La Grange Journal (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 22, 1940 Page: 2 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Fayette County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Fayette Public Library, Museum and Archives.
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FEBRUARY 22, 1940
LA GRANGE JOURNAL
PAGE TWO
Houston's “Vivien Leigh” Admires Blooms
CAPTAIN JOHN REAGAN BAKER
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I
ANNOUNCEMENTS EOR OFFICE
!
CARD OF THANKS
Drug
•♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦»♦♦*« Hill | | | IM | | +»»
i LaGrange Journal ii
AND THE
ii Dallas Farm News h
ONE YEAR FOR
60
TOWNSEND PUBLIC SPEAKING I
HOSPITAL NEWS
CITATION BY PUBLICATION
THURSDAY. FEBR. 29
■I
past three
Waelder.
Don’t Put‘ *hiS °ff’ th* c,ubbinK offer may be with-
others to
; drawn without further notice.
Name
♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦....................................
iw I
S'
(
R. F. D. No._____________________________
(Write name and addregs plain to avoid
Instead of Sunday, February 25, as
previously announced, Mr. D. Mge-
---o———
Mrs. J. S. Mann of Beaumont paid
a brief visit to her son and daughter-
in-law, Coach J. S. Mann, Jr., last
week-end.
EDGAR ANDERS OF WEIMAR
LOCATES AT LA GRANGE
------, Texas.
errors.)
NOTES AND FRAGMENTS
OF THE MIER EXPEDITION
£
and the Semi-Weekly
year, as per your special offer. Inclosed
£ ’
Fa
The George Washington Episcopal
ladies’ candy sale was postponed in-
definitely, due to illness of several
members. All who so kindly favored
the ladies with advance orders, will
accept their sincere thanks.
u
I
1
•'.i'-Wl
City Election, April 2.
FOR ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR
The Journal is authorized to an-
nounce Marie Weber, present incum-
bent, as a candidate for re-election to
the office of City Assessor and Col-
lector.
Baker was a native of Pennsylvania. His
wife was born at Buckingham, Buckingham
County, Virginia. They were married in
Green County, Tennessee, early in 1801.
Peter Baker was a veteran of the War of
1812. Neither Mr. Baker nor his wife ever
lived in Texas; they di£d in Tennessee be-
tween 1840 and 1845.
The children of Peter Baker and his wife
were: William, Henry, Allen; our hero,
John Reagan; Samuel, Thomas, Carroll
Smith, and one girl named Kate. She died
young. Nine in all.
John Reagan Baker was born near Blue
Springs, Green County, Tennessee, on Aug.
6, 1809. and here he grew to manhood.
After reaching his majority, he decided to
make his own way, so removing to Moulton,
Alabama, he engaged in the mercantile
business. Here he was not satisfied, and
decided to change his locality to the State
of Mississippi, where he opened another
store. Still he thought that he could do
better, and hearing so much about Texas,
he decided to try his luck in this new land.
In 1836 he left Mississippi for Galveston;
bringing his stock of goods with him. How-
ever, the sojourn of our hero in the Island
City was of short duration, and he soon
pulled up stakes and went to New Orleans
and there he and his brother, Samuel Bak-
er, formed a partnership. This new busi-
ness venture lasted only a few months.
Then Mr. Baker had a desire to see his
parents once more. They were living in
Missouri at this time, and it was on this
trip that he probably got the first glimpse
of his future wife.
Captain Baker seems to have remained
in Missouri until some time in 1839, when
he made his second trip to Texas, where
he was to meet so much high adventure,
and where he was to make his permanent
home.
It seems more than a coincidence that
his second cousin, John H. Reagan, also of
Tennessee, should also have arrived in
Texas in the year 1839. it seems possible
that Baker, like Reagan, might have par-
ticipated in the Cherokee War. The records
are silent
From all accounts, Mr. Baker must have
gone directly to Refugio, and there at last,
after all his wandering, he found the life
for which he craved.
Judging from all the information at
hand, the first important person that Cap-
tain Baker met after his arrival in Texas,
was the renowned Scotchman, Ewen Cam-
eron. In the light of subsequent events,
we learn that a friendship immediately de-
MARRIAGES
JORGENSEN-DICKERSON
Roy Jorgensen and Mrs. Nellie
Dickerson were married at Shreve-
port, La., Monday. Mr. Jorgensen is
employed at the Shell Station north
of La Grange; Mrs. Dickerson, for
the past four months, was employed
as stenographer at the office of Coun-
ty Agent J. C. Yeary.
After a few days’ sojourn in Louis-
iana, the couple will return to La
Grange, their future home.
------o------
POSTPONED!
Please send the LaGrange Journal
Farm News for one ;--------
find ck—money order—for |2.60.
I am—am not—a subscriber to the Journal.
I sun—am not—a subscriber to the Farm News.
Present Patients
T. L. Minor, West Point.
Mrs. Otto Eckel, City.
Mrs. Emil Schley, Fayetteville.
Ernest Smith, (col.) La Grange.
Mrs. Hy. Wessels, West Point.
Mrs. Ed. Schubert, Ledbetter.
Oliver Wagner, Burton.
Heine Feigenbaum, City.
Miss Julia Sury, City.
Jos. Janda, La Grange.
Miss Anna Kreische, La Grange.
Louis Giese, Warda.
Mrs. L. J. Hom, Houston.
Joe Clayton (transient)
Lorenz Stolz, City.
The Marburger Twins,
• • •
Dismissed
Elsie Huebel, La Grange.
Mrs. M. T. Morris, City.
Frank Maze], Sr., Fayetteville.
L. J. Sulak, City.
Mrs. Sam Sutherland, Glidden.
Mrs. Johanna Zingelmann, Round
Wilson County, Texas. Much of the infor-
mation to follow has been furnished by
•this youngest and only living son of our
hero. He is the Hon. Allen Lewis Baker.
Now we will go directly into the records
and tell our story to the best of our ability,
having due regard for the truth as revealed
by existing records:
John Reagan Baker was the son of Peter
Baker and his wife, whose maiden name
was Miss Margaret Laura Reagan. Peter
LAGRANGE JOURNAL,
LAGRANGE, TEXAS.
GENTLEMEN:
Top.
Mrs. Raymond Beran, La Grange.
Mrs. R. G. Seeberger, City.
Mrs. O. P. Galloway, City.
August Pietsch. Nechanitz.
Miss Earline Tietjen, Rutersville.
Frank Martin, Eagle Lake.
Mrs. Maynard Ivy, City.
Lillian Farek, Schulenburg.
Mrs. Henry Gabler, Schulenburg.
Mrs. Annie Polasek, Fayetteville.
USEFULSIGNS
Cardboars signa, including “For
Rent,” “Garage For Rent". “Not Re-
sponsible For Aay Loes by Fire” and
other readings. Printed on heavy
cardboard. Priced at Sc and 10c each.
Get them at the Stationery Depart-
ment of the LaGrange Journal.
SMITH-BONORDEN
News has been received here of
the marriage of T. C. Smith of Steph-
ensville to Miss Lorita Bonorden of
Bryan, at Dallas, January 20.
Miss Lorita is a La Grange girl
and a graduate of the La Grange
High School. For the
years she has been employed at A.
& M. College, in the service of the
government, where she has advanced
to supervisor over a large number of
other workers.
The bridegroom is the youngest son
of Mrs. — Smith of Stamford, and a
graduate of A. A M. College. He is
at present employed by the govern-
ment under the new soil conservation
program at Stephensville, but will be
transferred to Louisiana in the near
future. The bride will resign her po-
sition at A. A M. College and join her
husband when he goes to Louisiana. *
V* ..
1
Dear and kind friends and neigh-
bors, we offer to you our thanks, you
were so considerate during the illness
of our husband and father, John
Fein, and your words of sympathy
and kindness to us when death re-
lieved him of his suffering have made
us your debtors for life. We thank
Rev. Heise for the kind words spok-
en; also our thanks for the beautiful
flowers.
HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
------o------
Get your school supplies at the
Journal Stationery Department.
......
so-
K
In the picture, Miss Marcelle Steph-
enson of Houston admires some
blooms of the Rosa Rouletti, known
as the “lost rose” because it was be-
lieved extinct for over a century. The
Rosa Rouletti will be on display at
the National Flower and Garden
convinced that they had witnessed the
fighting of devils, not men. During the
night Dr. Jordan scaled a mountain,
thought to be impassable, and made his
escape. He lost five killed and seven
wounded.
He marched his men three hundred miles
through the enemy country, often in full
view of them, and passed safely over into
Texas, carrying his wounded with him.
And thus ended the Republic of the Rio
: f onrl fktzA ♦ oJconfnro rwf nnr itun
SHH®
> t 1
■Kfe,
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xBXizZi
I Show at Sam Houston Coliseum Feb-
ruary 28 through March 6. Miss
1 Stephenson was chosen in a contest
as the Houston girl most resembling
Vivien Leigh of “Gone With The
Wind.”—Sponsored by La Grange
Garden Club.
1 • • v y-, : 1'1
Edgar Anders, graduate of phar-
macy, and for the past several years
prescription clerk at Weimar, is a
new citizen; together with Mrs. An-
ders, the change of residence became
effective, Monday.
Pharmacist Anders is a graduate
of the Fort Worth School of Phar-
macy, and has had six years’ experi-
ence as a pharmacist. Reared at
Weimar, a graduate of the Weimar
High School in 1928, he attended St.
Edward’s College at Austin, complet-
ing his education at St. Edward’s
College, he began his study of phar-
macy, graduating in 1934.
Vacancy, at the Hermes
Store, caused by the death of Aug.
Hermes, made necessary the employ-
ment of another competent pharma-
cist. Edgar, you are welcomed to La
Grange.
a worthwhile sketch. And now, without
any previous warning, we suddenly con-
tacted a living son of Captain John Reagan
■
I
'"'W'
broff of Brenham will show the beau-
tiful sound picture “Christus” in the
Round Top Bethlehem church, Fri-
day, February 23. Please note the
change of date. Everybody is cor-
dially invited to come and see this
wonderful picture. No admission will
be charged, but a free will offering
will be collected to cover the expense
incurred by Mr. Mgebroff.
W. KRALIK, Pastor.
------o------
The Journal and the Dallas Semi-
Weekly Farm News, |2.60 per year.
THE STATE OF TEXAS
TO THE SHERIFF OR ANY CON-
STABLE OF FAYETTE COUNTY,
GREETING:
A. H. Blume, guardian of the es-
tate of Helen Blume, non compos
mentis, having filed in the County
Court of Fayette Couhty, Texas, his
account for final settlement in the
guardianship of Helen Blume, non
compos mentis, No. 3555, on the Pro-
bate Docket of said court, together
with his application to be discharged
as such guardian.
You are hereby commanded, that
by publication of this writ once a
week for three successive weeks in
some newspaper published in Fayette
County, you give due notice to all
persons interested in the account for
final settlement of said ward’s es-
tate, to appear and contest the same
if they see proper to do so, oh Mon-
day, the eleventh day of March, A.D.
1940, at the courthouse of said coun-
ty, in La Grange, Texas, when said
account and application will be acted
upon by said court.
Given under my hand and seal of
this court, at my office in the City
of La Grange, Texas, this 20th day
of February, 1940.
(Seal) JOHN A. KUBENA,
Clerk County Court, Fayette
County, Teras.
Issued this 20th day of
February, 1940.
JOHN A. KUBENA,
County Clerk, Fayette
County, Texas. (10)
■ ■■ o--------------
Stafford’s White Rubber Paper Ce-
ment will not wrinkle or curl thin
paper. Convenient for mounting pho-
tographs, etc.; waterproof. For sale
at the Journal Stationery Dept.
a m
missed. She
gives you an
sion charges.
Come, tell
speaking will be sponsored by La
Grange Townsend Club No. 1.
Regular business meeting at court
house on the following Friday night.
JOHN B. KNIGHT, Secretary.
------o------
SEE SOUND PICTURES
AT ROUND TOP CHURCH
■ *™
m. -Mag
fc i
So far as our records go to show, the
and Baker was the little known fiasco of |
history, the Republic of the Rio Grande.
As this astounding military feat was the
inspiration for the Mier Expedition, it is '
necessary that we go into it by way of ex-
planation, so the reader will understand
what followed.
• 1 Unnb th® ■v,ear, just about the ,n the year jg41 was decidedly no Sunday
Yin HQlznt* »«nnnhnri Iavao nwzxozx vw» ' i i • • i f l a
school picnic, as he soon found out.
His term of office was not unusually
ed in the formation of the Republic of the ' t^month*“he "Mexicans raided through
• _ I’Onrin n z4zx/i»z4z»zl I , i • i i i «.
I Refugio, which caused much excitement
its object the overthrow of Santa Anna,
Texians to the number of about three hun-
dred volunteered and selected as their com-
mander Colonel Reuben Ross. After fight-
ing one major battle at Alcentra, which is
only 12 miles from Mier, in which the Fed-
eralists and the Texians were decidedly
victorious, a lull occurred in operations, and
our men returned home. We do not know
whether or not either Cameron or Baker
took part in this fight.
The year 1840 saw the Republic of the
Rio Grande with a president, and full set
of officers and an army. In this army,
which was composed of native volunteers
of northern Mexico, we find 112 Texians
under command of Colonel Wm. S. Fisher,
Captain S. W. Jordan, who was a physi-
cian of note, and Juan N. Seguin, who was
to turn traitor to Texas in 1842.
These forces advanced into the interior
of Mexico, but the prudent Dr. Jordan be-
came suspicious of his Mexican allies, a
distrust which was well founded, for when
the enemy was contacted at Saltillo on Oc-
tober 3, 1840, the Mexicans had already
agreed among themselves to betray our
Texians to their death. When the battle
line was formed, the Mexican comrads of
Jordan and his men promptly deserted and
went over to the enemy, leaving our 112
men at the mercy of an overwhelming force
and far from home.
The entire population of Saltillo was
aware of what was to come and they all
turned out to witness the butchery of the
112 Texas gringos, by a thousand Mexi-
cans. They took positions on house tops,
in trees and in the hills, any place of van-
tage from which to witness the Roman
holiday. And both, Ewen Cameron and
John Reagan Baker, were soldiers of this
little army of 112.
It was now that Dr. Jordan’s intuition
proved cf value, for he, in a measure, anti-
cipated and was prepared for this traitor-
ous action of the Mexicans. He immedi-
ately took position behind a stone wall, on
a steep hillside, invulnerable, and approach-
able from only one side. Then the fight
began, the Mexicans charged and charged
again, they loosened their artillery, and
then they charged some more. The battle
lasted until night, and when at last the
shadows fell, the Mexicans had lost over
four hundred men, dead and dying, and
the spectators from Saltillo went home
and indignation, as the enemy committed
acts of vandalism and theft as well as vio-
lence. Captain Ewen Cameron seems to
have had a company of randers at this
time, who operated in the vicinity of Cor-
pus Christi, Lipantitlan and Refugio. In
this company were quite a few of the citi-
zens of Refugio, and John R. Baker was
first lieutenant, and held this rank in the
organization during its lifetime from about
1840 to 1844. These men were the genuine,
original “cow boys” and Cameron coined
the word just as truly as “maverick” was
brought into existence by Samuel Augustus
Maverick.
Cameron, Baker and his “cow boys”
chased the Mexicans as far as the Nueces
river, but they got away. In those days
that strip of country between the Nueces
and the Rio Grande was a no man’s land
populated by wild horses, wilder cattle and
infested with the lawless element of three
races, who asked no quarter and gave none.
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna was now
back in Mexico, and in the saddle again.
Instead of being thankful to the Texians
for sparing his worthless life, when he so
richly deserved to have been shot, he was
refusing to recognize any measure of inde-
pendence for his lost province and inciting
the citizens of Mexico to further inroads
upon our territory. He hoped in this way
to convince the world that Mexico had not
relinquished her claim to Texas and thus
prevent her independence from being recog-
nized by the world powers.
This was a bad situation, especially for
that portion of our country lying just north
of the Rio Grande; Cameron and Baker
both realized this and saw that their one
company of cowboy rangers was nsuffi-
cient to cope successfully with the prob-
lem, and they proposed to do something
about it.
Sheriff Baker, accordingly, on October
25, 1841, recruited himself an independent
company of “minute men” whose duty it
was to help him enforce the law, protect
the border and work in co-operation with
Captain Ewen Cameron’s company of
rangers. It is from this troup of mounted
minute men of which he was the leader
that he derived his title of Captain Baker.
He and his men were on constant duty
from date of organization until December
2, 1841. —HOUSTON WADE
(Continued next week)
veloped between them, a knd of Johnathan
and David relationship, based on the mu-
tual admiration of two kindred souls, who
knew not the meaning of the word “fear”,
and we are tempted to add that neither of
them realized even the virtues of prudence
I or caution.
The friendship, brotherhood seems a
better word, that existed between Cameron
and Baker lasted until broken by death,
The Semi-Weekly Farm News costs you $1.00 per ! I
1 year’.onAAmttter wher®y?u subscribe; the Journal costs ]
; you $2.00. You save 40c by taking both papers, through '
> this offer. !
> Everybody wants additional premiums; good reading 1
, is always enjoyed. Use the following coupon, send us i
; your check or money order and get the Journal and the 1
; Semi-Weekly Farm News for one year for a little more 1
> tnan the pnee of the Journal alone. i
K
Miss Roberta Schmale, a young
lady of Garden City, Kansas, nation-
wide speaker and radio commentator
for the Townsend National Recovery
Plan, will speak at La Grange, court
house, Thursday, February 29, at
7:45 o’clock, p.m.
It is a treat to hear this lady, I
heard her at Austin some time ago,
and I know that she is capable of
handling the subject.
Ladies and young people, as well
as older people, are especially invited
to attend the speaking. Farmers,
come and hear a message intended
also for you. If you miss hearing the
Miss, perhaps you’ll regret that you
is an “eye full” who
“ear full.” No admis-
come. The
In all of our work on the subject of the j
Mier Expedition, we were never able to
secure sufficient information concerning
Capt. John Reagan Baker, one of the lead- and we can say without fear of contradic- And thus ended the Republic of the Rio
. . • mA—----k— tion that every danger and every adven- jGrande and the first adventure of our two
ture, and they were many and various, saw “Musketeers.”
sufficient information concerning
__r____'__~ , one of the lead-
ing spirits of the final military venture of
the Republic of Texas, to be able to.™1? j Upon the return of our hero, John Rea-
j to be obsessed with the idea that they could I l?an Baker, from his adventure in the Re-
accomplish all things, even the impossible, public of the Rio Grande, although he was
Baker, and found him residing at Stockdale, So far as our records go to show, the *<uddeidy 'l^cqme^ hero of the first
... Pby Cameron mati,, da
The people of Refugio County sought to
show their appreciation, so by common con-
i sent, he was elected sheriff on date of
February 1, 1841. People of today hardly
realize what it meant to be the chief peace
officer of a Texas County in that day and
time. His new job in that frontier locality
time Baker reached Texas, there arose in
northern Mexico a new movement of the nis uuivc ,iuv
F ederal party of that country. K culminat- ^ until September 1841.
Rio Grande, a movement decidedly favor-
able to Texas. As this movement had as
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La Grange Journal (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 8, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 22, 1940, newspaper, February 22, 1940; La Grange, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1349002/m1/2/?q=%22Allen+Lewis+Baker%22: accessed June 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Fayette Public Library, Museum and Archives.