CHAPTER XXXII.

The Oxiers-Lewis-Kirkland-Clark School House-A Sunday Service and Race-Robertsons-Wylies-Peters-Williams-Drought of 1860-First Cotton.

In 1858, James Oxier settled on the river in Blevins [Peveler] valley; having served in the Confederate army, he subsequently settled at Thorp Spring, where his mother and several brothers and sisters resided. Here they continued, participating in the varied dangers and alarms during the war, and subsequently, till all have passed away, save three sisters. One of the brothers, Munson, was killed at Busby's place in 1868 by Bill Dorsey. Of the three surviving sisters, only one remains a citizen of Hood county. She was first the wife of James Lewis, who, coming from Fort Worth in 1861, and settled his wife near her mother, and enlisted in Capt. Whitesides' company and served several years on the coast; returning home he died here about 1864. Austin Lewis, his only son, lives on Stroud's creek, and his widow married Jacob Kirkland, then a hardy and prosperous blacksmith of Thorp Spring, and since then a successful farmer of Stroud's creek. Kirkland, prior to settling at Thorp Spring, had plied his hammer for some time at Tobey's shop on Robinson creek. The other Oxier sisters, Mrs. Bateman and Mrs. Gatewood, are citizens of Bosque county.

About 1866, a tolerably commodious log house was built above Thorp Spring, near Wylie Clark's at the site of the old cemetery, and known as the Clark school house, and used for preaching and school purposes by all denominations. Besides those heretofore mentioned, Leander Wright and Tom Burns, who lived then in this vicinity, used to often preach; and Rev. Monk's, a Methodist itinerant of considerable note, also preached here, and at many other places in the county. The first schools taught in this building were by a Mr. Hayes, and afterwards Milton Jones, Jr. and his wife taught here. But for several years following the war, there seemed here, as elsewhere in frontier life, a grotesque struggle existing in society between the softening and elevating influences of the christian religion and the normal conditions of unregenerate man. An incident not wholly uncommon to these times, and illustrating this, occurred at one of Monks meetings, held at Tobey's shop. It was a regular Sunday service and people of all kinds, from the neighboring settlements, were there. Some to hear the gospel; some to meet and gossip with their friends, and some for any game that might show up. Dr. D.K. Turner, a noted man of these times, was there with his pill-bags on his saddle, and a man named Dixon was there, too. In the evening after preaching they, with many others, were congregated about the place, and as usual when Turner was in a crowd, "horse talk" was the chief topic. The horse Turner was riding was his noted race horse, "Bailey," but on this occasion he had a very jaded and shabby appearance, so that few recognized him as the noted purse-winner. Turner bragged much on his old horse and made banters, till Dixon innocently took the bait and wagered his pony against the doctor's, on a race then and there to be run, which being arranged, they mounted and the doctor with difficulty restrained his now fiery racer till Dixon with his pony was fairly leading off at his best, when "Bailey" was given the rein, and the doctor as he passed Dixon called out, "Come along, Dixon, if you are going my way." Poor Dixon was so dumb-founded that he quietly turned about, and to escape the jerrs of the crowd, took to the woods. In the conflict of principle, the Sabbath racing element have long ago escaped to the woods, too.

The widow Robertson, with her several children, Dick, Sugg, William, George, Pink, and probably several daughters, were among those who settled here about the period of the war. She first lived at the place now owned by Mrs. Mullins, west of Granbury, afterwards nearer Stockton, and then at Thorp Spring, where the boys grew up under the influences of frontier life and drifted to the west. Several of them being engaged with the Wylie's in the stock business, have experienced prosperity and reverses from time to time. Dick Robertson was at one time, about 1874, engaged in merchandising at Granbury, but was of a nature too generous and social to succeed in this line. He is now probably in the stock business in Mitchell county, where Sugg is also, a successful banker at Colorado City. The widow Robertson also moved west and is now Mrs. Doggett. John Wylie, yet residing near Thorp Spring, is one of that trio of brothers, who have co-operated successfully together in the stock industry west of us. He married a daughter of the widow Robertson. The Wylie's are noted stockmen of west Texas, and have had many experiences common to the dangerous border territory where they have resided for about forty years. They have been so well known and clearly identified with our locality as to be in some measure a part of our history.

Among those prominent citizens coming from Cherokee county in that period of 1859 heretofore referred to, was Robert G. Peters, who settled at Stockton and remained here till his death some time during the '80's. Peters was always esteemed a trustworthy citizen of extensive influence. He enlisted and went east with W.H. Cathey's company, but owing to his age was exempt from service and soon returned home. He has left a number of sons and daughters yet citizens of Hood, and all respected. After the organization of the county Peters long served as deputy county clerk under A.S. McCamant.

John M. Williams, now living in the retirement of old age at his farm between Squaw and Paluxy creeks, was also of the Cherokee settlers of 1859. He has been an active and successful stock farmer of Squaw creek, and did frontier service in Cathey's company.

The year '60 was noted for a great and extensive drouth which prevailed here, so that settlers all suffered many inconveniences; bread stuffs were hauled from east Texas. Corn sold at the rate of $2 per bushel; wheat at $2.25, and flour at $7 per hundred pounds. The first raw cotton, perhaps, ever seen in our territory, was four bales brought during the war from Cherokee county by W.C. Walters, which found ready sale at 50 cents per pound, as a much needed article for homespun clothing. This eager demand seems to have induced Walters, the following year to plant a patch of about two acres on his river farm, from which he realized about 2,000 pounds of seed cotton. This was the beginning of the cotton planting here.

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