The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 85, July 1981 - April, 1982 Page: 186

                                
Southwestern Historical Quarterly

As early as June 7, 1842, Fisher and Miller had assumed the respon-
sibility for settling 2oo emigrants [sic] within eighteen months. On
September 1, 1843, when fifteen months had passed without a single
settler having been established nor the obligatory survey of the land
having been commenced, they succeeded in getting a reprieve with a
new contract. But by the first of September, 1843, they still had not
attempted to fulfill a single condition of the contract, nor had they
spent a single dollar toward doing so. They had to bring the first 200
families to Texas by February, 1845, to preserve the validity of the
contract. Only eight months and six days of this period remained when
they sold the contract to the Society on June 24, 1844. Time was
already running out for Fisher and Miller; by mid-1844 they would
not have been able to execute the contract, because they had not even
begun the preparations. Thus, the fact of the matter was not as the
Author says, but actually the opposite-namely that the Society was
rescuing Fisher and Miller from their dilemma. The two speculators
had counted on selling their contract, getting their money, and leav-
ing the responsibility for execution to others. FISHER AND MILLER
MADE A NICE LITTLE DEAL AND THE SOCIETY SEALED
ITS OWN DOOM.
[Von Rosenberg's critique will be continued in the
January 1982 Quarterly.]
The Calvert, Texas, Fire Department, 189os. Founded during the 187os,
the fire department numbered some of the town's most prominent men as
members. Courtesy Douglass McCrary.

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