A Memorial and Biographical History of McLennan, Falls, Bell and Coryell Counties, Texas. Page: 492

                                
HISTORY OF MCLENNAN, FALLS,

children, all still survive: Margarite, who has
lately arrived from her native home, and resides
with our subject; one brother is Sergeant in the
Bavarian army; another brother occupies the
same rank in the same army; a sister married
George Deitz, a railroad man, and resides at
Hochstadt.
The subject of this sketch began his studies
at the age of eight years. under a private pre-
ceptor, the parish priest, and continued with
him two years. He then entered Steyl College,
located near Venloo, on the Maas river, where he
graduated with honor at the age of twenty-one
years. Mr. Gleisner then aspired to become the
Priest of his native town, but owing to compli-
cations decided to come to America, which he
did in 1888, and at once entered the Seminary
of Our Lady of Angels, at Niagara Falls. After
six months he learned the English language, and
was then adopted for the Northern Diocese, but
in May, 1889, he was called by Bishop Ghalager,
of Galveston, and was ordained July 10, 1889,
for the Southern Diocese of Galveston. Mr.
Gleisner was sent at once to Tours, fifteen miles
northeast of Waco, located in a rich and fertile
country, and filled with a happy and prosperous
people. The church was built by our subject's
predecessor, Father Adelara, a native of Holland,
who erected it in 1876. Mr. Gleisner has built
a convent near his residence, 60 x 24 feet, two
stories high, and has also erected a fine church
in the village of West, 40x 100 feet, of a mod-
ern style of architecture. The enrollment of
the school is now 120 pupils, and has three de-
partments, presided over by three sisters of Di-
vine Providence.
Mr. Gleisner is s young man of a very intel-
ligent turn of mind, is public-spirited, and has
the good of his country and people at heart. He
has done much toward building up the comnmu-
nity in which he lives, has secured the location
of a postoffice, and since his arrival the condition
of his people has improved very materially, and
he will no doubt find himself at the head of one
of the largest congregations in Central Texas
before many years. He has worked faithfully

to make his church a self-sustaining one, and
his village has the appearance of being one of
the most thrifty settlements in Central Texas.
ROCKET McDONALD          KING, one of
the best known and highly respected citi-
zens of Coryell county, was born in Bur-
leson county, Texas, January 15, 1841, under
the administration of President Mirabeau B.
Lamar, of the Republic of Texas. He is the
second of a family of three children of W. H.
King, who was born in     Somerset county,
Maryland, January 13, 1814.
W. H. King was left an orphan when very
young, and was compelled to live with a child-
less aunt whose fondness for children was an
unknown quantity. At fifteen years of age he
produced an open rupture in the family, went
to Baltimore, hired himself to a ship captain,
and was engaged in the coasting trade three
years.  He then returned to Baltimore and
learned the trade of brick mason. This he fol-
lowed three years. At this time, having arrived
at the age of twenty-one, he concluded to go
West, and accordingly came to Texas. This was
in 1835. The Texas Revolution was then in
progress. Mr. King returned to Maryland and
brought out his friend E. L. Stickney, and to-
gether they joined the patriot army, for which
service Mr. King received a land warrant for
1,920 acres, which he surveyed and located in
company with Major G. B. Erath, in 1838, on
Leon river. On a part of this tract the subject
of our sketch has resided the best portion of his
life. When the Texan army had disbanded Mr.
King located in Burleson county, near Caldwell,
where he farmed and was the country Post-
master, carrying the mail about in his pocket.
In July, 1845, he moved to the city of Houston,
and began working at his trade. He laid brick
on many of the buildings now standing. He
built the courthouses in Richmond and Galves-
ton. In 1855 he began devoting his timb ex-
clusively to contracting, saved considerable

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