El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-10-19
SKETCH OF HOUSTON.

Col Andrew Jackson Houston was
born at independence, Washington
county, Texas, June p, 1854, and re
ceived a common school education. The
prohibition campaign committee fur
nishes this sketch of his career:
While in the practice of law, as well
as while in the civil service and mill
tary service, he has been a close stu
dent of public questions, both state
and national.
His father was Sam Houston, who
was an officer in the First infantry.
United States Army, member Of con-
greSs from, and governor of, TenneS-
see, commander in chief of the army
which gained the independence of Tex
as from Mexico, and the first and the
third CONSTITUTIONAL president of the
republic of Texas, who effected the
annexation of Texas to the United
States, was the first United States
senator elected from the state and
twice reelected, was elected governor
of Texas as Union man and was de-
posed by the secession convention, be-
cause he refused to take the oath of
allegiance to the COnfederacy.
Long before the sorrow which the
Civil war brought upon Texas had
passed, the sentiment which had sup
ported Sam Houston during the many
years that he had guided the destiny of
Texas, began again to show itself. In
1879, during the administration of
governor o. NJ Roberts, who had been
president of the secession convention,
the legislature established the Sam
Houston Normal institute, the most
important of al the great educational
institutions of the state. In 1895 the
legislature placed his statue in Stat
airy hall of the capitol at Washing
ton. In 1906 the legislature made an
appropriation of $4,000 to begin the
erection of a DAonument to his mem DRY.
One OF the principal cities of the state
was named for him, and the United
States government named one of it's
most important military posts for him
at San Antonio.
Andrew Jackson Houston has al
ways voted for prohibition as a prin-
ciple and in 1887 canvassed for it from
Dallas. While in attendance as dele
gate at Republican state conventions
he has invariably opposed every anti
prohibition plank in the platform; and
finally, finding the sentiment of that
party to be opposed to state wide pro-
hibition, he severed his connection with
them and attended as a delegate the
state Prohibition convention at Dallas.
He was there requested by the chair
man to address the convention. Dur
ing his speech he so enthuSed the audi
ence that word was passed among the
delegates that Houston was the man
TO head the ticket
Colonel Houston has been an active
worker along all lines looking to civic
betterment, and to the moral upbuild-
ing of his city and state, and is promi-
nently identified with almost every
work for the moral and physical good
Of all the people.
Among other things it may be stated
that Col. Houston has always been an
active member of the Y NJ c. A and
the W. C. T. T., was one Of the or
ganizers, and is vice preSideit Of the
Anti-Saloon league at Beaumont; is
one of the three members of the board
of advisers of the United Charities of
Beaumont; president of the Beaumont
Civic Federation, 1858; is the Texas
member of the board of governors of
the Lakes to the Gulf Deepwater asso-
citation; was member of the committee
of the association to present the report
by it's convention to the president the
vice president and speaker of the
house of representatives; member of
the Beaumont chamber of commerce;
chairman of committee on conven-
tions; chairman of committee on erec-
pleted; chairman of committee on es-
adjustment of poor farm; chairman of
committee on union station; chairman
of committee on fine arts of the
Southeast Texas fair. 1858; first
president of the Texas Federation of
Arts, 1909-10, and associate member Of
the American Federation of Arts.
Colonel Houston assisted to organize
and named the first president of each
of the following organizations: Jeffer-
son County Drainage association, the
first in the state; the Gulf Coast
Drainage association; the Jefferson
County Good Roads association; the
Citrus Fruit Growers association. He
has always attended rhe Baptist
church He is Pythian and w. o. w.
Colonel Houston was admitted to the
bar at Tyler, Tex, in 1873, and prac-
ticed law there until appointed clerk of
the United States circuit court at Dali
las in 1879. In 1889 he resigned as
clerk of said court, after ten years
service, and practiced law at Dallas