Part 4

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."

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 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, 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 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 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 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 did. His companion soon fell to the ground calling on him to run. He ran into town and under the hotel. The Democrat published a column or two about the event and sold Robinson one hundred and fifty copies at ten cents per. He mailed them to every one of his acquaintance east of the Mississippi and was a hero, until the next issue told the truth about the event. He did not order any extra copies of that issue.

These are sample bricks of what was going on most of the time, and will suffice to indicate that life was not a burden to those who were waiting for something to turn up, and who knew how to enjoy their enforced idleness.

STEALING AN EXCURSION.

One of the most amusing incidents of the time occurred in the Spring of 1875. A man by the name of George W. Cole from somewhere up in Pennsylvania had plotted a townsite out in Palo Pinto County which he called Lamar. He alleged in his advertisements that it would be a division point on the Texas & Pacific. He sold a good many lots to the "sucker" element that is always ready to grab at any thing that sounds cheap. He went over to Tennessee and worked up an excursion to come and see Texas. It was farthest from his thought to show them Lamar. He only intended to let them see what a good country Texas was. Hearing about the excursion, the Democrat got out an extra edition, telling about Tarrant county in general and Fort Worth in particular. The editor took a bundle of the papers and went to Texarkana to meet the excursion train. It took breakfast at that place and while the excursionists were enjoying their mututinal meal, the papers were distributed in every seat in the train. After they had time to look the paper over, the editor went through the train and made their acquaintance. He so ingratiated himself with them that by the time the train reached Dallas, they were nearly all ready to come on to Fort Worth, to which place he promised them free transportation. That night he preempted every seat in the stage coaches and engaged hacks for the rest of the party. They spent the night at the Crutchfield Hotel and in the morning were to have had a reception by the business men. General W. L. Cabell was the mayor of the town. When the hour for the reception arrived there was no one to receive. They had gone to Fort Worth, where they had a royal good time. Later some of them settled in Tarrant County. Mayor Cabell said he had heard of thefts of every kind but that it was the first time he ever heard of any one stealing an excursion.

NEITHER COMPLETE NOR INFALLIBLE.

There is no pretense that these pages are a complete history of the early days of the city. There are many things, and some of them of importance and interest that have not been mentioned. Many persons of note who have contributed to the growth of the city are not enumerated herein. This is because the memory is faulty and not with a wish to withhold credit from any. Such as it is, it will serve to refresh the memory of some and be of interest to others who are not familiar with the struggles through which Fort Worth went and from which it emerged with success.

Transcriber's Notes

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

--Corrected a few palpable typos.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.

End of Project Gutenberg's Early Days in Fort Worth, by B. B. Paddock