The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947 Page: 362
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Southwestern Historical Quarterly
by 1914, being the founder and president of the American Na-
tional Bank in the Littlefield Building.o Her greeting, which
she would call in a strident voice across the street to Littlefield
was: "Hello, you old cattle thief!" A gracious Southern gen-
tleman, Major Littlefield would bow and smile at her. It is
supposed that only one cattleman could ever speak in such
fashion to another. Of course, it is understood that Lizzie "said
it with a smile."
Shortly after her husband's death Lizzie lost all regard for
her own physical comfort and appearance, although her business
acumen did not suffer. Her credit was excellent indeed. She
could borrow any amount from banks in Galveston, El Paso,
or Houston, as well as Austin.
One time she owed many thousands of dollars-quite a big sum-and
she went on down to the bank carrying a big red handkerchief-and she
asked them for the note and when they gave it to her she opened the
red handkerchief and had all those greenbacks in there-and handed it
to them.61
It is amusing to note that at the time of her death Lizzie owed
the Austin National Bank the trifling sum of $5.00.62
As a business woman she was shrewd to her own betterment
above the consideration of harm done to others. Her relatives
felt that she came to see them only when she wanted to seek a
favor. She kept churches, schools, and even the University of
Texas hopeful of donations, which she gave them to understand
she was considering. In this way she made people be nice to
her, keeping them anticipating money which, from the begin-
ning, she had no intention of giving.
In spite of her wealth Lizzie allowed herself no luxuries and
few necessities in the last years of her life, and she became
known as a miser and a woman with no friends.
Her habits of eating were of the same economic restriction. She took
some meals at the Maverick Cafe, where a bowl of vegetable soup with
bread or crackers was priced at ten cents during the summer. During
the winter the price of vegetable soup advanced because of the scarcity
of vegetables, but shrewd Aunt Lizzie made a contract with the proprietor
that her bowl of soup the year around was to be only ten cents."s
S0Gus L. Ford, Texas Cattle Brands, 229.
"1Mrs. John E. Shelton, Statement Concerning Elizabeth E. Johnson
Williams.
2Estate of Lizzie E. Williams in Probate Minutes of Travis County,
Vol. 54, p. 399.
5sT. U. Taylor, "Johnson Institute," Frontier Times, XVIII, 229.362
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947, periodical, 1947; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101117/m1/439/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.