History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. Page: 645
[7], iv-vii, [2], 10-826, [2] p., [56] leaves of plates : ill., ports. ; 28 cm.View a full description of this book.
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TILSTORY OF T E X A S.645
brought to a sudden close when the fact was
mentioned that there was no salt in the house,
and none procurable, to save the meat with.
Another counsel of war was held which resulted
in directing attention to the dirt floor
of the old smoke-house, which it was believed
contained more or less saline matter mixed
with mother earth. The dirt was dug up for
several inches, leeched, thle lye boiled, with
the result, when the various processes were
gone through with, of producing a half bushel
of good salt, the color of light brown sugar.
This saved the deer meat, and besides that
furnished "seasoning" for the remainder of
the year. The cotton crop was put in and
made a good yield. By ginning time Captain
Tracy had sold enough peltry to buy
bagging and ties, and when the crop was
picked it was put on the market without delay.
It brought eighteen and three quarter
cents per pound, and netted enough to buy
supplies for the ensuing year and give a surplus
of $875. The Tracy household was by
this time fairly on its feet. Supplied with a
goodly quantity of calico bought at a cost of
twenty cents a yard, linsey at forty cents a
yard, sugar at eighteen cents a pound and
other things in proportion, the labors of a
new year were begun munch more hopefully
than had been those of the previous year.
And these things were appreciated too, for
Captain Tracy relates that there was a spoonful
of sugar or molasses nor a cup of tea,
coffee or milk in his house from the time he
came home from the war until lie raised and
marketed his first crop.
In 1868 Captain Tracy moved to Texas,
settling at Davilla, Milani county. There he
engaged in the mercantile business, and in
1874 moved to Rockdale, continuing in this
and the banking business until 1880. Having
r, ad law, lie was admitted to the bar inthe last named year, and at once entered on
the practice, since which time lie has given
his attention to duties pertaining to his profession.
He has served as County Commnissioner
of Milam county for six years, as meinmber
of the Town Council of Rockdale, on the
City School Board, and has taken great interest
generally in public matters in the coin.
inmnity where he lives. He is a Democrat,
and has always stood ready to honor sight
drafts on his time and services in behalf of
his party.
In 1875, the year following his removal to
Rockdale, Captain Tracy lost his estimable
wife who died at the age of thirty-one years,
a devout Christian and sincere, good woman.
Two children survive her, Belle, the wife of
J. F. Copeland of Springfield, Missouri, and
Nat. HI. Jr., of the same place. Three children
died young, William P. at the age of
eleven, James F. at the age of fifteen and
Melvina at the age of five. Captain Tracy
married a second time in 1876, when he was
united to Miss Sallie Pipes, a daughter of
John H. Pipes of Greensburg, Louisiana.
To this Union five children have been born,
Eugene H., Claudie, Kittie, Leonard and
Nattie. He and his wife are members of the
Christian Church, as was also his deceased
wife. He is a teacher of a Bible class in the
Sunday schools, and exhibits a commendable
interest in all church work. He is a. mnember
of the Masonic order belonging to the
blue lodge and chapter.
Captain Tracy's life has not been all sunshine,
as this record shows, but he acknowledges
having succeeded in getting a great
deal of genuine pleasure out of it, and through
all the trials and vicissitudes of his career he
has preserved unimpaired his confidence in
the existence of his Creator, in the justice
and expediency of the scheme of society as itHISORYOF TXS
64.
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History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties. (Book)
Book containing a brief overview of the state of Texas and more specific focus on six specific counties, with extensive biographical sketches about persons related to the history of those places. An alphabetical index of persons who are included follows the table of contents at the front of the book.
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Lewis Publishing Company. History of Texas, Together with a Biographical History of Milam, Williamson, Bastrop, Travis, Lee and Burleson Counties., book, 1893; Chicago, Illinois. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth29785/m1/693/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.