The weekly herald. [volume] (Amarillo, Tex.) 1906-19??, 1907-02-28
EARLY DAYS
IN AMARILLO
". H. Kenyon, Now Of ROCkdaIe,
Tells Of Early Experience
In Amarillo.
In tho Rockdale Reporter, publish

In the Rockdale Reporter, publish
ed in Milan county, Texas, the edl-
tor and PROPRIETOR Mr.. W. Ii. Ken
yon, who was in the SOS editor Of a
paper in Clarendon, tells OF his eXpe-
ricnces and those OF his friends in
this city and the Panhandle country,
which reads like fairy stories to those
OF US who are on the ground at the
present time. Kenyon was a pioneer
and like most OF the pioneers in a
new country moved on, aud this is
his story. lie predicts that the
drouths will return and that all Of
US will hit the trail for the black
lands OF other portions Of Texas or
other states sooner or later While
we are interested in Brother Ken
yon's story OF the early days OF jour
nalism in the Panhandle, yet We do
hOb dbIt0 WIN MN az W wv ANNuAS
of the Panhandle, for we believe that
the turning Of the native sod, and
cultivation Of the soil of the vast
PLANES, changes the climate, as 1t did
in Nebraska and Kansas and that the
prosperous years we are having now,
are Just the beginning of what this
country will experience in the near
future. However, here is Brother
KenyOn'S letter:
Our old friend r. F. Gates is max
ing a newsy paper Of the Bartlett
Tribune, Long In the SOS Gates and
the writer did some pioneer newspa-
per work In the Panhandle OF Texas,
When out. there we called it God S
0Wn country, but 1t got dryer and the
grass got shorter as the years went
by and Gates, who was located at
The windy city Of Amarillo, the me-
tropolls OF the staked plains, the
home OF three HIS, Hollicut, Hard
wick and Holland, was not so fortu-
nate as the writer, as we were locat-
ed in the beautiful city of Claren-
don.
Seasons were more propitious and
we enjoyed a prosperous season OF
about five years. Gates left earlier.
His town went kerflunk and he came
to a country that does not need to
be boosted by everyone. After Gates
left Amarillo, Hardwick, the prince
Of hotel men, gave up the Amarillo
Inn and went to Fort Worth. Hol-
land left for other pastures, but we
believe big headed Hollicut remained
for some time boss of the X. |. T.
ranch, After that there was little
to attract people TO Amarillo. Bats
were the principal guests at the Am
arillo Inn till the seasons returned
in 1896, since then that town has
resumed its proud place as mistress
OF the plains. Clarendon was a
peach. Being the division point of
the Denver road, we never dried up,
but we did get a little parched long
In '96. Clarendon, once the gambler s
paradise Is quite a different town
now. Then 1t was an all-night town.
Three saloons, whose doors had no
shutters, were in full blast 365 days
In the year. For several years the
usual layout OF gambling parapha-
malta was located In the aback end,
or a sideroom OF each saloon.
There existed 4 sort OF rivalry be-
tween the two propretors Of the lead
ing resorts, Jim Cain and Frank
Borchers. Each furnished his place
in elegant style, and the brands of
goods handed across the bar were
the best. Clarendon at that time was
city OF churches. Everybody then
and now, living in the Panhandle
towns, were boomers, and Claren-
don boosted OF more churches and
finer saloons than any town OF its
size In Texas. But the town has
changed, some, we are told. 1t COM
menced long about 1894 when w. r.
Butler, (now OF Temple) was county
attorney. He made the saloon men
move their gambling devices out OF
their buildings. He waged war
fare an gamblers so relentlessly that
most Of the fraternity slidooed She
was a live town then. Lots OF good
people there Al Gentry, Of the
Tennessee stock, was sheriff He was
succeeded by Charley Beuerly one
of the whitest boys that ever lived.
There was Billy CriGsby an old
Quantrell man. AID Phil Omahondra,
a brilliant but lrow old Virginia.
Tom Martlnda.N county ana dis
trict clerk, ana ie seemed to have
the JOB enched until Bill Cook en-
tered the race