continued to operate the store there until moving the stock to Houston in 1922, where he has met with unusual success.

Mr. Walker was married in Canada to Miss Eva Miller, a native of Canada, and a member of a well known Canadian family. They have one son, Aubrey Bruce Walker, sixteen years of age, who is a stu- dent of a military academy at San Antonio and is captain of that institution. Mr. Walker is a mem- ber of the Masonic fraternity, with membership in the lodge at Brownsville, Texas, and belongs to both the York and Scottish Rite bodies of this order and in the latter has attained to the 32nd degree and is a Shriner of Alzafar Temple, San Antonio, and is a life member of the B. P. O. E. Lodge at Browns- ville, and is also a member of the I. O. O. F. In addition to his interest in the Walker Furniture Company, Inc., Mr. Walker is president and general manager of the Walker and Morrow Company, wholesale grocers of Laredo, Texas, and is secre- tary, treasurer and general manager of the Walker and Moore Wholesale Grocery Company of San An- tonio, Texas, also president of the Laredo Finance Company. Since coming to Houston, Mr. Walker has made a host of friends and is popular in both the business and social circles of the city. He never loses an opportunity to speak a good word for Hous- ton.

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

DMUND M. DUPREE, native Houstonian, has been an active figure in the business circles of the city for several years and as president and manager of the Star Electric and Engineering Company, has had an important part in the success of this company. The Star Elec- tric and Engineering Company, located at 613 Fan- nin Street, was established in May, 1921, and in May, 1922, Mr. Dupree purchased the controlling in- terest which he has made the largest radio store of Houston. They are dealers in electric supplies and do contracting of all kinds and amounts and a large part of their business consists of radio supplies and they handle the finest equipment in this line which is manufactured. They sell radios and radio sup- plies in all parts of South Texas and their busi- ness has grown to magnificent proportions in all lines carried.

Mr. Dupree was born August 23rd, 1892. His father was H. R. Dupree. His mother was Miss Virginia Kate McAshan, a member of a prominent Texas family. His early education was obtained in the public schools of Houston and he later at- tended the Rice Institute here, graduating from this institution in the class of 1916 with the B. S. degree. After leaving college, Mr. Dupree entered the em- ploy of the General Electric Company in New York and there took a test course at the General Elec- tric plant and continued in the service of this com- pany until he entered the army. Mr. Dupree at- tended an officers training school but resigned when the armistice was declared. He then returned to Houston and went with the Houston Light and Pow- er Company, but remained with this company for only three months, when he entered the employ of the Texas Company in the sales department, where he remained for three years. He resigned his posi- tion with the Texas Company in order to purchase the controlling interest in his present business, where he has met with wonderful success.

Mr. Dupree is a member of the Masonic frater- nity and belongs to the Chapter and Commandery of this order at Fort Smith, Arkansas, and Consistory at Houston, Texas, and is a member of the Arabia Temple Shrine of Houston. He is also a member of the University Club, the American Legion, Rotary Club and the Salesmanship Club. Mr. Dupree re- sides at 1315 Main Street with his parents. He is considered one of the leading young business men of the city, where he has many friends who predict for him a successful future in his chosen line of business.

TIS MASSEY, manager of the Houston branch of R. V. Aycock Company, came to Houston in 1920, and has been in charge of the extensive interests of this well known company in the Houston territory since that time. The headquarters of the R. V. Aycock Company are in Kansas City, and branches are maintained in St. Louis, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Wichita, Kansas, and Den- ver, in addition to the Houston branch, and a sub- branch of the Houston branch at Dallas. The com- pany sells asbestos products of all kinds, the trade territory of the Houston branch covering Texas and Louisiana. Offices are at 1308 Conti Street, and Mr. Massey has a corps of able assistants, includ- ing several salesmen on the road who aid him in representing this company in the territory in his charge.

Otis Massey was born at Kansas City, Missouri, the twenty-sixth of May, 1891, son of J. A. Massey and Ida May Wilcox Massey. Mr. Massey, Sr., is a native of Missouri, and Mrs. Massey a native of Kansas. Otis Massey attended the schools of Kan- sas City and after leaving school went with the Johns-Manville Company, at Tulsa, Oklahoma, be- ing manager of the branch of that firm located there. In 1919 he resigned his position with that firm to go with the Aycock Company, and a year later coming to Houston as manager of the Houston branch.

Mr. Massey was married at Drexel, Missouri, the nineteenth of August, 1912, to Miss Mayme Kaiser, daughter of O. C. Kaiser and Nellie (Wintermute) Kaiser. Mr. Kaiser, a native of Germany, came to the United States as a boy of nine years. Mrs. Kaiser is a native of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Mas- sey reside in Houston, at 1405 Elgin Street, and have two children, Marion Lucille and Dorothy Jane Massey. Mr. Massey is a Mason, Southgate Lodge, No. 547, Kansas City, and consistory at Guthrie, Oklahoma, and belongs to the Kiwanis Club, the Purchasing Agents' Club and the Second Presby- terian Church at Houston.

AMES H. BEEK, for more than ten years identified with the business world in Hous- ton, is a recognized leader in the adver- tising field. He has handled many of the more important advertising accounts here and is active in encouraging the better type of advertis- ing. Mr. Beek is president of the Beek Advertising Agency, Incorporated, which he established in Hous- ton in 1912. The firm places copy in newspapers and magazines throughout the country, handling the advertising for some forty-five concerns oper- ating in Houston such as the Duncan Coffee Com- pany, for whom the Beek Advertising Company has conducted a campaign national in scope, the Reed Roller Bit Company, the South Texas Cotton Oil Company and others. A large part of the advertis- ing handled by the Beek Company is of a campaign character and Mr. Beek is regarded as one of the best equipped advertising men in Houston in this field. The Beek Advertising Company, Inc., has its offices at 10141/2 Capitol Avenue, the officers being James H. Beek, president; G. I. Seitz, vice president; Bert Blessington, secretary, and H. W. Steele, treasurer.

James H. Beek was born in Holt County, Mis- souri, in June, 1880. He spent his boyhood in Missouri, attending the public schools of that state, and as a young man began work in printing plants in Kansas City, Missouri, and later engaged in the printing business for himself in Baltimore, Mary- land, where he later entered the advertising busi- ness and followed same up to 1912. He came to Houston in 1912 and has since been one of the leaders in the advertising business and has built the largest advertising agency in Houston.

James H. Beek was married at Baltimore, Mary- land, the third of August, 1905, to Miss Bessie Hush, a native of Maryland. Mr. and Mrs. Beek reside at 7141 Canal Street, Houston, and have five chil- dren, James W., Dorothy B., Bessie, Donald and Nina Beek. Mr. Beek belongs to the various advertising associations of the country, including the Advertis- ing Club at Houston, and is a member of the Rotary Club and the Masonic Lodge.

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MEN OF TEXAS

EORGE HYDE, well known oil operator of Houston, has had a wide experience in the oil industry, and is one of the leading ex- ecutives among oil men of South Texas. Mr. Hyde is president of the Hyde Production Com- pany, with office at 210 Humble Building, and has been active in the South Texas oil fields for many years, and also in colonizing this portion of the State. He first came to Houston and South Texas in 1907 from Aberdeen, South Dakota, and was interested in colonizing in Brazoria County, and brought to this county many families to whom he sold about sixty thousand acres of land during the period from 1907 to 1912. From 1912 to 1915, Mr. Hyde colonized in North Dakota and in 1915 and 1916 did colonization work in Montana, but while thus engaged considered Texas his home, and would visit the Lone Star State at intervals each year. In 1910 he made an effort to induce a syndicate to drill for oil east of Damon Mound but was un- successful, as they had little faith in this territory as an oil field. In 1916 he organized a small com- pany at Tyndall, South Dakota, called South Da- kota-Texas Oil and Development Company, and a short time afterward reorganized and made it the Tyndall-Wyoming Oil Company, all capital being from South Dakota. The manner in which this company was organized was that the money was put in the bank, and when the subscription list was made complete, there was one hundred cents on the dollar in the bank. Their leases were located east of Damon Mound and north of Columbia. This company drilled two wells-one near the Nash Ranch and the other between Manor and Eagle Nest Lakes, but both resulted in dry holes. They then secured leases at West Columbia and the first well was drilled on what is now known as the Japhet lease. They got a small well at a depth of 2802 feet, which produced about 500 barrels of oil and then sanded up; this was on lot 18, Hogg Subdi- vision. They drilled another well on lot 17, which resulted in a 175-barrel pumper at a depth of 2687 feet. These two wells and the twenty-acre lease on which they were located were sold to Mr. Dan Japhet. Mr. Japhet drilled the No. 1 well twenty feet deeper, and obtained a big gasser, which caught on fire in September, 1918, and before the fire quit, it was making oil at about 1000 barrels per day.

Mr. Hyde was born in Manchester, England, Jan- uary 7th, 1875. His father, Edward Hyde, was a woolen manufacturer of Staley Bridge, near Man- chester. He came to America in 1881 and settled in Iowa and engaged in farming, which he con- tinued for several years, but is now residing in Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Hyde's forefathers were engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods in England since the Civil War, and prior to that time were engaged in the cotton business. His father and three sisters now reside in Richmond, Virginia. His mother was Miss Mary M. Meridith, a native of Wales. Mr. Hyde's education was obtained in the schools of LeMars, Iowa, and the Northwestern Normal School, Mr. Hyde came to America in 1880 with his uncle, who settled in Illinois. In 1896 he began his business career in the implement business at Oyens, Iowa, where he remained until 1899, when he engaged in the threshing machine business, and continued in this business until 1907, when he en-

tered the real estate business, and during that year made his first visit to Texas, and it was in July, 1917, when he came to the coastal fields again, and began active operations in oil. He and his associates purchased twenty-five acres personally from the Tyndall people and later sold this to the Humble Company, but retained a one-fourth interest. This one-fourth interest is now the property of the Hyde Production Company, of which Mr. Hyde is the president. In the time that elapsed after the sale to the Humble Company, and before this company had drilled any producing wells, Mr. Hyde bought the McGregor-Underwood three acres which joined the original twenty-five acres, and drilled what was known as the McGregor No. 2 well, which was a 1000-barrel producer on January 7th, 1921. Fol- lowing this producer of Mr. Hyde's the Humble Company began drilling on the twenty-five acres. The Hyde-McGregor well flowed for more than four years. The Humble Company brought in two wells on the twenty-five acres-one a 9,000-barrel pro- ducer and the other good for 4,500 barrels. During this time, Mr. Hyde had no organization, just he and his associates, and in March, 1922, the Hyde Production Company was organized, and put money from production into more properties. Their cap- ital stock is $3,000,000.00, with $2,000,000.00 paid up.

Mr. Hyde was married in South Dakota, Sep- tember 30th, 1903, to Miss Florence M. Smith, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, and a daughter of John C. Smith, who came to Iowa in the early forties. They have one daughter, Helen C. Hyde. Mr. Hyde is optimistic as to the future of Houston, and works in every movement that will in any manner improve the city, where he is regarded as one of the most progressive citizens.

H. BOSTICK, veteran operator in the oil fields of Texas, and an authority on oil and drilling, has for some years past made his headquarters at Goose Creek, where he directs the drilling and production in that territory for the Gulf Production Company. Mr. Bostick has under his supervision some two hundred men, and has made an enviable reputation since coming to Goose Creek for his capable direction of the activities of the Gulf Production Company. Mr. Bostick is also familiar with those phases of law which apply directly to the oil industry, and uses this knowledge advantageously in his direction of the men under him. As a superintendent he has displayed marked ability in the direction of men and affairs, and has also been most successful in his drilling operations. He has a wide acquaintance among oil men and is known throughout the field as one of the men instrumental in the development of the fields in the southern part of the State. Mr. Bostick has used his influence in the Goose Creek field to secure the advantages of the most modern methods of oil field operation. He has also secured a completely organized warehouse in the field, greatly increasing the efficiency of the men under him. While giving attention to these important details of operation and management, he has not neglected to provide recreation for the men, and he was responsible for the organization of a ball team, one of the best in the field, and other features that afford relaxation and diversion.

Mrs. Bostick was born at Calhoun, Mississippi, the ninth of February, 1877. His father, F. Bostick,

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NEW ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

came to Texas in 1882, bringing his family with him, and was an express agent here until his death. His mother, before her marriage Miss Sallie Wil- burn, a native of Mississippi, now makes her home at El Dorado, Arkansas. Mr. Bostick was educated in the Houston public schools, and after finishing his education became familiar with the oil business. In 1902 he went to the Spindle Top field, starting as a roughneck with T. J. Woods. In 1903 he went to Sour Lake, also for Mr. Woods, and spent the ensuing year doing various kinds of work in that field. In 1904 he began his drilling career, at Bat- son, where he remained until 1911. His first work in that field was also for Mr. Woods, but he was later with various companies there. In 1911 he went to Louisiana, returning to Batson in the spring of 1913, later going to Trinidad Island, and again re- turning to Batson, this time with the Gulf Produc- tion Company as superintendent of their interests there. He was later transferred to Louisiana, and then to Goose Creek, where he now maintains head- quarters, and is superintendent of the Gulf Produc- tion Company leases, of drilling and production.

Mr. Bostick was married at Batson the fifteenth of October, 1905, to Miss Bessie May Stratton, a native of Texas. Her father, J. L. Stratton, a native of Alabama, came to the Lone Star State forty-five years ago, locating in DeWitt County, where he is engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. and Mrs. Bostick have one child, an adopted daughter, Nannie Lock. Since making Goose Creek his headquarters the family have resided here, having a home on the bay front. They attend the Baptist Church. Mr. Bostick is a member of the Goose Creek Blue Lodge, is a thirty-second degree Scottish Rite Mason at Galveston, and a member of Arabia Temple Shrine at Houston. Mr. Bostick takes an active part in commercial and civic affairs at Goose Creek, is one of the directors of the Goose Creek State Bank, and owns a half interest in the Union Drug Store. He gives freely of his time to promote the welfare of his fellow citizens, and has been instrumental in securing many advantages for his city.

Note: Since this sketch was written Mr. Bostick moved to Arkansas.

R. J. D. BUTLER has for many years been associated with activities of both commer- cial and civic prominence at Beaumont, and is one of the industrial leaders of this city. He is president of the Gulf Coast Machinery and Supply Company, an enterprise started in 1919, and now one of the leading manufacturing companies in this city making oil well supplies. Dr. Butler has followed a constructive policy in the management of this business, never working along temporary lines, but building a solid foundation in factory buildings and equipment, and as a result he has an industrial enterprise that is of permanent value to the community. The machine shops are large and complete to the last detail, and equipped for the pro- duction of oil well supplies on a large scale. The Gulf Coast Machinery and Supply Company has every advantage of location, being on a railroad, thus lowering the cost of production, and eliminating transportation delays, and is situated on an indus- trial site that makes future expansion possible. The company concentrates on manufacturing rotary drilling tools and oil well supplies of approved type, and have patents pending on some tools of their

own designing. They also do special work for va- rious companies operating in the coastal fields, making special tools and parts for oil field use to order, and according to supplied specifications. The supplies manufactured by this company have met with the universal approval of the operators in the oil fields of this section, and the business has grown by leaps and bounds. The officers of the Gulf Coast Machinery and Supply Company are: Dr. J. D. Butler, president; R. M. Pyron, vice president, and S. O. Hampil, secretary and treasurer.

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New encyclopedia of Texas, volume 1, Part 97

Author: Davis, Ellis A. Publication date: 1926 Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?] Number of Pages: 1416

Author: Davis, Ellis A.
Publication date: 1926
Publisher: Dallas, Tex. : Texas development bureau, [1926?]
Number of Pages: 1416