Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1881-07-20
SAM HOUsTON's BROTHER.
Now Nearly 100 Years Old-Some Of
the story Obtained from Him.
From the Chicago News.

From the Chicago News.
Next to being q great man oneself, the
next best ing is, perhaps, to be great
mans br. ther, ,r in some sim lar way an
adjunct of celebrity. Such fate is not an
uncommon one, but there are very few
cases SO singular as that of an old gentle
man now living in this city at. No 62o
Madison street, who, while being full
BROTH 10 no less pei sonage han the late
eminent Gen. Sam Houston, has never
seen, or even so much as heard from. his
stinguished brother. The circu instances
which brought about so curious an estrange-
ment were learned in an Interview with
ths o genslem An yester ay at hi home.
HIS name is John Houston, and be is
fast verglng on his 1lU.h year. Nearly a
century of laborious existauce has pasiet
his lin S aud brought him to the couch
upon whl he must soon close his eyes in
dea b. HIS voice 10 weak and falter ng.
and his mind wandeIs almlessly ab ut
am ,ng the counties reminiscei crs of
life that already has been prolonged far
past the period allotted to man. Ills story,
such as could be obtained, Was gath, red oy
+, agments from q long desultoi y talk, IN
when he W uld wander from one topic to
another, utterly wltnout conference
The HousloI family, rs appears ON his
story, Of Scotch EXTRACTION, BIT, ike
many Others Was driven from home dur
,ng The per secution in Cromwells time,
| snu took refuge in the North of Ireland,
fr m which locality many of Efins most
| Dist gui he'd sons have eman ated. he Q
they lived. rs il would seem. in poor cir
| Gums tantes, as peasant farmers. Mr..
| Houston himself has marked Scotch &C
cent, and IS particular to lay stress on his
Csledonian o igin. Il mlno,'' he said.
| "sreiDg my taeLher's faetLer wea log The
Scotch brunet."
10 80 or 80 (meaning 1859 or 1890, l
don't know winch, my fac her cau AVA
fr, m hame to the States. he was too pulr
TO TAX us "a, sac De just left me and my
eldest brIther there. Sam WAS Yet I'M
torn. There were in the family who came
10 America R,bert, who, on arriving At
manhood. moved to Cincinnati. where be
went into the grain business aud amassed
considerable wealth and raised family,
some Of whom are now living, and Daniel,
born IN Rot kbridge County, We, III 1882
Meanwhile, the brothers at home grew 10
manhood and married. Johns children,
rs they arrived IL mature years, leaving the
pa ern i roof. sought the four corners If
Lne earth. One Came to America and set
tied in the W est, another located IN Dub
lin, third in Edinburgh, and Two sailed
for Au- tralia, wners they now reside.
As the father Came first To middle age,
and Afterward into declining years, he
found hlmseif alone, ind with, ut the
means of support. He Was a sawyer, aid
not able in u IaboriOus middle age to pro-
vide against tue needs of old a. 9. Already
m OLD man, he felt constrained to leave
| he home of his father and undertake. u
j ,urpey across The Sea He came t. Amer
| tea aud lived for u time with grandculld
| III the West. He has since Ilved with his
daughter, Mrs. Dorman, at the address
| above given.
He was asked why he had never sough,
out his brothers after his arrival ia Lnls
country.
'Ea. mon! !" was his reply, they were
rich and Was puir ODD man, aud rict
folk are 10 fond Ut their puir Kin, SO
just kept ava fra, them" Il seems, how.
ever, that he started on one occasion to
attend some meeting wnicn - an E
to address. Ii was curing The old gentle
mans residenc in chicago, d The IueeI-
lug Was held ut y hall down Town.
"A German" said tue old man" "whC
was w.el quaint WI HIM (meaming Sam
" me d iins Till bin, and Lawed me u
4st gang and Soc hun. But W en- l got
maisl Ii toe place was g en- taken badly
and l could gaze nae further. / wanted .
drink OF wh,sky, but IT hered sac thai
The folk Thought Was the worse O. liquor
and wa'd giveme none. But they gle III,
n wee drap OF lemonade, and Sac go
home"
OF General Sans famous career Al
President of the Il public of Texas, during
| the brief eA S ence of that Govern ment. ant
OF MS iecor1 Ia Congress during The early
years OF The history of the young State, III
ola man seems To know nothing, except il
The most gene al way
sam WAS u great WARRIOR" is his sue
emit coDm mary on the great man'
Career. he knew more ana seemed t,
CAFE more for the other brother, K ,be,
and DaL lei Sam" ID to h,m u my th. OF
DIM memory A strange, providen
fol baoe thst he sh' uld s. e the young 81
and Z es,.st member of the family, ~ d
,hous nds of miles were bslween the tw.
| during the period Of either's US. FUN, IS
As the end Oh life draws hear, the OLD mai
succumbs 10 the hand of death tn at Is bear
ing down u.on Linn. and gives his feeble
th' lights TO the recollection of hs own lie
| For Sam " he has csrcely u word.
| Josh Billings" Trump Cards."