Arizona republican., 1897-12-09
SAM HOUSTON IN 1861.


 Huntsville in the summer of 1861, you might have seen gigantic old man, dressed in large flowing wrapper of cheap calico, with printed figures of gaudy flowers sprawling over it, rough boots and a great Texas son. brero, originally white, now dusty and stained, from the shadow of which pair of piercing eyes, deep set in a massive stern,lined face, look with keen scrutiny humorous, kind ly, shrewd When he comes to the blacksmith shop opposite the peni- tentiary (now inside the walls), he sits down slowly, tilts his hat back, and taking a big barlow knife out of the pocket of his worn jeans pants, sets to whittling; crowd gathers around children, boys and mon for this old man is a wondrous talker, and he tells fairy tales to the little ones, stories of Indian wars and the battles for Texas independence to the boys, and stirring words of na- tional import to the men. Presently he has whittled couple of blocks, like five-pointed stars, out of a piece of pine, and putting them in the hand of bystander he says: There, take those home to your wife; they will do well for her to wind her yarn on" Then he falls to more talking and Whittling, and out of his whiting as out of his words and his work all through something springs a little box, penholder, or a toy for the children something more than shavings.
 This was Sam Houston-tha man who delivered Texas from the Mexi- can yoke who had twice been her president, once her governor, and now so reverenced his conscience that he could not find it right to lead her sons in civil war. Fifteen years be- fore, the spokesman of a dozen tribes of Indians told him: For us you have been to subtle on the war-path too powerful in battle, too magnani nous in victory, too wise in c-uncil, too true in faith" The Mexicans might have said the same thing Houston with his little army of 7SO
 onlpposed to ten times that num-
 aved Texas from becoming q
 penal colony of Mexico It was
 hvowed purpose of Santa Anna and Almonte to rid the country Of the American population, stop further im- migration, and colonize it with sol diers and convicts-one and the same thing, according to the Mexican mill itary system
 1t was the oharacteristic-rare even among the men the world calls great of being ''too true in faith,' that forced Houston to retire from the post of governor. At the secession convention held at Austin in the early part of 1861, the hour of noon on the 18th of March was fixed as the time for all state officers then in the city to take the oath of allegiance to the confederacy. Every one hoped that Houston. in spite of his open declara- ton that resistance to the Union must end in anarchy, would assume the new obligations and continue to be governor. But he never appeared and B. W. Cave, secretary of state, and A. B. Norton, adjutant genral, were also absent. On the second day Lieutenant Governor Ed Clark enter ed upon his duties as acting gover- nor, and a few days later Houston retired with his family to his home in Independence, and soon afterward moved to Huntsville. Here he lived quiet life for two years, and in 1863 after a lingering illness, died at th1 old Steamboat house.
 The m0tto of Houston's life might well have been that of old Bishor Cumberland better to wear ou than to rust out.'' His three SCOT; years and ten were full of action Tn, burden and heat of troublous day were borne by him proudly, uncom plainingly: and like the strong mar that he was, he rejoiced to run his race. He had served the state of Ten nessee for four years in congress anG had twice been her governor before he came to Texas. Earlier than that he had won distinction in the Creel wars, under Jackson, who was his constant friend and admirer Whel he signed the declaration of Texa: independence at Washington on tht BraZ's, he was 43 years old. Those were rough days. Most of Texas a this period was primeva1 wilderness and on the frontiers Indians plum. dered and ravaged increasingly. W. have records of terrible Indian mas sacreg about this time in Lavaca ant Iirr ostone counties, arourd For Houston now Palestine), at Little Rivf~ in Bell county, and on the Nue ces. NQring the ten years of the re public. the Texas border from Clark vile Corpus Christi presented con tinua scenes of savage raids, murde and captivity OF women and child en Yet Texas prospered, her population quadlupled. the Lcane Star flag wa respected abroad, all>nations honoret this gallant people -trSeir patience forti ude, patriotism and csravery. ant TO man among them was nnore hon ored-no man more deserved Gt-tha1 Sam Houston.
 There was a gentle strain in thi, big. iron-framed warrior. He love- children and they loved him. His in fluence over men was remarkable Wi r-- t-1at memorable scene bef r the battle of San Jacinto, when Hous ' tons speech brought the rough iron