1886
A New Town.
As
an immediate result of the boom, a town to be known as the West
End is in process of being laid off west of the river. It is
designed to raise the pike road above high water mark and ultimately
accommodate the people of the West End with a line of street
cars. It is surmised, that ten years hence, when Dallas will
have nearly trebled its present population, the West End will
contain the finest private residences of Dallas.
- February
9, 1886, Dallas Morning News, p. 8, col. 3.
- o o o -
1887
West Dallas
Items.
Miss
Ora James, of Alabama, is visiting her aunt, Mrs. Hisel, of West
Dallas.
Mr. Winson, of Dallas, has bought
an acre just west of Mr. W. C. Nolan, on Main street, on which
he intends building a fine residence immediately.
The new residence of Mr. L. F.
Powell, on the side of the hill, will be completed to-morrow.
Mr. Elbert Harding, of the city,
intends erecting a store room on the pike at the foot of the
hill in a short time.
Mr. Smith, of Dallas, the gentleman
who is building the park in West Dallas, bought of Mr. M. K.
Bradford, two one acre lots on Main street, fronting the grocery
store, on which, it is said, he intends erected a fine residence
soon.
- March
17, 1887, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 2, col. 1.
- o o o -
West Dallas Dots.
Mr. Jim
Flanders, the architect, writes from San Diego, Cal., that he
is not as well pleased with California as he expected. He will
probably come back to West Dallas.
- October 15, 1887,
Dallas Daily Herald, p. 2, col. 1.
- o o o -
West Dallas Dots.
Wm. H.
Potter, father of a seven-pound girl.
Mrs. Bush, sister of Frank Powell,
of the live stock journal, is very ill.
- October 25, 1887,
Dallas Daily Herald, p. 3, col. 1.
- o o o -
West Dallas Dots.
The boys
of West Dallas are walking straight since Miss Lizzie Dorsey,
of Dallas, has made this her home.
- October 28, 1887,
Dallas Daily Herald, p. 4, col. 3.
- o o o -
West Dallas.
Mr. Ben
Cowand has traded his property in West Dallas for poperty in
Ellis county. He will move about the last of the week.
- December 29, 1887,
Dallas Daily Herald, p. 3, col. 1.
- o o o -
1890
OVER THE RIVER.
________
The Question of
Incorporation Dis-
cussed at West Dallas.
WEST DALLAS, Sept. 4.
A large and enthusiastic meeting
of the citizens of West Dallas was held at Fisher's Hall yesterday
evening to consider the question of formulating a new city government
out of Oak Cliff and West Dallas. A number of warm speeches were
made on the subject, showing the fallacy of the movement as outlined
and denouncing it as an exhibition of bad faith and an invasion
upon the best interests of the many citizens of limited means
who had located in Oak Cliff and West Dallas, that they might
enjoy the privileges of a nice, quiet, country-like home, high,
free, away and above the dust and the din of the city, where
the air is fresh, the water is pure and the eternal vigilance
of the city tax collector would be cut short. The decision was
unanimous that West Dallas needed no incorporation; that it would
prove a hardship upon her people, as also, many citizens in Oak
Cliff who were now liquidating the debts upon their homes in
the way of making partial payments--payments earned by the sweat
of the brow, and that to create an additional burden was both
unwise and unfair and in antagonism with the promises and assurances
that induced many of them to buy and build and cast their lots
with us.
One speaker stated that he knew
of as many as twenty people who had decided to buy and build
west of the river, but that if the country was incorporated,
not one of them would come among us. Another ridiculed the movement
as the essence of inconsistency, in that Lisbon, Eagle Ford,
Grand Prairie and Scyene had been ruthlessly left out in the
cold, and that they, too, should, by all means, be given a living
chance--that of coming into the fold and sharing in the abundance
of the good things promised. He charged that the natural boundaries
of the proposed new government had been gerrymandered in personal
interests.
Another speaker ventured the assertion,
that the one question of the successful termination of a mammoth
real estate deal, figured conspicuously in the formulating of
the boundaries, and that the hand of an artist was clearly visible.
Judge W. H. Hord was appointed
permanent chairman and W. R. Fisher, secretary. The following
resolutions were unanimously passed with the instruction that
the Dallas Morning News, the Dallas TIMES-HERALD and the Oak Cliff Weekly, be asked to publish
them:
Whereas, A movement is on foot to incorporate Oak Cliff and West
Dallas into one municipality, and thus create a city government
to be fostered and maintained by levying and collecting taxes
from the people, and
Whereas, It is the sense of this
meeting, that so far as West Dallas is concerned, said corporation
would not only prove a hardship upon her people, many of whom
are of limited means, and have invested to the extent of their
all in the way of partial payments in their little homes, but
it is absolutely useless and absurd and carries upon its face
the evidences of jobbing and bad faith, and
Whereas, It is in the minds of
our people, that in Oak Cliff proper, the people would not, knowingly,
be instrumental in forcing West Dallas, remotely situated as
she is, two and one-half miles from Oak Cliff, into a corporate
body, against her expressed wishes, that taxes may be imposed
and collected, and,
Whereas, It is the well-grounded
opinion of our people that this movement for incorporation, as
now outlined, is purely a scheme, and comes of necessity for
the final crowning and rounding up of a mammoth Real Estate deal,
and in which Oak Cliff proper and West Dallas have not a dime's
interest--to centralize the government of the two places midway
between them in the center of a big body of wild land (unoccupied
save by a lonely suburban car line track) owned by certain individuals,
and,
Whereas, Such a turn of affairs
would greatly depreciate the value of property in Oak Cliff proper
and West Dallas, and also impose upon the two places a living
and perpetual tax, without any adequate benefit; therefore, be
it
Resolved, first, That we oppose
in every honorable way, the dragging of West Dallas into the
ridiculous and absurd boundaries marked out for her, and that
we make known our feelings in the matter in a proper and respectful
way to the candid and thinking people of Oak Cliff proper.
Resolved, second, That if we have
to go into a corporation at all, it is our wish to be gathered
under the wings of our old mother, from whom we have drawn the
breath of life, and to whom we owe every dollar of our prosperity--Dallas.
W.
R. FISHER,
Secretary.
W.
H. HORD,
Chairman.
- September 4, 1890,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 4-5.
- o o o -
1891
The Revival Meeting at
West
Dallas.
The revival
meeting under the auspices of St. Paul's M. E. Church, South,
West Dallas, is deepening and widening in its influence and large
crowds are nightly in attendance. Rev. R. W. Thompson preached
a powerful sermon last night, melting his audience to tears,
from the text, "Beloved now are we the sons of God, and
it doth not yet appear what we shall be; but we know when He
shall appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see him as
He is," 1st John 3-2. There were visible demonstrations
throughout the sermon, and at times, an outburst of feeling seemed
imminent. At the urgent request of the audience, he will preach
again to-night. The services during the protracted meeting are
prayer meeting at the church 10:30 a. m., cottage prayer meeting
at 4 p. m. and preaching at 8:30. Everybody, irrespective of
denomination, is cordially invited to all these services.
- August 12, 1891,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 2.
- o o o -
Real Estate Transfers.
W. J. Simpson
and wife to W. R. Fisher, land out of the William Coombes survey,
$600.
M. V. Teagarden and P. A. Sidell
and wife to W. R. Fisher, land out of the William Coombes survey,
$800.
- September 4, 1891,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 4.
- o o o -
[Editorial]
The recent
change in schedule of the Oak Cliff railroad gives Oak Cliff
a little better system, but is rough on West Dallas, which gets
only three trains a day. There is talk of an injunction suit.
The three trains a day is about twice as good as nothing at all.
A hack line is being organized to run hourly trips to the old
city on the hills.
- November 26, 1891,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 2.
- o o o -
City Notes.
West Dallas,
on Tuesday, Dec. 29, will vote to determine whether that village
shall incorporate for free school purposes.
- December 9, 1891,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 3.
- o o o -
VOTED TO TAKE CHARGE.
______
West Dallas Decides
to Incor-
porate as a School District.
There was
an election held in West Dallas yesterday for the purpose of
incorporating for school purposes. The canvass for votes was
warm and attended with much feverish anxiety. The vote stood
41 for to 38 against incorporation, which, to say the least,
is a disgrace to the little village, showing as it does the number
opposed to schools. As it takes a two-third vote to levy a tax
for the maintenance of a bond issue to erect a handsome and commodious
building, the worthy ends sought have been relegated to the rear.
There is a prevailing sentiment
among a large element in West Dallas that good schools is a sort
of exponent of the intelligence and progress of a community--that
the best possible thing to recommend a community is to have it
go abroad that its people believe in education, a well regulated
system of public schools. By the vote cast, it is evident that
--it so appears upon the surface--there are many, too, whose
enthusiasm has not yet worked itself up to so admirably a standard
of belief.
- December 31, 1891,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 2.
- o o o -
1892
[No Heading]
A plant
for the manufacture of tile and red pressed brick has been put
in at Frenchtown, over the river.
- March 7, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 4.
- o o o -
[No Heading]
Louis J.
Witte, of West Dallas, departed for Chicago last night, to purchase
machinery for an ice plant.
- March 7, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 4.
- o o o -
SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC.
______
In West Dallas --
Hogg a Prime
Favorite.
DALLAS,
Tex., May 5.
Editor of the Times-Herald:
Quite a crowd gathered in Fisher's
Grove, West Dallas, to-day and enjoyed a real old-fashioned picnic.
It was under the auspices of the West Dallas Christian Sunday
school, and was a pronounced success in every particular. A very
instructive talk to both parents and children was made by Mr.
H. H. Smith, after which a bountiful dinner was spread and partaken
of by all.
A polling of the voters resulted
in Hogg, 27; Clark, 3; and non-committal, 3.
"CITIZEN."
- May 6, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 6.
- o o o -
NEW BRICK SCHOOL
HOUSE.
______
West Dallas in the
Van of the
March of Progress.
Frank Powell
of West Dallas stated to a TIMES-HERALD reporter to-day that the citizens of that progressive
village have decided to build a $10,000 brick school house. It
will be two stories high and fitted throughout with all the modern
conveniences. West Dallas is now an incorporated school district
and will move right along, according to Mr. Powell.
- May 24, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 5.
- o o o -
Picnic in West Dallas.
The Sunday
school of St. Paul's M. E. Church, West Dallas, will have a picnic
Thursday 26th, at which time, would be glad to see the TIMES HERALD represented.
Trains will leave Commerce street at 10 a. m. on the Oak Cliff
railway and will connect with trains at Oak Cliff, which will
run to Ash station, West Dallas, which is near the picnic grounds.
The same arrangements will be made in the afternoon with the
train at 3 p. m. Friends in Dallas are invited to come out and
enjoy themselves.
- May 24, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 2.
- o o o -
FESTIVITIES AT WEST
DALLAS
_____
May Celebration
and Picnic,
Pleasing Entertainment and
Delightful Day.
The May
celebration of the West Dallas Methodist Sunday school, yesterday,
was a most pleasing success. The school has nearly a hundred
scholars, and from a glance at the attractive and festive assembly,
it is safe to say that all were there.
The picnic was held in a beautiful
grove at the foot of Mr. Airy, and an evergreen arch was constructed
over a platform where was hidden an organ. The exercises were
opened by the superintendent of the school, Mr. Geo. Brundett,
with Mrs. B. at the organ and the music was joined by the chorus
of bright and happy children.
Warren Langston delivered the opening
address, and did it well.
At the close of the address, all
the little girls with floral wreaths upon their pretty heads,
entered the arch to the tune of Smith's march, and sang the song,
"Welcome."
Miss Mary Heisel then gave a pleasing
recitation and the following pretty little flower girls entered,
strewing flowers: Misses J. Slanders, L. Clower, L. Powell, A.
Oliver, N. Fuqua, L. Cockrell, R. Rush and M. Brundett. Following
came the charming queen, Miss Anna Belle Gorman, most tastefully
attired in spotless white and bedecked with flowers, and attended
by maids of honor: Lucy Foote, Lillian Rush, Irene Brundett and
Anna Foote. Master John Duncan crowned the queen, performing
the ceremony impressively and delivering the coronation speech
in excellent style. "All Hail the Queen" was then sung,
all kneeling.
Miss Alice Ferguson, a sweet little
miss, representing Hope, then presented the sceptre in an appropriate
speech, followed by suitable offerings from the four maids of
honor as they consecutively knelt. The queen responding, presented
each maid with a rose; and Miss Mattie Oliver recited a pretty
verse on the rose, followed by another recitation on the Ivy
leaf, beautifully rendered by Miss Fray Huey. Then, the four
seasons greeted the Queen, represented as follows: Spring, Miss
Daisy Hooper; attendants, March, Susie Brown; April, Sallie Cockrell;
May, Maud Bond. Summer, Miss Susie Rush; attendants, June, Bertie
Chenoweth; July, Blanch Paschal; August Gracie Sands. Autumn,
Miss Mary Bennett; September, Bessie Bond; October, Maud Fuqua;
November, Mattie Cumberland. Winter, Miss Cecil Rush; attendants,
December, Nancy Cumberland; January, Nannie Paschal; February,
Mattie Oliver. To this beautifully rendered tribute to the queen,
her royal highness responded in a suitable address to her loyal
and admiring subjects, bidding all to enjoy the festivities of
the day. All acquitted themselves admirably and added much to
the entertainment of the people present, young and old.
A sumptuous and well prepared basket
dinner was spread on tables in the grove, and all present accepted
the invitation to partake. Many were the compliments paid the
splendid dinner, and the good housewives of West Dallas, whose
skill was reflected in the rich and well-cooked viands. Messrs.
Fuqua, Bishop Ferguson, Clower and their ladies and others were
valuable aids to Superintendent Brundett in making the occasion
so successful.
After the dinner, there were short
and interesting speeches made by Messrs. Morris Smith and Clark.
- May 27, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 4, col. 4.
- o o o -
[No Heading]
James Lassiter,
who runs a fruit stand in West Dallas, was dangerously wounded
yesterday morning by the accidental discharge of an "unloaded"
pistol.
- May 28, 1892, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 3.
- o o o -
Real Estate Transfers.
A. J. Knight, to A. Guillemet,
lot on Walnut street, in West Dallas, $475.
- August 22, 1892,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 4.
- o o o -
A DAY IN THE COURTS.
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.
J. L. McFarlin
to G. S. White, lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, block 2, West Dallas, $800.
Susan A. Bishop to James McFarlin,
lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, block 2, West Dallas, $679.25.
- November 15, 1892,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 3-4.
- o o o -
1893
A Young
Man Attempts Suicide in West
Dallas.
Last
night, West Dallas enjoyed a slight sensation. West Dallas doesn't
have many sensations, hence she enjoys one when it comes bowling
along. A young man, named W. G. Buckingham, swallowed an overdose
of morphine with suicidal intent, it is surmised, and was in
a fair way to cross over the divide when his friends and two
physicians intervened. With the aid of a base and plebian stomach
pump, his life was saved. Buckingham, it is said, had been drinking
rather freely of late, became despondent and tackled the morphine.
He is very glad, now that his funeral was postponed indefinitely.
- January
24, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 4.
- o o o -
Concert.
On
Friday night at 8 p. m., the ladies of the M. E. church of West
Dallas will give a concert at the church for the benefit of the
church. Come out and spend a pleasant evening. There will be
special trains running on the D. and O. C. railway; will leave
Commerce street station at 7:30 p. m., stopping at all stations
in Oak Cliff and returning after concert is over. Admission 25¢.
Come out and bring your friends.
- March
2, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 3, col. 2.
- o o o -
A
FREE SCHOOL.
_____
The
Citizens of West Dallas Will Try
Again to Incorporate the Territory.
Quite
a large and enthusiastic meeting was held in West Dallas last
night by the citizens of that place, the object of the meeting
being to discuss the matter of incorporating for free school
purposes. Dr. Stovall was called to the chair and Ed. L. Fisher
made secretary.
Speeches were made by several of
the most prominent citizens, and from the spirit manifested,
it is safe to venture that the little village across the river
is now ready to work in earnest for better school and also better
transportation facilities to and from the city.
A petition to the county court
asking that an order be made for an election to be held to determine
whether or not West Dallas incorporate for free school purposes,
was read and signed by almost every one present.
It will be remembered that there
was an election held there some time since for this same purpose,
but there being some opposition, the election was contested and
defeated on account of a technicality.
There will be another meeting Saturday
night, April 29th, at which time, some developments are looked
for.
- April
26, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 2, col. 2.
- o o o -
West
Dallas School Matters.
Another
meeting was held in West Dallas last night in regard to the free
school matter, which is now being very extensively agitated.
The work accomplished by the meeting was the effecting of a permanent
organization, which will be styled the West Dallas Improvement
Association. The object of this association will be the general
upbuilding of West Dallas. Officers were elected as follows:
W. N. Coombes, president; Geo. Brundrett, 1st vice president;
W. D. Carnes, 2d vice president; E. L. Fisher, secretary, and
W. R. Fisher, treasurer.
On next Tuesday night, May 9, the
association will meet again, at which time, reports of very important
committees will be heard.
- May
3, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 5.
- o o o -
West
Dallas Picnic.
The
"West Dallas Improvement Club" gave a picnic yesterday
in the Fisher grove. To say the least, it was a success. Before
noon, Claude Wilson gave a lecture on phrenology, and in the
afternoon, the audience was treated to a speech by Judge Z. E.
Coombes, one of Dallas county's most venerable pioneers. He talked
of the progress of the west side of the Trinity for the last
fifty years; compared the carriage drawn by oxen with the present
locomotive. He showed many other points of contrast between the
then and now. He was followed by G. W. Williams, ex-minister
to Prince Edward Island, who gave a witty and magnetic talk on
the science and art of phrenology, after which, to the satisfaction
and amusement of the great crowd, he read the dispositions of
more than a dozen persons.
- June
9, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 2, col. 1.
- o o o -
DAILY
NEWS BUDGET.
Rev.
A. P. Collins of Arlington is holding meetings for the West Dallas
Baptists.
- August
3, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 3.
- o o o -
NEWS
OF THE DAY.
At
an election held in West Dallas yesterday, Messrs. Jones, King,
Brundrette, Bishop and Flanders were elected trustees of the
new school community. West Dallas has lately been incorporated
for school purposes.
- August
22, 1893, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 1-2.
- o o o -
NEWS OF THE DAY.
Elder Borden,
of the Christian church, is conducting an interesting and successful
revival in West Dallas. Some ten converts were baptized yesterday
afternoon at Kellar Springs, and there are ten or fifteen more
whom it is expected will be baptized soon.
- September 4, 1893,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 1.
- o o o -
NEWS OF THE DAY
The farmers
in the neighborhood of Black Creek church, near Estell postoffice,
enjoyed a picnic and basket dinner Saturday. Phill Barry Miller
was one of the orators.
- September 25, 1893,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 2.
- o o o -
Boys Get Foolish
and Go to Church.
Ike Storey
says there will be a prohibition election in precinct No. 8 on
the first Saturday in October. This precinct includes in voting
places of Eagle Ford, Grand Prairie and Sower's store. Mr. Storey
says a great deal of grape wine is made in that precinct and
the boys have a way of getting foolish from drinking it and going
to church in that condition.
- September 26, 1893,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 5, col. 3.
- o o o -
West Dallas Election.
The West
Dallas school corporation voted yesterday on the proposition
to erect a public school building. The vote was light, resulting
in thirty-eight for, and twelve against. The necessary two-thirds
was obtained, as the law requires, and it is quite possible that
West Dallas will soon have a handsome brick structure for educational
purposes.
- October 18, 1893,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 3.
- o o o -
Fireworks Factory
Burned.
The fireworks
factory in West Dallas was destroyed by fire yesterday afternoon.
The explosion of the fireworks would have made a fine pyrotechnic
display, had it occurred a few hours later.
- December 26, 1893,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 3.
- o o o -
1895
Added
March 19, 2004:
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.
Deeds.
Mary T.
Flanders and husband to West Dallas, December 1, 1894, lots 3
and 4, block 13, Flanders Heights, $600[?].
- January 9, 1895,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 6, col. 1-2.
- o o o -
Added
March 20, 2004:
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.
Deeds.
J. E. Flanders
and wife to Mrs. M. L. Mackintosh, November 25, 1893, part of
block 18, Flanders Heights, $100.
- January 14, 1895,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 6, col. 2.
- o o o -
Added
March 20, 2004:
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.
Deeds.
J. E. Flanders
and wife to James English, August 27, 1888, lot 8, block 18,
Flander's Heights, $500.
- January 16, 1895,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 6, col. 1.
- o o o -
Added
March 23, 2004:
RUN OUT OF
SCHOOL MONEY.
_____
The West Dallas
School Has Closed or
that Reason.
The West
Dallas Public School has closed for want of funds. The county
appropriation is exhausted and the State appropriation has not
been received.
- January 21, 1895,
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 6, col. 6.
- o o o -
Added
April 11, 2004:
REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS.
Deeds.
Mary W.
Flanders et al. to village of West Dallas, March 5, 1895, lots
3 and 4, block 13, Flanders' Heights.
- March 12, 1895, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 1.
- o o o -
1897
WEST DALLAS FIRE.
_______
Elder Barcus' Barn
and Buggy
House Burned.
The barn,
carriage house, and hen house, along with a lot of grain and
hay, on the premises of Elder W. F. Barcus, in West Dallas, were
destroyed by fire at 9 o'clock last night.
The neighbors quickly organized
themselves into a fire department and saved Elder Barcus' dwelling,
which was for a time threatened.
The loss was $300; no insurance.
- June 29, 1897, The
Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 1.
- o o o -
1903
WANT PART
OF FUND
FOR WEST DALLAS.
_____
Open
Letter Written by Committee-
man G. Grasty.
West
Dallas, Texas, May 16, 1903.
To the public in general, and to the citizens of the Fourth commissioners'
district of Dallas county, Texas, especially:
A petition was filed with the commissioners'
court today, asking for an appropriation out of the bond issue
to improve roads in West Dallas, Eagle Ford, Grand Prairie and
several neighborhoods. And, especially, that part known as the
West Dallas pike--same to be widened and raised above ordinary
high water, the consideration being given to culverts and bridges
to allow the water to pass during overflows. It is concerning
this improvement we wish to speak. We are aware that through
a misapprehension, some living on the outskirts of the county
might be prejudiced against the improvement of the West Dallas
pike.
To all such, we, the citizens of
West Dallas, desire to say we have no wish or intention to take
one cent more of that fund than is justly due, based on taxation
or population, and when you consider the amount we are asking
for, and the necessity of said improvement, we believe that all
fair-minded men will see the justice of our cause and will not
hinder or hamper us with objections, but, on the contrary, will
give us a helping hand. I am glad to say that five hundred voters
from West Dallas, Eagle Ford, Kit, Grand Prairie and Sowers have
endorsed this petition.
The facts in the case are these:
(1st.) We are not asking for the
improvement of the whole West Dallas pike from Dallas to the
foot of the hill in West Dallas, but only from the bridge across
the river to Crow's store, a distance of about twelve hundred
(1200) yards.
(2nd.) The high water road contemplated
does not mean above such rises as in '90 and '91, but ordinary
rises such as we had this spring, or, in other words, a raise
in the road of five (5) feet or 3 feet of dirt and 1 1/2 feet of rock and gravel will give us a road
during ordinary high water.
Now, if you will look at the hundreds
of people who travel this road daily in and out of Dallas to
their daily avocations--bread winners, men, women and children
through heat and cold, mud and dust--who travel this road, their
only means of getting to their work. Surely, the better side
of your nature will assert itself, and you will concede our plea.
To give you an idea of the travel
and traffic on this road, we have taken a census of the travel
for one day.
Wagons 400, buggies 375, horses
1175, people 1500. Now, this is far below the average, as it
is the busy season with farmers and in the middle of the week.
The grand total for a year would be approximately 250,000 vehicles,
400,000 horses, 50,000 persons.
This is not guess work, but based
on actual count by reliable persons.
Besides, in the run of a year,
8000 loads of brick are hauled from one yard. Multiply that by
two, and you have 16,000 loads of brick, 5000 loads of cement
and, last but not least, according to the same test, 12,000 loads
of wood, and when you consider this last item, which affords
a living for many who live beyond Eagle Ford, to say nothing
of the hundreds of load of grain, cotton and vegetables that
come from the country, all of which have to pass over this road,
you will understand that the people of West Dallas are not the
only beneficiaries of this improvement.
Neither do we want to rob any section,
nor, do we intend to fight any other road. According to the election
returns, West Dallas has 12 1/2
per cent of the voting population of the Fourth district. Eagle
Ford has 3 per cent, and together, they have 15 1/2 per cent of the voting population.
We conscientiously believe that
8 per cent of the $125,000 belonging to the Fourth district will
give us ample means to make this much needed improvement.
So, you see while we represent
15 1/2 per cent of the population,
we are asking only 8 per cent, or just a little over one half
of the amount due us, for if our judgment deceives us not, that
will be sufficient. But, even should it take 15 per cent of the
$125,000, you could not object, because to come to the city,
you travel the same road.
Then again, it would be a large
saving to the county, for the reason that each overflow washes
the gravel off the road, so that the county is at a continual
expense for repair.
We believe these facts duly considered
will disarm all fair-minded people of any prejudice they might
entertain.
(Signed) |
G.
GRASTY, |
|
Committeeman. |
- Saturday,
May 17, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 13, col. 3-4.
- o o o -
WHOLE CITY
WAS SHOCKED
_______
Six
Cases of Dynamite Ex-
ploded in West Dallas.
______
Old
Blasting Material at Cement
Works Acted Like New.
Explosions Early
Today.
Six
hundred pounds of dynamite is considered a rather considerable
amount of this dangerous explosive, and it is seldom that a charge
requires one fifth as much to do the work for which it is intended.
Dynamite is not meant for novices to handle it and even veterans
frequently lose their lives in the use of this innocent-looking,
greasy matter that is filled with a power that works wonders
when properly controlled, and that makes horrors when a mishap
of any kind occurs.
An incident in which dynamite played
the "star" part occurred at the old quarry of the Texas
Portland Cement company's works, three miles west of the city,
shortly after 6 o'clock this morning. Six cases of dynamite,
each case weighing fifty pounds, were exploded and the noise
and the rumble that the giant powder caused, alarmed tens of
thousands of Dallasites, jarred West Dallas into full consciousness,
and sent a tremor not unlike an earthquake shock all over Dallas
county. It was the biggest explosion Dallas has known in years,
and it is considered almost miraculous that nobody was killed.
The dynamite that shocked Dallas
county this morning was three years old, was frozen last winter,
had refused on several previous occasions to "do business,"
and was considered worthless. The stuff was in the way in the
store room, and it was decided to get it out of the way. At 6
o'clock, the entire amount was removed to the old quarry, about
400 yards to the south of the cement factory. One of the cases
was removed a distance of fifty yards or more from the other
cases and a long fuse that had been connected with the isolated
case was ignited.
The men who had charge of the experiment
considered the explosive useless, but they took the precaution
to get out of the way faster than the fuse burned and soon hid
behind the tall cliffs that border the quarry. A few moments
later, they felt a shock that lifted them from the ground and
that jarred them till their teeth rattled. A noise that sounded
like a blast from the infernal regions accompanied the shock.
Everybody in West Dallas was shocked and window panes and crockery
in the cement works buildings, and in West Dallas homes, were
broken. No worse damage than this, however, resulted.
The fifty-pound case had proved
its worth, and the concussion sent the remaining five cases off
so quickly that the reports seemed one. The force of the explosion
tore out a great hole in the rocks that form the floor of the
old quarry and scared the entire community. The cement factory
employes were just coming to their work. They are at work as
usual, but they would not relish another "bracer" of
this kind.
Shortly after the explosion occurred
this morning, the telephone in the Times Herald office was kept
busy for several hours by inquirers who wanted to know exactly
what had happened.
The detonation was felt in the
extreme limits of the city and many residents who live at Fairland
and Jewella were of the impression that something had fallen
in their back yards.
County Clerk Frank Shanks, who
resides just outside the city limits on Peak street, though someone
had hit his house with a brick, and he hurriedly dressed to chase
the supposed miscreant away.
Judge Thomas F. Nash, of the fourteenth
district court, was under the impression that the gas stove in
his kitchen had blown up, until he made an investigation and
found everything in order; and B. M. Burgher, who lives in Oak
Lawn, went out to pick up the bricks that he supposed had fallen
off his chimney.
One anti-annexationist wag stated
that he thought the annexationists were trying to blow Oak Cliff
into Dallas.
In speaking of the explosion, Commissioner
Neelly said: "The first thing I did when I got to town this
morning was to look for the West Dallas pike. I was in hopes
the explosion had blown it about three feet in the air."
Assistant County Clerk William
Daugherty was milking his cow in the suburbs of East Dallas when
the dynamite blew up, and the usually peaceful bossie nearly
kicked over the bucket in getting out of the barn, which appeared
to be falling down.
Almost every house in Oak Cliff
was visibly disturbed by the explosion. Windows and bric-a-brac
rattled as though an earthquake was in progress. Persons hurried
to their doors and windows looking anxiously about to ascertain
the cause of the disturbance. Several negro families are said
to have gone to praying, thinking the crack of doom had sounded.
Cows, dogs and cats showed their
fear very plainly by running aimlessly to and fro as if seeking
a place of safety.
It was reported that a merchant
in North Dallas had a large stock of lamp chimneys stacked together
upon a high shelf and that the explosion caused them to rattle
together as though they would topple over.
- July
24, 1903, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 5-6.
- o o o -
[No
Heading.]
The county commissioners
will begin their regular quarterly session of the court next
Monday and will probably be in session for several weeks as there
are a number of important maters to be taken up . A large batch
of road petitions are to be considered, and it is thought advisable
a number of them will be granted. The raising of the West Dallas
pike will probably be considered, and if the finances can be
arranged, the court may decide to give the West Dallasites a
highwater road.
- August 8, 1903, Dallas
Daily Times Herald, p. 1, col. 6-7.
- o o o -
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