New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-15
SAM HOUSTON.
A NEW BIOGRAPHY OF THE HERO OF
SAN JACINTO.

Sam Houston. The name Is one 10 cohJuie
by in the Southwest. In some future time IL
will be found. perhaps as much encrusteo VIII"
legend as the name of Charlemagne, or Arthui'
or Frederick. or Alexander. or Hiawa'ha'
Meanwhile there is as yet no lack of history
and biography and personal description, whlch'
though authentic. leave gaps at the very points
where legend is surest TO take hold
Mr.. Williams's narrative. excellent ana care
~, as II is is no exception to this rule In
fact Houston's peculiar manner of life Withdrew
hin, from the cognizance Of men who were
,,La,v 10 keep a record of his movements just
at those times when the startling episodes OF MS
career were in preparation. 1t is a common
saving that the environment makes 'he man
hut II is equally true that man can ihahe
his environment fit him If he needs TO 40 80
Above all he choose new environment
when he will Houstons life is PROOF. lie
had several careers. any one OF which "ou'u
have been romantic enough and SUCCESSFUL
enough for the common run of men, There are
men-at least there were men in earlier DAYS
--shrewd capable, wise even learned WIN
oontented themselves for a lifetime as school
teachers in the forests of the 1rontler. MUS
ton might have been such a one. TO MS
dying dav he was proud of his success as the
,,,,er Of a country school. He had reason
"A no proud for what book knowledge he had
was gained at haphazard, and for the ihos'
part in an Indian lodge. For Houston WAS "'
intervals in his life what his pioneer coh'e'h-
poraries were too ready to stigmauze as
r.,orodo white man Now that even the
memory Of Simon Girty has been reheNeu VI
some of the odium cast upon IT because ne
liked a savage Indian better than an equaiy
barbarous white man, the comparatively mia
accusation against Houston seems mere pleas
antry. Nevertheless his relations with the
Cherokees lent color to charges tantamouh' u
treason.
His friendship with the Indians began early.
When he was thirteen years old MS mother'
then a widow. removed with her children from
Virginia to Blount County. Tennessee. There
che settled within eight miles of the Cherokee
boundary Doubtless the boy soon made the
ocouaintance of the Indians But his first
downright revolt from civilization came when
he was set to work as clerk in a store work
behind a counter proved uncomfortable Hous-
ton" SAYS his biographer. had many Oh 'he
characteristics of the Indian in his nature HIS
hot blood his strong passions ana appeu'es'
his fondness for adventure, and the uhfani-
n,e,,ed freedom of the wilderness. his soemnly
childish vanity and turn for histrionic enec'' DIS
we'll as the higher qualities of native chiei'
a commanding personal power and Impressive
ness a shrewdness like that of Ulysses IN man
aging men and affairs. an eloquence OF orleihai
power. a loftiness of spirit. and the dominant
quality of determination and courage Inc
fact Of the case is that all men OF any personal
significance have the qualities of savage
qualities that they only lose by the graouai
ntrophy of civilization. Houston never lost the
r;cturesoue attributes of savagery; for when he
came in touch with the civilization of the Auan-
tic States he was like Ajax, too old to learn
nev tricks AS boy he was made welcome 10
the Cherokee villages. and was adopted INTO
the family of one of the sub-chiefs OF the trlpe.
He became as familiar with the difficult Cher-
okee language as with his mother tongue.
or course the Cherokees were little, II any, IN
ferior to their white neighbors in their manner
OF nfe They had strong cabins ins'eau vi
frail wigwams; they were good farmers ai'ei
their own fashion, and they sooh
picked up the habit of owning negro
slaves But they were less willing than the
whites to spend their lives in labor Ther
philosophy, as we'll as that of most wid races
might be summed up in the Scrpturai phrase
Sufficient for the day is the evil thereof. hous-
on certainly imbibed much of this conten'ed
view of the world He might have become
a rich man. but he died almost in poverty he
had ample opportunities" writes Mr.. Williams,
lands and advantageous holdings in the newly
founded towns, by which many of his asso-
ciates laid the foundations of large fortunes
hut he did not take them nor did he engage IN
any of the schemes for the profitable develop
ment of the resources of a new country lie
was Indifferent to money. and during his early
career In Texas lived in careless fronuei
fashion, which often left him in straits Tor
the means to purchase the common necessities
of life" Yet he was no spendthrift ana In MS
administration of the affairs OF Texas as
nation and as State. he showed an economy
almost without parallel in the history OF
civil community He was hospitabe as others
were his income went as theirs did. and IN
his old age he had only small piece Of prop
erty near the town of Huntsville. a house
consisting of a double log cabin. and limited
amount of ground around it. His later years
were undoubtedly passed in poverty. particu
larly after the commercial and industrial
isolation Of the Confederacy set in, with its
necessary privatons upon the whole OF the
community but the story that he and his family
suffered for the common necessities OF life Is
exaggerated"
The most obvious effect of Indian com
nanionship upon Houston. and this was notice
able all his life betrayed in his dress
No redskin brave had a greater delight II
striking colors profusion of barbaric or
naments Colonel d. ID. Claiborne. quoted by
Mr.. Williams. has preserved vivid picture OF
the man on the day when he was elected
Governor of Tennessee: He wore on that day
tall bell-crowned. medium brimmed. shin
ing black beaver hat. shining patent
leather military stock. or cravat. ncased by
standing collar; ruffled shirt. black satin vest
shining black silk pants, gathered to th'
waist with legs full. same size from seat t
ankle, and gorgeous, red-ground many-col
ored gown or Indian hunting-shirt, fastened
the waist by huge red sash, covered will
fancy beadwork. with an immense silve
buckle embroidered silk stockings. and pumps
with large silver buckles" When. owint
~ that unexplained disagreement with his frs