Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-06-29
IN NORTHERN TEXAS
Gainesville Settled by South
ern Planters.
HOME OF CATTLEMEN
HIGH AVERAGE FOR THE SCHOOL
POPULATION.
Characteristics of Senator Bailey Com
pared With Senator Culberson-How
the President is Regarded.
HOME OF CAT'TLEMEN
BY WILLIAM E. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.

BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence Of The Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
GAINESVILLE, Texas, June 20, 1905.
This is the first town of Importance south
of the boundary of Indian Territory, and
one of the oldest in Texas. 1t was origi-
nally trading post for the Indians. Mer-
chandise brought from Shreveport up
the Red river, which marks the boundary
between Indian Territory, and is only six
miles from Gainesville. There is a tradition
that fifty or sixty years ago the river was
navigable for fiatboats for several months
in the year. The rest of the time teamers
brought the freight across the country in
wagons from Shreveport, or wherever the
head of navigation happened to be.
Gainesville was settled by southern men
planters from Mississippi, Alabama and
Tennessee-and was chosen for the homes of
wealthy cattlemen. who pastured their herds
in western Texas and on the Indian reSer-
vations They were rich and had aristo-
cratic notions You can see their taste in
architecture and their love of display on the
residence streets of Gainesville. They sent
their sons and daughters to college, spent
much time in travelling, and always visited
New York and New Orleans at least once
a year to spend their money, even when
they We're compelled to drive across the
country in their carriages. They had no
railroad here until the Santa Fe came, in
1883
Gainesville has been an educational CEN
ter also and a center of religious activity.
There several denominational schools
and the public schools are unusually good
and well attended. In $780, with pOpula-
ton Of - .494, the average attendance was
6,0J2; that is, one child for every 40 per-
sons in the county-an unusually high aver
age.
The town of Gainesville has about 5000
inhabitants, most of them engaged in farm
ing and raising fine cattle and horses. Cooke
county, of which it is the seat, has always
been noted for It's fine stock. and at one
time was the best horse market in the state
A great deal of cotton is raised here also.
1t is the middle of the great wheat belt
which extends northward TO Indian Terri
tory, Oklahoma and Kansas, and south
ward toward the city of Temple. in the
middle of the state Cotton is raised
far north as Guthrie. Oklahoma.
Senator Bailey.
The finest horse ranch in this locality be-
longs to United States Senator Joseph w.
Bailey, who calls this his home and has a
law Office on the main street, though he
spends very little of his time here. You
can find him at the Waldorf-Astoria, in
New York. or at the Riggs House, in Wash
ington, more often than in Gainesville.
Bailey came here as young man and be-
gan to practice law. There is more or less
mystery about his early life. He was born
in Mississippi and educated at the univer-
sity of that state. 1t is said that his parents
died when he was a child and that he was
raised by uncle, who gave him a good
start in life, but nobody here seems to
know much about him, although every one
admires his ability, and his neighbors con-
slider him the greatest man that ever lived.
There is no doubt about Bailey's intellect
or his oratorical powers. He is undoubtedly
the best debater on the democratic side of
the senate, and not more than two three
men on the republican side can stand up
with him. but he is a very poor politician.
He is proud. reserved and autocratc in his
disposition and very poor mixer.
He is inclined to be eccentric also One
of his peculiarties is that he will never
wear the conventional dress suit, because,
he says, it is a badge Of servitude. 1t is the
ordinary costume of hotel and household
servants. He has designed a distinctive
costume of his own. He invariably wears
a long frock coat of black broadcloth, with
trousers 10 match, a waistcoat cut very low,
an expansive pleated shirt bosom, a Short
horned collar and white linen tie, with q
black sombrero of pattern that cannot be
found in ordinary hat stores. There is a
good deal of curiosity in Washington as to
where Bailey gets his hats, because no one
has ever been able to duplicate them. He is
clean shaver and scrupulously neat about
his person. Formerly he wore his hair long
but since he was elected to the Senate has
had ii trimmed down to the conventional
fashion.
There is a popular impression in Wash
ington that Senator Bailey has become very
rich by speculation in Texas OIL lands and
by the gossips he is numbered among the
Senate nillionaires; but Gainesville people
say that is q mistake. They do not rate
him higher than 100000. de inherited very
little money. His friends tell me that of
late years he has received some large fees
for legal services for the oil spectators and
I'm L irlt nf In.
king who consolidated the lumber interests
of Texas not long ago. Bailey is Kirbys
legal adviser and has received some valu-
able tips from him for investments.
Senator Culberson.
Senator Culberson. Bailey's colleague. used
to live at Jefferson, but has recently re-
moved to Dallas and taken up his residence
there. Dallas is the political headquarters
of the state. 1t is an habitual convention
city and campaigns organized there.
Culberson is not ranked so high as Bailey
for ability, but is considered better poll
tIcian and is personally more popular. He
does not fulfill the promises of his youth or
the expectations OF fond friends, who
thought he would follow in the footsteps of
his late father.
Charley Culberson isn't knee-high to the
old man." said a Texan the other day, al
though that might be true and at the same
time the son might be of ordinary stature
Judge Culberson. the father. was a great
man: one of the ablest of the generation
with which he served for many years In
Congress. He was not only great in ability,
but he was wise. broad-minded and far
sighted. and had judicial Temperament
which, unfortunately, the present senator
did not inherit The opinion of the late
Judge Culberson on any question legal.
ethical or political, carried greater weight
than that of almost any man OF his time.
and a mere change of expression upon his
rugged face had more influence In the
House OF Representatives than a dozen
speeches from some of the delegation. He
WaS fha author Of rerna r1x hal Tvs wide