#william saylor

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Preparations of Egg-Nog - Poking Their Noses and Horns In - Fireworks Approval - Robbery In Capitol Yard - Baby Disappeared - House Full of Unfortunates

24 DEC 1882. Austin Daily Statesman.

LONG WALKS By Statesman Reporters.

Christmas Egg-Nog -- Mr. M. C. Murphy, proprietor of the Eureka saloon, which is situated under the Statesman office, is making grand preparations for an egg-nog, free to all, on Christmas morning.

There are too many cattle roaming around on the Avenue and Pecan street, poking their noses and horns in where they have no business. They should be confined to the outskirts of town or be speedily converted into “vittles.”

The use of the university grounds is conceded by Mayor Saylor for the display of fireworks. 

One of the hack drivers of this city, while going through the capitol yard last night, was attacked and robbed of $1.50 in cash. One of the thieves said, “take his watch,” but the other one, who seemed to be manager of the show, said, “No, it will give us away,” and the robbers then run off in a westerly direction from the capitol and were seen no more.

A German lady from the country lost her one-year-old baby yesterday afternoon, but fortunately she found it again after frantically searching around for about an hour. She went into a store on Pecan street, leaving the child in the hands of a negro girl who was sitting in a wagon. When she came out from the store both baby and negro girl had disappeared, and for fully an hour she searched for them in vain; but finally both turned up sound and well. The nurse had taken it into her head to take a walk up the Avenue to see the sights, and, being a total stranger in the city, she had been unable to find her way back to Pecan street.

Mayor’s Levee.

The mayor was greeted by a house full of unfortunates yesterday morning.

Charles Pruett was found unable to make his way, and he was fined $5 and costs.

Stephen Mays had a gun on board, contrary to the peace and dignity of this city, and he paid $25 and costs for the pleasure thereof.

Mr. Haber was charged with fighting and generally making himself disagreeable and he was requested to pay the city $7.

Alexander Evans, for disturbing the peace, $5 and costs.

A. H. Swan got exceedingly drunk and was fined $5 and costs.

Alex Mack, drunk and disorderly and using language calculated to make a breach of the peace, was fined $25 and costs.

Wm. Turner, drunk and down, $5 and costs.

Wm. O’Kief, too much spirituality on the brain, $5 and costs.

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Eighteenth Anniversary

20 JUN 1882. Austin Daily Statesman.

EMANCIPATION. How It Was Celebrated in Austin Yesterday.

Yesterday was the eighteenth anniversary of the emancipation of the slaves of the south, and the event was celebrated in Austin by a parade, picnic, speaking, etc.

At about eleven o’clock the procession was formed, with the Colorado brass band in the lead, followed by the colored military company, the rear being brought up by citizens on horseback, in carriages, wagons and on foot. The procession moved out up the avenue to Wheeler’s grove, a beautiful spot about a mile north of the city. The grounds had been perfected for the comfort and convenience of the large number who were present. It was estimated that at least twenty-five hundred people were on the grounds.

Elder Grant was the orator of the day, and the reporter desire to congratulate him, not upon his oration and fine words, but upon the peculiar fitness of what he said. No better counsel could have been given this people who, though yet laboring to a very great degree under the bans of ignorance, are sympathetic in nature and fully capable of being moved by the sensible words of their chosen spokesman. Speeches were also made by Dudley G. Wooten, Esq., Judge Terrell, Justice Gregg, Judge Fulmore, Mayor Saylor, Wm. Holland and others.

The day was spent by the crowd in such amusements and diversions as the occasion furnished or suggested, and the homeward march did not commence until late in the afternoon.

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The Capital In Darkness

30 MAR 1882. Austin Daily Statesman.

SHALL THE STREETS BE LIGHTED?  A Feasible Plan for Accomplishing this Much Desired Result.

The meeting of citizens at the city hall Monday night, to discuss the feasibility of lighting with gas the most important business streets of the city, was not as fully attended as the matter seemed to warrant.  In conversation yesterday with Mayor Saylor, a reporter of the Statesman asked him the question, “In what way he proposed to have the streets lighted?”  His reply was, “By private subscription.  If the very able committee appointed by Mr. Warmouth, chairman of the citizens’ meeting, will go energetically to work on the two streets named, and canvass them thoroughly,” thought Captain Saylor, “there can be little doubt about the final result.”  He was firmly of the opinion that the merchants, and other business men,on the Avenue and Pecan street will subscribe liberally, if they are approached in the right manner.  To have the capital of the state in darkness, during a season of the legislature, is simply a thing which every public-spirited citizen of the city would, or should be ashamed of.  Suppose such a state of affairs exists, and it will exist, unless the committees stir the people up, when the legislature meets next week, and a representative would introduce a bill making an appropriation to supply members of the legislature with lanterns, to enable them to find their boarding houses, how would that look to a man up a tree, away from Austin?  But seriously speaking, there seems to be but one really feasible plan for lighting the streets, and that is the one suggested by Mayor Saylor.  Will it be done that way?  We shall see if it is done.

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Firemen Make Their Case

12 MAR 1882. Austin Daily Statesman.

THE FIREMEN WIN.  MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.  The Abolition Ordinance Reconsidered and then Killed -- A More Liberal Policy to be Pursued.

The city council met again in called session last night.  Mayor Saylor in the chair, and a quorum of the aldermen being present.

The mayor said that he had called the council together for the consideration of matters pertaining to the fire department, and such other matters as may come before the council.

There were present, upon the part of the fire department, Chief Bremond, Assistant Chief Ziller, Recorder Goldbeck, Foremen Monroe Miller, Wilhelm, Chenneville, Hoffheintz, George Brush, and several "actives."  In order to brin the subject properly before the meeting, Alderman Radkey moved a reconsideration of the ordinance.

Alderman Platt opposed the motion, speaking at some length to sustain his position. 

Alderman Brueggerhoff then addressed the council, as he said, to place himself right on the record and before the council, to which he was alone responsible.  He then gave a detailed statement of his actions previous to the passage of the ordinance above reconsidered.  From the statement made by the alderman, it would appear that a wide discrepancy exists between statements made at the firemen's meeting, Friday night, and that indulged in by the speaker.  He was succinct and positive in saying that he has consulted with some of the officers of the fire department, and that they had coincided to some extent, with the views he had expressed to them.  He gave strong reasons why the ordinance should again pass.  He would not question the correctness of the report of the firemen's meeting, nor criticize the action of any one present.

At the suggestion of Alderman Radkey, members of the fire department present were invited to discuss the question before the meeting.

Chief Bremond indulged in a few pertinent remarks.

He was followed by Alderman Brueggerhoff, who again argued strongly in favor of the passage of the abolition ordinance.

Foreman Miller made a brief statement with reference to Washington's hose cart.

Alderman Kinney spoke, briefly and to the point.  He was prepared to carry out in good faith the determination of the caucus meeting of the aldermen; give to fire department say $4000 per year -- one-half of last year's expenses.

Alderman Cook was prepared to coincide with Alderman Kinney, and would stand on that proposition.  He would vote to give the department half of what it got last year, and trust to them to say wherein that money shall be expended.

Alderman Kinney supplemented his remarks by saying that he had, in company with the mayor, made some estimates for this fiscal year, and upon that estimate he found that $4300 could be spared for the fire department.

Alderman Brueggerhoff styled this, "a scheme," and hoped it would not become an ordinance.  He could not -- would not -- vote for any such extravagance.

Mayor Saylor addressed the council, and his remarks were pertinent to the occasion.

A business sort of colloquy was indulged in by Chief Bremond, Foreman Miller, the mayor, Alderman Brueggerhoff, and Huppertz, Foreman Hoffheintz, and others, after which Alderman Cook moved that the ordinance be laid on the table. The motion not meeting a second, Alderman Raderman Radkey offered, as a substitute, an ordinance to limit appropriations for the expense of the fire department.  The ordinance provides for the appropriation of three hundred and seventy-five dollars per month from March to November, 1882, and is to include and pay for all expenses of the department, save only the water supply. 

The substitute was lost for want of a two-thirds vote, Alderman Brueggerhoff and Platt voting no.

A motion to adjourn was lost.

On motion of Alderman Kinney, the enacting clause of the Brueggerhoff ordinance was stricken out, whereupon Alderman Radkey offered his ordinance, above mentioned, as an original proposition.  This was referred to the ordinance committee for perfection.

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Their Brains Enthused by Free Drinks - Election Whiskey Talking

8 NOV 1881. Austin Daily Statesman.

THE ELECTION.  SAYLOR, WALTON, THOMPSON, STERZING, HOWARD, AND McFALL WIN.

At an early hour yesterday morning the several candidates and their friends, were to be seen actively engaged distributing their tickets and otherwise preparing for the impending conflict.  Every point was closely contested, all along the line, and firing was steadily kept up from the opening of the polls until they were closed.  The usual amount of yelling and other boisterous demonstrations were indulged in by the fired bummers, strikers and rounders, whose brains were enthused by the free drinks surreptitiously gurgled down their noisy throats.

THE NEW MAYOR SERENADED. HIS CONGRATULATORY ADDRESS LAST NIGHT.

About twelve o'clock quite an enthusiastic crowd, headed by the Manning Rifles band, proceeded to the residence of Major Saylor in the first ward, near Millet's mills.  Upon reaching there, and after the band had played a spirited air, Dr. Bibb moved that Colonel L. E. Edwards be deputed specially to go in and invite Major Saylor to come out and address his fellow citizens.  The motion was carried with great unanimity, and the mayor elect appeared before his friends.  He was greeted with vociferous cheering.

Major Saylor commenced by saying that he was too full of gratitude to speak.  From the bottom of his heart he thanked them.  E. P. Phillips, Dr. Bibb, Colonel Edwards, and Judge Neill answered to calls, and delivered short, appropriate addresses.  The crowd, accompanied by the band, next visited the homes of Mr. Newton Walton and Captain Ben Thompson, where each of the gentlemen named were serenaded.  A general hand shaking and impromptu speeches followed, and a hearty good time prevailed.

OUTRAGEOUS CONDUCT.  AN OFFICER STRUCK BY DRUNKEN NEGROES.

About the hour the Statesman went to press Sunday morning, an outrageous affair occurred at the corner of Congress Avenue and Pecan street.  A Statesman reporter was on the ground soon afterwards and gathered the following particulars:  A negro man was partaking of a Mexican supper, chile con carne y tamales, when he was approached from the rear by another negro and upset him in the mud.  Thus irritated -- not so much at having his clothes soiled as at being knocked out of his supper -- the party of the first part rose and went for the other fellow.  A melee ensued, when officer Holland interfered to restore peace.  He was knocked down by the negro who, in the first instance, caused the disturbance.  The officer recovered himself and dealt the scoundrel several well-directed blows with his "billie," but the crowd was too much for him.  Holland was struck several times -- by whom he could not say -- and when the reporter saw him he was quite bloody.  Threats were made by a number of darkies that they would "fix that officer" before daylight; but it was election whiskey talking, and nothing was done in that direction.  The drunken negroes were very boisterous, and their conduct was outrageous to a marked degree.  Such proceedings are a disgrace to any community; but we may not look for a change until we get rid of the present system of carrying elections by the promiscuous use of free whiskey.