Edwin Hawes, who had been serving the county as Judge, was one of the prominent characters and had married Mr. Jack Rust's eldest daughter, Miss Lizzie. By his strict rectitude of character and in his position as leading attorney, he had much to do with the enforcement of the laws under the most trying difficulties.
All the territory north of the Richmond Road was at this time a corn field, there being but three residences between there and the Macaroni railroad, being those of the Carsons, the Massey, afterwards owned by Jack Godsey, and the Minus.
At some later time I shall endeavor to write of other phases of the early days of Wharton for the Spectator.
In this article I shall tell of the residents, residences and ranches of Wharton County as they were in the early days.
On my arrival in 1882 Count Telfner was building the Macaroni railroad. The county up to about that time had been prohibition, but this condition was succeeded by licensed saloons. Of the conditions regarding this I may have more to say in the future communications.
One of the famous old residence ranches was the Alexander Place, now occupied by W.F. Neal. It was in possession at that time of Mrs. Mary Anderson and Miss Lillie Blythwood, who superintended its splendid acres, riding horseback. H.J. Bolton's plantation adjoined the Alexander place. It was inherited from his father, and was the foundation upon which he built a magnificent property. Dr. J.T. Bolton joined H.J. and had his residence upon the plantation. He is succeeded by his worthy son, who manages the property for his mother and sisters, Mrs. Anderson ranched and improved the Perry ranch, consisting of about 1500 acres, now owned by Mr. George Rust and successfully managed by his son Lloyd. It is stocked with a splendid lot of cattle. Col. Guy M. Bryan owned 1300 acres adjoining this, which is now the property of Douglas Sorrel. The Sorrel farm and ranch consisting of some 2200 acres of splendidly improved land, was owned by Marcial Sorrel and his sister, Mrs. Wicks.
The Reeves Ranch joined this property and a big old cottonwood tree, the stump of which still stands in the lane between here and Glen Flora,was a noted landmark, and denoted the line.A very fine estate joined this and extends back to the river on the south and to the prairie on the north. J.R. Cloud owned a splendid property next to this which extended way out on the prairie, all of which was acquired by industry and splendid management. When I first knew him he owned a residence between Spanish Camp and Egypt, was a widower and associated with the Messrs. Sorrel in business. The writer had many encouraging conversations with him during his early residence here and he afterward became his brother-in-law, marrying the writer's first wife's sister.
In the spring of 1882 I rode to Egypt over the only road. There is not a more magnificent body of land in the United States than that traversed by this road. It even rivals the famed Valley of the Nile. At Egypt I found Messrs. G.C. Duncan, Geo. H. Northington and Will Northington. They were partners and owned the old Heard ranch. It was to their place that all ranchmen, I recon, within a hundred miles came to buy corn during the lifetime of Mr. Heard, and it was thus the place acquired the appropriate name of Egypt. It was a great combination, farm cattle, store, gin, dotted with comfortable homes and surrounded by fertile fields. Of these Mr. Northington survives. Upon the death of Mr. Duncan the property was divided and is now owned and occupied by Mr. Northington and his boys and the Duncan boys, than whom there are no finer citizens in any man's country.
Above Egypt to the Colorado line were mostly cattle ranches owned by Guy M. Jones, from Mason, the Fraziers and others, a noble big hearted lot. Swinging back to the south and east one reached Hudgins brothers property, Will, Green, Joe and Alex and old Grandma Hudgins of blessed memory. All are gone now except Uncle Joe. We all know him, none more noble, The splendid property is now occupied by the sons and daughters of these worthy sires. I don't recall a death among the children, however, some of the third generation have passed away.
It was through the kindly help of the Hudgins that I got my wife at an unguarded time. Joe and Alex, trustees of the school committed themselves that if I could win the school teacher they would give her up. They did not think I could do it, but I did and they had to change teachers one February.
(N.B. We did not intend to say "Old Uncle Joe Hudgins.)
In the last number we did not include the territory above the Sorrel ranch. That famed old ranch is now the property of Mr. M. Sorrel and his sister Mrs. Wicks.
The Reeves ranch immediately west of Sorrella was bought and subdivided by Mr. J.R. Cloud. sold mostly to colored people. The present sight of Glen Flora was owned by General Gordon of Georgia.
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He also owned a great part of the valuable land east and below Glen Flora, including 600 acres now owned by Mrs. Pink Anderson and managed by John Dennis. By way of parenthesis, J.H.H. Dennis was a member of Legislature and ___ he was 21 years of age. His legal ?eligibilities? being removed. Douglass Sorrel was also a member of Legislature.
Above Glen Flora in the Newmen Ranch now owed by Houston heirs and Mrs. Anderson. Mrs. Corbett of Bay City owns the Winston place, inherited from her father. It is now under splendid management of Mr. Perkins.
Adjoining above is the Anna Battle ranch, an old land mark and one of the best ranches in the county. The present owner is Mr. Will Gordon. Then the old Clark Ranch, afterward owned by George Dorman and the Wygalls, Joe and Jim.
We swing across the river above the Schramms to the best league of land in Wharton County, John T. Reaves, who married Wm. Kinchloe's widow, used the ranch as a stock ranch. It is now subdivided and consists of some of the best farms in the county.
All west of the river was originally a vast fenceless cattle range, but it is now transformed into beautiful homes and farms. (Shanghai.) and the Doutz Brothers of whom we will speak in our next number.
August 6, 1920
The A.H. Pierce Ranch was bounded on the north by Rancha Grande Road and on the south by Palacios Bay. Mr. Pierce merited the name of "Cattle King if South Texas." His contention was that cattle should not be successfully raised on land valued at above $5.00 per acre.Colonel Pierce's main headquarters was at what is known as Pierce. At the end of the Civil War he commenced his career as a cowboy working for 50 cents a day. His rule was to save at least half his wages. The writer remembers his purchase of the Duncan Ranch and other adjoining lands extending from the Colorado River to the Bernard embracing about 25,000 acres. About the later part of the 80's he purchased the Bosque Ranch running west from the Colorado River at Wharton consisting of 10,000 acres at a cost of less than $5.00 per acre.He owned 21,000 acres of what was then known as Hamiltons Point. The present site of Palacios.His aggregated acres then consisted of about 180,000 acres. During the latter part of his life and soon after his death his acreage was reduced to about 80,000 acres. By the wise management of his executors and administrators the finest grade cattle known in South Texas, and on land valued at $40.00 per acre and upward, are being raised and distributed at from $1.00 to $5.00 per pound. Their fine Brahma breed were directly imported from India, and are a great attraction. They can be seen at Mackay and also Pierce at any time. As the railroad advanced west the Kountz ranch lyind directly west of the Pierce, was sub divided and sold in small tracts.
August 13, 1920
Further referring to Col. A.H. Pierce and his splendid estate, I heard him say that he would fix his business so that it would go on after his death, the same as if he were living. I remember his only daughter, when she was a girl in her teens, and Able Pierce Borden when he was but a lad. Under Uncle's wise tutorage he grew to be a splendid business man that he is and under the joint administration the estate has grown to such magnificent proportions. It was the writer's privilege very recently to pass through the Sullivan Dunklin ranch, and it was a pleasure to observe and call the attention of my companions to the sacred cattle, from the splendid fat calves to three-quarter bulls; all showing the far sighted judgment of the managers. Of these fine animals many are scattered about over our South Texas. We all raise our hats to these benefactors. The Kounz Brothers were never residents of this county. They did acquire large acreage. We remember Col. Reynolds as the splendid manager of this magnificent property. He was succeeded by our own Frank Hardy, who subdivided these lands. It was frequently my privilege to be entertained by him and his splendid wife at K.O. Ranch, which was headquarters. One of the prettiest sights I ever saw in the way of chickens was a brood of 500 faultless _ard Plymoth Rocks. The only exception was one lone black hen.
Coming back to this side of the river: On my arrival with my family of wife and five Alabama children. There were only 25 pupils in the school. In a previous article I mentioned the Alexander home, The Mimms, Carson, and Massey. There was the Fultz home, now occupied by this scribe, Mr. Ahldag's residence, the Schultz brick, Tom Calloway, Cordray, now occupied by Mr. Kelly, Mrs. Watts, a new residence; the old hotel, on the site of present Nation, Judge Phillips residence, the Jim Whitten old red brick court house and jail - all making a weird contrast to Wharton's present proportions.
There were flat streets,, mud, sidewalks, no graded roads. The splendid farm ranches, notably, Taylor Bros., Eugene Brooks, the Harrison, Callaway, Terrell Whitten, the old McWillie, Two-leg Willie residence, a few stores, Ben Boone hotel, etc.
Taylor Bros., Tol Tyory, pioneers, opened up a wilderness, and by combined effort accumulated, and at present own 20,000 acres. There were no railroads running sough from here until 1900, and about then the G.H.&S.A. and Santa Fe went south. Harris Spooner managed the Harrison estate. Zack Taylor was with his brothers from the first. Marcus came later on and became a prominent figure. Walt and Alex Jones, Albert Spooner, Zozey and Frank May, R.F. Vineyard, G.A. Harrison, Wilson Damron were conspicuous figures. Manly Rowe, once sheriff, was a prominent character. Kemp, Dixon, Vineyard, and Huston bought two or on this land. The Embry land was cut off this and sold by Huston and Vineyard.
Sept. 10, 1920
My observations of card playing by men and women leads me to believe that the devil has no greater instrument for the accomplishment of his nefarious purposes that a deck of cards.
parents under the fascinating influence of card playing will leave their children in the care of servants, shove them off with a "don't bother me; go on off. I am busy." I remember instances where boys of fine families have been placed in jail for embezzling funds and have been brought to disgrace ad ruin by bad environments. This was a result of the practice of parents and friends who indulged in their own homes in card playing.
One of our best sheriffs in time gone by refused to speak to the writer after he was elected. After this had gone on about a year I asked him why he refused to speak to me and his ready answer was that I had scratched his name on the ticket when he had no opponent, which showed my extreme hatred for him. I told him he was mistaken. My reason for scratching his name was that while he was elected to enforce the law, he was violating it himself by gambling. He very readily extended his hand and was ever afterwards, until his death, my warm friend.
One of the darkest chapters in Wharton's history was written because of card playing.
Gambling is outlawed. The best citizen is the one who obeys the law. The best officer is the one who enforces the law. In the chapter referred to above the result of violating the law by playing cards and the failure of the officers to stop it was one man sent to the penitentiary, one beaten into insensibility by an officer and four men fill untimely graves. All this grew out of a game of cards.
One of the best men I ever knew, a splendid citizen, acquired the habit of playing cards. he told me he had gone home one night after 12 o'clock, and with one hand on the door knob and the other on his pistol, hesitated over whether he should blow his brains out or go into his home. The love of his family and his wife's tears decided him and he resolved to quit. But afterwards he would go down town to get himself a cigar, stand about where gambling was going on, and pretty soon he would be down in the game.
Boys in their teens and elder ones too, are drawn into malestrom by the dozens.
The reason it is so hard to convict criminals for this offense is because so many are guilty.
Parents may train their children with all care, not engage in these practices, and still their children by bad environments are drawn into habits of dissipation and lawlessness. I heard a good woman say her sons would never have her example for such things, and yet they were drawn in, There seems to be a mania for all sorts of gambling now, possessing both men and woman, and even church members are not guiltless.
The moral of this chapter is: The best citizens obey the law, the best officers enforce the law, execute its mandates without fear or favor.
"When the wicked rule, the people mourn. Righteousness exalteth a nation."