The Tyler Journal (Tyler, Tex.), Vol. 12, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, May 29, 1936 Page: 67 of 72

                                
FRIDAY. MAY 29, 1936
THE TYLER JOURNAL
Light-weight at the proverb-
ial feather . . . cool at the
well known cucumber!
“Dress - up” doesn't mean
discomfort — not in these
suits I Come in t Try them on!
Smart new shades and blends
in long-wearing, good look*
and conservatives designed
to meet every man’s fancy
... at a price to meet every
man’s wallet I They’re here!
:l« 1
wm
WHO HAVE BEEN OUR SOLONS
SINCE OUR STATEHOOD BEGAN?
Editor’s Note—In anticipation that
an answer to the above question would
be of interest to our readers—and
suitable for our Historical Section—
we addressed a letter to the Hon. R.
B. Stanford, Secretary of State, on
March 17. The Secretary gave us
the data from the year 1890 down to
the current yeai;—and that data ap-
pears in our sefction 4, on pages 2
and 6. The subjoined data giving a
list of our State Senators and Repre-
sentatives from the beginning of
statehood to the year 1890, was later
ter Selman was the late Dr. Selman
after whom, we are advised, Mount
Selman in Cherokee county was
named. We do not know if the two
Selmans were related. How many of
these Senators and Representatives
can you remember to have seen ? The
first legislator whose period of ser-
vice we can remember personally is
John S. Jackson whose home was at
Browning—and Dr. H. L. Tate, Jack-
son’s immediate successor (who died
only a few years ago) was a gener-
ous personal friend of ours. We can
supplied to us by the State Archivist also remember to have seen (but can
to whose department the records had
been transferred from that of the
Secretary of State. As a matter of
history which you may want to file
or preserve for your children, or for
your school library, we suggest that
you clip the first installment of these
names from Section 4 of this*' issue
and paste them at the end of this
item—or at least “blue pencil’’ the
above reference so that you may have
the continuous or consecutive story.
You will note that a B. T. Selman was
our Senator from the 9th to the 11th
Legislature inclusive, that is, thru
the period of the War Between the
States from 1861 to 1866. Later you
will note that a B. G. Selman served
as our Representative in the 21st
Legisalture (1889 to 1891). This lat-
not remember the period of service
of) many others on the list For ex-
ample, we recall having met Senator
John II. Reagan once. We recall Gov-
ernor Hubbard, F. M. Hays, Major
James P. Douglas, Col. Thomas R.
Bonner who was Speaker of the House
in 1878 and for whom Thos. R. Bon-
ner Masonic Lodge of Mt. Sylvan was
named. Many of our readers can re-
member John M. Duncan and others
like Judge Stephen Reaves, whether
we can remember the period when
they served or not. We do not know
our Texas history well enough to ex-
plain why no State Senators are list-
ed for the 13th to 16th Legislatures,
inclusive, unloss it was due to the
aftermath of the Reconstruction per-
iod.
A Resourceful Editor
r
SMITH COUNTY AND SEVENTH SENATORIAL DISTRICT
LEGISLATORS
lit—16th regular sessions
1846-1879
(Smith County was created by 1st Legislature April 11, 1846 from Nacog-
doches and organized July 16, 1846)
Legis.
Date
Senators
Representatives
1st
Feb.
16, 1846
Isaac Parker*
John (Red) Brown*
2nd
Dec. 13, 1847
Isaac Parker**
i
E. Lott**
A. Sterne**
J. II. Reagan**
3rd
Nov.
5, 1849
•
4th
Nov.
3, 1851
Stephen Reaves
(Rusk and Smith)
5th
Nov.
7, 1853
Elisha E. I^ott
J. D„ C. Adrian
Hardy Holman
6th
Nov.
5, 1855
Elisha E. Lott    J. D. C. Adrian
(Smith & Van Zandt)
7th
Nov.
2, 1857
Elisha E. Lott
Geo. W. Chilton
Jonathan Ixwter
8th
Nov.
7, 1859***
Elisha E. Lott
R. B. Ilubbaid
Jonathan Lewter
9th
Nov.
4, 1861
B. T. Selman
(Wood, Smith,
Van Zandt)
Francis M. Hays
Jas. A. Martin
10th
Nov.
2, 1863
B. T. Selman
(Wood, Smith,
Van Zandt)
L. P. Butler
Francis M. Hays
11th
Aug.
6 1866
B. T. Selman
R. K. Gaston
J. Lewter
12th
Jan. 1871
J. P. Douglas
Geo. H. Slaughter
(No other represen-
tative listed)
13th
Jan.
14, 1873
?
R. K. Gaston
(Smith and Upshur)
14th
Jan.
13, 1874
7
J. B. Henderson
7
Thos. R. Bonner
E. P. Marshall
15th
Apr.
19, 1878
?
16th
Jan.
14, 1879
7
J. B. Henderson
*—From Nacogdoches—Smith County not yet created.
**—Nacogdoches legislators—no Smith County legislators listed.
*** Met in called session, January 1, 1861, one week before the Secession
Convention.
TEXAS
Members of Texas Legislature, House and Senate, representing Smith
County, 1879-1890, inclusive, covering 16th through 21st Legislatures, regu-
lar sessions only.
Under,the apportionment act of 1875 (Gammel’s Laws, vol. 8 page 754)
Smith, Camp, Upshur and Gregg counties formed the 7th senatorial dis-
trict. Smith County constituted the 15th representative district by itself
and Smith and Gregg, together, formed the lGth district. This act was in ef-
fect for the 16th and 17th Legislatures.    i
16th LEGISLATURE 1879-1881
Senate—7th dist.—John M. Duncan of Gregg County (representing Smitn,
Camp, Upshur, and Gregg)    *
House—15th dist.—J. B. Henderson of Smith County
16t.h dist.—B. W. Brown of Gregg County (Smith and Gregg counties)
17th LEGISLATURE 1881-1883
Senate—7th dist.—John M. Duncan of Gregg County
House—15th dist.—T. G. A. Willis of Smith County
16th dist.—F. G. McCord of Smith County
Under the apportionment act of 1882 (Gammel’s Laws, vol. 9, page 269)
Smith, Rains, Wood, Upshur, and Gregg formed the 6th senatorial district.
Smith county alone made up the 12th representative district.
18th LEGISLATURE 1883-1885
Senate—6th dist.—John Creighton Buchanan of Wood County
House—12th dist.—John Shadrack Jackson of Smith County
19th LEGISLATURE 1885-1887
Senate—6th dist.—J. L. Camp of Upshur County    J
House—12th dist.—H. L. Tate of Smith County    >
20th LEGISLATURE 1887-1889
Senate—6th dist.—J. L. Camp of Upshur County
House—12th dist.—II. L. Tate of Smith County
21st LEGISLATURE 1889-1891
Senate—6th dist.—Cone Johnson of Smith County
House—12th dist.—B. G. Selman of Smith County
The East Texas oil field, still the
world’s largest field, produces ap-
proximately one-sixth of the entire
oH production of the United States
and about one-third of the Texas al-
lowable.
surrounding Tyler were put in stand-
ard forty-two gallon barrels and the
barrels laid end to end, they would
reach twice around the world at the
equator.
,Grange and Farm Organization Day
at the Texas Centennial Exposition
If all the oil produced in the area will be July 30.
A. M. Cohen, Palestine Boy, 12-Time Belo Cup Winner
Has Had Interesting Career \ i Is Member Legislature
E. S. Shoaf, Quitman
That a man doesn’t have to be bom
into the newspaper game is evidenced
by the performance of E. S. Shoaf,
Editor and owner of the Wood County
Democrat of Quitman. Mr. Shoaf’s
hometown is but a small village, not
even on the railway, and its only
claim is that it is the county seat of
our good neighbor, Wood county.
Shoaf is President of the Texas
Writers Conference which meets each
year at College Station during the an-
nual A & M College Short Course.
He is Chairman Wood County Chap-
ter American Red Cross, an organiza-
tion which under his able direction is
functioning well. He’s also a Direc-
tor of the Wood County Fair, an in-
stitution very much unlike the aver-
age county fair, in that its annual
expositions enlist the cooperation of
the farmers and the various towns of
his county and are of suchj quality as
to be helpful to every interest the
Fair seeks to promote, the while re-
maining a source of pride on the part
of the people.
Moreover, Mr. Shoaf has made a
success of his paper because he uses
his car and contacts his people, learns
their thoughts and views—and speaks
their views as well as his own in his
firstspage, first-column “by a Hoe
Hand.” He was born at Covington,
Tenn., Feb. 21, 1893; came to Texas in
1906. He was educated in the com-
mon schools except two short sum-
mer courses at Northwestern Uni-
versity, Evanston, 111. He got into
the game first as a cub reporter on
the Fort Worth Bureau of the Dallas
Morning News under the tutelage of
the late John Sneed. He then served
as Manager of the Chambers of Com-
merce in VtniC£ West Texas cities and
for countyMairs in that area; then
did a 4-year turn as Manager of Pub-
licity and General Manager of the
Jennings, La., Chamber of Commerce.
Then he came to the Kilgore Daily
News for a 9 months term as general
advertising manager. He has served
as reporter and staff writer for dailies
in and out of the State for 25 years.
He bought the Wood County Demo-
crat in September, 1931, during the
“deepest dip” of the depression; but
his unflagging energies, tact and re-
sourcefulness pepped the old sister up
immediately—and she’s still pepped
up. He was then united in marriage
to Miss Roma Hutchinson of Hub-
hard, Texas. They have two children,
Miss Vorena and Jacob E., the lat-
ter in business Hvith Dad as Assistant
Editor and all-round man for the bus-
iness.
He’s A Close Neighbor
John B. Cowan, Wood County Record
John B. Cowan is Editor of The
Wood County Record, published at
Mineola. John is a mere stripling of
a youth in comparison with our own
age—but somehow we haven’t been
able to get a line on John’s biography.
This we know, however: John B. Cow-
an comes of a line of sturdy Texas
pioneers, a fact of which he is, and
of right ought to he, very proud.
Mr. Cowan in his writings has a
flare for “Alliteration’s artful aid,”
and in his writings and public ad-
dresses often grows eloquent; espe-
cially in contemplation of the centen-
nial and historical themes, of his
state. John B. is not only an eloquent
and forceful winter, but he is with-’
a crackerjack mechanical man in
printshop. He never forgets a name,
a face—or a delinquent subscriber;
keeps well-informed on current mat-
ters; knows what’s happening in his
county all the time. He’s as friendly
as a Quaker—and a thousand times
more loquacious. He’s over there in
a field whose citizens claim that they
gave Jim Hogg, printer and news
paper man, to the State—and as John
has also a flare for politics (no,
statesmanship) who would be sur-
prised iff,he some day plunges in?
A. M. Cohen. Dallas ahd Houston
A. M. Cohen was born and reared
at Palestine, Texas. He started his
career as a boy on the Palestine “Ad-
vocate,” which is probably the oldest
weekly newspaper in Texas. He later
worked on the Palestine “Herald” and
published a weekly paper for some
time himself and later joined others
in publishing the Palestine “News”,
a daily newspaper.
After that, went to Houstp.p, Tex-
as, where he was connected with the
Houston “Post” for fourteen years.
The last several years being Adver-
tising Director of that paper.
Mr. Cohen left Houston five years
ago to take over Southern Newspaper
Features, Dallas, Texas, which is now
the second largest Cooking School or-
ganization in the United States.
He has been married for twenty-
five years.
For many years has been an officer
of the Methodist Church, serving for
many years as Chairman of the Board
of the Methodist Churches at Pales-
tine and Houston.
Three years ago he served the Ad-I
vertising Fraternity as Governor of
the Tenth District, Advertising Fed-1
oration of America and while in Hou- |
ston, served the Houston Advertising
Association as President. He was also
a Director of the Better Business Bu-
reau of Houston, Texas, for a number
of years.
He has been “a newspaper man”
since boyhood.
Trade goes
Advertise!
where it is invited.
Hon. Jim Waggoner, Whitewright
J. H. Waggoner, Editor and pub-
lisher of The Whitewright Sun, two-
times winner of the A. H. Belo &
Co. trophy was born in Leak county,
Mississippi, January 24, 1884. He
says: “After father’s death, came to
Texas with mother in 1891. Settled
at Bells, Grayson county. learned to
set type on Bells News. After work-
ing on Whitewright Sun for four
years, bought The Sun in 1912, and
have owned it since. Won Belo Cup
in 1923 and 1927. Have won $135 in
Gold in Beard ad contests. You ask-
ed where educated: Think I finished
fifth grade, the balance, if any, in
print shops. Joined Texas Press As-
sociation in 1912.
“How come me to get in News-
paper game? My mother died in
1897. After spending two years at
Methodist Orphans Home at Waco,
I returned to Grayson county to make,
home with grandfather, who was a
farmer. I forgot to say earlier in
this dope that I lost my left foot in
an accident when I was nine. When
I got on the farm I found it hard job
to follow a plow on a peg leg. So
I began to look for easy work. I
saw the editor of Bells News setting
on a stool working—setting type. I
decided that was the job for me. I
talked him into letting me work for
him without salary for several months
and from that beginning I developed
into a country newspaper man.
“I served on Whitewright Board of
Education eight years, four as pres-
ident. Was president of Whitewright
Rotary Club, member of Board of
Stewards, of Methodist church. And
now I am a member of the Texas
Legislature. Elected in 1934 without
making a speech, and am candidate
J. J. Gregg, Santa Anna,
Was A Blacksmith
No picture of J. J. Gregg, Editor
and, Publisher of The Santa Anna
News—but you’ll know him when you
see him—great, big square-shoulder-
ed six-footer and if not bareheaded,
he usually wears a ten-gallon Stet-
son. He was born on an Alabama
farm Feb. 6, 1881, the 7th son of a
family of 16 children, all living but
one. “My father,” he says, “was an
old-time cornfield "Baptist preacher
the last 40-ood years of his life—but
he was most everything but a preach-
er until he wks about 45 years of
age.” i \
Gregg worked on a farm, in a black-
smith shop, at gins, saw mills and
threshing machines. He attended
college first in Lineville, second in
Jacksonville, the latter being a teach-
er-training institution. He mastered
the art of vocal music—and became a
singing teacher. In Dec., 1905, be
came to Texas on a 20-day excursion
ticket, liked the people and the cli-
mate so well that he stayed and had
his Daddy send him his other shirt
and his boots. “When spring opened
out there in Comanche county, there
were so many picnics, singings and
pretty girls,” he says, “and I had so
many friends and was having so much
fun I just wrote dear old Dad that
I was going to remain over till the
next year—and to cancel all of my
schooling engagements; for one of my
students had fallen in love with her
teacher and she looked too doggone
good to me to let so much distance
get between us.”
In 1907 Gustine commercial club
asked him to take charge of their lo-
cal paper. He did and made such a
good showing that two fellows bought
him out one day after he had made a
proposition that he thought only a
fool would accept. For two years ha
traveled, taught school, took a cotton-
grading course and got a cotton-buy-
ing contract out of which he made a
fat stake. So then he went to Pecos
and married that student of his that
“looked so good to him”, she having
moved from Comanche county in the
meantime. Rising Star commercial
club then got him to take over the
local paper. And later he acquired
the Santa Anna News. The couple
have four boys and four girls. It’s
a tradition in the Gregg family that
only a Gregg can work in his shop,
so the children not in college or school
are helping Dad make the good paper
that -he makes.
Trade goes where it is invited.
for reelection.
“Was married to Miss Linnie Pep-
per of Yazoo county, Mississippi, in
1910. Have one daughter, Elizabeth.”
Wed/fot IsSwflL!
TROPICAL
SUITS
. •'V