The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-01-29

this particular occasion
noted how he had to steady
himself now and then, but the
crisis came at the high point of
his address. STRENGTHENING to
his full height, he began with,
Although they know its influence is tleletcri.
Gus to their eonstitution'-here lurchinE
perceptibly, he caught at the pulpit-'still
they will use it,"
A WE recovered from the LAUGHTER in
"A which my host had heartily Joined at the
conclusion Of his story resumed the sub
tect- You say you never drank-you a
southerner1"
II am VirEinian," said Captain How
ard proudly. You are thinking" he
smiled, "ot Kentucky whisky"
But you were associated with those who
drankr
''All my life, but did not care for It.
Ny father was Baptist and never allowed
a drop in the house. I have seen many a
poor chap in California lose all bis gold
through drink. The saloons in those times
offered the only means Of social life 1t was
the treating habit that caused many men to
drink-not the love Of liquor itself"
Captain Towards life is a long story.
He was born in Caroline County, Va,
August 20, 1926. Like many Southerners,
he can claim an almost direct Eng
lish descent. His mother was Elizabeth
Garnett, and his father was Major T. s.
Howard. The latter had seen distinguished
service in the War Of 1912, and was q close
friend of General John Adair.
In 1882 the family moved to Mississippi
to live on a Taladago plantation purchased
from Louis Lucas, chief Of the Choctaws.
So the lad William was destined to be q
Firginian only by tradition, as he grew up
in the vicinity near New Orleans. Though
only six years old. he noted differences in
his environment. For instance, he recalls
the great focks of wild turkeys which came
to the plantation. Major Howard was en-
gagged in farming and stock raising, and
naturally his sons led an active outdoor life
Here 1t was that William learned to ride
the thoroughbred horses which had been
brought from Virginia, and formed an at
tachment for them that lasted throughout
the years.
Any innate spirit Of adventure must have
been stimulated, for change was the order
Of his boyhood. Again the family moved,
and the year 1889 found them settled in
Texas.
AFTER this there was more excitement"
said the aged man, his eyes lighting as he
saw in retrospect the characters and the
scenes Of those early turbulent days Of
Texas.
When the cry Of Gold. gold!" came to
law in a Galveston office. closed his Black
stone with a bang and set out for Cali
fornis. He took the dangerous fortuitous
route through Mexico, and losing both mules
and money in Color ado, was forced to enter
the State near what is now Los Angeles.
Meeting FIVE men who had come from the
Atlantic Coast by water, be agreed to act
as guide to the northerners. The party
footed It" to San Francisco, reaching there
in July, 1S49, and going thence to Stockton
by boat.
On arriving at the scene Of activities
Howard took up a claim and joined the
group in their preparations for mining.
Just as they were ready to begin operations,
however, an affair happened that was
destined to change the young southerner's
whole career. In the course of a trivial dis
agreement his northern partner called him
coward, a term which Howard resented
hotly. A fight ensued, and though out
matched in weight and badly slashed by the
older mans knife, he finally succeeded in in
fiicting the greater injury to his opponent.
The jury empaneled on the spot to decide on
the question of lynching promptly acquitted
him, but Howard on recovery from his
wounds gave up the idea of mining. He
remained in the mining district, however,
and in the adventurous years that followed
became closely identified with the men and
movements that were shaping the destiny of
the State.
CTOCK raising on his Buena Vista ranch
~ was not so exacting that he did not have
time for participating in outside affairs
Thus we find him acting as Indian agent
in 1852, and as will be told later, fire.
quenty sitting in conventions, legislatures,
or holding various Offices. He was a life
long friend of Judge Terry and other promi-
nent CalifornianS, and his activities brought
him in contact with almost every man Of
national prominence who reached the
West. Ulysses Grant be met at the home
Of Mr.. Dent a brother in law. who was an
Indian agent in Stanislaus County; and In
San Francisco he saw the dauntess Sher-
man before he earned his laureIs in the Civil