Hopkins CO TX - R.W. Harris Tells of First Night in Sulphur Springs (1890) Submitted by: June E. Tuck ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ *********************************************************************** From the files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or dispute any historical facts in the article. R.W. Harris Tells of First Night in Sulphur Springs. Printed 1927 Many moons have passed since March 23, 1890, which was the first time the writer ever saw Sulphur Springs, and many changes have taken place since that far off day. On Sunday, March 23, 1890, the celebrated Abe Mulkey was conducting a meeting in Fort Worth and it so happened that we were on our way, looking up a place, then known as Black Jack Grove (Cumby.)We, with thousands of others, attended the night meeting of Mulkey in Fort Worth and then boarded the Cotton Belt train for Sulphur Springs, thinking that (it was) the nearest way to this historic town, when in reality we should have stopped off at Greenville. As we had only bought a ticket from Austin to Fort Worth, we had to get a ticket on to Sulphur Springs from that place. In mingling with the crowds attending the Mulkey meeting, we ran across a fellow who had come in from Nevada to Josephine on a round trip ticket and as he offered us his return ticket for only 50 cents, we traded with him. The train was very much crowded and as we slept most of the time, we never knew when we passed the station where our paid transportation was supposed to be renewed, and were aroused from our slumbers by hearing the porter calling out "Sulphur Springs, Sulphur Springs," so we hastily pulled ourselves in shape and left the train and to this good day, we are still due the Cotton Belt system some 40 miles or more of rough riding. We used to know Dan Upthegrove (sic) 30 years ago, when he was a struggling young attorney in Greenville, and if we ever have an opportunity, we shall tell him that we had a free ride over his road before he did. Many Sulphur Springs people had gone over to Fort Worth that day to hear Mulkey preach, and quite a large crowd got off when the train stopped there that night. It must have been somewhere about two o^Òclock at night and as we were entire strangers, and not seeing much town adjacent to the depot, we asked some man where the town was. He kindly told us that he was going up town and if we would accompany him, he would show us where to find a lodging place. Just as we were nearing the old Garrison hotel, he told us that there was a hotel where we could stop at a rate of $2.00 per day, but pointing to the right, he showed us another place where he said the rates were only $1.00 per day. We asked him if the $1.00 a day hotel was a respectable place and on his assuring us that it was, we told him that as we had more one dollars than we had two dollars, we believed we would go to the dollar house, so we went there and were assigned a bed and slept soundly until after sun-up. The house we stopped at proved to be the McClimons House and the next morning at breakfast, we met that kindly hearted, motherly lady, Mrs. J. H. McClimons, to whom we introduced our self and who told us something of Black Jack Grove and some of it people. We cannot recall if we met Mr. McClimons that morning or not, but from that date on both he and his wife were our good friends and many times have we stopped at their hospitable hostelry in the intervening years. After we had eaten our breakfast, in company with a nephew of Mrs McClimons, we went up town and surveyed the city from the view-point of a stranger. The old court house occupied a place on the East Side of the square, and little farther south of the present building. It was a two-story building and looked rather dilapidated and was most unsanitary. If the court house had a janitor he must have been taking a rather long vacation at that particular time, as every room we saw badly needed cleaning out. We were impressed muchly with two stores, that at the farther end had large old-fashioned fire place that afforded heat. If we remember correctly, there was a grocery store of Jno. Stephens on the north side of the square and a man by the name Wachholder on the south side who sold dry goods. The First National Bank occupied the same place it does today, but in a different building, and the City National Bank stands just where it does today, with its present home also remodeled. A man by the name of Hunter sold dry goods just across the street, south from the City National Bank, and J. H. Johnson had a large hardware store some where close to where the McKinney Shoe Store is today. Smith & Weigers had a hardware store in the building now occupied by Judson Moss as a grocery store. Jarboe Henderson & Co., we think, were also in business, but we do not remember just where. John D. Williams was also in the hardware business and W.F. Skillman sold leather goods and buggies. The Wallers were selling dry goods and Carter and McMullan sold groceries. We believe a man by the name of Terhune was District Judge, and Ed Bennett was District Attorney. Wm. Branom was sheriff and John Ferguson was his deputy. We believe Judge Rogers was county judge, Andy Landers, county clerk; W.J. Cline, district clerk; and Frank Gafford was county collector. John Cox was deputy county clerk under Landers, and a few years later, this same John Cox, when we got ready and found a girl who was willing, issued us our license to enter a state of double blessedness. Around the court house at that time, might be found such men as B. W. Forster, D. L. Whittle, L. D. King, Bud Smith, Bill Leach, Will Harris, J. H. Dinsmore, Howard Templeton, B.F. Crosby, Judge Milam, and others. Our good friends Charley James and Cullen Melson had just reached the pin feather age as aspiring young legal lights and about decided to throw their hats into the political arena. In fact just about this time in the course of human events, Charley decided to represent the dear "peepul" down at central headquarters at Austin, so he canvassed the county in the interest of his candidacy. On one occasion at a picnic at Miller Grove, Charley was working like a beaver and letting no grass grow in his path, as he made himself acquainted with the beloved constituency. As Charley tells it, he tried to be awful nice and polite and when he met any one whom he did not know, he proceeded right then and there to see that the prospective voter was made to know him. Of course, he was as nice as pie, and after introducing himself, would always wind up with the volunteered statement, that he was a candidate for such and such office and would be mighty glad if he might receive the vote and influence of the party whom he might be talking too. Along late in the afternoon, after he thought he had spoken to every man on the grounds, he met up with an old man and at once proceeded to give the said old man the best talk he could put up. After he had concluded and was feeling a little puffed up on the way he felt that he had acquitted himself, the old man drew a long breath and took a straight look at Charley and said to him, "Well young man, by thunder, you certainly ought to know me by this time, for this is the third time you have introduced yourself to me today." Charley said he did not feel good at all and had nothing more to say that day. Sulphur Springs also had at that time such stalwart men as Jas. Weaver, B.D. Foscue, Gus Garrison, John W. Cranford, R.B. Kealser, Phil H. Foscue, John D. Hargrove, Frank Ashcroft, Parson Cock, J.M. Runn, Dr. Patton, Dr. Becton, Will Beadle, Dr. Dial,,, and a host of others, to whom Sulphur Springs is greatly indebted. But a very few of the above mentioned men are now living, but the influence of their lives still benefit Sulphur Springs. Along in the afternoon of that day, we repaired to the old East Line and Red River Railroad and took passage to Black Jack Grove. The road was then a narrow gauge and trains did not make fast time, but be it said to the credit of the old East Line and Red River, her successors have never beaten the regularity with which her trains kept to schedule. Possibly about half past three or four o^Òclock, the ebony hued porter called loudly, "Black Jack Grove, Black Jack Grove," and here we were. This place at that time numbered among citizens such men as Will Rash, Wm. Teer, M. DeLoach, Dr. R. C. Holderness, Dr. O. Smith, Dr. M. Smith, J.W. Parham, W. F. Mahaffee, Jake Debord, Frank Currin, R. N. Holderness, J. A. Brewer, Rev. B.F. Stevens, Wilson Green, M.M. Green, S. D.Greaves, S.W. Wortham, Sam Mathis, Redellum Lindley, Co Smith, F. W. Center, John Moreland, E. R. Dickson, T. F. McGarity, John N. Harbison, J. H. Downing, and dozens of others, most all of whom have long since crossed the Great Divide. Thus ended my first day in Hopkins county and although this was more than 37 years ago, thanks to an indulgent people, we are still here. In conclusion we wish to say that God Almighty never made better people than live in Texas and to our mind, biased though it may be, the cream of all lives in old Hopkins. R. W. HARRIS Cumby, Texas