San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-23
FRE|GHTERS TO
CONVENE HERE
NEXT THURSDAY.
Old Timers Will Revive
Days on the
Trad.
LAST THREE DAYS
Famous Figures Of From
tier Life Will Be |
Here. |
LAST THREE DAYS

coast and from lonesome prairie to
uninhabited plains, will pilot at least
one other expedition of canvas-cov-
cred trains on a short journey through
San Antonio. The Pioneer Freighters
Association of Texas, composed of
survivors of early times when loco
motives were still a theory and wag-
ons were used entirely for transport
ing freight, will gather in San An
tonic on March q, % and 30, for
their annual convention and parade.
A feature of the fifth convention will
be the, participation of the freighters
IN the dedication of the zero mile
stone.
Headed by a mounted group of
leaders of the association, including
William B. Krempkau as grand mar
shall; Capt. J. Il Gillett of Maria as
assistant grand marshal; j. T. Clink-
scales as chaplain, and Joseph Mo-
hier and Frank Kring as wagon mas
tiers, the procession will assemble on
San Saba street between Travis and
Houston streets, on March %, and
will proceed from there south to Com
merce street. From Commerce the
parade will 60 east to the City Hall,
where freighters will participate in
the dedication services of the zero
milestone on the Old Spanish Trail.
Has Hauled Presidents.
The procession Of characters who
have made history will include many
men whccs lives have been remark
able for advcnturing on the carly
frontier. John Fitzhenry, listed fer
duty. as wagon driver IN tie pa
rade. SERVED with General Caster in
1856; l.. W. Dugan, who has hauled
several Pres dents of the United
States, will take port as one of the
most venturesome Of the pioneers: Ed
Tschirha-dt, who killed a chief of the
Apaches on July 4, 1873, and Jeff
smith, who was captured by tine In
dams on RE CiDolC in 1866, will be
there; Big Diol;' johnson, VINO is
one OF Bufedl5 Bills men, will he in
the parade, ard Vice President 2. Il.
Turner, DO years cid, will drive his
wagon us bi.sk!y as ever.
Friday, March rs will be yisitin.
day for The delegates. During the
afternoon they will be guests Of VIII
liam Lyle, WHO will give, matinee
parties for the freighters. The Pal
ace Theater will also give movie"
parties for the convention.
On Saturday. March 30. barbecue
will be given at San Pedro Springs.
Speakers for this event will include
DIR. Fred Xerrell, Judge Luby of Du-
val, Capt. John Elgin, and William
Krempkau. Members desiring to speak
will be given the privilege Of address
ing the meeting at this time. Fol-
lowing the barbecue. which will be
staged under the direction of Mr..
krempkau, there will be an election
of officers for the coming year. 4
Old Timers Coming.
SChief cooks" for the barbecue will
include several men who have killed
buffalo on the war trail of Indians.
and days of pack trains will be lived
again, when hasty meals were cooked
on campfires within sight of the red
men, who perhaps had encircled the
camp of the freight drivers.
Prominent men scheduled to appear
in the parade on Thursday include
James Satterwhite, who will drive the
stage coach: James Hogan. who will
drive wagon No. 1; J.. W. Dugan,
James Mills, driver of wagon No. 4 4;
". b. Foster. who will drive the ca
reta; Earl Calam, who will handle
the pack mules: Mike Rips, b. +.
Schmidt, Frank Kring, Ed Pefferling,
George W. Saunders. George Gerdes.
Robert Rips, who will have charge of
the saddle horses; Henry Vonflee,
" Buffalo Bill" Slaughter, I'd Tsehir-
hardt, Clint Smith, big Dick" John
SSpD H n son RR OtSra 0 GTaTd
els Monier, c. NJ. Click, John Inken,
Ed Galam. P. r. Turner. Light Town
send: John Fitzhenry, Nathan Under
wood, Of Houston Capt. d. p. Smith.
G. A. Denny, Godfrey Peterson and
Judge Luby, of Duval county; Albert
Sehiffers and James. Coultress and,
Max Aubrey and Charles McKeen,,
wagon directors. who will be assist
ed by army men in hitching the mules.
Stopped for Nothing.
In regard to the convention of
freighters, Mr.. Kempkau, who has
charge of arrangements for the meet
ing. said:
Inc OLD men, VINO VIII gather IN
San Antonio for their fifth annual
convention, handled at one time all
the freight that was transported
through Texas, with their associates,
who have passed beyond. They
hauled all the freight from the coast
o San Antonio, and to points in
iexico. and transported passengers
's well. These old fellows did all
lie business that railroads or truck
ines would have done, had they been
existence then as they are today.
With their OK teams and pack mules
hey drove on roads that were little
more than dim trails, and they never
stopped for high water, drought or
storm. They were guided by the sun
during the daylight hours, and at
night the moon served as their COM
Iass."
Survivors OF freighting days in
'eXas are dying at the rate of 20 or
every year. Mr.. Krempkau stat
ID, and soon they will be gone--but
for memory.
1.-THE railroads put an end to our
career, in 1881 Mr.. Krepkau stat
ed. "but We are doing everything in
our power to perpetuate the memory
of those early days. The conventions
prove especially entertaining for the
old men. who like to talk over old
times with their comrades of by