The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 45

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1328

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OHN WHITE, attorney at law, 409 North Texas Building, Dallas, has the honor of being one of the few Spanish war veterans of this city and has served as special repre- sentative of the United States government to the Republic of Mexico. For the past decade he has been actively engaged in the practise of the legal profession before the Dallas bar and has been un- usually successful in his extensive practise.

Born in Bell County, Texas, in the month of September, 1877, John White is a son of John and Martha White, formerly of Texas, but later of Mississippi. He worked his way through not only the elementary schools but others, in fact his educa- tion was obtained almost entirely through the night schools in Washington, D. C. He was born poor and strived hard to obtain the success which today he merits. At the age of nineteen he volunteered to serve in the Spanish war and spent one year in Cuba in active service, after which he was sent to the Philippines to aid in quelling the raids of Aguinaldo and his bandits. After serving there for a short while, he was then sent to China and later to Honolulu, and after serving his four year enlist- ment period, returned to private life. He accepted a position with the government in the clerical de- partment, where he remained for four years, after which he became identified with the department of Commerce and Labor as the special agent of the government.

While holding this position he was twice honored by being appointed the special agent of the govern- ment to the Republic of Mexico. In 1908 he re- signed his place with the government and moved to Dallas, where he became engaged in the banking and brokerage business, dealing especially in com- mercial paper. Having been admitted to the bar. while in Texas, Mr. White began his practise in this state in 1913 and since that time has been ex- clusively engaged in handling the affairs of his clientele.

Mr. White married several years ago and he and Mrs. White are the parents of one child, Miss Jackie White. They have their home at 1522 North Carroll Avenue, Dallas .. In fraternal orders Mr.

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White is a member of the International Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, the Loyal American Order of Spanish War Veterans and a number of other smaller orders.

ARL SMITH, office in the Criminal Court Building, Fort Worth, is the youngest sheriff Tarrant County ever had. Nineteen deputies, headed by ex-Sheriff M. M. Rea and Jim S. Hardcastle as chief deputies, are under his direction, and this force of twenty maintain one of the best peace systems in the state today. Dis- patch, thoroughness and efficiency characterize the entire workings under Mr. Smith. In July, 1920, he was elected to his office and in December, 1920, he took charge of the force. Having a part equal in importance with law-makers and jurists, the men who enforce the law and serve as the pages of justice, going everywhere to fulfill her commands and requests, are prominent in all municipal welfare. They should know no passion but loyalty to law and such is the Tarrant County force lead by Sheriff Smith.

Carl Smith is a native of Tarrant County, Texas, where he was born on March 23, 1888. His father, C. L. Smith, was a Virginian and emigrated to the Lone Star State in 1875, locating then in Tarrant County which has ever since been their place of residence. His mother, Selia F. Riggle Smith, was also a native of Texas. Carl attended the schools provided for all youthful Texans and after complet- ing his public school course he took thorough train- ing in the Fort Worth Business College. His busi- ness career began with the hardware industry. For five years, from 1904 until 1909, he was in that business. His career as peace officer started in 1913 when, under the administration of N. C. Mann, he was chosen deputy constable; later, under Mr. Mann, he was made deputy sheriff and in this ca- pacity served through 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918. In 1920 he was elected sheriff of Tarrant County by the people.

Mr. Smith is a "bachelor" and resides at 3029 Hemphill Street. As public men usually are, he is congenial and has added to that an optimism that is his own. He is a member of the Elk Lodge and of the I. T. A. He has been identified with public service for eight years which record has been so favorable that in this time he has been promoted through the various offices from deputy constable to the sheriffship. A popular favorite, as indicated by his being the youngest sheriff ever elected by his county, Mr. Smith will be identified with the public life of his people in varying capacitics, per- haps, through many years to come. His present ad- ministration is characterized by efficiency and loyalty to law.

GREGORY HATCHER, member of the firm of Hatcher and Zumwalt, attorneys at law, of Dallas, has gained a state-wide acquaint- ance as an ardent supporter of Southern ideals. During the war he served as the Special Representative of the government on the local draft board and was also chairman of Draft Board Num- ber Two, of this city, which was the largest draft board of Northern Texas. For the past seven years Mr. Hatcher has been engaged in the practice of law before the courts of this county and has been very successful in the prosecution of all of his causes.

A son of John H. and Lucy (Gregory) Hatcher, W. Gregory Hatcher was born in Cumberland, Virginia,

September 7th, 1876. His primary education was secured in the Virginia Public Schools and was supplemented by a course at a Commercial College, of Philadelphia. In 1903 he came to Texas, locating at Dallas and became engaged in the advertising business. In his spare moments he studied law and in 1913 was admitted to the bar and began his prac- tice in Dallas. At the outbreak of the war he was refused admittance to a training camp and so he en- gaged in a special study of the draft law, as passed by Congress. Soon thercafter he was made a special member of the district draft board and was the representative of the Adjutants Department, at Austin. On November 17th he was made chairman of local board, number two, for the City of Dallas, which was the largest draft board in this part of the state. During the first part of the war he edited a questionnaire on the draft law that was published daily by the Dallas Evening Journal. After the signing of the armistice Mr. Hatcher resumed his private practice and soon thereafter entered into a partnership with Mr. Zumwalt.

In 1900 Mr. Hatcher married Miss Ellin Coleman and they are the parents of one child, a daughter, Ellen Frances Hatcher.

For the year 1918 Mr. Hatcher was the Com- mander in Chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans for the State of Texas and during the same year served for a time as special judge of the Coropora- tion Court of Dallas. In fraternal orders he is a Shriner, Hella Temple, a Knight Templar and a member of the Dallas Automobile Country Club.

LBERT WALKER, attorney at law, Ameri- can Exchange National Bank Building, Dal- las, has, during his sixteen years of practice plead and successfully handled a number of noted criminal and civil cases which have secured a place for him among the members of the legal fraternity in this county. Having been identified with the Dallas bar since 1904, at which time he came to that city from Decatur, where he had made a name for himself, not only as a lawyer but as a public spirited citizen. Mr. Walker is now engaged exclusively in the civil practice.

The son of E. L. and Nancy (Sewell) ) Walker, Albert Walker was born in Jackson, Madison County, Tennessee, on January 7, 1870. He came to Texas with his parents in 1880 and located with them in Wise County, where he remained until the year 1904. He attended the public school, complet- ing his education in Baylor University, and taught in public schools for three years. He later took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1878.

Shortly after taking up the practice of his pro- fession at Decatur, he was made city attorney and shortly thereafter became assistant county attorney. After the expiration of his term of public o "ice he came to Dallas and there established himself in private practice. In 1907 the firm of Walker and Williams was established. For some years they successfully handled a large civil, criminal and cor- porate practice. In 1914 the partnership was dis- solved and since that time Mr. Walker has been engaged in independent practice. One of the most noted cases that he has been engaged in recently is the one brought by the Dallas theatres against the Sunday closing ordinance. He was the counsel for the theatres and in this capacity was successful in securing for them a verdict.

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In 1907 Mr. Walker married Miss Pearl Bennett, of Decatur. Mr. and Mrs. Walker are the parents of three children, Marie, Louise and Albert Walker, Jr. Their residence is at 1614 Lindenwood, Highland Park.

A champion of the unfortunate and downtrodden members of society, Mr. Walker has faithfully served those who have needed his services, regard- less of consideration.

C. LORD, Water Commissioner for the City of Fort Worth, not only comes of a parent- age given to municipal service, but has de- voted his life history to the same service and by his city is held in high esteem for his work of thirty-one years. His name is inseparably inter- woven with the Gas business of his city, with its Electric Light and Power Service, with the construc- tion of Lake Worth and with its water utilities to- day, so that he has projected his service into every home of a city in a threefold needed capacity,-gas, water and lights. He has forty employees in his present departmental work to the superintendency of which he was elected in 1917, re-elected in 1919, and in 1921.

Mr. Lord was born in Oldham, England, in 1855. His father, Chas. Andrew Lord, came to the United States in 1871, locating at Washington, Indiana, and was a gas, water and mechanical engineer of unusual ability. He has been deceased since 1874. J. C. Lord was trained from childhood for the public utility business, both in his technical training at Redhill Academy in England and by his father's own profession. He took courses in gas engineering, water engineering and mechanical engineering and from the day of his graduation has served in one or the other of these capacities. In 1890 lie came to Fort Worth when he built the first artificial gas plant of that city for a firm in St. Louis, Mo. Later he took charge of the first electric light plant of Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Light and Power Company. Of this organization he was manager for twenty-seven years. At that time he was chosen as superintendent of construction of Lake Worth, one of the large reservoir engineering works of the South. He was then elected to the position to which he has again been re-elected, water commissioner for the city of Fort Worth.

In 1876, at Anderson, Indiana, Miss Esther Allen and Mr. Lord were united in marriage. Mrs. Esther Newman, wife of Fred W. Newman, a journalist in Chicago, is their only child. Mr. Lord resides at 1209 Jennings Avenue. Mr. Lord is a Mason.

As one trained from childhood for public utility service from association with a father schooled and skilled to the business, and as one who has devoted his entire life career to service of the public, Mr. Lord is among the most efficient in his work and has rendered and is now rendering an invaluable service to his municipality.

", J. GIBSON, attorney at law, Dallas and Corsicana, was admitted to the Texas bar twenty-three years ago and for the past ten years has been active before the courts of this county and district. Before coming to Dallas Mr. Gibson was a practitioner at Corsicana and while there held various public offices. In the ten years of his practise before the Dallas bar he has become well established in the legal fraternity of this city and has always taken an active part in local and state affairs.

A native son of Texas, Mr. Gibson was born at Corsicana on the 26th of February, 1872. He is a son of John S. Gibson, who came to Texas and settled at Corsicana in 1854. Edward J. was the seventh child of nine children in the Gibson family and re- ceived his early education in the public schools of his native city. He then attended the Staunton Military Academy, of Staunton, Virginia, where he graduated with the class of 1892. After his gradua- tion he returned to Corsicana and began to read law in the offices of a local attorney. In 1897 he took the examination for entrance into the bar and was admitted with an excellent average. He began his practise in the same year and remained as a practitioner at Corsicana until 1910. While there he served as prosecuting attorney for his county and for six years was city attorney for the city of Cor- sicana. In 1910 he moved to Dallas and opened his offices in this city. He has always practised the civil law and since coming to this city has become well known to the local bar. When the Corsicana-Mexia oil fields were discovered Mr. Gibson reopened his Corsicana offices.

Mr. Gibson married Miss Harriet B. Dickson, a native Texan and the daughter of John Dickson, a merchant and farmer of Milford, Texas. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson are the parents of one child, Miss Mary Allen Gibson, who was educated at Wellesly College. The Gibson Dallas residence is located at 4938 Crutcher Street.

A member of an illustrious, pioneer Texas family, a learned lawyer, a public servant and a loyal citi- zen, Edward J. Gibson has been an uplifting in- fluence for good in his city and his state.

OAH ROARK, attorney at law, Dallas County Bank Building, Dallas, has, by his jury generalship, firmly established himself as a jury lawyer of the successful type. In his twenty years of practice in Dallas he has been identified with many noted criminal cases and in his capacity as a public servant has rendered Dallas County a great service. Ever since his admittance to the bar in 1902 he has been engaged in general civil and criminal practice.

A son of Lafayette and Lucy (Henderson) Roark, Noah Roark was born in Denton, Texas, April 6, 1879. After securing an elementary education at the Denton public schools he studied law in the offices of Smith and Sullivan, of Denton. In 1902 he was ad- mitted to the bar and began an independent practice at Denton, which he continued for eight years. In 1910 he came to Dallas and began practice with S. C. Lewis. After one year this firm was dissolved and Mr. Roark resumed his private practice, which he has continued ever since. In 1912 he was appointed assistant county attorney under R. M. Clark and t a later date was the chief deputy of the department under Currie Mccutcheon. He remained in the county attorney's ofce until 1914 when he resumed his private practice. With the exception of the time that he served in the army, Mr. Roark has continued his private practice and has become well known as a trial lawyer.

In 1917 Mr. Roark was appointed a captain in the National Guard of Texas and recruited M Company of the 142nd Infantry, which originally was M Com- pany of the Seventh Texas Infantry. After recruit- ing his company the entire brigade, of which it was a part, was sent to Camp Bowie, Ft. Worth, Texas, where they were encamped until their training period was finished. The signing of the armistice found

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MEN OF TEXAS

Captain Roark at Camp Bowie, where he was dis- charged in May, 1919.

The marriage of Mr. Roark to Miss Lillian Wheeler was solemnized in 1902. The Roark residence is at 105 North Edgefield, Oak Cliff. In fraternal orders Mr. Roark is a member of the Maccabees, Ben Hur Temple. He also has a membership in the Cedar Crest Country Club.

LAWRENCE A. HART, of the Hart Furniture Company at 1933-35 Elm Street and the Home Furniture Company, represents one of the most progressive business institu- tions in this city. The other officers of the Com- pany are Thomas F. Hart, President and B. F. Mc- Lain, Secretary. At present they occupy two, three story buildings, each floor having a space of 85x185 and for additional space there is a large balcony. In this building they carry a complete stock of household goods of the value of $300,000.00. Their annual sales amount to over a million and a quarter dollars. The business was established in 1915, but they recently erected their new building of five stories and a basement situated at the corner of Elm and Preston Streets, which is a branch of the parent house and officered by the same men and with them are also a corps of able salesmen. The branch is known as The Home Furniture Company. This nomenclature seems to have been an inspiration as Dallas is fast becoming the City-of-Homes.

Lawrence A. Hart was born in Bellaire, Ohio, August 28th, 1887 of T. E. Hart and Alfaretta M. (Poorman) Hart. He attended the Prep. Depart- ment of the Notre Dame University in 1906 and went to Yale University where he received the degree LLB with the class of 1907. Having finished his University course, the same year found him filling a position with the Interstate Auto Company at Muncie, Indiana, and he remained with them three years. From 1913 to 1915 he lived in Kansas City managing the Hart Motor Car Company as retail distributors for the Interstate Auto Company. In 1915 he moved from Kansas City to Dallas and organized the present business of the Hart Furni- ture Company.

In 1910 he married a native of New Jersey, Miss Grace McLain daughter of Bernard McLain. Mr. and Mrs. Hart have one child, a son, Lawrence Jr.

When the world was at war, Lawrence Hart en- listed for service April 1918 by joining the Texas Cavalry and went into the Officers Training Camp . at San Antonio. There he received a Second-Lieuten- ant's Commission in June of the same year. In June 1920, Mr. Hart took leave of his business af- fairs in Dallas and spent nearly two years abroad studying the business conditions in Europe and Africa, returning in April 1922.

Mr. Hart holds membership in the Chamber of Commerce, the Dallas Country Club and the Brook Hollow Golf Club.

D. BELL, assistant district attorney of Dallas, specializes in the interpretation, examination and construction of land titles. Before associating with the aforesaid firm, which was in October 1919, he was the attorney for the Municipal Bonding Company, which handles the bonds of the city and county of Dallas. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1916 and since that time has established for himself a substantial legal practice.

A native son of Dallas County, C. D. Bell was born December 8th, 1890, near Lancaster. He is a son of

R. E. Bell, who was born in this county and who was well known in the southern portion of the county as a successful planter. The son, C. D. Bell, received his early education in the Lancaster High Schools, from which he graduated in 1908, after having com- pleted two years of junior college work. He then took a correspondence course at the University of Texas, taking legal studies exclusively. He studied at nights in the Auditor's Office of the Texas and Pacific Railroad and later with the Western Electric Manufacturing Company. While working and study- ing with the Western Electric he secured the position of assistant Treasurer but in 1917, after having been admitted to the bar the year previous, he resigned and began the practice of his profession with S. C. Lewis. He remained with Mr. Lewis until 1919 at which time he was appointed attorney of the Muni- cipal Bond Company, of Dallas. In October of the same year he became associated with Dabney, Goggans and Ritchie and through the firm has be- come the attorney for a number of large loan com- panies. Mr. Bell has seen considerable court prac- tice since his admittance to the bar, having handled practically all of the court work when he was asso- ciated with Mr. Lewis.

On May 18th, 1913 Mr. Bell married Miss Inez Byrum of Tennessee, and they are the parents of one child, C. D., Jr. The Bell residence is located at 1110 Cedar Hill Avenue, Oak Cliff.

Having always taken an active interest in any movement for the public advancement, Mr. Bell is a member of several local clubs. He has membership in the Jefferson Club, the Chamber of Commerce and the Young Lawyers Club of Dallas. Being an un- usual speaker and debater he has always been active in that line of work and while in college was the recipient of many oratorical medals. He has made many speeches advocating various public enterprises and it is a well known fact that his eloquence is very influential and always desired by those advancing the public welfare.

S. BRAMLETT, attorney at law, 525 Slaugh- ter building, is well known at the bar in Texas. Mr. Bramlett specializes in civic, commercial corporation and public utility law, and his skillful handling of important cases has attracted wide attention. For twenty-two years he has represented the Bell Telephone Company and now represents other large corporations such as the Connor Investment Company.

Ilis most important litigation was in the controver- sy involving rate regulations of the telephone com- pany, the question being whether or not the people had the right to fix rates. Mr. Bramlett fought this and won his case, the law which allowed the people, by direct action, to regulate rates, being declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

Mr. Bramlett handles securities and investments for the Connor Investment Company and is director and secretary of that corporation. In September of 1919 his ability received recognition by his appoint- ment as Assistant City Attorney of Dallas. In Octo- ber 1920 he returned to private practice and soon thereafter was retained as special counsel for the City in the public utility rate cases.

Born near Rome Georgia, on October 18, 1872, Mr. Bramlett while yet a small boy moved to Texas with his parents, J. M. and Laura Richardson Bramlett, settling in Weatherford and later in Dallas. Mr. Bramlett attended the public schools of Dallas, grad-

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uating from the High School in 1891 as valedictorian of his class. He followed this by an academic course at the University of Texas, and returning to Dallas began the study of law in the office of A. M. Thoma- son and Lanch McLaurin. In 1895 he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of law in Dallas.

His marriage to Miss Freda Tittle of Wisconsin was celebrated in Wilwaukee in 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Bramlett make their home at 4005 Bryan Street.

Mr. Bramlett is a member of the Dallas Bar As- sociation, Phi Delta Theta College Fraternity, the Elks, Lions' Club and Dallas Automobile Club. It is Mr. Bramlett's belief that Texas is just beginning to develop her resources and that Dallas is the financial, manufacturing and jobbing center of the state.

A. FRETZ, secretary-treasurer and manager of the C. E. Hoffman Company, wholesale and retail dealers in barber supplies, 1711 Live Oak Street, is a Dallas product, born and bred, who, for the last decade, has been con- nected with a firm, which under his efficient man- agement has grown from a comparatively small be- ginning to one of the most flourishing enterprises of the Southwest.

The C. E. Hoffman Company was organized in 1909 by Mr. Fretz, C. E. Hoffman, Emil Fretz, father of E. A. Fretz, and Raymond Thomas. The first store was in one small room on South Akard Street. The location was later moved to Main Street and finally to its present location. During these years it has grown from a rather unimportant establishment to one of the foremost of Texas. The company deals in all kinds of barber supplies and fixtures and are extensive importers of cutlery. Laboratory products are made in their own estab- lishment under the supervision of an expert chemist. They are distributors of the Theo. A. Kochs Com- pany for barber chairs and mirrors. The company now does an annual business of approximately $250,000 and the continued extension of its patron- age is due to the wide-spread and skillful advertis- ing. Territory covered includes East, West and North Texas, and Southern Oklahoma, where the Ehoffco brand laboratory products are popular. The company carries $30,000 stock and has fifteen people in the organization, five of whom are traveling sales- men.

Mr. Fretz was born in Dallas, December 23, 1884. His parents are Emil and Mrs. Frances Fretz, the former came to Dallas from Switzerland and in 1871, the later is a native of Texas. The elder Mr. Fretz has been very active in the advancement of civic enterprises in his adopted city. He has been a member of the Park Board since its organization. The younger Mr. Fretz was educated in the public schools of Dallas and his first regular employment was with the Oliver Chilled Plow Works, with whom he remained for eight years. In 1909 he left the implement business to help with the organization of the C. E. Hoffman Company and he has since been manager of the firm.

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The encyclopedia of Texas, V.2, Part 45

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau Number of Pages: 1328

Author: Davis, Ellis Arthur, ed; Grobe, Edwin H., ed
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Dallas, Texas Development Bureau
Number of Pages: 1328