Heritage, Spring 2005 Page: 6
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By Kelly A. Rushing
This issue of the HERITAGE focuses on
some of the oldest businesses in Texas.
Capitalism has enabled business in Texas
to thrive over many years. Texans have
had a strong belief in the principles of capitalism-even
before they knew the meaning
of the word. To many people around
the world, capitalism is a frightening and
even evil system. They say that it promotes
greed and creates an environment
where people can loose jobs, security, and
even their homes. Capitalists take risk.
With risk, of course, comes the possibility
of a loss, but there is also the opportunity
to win a better life (including jobs, homes,
and security) and that has been the motivating
factor.
It is interesting to note that the oldest
surviving businesses in Texas, to be kind,
are somewhat mundane. For example, a
company that makes ceramic pots is not
an idea that would stir the entrepreneurial
juices in this day. And who in the dot-com
boom of the 1990s would have considered
investing in a company that makes fruitcakes?
What a nutty idea. However, it is
just these kinds of well-run businesses,
including one that encourages a friendly
pepper-upper at 10:00, 2:00, and 4:00, that
have stood the test of time.
One of the more interesting business
ventures in Texas did not stand the test of
time, lasting just one day in 1896. It was
quite possibly the first reality show. A railroad
man appropriately named William T.
Crush was acutely aware of the keen interest
in train wrecks. He convinced his
employers to stage a head-on crash of two
locomotives, each with a six-car back up.
They built a phony town and rail station
near Waco and gave it the name, Crush,Texas. Thousands poured in and crowded
close to the rails to observe the great
event. When the locomotives collided,
the boilers exploded sending steam, ash,
and bits of iron into the crowd. Only four
people were killed, but hundreds were
injured. Crush was immediately fired, but
before the day ended he was rehired when
he was able to convince his bosses that
this experience illustrated the need for a
director of railroad safety. Crush thought,
and his employers agreed, that he was the
perfect guy for the job!
A substantially more important business
to 19th-century Texans was the business of
guns. Texas cannot claim to be the home
of a significant firearm manufacturer, but
we can claim to have saved one. Samuel
Colt of Hartford, Connecticut, patented a
revolving cylinder handgun in 1836. The
Republic of Texas ordered 180 of Colt's .36
caliber model revolvers for its navy in
August of 1839. Although Colt's revolver
was popular in Texas among the various
armed forces, including the Texas Rangers,
his enterprise failed in 1842. The formerTexas Ranger, Samuel H. Walker, was
familiar with some of the shortcomings of
Colt's earlier gun and negotiated with Colt
to produce 1,000 revolvers with an
improved design. This smart move put
Colt back in business to stay, and the
Walker Colt revolver remained preeminent
among such arms for the remainder
of the 19th century.
On a more personal note, I received my
first business lesson from my grandfather
when I was about five years old. He was
retired and living in Runge, Texas, in
Karnes County. I knew that he wasn't
wealthy, but I thought he must be pretty
important because he raised sugar cane
and more watermelons than we could eat.
He decided to take the surplus produce to
town to sell. I was riding with him in a cart
being pulled by a donkey. Most of the people
just ignored us, but one woman examined
the melons, made a face, and said
they were no good. She walked away, and
then turned to ask how much they cost.
The price was 25 cents. She made another
face and acted indignant. I was worried
that my grandfather's feelings would be
hurt and complained to him about how
mean that woman was acting. He told me
not to worry, she would be back in a
minute to buy some melons. And she did
just that. I doubt if my grandfather earned
a dollar that afternoon. It didn't matter.
What I learned that day was that even if
you are a devoted capitalist, sometimes
business is about more than maximizing
your profit.
Please send your comments to Kelly Rushing,
Texas Historical Foundation, P.O. Box
50314, Austin, TX 78763.HERITAGE SPRING 2005
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Texas Historical Foundation. Heritage, Spring 2005, periodical, Spring 2005; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth45370/m1/6/?q=%22Marshall+Pottery%22: accessed May 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas Historical Foundation.