The encyclopedia of Texas, V.1, Part 5

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1204

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The indexical health survey which has just been finished shows among other valuable facts that on account of sickness during one year, school children lost 4,790,901 days from school; also that there were lost 17,356,771 days from labor, which counted in day's work alone, giving no consideration to the suffering and expense of caring for patients, cost Texas the enormous sum of $52,070,315 in one year's time.

Thus, the above figures show that with a popula- tion of more than five million of people, the per- centage of deaths from these preventable diseases

is only thirteen. And the percentage of diseases is only fourteen and six-tenths.

Texas, with her broad plains, her balmy gulf breezes, her productive fields, her grazing grounds, her mineral resources, her congenial citizenship, a progressive race, touched with a climate that pro- duces anything that the heart could desire, a climate condition that from its very beginning has produced and continues to produce such wonderful surprises has within her borders everything that can be desired both as a winter resort, for persons seeking relief from the continued and extreme cold of the northern states, and the cooling summer winds that furnish relaxation, a refreshing sleep for the tired and weary, and never a doubt but that somewhere in this vast tract of land, a condition that is suited to any purpose that may be desired by an ever progressing civilization.

With more than 256,000 square miles of territory she is a state that you might surround with an im- pregnable wall and there would be produced within her borders anything that her citizenship would desire, not only for his comfort and well being, but for luxurious enjoyment of his leisure time. Her coastal cities furnish a decided advantage over other pleasure resorts for summer enjoyments and pleas- ures; her southern inland cities furnish a retreat. from the cold of the northern states, so that the person who is seeking a retreat from extreme cli- matic conditions in order to nurse himself back to health and happiness finds that which he most de- sires and needs within her borders.

As an agricultural state she is unsurpassed. Her mineral resources have not yet been developed to the limit of their capacity. New oil fields are being opened almost daily, and with this discovery of oil in regions that were once thought to be worthless, her riches have increased one hundred per cent dur- ing the past three years. With iron ore, and coal fields, there is nothing to prevent the production of enough iron to supply her own needs. Her pro- ductive cotton fields, the sheep from her grazing grounds, can more than supply the needed clothing for her inhabitants. Her rice farms, her wheat fields, her cattle ranges, with chicken ranches, in fact anything in the supply of food for sick or well, her fruit regions of East Texas, the timber lands of the same region, her building stone, with all of this, an impregnable wall could be constructed en- closing her from the outside world and her residents. would never know the difference.

But with new people come new ideas, and with new ideas come progress, thus civilization develops, and with that hospitality that has won fame abroad as southern hospitality, the hearty handclasp of the native born Texan for the stranger within her midst, has shown that her citizenship is ever ready to divide that which is good, and for which he holds the key, is ever ready to welcome the stranger within her borders bidding him enter, select his stamping ground, and produce that which will bring happiness to him and to his neighbor.

In time of distress, in one region, another is pros- perous beyond its own needs, while possibly a neigh- boring region may fall heir to some misfortune, and in this instant there is ever a helping hand from one

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF TEXAS

section to another, and no sooner has the disaster befallen, than the one extends a helping hand to the other, it is righted and all is well for a pros- perous and progressive future.

It is through the activity of the Health Depart- ment of Texas, that plans are made and carried out to prevent contagious diseases from becoming rooted in many localities being a menace to the citizens. The Health Department of this state is equipped with laboratory for research work and for the preparation of chemicals to exterminate the germs of disease. By co-operating with the Health De- partment in the various counties throughout the state, giving the constitutors and authorities proper assistance, they are able to have an important part to play in the bettering of the health conditions in the various communities. It is by the co-operation of this department with the authorities in various sections, that epidemics may be prevented.

The Health Department of Texas has spent large sums of money, long and careful research in all sections of the state, in order to have at hand full information in which sections contagious diseases are most prevalent, and which counties are most free from contagion. Probably the greatest work of the department is that devoted to education. There is no limit to the extent of good that can be accomplished in this particular department of the work, for the education of many people or com- munities to use hygenic methods will be the greatest asset to the promotion of health.

There is nothing more essential to the happiness or prosperity to the individual or community as that of good health, for wealth and prosperity, prevaileth little without good health. In the extent to which this department succeeds in educating the citizens up to methods which prevent diseases, just that much is the department a success,

The Medical and Health Authorities in the various sections of Texas, find this department a very helpful refuge in any time of need.

Thus it is that her citizenship through a desire to build up a system that none might equal has seen fit through her law makers to provide means for a continual warfare upon preventable disease and by preventable the other meaning of the word might be substituted, unnecessary disease, and this unneces- sary prevalence of disease the State Board of Health is helping every section of the state to overcome. First remove the cause, thus removing the disease and this plan is succeeding in no small measure. For that purpose the Board of Health was formed, and its work is being pursued with all the skill that modern science lends to the aid of mankind so that there is noticeable a decreasing number of the dis- rases from year to year, and which will continue through the time the state with her millions of peo- ple shall last.

To combat this unnecessary loss of life, there have been established four new bureaus, in addition to the original bureaus established as follows:

1. Bureau of Child Hygiene, which is to provide county public health nurses, in co-operation with the Red Cross; to establish child health centers; to give pre-natural and anstetrical care and advice concern- ing infants and young children; to give bedside care to the sick in their own homes by public health nurses, under regulations adopted by the State Board of Health and approved by the County Medical So- ciety; to distribute leaflets on pre-natal, infant and

child care; to arrange child health conferences in co-operation with the Child Welfare Division of the Home Economics Department of the University of Texas; education and training. Supervision, in- struction in ophthalmia neonatorum and infant hy- giene. Investigation of unlicensed midwives; to urge complete registration of births; to establish the following clinics: Pre-natal, well baby, sick baby, pre-school child; to make physical inspection of school children.

2. Bureau of Communicable Diseases, whose pro- gram is as follows: To supply the City and County Health officers with information about communicable diseases; instructing and directing such officers in carrying out the laws regarding reportable and qaurantinable diseases; enforcing the above men- tioned laws and establishing general quarantine when necessary; receiving, tabulating and recording all re- ports on communicable diseases; formulating plans for the prevention of epidemics and the eradication of preventable diseases; investigating and assisting in the control of epidemics; preparing and supplying literature on the following subjects: List of com- municable diseases, list of "Reportable" diseases, im- portance of promptly reporting communicable dis- eases, disease "carriers," what they are and how controlled, vaccination-the importance and tech- nique, immunity-what it is and how acquired, ad- vantages of immunity-to the individual and the public, and the duty of local health officers, county and city officials, the community, and the individual in the prevention and control of communicable dis- eases.

3. Bureau of Public Health Education, whose purpose it is to carry on the educational work of all the bureaus of the State Health Department; get- ting out pamphlets and literature for the various phases of public health work; keeping informed upon the latest public health literature on public health matters, and giving advice to the other bureaus; arranging and giving public lectures; sup- plying articles for the press on various activities of the Health Department; arranging public health ex- hibitions; organizing public health societies and the medium through which the activities of all the bureaus will be reduced to writing and disseminated to the public.

4. Bureau of Public Health Nursing, which is to keep in touch with public health nursing in the state; to act in advisory capacity to any organiza- tions contemplating establishing such service; to interest suitable nurses in public health nursing with the object of increasing the supply; to properly place before city and county officials and the medical profession the importance of public health nursing and the functions of the public health nurse; to stimulate public health nursing education among nurses in co-operation with the State Nurse's Asso- ciation and State League for Nursing Education; to support and co-operate with the School of Public Health Nursing, University of Texas; through a plan of co-operation with the American Red Cross the Director of the Bureau of Public Health Nursing of the State Board of Health is also Director of Public Health Nursing for the American Red Cross in Texas; nurses employed by Red Cross Chapters carry out the public program of the State Board of Health in their several communities in con- junction with the local health officers and local physicians.

HISTORY OF THE TEXAS MEDICAL PROFESSION By R. W. KNOX M. D. Ex-President State Medical Association of Texas

UST as Texas had men .J of the first magnitude in her earliest military and civil affairs, the mere men- tion of whose names recall days of achievement of which the world is proud to this day, so the pioneer predeces- sors of the Medical Profes- sion of today had a standard at the outset which compared favorably with that of any state in the Union. Among those early physicians were such men as Ashbel Smith, physician, surgeon, scientist, statesman and scholar, Phil- lips Anderson, Chief Surgeon of the Texas Navy and Alex- ander Ewing, Chief Surgeon of the Texas Army. These names merely mentioned prove the high stand- ard when Texas began as a Republic. But with the winning of freedom and the establishment of safety within the Texas borders, multitudes flocked into the Republic from varying quarters, the scarcity of physicians was felt, and finally necessity demanded volunteers who had had experience in hospital work, nursing, the drug business or who were simply par- ticularly gifted in their ministrations for the sick to join the regular practitioners in their service for their country. About 1845 to 1850, the first few years after the Republic became a state, the medical profession was greatly strengthened by young men coming from other states, graduates of the best literary and medical colleges in the land, cultured and refined. The high standard of the earliest days began to be approached again, and in 1857 the first attempt was made to organize the Texas physicians when, on March 11th, the Houston physicians ef- fected an organization. In 1859 these men issued a call to all Texas physicians and surgeons to organ- ize but no record was kept of the meeting that re- sulted from that call. However, it is evident that the Texas physicians and surgeons first organized in that year for, after the Civil War days and with reconstruction under way, in 1869 the Houston phy- sicians issued a state call for "re-organization." On April 15, 1869, twenty-eight physicians responded and as a result the first state meeting whose records have been preserved was held. Dr. T. J. Heard, of Galveston, was chosen president Dr. R. H. Jones, of Washington County, first vice-president; Dr. D. R. Wallace, of Waco, second vice-president; Dr. A. A. Connell, of Houston, recording secretary; Dr. W. P. Riddle, of Houston, corresponding secretary, and Dr. F. Hassenberg, of Houston, treasurer. Two days were consumed in these details of organization. At the second meeting, at Houston, Dr. R. T. Flewellen, of Houston, was chosen president, and Dr. D. R. Wallace became first vice-president. The third ses- sion, also at Houston, found an increased attendance and interest. Dr. Wallace, of Waco, was made presi- dent; he was a man of unusual executive ability and at once his influence for good was felt. Through him, the association was brought into closer relations

with the American Medical Association and Dr. S. O. Young was chosen as the first Texas delegate to the national body. He appointed various committees to do special work and report at the next annual con- vention.

The fourth session of the Texas Medical Associa- tion, meeting at Houston, elected Dr. D. F. Stuart, of Houston, as president; Dr. S. O. Young as record- ing secretary, and Dr. J. Larendon, also of Houston, as treasurer and this position Dr. Larendon retained for a quarter of a century. This meeting was April 15, 1872. It was then decided to abandon Houston as the permanent quarters. Waco was designated as the next meeting place. It has already been noted by the reader, perhaps, that the Texas Medical Association began as a Houston idea and was chiefly maintained by physicians and surgeons of that city and its immediate territory until its final success.

A great deal has been accomplished through the activities of the Medical Association. It has in many cases acted as a law making body for its own members, prescribing certain rules of ethics and standards of practise which its members were re- quired to adopt. Through the work of the Associa- tion many evils of the practise have been eliminated and evil practitioners barred from practising.

To trace the history of the Association from that fourth meeting to its present, would be to catalogue the accomplishment of much good for the people of Texas that could not have been achieved in any other form. Before the association was organized the state at one time came to be overrun with medi- cal quacks of every kind; there were no laws to re- strain them nor laws to protect the public and reput- able physicians. In 1871 the association began a crusade for laws of protection, first meeting with meager results but finally calling forth a state law requiring every physician to register statement of where, when and at what school he graduated and to register his actual diploma. This shut out some but not all quacks as there were bogus schools just as bogus graduates. Finally the Texas Medical Association secured a law calling for a state board of examiners before which every physician then practicing had to appear for an examination. An- other noteworthy accomplishment was the law creat- ing the State Board of Health. The general state work of the association is greatly furthered and given dispatch by a division of the state into sub- divisions, as the East Texas Medical Association, the West Texas Association. Then, too, special in- terests have come to have their own organization, as the Railroad Surgeons' Association, etc. Space fails us to permit of mention of how disease epidemics of every kind have been eliminated, health departments established, even in county and city forms for the entire state, which in turn have aided materially in establishment of pure water supplies, special labora- tories over the country, etc.,-all of which have greatly reduced death rates and given a state-wide health. There are at present approximately 7,000 physicians and surgeons in the state of Texas, and 90 sanitariums with 125 hospitals and homes, and the Texas Medical Association never in so flourishing a condition.

HISTORY OF THE TEXAS BAR ASSOCIATION By CLAUDE POLLARD Ex-President

S INCE the dawn of civili- ation the government of the tribe, state, na- tion and empire has been di- rected and largely controlled through particular elements of society. Early Rome was effectively governed by the powerful patrician families, later fell under the rule of the emperors, and finally under the dominant spirit of militarism. Early England was governed by the feudal lords, later came under the domination of the House of Lords and is now controlled by the lower house of Parlia- ment. In the United States since the Declaration of Independence, the lawyers have been the great controlling and directing in- fluence of the government. In Texas to the lawyers und to their organization, the Texas Bar Association is particularly deserving that tribute of Daniel Webster:

"Law is the great interest of man on earth. It is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together. Wherever her temple stands there is a foundation for social security, gen- eral happiness and the improvement of progress of our race. And whoever labors on this edifice with usefulness and distinction, whoever clears its founda- tions, strengthens its pillars, adorns its entablatures, or contributes to raise its agust dome still higher in the skies, connects himself, in name, and fame, and character, with that which is and must be as durable as the frame of human society."

The first meeting of the Texas Bar Association was called at Galveston in the year 1882. At this meet- ing tentative plans were made for a permanent or- ganization and many lawyers expressed their will- ingness to co-operate with the new organization. Among the charter members of the association were some of the most prominent attorneys of Texas, amongst whom are: James L. Autry, of Houston, James A. Baker, of Houston; Colonel W. L. Craw- ford, of Dallas; Senator C. A. Culberson, of Dallas; R. V. Davidson, of Dallas; Walter Gresham, of Gal- veston; T. S. Henderson, of Cameron; Charles F. Hume, of Houston, Rudolf Kleburg, of Austin, John Lovejoy, of Houston, B. F. Masterson, of Galveston; Judge T. S. Maxey, of Austin, F. D. Minor, of Beau- mont; Anson Rainey, of Dallas; N. A. Rector, of Austin; Judge Seth Sheppard, of Washington, D. C .; W. S. Simpkins, of Austin, R. G. Street, of Galves- ton; B. D. Tarlton, of Austin; Charles F. Todd, of Texarkana, and John C. Walker, of Galveston. It is to these "old guardsmen" that the association is in- debted for its existence and it is through their ef- forts that much of its success has been gained. In their constitution they provided that annual meet- Ings were to be held for the purpose of "advancing the science of jurisprudence, promoting uniformity of legislation in the administration of justice throughout the state, upholding the honor of the

profession of law, and encouraging intercourse among its members." Galveston was selected as the permanent convention city and for twenty years it continued to be the annual meeting place. The first president of the association was Thomas J. Devine, of San Antonio, who was one of the early Texas settlers and who had won a substantial reputation throughout the state as a lawyer of great ability. By 1900 the membership had reached the hundred mark and it was thought advisable to change the meeting place of the yearly convention from city to city. This policy being carried out, the next meeting was held at Dallas. By means of interest thus stimulated the membership began to increase and by 1914 it had approximately five hundred named on its roll, while at the present time the membership is over the thousand mark.

As stated in the constitution the purpose is to aid the state and in its legal and governmental prob- lems. In furtherance of this aim the yearly con- ventions are devoted to a thorough discussion of problems of the state. Committees are frequently appointed to consider and report to the state legis- lature changes in existing laws which might be advisable and by this means many state laws have been greatly changed to the advantage of the people.

The presidents of the association, who in their time were among the most prominent men of the state have been: Thomas J. Devine, 1882; T. N. Waul,1883; J. H. MeCleary, 1884; B. H. Bassett, 1885; A. J. Peeler, 1886; T. J. Beall, 1887; W. L. Crawford, 1888; F. Charles Hume, 1889; H. W. Lightfoot, 1890; Norman G. Kittrell, 1891; Seth Sheppard, 1892; John N. Henderson, 1893; S. C. Padelford, 1894; Thomas H. Franklin, 1895; William L. Prather, 1896; William H. Clark, 1897; William Aubrey, 1898; Frank C. Dillard, 1899; Presley K. Ewing, 1900; M. A. Spoonts, 1901; James B. Stubbs, 1902; Lewis R. Bryan, 1903; T. S. Reese, 1904; H. C. Carter, 1905; H. M. Garwood, 1906; A. L. Beaty, 1907; A. E. Wilkin- son, 1908; Yancey Lewis, 1909; William H. Burges. 1910; Hiram Glass, 1911; R. E. L. Saner, 1912; John T. Duncan, 1913; W. W. Searcy, 1914; Allan D. San- ford, 1915; John L. Dyer, 1916; Frank C. Jones, 1917; Charles K. Lee, 1918; W. L. Estes, 1919; and Claude Pollard, 1920.

For thirty-eight years the Texas Bar Association has been the largest association of its kind in the Southwest. It has furnished the national halls of Congress many able men and many are the learned jurists that have come from its ranks. Ever mind- ful of the duties that rest with the association the members are continually striving for the greater, better Texas, and many are the measures of reform which it has been the means of having introduced and passed through the legislature of this state. The preservation of our state institutions is depend- ent in no small degree upon the patriotic zeal of this body of lawyers, and the things for which they contend, and, if always true to the heritage of the history of our state and its institutions, it may al- ways be said of her:

"Though storms and tempests thunder on its brow And oceans break its billows at its feet,

It stands unmoved, and glories in its height."

HISTORY OF THE TEXAS OIL INDUSTRY By J. EDGAR PEW

Ex-President Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association

O N January 10th, 1901, the great Lucas Gush- er commenced to pro- duce oil. This well was drilled about four miles south of Beaumont, Texas, by John J. Guffney and John Galey of Pittsburg, Pa., and ushered in the "Spindle Top" oil field. This was the beginning of a new era in the oil business. Prior to that time but little oil had been produced west of the Mississippi River, and in fact, among the "Oil Fraternity," but little was ex- pected. This new discovery also brought into the oil industry an entirely new set of men. The "Old Timers," as is the custom among oil men, came to Texas, looked the oil over and ex- amined the oil, but the majority of them went back east to tell the boys, "not to be alarmed, the oil was N. G." and "It cannot be refined" and they also pre- dicted the well would be a "freak and would soon go to water." Some few of them stayed and with their experience in the business, were generally well payed for their judgment.

Of these oil men from the east, previously promi- nent in the business, were W. L. Melion, of Pitts- burgh, who organized what are now known as thie Gulf Companies; J. S. Cullinan, formerly of Wash- ington, Pa., but at that time located at Corsicana. Texas, who, together with Ex-Governor Jas. Hogg, of Texas, Judge Jas. Swayne of Ft. Worth, Texas, and William Campbell, also a Texan, organized what is now the Texas Company; and J. N. Pew of Pittsburgh, Pa., who organized the Sun Company, and a little later, S. G. Bayne, of New York, who organized what is now known as the Magnolia Pe- troleum Company. All of these companies were formed to handle this new grade of oil, and to con- vert it into marketable products. The result of their enterprise and good judgement are to) well known to the entire oil world to require further details.

But it is not only to these that credit for this beginning of this great industry in Texas should be given. Beaumont was soon filled up with men from all parts of the country, the great majority of whoni prior to that time, had never seen an oil well and many of them had not the remotest idea of how oil was produced. From such, we have today many of the most successful producers in the business. The names of these are too numerous to mention in this brief article.

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The encyclopedia of Texas, V.1, Part 5

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau Number of Pages: 1204

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1204