The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-11-11
HOUSTON'S EARLY DAYS.
Interesting Newspaper Relic Printed
Over a half Centuary Ago.
one OF HOUSTON'S EARLIEST PAPERS
Some Interesting Data Culled From Its
Aged Stained columns-The Pioneers
Of Houston Now All Passed Away.

Mr.. w. p. Doran Of Hampstead sends
The Post well-preseryed copy Of the Dem
| ocratic Telegraph and Texas Register,
! printed ia Houston in 1919. The copy sent
| The Post bears date Of MAY 10, 1s4H and
| is volume XIV. No. -. II was a weekly
publication a six-column four-paee folio,
| published by Cruger X Moore, and edited
/ by Francis Moore, Jr. Its terms OF sub
scription were So per year In advance or
/ 50 If paid at the end Of the year, showing
that high rate Of interest must have pre-
vailed in those early days
OF all the names Of merchants and others
who were doing business In Houston at
that time there is not a single survivor
but the names Of many. then conspicuous
in the affairs of Houston. are familiar to
the older inhabitants.
The leading business firms in those days
as CLEANED from the advertising columns Of
the old paper were Sampson g. Co. who
appear to have had general merchandise
store dealing In every character OF com
modify; Groebeeck, Williams * Cook, gro
cerics, dry goods and drugs; 5. Mandle-
baum dry goods and clothing; W r. VIII
son, liquors; Z. W. TAYLOR. Fstoragc. for
wardins and commission merchant; Bowles
& Hull, general merchandise; James Doyle
* J. De Cordoya, real estate; Wade K
Crucer. real estate; Rockwell Souters,
restaurant; b Iuhly, wholesale confecton-
cry; NJ. Williamson, furniture; F. Scran,
ton, commission merchant and general
agent; Hadley x Terry and Z Harrison,
lawyers; William II Eliot druggist,
The above constituted all Of the mer-
! camille advertisements, but the paper con-
tanned number of legal and administrator
notices and quite a number Of foreign ad-
William r. Baker was then county clerk
and published a notice announcing the
Withdrawal Of Paul Bremond as admlnisI5a-
tor Of the estate 81 Henry SaWtel' ue
The news feature Of the old paper was
necessarily restricted 70 such news as was
gotten by mail. most Of which came by
stage coach 1t contaiied not line Of
teegraphic news and the only local item
some grove on the bank Of the bayou, IN
5 ~ some young LADY was crowned May
queen after which a reception and pan
, was held, but no names are given OF any
. of the participants not even the May
queen Nor is II stated where the ball was
S held though IL appeared as quite an I'M
? There is a notice Of a State convention
held at Gilmer a month prior TO me u tIas
s participated and in which Judge Nils was
e nominated for governor and ). Hen
. derson then q citizen Of Houston, FOR Lieu
] tenant governor, neither OF Wnom We're
: present at the convention. In another part
5 Of the paper letter Is printed from James
Y A. Simpson of Marshall, who was the CHAR
o man of that convention rendering Cover
= nor Henderson cold SMOKY, as ne vas
o subsequently calledl the nomination Tor
4 Trntei9nt Governor. with Governor Hender;
n son s acceptance. saying that ne placed MN
p self at the disposal Of his friends.
l. Among the other news Items is the denial
: Of a report circulated by someone who kept
t a ferry on the BRACES river below Nashlns-
ton in efect that people were aSlh rb ny t ad
n iitor denies this very vigorously, arguing
5 that II such were the case there would be
;. 70 citizens left as the ins population OF h'us
Another news Item IS a report taken
IS from the Galveston News charg'ng lncI
< the people of Houston. particularly the
e hotel keepers and merchonta' were sun
e. Sidiziug the drivers Of stage coacnes 20
/ delay reaching Houston In such a way as
.t TO miss connection with the boats Tor GuI
b weston thus OBTAINING Galveston passSh
$ gers in Houston two or three DAYS. Int
Il editor Of the Houston paper den,es Inns tn,s
IS ton were so bad at that season Z ne
T. year as to render 1t Impossible Tor tA'
. stages TO run on schedule time IT,, al
Il Apropo Of good roads q very UNIQUE ad
a. vortlscmeut appears announcing that tht
d city Of Houston was about 10 issue So,
Geo h bonds hearing l Pr Gie TeRt p69ab,
'e seml-annually. the fund thus raised 10 %
Is used in buying negroes to build good roads
d the negroes thus purchased to he the Sc
Z curlty for the redemption OF the oonds
< These bonds were procurable at the stor,
IS OF r. A. shepherd; ana the NOTICE M"'
lie signed by r. r. ]. Hadley, as secretary,
- There were no railroads then and lln'
le OF stage coaches was run between Houston
st and SAN Antonio, making the single trlI
Is fare being 500 and cents per pound FOL
q ali baggage in excess Of thirty pounds.
1t contains is that Of Miss Elizabeth p.
$ daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs: Random Of For
Is Bend county to Nr, John DicsinS9yn, o q
the father Of John I Dickinson fornerl!
of this city, who became prominent rs sec
retaF of the Chicago Worlds Fa'r
lanes w Scott We're announced as can
didates 20 represent Harris county IN m
II legislature The political parties were o tnej
A. ments do not state TO Whist political part,
l- these candidates belonged.
W The Houston academy was then con
S; ducted bv MIR o. p Jewett and william
W / Darden, and Tor references such vel
= known names rs the following, among Ia
re pionecrs Of Houston, appeared 10 the an
nouncement OF the opening OF the school
HutchIns, peter WI. Gray; J., p; copgey
wade. James RELY b W Tayhr, Rev
c Gilbert and A, Ruthven, none Of whom
3. II appears that In those days merchant
2. we're not IN the habit, as now, OF goin
I'd 10 New York 10 purchase their goods, an
III tended soon to lS2ye for New York an
ing Ia lay IN stock at 12l cents con
mission on the purchase price At Scrsr
ton signed himself an "Old Texan an
was evidently one Of the hustling citizen
n OF those early days. He owned the res
- dence now owned and occupied bv Wtllinr
Va H. Cleveland, corner OF Rusk and San Ji
'e cinto street which, for years after W
Scranton's death, was known as IN
NJ Scranton House"
az The old paper is allied with advertise
IL mentS Of lost and run away negroes. NJ
OF Warren J. Nm OF la Grange advertiser
nm that he would give $500 reward for III
capture OF the man who stole three NJ
grOcs from him or $500 for the return Q
To- the negroes without the thief.
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