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Discovering Diverse Content Through
Random Scribd Documents
Fort Worth was the first city in the United States to have all of its
street railways equipped with electric appliances.
 GAS WORKS.

On August 31st, 1876, the first gas company was organized with J. P.
Smith as President; John Nichols, Treasurer and J. Q. St. Clair,
Secretary. A franchise was granted the company. On November 26th.
a contract was entered into with John Lockwood, of New Jersey, to
construct the works and lay the mains. Some idea of the extent of
the plant can be gathered from the fact that it was to cost $20,000.
The plant was added to from time to time, as the demand for light
increased, until the entire business section was supplied with gas.
The works were finally sold to a new company of which Mr. H. C.
Scott, of St. Louis, was the principal owner, and it remained under his
control until sold to the Fort Worth Light & Power Co., and it in turn
transferred the property to the present company.
 PACKING HOUSES.

It would be a harrowing tale to relate all the efforts made to provide

a packing plant for this city. The Fort Worth Democrat, which had
earned a reputation for “seeing things,” first made the prediction on
April 25th, 1875, that some day Fort Worth would be a large 19
producer of refrigerated meats for export. It harped on this in
season and out of season and watched for every opportunity to
advance the project. The editor, learning that a man was in Dallas
negotiating to establish a plant there, went to that city and formed
his acquaintance. It was learned that the Dallas people did not regard
the project with much favor. The man, whose name was Richardson
only asked that the city make a donation of six acres of ground for
the plant. He was told that if he would come to Fort Worth that he
could select the ground and that a deed would be delivered to him in
an hour. He came and looked over the situation and selected the
lands where the Medlin Mill now stands. Fortunately the land
belonged to John Peter Smith and it was only necessary to tell Smith
what was in the wind and the deed was forthcoming. He erected a
small packing plant on the land now occupied by the Medlin Flouring
Mills. As he only essayed to kill and refrigerate hogs, and as there
were very few hogs in Texas, the plant was shortlived. He soon sold it
and went out about Cisco and put in a plant to make plaster from
gypsum.

Shortly after this a man by the name of Higgs came to the city and in
a few days secured capital to erect a refrigerating plant in the
southeast part of the city. He killed a cargo of cattle and sent them to
Saint Louis, but that proved like sending coals to Newcastle and his
venture was doomed to failure. He sold his plant to Mr. Isaac
Dahlman of the firm of Dahlman Bros., the first clothing merchants in
the city. He killed cattle and sent them to Liverpool by way of
Galveston, but they were so long on the way that they did not arrive
in good condition. This ended the third attempt but did not dismay
the people of Fort Worth. They believed that this was to become a
packing house center and in 1890 thirty men got together and each
agreed to put in one thousand dollars and purchase some lands and
put up more money, share and share alike, as it was needed. Mr. H.
C. Holloway was selected to manage the affairs of the company and
he bought lands where the present plants are situated and proceeded
to build fences and lots and later on a small packing house. It had a
capacity of 250 cattle and 1000 hogs per day. About this time John R.
Hoxie came to Fort Worth from Chicago and as it was thought he
knew all about the industry, he was induced to put in more money,
buy more land and increase the capacity of the yards.

He too made a failure and the plant after a precarious existence was
sold to Messrs. Simpson and Niles of Boston, neither of whom were
practical packers. Mr. Niles was a business man and under his
management with the assistance of Mr. H. A. Judd, still a citizen of
Fort Worth, the plant earned money. The owners recognized the fact
that the plant did not meet the requirements of the times and with
the assistance of some of the public spirited people of the city they
enlisted the interest of Armour and Swift and secured the 20
present establishments. Most of the thirty men who put the
first money into the plant surrendered their holdings as gifts to make
the deal go through.

The corner stone of the new buildings was laid on the 13th day of
March, 1902, in the presence of a large concourse of the citizens of
the city. Just a year thereafter the first cattle were killed in the new
houses. At that time Mr. Armour made the prediction that in ten years
Fort Worth would be the second market for cattle in the United
States. His prediction was verified.
 FIRE DEPARTMENT.

The first attempt to organize a fire company in the city occurred in

April, 1873. A meeting for that purpose was called at the court house
by the Democrat. When the night arrived it brought with it a “blue
norther.” There was not sufficient interest in the matter to justify the
people in facing the storm and the only person present was the editor
of the paper. The following is his report of the meeting:

“Pursuant to notice given in the last number of the Democrat, we

proceeded to the court house last Tuesday evening at precisely half
past seven, to meet the citizens in mass meeting, for the purpose of
becoming a member of the Fort Worth Hook and Ladder Company
No. 1. We took our position on the steps of that edifice, and although
the stone was a little cool, we heroically held our position until
patience ceased to be a virtue. Not a soul put in an appearance.
Several who had promised faithfully to be present forgot to keep the
appointment.

Determined to carry to a successful completion every project we take

in hand, we went to work to organize the meeting. A chairman is
essential to any meeting. They are necessary to keep the meeting in
order, and give the assemblage proper dignity. We were unanimously
chosen chairman and took our seat amid the most profound silence.
But a difficulty, wholly unexpected now presented itself. A secretary
to keep the record of the proceedings is equally indispensable. There
was no one to make secretary. Not to be thwarted by minor
obstacles, we finally with much reluctance, consented to assume this
arduous position also. Some one was needed to manage the finances
and take care of the funds. That being our forte, we assumed the
responsible position of treasurer. We then appointed ourself a
committee of five to draft resolutions. The resolutions agreeably to an
ancient custom at meetings of this kind had been prepared by a
friend. We immediately proceeded to adopt them as a whole without
debate.

We have procured all the machinery necessary for a first class Hook
and Ladder company, viz: a five foot step ladder, a walking stick with
a hook on the end, a pint cup and a wet blanket and are now 21
ready to extinguish fire in any part of the city on short notice.
All orders promptly executed, day or night.

Dallas can no longer claim to be ahead of Fort Worth. The Herald and
News are complaining because they have no fire brigade. Send your
orders to Fort Worth, neighbor. If you will let us know a day or two
before you intend to have a fire, we will be on hand with our
machine.

We are going to give a ba(w)ll pretty soon for the relief of the
sufferers by the first fire. Of course we are going to have a fire or
there would be no necessity for our Hook and Ladder company, and
when there is a fire, of course some one will suffer. Then you will
know how it is yourself, dear people.”

A second attempt made about a month later was more successful. A

goodly number answered the call and a company was organized with
Capt. S. P. Greene as President, B. B. Paddock, Secretary and William
T. Field as Foreman. There were about sixty members, mostly clerks
and mechanics, on the roll and they made up a purse and ordered a
hook and ladder truck with all the necessary accoutrements. A series
of entertainments were given to raise the funds at one of which a
vote was taken at so much per vote for the most popular young lady
in the city, who should have the privilege of naming the company.
The leading contestants were Miss Sallie Johnson, daughter of Col. M.
T. Johnson and Miss Anna T. Harper, a sister of Mrs. B. B. Paddock.
Miss Johnson was the successful candidate and the company was
named in honor of her father the M. T. Johnson Hook and Ladder
Company. It remained as No. 1 until 1893, when the paid fire
department was organized, when it passed off the stage. There was
never a more enthusiastic and successful band of fire-fighters.

On October 17th, 1876, when city airs were assumed, an engine

company was organized, of which Capt. M. B. Loyd was president. He
was also the first president of the Fort Worth Fire Department, which
was organized after the second company came into existence, and
was the accredited delegate to the meeting of the State Fire
Department. Other companies followed as the necessity arose and
Fort Worth long enjoyed the reputation of having the finest
department in the State. When the city took over the management of
the fire department and put the men on the payroll, the volunteers
were given preference over all applicants and some of them are in
service at this writing. When it became a paid fire department, Mr. N.
H. Lassiter was the President, and the last meeting was a most
affecting occasion. Many of the old “fire-fighters” were opposed to
disbanding the volunteer service and laid down the responsibility with
great reluctance.

22
 NEWSPAPERS.

“’Twere long to tell what steeds gave o’er,

As swept the hunt through Campus-more.”

It would be an almost endless task and one the writer will not essay
to tell the history of the newspapers of this city. It has been the
graveyard of the hopes and aspirations of ambitious men, who
without capital, and oft times without experience, have undertaken
the work of furnishing an unappreciative public with a newspaper in
Fort Worth.

It was on March 7th, 1860, that Fort Worth had its first paper. It was
started by a man by the name of Cleveland and was called the
Enterprise. How long it continued, and what became of it the writer
has been unable the ascertain.

The second attempt was made in October, 1871, when Maj. K. M.

VanZandt, John Hanna, W. H. Overton, Capt. Sam Evans and Junius
W. Smith bought from Maj. J. J. Jarvis the press and material of a
paper at Quitman in Wood county and moved here and started the
Fort Worth Democrat. In October, 1872, they sold it to Capt. B. B.
Paddock, who assumed management and direction of the paper on
the 1st day of January, 1873. He continued the publication until June
30th, 1882, when it was merged with the Live Stock Journal, owned
by George B. Loving, and changed to the Fort Worth Gazette, which
during its continuance was confessedly the best paper ever printed in
this State.

On July 4th, 1876, the Democrat started the first daily paper, coming
out as a morning paper on the morning of the Centennial year,
unannounced and unheralded, without a single subscriber or a line of
advertising. The audacity of the enterprise made a favorable
impression on the public-spirited and generous people of the city and
they rallied to its support with enthusiasm. But there was neither
room nor patronage for a daily morning paper in a city of three
thousand people and the patronage, however liberal, would not
furnish it with the necessary nourishment and it was a failure
financially from start to finish. It was a wide awake and enterprising
little sheet, advocating with zeal and enthusiasm every measure that
its owner considered for the upbuilding of the city.

In 1873 the Fort Worth Standard made its bow to the public. It was
owned and managed by Mr. J. K. Millican who is still a resident of the
city. It was followed during the same summer by the Epitomist,
established by Will H. Lawrence, who came from Kansas. The panic
of 1873 sent it to the happy hunting grounds. On its demise the
associate editor, L. R. Brown, better known at that time as “High-
toned Brown” leased the material and started The Post, which lasted
about three weeks. The public realized that there was not room for
two papers, much less three, and failed to accord it any patronage.

The Standard lasted for several years. Soon after the Democrat 23
started its daily, the Standard essayed the same, publishing an
evening paper. But it could not find the necessary support and finally
succumbed to the inevitable.

The Journal, Mirror, Star, Mail, Tribune, News and many other papers
came and went down in the years that followed with rapid
succession. The experience of one seemed to have no effect on the
ambitions of the men who knew how to run a paper.

In the Spring of 1884 Capt. Paddock sold his interest in the Gazette
to Mr. Loving and retired from active newspaper work, although he
was interested several times in the property in a financial way.

In 1885 the Gazette was purchased by a stock company organized for

that purpose by Maj. VanZandt, Walter Huffman, Morgan Jones, W. G.
Turner, W. L. Malone, B. B. Paddock and others who wanted to have a
good morning paper in the city. The ownership finally passed into the
hands of Mr. W. A. Huffman, who during his lifetime kept it up at
great financial sacrifice and loss. But its high standard never faltered.
It was a good paper published every day in the week. After the
lamentable death of Mr. Huffman, his widow essayed to continue the
publication of the paper. It was still conducted at great financial loss.
After the panic of 1893, Mrs. Huffman realized that she could no
longer stand the strain incident to its publication and she sold the
paper to Capt. B. B. Paddock. He had neither desire nor ambition to
continue in the business and was only actuated by a wish that the
paper should not suspend. He proceeded to organize a stock
company to take over the property. He associated Mr. W. L. Malone,
then out of business, Mr. E. G. Senter, who was publishing an
afternoon paper called the Mail, Hon. Barnett Gibbs, Mr. Sawnee
Robinson, Mr. O. B. Colquitt and some others and turned the plant
over to them. It proved not to be a very happy family. With the most
harmonious effort its success was not a certainty; with discord in the
management, it was doomed to disaster. Mr. Paddock transferred his
interest to Mr. Malone in order to give him control, hoping thereby to
bring about a solution of the trouble. Soon thereafter Mr. Malone died
and with his death the paper was doomed. Mr. Senter had associated
with him his cousin Selden Williams, who came from Tennessee, to
engage in the business. They could not make it a success. In the late
summer of 1897 they sold the Associated Press franchise and the
subscription list to the Dallas News and suspended publication
without a word of warning to the people of the city. It was the most
dastardly piece of disloyalty to a town ever perpetrated.

For a long time thereafter Fort Worth was without an organ or an

advocate in the way of a daily newspaper. It felt the loss keenly, but
there was no one to step into the breach and assume the 24
responsibility of the publication of a paper. There had been
such a fatality attending every effort that men hesitated to put their
money into another venture. A man by the name of King finally came
along and proposed on certain conditions to start a morning paper.
The people wanted a paper so much that the conditions were eagerly
accepted and Mr. King started the Herald. It lasted about a month.
The promoter pocketed the money that had been advanced him and
hied himself to new and fresher pastures. Thus the second time the
public were betrayed.

When the Gazette was sold to the News it left a large number of men
out of employment. They proceeded to organize a co-operative
company and publish the Register. They got what business they could
at whatever price they could obtain and on Saturday night divided
the proceeds among the working force. Among these interested were
A. J. Sandegard, J. A. McAllister and Clarence Lee who are still among
the honored citizens of the city. The Register grew rapidly in business
and favor. The public applauded the nerve of the promoters and gave
it such liberal patronage that it had money in the bank—the first time
such a thing had happened to a Fort Worth paper. It was finally
merged into the Fort Worth Record, which has also been a paying
enterprise.

The history of the Star-Telegram, another successful newspaper

venture is too recent and too well known to require extended notice
in this paper.
 HOTELS.

The advent of the railroad created a demand for increased hotel

facilities and the public-spirited citizens proceeded to supply the
demand. On December 1st, 1876, a company was organized with a
capital of $30,000 of which Capt. J. C. Terrell was elected President;
W. J. Boaz, Vice-President; J. Q. Sandidge, Treasurer and C. K.
Fairfax, Secretary. K. M. VanZandt, W. A. Huffman, W. W. Dunn, J. C.
Terrell, J. Q. Sandidge, B. C. Evans, J. E. Streeper, C. K. Fairfax and
W. J. Boaz constituted the Board of Directors. It was christened the El
Paso Hotel and was opened for business on the 22d day of
September, 1877, with seventy-six rooms. It was leased to C. K.
Fairfax & Co., who furnished it at a cost of approximately $15,000. It
was located where the present Westbrook now stands. Major
VanZandt and his family may not like to have it told that he was
subjected to no little criticism at the time by some of the people for
his action in this connection, but the truth of history requires that
personal feelings must not stand in the way of telling the truth about
such matters. Major VanZandt owned the land on which it was
desired to erect the building and it was asserted that knowing this to
be the logical place for the hotel, that he held the company up for an
exorbitant price. He put the half block at the fabulous sum of three
thousand dollars, payable in stock of the company. It would be 25
interesting to know what the “kickers” if any of them are alive
now think of the objections. The Major finally got forty cents on the
dollar for his stock which made the price of the half block $1200. The
property was finally sold to M. C. Hurley, but the price paid is not
available at this writing.

Other hostelries at that time were the Mansion, Clark House,

Commercial Hotel and other less pretentious houses, every one of
which was “the best in the city.”
 STAGE LINES.

Prior to 1880, all the passenger business and transportation of the

mails for the entire country west of Fort Worth was conducted by
stage lines, which radiated from the city as the railroads do now.

The first line of importance and one that attracted the attention of
the entire country was the Fort Worth and Fort Concho stage line
which ran a daily line from this city to Fort Concho which stood where
San Angelo is now located. This was what was known in postoffice
parlance as “star route” service.

In 1877 a contract was let by the Post Office Department for a daily
line from Fort Worth to Fort Yuma, Arizona, a distance of 1560 miles,
the longest stage line in the world. Fort Worth shouted itself hoarse
when the announcement was made and a banquet was given the
manager of the line, Mr. J. T. Chidester. Bob McCart who had but
recently come to the city from Bloomington, Illinois, was the principal
speaker on the occasion and one who heard his speech must have
been impressed with the fact that this was the greatest commercial
enterprise in all history, up to that time. The stages were run through
to Yuma in seventeen days. But this was found to be too long. The
coyotes and horned frogs that inhabited most of the country beyond
the Concho could not afford to wait that long for their mail and so the
Second Assistant Postmaster General, at the earnest solicitation of
the inhabitants, and the contractors, agreed to increase the
compensation one hundred per cent. if the trip could be made in
thirteen days—which was easy. It was one of the matters for
Congressional investigation of the “Star Route Steal” but they never
found Chidester. The mail left Fort Worth in a concord coach pulled
by six horses and ran to Tharp Springs, where it was transferred to a
surrey with two horses. These went as far as Brownwood, where a
buckboard and two bronchos took it the remainder of the way, if they
were not interrupted.
 THE COURTS.

At that time the Judicial District in which Tarrant county was a part
included the counties of Denton, Parker, Wise and Dallas. Hon. Hardin
Hart was District Judge. He was an appointee of Edward J. Davis and
was not very popular with the bar or the people. He was about as
rough a specimen of the genus homo as ever graced the 26
bench. His habits were said not to be very exemplary and this
contributed to his unpopularity. He was accustomed to use the
vernacular of the bar-room and the poker game. At one time J. C.
Terrell proposed to amend his pleadings and the Judge responded,
“Now, Joe, you know you can’t raise at this stage of the game. Gause
stands pat on his general denial and you will have to call or lay down
your hand.”

He did not hold in very high regard the rules of the Higher Courts or
their decisions. On one occasion when James H. Field was arguing a
case, the Judge interrupted him and proceeded to render an adverse
decision. Field, opening a law book said, “If your Honor please, the
Supreme Court says”; Field was not permitted to tell the bench what
the Supreme Court said. Interrupting him, the Judge announced,
“Well, let the Supreme Court say it agin, if it wants to.” It was stated
that his rulings were usually correct, notwithstanding his manner of
delivering them.

At the March term, 1873, of the District Court, C. C. Cummings, B. B.

Paddock and Mr. Albritton were admitted to the bar. The latter was
easily the brightest and best of these, but he could not stand the
pressure of the hard times that soon set in and left the city, going to
San Diego. Cummings and Paddock are the only surviving members
of the bar at that time. Major J. J. Jarvis is a close second, he having
come to this city in April and formed a partnership with John Peter
Smith.
 POSTAL MATTERS.

The Postoffice was conducted by Rev. J. A. Clark in the early part of

the year, but he resigned and P. J. Bowdry was, after a spirited
contest, appointed to succeed him. Mr. Clark kept what there was of
the postoffice in the drug store of W. T. Ferguson. There was but little
order and decorum in its management, as the postmaster was
anxious to be relieved of his duties. It was not uncommon for the
people to go behind the counter and help themselves to their mail.
Bowdry held the office until July, 1874, when President Grant
removed him to make a place for Col. A. G. Malloy, of Tyler, who was
of the same political faith. Malloy held the office but a short time. In
November he was appointed Collector of Customs at Jefferson and he
left at once. Bowdry, who had been his deputy, was left in charge of
the office. An effort was made to have L. M. Barkley, the present
Postmaster, appointed. His father, J. A. Barkley, constituted the
Republican party of Tarrant county at that time, but his pull at
Washington was not sufficient to secure the appointment for his son
and J. P. Alexander was appointed. He raised a howl of protest at the
very outset by moving the office to the corner of Main and Third
streets which was at that time “way out in the country.”

27
 BANKS.

The first bank opened in Fort Worth was the banking house of Tidball
& Wilson. Tidball came to the city early in January, 1873, from St.
Charles, Missouri. Associated with him was John F. Wilson, of Virginia.
Wilson furnished the money and Tidball the experience. George B.
Hendricks was the sole employe of the bank. Tidball and he
constituted the entire force. In August, 1874, Maj. K. M. VanZandt, J.
P. Smith and J. J. Jarvis bought the interest of Wilson and put in
some more money and the firm became Tidball, VanZandt & Co. and
so remained until 1877, when it was merged into the Fort Worth
National Bank. The second bank was that of Loyd, Marklee & Co.,
consisting of M. B. Loyd, Jer. Marklee and John Nichols. This
continued but a few months when Loyd sold his interest to W. J. Boaz
and the bank became Boaz, Marklee & Co., which was in turn
succeeded by the City National Bank. In the summer of 1873, the
bank of G. VanWinkle & Co. was opened. It was composed of G.
VanWinkle and A. P. Wroten. It was short lived. The panic of 1873
closed its doors. After disposing of his interest in the bank of Loyd,
Marklee & Co. Capt. Loyd proceeded to the organization of the First
National Bank, of which he was made President and so continued
until his death in April, 1912. D. C. Bennett was the First Vice-
President and C. H. Higbee, Cashier. Of the directors Zane-Cetti and
S. B. Burnett remain at this writing.

The situation remained unchanged until the year 1882, when Capt.
H. C. Edrington came to Fort Worth from Bryan and established the
Traders National Bank, of which he was President and W. J. Boaz,
Vices-President and George Mulkey, Cashier.

In October, 1876, McCrary & Barlow opened a private bank. The firm
consisted of John E. Barlow and Nelson McCrary. Barlow has been
dead many years but McCrary still live a worthy citizen of this city.
 TEXAS SPRING PALACE.

This unique and attractive place of amusement came at a date within

the memory of thousands now living, but it was such an unusual and
beautiful edifice that a few lines in regard to it may not be
inappropriate.

It was erected in the Winter and Spring of 1888-9, and was located
on the Texas & Pacific reservation north of and opposite the
intersection of Railroad and Galveston avenues.

At that time Toronto, Canada, and Saint Paul, Minn. were having Ice
Palaces and Sioux City, Iowa, its Corn Palace. General R. A. Cameron
who was the Colonization and Immigration Agent of the Fort Worth &
Denver, conceived the idea of having such an exhibition of the
products of the Field, Forest, Orchard and Garden at Fort Worth and
having it in the spring when there were no other places of
entertainment and amusement anywhere in the country.

A company was soon organized with a capital of $50,000 of 28

which $38,000 was subscribed when the company commenced
business. B. B. Paddock was made President, W. A. Huffman,
Treasurer and Willis H. Post, Secretary. W. F. Sommerville was made
Director General and Gen. Cameron his assistant.

The contract for the building which was in the shape of a Saint
Andrew’s cross and was 225x375 feet in dimensions was let to Thos.
J. Hurley and his associates, who were then in the business of
constructing buildings. E. D. Allen, of Chicago, was employed to
superintend the decorations. There was not an inch of timber in the
structure, except the floors, but that was covered with some product
of Texas, wrought in the most artistic manner into pictures. It was
easily the most beautiful structure ever erected on earth. It was
opened May 10th, 1889, with impressive ceremonies and everybody
in town was present. Governor Thurston, of Nebraska, made the
opening address and the music was furnished by the band of the
Elgin Watch Factory, of Elgin, Illinois. The National Band of Mexico
and other bands from different sections of the country were in
attendance during the season.

No expense or pains were spared in advertising the Palace in all parts

of the country. Special committees, travelling in “special cars” were
sent to Washington and to the City of Mexico to present invitations to
Presidents Harrison and Diaz of the two Republics to attend the
Spring Palace. These invitations were the limit of the engraver’s art
and were handsomely bound in silver. This is but a sample of the
extravagant management that attended the work from start to finish.
The result was, that notwithstanding the generous patronage of the
home people and the public when the gates were closed on the 10th
day of June, there was a deficit of over $23,000. It took President
Paddock and the Directors about an hour to raise the money and pay
off the bills of the company.

In January, 1900, the Directors for the second year opened

subscription lists for the money for the second year. It was soon
subscribed and the work inaugurated for the second year. More
economical plans were adopted and more system observed in the
expenditure of funds. One hundred feet were added to the east and
west wings of the building and the decorations were as elaborate and
beautiful as for the first year. One hundred of the patriotic women of
the city were organized into groups of ten each and they worked
eight and ten hours a day for over one hundred days in decorating
the building. Such another example of patriotic purpose was never
before seen in any community.

The building when completed was as beautiful and more elaborate

than the first. Cities and counties from all over the State were
assigned space in the building and prizes offered for the most
attractive decoration. This enlisted the interest of many towns and
counties and the result was very gratifying.

The attendance for the second year exceeded that of the first, 29
as the beauty and attractiveness as well as the utility of the
exhibit had been heralded over the State and adjoining States. The
season was most profitable and successful from every standpoint.

The last night but one was dedicated to a grand fancy dress ball to
be held on the ground floor of the building which had a space for
dancing of approximately 16,000 square feet. A most extensive ball
room. Special trains were run from near-by cities and towns; that
from Dallas bringing over one thousand people in their best “bib and
tucker.” But they were destined not to enjoy the occasion. Just as the
floor had been cleared and the visitors were entering the gates the
cry of “Fire! Fire!! Fire!!!” rang through the building, carrying terror to
every inmate of the vast structure. How the fire originated was never
determined. It started on the north side, about the center of the Main
Building, and in less time than it takes to write these lines, the entire
structure was a mass of flames, inside and out. It was estimated that
there were 7000 people in the building and why hundreds did not
perish is a mystery. The officials of the company, who were present,
directed the visitors to the various exits, of which there were sixteen,
and no Sunday school in the country was ever dismissed with more
decorum and good order. Every person accepted the direction of
those in charge as if they were on dress parade on a military plaza.
In four minutes the building was a mass of flame, inside and out, and
in eleven minutes the building fell to the ground. So rapid was the
spread of the fire, that the firemen, who were stationed in different
parts of the building with their hose connected to the fire hydrants,
did not have time to turn on the water.

That the loss of life was not appalling is one of the wonders of the
occasion. About thirty people were injured, more or less seriously,
and many were burned. Low necked and short sleeved dresses of the
ladies exposed them to the falling cinders and pieces from the
decorations which were of the lightest and most inflammable
character.

One life only was sacrificed, that of Al Haynes, a civil engineer, who
was one of the most active and efficient in directing the moving
throngs to the various exits and rendering assistance to the people.
He seemed to be as cool and collected as any person in the building.
But he seemed to have lost self-control at the last minute and ran
and jumped through a window to the ground below, a distance of
seventeen feet. The fall broke both ankles and prevented him from
getting away from the fire which was raging over that part of the
exterior. Some gallant men took the “fly” from a tent that stood in the
garden and holding it before them rushed up and threw it over
Haynes and then dragged him away from the building. The most
conspicuous man in this was a workman, named Mahoney, who was
badly burned. Haynes was removed to the hospital and 30
received the best medical treatment that could be obtained,
but he succumbed to the injuries received, the following day.

The ladies of the city, under the leadership of Mrs. Drew Pruitt, now
of Los Angeles, solicited the funds and erected the monument to his
memory that now stands in the triangle at the foot of Main and
Houston streets.

The Spring Palace, which was a credit to the public spirit of the
people of Fort Worth, went out in a blaze of glory.
 TELEGRAPH LINES.

The first telegraph line was built into Fort Worth in the summer of
1876. It was owned and operated by C. L. Frost and Max Elser. After
the advent of the Railroad it was sold to the Western Union. In 1886
the Baltimore & Ohio Telegraph Company built into the city, but it
soon sold to the Western Union.
 FLOURING MILLS.

The first flouring mill for commercial purposes was built by Messrs.
Wolcott & Blandin. Work commenced on November 28th, 1874, and
the first flour was ground June 26th, 1875. Later Joseph H. Brown
bought an interest in the mill and secured the expert services of
James W. Swayne as manager. Swayne, who was called “Jim” by his
friends, was educated for the law and of course knew all about the
manufacture and sale of flour. The second mill was built by Mr. M. P.
Bewley, whose worthy son, E. E. Bewley is at this writing the
manager of the Medlin Mills.
 REGISTERED CATTLE.

The first registered cattle were brought to Texas from London, Ohio,
by James A. Brock, then of Fort Griffin, now of El Paso. It was
thought at that time to be a foolish venture, but time and experience
has demonstrated his wisdom.
 LUMBER YARDS.

Following the completion of the railroad to Fort Worth came lumber

yards and lumber dealers from all over East Texas. All that section of
the city bounded by Houston street, Monroe street, on the east and
west and by Ninth street on the north and as far south as the railroad
reservation, was one vast lumber yard; and the entire country west,
southwest and northwest of Fort Worth was supplied with building
material from this city. Hundreds of wagons were loaded daily and
the roads out of Fort Worth were lined with wagons transporting it to
as far west as San Angelo and even beyond. It was the nearest
market for all the western country for several years and brought
millions of dollars to the city.

The first cotton compress was erected by Col. E. W. Morton, about

the foot of Commerce street. The first bale of cotton was compressed
on the 17th day of September, 1877, with appropriate 31
ceremonies. On September 2d, 1878, a second compress was
erected.

The first grain elevator was erected by Mark Evans about where the
present depot of the Fort Worth & Denver road now stands.

The first ice factory was built by R. E. Maddox, W. H. Little and Dr. N.
Wallerich, they having acquired the plant of the first refrigerator and
converted it into an ice factory.
 EFFORTS AT UPLIFT.

The reformer was here then as now and tried to reform every one
else but himself, just as they do now and with about the same
success. The town was “wide open” to the horror of some and an
effort was made at intervals to put a stop to the open gambling
house. One Grand Jury falling under the influence of the “up-lifters”
brought out indictments against about thirty members of a whist club
that played whist in the rear of a saloon owned and managed by
Henry Byrne. (His widow, Maggie, lives here still.) The club was
composed of the business men of the city; not one of whom ever
entered the wide open gambling houses. Having no business, they
played whist. The stakes were a bottle of beer—if any one wanted
the beer. A dozen or more indictments were found against each
member. The District Attorney was a Dallas lawyer. The fee in each
case was ten dollars. A pretty good sum for one term of Court. The
juries were compelled to find verdicts of guilty and assessed the fine
at from 1/37 of a cent up to one cent. But it carried the costs. The
county paid many hundreds of dollars for the fun and the district
attorney gathered many thousands. He was not a candidate for re-
election.
 OH! THE FUN WE HAD.

There was lots of fun in those days. No one had much to do but to
enjoy life and boost Fort Worth. They did both to the extreme limit. A
man could and did wear the same suit of clothes year after year and
no one commented on his frugality or poverty. Women wore the
same dresses to church, Sunday after Sunday, and no one was found
to criticise. The girls, and there were pretty girls then as now, not so
plentiful, only because there were not so many girls, wore the same
dresses (that was before they commenced wearing “gowns” in the
daytime) to all society gatherings without apology or explanation.

They did not find it necessary to cut their dresses for high water or
low in the neck in order to display their physical charms. There were
dances in the court room, in a hall over a livery stable and at private
residences, occasionally. They danced the cotillion, lancers, Virginia
reel. The tango, bunny hug, turkey trot and other fancy stunts were
unknown.

There were picnics on the Clear Fork in the daytime and by

moonlight, when the moon was in commission. Everybody was happy
and tried to make his neighbor happy. Good old days.

The practical joker had plenty of time in which to indulge in his 32

fun. One of the best of these was on General Peers, who kept
the Commercial Hotel, at the corner of Fifth and Commerce streets.
As usual, every one was on the qui vive for railroad news. One day
John S. Hirshfield had a spurious telegram delivered to the General,
purporting to be from the private secretary of Jay Gould, the then
president of the Texas & Pacific, announcing that Mr. Gould and a
party of capitalists would arrive on the stage that afternoon and
asking that provision be made for their entertainment. It was signed
by “Tom Collins,” at that day the cognomen for all imaginary and
fictitious persons. But the General did not know this and proceeded
to buy up all the turkeys in the market and all the other delicacies to
be had. He was instigated to invite about fifty of the more prominent
citizens to dine with Mr. Gould. The plan was for each of the invited
guests to pay for his dinner so that the hotel would suffer no loss.
Along in the afternoon, Charles Fallbush, who traveled for the
wholesale liquor house of Day & Co. came in from a western trip,
dusty and travel stained and was introduced to General Peers, as Tom
Collins, the Secretary of Mr. Gould. Fallbush explained that he had
driven over from Dallas ahead of the party to see that all
arrangements were made for the entertainment of his chief. The
scheme was working beautifully until “Tuck” Boaz, not being advised
that the invited guests were to pay for the dinner and not wishing the
General to suffer such a loss gave the game away.

The “tender-foot” was an easy mark for the practical joker and many
of the “tales that were told” about the condition of affairs in Texas
were the result of the jests played on men unused to the customs of
Texas. On one occasion a man by the name of Robinson, who
traveled for the Hall Safe and Lock Co., badgered his friends about
being afraid of Indians. At that time there was not an Indian in Texas,
but, of course, he did not know that. He was persuaded by some of
the traveling men who then made the western territory to accompany
him on a trip out west. The man consented and went as far as
Comanche. They laid over there on Sunday and the stranger was
regaled all the day with stories of the hair-breadth escapes that
members of the party at the hotel had made in the recent past. The
“tender-foot” was not afraid of Indians. About the middle of the
afternoon the party dissolved, one at a time until only the stranger
and the drummer he was with were left in the hotel. Then a
suggestion was made that they two take a walk up the banks of
Indian Creek, which runs by the town. He was glad to go. Was not
afraid of Indians. Oh no. About half a mile from town those who had
gone ahead suddenly rushed out of the mesquite firing their pistols
and yelling like mad. The stranger was told to run for his life—and he
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