The Madisonville Meteor - And Commonwealth - (Madisonville, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 4, 1928 Page: 1 of 8
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The Madisonville Meteor
— And Commonwealth —
THIRTY-FIFTH YEAR
MADISONVILLE, MADISON COUNTY. TEXAS, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4. 1928
NUMBER TWENTY-SEVEN
HUGE ATTENDANCE GREETS
DAY OF COUNTY FAIR
V
Autumn Business Activities Are Assuming Brisk Momentum in Madisonville
Fair Exhibits Are Shown in Splendid
Array and a Multitude of Visitors
Come to Attend the Annual Event
The second day of the Madison
County Fair is in full progress at the
time The Meteor goes to press this
(Wednesday) afternoon, and we have
no time to give a detailed report in
this week's issue, but the attendance
Tuesday and Tuesday night was
heavy. People came in from every-
where, and many visitors from long
distances were here to see the fair
and visit relatives and friends.
The fair this year is splendid. The
exhibits were good, excellent and even
.astonishing in many instances. En-
tertainment features were good and
there was something to enjoy continu-
ously day and night.
West Main street in Madisonville
was almost a constant double stream
of automobile traffic both days and
late into the night. The populace of
Madison and adjoining counties came
and saw a splendid little fair in a
splendid little city. Such is the
march of progress in a progressive
county, and Madison county is wide-
awake to progressive ideas and meth-
ods. The annual fair of Madison
county means ultra achievement in
many lines of agricultural industry
and domestic welfare of our people.
CONNOR SCHOOL OPENS
MONDAY WITH A RECORD
Miss Maurjpe Smith, who is attend-
ing school at San Antonio, was unan-
imously elected president of the stu-
dent class of the Laurel Heights
Methodist Church.
A train of thought never arrives
anywhere if it is running local.
BEDIAS HOLDS HUNTSVILLE
TO CLOSE SCORE FRIDAY
With but four days of practice be-
hind chem, the football team of Be-
dias High held the Huntsville High
Hornets to a 7-13 score Friday after-
noon. The first half ended with both
teams having made one touchdown.
The final score was made near the
end of the game, due to a Bedias
fumble. „
The Bedias boys are still in the hot
race for the championship of District
No. 19, due to the fact that Huntsville
has lost one game.
Madisonville comes to Bedias Fri-
COTTON r J5 OP FAR
BETTER THAN LAST YEAR
J. J. Heflin was in Madisonville
from North Zulch Monday and paid
his subscription for another year.
Mr. Heflin says they have already
ginned more cotton this year than
they ginned all season last year.
Miss Dorris Brownlee underwent an
operation test Friday at a Waco sani-
tarium for appendicitis. Her many
friends here will be glad to learn
that she is doing nicely. Judge and
Mrs. Brownlee went to Waco to be
with her. Mrs. Brownieo is still there.
Fatal Auto Accident Sunday
Afternoon Casts Gloom Over
This City and Entire County
One of the greatest and sadest
tragedies that Madisonville or Madi-
son County has ever known, happened
Sunday afternoon when Mrs. B. B.
Magness was fatally injured in an
automobile accident on the Bedias and
Madisonville road, the accident oc-
■curing near the John Landers place
about two miles from the town of
Bedias. Mrs. Magness and Mrs. T. B.
Viser, together with Dorothy Viser,
Dorithy Nell Darby and Cecile Ash,
daughters of Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Viser,
Rev. and Mrs. M. A. Darby, and Mr.
and Mrs. J. O. Ash, were on their way
to attend the quarterly rally of the
Creath-Brazos B. Y. P. U. when their
car became unmanageable and turned
over in the road, pinning Mrs. Mag-
ness underneath the car. Mrs. Viser
and the three girls crawled out
through the open doors of the car af-
ter the accident and escaped with
only minor bruises.
As best we could learn, the car was
being driven by Mrs. Viser at a very
moderate rate, not exceeding twenty
•or twenty-five miles per hour when
one of the four wheels dropped down
in a rut, and when Mrs. Viser at-
tempted to steer the car out of the
rut it turned squarely across the road
•and turned over with all four wheels
in the air.
Cary Mize, R. B. Bailey, Jr., Arthur
and Burt Musgrove were the first on
the scene and they lifted the car from
Mrs. Magness, but she was hurt bo
badly that she died about forty min-
utes later. She was conscious all the
while until just a few minutea before
«he passed away. A physician was
aummoned from Bedias, but to no
avail. The body was brought to the
Magness home by J. M. Davys ambu-
lance.
When the news reached Madison-
ville there settled over the entire city
* pall of gloom and sorrow and many
eyes were wet with tears before the
tradgedy could hardly be realized.
Prof. N. P. Taylor began his school
at Connor Monday morning with a
full attendance of pupils. Every fami-
ly was represented by the parents
and patrons of the school except one,
and they had sickness in the family.
They start off with a fine showing
for a most successful term. Mr. Tay-
lor is assisted by Miss Lide Windsor
of Normangee and Miss Ozelle Taylor
Hundreds of automobiles and people
gathered at the scene of the tragedy
to render any assistance they could,
and to offer their consolation to the
heart broken husband and others who
felt the loss so keenly.
An embalmer was called from
Crockett so that the body of Mrs.
Magness could be kept until the ar-
rival of Mr. and Mrs. Magness son
and only child, who was in San Fran-
cisco, California, at the time. Floy
Magness, the son, arrived Wednesday
land the body was laid in its last
resting place in the City Cemetery
amid the tears and sobs of a host of
friends, besides the large circle of
relatives that surrounded the burial.
Mrs. Magness was one of the out-
standing christian characters of all
our city, and was always found faith-
ful to any trust that was committed
to her by her church and pastor. Not
only was she willing to do her part
and more, but she did it with a smile
and was glad to do all she could for
her Master's cause in the community
and in her church. A beautiful life
was hers, devoted to her husband and
son, and loved and ministered to them
as only a tender and loving mother
could do. Her last thought was of
them, and for them she sank into the
cold embrace of death their names
were the last words heard from her
dying lips.
If we had the words to express our
deep sorrow and smpathy to the be-
reaved husband and son and other
relatives, we would do so, but that is
impossible.
The funeral was scheduled to be
held at the Baptist Church this Wed-
nesday afternoon and interment is to
take place in the City Cemetery.
Mrs. Magness leaves besides her
husband and son, five brothers and
one sister, they being: Messrs. J. P.
Sanders of this city, Frank, Will, S.
W. and J. H. Sanders of North Zulch,
and Mrs. Powell Shannon of this city.
dOOVER SPEAKERS HERE
WEDNESDAY OF LAST WEEK
Judge B. D. Sartin of Wichita Falls
spoke at the Court House last Wed-
nesday night in behalf of the Hoover
democratic organization of Texas to
a fair size audience. Judge Sartin was
accompanied from Bryan by Judge
Oak McKenzie and Dr. W. C. Foun-
tain. The meeting was not advertised
and but few people knew about it;
hence the crowd was small.
Madisonville As a Trading Center Is
Becoming a Greater Nucleus For A
Larger Scope of Territory Expansion
Contract Let For New Brick Building
And Construction to Begin at Once
A contract has been let by 0. A.
Parten to R. B. Bailey for the erec-
tion of a new brick warehouse on the
merchants' spur facing Main street,
to be occupied by Herring-Turner
Hardware Co. The building will 'be
55x80 feet. Material is already be-
ing placed on the ground and work
will begin within the next few days.
The building will have a reinforced
foundation and concrete floor.
The old wooden warehouse has been
torn down and the new building will
be quite an improvement to that sec-
tion of Main street.
BEDIAS SCHOOL OPENS
WITH LARGE ENROLLMENT
On Monday, September 24, work
was begun in Bedias school with an
enrollment of 275, 105 of which are
in high school. The students trans-
ferring to Bedias this year from the
neighboring districts are about 80.
Much enthusiasm and interest was
manifested in the opening program
by the entire community. The main
speaker of the morning was Rev.
Walker of Huntsville. The theme of
his address was the value of co-op-
eration among patrons, teachers and
students. The pastors of the three
churches of Bedias contributed help-
ful features of the program. Prof.
R. M. Woods of Sam Houston State
Teachers College regretted very
much that he could not be present,
due to the opening of College on the
same date, but hopes to visit the
school in the near future.
Mr. Bond, the superintendent, made
some interesting remarks and intro-
duced the following faculty:
Elementary Schol—Mrs. Perrett,
kindergarten; Miss Gordon, first
grade; Miss Gordon, a .Z6 dt
grade; Bliss Parr, second and third
grades; Miss Hensarling, fourth
grade; Mrs. Stone, fifth and sixth
grades; Mr. Bell, seventh grade and
athletic coach.
High School—Mrs. Langley, his-
tory; Miss Durham, Spanish; Mrs.
Barrett, English; Supt. Bond will
teach mathematics in high school.
Miss Phillips is the music teacher.
TUBERCULAR CONVICTS BURN
BUILDINGS ON WYNNE FARM
Arlow and Hoyt McDoowell spent
a couple of days in Houston this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Byron Bracewell were
in the city from Bedias Monday buy-
ing merchandise.
Messrs.. J. F. Bottoms and B. H.
Henry of Normangee were callers at
the Meteor office Tuesday while at-
tending the Fair.
Mr. and Mrs. John Landers were in
the city from Bedias Wednesday. Mr.
Landers paid his subscription for an-
other year.
A report from Huntsville yesterday
states that tubercular convicts on the
Wynne State prison farm, two miles
west of Huntsville, irate because
prison officials had discovered a tun-
nel under the tubercular building,
Tuesday set fire to the building and
tiie flames destroyed it as well as four
other structures on the ground.
None of the convicts escaped and
none were injured, according to the
report, although the fifty-six prison-
ers were herded together in a yard by
eight guards after the fire had gotten
well under way.
The fire is said to have started wh^n
one of the tubercular prisoners touch-
ed a match to paper which had been
stuffed in the walls of the building.
Before guards and other convicts
could interfere, flames had spread to
the building for blind, the laundry,
the power house and water tower.
Undermined, the water tower col-
lapsed, leaving Huntsville firemen,
who had been called, without -water
with which to combat the blaze.
Capt. J. H. Spates, in charge of the
prison farm, said convicts had dug a
tunnel five feet underground and
twenty feet long through which they
had planned an escape Monday night.
The tunnel was discovered by prison
officers Sunday and the convicts then
threatened revenge.
D. W. Averitt, assistant general
manager of the Texas prison system,
said the property loss would reach
$i>,000, but that it would take $15,000
to replace the burne dbuildings.
The able-bodied prisoners are now
confined in the State penitentiary at
Huntsville, while the sick men were
under guard in a storage house at
Wynne farm.
Seven previous attempts had been
made in the last year to burn the
tubercular building.
Business is good in Madisonville'
these October days and the little city'
is enjoying a fair share of its fall
patronage. It means farm activities
are fair and agricultural endeavors
have been fruitful.
The cotton crop is good, and while
it would have been better, the people
have at least some cause to be thank-
ful. It may not be an era of pros-
perity, but it is at least the harvest-
ing season, the time when mankind
is rewarded for their toil in produc-
ing what they could. You have pro-
duced and your reward is due, be
that little or much. Much can not
fall to all, but the collective portion
is immense.
When Madison county farms make
good, it is then that everything else
becomes good. The people come to
town expecting to get all their
heart's desires satisfied and the bus-
iness firms are even as desirous to ful-
fill the needs.
The trade territory of Madisonville
is large and people from long dis-
tances have learned that Madisonville
is a mighty good place to trade and
buy their needs. The business men
of Madisonville are among the best
on earth and their ability as merch-
ants is ultra modern. The highly in-
tellectual populace of Madison county
as a whole know this, and they know
that Madisonville is a ssplendid trade
center. This spirit of reciprocity will
build for all. It builds better farms
and better development of agricul-
al industry in every line of endeavor.
REV. M. J. WEBB WILL GO TO
SOLDIERS HOME IN IOWA
A card from Rev. M. J. Webb to
the editor states that he will leave
Dallas in a few days for a Soldiers'
Home in Iowa where he says he will
rest as long as he pleases. He states
that he has been in bed since he has
been in Dallas, but is feeling some
better than when he went to Dallas
several weeks ago.
The many friends of Bfo. Webb
hope for his speedy recovery and send
best regards to him along with those
of the Meteor force.
ELWOOD LADY HURT IN AUTO
ACCIDENT LAST SUNDAY
The report came to us Sunday af-
ternoon that Mrs. Herman Dean of
Ihe Elwood community, was seriously
hurt in an automobile wreck near the
Jenkins school house. But we are glad
to report that she was not hurt as
badly as was supposed at first, Aid
she is recovering with slight bruises.
Messrs. John JByeit* Albert By ere,
Albert Steele, J. L. Broadway, Hep-
man Lynch and A. E. Slaughter spent
Sunday in Housten.
A Retrospective, An Introspec-
tive View of the Educational
System of Madison County
In Texas there are thirty-six acres
of land to every inhabitant.
J. T. Payne renewed his subscrip-
tion to the Meteor Tuesday while at-
tending the Fair.
YOUR EVERY PRAYER BECOMETH A SONG
f — BY C. M. L.—
From sorrows sad, Madiqon friends, Just form a thoughtful prayer.
Unload your worries, griefs and burdens to the angels fair;
And if we listen paitently, trust. silently and long.
We have the promise sure that every prayer becomes a song.
i ' " .
Bespeak, oh friends of this Madison Land, with faith and cheer,
Be nod discouraged by your grief nor sound a note of fear;
Give forth yonr hopeful faith and let it reach into the sky.
And then so thankful be that hope can dry up every cry.
Oh dear Madison friends, your spoken prayer is like a shining light,
For joy and happiness doth come of sorrow deep as night;
Your faith can surely lift all men from sorrow deep and long,
Your every prayer is heard and angels fair make it a song.
(By a Friend of Education.)
In. presenting a restrospective view
of any age or period one must have
sufficient time to do a vast amount of
research work in order to ascertaain
facts regarding conditions existing at
that particular time. Owing to the
fact that it has been necessary to pre-
pare this article in a somewhat limit-
ed time, it is not so complete as the
writer desires that it should be.
In casting about for authentic in-
formation regarding the school sys-
tem in Madison County during its pi-
jneer days, it has been a pleasure
to come in direct contact with some of
the oldest sons and daughters who
seem to find a maximum thrill in re-
lating, each in his own way, that up-
on which he likes to dwell, reminis-
cences of school life in our county dat-
ing back to and preceding, for some
time, the Civil War. If any reader
should disagree as to the accuracy of
any statement, we would remind him
that this information has been glean-
ed from the book of memory, rather
than from a written record.
Feeling that we, as younger gen-
erations, owe so much to these pio-
neers of education, we desire in this
discussion to occasionally digress just
a little.and mention the names and
some accomplishments of those that
have come within our knowledge.
Some of these have long since passed
on to their eternal reward, while oth-
ers are still lingering here enjoying
the evening of life and continuing to
lend inspiration and blessing to all
with whom they chance to meet.
Madison County was created in
1853 from Grimes County and waa or-
ganized in 1854. At this time its edu-
cational facilities may be said to have
been in a somewhat pre-embryonic
state, since preceding its creation and
organization there was a school main-
tained at old Bethel, which was locat-
ed near what is now the line of Mad-
ison and Grimes counties. This school
was taught by Mr. Andrew McWhort-
er, who had just come over from Ire-
land. Many of Mr. McWhorter's de-
scendants still reside in this and
rimes counties. Later the school was
taught by Rev. P. H. Fullenwider, a
Presbyterian minister of Huntsville,
Texas.
Just three years after the last date
mentioned above, the development of
that embryo of our county's present
school system began in Madisonville
in a rude and humble structure con-
sisting of one small room which waa
about sixteen feet square. This build-
ing was located in the western part
of town near what is now the home
site of Mr. W. D. Evans. This school
was taught, perhaps for several yeara
by a Mr. McShan, a Methodist minis-
ter. Just who his successor was can
not be definitely ascertained, but it is
leasing to the writer to use the name
of Mrs. Angie Wycough Hawkins as
one who taught about that time. She
is known to many of Madisonville's
present citizens as Mrs. Viser, wife
of Major W. W. Viser, both of whom
h^ve long since passed away.
The student body of this school,
though small, was made up of those
who were financially able to pay a
tutition charge of about one dollar
per month for a term not exceeding
four or five months. Judge Norman
G. Kitterell, W. H. Kitterell, P. K.
Goree, Judge E. L. Byers, W. W. Br-
ers, J. A. Byers, W. D. (Billy) Mc-
Donald,, J. M. McDonald, J. L. Con-
nor, and Mrs. Dr. Westmoreland, aaA
many others whosf names the wrtlar
could not obtain, attended this school
During this same year the fink
school at Midway Was taught by Joa-
jph Dodson Clark. His two sons, A&-
dison and Randolph, then mere boj%
attended this school. Mr. Clark aat
his sons later built a college at Thocya
Springs, Texas, which was known for
a time as Add-Ran College, and '
(Continued on *.)
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Knight, J. A. The Madisonville Meteor - And Commonwealth - (Madisonville, Tex.), Vol. 35, No. 28, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 4, 1928, newspaper, October 4, 1928; Madisonville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth192279/m1/1/: accessed June 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .