The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-07

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fine saw min at that place. The survivors
were anxious to sell In order to secure
FUNDS with which to leave the country aud \
Mr.. Allen bought the plant He gave em-
ployment at high wages to all persons who |
sought work. This was blessing to
many. AS there we're large number OF idle i
men In the country. mostly soldiers who |
had served In the Texas army. The mill |
was also great advantage to the COM |
munity and settlers, far and near, as II /
enabled them to procure lumber for build |
ing purposes
Being the last OF six brothers TO die In |
THIS state and surviving them for many |
years, he Is often spoken of as the founder |
or the city of Houston. In truth his |
brothers Augustus G. and John K Allen |
who were partners In business. were the |
founders OF that promising metropolis. He |
however. was an important factor in the
upbuilding OF the place, doing as much, |
or more. perhaps, than any other OF its
earlier inhabitants to advance Its prosper
ity. While the two brothers named do
mated the ground upon which to build the |
First Presbyterian church he gave every /
foot of the lumber used in It's construc-
ton. IL was quite as large an edihee as \
the handsome brick structure that now oc-
cupies its former site. He opened the nrst
forwarding and commission house in Hous- |
ton and associated T. NJ. Bagby with him |
in the business They did an immense !
business, extending to every part of Texas
In 1916 Mr. Allen went TO Corpus Christi |
as sutler In Colonel Twiggs regiment.
Major Carr, who had retired from the
army, was his partner They made good /
deal OF money, the suffers stores they
handled being in great demand. IS they |
purchased and kept IN stock everything
wanted by the officers and men This |
promising venture, however. was brought
to an end by an epidemic that made it's
appearance In camp, to which many sue /
cumbed Mr.. Allen was stricken down and
his life despaired OF. He made money
fast. IT is true, and, II he survived and {
remained with the army, had every reason |
to expect further gains: but tossed on /
sick bed, his whole thoughts centered on I
getting back TO Houston where he could
die among friends. He managed to make |
his way back TO that city, where he lln- |
gered long at DEATHS door. but finally re-
covered. Upon his restoration 10 hrslth |
he found that all OF his earnings as s,tler |
had been consumed In meeting necessary
expenses. AS soon as he had sufficiently
recuperated, he purchased stock of goods |
and loaded them on wagons, which he
started for the town OF New Braunfels |
Following on behind In n few days. he
made inquiries along the road but could
hear nothing of the wagons. Nor upon ar
irving at his destination could he hear
aEything. PerpleXed and ANNOYED. he
went to La Grange and there found them
intact. all loaded as when they started,
The teamsters had stopped en- route l,
work out their crops. When the goods
reached New Braunfels he met with little
difficulty In selling them but was COM
PEELED to receive in return money Issued |
by the company that had established the
colony, II was the only medium of eX-
change in use, was of various denomina-
tions and known in the vernacuar of the
country as shin plasters" Whenever he
secured as much as $50 of this currency,
he would take it to the proper officer of
the company and be given a check on a
New Orleans bank In exchange for It, Hel
finally closed out the remainder OF his
merchandise for lot of gentle, well
broken oxen, which he sold, receiving In
return shin plasters'' and later checks
on New Orleans. These checks were not
paid upon presentation to the New Or
leans bank and went TO protest. He there
upon entered suit in The cclrts at San An
tonic and secured judgment against the
company. Not knowing what course to
pursue to realize anything from the judg-
ments, he consulted Colonel Fisher, of the
Fisher and Miller colony, who told him
to take stock in the New Braunfels COM
pany in satisfaction of them, as the stock
was already paying an annual dividend Of
D per cent and would become more valu-
able with the further settlement OF the
country, He followed this well meant ad-
vice, and had the stock at the time of his
death 1t Is not worth the paper 1t Is
written upon, although that is yellowed
with age.
After this experience he was for many
years successfully engaged in business at
Houston conducted many important en-
terprises and amassed handsome fortune.
His indomitabe courage, tireless industry
and cool business judgment at no time de-
serted him. When momentary disaster
came, he sustained the shock with imper-
turbable calmnoss when emergencies arose
he met them. and when the moment for
action arrived he was ready. He fought
his way steadily to financial Independence,
Socially, from the frst, he ranked among
the leading men OF Texas and to this he,
in the course of few years added repu
tation no less distinguished as a patriotic
and public spirited citizen and man OF
great intellectual endowments, a position
he ever afterwards maintained.
He was the friend and associate of such
men of the early days OF Texas as Houston
Rusk. Arson Jones. Williamson, Archer
and Jack and took a great interest and IN
active part in all matters of public impor-
lance.
His influence and power were extensive.
They were used unrescrvedly for the good
ct Texas. He contributed very largely to
the development and upbuilding of the
State
To the furtherance of the growth of the
city Of Houston lie devoted his unstinIed
energies and contributed literally OF his
means. Both that city and the State at
large should ever revere his memory. He
MAS one Of the noblest OF, the Texans uf
the old school and survived to an adj
yanced age, dying at his palatial home in
the city of Houston October y, 1870, at
the age of 81 years. surrounded by bis
family and frierds.
His death cast gloom over The city in
which be was so greatly beloved.
! There Is nothing so nspring as the con-
temptation OF well ordered and well
srent life, not alone in the incidents that
mark its course in the testing. forming aud
developing school OF the world, but in its
close and after effects upon ocisty--in
higher purpose, nohler living. truer ad-
vance ment, and better government that
/ follow 1t; there is nothing more cheering.
nothing that gives so substantial d basis
| to the faith that the race is equal to, in
! tended for and surely working out d lofty
! desilny--that the corruption, sreed IN
! charitableness, abuse OF power. cruelty,
! GRADING inequalities, conversion OF bless
/ ings intended to inure to the benefit OF the
multitude TO the exclusive and ineuuitable
enjoyment OF the few. and many other
wrongs and malajustments everywhere
observable will be fiually rce.iled and