El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-07-24

founded on actual incidents in early
Texas history, was written by w. F.
Linn for the Dallas News.]
Post-revolutionaryt times relating to
the era of the Texas republic are rich
in subhistoric lore. A history of de-
tails has never been written. The re-
cords are so pregnant with dats In
variety and volume unsurpassed as to
real historic worth that minor matters
are passed over in generalization. The
field is ripe for the aEnalist. More
particularly is this true In that part
EN- braced in and known rs the depart
ment of the Brazos of Texas, in old
colonial times, wherein were located
the Austin colonies. The sketcher
need employ no hyperbole; romance
would be out of place. The main facts
are sufficient.
The territory now composing Whar-
ton county was in 1888 partly within
the municipality of Matagords. 1t was
not organized separately until 1916. In
the eastern or wooded part of Wharton
there threads sedgy stream, some-
what sluggish, spreading out in places
into little lakes, it's bosom heavily en-
numbered with rushes and water lilies,
the home of the trout and the black
bass. The banks are fringed with cy-
press; in fact, the old Spanish name,
Ell Cipres, /. e.. Cypress, was the
streams designation; now under rude
iconoclastic Innovation it is tersely call
ed Peach creek. Its waters find their
way into the San Bernard river.
After the struggle for freedom QS36)
the Mecca of the Texan world was San
Antonio. Old Velasco, opposite the
now thrifty town of QIintana, on the
Brazos, was the entrepOt for all this
section. The great highway from the
lower Brazos settlements to San An
tonic made it's way through the eastern
part of this county. and until late years
was spoken of as the ''old San Antonio
road" It followed the course OF Peach
creek until opposite the present town
of Wharton, ABOUT three miles north
ward, crossed and debOuched on the
open prairie, kept on in q westerly
course toward the upper Colorado set
Elements, intersecting the old Nacog-
doches trail at or near Egypt, Wharton
THE DUELLING TREES
Just beyond the rise of the hill
where the old road led its way from
where it passed the stream, to left,
stand two huge pecan trees. each with
q girth of eighty inches, or say with
diameter above two feet. To the way
farer through this land the resident
yeoman points out to him the'duelling
trees" where Whitaker and Bayse
fought a duel one bright morning in
May, 1888. For as such are these
trees known and the story handed
down. But few of the older citizens
are now living whose lives 60 back in
the '30s, their remembrance has
melted into the twilight of fable"
Well, the trees have an interesting
history connected with them, tale OF
and love, adventure
over field and flood, the cliDax ending
in a sudden impromptu duel, without
the formal exchange of cards, minus the
services of seconds. Two pistol shots,
the victim sent to hasty death. The
survivor . wanderer upon the face OF
this good earth, disconnected and for
lorn. A maiden far away, fair and
youog, while with nature and mans
dover blessed, waited to an untime1y
grave through sheer tire of liv-
ing, weighed down by grief
and melancholy, welcoming death.
THE TWO PRINCIPALS.
During the thfrties there lived in the
pleasant young lusty city of Green's
boro, Ala, two young men, DR.. Albert
Whitaker and James Bayse, both
scions of old families, whose history
dated back into the early records of
the state. A generous share of respect
and social standing had been accorded
each family and the members we're
Justly entitled to the same. Disinter-
ested public deeds were to their credit.
They had many claims upon the COM
munity at large for the consideration
they enjoyed, deeds by which others
were bene6ciaries, deeds which be-
spoke liberslity, high mindedness; an
am bition to be thought worthy of their
position in the world of which they
were q part.
This distinction they have in COM