REVELS IN OLD TYLER NEWSPAPERS, Smith County, TX ***************************************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm Submitted by Jaunice York - njyork@flash.net 15 May 2001 ***************************************************************** REVELS IN OLD TYLER NEWSPAPERS. "Some Biographies of Old Settlers." Historical, Personal and Reminiscent. Volume I By Sid S. Johnson, 1900: Sid S. Johnson, Publisher, Tyler, Texas Chapter SCVIII - Pages 388-393 Through the kindness of T. O. Woldert, Esq., I have scanned an old Tyler Reporter, dated 16th May, 1860. It is only one-half of the dingy old paper, and most of the local part of it is lost. Tyler was then a small town and many acres of virgin soil in smith county then, that now the husbandman reaps a bountiful harvest. a wonderful change is marked on every hand. Next May the 16th, forty-one eventful years have come and gone. The joys, sorrows and aspirations of life entomed in the shroud of the misty past is recalled to the scene transpiring forty years ago. The writer was here then buoyant and hopeful--building famciful air castles for the coming future, with no thought of inditing these lines in remembrance of a by-gone generation. We cannot unfathom the result of future events in life; its well we can't, for many hearts would falter by the way-side at the rugged mountain in front of us. an occasional flower giving out its sweet fragrance along life's meandering pathway would be a poor compensation for the stern realities of our pilgrimage. The great poet struck the keynote in penning the words, "Life is real, life is earnest". Youth looks forward with pleasing emotions of hope and a bright culmination-- age with its misfortunes of error, and what could have been done. The people were abut the same forty years ago as now. Let us see what this time-worn paper contains in its berimmed and yellow stained columns: Tyler Reporter, May 16th, 1860; Stanley M. Warner,editor; Jas. P. Douglas, associate editor. People were then as now, for I notice the following candidates for offices: For sheriff--J. O. Ramsour, William Yeager, Matthew Wood, Benjamin Scott, David H. Cade. For County Clerk--R. W. Chapman, Con F. Reid, J. J. Stanford. For Chief Justice (County Judge)--S. D. Gibbs. For County Treasurer--William Green, Wm. S. Walker. For Justice of the Peace--Stephen Reaves, D. W. Crow. For Constable--Thos. L. Dunn, John M. Hockersmith, George W. Dickens, John M. Harper. Among other local announcements is that the supreme court is in session, and I notice two opinions printed in the Reporter. In its general news columns is a report of the Charleston convention, the split in the democratic party that hastened the civil war, an inevitable struggle owing to the temper of the people. A leading editorial drawn from the proceedings of that convention in the defence of the action of the Southern democracy uttered this wring sentence: "Our principles are founded on truth, and if we must fail, let it be honorably upon the field of battle". so it came to pass with its dreadful results to local self-government. Space is allowed for the prize fight of Heenan of America, and Sayers, of England. The Johnny Bulls, as usual, were charged with failing to do the square thing. The annual session of the Grand Lodge of the Temple of Honor was holding in Tyler. A procession on the streets Tuesday night, joined by the Sunday schools, was a big one. The night being dark the transparencies showed up splendidly in their fight on King alcohol. Addresses were made by Misses Mollie E. Moore (now Mrs. Davis of New Orleans), and Lavonia Scott, (now Mrs. J. J. Smith of Tyler). The Rev. Gilliam made a rousing temperance speech. The old Mehtodist church was c rowded that night. How many of that throng of people are living now? The scyth of Time has done its work. Tyler was looking for the Galveston, Houston and Tyler railroad. It never reached here by that name. I notice that Chilton & Warren, Robertson & Smith, Tignal W. Jones, Stephen Reaves, B. T. Selman, S. A. Goodman, Jr., and D. W. Crow are lawyers. Davenport & Goodman, Warren & Johnes, physicians. Another Tyler Reporter dated June 27th, 1861. The war cloud has "busted" and is raging furiously at points along the border of our dear Southland. The memory, never controlling the thoufht of the mind goes back to pleasant and unpleasant scenes. I gather up local items as I find them in the old time-worn paper. The law cards of Long & Hubbard, W. S. Herndon, s. M. Warner, and F. M. Hays. The medical card of Drs. Lawrence & Felton. These being additional professional cards. Many other local notes follow: The name of Richard B. Hubbard floats at the mast-head of the paper as a candidate for congress. Edwin G. Baxter and F. M. Hays are seeking legislative honors. B. T. Selman has announced as a candidate for the state senate. Hon. E. E. Lott declines to be a candidate for governer. Fighting is reported in Virginia, and Dr. W. M. bradford of Jamestown is raising a military company for war service. An extract from the Dallas Herald gives notice of the arrival of a Smith county cavalry company, and a personnel of the company officers, to-wit: D. Y. Gaines, captain; Williamson Milturn, 1st lieutenant; Stephen D. Rowe, 2nd lieutenant; Sid S. Johnson, 3rd lieutenant; Wm. W. Duke, 1st. sargeant; J. M. C. Green, 2nd sargeant; John B. Douglas, 3rd sargeant; Byron C. Sigler, 4th sargeant; Irby M. Stamper, 1st corporal; Ed. B. Noble, 2nd corporal; Oyer O. Funderburg, 3rd corporal; John L. Kay, 4th corporal; Wm. L. Bonner, ensign; James W. Bates, bugler. An editorial correspondence gives the organization of an artillery company composed of 100 men, fifty from Smith county and fifty from Dallas county, with the following officers: John J. Goode, (Dallas) captain; J. P. Douglas, (Tyler) 1st lieutenant; Alf Davis, (Tyler) 2nd lieutenant; Jas. N. Boren, (Tyler) 3rd lieutenant; Wm. Harris, (Dallas) 4th lieutenant. Ben Harden, Stephen Shaffer, Mitchell Gray, Thomas Howard, of Dallas, J. D. Dorough, Jas. B. Long, W. J. saunders, James Howard, of Tyler, sargeants. The corporals had not been selected. Judge Wm. P. Hill, of Marshall, was here to organize a Confederate court. Dr. Joe W. Davenport had just returned from Houston, being a delegate to the Masonic Grand Lodge of Texas. He looked well and reported a good time. The Grand Lodge of Texas Masons ratify the action of secession, withdrawing from the jurisdiction of the United States. I notice from legal citations that R. B. Long is district clerk; R. W. Chapman, county clerk; Benj. Scott, sheriff. So the world goes. The past throws its shadows before us. The coming years with the same intervening time will mark alike about the same condition then as now, with a changed condition of things as progression moves as the decades are marked. Time is the great leveler; the process with unerring precision to the end.