The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1906-05-01
GOV. Hoea, IDOL OF TEXAS.
Popular on thsgF FrontieS and ein Lon
don.-Made his Marx as lad
by Digging q Well. 4"

~ Qvitman, Texas, March# 26.--The
older residents Of Quitman and Of this
county tell many stories about the
late Governor j. S. Hogg. Mr.. Hogg
spent his boyhood in Qhitman and
worked upon farms hereabouts.
The town we'll in Quitman was dug
by him more than thirty years ago.
A local merchant wanted we'll dug
in front Of his Store, and one morning
was looking Tor some one to do the
work. Hogg, who was then q strap
ping boy of 16 or II, told the mer-
chant that he would dig the we'll.
He was hired and paid at the rate
of 81 day for the work. He struck
a fine vein of pure, freestone water
at depth Of about thirty feet, and
it is to this day one of the best wells
hereabouts. 1t is known as the jim
Hogg we'll. ...
Quitman is still situated several
miles from a railroad, and in those
days was in what were known as the
back woods Of East Texas. There
were many lawless characters in the
county, and the peace officers were un-
able to keep them under control.
On one occasion Hogg, who was
then about nineteen, was called upon
to aid in preserving the law in Quit
man. A band of desperate outlaws
had come into town and held the mer-
chants and the people generally in a
state of terror. The desperadoes had
closed the principal store and were
walking the streets with boastful
air of possession.
Hogg first opened the store which
had been closed by order of the out
laws. He then armed himself with
Il rifle and started out to capture the
leader of the gang. He ran as he
turned Il corner of the Court House
square.
Before Hogg could place the man
under arrest the outlaw struck him
onthe head with pistol, knocking
him down. Hogg quickly got up with
the rifle in his hands and, getting
the drop on the desperate, made him
throw up his hands and marched him
i'll front of him to the county Jail,
where lie was locked up.
Received High Praise.
His act received high praise from
the law-abiding element Of the COM
munity, but it came near being the
cause of his losing his life afterward.
He was full Of fun in those days. He
was social favorite throughout the
country, and attended every country
dance for many miles around.
A few weeks after he had captured
the leader of the gang Of outlaws he
was invited to attend a country doe
down in remote part of the coun-
try. He went alone from Quitman,
but met a pretty country lass of the
locality, where the dance was to be
held, and took her olang for his COM
pany. The dance was in progress
when young Hogg arrived.
His first glance around the room
told him that he was not in the cons
pany Of friends. Almost every man
present belonged to the gang Of out
laws whose leader he had arrested
only short time before. He deter
mined to stick it out and no man
present was more jovial and full Of
fun.
The dance was given in a double
log cabin and toward the close of the
dance Hogg had occasion to leave the
room for q moment. He had no soon
er placed his foot outside the door
way than some person pressed the
muzzle Of a pistol against his back
and fired bullet into his body. He
fell to the ground unconscious and
was picked up by the girls present
and carried into the room and placed
upon bed.
He lay in that log cabin for several
weeks lowering between life and
death.
a few years later young Hogg was
elected district attorney and had the
satisfaction of prosecuting several of
the outlaws.
One of Hogg's boyhood companions
in Quitmam was Bill Mcdonald, the
Texas Ranger commander, who has
put more notches on his gun while in
the performance Of his duty than any
other man in the Southwest. They