The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1907-06-18
IN MEMORIAM.

Lest I should be forgot.
Nor would 1 have the marble proud
In monumental grace,
To tell the stranger passing by,
My fnal resting place.
Nor would have branches wave,
Or weeping willows bend
In 1nournfu1 sadness DER my grave,
To say, "Here sleeps friend"
I do not care that strangers eyes
Should read who sleeps below,
And then pass on with careless step,
Unthinking as they go.
And if no marble marks the spot,
No roses charm the eye,
Then none but those who loved me here,
Will know where I shall lie.
For if no true aud loving heart
Keep record of the spot.
If in no heart my names enshrined
Then let It be forgot.
Composed by S. P. WEXFORD, 1901.
The Grim Reaper appeared
amongst us unannounced, unex-
pected, early last Friday morning,
and bore away the spirit of be-
loved father, brave man, and a
useful, upright citizen.
Samuel P. Wreford was born at
Waterloo, N. Y, sixty-three years
ago. While very young man, he
moved with his parents 10 Mont
gomery, Alabama, where his father
soon became a wealthy planter and
slave owner. At the beginning of
the great war between the states,
he enlisted in the Confederate SER
vice with the Alabama Volunteers,
and valiautly served that cause to
the close of the war. Then, as all
through his life, he fought for
what he thought was right, and
bore defeat as only a brave naH
could.
After the war he returned to
New York, where he was married
in 1870 to Miss Estelle King, of
New York City. He then engaged
in the steamship business, running
principally between New York
and Galveston, becoming widely
known as an efficient and popular
ship and steamboat captain.
Later he was appointed collector
of customs and postmaster at
Cedar Keys, Fla, and for a time
was mayor of Apalachicola, which
position he resigned to come to
Texas. In Galveston he accepted
the position of financial manager
of the large and well known firm
of Blum and Co., which he held
for number of years.
In 1890 he and his family came
to Brownsville, where Mr.. Wre-
ford engaged in the brokerage
business, and for a while connected
thereto a banking business. He
had lately opened and successfully
conducted in connection with his
brokerage business, marine aud fire
insurance, continuing to the morn
ing of June IA, 1907-the time of his
unexpected, untimely and lament
able demise.
He was an indefatigable worker
in all public affairs for the better
ment and up-building of our city
and surrounding country; especial
ly so, in an effort to secure appro
priations for, and pressing forward
construction of the Intercoastal
Canal.
In December, 1898, he erected
the government telegraph line from
Rio Grande City to Laredo, which
was pronounced by the inspector
as being the best one the company
owned. In 1900, he established {
line of schooners, running from
New York, New Orleans, and Gal
weston, to Point Isabel, and trans
ferring the freight from the Poin
to Brownsville by wagons, thereby
reducing freight rates, greatly t.
the advantage of the people, fe
which he received cordial thanks
His time and energies were con
Istantly directed to the breaking o
monopolies, to enable the peopl
to have competition. He was emin
emily business man, on purel,
IL