The twice=a=week herald. (Amarillo, Tex.) 1887-1906, 1906-06-12
DISTRICT JUDGE
Some F acts Concerning Gov,
Browning and His Candidacy
For That Office.

CLARENDON BANNER SToCKMANl
In the opinion of the Banner
Stockman the race for the district
judgeship of this judicial district is
one of the most important before
the people at the coming election.
Some of our readers are not perhaps
aware that a former Clarendon cit
izen is a candidate for this office;
such readers will be found among
the recent settlers who are not we'll
acquainted as yet with the old tim
ers of this Countrywide men who
have MADE the Panhandle and
whose names will go down in his
tory, rejecting all the glory achieved
by this glorious section of the Lone
Star state. The man to whom we
refer is ex-Lieutenant Governor
J. N. Browning, of Amarillo.
Governor Browning is a typical
westerner who has given his early
manhood and prime of life to the
development of the Panhandle and
northwest Texas. His career has
been unique and is a forcible illus
tration of the rewards of energy,
perseverance and honesty of pur-
J pose. He landed in Stephens coun-
ty, Texas, a youth of seventeen
years. His capital was his sturdy
healty and willingness to work. He
at once became cowboy and WELD
ed the lasso for nine years. During
these nine years his love for read
ing was grati6ed to as great an ex
tent as was consistent with the de-
mands of his employment. Under
the advice of Judge c. K. Stribling
he began the study of law in Shack
leford county, Texas, was admitted
to the bar in 1876, and has been
actively engaged i'll the practice of
law since that time. He moved to
Mobeetie in Wheeler county, Tex
as, in 1881, and was the first dis
trict attorney for the Panhandle
district. He was elected to the
legislature in 1882 when the dis
trict, on account OF the sparsely
settled condition of the country,
comprised siXty-nine counties, TAX
ing in Wichita Falls, Seymour, AL
bany, Baird, Abilene and Colorado
City. He served the people of the
district in the house of representa-
tives for eight years, and made a
record in the Legislature touching
the great school land problem and
other vital questions such as to
touch the entire state. At the time
Governor Browning entered the leg
islature the prevailing opinion
throughout the state was that north
west Texas and the Panhandle was
an arid desert and suitable only for
stock raising, the country being
then occupied almost exclusively by
cattle raisers. His policy in the
legislature on the land question was
shaped by the faith he has always
had in agricultural possibilities of
the Panhandle, his opinion being
that this section of the state was a
fit abode for a thrifty farming citi-
zenship, and was never intended
as an exclusive and vast cattle
range. The stockmen had strong
lobby at every session of the legis.
lature asking for a law granting
them the right to an absolute lease
of the state school lands tor stock
raising purposes.
Governor Browning espoused the
cause of the actual settler, and by
his powerful arguments made or
the floor of the house, based upon
his actualexperience and knowledge
of the country, the Legislature re-
luctantly yielded and permitted
provision to be inserted in the law
that the lands should at all times
be subject to sale to actual settlers
Notwithstanding the stockman'
lease. To him and to his untirine
energy and devotion to duty we to-
day owe our gratitude for the pres
ent advanced and prosperous condl
t;oo nc tba paphopdIe country HaC