USA > Texas > The encyclopedia of Texas, V.1 > Part 104
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He was born in Aaron, Switzerland, in 1861, the son of Mr. and Mrs. John Zimmerman. He received his education in Switzerland public and high schools and also attended the Switzerland Academy. His father was a prominent chemist of that country and a good patriot.
Dallas a splendid field for his trade and worked up a prosperous business. As his sons have grown up the business has expanded and with a natural talent for the profession, the Zimmerman, senior, and the four Zimmerman sons have their deserved reputa- tion of the best sign painting establishment in Dallas.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS
R OY I. CARTER, oil operator, City National Bank Building, is one of the well known and successful oil operators of Wichita Falls. He is the head of his own organiza- tion, owns a complete outfit of tools, operating in- dependently and has achieved a splendid degree of success in the fields of North Central Texas and Oklahoma and more recently in the Mexia field.
Although one of the younger oil operators his shrewdness and skill was recently demonstrated by his purchase and sale of some 35 wells in this section. After taking over a property he cleans the wells, brings up the production and then makes a sale. He has made the best record in this line in Northwest Texas. Probably his best success was in bringing up the production of two wells in the Burkburnett townsite from 35 barrels each to about 200 barrels each, netting himself a profit of $165,000.
Mr. Carter drilled in the first successful well at Ada, Oklahoma, reaching the pay sand at 1,750 feet. Every indication pointed to the failure of this well and just an hour before it came in Mr. Carter was considering abandoning the test, believing it to be non-productive. This well was completed in April, 1921. In this territory Mr. Carter individually owns 3,000 acres with production on it.
Before engaging in the oil business Mr. Carter was for ten years a successful hotel man at Matador, Texas. He was in business there from 1908 until 1918, when he removed to Wichita Falls.
Mr. Carter was born at Ravenu, Texas, January 24, 1887, a son of Ike and Julia ( McKinniss) Carter. He studied in the public schools of Ravenu and began his business career at an early age.
In 1912 he was married at Matador to Miss Jessie Simpson, daughter of a well known family there. They reside at 2002 Huff Street.
Mr. Carter is active and energetic and is rapidly pushing the development of his extensive holdings in various parts of the Mid-Continent field. He is a man of high civic ideals, a member of the Chamber of Commerce and ever ready to lend aid and en- couragenient to any movement looking to the better- ment of the community.
HARLES A. STEELSMITH, drilling con- tractor and oil operator, American National Bank Building, moved to Wichita Falls in November, 1911, and is one of the best known drillers in the oil field section around Wichita Falls. He has drilled several hundred wells in this field and at the time this article is being prepared has five wells under way, they being the Big 6 well in Montague County for the Placid Petroleum Com- pany; the Ferguson well four miles south of the Kemp-Munger-Allen well; and a deep test well one and a quarter miles south on Kemp-Kempner land. This well was drilled 1,600 feet with a rotary drill and 8-inch casing set; it is now being drilled deeper with standard tools. Another well being drilled for the Petroleum Development Company is down 1,600 feet. Mr. Steelsmith has four hundred acres in the proven territory and has been operating in this field for nine years. Prior to coming to Wichita Falls Mr. Steelsmith operated in the West Virginia fields for several years. He spent six years at Caney, Kansas, operating in the Allen and Chau- tauqua fields. He has also operated in the Okla- homa fields and in the Bakersfield and Taft fields in California. He is vice-president of the Placid
Petroleum Company, secretary-treasurer of the Mintex Oil Company and is interested in the Petrol- eum Development Company, all of Wichita Falls.
Mr. Steelsmith is a native of Butler, Pa., born 1884, and was educated in the public and high schools of Butler and at Franklin-Marshall College at Lan- caster, where he finished in 1905. His father, Amos Steelsmith, was an old time oil man in Pennsylvania, and operated in that state, California, Oklahoma and Texas. He was killed at Electra, Texas, compara- tively recently, when a hard pull brought the derrick down on him.
His wife was a native of Kansas, and before their marriage, which took place at Kansas City, Mo., May 12, 1920, was Miss Cora M. Peck. They live at 1616 Eleventh Street. Mr. Steelsmith is a 32d degree Scottish Rile Mason and Shriner, and an Elk.
He believes there are great future possibilities for oil development of Texas, and he is doing his part in bringing about the development.
AMUEL EGGER, well known merchant and business man, President of Egger's Inc., 1400 Elm Street, came to Dallas in 1908, and with his associates established the Tex- as Dry Goods Company, continuing under this name until January 1, 1920, when by an amendment to the charter the corporate name of the company was changed to Egger's, Inc., the business continuing un- der the same management as before. The firni oc- cupies three floors of the building at the corner of Elm Street and Exchange Place, doing a general dry goods business and handling also ladies' ready to wear, millinery. Business of the company has in- creased until the annual sales now are in excess of a million dollars. During the period from 1917 to 1919 the volume of sales doubled and it is expected when the final totals have been ascertained that the 1920 business will be fully fifty per cent more than that of the previous year. Fifty people are employed in the various departments.
Doing a strictly cash business, the Egger's store gives to its customers the advantage that comes from close buying and paying the Eastern manufac- turers and wholesalers in cash.
Mr. Egger was born in Waxahachie October 26, 1884, a son of D. and Annie Egger. His father was a native of Holland and came to America when a young man. Young Egger was educated in the public schools and graduated at the Waxahachie High School in 1900, immediately after that enter- ing his fathers store which was then conducted as D. Egger & Son.
In 1907 Mr. Egger was married at Corsicana to Miss Jeannette Levi, daughter of M. Levi, well known business man of Corsicana. They have one son, Sam, Jr.
Mr. Egger is an optimistic and enthusiastic Dallas booster, declaring it to be the best business center in the Southwest. He is building his business along conservative yet progressive lines and expects to grow as the city does. Mr. Egger is a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of Hella Temple Shrine and of the Dallas Blue Lodge No. 760. He also is a member of the Columbian Club, the Kiwanis Club, Athletic Club, Automobile Club, the Ad League and the Chamber of Commerce. He takes a deep in- terest in all civic matters and is always ready to give aid and encouragement to any movement for the betterment of Dallas.
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MEN OF TEXAS
ILLIAM BOWMAN BARNETT was for a number of years active in the business circles of Dallas, Texas, and held a com- mendable place among the citizens of that city. He was born in Donalsonville, Louisiana, April 3, 1890. His parents, C. O. and Edith (Bentley) Barnett were both of Kentucky and his father has been, for a number of years in the hotel business in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The younger Barnett was educated in the public schools of Dallas and Hot Springs and was for three years in the University of Arkansas. He began work in the circulation depart- ment of the Dallas News in 1906 and remained in this position for eight years. In 1914 he went with the H. K. Barnett Company of Dallas and following his brother's death four years later he took charge of the business. During his active management the company the business has increased to more than five times its former size.
On December 15, 1908, Mr. Barnett was married to Miss Virgel Edwards, daughter of the late Rev. C. D. Edwards, a Presbyterian minister of Bowie, Texas. The three children are Willard, Jr., Joe D. and Dorothy Elizabeth. The Barnetts divide their resi- dence between Dallas and New Orleans.
In spite of his exacting and somewhat widely scattered duties, Mr. Barnett gives much attention to social and fraternal organizations. He is a mem- ber of the B. P. O. Elks, the Ancient and Modern Americans, of New Orleans, the Dallas Auto Club, the Rotary Club, the Yacht Club, of New Orleans and the Chambers of Commerce of both Dallas and New Orleans. As a prominent business man and a promoter of civic advancement he is widely known and thoroughly respected.
OHN CARTER BARDIN, head of the me- chanical work in the scale department of the T. & P. railroad with headquarters at Mar- shall, Texas, has come to be considered an authority on scales, having followed this line since 1909.
Mr. Bardin got into this business through having been scale inspector for several railroads. Directly after leaving school in the fall of 1897, he went to work for the Southern Pacific railroad in the bridge building department and worked out of Houston for a number of years, covering all of Texas and a part of Louisiana. In 1908 he was appointed maintenance man in the Houston yards and held this post until 1911, when he was made scale inspector for the Houston and Texas Central railroad at Houston, working out of that city through Texas and Louisi- ana. Later he held the same post with the Sou- thern Pacific and Sunset lines at Houston, and in February, 1919, he came to Dallas with the Texas & Pacific Railroad, and worked out of Dallas until November, 1919, when he decided to engage in busi- ness for himself, withdrew from the railroad service and became state sales agent for the Fairbanks Strait International Automatic Scales and estab- lished a business in Dallas. On March 1, 1921, Mr. . Bardin returned to the Texas & Pacific R. R.
Mr. Bardin was born in LaGrange, Lafayette County, Texas, in 1876, son of D. C. and Laura (Loden) Bardin, and educated in the public schools of Lafayette county. His father (deceased in 1918) came to Texas with his parents in 1846, from Tenn- essee, and his mother, a native of Alabama, came to the State with her parents in 1860, locating in Bur- leson county, near Caldwell. He is a Mason and
a meniber of Moose Lodge No. 424. He believes that Dallas has greater opportunities for young business men than any other city in the South.
ILLIAM CHAS. BARNES, 610 Southland Life Building, Dallas, is general manager of the Grinnell Company, Inc., and has been in Texas since 1910. His Company produce apparatus for modern automatic sprinkling systems, (interesting devices for preventing the spread of fire in large buildings), high pressure power plant piping and intricate systems for steam and hot water heating in factories and large industrial plants. The territory which has been assigned to his organization for selling equipment of this char- acter extends over the state of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. -
Mr. Barnes was born in Bayonne, New Jersey on July 20, 1885, parents, William Barnes, a building contractor and Annie (Kearney) Barnes. He at- tended the public and high schools at Bayonne, but finished his education at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn. New York, in 1902. For the next eight years he was employed by the American Cotton Oil Company of New York City as an insurance engineer. In 1910, however, he went to New Orleans to accept a position with the Grinnell Company, Inc. In the same year he was transferred to Dallas where he has remained ever since.
In addition to the work he is doing for the Grinnell Company, Inc., Mr. Barnes is Texas repre- sentative for the H. L. Barnes Equipment Company of Atlanta, Georgia.
On September 10th, 1908, he was married to Miss Maude Stoddard, daughter of Dr. Frank Stoddard of Staten Island, New York, and they now reside in Dallas at 3611 Dickason Avenue, Oak Lawn.
Mr. Barnes has made progress in Masonry, hav- ing reached the 32nd degree of the Scottish Rite, Dallas Consistory No. 2, and is a Shriner with mem- bership in Hella Temple, Dallas. He is a member of the Dallas Athletic Club, Lakewood Country Club Chamber of Commerce and the University Club of Houston.
L. OSBORN, associated with W. R. Sessions in the Corona Producing Company, oil op- erators, is prominently connected with the oil development of Central and Southwest Texas, and has leases in various parts of the state which they expect to develop. The Corona Oil & Refining Company, a million Dollar Corporation took over the one well belonging to the Osborn-Ses- sions Company in Hood County, as well as some acreage, and twelve producing wells in Kentucky making high grade oil. Mr. Osborn came to Dallas in 1915 from Los Angeles, Calif., where he was en- gaged in the oil business as an independent operator, and in 1917 formed the partnership of Osborn-Ses- sions Company. Up to 1907 he had been engaged in the merchantile business in the West, quitting that line to engage in the oil business in Los Angeles, and later he went to Tampico, Mexico, where he spent seven years. The Corona Oil & Refining Co., which he and his associates organized in 1919, is be- ing financed by Philadelphia and New York capital- ists.
Mr. Osborn was born in Idaho, October 18, 1873, and educated in the schools of that state. His father, David Osborn ,was one of the first settlers in the state. Mr. Osborn lives at 2514 Grand avenue, and considers Dallas the hub of all the Southwest.
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ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS
LRIDGE PRICE, capitalist, oil producer and president of the Elridge Price Corpora- tion, whose career has been indeed remark- able, is worthy of recording in the history of oil development in Texas. In the short period of three years, during which time he has been en- gaged in the oil business, Mr. Price has risen from an obscure position to a place of prominence and influence in New York and the Mid-Continent oil fields. It may truthfully be said of him that no one has ever lost a dollar by his investments in Mr. Price's companies or operations, while many have made large profits in them and upon his advice.
The Elridge Price Corporation is capitalized at $500,000, fully paid and non-assessable, and have assets of $2,500,000. The other officers of the com- pany are: A. B. L. Wagner, vice-president, of New York; S. Price, secretary-treasurer; L. C. Hannach, of New York, and J. F. Neale, of Teague, Texas, directors. The properties of the company include valuable royalties in a proven pool at Mexia, with valuable acreage in Limestone, Freestone and Hous- ton counties, upwards of 40,000 acres. Mr. Price is now developing this vast amount of oil land and is confident of uncovering some valuable pools in the near future. The offices of the company occupy the entire fourth floor of the Hope Theatre Building and are considered the most elegantly appointed in the city of Dallas.
Mr. Price is a native of Johnston County, Georgia, born July 4, 1883, the son of Sollomon and Jamsie Annie Missouri (Hatcher) Price. The Price and Hatcher families are of the true southern aris- tocracy. Mr. Price's grandfather, J. L. Hatcher, is honored and respected in Georgia as well as his uncles, M. F. Hatcher and Virgil Hatcher. His mother's sisters, Mrs. J. S. Stephenson, wife of a leading banker of that state and Mrs. Alvin Wheeler, wife of a well known and prominent cotton grower and factor, are among the first families of Georgia. All of the foregoing reside in Kite, Georgia. Sollo- mon Price, for many years was engaged in the mercantile business in Kite, Georgia, having busi- ness enterprises in various other cities of that state. He now resides in Mexia and is an officer in the Elridge Price Corporation and personally looks after the Elridge Price Drug Store interests in that city. .
Elridge Price received his education in the public schools of his native state and at the early age of fifteen, engaged in business on his own account, following the footsteps of his father and choosing the mercantile line. That was back in 1900. In 1902 he went with the Singer sewing machine peo- ple as traveling salesman in Georgia, which occu- pation he followed for the following two years. In 1914 he became identified with the Studebaker Cor- poration at Atlanta, Georgia, as automobile sales- man, being transferred to Los Angeles, California, in 1916. On October 18, 1917, he came to Dallas for the Studebaker people and became associated with F. L. Shaw Company, dealers in Studebaker auto- mobiles. His ability as a salesman and as a live awake business man, was demonstrated the first month he was in Dallas by leading the sales for that company, which record he duplicated every month thereafter until he severed his connection with this company in December, 1918. This date is a memor- able one in the career of Elridge Price, for at this
time he entered the oil business, although the ex- tent of his capital was but a few thousand dollars. Possessing, however, an ambition to succeed and with a pleasing personality along with keen judg- ment of men and business, he rapidly forged ahead. He first went to Eastland County and dealt in leases. spending a short time in the Jennings and Crowley fields in Louisiana.
On November 25, 1920, he went to Mexia and after looking over the situation he bought leases, the careful selection of which became the foundation of his fortune today. These leases became a nucleus of the Hart-Price Oil Company, which he organ- ized. T. F. Hart, president of the Hart Furniture Company of Dallas, became president; Elridge Price, vice-president and general manager; B. F. McLean. secretary-treasurer. This company bought and sold leases and developed their holdings and was the most active company in the field, whose stock sold for the highest prices. Mr. Price sold his interest in the Hart-Price Oil Company to the Hart inter- ests and on December 20, 1921, organized the Elridge Price Corporation.
On February 19, 1917, at Jackson, Mississippi, Mr. Price was united in marriage to Miss Edith Wynn. Mrs. Price's father is C. W. Wynn, of Jonesville, Lee County, Virginia, and her mother was Emma (Thomas) Wynn. Billie Wynn, mayor of Jones- ville, Va., is a brother of C. W. Wynn. This family is one of the leading southern families of the old South, dating its geneology to the Revolutionary days. The Thomas' are a Tennessee family, equally well known and respected in that state. Mr. and Mrs. Price are the parents of two beautiful children. Alsace Lorraine, three and one-half years of age. and Elridge, Jr., six months of age. Mrs. Price, the charming and beautiful companion of Mr. Price, in his business and social successes, is popular with the younger set of Dallas.
The Elridge Price estate of approximately three acres in the most beautiful part of Highland Park. is one of the show places of Dallas. The artistically designed mansion, situated on a gentle knoll, sur- rounded by full grown trees and shrubbery, is in- deed a beautiful retreat. Mr. Price personally supervised the beautifying of his grounds and resi- dence, which with the original cost represents an outlay of over $150,000.00.
Mr. Price is thoroughly imbued with the Dallas spirit and is enthusiastic as to its future outlook. He has traveled extensively over Europe, North and South America and all over the United States with the idea of selecting a place to reside. After a care- ful consideration, he selected Dallas as the best place to rear his family and to be engaged in busi- ness. His confidence in this city is evidenced by the heavy investment he has made in real estate in this city.
ANTHONY LANG. as president of the Bison Oil Company, Ft. Worth, Texas, has produc- tion with properties in Kansas and various Texas fields, including Mexia. The company was organized in 1919 and is preparing to drill in the Mexia fields.
Mr. Lang was born at Oil City, Pa., August 22, 1868. His father, Chas. Lang, was a pioneer oil man of his state, of the firm of Gibson & Lang, of Oil City, Pa. His mother was Nancy Luzier Lang, also a native of Pennsylvania. The school system of his state and the University of Colorado gave Mr. Lang
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MEN OF TEXAS
his education. He received the degree of LL. B. from the University of Colorado and for twenty years he practiced law in that state. He specialized in corpo- ration practice. Throughout his law career, he also carried on business in oil as from infancy the oil business was a thing familiar to him as his father's work. In 1918, he yielded to the call of the Lone Star State and came to Texas, locating in Fort Worth.
In 1898, Miss Burda V. Glauer became the bride of Mr. Lang. They have four children: J. Oliver, who is in the University of Cincinnati, in the Engi- neering Department, Margery, who is a Senior in the University of Michigan and Josephine, who is a Sophomore in the same institution, and Willard G., who is in the Kentucky Military Institute.
Mr. Lang has been reared in the oil business; it was the only business of his father before him, and by training and by experience in various oil fields, he is acquainted thoroughly with all phases of the work. His skill as an attorney is a strength to his company in its organization, contracts, leases and in fact all of its business transactions.
ALVIN NORTON, manager of the Dallas branch of A. C. Spalding, 1518 Main Street, has for nearly ten years been actively identified with the business interests of Dal- las. In 1911 Mr. Norton came to Dallas from Den- ver, Colorado, where he was connected with the same company. The A. C. Spalding Company, which handles athletic goods exclusively, occupies a three- story building covering a space twenty by one hun- dred feet. It does both wholesale and retail business and is the only branch office in Texas. Two-thirds of Texas comprises the territory over which Mr. Norton has complete supervision. This Dallas branch, which was established in 1910, employs fifteen men, including two traveling salesmen.
Mr. Norton was born in Yellowstone National Park on December 2, 1888. His father was John T. Norton and his mother's maiden name was Sarah Carson, a relative of the famous western Indian fighter, Kit Carson, and a direct descendant of Ethan Allen, the American hero of the Revolutionary war. Mr. Norton attended the public schools of Denver, Colorado and lately the University of Colorado at Boulder. While attending school in Denver he first became connected with the A. G. Spalding Company, working during his spare time and vacation periods, and after graduating from college occupied a perma- nent position with the firm.
In 1914 he married Miss Edith Mitchell, of Wash- ington, D. C., at Fort Worth. They are the parents of two children, Helen and Edith. The family re- sides at 734 Woodlawn.
Mr. Norton is a member of the Cedar Crest Coun- try Club.
ANIEL G. BECKNELL, district manager of the Royal Typewriter Company, 204 Soutli- western Life Building, came to Dallas from Butte, Mont., in Feb. 1918 and in less than three years time has built up one of the largest agencies for this company in the South. He has placed more than six hundred Royal machines in the city of Dallas alone and during 1919 while the oil boom was at its height, delivered over one hun- dred machines a month in the Fort Worth district, embracing Wichita Falls and other towns of the West and North Texas oil fields.
With a factory output of four hundred machines a
day, which on September 1st was increased to five hundred, the Dallas office has found it difficult at times to secure a sufficient number to enable them to make prompt deliveries in the trade territory ad- jacent to Dallas. With the increased production it is expected that shipments will be made more promptly and customers will receive their machines with a minimum of delay.
Mr. Becknell was born at Milford, Indiana, May 13, 1888, a son of D. W. and Nina Becknell. His father was for many years a well known rancher and druggist in Idaho.
After attending the public schools and the high school at Milford, Mr. Becknell was connected with his father in a ranching enterprise in Idaho from 1902 to 1906, when he removed to Ft. Wayne, Indiana and worked as a salesman for a typewriter concern until 1908. From 1908 to 1909 he was manager of the Wm. A. Welty Company, at Waterloo, Iowa and then was on a ranch in Idaho until 1912. From 1913 to 1916 he was manager for the Royal Typewriter Company at Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colorado, having charge of the Southern Colorado and New Mexico territory. In 1916 he was made state mana- ger for the Royal and stationed at Butte, Montana. remaining there until transferred to Dallas in 1918.
Mr. Becknell is a Royal Arch Mason and a mem- ber of the University Club. He is treasurer of the First Methodist Episcopal Church of Dallas.
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