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HomeMy WebLinkAboutStories from Long Ago-BillStories from Long Ago The Texas Conference The Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church met in the Tabernacle Church, Galveston, Dec. 10, and finished its business Saturday night, but the appointments were not read until after the Sunday night services " Appointments `Navasota District, F.C. Moore, P.E. Navasota and Millican, John Guess Brenham, S. Hardwell Brenham Circuit, T. Jackson Hempstead, Edward Lee Hempstead Circuit, J.L. Smith San Felipe, L. Lane Belleville, Aaron Alexander Courtney, A. Campbell Plantersville, P. Noble Anderson, F.D. Bookman Red Top, D. Adkins Bryan, W.W. Brown Bryan Circuit, James Dalton Brewer's Hill, Wade Hamilton Hearne, J.S. Whitaker Southwestern Christian Advocate, 25 December 1879, p.1 The Texas Conference The fifteenth session of the Texas Conference was held in Houston, Dec. 8-13. Bishop E.O. Haven presided, W. Wesley, Secretary. Several matters helped to make it one of the best sessions of this body. It met on historic ground. Fifteen years ago Bishop Simpson reorganized the Texas Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church on the spot where the late session was held Appointments * Navasota District, F.C. Moore, P.E. Anderson, Frank Gilmore Belleville and Hempstead circuit, Aaron Alexander Brazos circuit, J.L. Smith Brenham, W.W. Brown Brenham circuit, B.D. Watrous Brewers Hill, J.L. Smyth Bryan, Wadi Hamilton Bryan circuit, W. Van Hook Courtney, L. Horne Hearne, J. Whitaker Hempstead, Edward Lee Matthew circuit, to be supplied Navasota and Millican, B. F. Williams Plantersville, Lewis Lane Prairie Plain, F.D. Bookman San Felipe, D. Adkins Washington, T. Jackson Southwestern Christian Advocate, 23 December 1880, p.2 Texas Conference This body of ministers of the Methodist Episcopal Church, closed its sixteenth session in Marshall, December 12. This conference includes the work among the colored people of Texas, in the Eastern half of the South * Appointments * Navasota District, F.C. Moore, Presiding Elder -Austin P.O. Anderson, F. Gilmore Belleville and Hempstead, to be supplied by W.H. Jackson Brenham, W. Brown Brenham and Washington, to be supplied by M. Reeves Bryan, W. Hamilton; Bryan Circuit, W. Van Hook Burleson Circuit, J.L. Smith Courtney, L. Horne Hearne and Franklin, S. Lawrence Hempstead, J.S. Whitaker Iola Circuit, supplied by S. Thurman Navasota and Millican, E. Lee Plantersville, A. Alexander Prairie Plain, F.D. Bookman San Felipe, D. Adkins Southwestern Christian Advocate, 22 December 1881, p.2 ** Stories from Long Ago Another Child Bitten The hydrophobia situation grows more serious and another child was severely bitten this morning. At the home of Eliza Woods, colored, their dog was kept tied and the little girl going too near it this morning was seized and badly bitten. She would perhaps have been killed had not a Negro boy gone to her rescue and pulled her away from the dog. The woman cooks at the Allen Academy and carried the child at once to Prof. H.W. South. He called Dr. Raysor and after attending to the child, they went to see about the dog and found it unmistakably mad. The dog was shot and killed by Dr. Raysor. As soon as the Academy's students learned of it, they took up a collection to have the child treated and raised $26.00. Prof. South will leave with the child for the Pasteur Institute at Austin tonight. The kindness of the faculty and students of the Academy is highly commendable. Brazos Pilot, 2 May 1907, p.6, col.3. A. M. Panthers Beat Navasota Wildcats The Panthers eleven of A&M Consolidated Negro high went down to Navasota Friday afternoon and took the Wildcats, representing the Negrp high school, into camp by a score of 13 to 0. Scoring was largely due to the ball carrying ability of Capt. J.W. Walker and Co-Captain A. Eaton. Bryan Daily Eagle, 29 September 1945, p.4 Had a Heart Attack Green Foster, a Negro 65 years old, dropped dead yesterday on the farm of Joe Kosh, three miles east of town, from heart failure. Justice Mitchell viewed the body and returned a verdict in accordance with the above statement. Bryan Daily Eagle, 14 December 1902, p.7 Uncle Bill Smith Killed Bill Smith, one of Bryan's old time darkeys was killed today in a well upon which he was working at the Fountain sanitarium. The well is nearly forty feet deep and the old Negro was laying brick down about twenty-five feet when gas began to rush in through a crack from a nearby cesspool. He shouted to the darkey helping him to draw him up and stepped into the well bucket and was pulled within six feet of the top when he became unconscious and fell back into the well. Owing to the amount of water in the well, so far efforts to recover the body have failed, and the water is being drawn out. "Uncle Bill" was well known and had been a familiar figure on the streets of Bryan for more than forty years. He had many friends, both white and black, who will regret to learn of his tragic death. Bryan Daily Eagle, 9 December 1912, p.6 Lincoln High to Play at Calvert The Lincoln High Panthers of College Station will be seeking their first victory of the year in Calvert on Friday night, and will take on the Brenham Lions at Bomber Park on Tuesday night, Oct.7, at 8 p.m. The Panthers lost to Caldwell last Friday afternoon by a 7-0 score. Bryan Daily Eagle, 1 October 1947, p.7 Tree Blew Down Jim Jones, an old Negro living in the Brazos bottom, was the victim of an unusual accident last Tuesday while the heavy windstorm was at its height. He was working in timber when a tree blew down upon him, breaking his hip bone and collar bone. He was unconscious for several hours and is still in a critical condition. Bryan Morning Eagle, 9 March 1902, p.3 Millican Negro is Accidentally Killed Navasota, Texas, Jan. 1 "A Negro man named Joe Edwards, was accidentally shot late yesterday afternoon while out hunting with his brother, the charge from the shotgun entering his right side. He was brought to the sanitarium here in the ambulance of C.A. Dunavant, but died before surgeons could begin the operation that was found necessary. The remains were carried back to Millican. Edwards lived about three miles from Millican, it is said. Bryan Weekly Eagle, 4 January 1923, p.3 Kemp Hi PTA Rev. D.E. Everett, pastor of the Lee Chapel Methodist Church, will be guest speaker at the 7:30 PM Monday meeting at the Kemp High School PTA. His talk will be on "Effective Learning for Wisdom and Stature." Ninth grade students will present the program. Bryan Daily Eagle, 14 January 1962, p. 10 Stories from Long Ago Shooting Affray at Bryan Bryan, Brazos Co., Tex., May 30 " In an altercation between Dr. W.F. Green and Dr. J.S. Reed, both colored, Green was shot this afternoon. The two met in the postoffice about 2 p.m. Both parties drew their pistols and commenced firing, resulting in Dr. Green receiving a fatal shot in the left breast, and Dr. Reed a slight wound in the left arm. Reed was arrested and landed in jail and in an interview says that the shooting was an outcome of an article printed in a local colored paper and that he did the shooting in self defense. Dallas Morning News, 1 June 1896, p.5 Colored Masonic Grand Lodge Bryan, Brazos Co., Tex., May 24 * The colored Masonic grand lodge of Texas will hold a meeting here June 13 to 17 inclusive, under the auspices of Social Tie Lodge No. 56. The programme includes music, adresses, memorial services, installation and annual banquet. C.L. Versea is chairman of the committee on arrangements and C.C. Carter is chairman of the reception committee. A rate of one and one-third fares is announced. Dallas Morning News, 26 May 1899, p.5 Colored Ball Players at Bryan Bryan, Tex., July 8 "The colored baseball teams of Bryan and Austin played here Monday afternoon. Score, 8 to 5 in favor of Austin. Dallas Morning News, 9 July 1903, p.10 Negro is In Trouble Bryan, Tex., Aug. 15 "Dave Washington, colored, of Millican, was lodged in jail here today charged with aggravated assault. Washington is alleged to have written an indecent letter to a white lady, and a posse went to his home yesterday to arrest him. It is said that Washington fired upon the party. They succeeded in arresting him, however, and gave him a beating, then turned him over to Constable Charles Dixon, who brought him to Bryan today, and landed him in jail, charged as above. Washington denies sending such a letter, and no name is signed to the note. There is but little excitement about the affair owing to lack of positive evidence. Dallas Morning News, 16 August 1905, p.12 Killed by Lightning New was received here yesterday morning that a Negro was killed by lightning below College Monday afternoon. The Negro and a white man were near a stove which was struck by lightning, the Negro being killed and the white man badly shocked. Another Negro was rendered insensible on Jim Dunn's place from a strike of lightning. He subsequently recovered. Bryan Morning Eagle, 11 July 1900, p.3, col.2 City Commissioners Dedicate Cemetery The City Commission met in regular session Thursday night and passed an ordinance dedicating the Negro cemetery in Oakwood in the west edge of town, approving the survey and fixing other details. Bryan Daily Eagle, 16 November 1923, p.1, col.5 Colored Population Has Organized City Cemetery Association in Bryan Pursuant to a call made by R.B. Goosby, a Negro city cemetery association was organized at a meeting held on Thursday night. The cemetery is to be located on the West Side and is to be known as Oakwood Cemetery. The following were elected: H.H. Haynes, president; J.A. Vaughan, secretary; E.W. Thomas, treasurer; C.C. Calhoun, chairman of board, and wives of the following as board members: R.B. Goosby, A. White, D. McIntosh, B.E. Bowen, R.E. Ellis, Ed Nash, Wheat Hill, Will Powers, Wilbur McVreem. The session adjourned subject to call. Bryan Daily Eagle, 18 July 1924, p.1, col.2. Deaths Rev. Louis Lane, one of the oldest ministers of the Texas Conference, died July 3, while in charge of Plantersville circuit. His funeral was attended by a large number of friends. Southwestern Christian Advocate, 4 August 1881 Our First Martyr A Methodist Preacher Hung Rev. Anthony Bewley has a companion in martyrdom. In the "Lone Star" State, another Methodist preacher has been hung. Texas claims the proto-martyr of our Church since its reorganization in the Southwest. In the winter of 1865, an intelligent, courageous, powerfully built colored man, twenty-five years old, entered the Thomson Biblical Institute, to prepare for the Christian ministry. He was Edwin Brooks. A machinist by trade, he commanded four dollars per day; but he left all to follow Christ. A faithful student, he advanced rapidly in his studies, and after a year's tuition, joined the Texas Conference, and was sent by Bishop Simpson to Millican, Texas, and at the succeeding Conference was reappointed by Bishop Ames. He soon became a leading man among his people, who looked up to him for religious advice and political counsel. In August last a white man entered the cabin of a freedman and threatened his life; but the man fled to the woods -the old place of refuge. From this incident occurred what was called the "Millican riot," which resulted so fatally to the blacks. In the troubles that followed, Rev. Edwin Brooks was the recognized leader of his brethren. After the excitement had subsided, Brooks was ordered to Austin to report to General Reynolds. On his way he found himself pursued by a band of armed men, from whom he fled and took refuge in the "Brazos river bottoms." But the blood-hounds were soon upon his path and uncovered his retreat to his bloody pursuers. Having secured their victim, they demanded that he should disclose the object of his mission to Austin, and that he should recant his Republican principles. Refusing to do either, they began to torture him in the most cruel manner. They stripped the flesh from his body, but he refused to recant; they broke his legs, but he declined to foreswear his honor and his faith; they then hung him by the neck till he died a martyr for his Church and country. After the horrid murder, the colored people were permitted to take the body of their pastor down and give it a decent burial. Thus a former student and fellow laborer, ended a life in which he had suffered as a slave, fought as a Union soldier, and which he crowned with martyrdom. New Orleans Advocate, 24 October 1868, p.5, col.1