Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-01-23
A GENT FROM TEXAS.
How Major Erastus Jones, The Cattle
King Of Texas, Fascinated La
fayctte.
The Star City Yields the Palm to the
Lone Star State.
A Christian Gentleman aud Father of a
Promising Son--Harry.
He Took 'Em In on How TO Invest Mon
ey In Texas Lands.
LAFAYETTE ,rndA paper.,

OVtODtT iOtU, WAS u tIltIilOTADIe uHY
in the Star City. 1t marked the ad-
vent of Major Erastus Jones of Esta-
cado, Texas. Since the Transit of We
nus last year, nothing has created
quite such u stir In Lafayette. His
coming, sojourn and mysterious disap-
pearance may be fitly be termed the
was little old and disfgured and in
guage of Homer he was still in the
ring" and able to do duty ms a bona
flde Apollo. His coming was at n
most opportune time, just at that mo-
ment when the appetite for Chicago
margin speeulaIiuns had clogged by re
peated discouraging results, and when
good, sober church deacons and Sun
day-school superintendent who held
up their hands In holy horror ut the
iniquities of Chicago gambling, yet
liks all of us possessing an Itching
palm, hungered for the flesh pots Of
Egypt, In short were crazy to make
money hand over fist without much
labor. The Major-if you please -
was Just the man for them. He came
as a sort of safety valve to their full
head of steam or to use n more homely
but less threadbsre simile, as boil to
relieve their system and pocket-books.
The major put up ut the best hotel, of
course, and his cratic signature adorns
the register of the st. Nicholas
to this day. He brought with
him n trunk full of wool and Texas
COW horns, two plug hats, one black
and one white evidently he was bent
on proving an alibi) an album full
from covor To cover with the photo
graphs of distinguished looking indi-
viduals, his relatives. he said. And
certainly, judging from this rare col
,lec ion, no man had IA more widely
scattered family than this same Major
Erastus Apollo BE vedere Jones, Of
Estacado, Texas, u. S. A. Among
them could be counted Queen Victoria,
minus the crown and sceptcr, Napo-
leon the First, Prince Frederick Will
liam, the Car of Russia, Governor
Foster, j. X. Polk, Alexander Potts,
Ten Brock and the Pride of Texas"
No. 1869 United States Register
Book, &c, and so on. The major made
the most OF his stock in trade, and
and being endowed by nature
with pair of killing eyes,
q Datent-duplex-e and
twisted-both ways.elaslic conscience
and ready tongue, he was soon ''the
Belle of the Ballp netaphorically
speaitiu He was heralded as the
great cattle king of Texas, who had
come to Lafayette with unlimited
means, to buy up all the cattle from
the surrounding country for the several
mammoth cattle ranches Of Jones &
Company, scattered throughout the
great Lone Star state. The company
of the firm, he volunteered, was
Harry. Harry is my sou, you know
/ wouldn't have anybody else as com
pany for the whole world, and the
southwest corner of Paradise thrown
inn Great Caesar, what II paragon
Harry was. He rode forty miles every
Sunday TO attend Sunday school at "A
Quaker settlement. Now 4 don't
make any pretensions that way" the
major would say, land sometimes |
for. ct what day IL Is, and will go out
into the yard to split some kindling,
for you must know we are quite prim-
tive on our ranch, or do some other
chores, but as sure as do, Harry, the
dear boy, will come TO the door and
call to me, Why, pa, what are you
doing-don't you know what day this
is?n This sort of chafr was swat
lowed us wholesome food, aud soon
the majors table was burdened with
invitations to dine olt-mOst of which
he accepted. One Sunday he had four
and numerous were the
card parties and picnics gotten up for
his benefit by the marriageable young
ladies and their anxious mas, who
the major just too cute and
for anything. $50 witty
yod know, and such laughing black
eyes, 40 full of soul" ana something |
else, which the ladies, bless their
dear innocent hearts, failed 10
understand and appreciate or the
major would have quickly clio
tied their scorn no doubt. But this
ancient and experienced Lothario con-
cealed the slumbering volcanic fires OF
his polluted soul, and bnsked on the
smiles of the fair sex and their pater.
nal protectors, whom he deceived no
less completely than he did their
daughters. The major was certainly
man Of wide knowledge and expert
epce-what he didn't know about
horses and cattle. aud men aud
women, wasn't worth knowing. He
could give you the pedigree of every
animal he saw a, easily rs he could
walk into your confidence. His
knowledge of such things was really
as it was certainly gen
zine. AS To men and women, he
could read them ut glance, and saw
In moment all their weaknesses
which they had perhaps Tor years
,killfully concealed from their nearest
friend. The major was dangerous
man for an acquaintance, had he
chosen To use his knowledge against
Won. for he could worm
~ secret out of you in less
lime than II takes ordinarily to
Iiraw the cork rom champagne bot
tie. But that was not his "lay," ns
The crooks express IT,. He was after
substantial, and he got II.
A CLEANER In the fields, he gathered
more In his brief stay In the star ny
than have most Of the toilers IN life
time. And all WAS fish that came
into his net, from the wealthy banker,
with whom he negotiated the sale Of
60 900 acres of Texas land for Sj6,OO0,
and with whom he opened an account
by having u draft 81 cashed, to VIII
liam Stradtman, the young harness
maker in Joseph Balls Third street
shop, who gave him SIS for a town lot |
Mt Fort Worth, Texas, aud VINO, de.
ceiyed by the willy major, presented
him with handsome carriage robe,
and throwing up a good job went "
Texas on the majors representation
and had TO telegraph for money 10
come home on. One day the major
CHANGING to remark that
HE LOVED BAKED FISH
and had not had any since be came