The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 50, July 1946 - April, 1947 Page: 83
582 p. : ill. (some col.), maps ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
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Early Times in Comal County
Americanized Pennsylvania Germans," and added: "It was of
course almost imperative to elect them, since among the immi-
grated Germans very few had the necessary knowledge of the
English language and even less of the laws and order of
business."33 Victor Bracht, who was the Adelverein's business
agent in New Braunfels,34 wrote of the election as follows:
"The county election was held on the thirteenth inst. Since I
wrote the foregoing lines [dated July 12, 1846], citizens have
asked me to accept some political office. I would accept the
office of justice of the peace. While I sat at the poll as clerk to
the judges of election, I was not a little surprised to see my
name inserted on some ballots as district clerk. I resigned at
the beginning of the election, but, in spite of this, I received
as many votes as the second candidate.""35
The announcement which the Adelsverein published in Ger-
man newspapers in the summer of 1844 stated: "The Verein
regards it as a solemn duty to provide for the moral and
religious instruction of the children; it will, therefore, de-
pending upon the needs of the people, erect churches and
schools in the colony."36 Prince Solms lost little time after
the arrival of the first settlers at Port Lavaca to carry out this
pledge. On December 23, 1844, he wrote in his sixth report:
"For the first time Protestant services were conducted today
by Rev. [L. C.] Ervendberg. The congregation was deeply
touched and many shed tears in their heartfelt emotion. On
'Christmas Day the sacrament of the Lord's Supper will be
celebrated." The Catholic priest whom Prince Solms had asked
Father Alexander, Superior of the Redemptorists in Baltimore,
to send had not reported, but Ambrose Lanfear, the Adels-
verein's agent in New Orleans, had reported sending one hun-
dred dollars for the traveling expenses of the priest. On Jan-
33Roemer, Texas, 218. The quotation is from Oswald Mueller's transla-
tion, for which see his Roemer's Texas, 179.
34In Solms-Braunfels Archiv, XLIII, 24, his salary was fixed at 10 per
cent of the gross sales of goods for the Adelsverein and free board and
lodging estimated at seventy-seven cents per day, or $281.05 per year.
8Bracht, Texas im Jahre 1848, pp. 241-242. The quotation is from
Charles Frank Schmidt's translation, for which see his Texas in 1848,
p. 166. Hermann Seele says in Die Cypresse, 79: "The viva voce election
for the first county officers was over. Mr. Victor Bracht, my opponent,
had served with me as clerk in the election and I had been elected as
district clerk."
slFor a copy of the announcement see Biesele, German Settlements in
Texas, Appendix B. The particular passage here translated appears in
ibid., 240-241.
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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/m1/99/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.