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Show ' - . r-a. ' -V iraCT- " ' i -J " s ?. - V ' x V?iHr 'r- V vc H I 1 uN if f-f J U, k. ; -8 1 ' ' X ( 1 7 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON fITH the eyes of the nation turning toward Houston, Texas, where the Democratic Demo-cratic party will soon be engaged in choosing Its nominee for President, it is particularly appropriate that the name of the man for whom this city was named should be rescued from the comparative obscurity ob-scurity which has-been its fate and that the deeds and importance of this man In our national history should be made better known to all Americans. There are thousands of cities and towns in the United States named after men, but comparatively few of these individuals individ-uals are worthy of having their names thus perpetuated, rf ever' a man deserved de-served that honor, however, surely it was Sam Houston of wliom it has recently re-cently been said "Unless 'Old San Jacinto' is known and understood, until lie is given his just dues, there can be no clear and proper understanding of the stars that stud the flag. Leave Sam Houston out of the story, and the American chronicle is a thing of gaps and many' unintelligibilities. for not only did he make history at various times, but in a great critical period he WAS history." Although three states vie for the honor of calling Sam Houston their own, he belongs not only to them but to the whole nation.' So it is appropriate appropri-ate that the name "Houston" should be upon the tongue of all Americans within with-in the next few weeks. It is also appropriate ap-propriate that there should appear at this time a new biography of "Old San Jacinto" such as George Creel's "Sam Houston A Colossus in Buckskin " published recently by the Cosmopolitan Hook corporation. That sweeping characterization of Houston, the new biographer justifies In this statement: Between H.,nando de Soto, flrst to 3t the New world, and Kit Carson. inst of the great frontiersmen, streams an endless procession of tremendous flK. ures Homeric ,n courasro and achievement, achieve-ment, flaming hugWy anainst the dull background or uniformity; yet not In the whole colorful story of Vmerlca is there record of a more amazing career than that of Sam Houston, the Colossus in liuckskin who won an empire for Ms country. t'rom the cradle to the grave he walked with drama. As a boy he ran away from home to live in the w.s-wams w.s-wams of the Cherok.cs; serving under Andrew Jack: cm in the war against the Creeks, he I' I the charge that carried the li-.d ar breastworks. receiving won-ids ii- stretched him on the Tommy Connolly, Bill Dinneen and Hick Nalliu, former coumpires of Hilly ICvuu. presented the general miinaei ol t lie Cleveland Indians wiih a clock ami pen sei as a mkeu of esiivin. The gift Is inscribed, "I'roin Tommy Bill and Hick." The longest game ol the season was Ida.vcl ..n Maj ai Oakland when ii "'"u ll,t' " ? 'cam Innings to de leal Sacramento 7 t 0. The game was tied up In the nitnh and S;kth men ' sc.. red one in the Iweniy.-vcon.l bui Oakland came back with two. I ground for dead; elected congressman and then governor by the adoring Ten-nesseeans, Ten-nesseeans, even the Presidency was not beyond his hopes, yet that happened which sent him into exile between two suns; seeking refuge with the Chero-kees Chero-kees for a second time, drink and melancholy mel-ancholy sank him to a dark level beneath be-neath the regard of men; enterinf? Texas, resolved to build a new life in a new land, he lifted himself high above his degradation; and when the coTonistt, rose In rebellion against the brutal tyrannies of a Mexican dictator, it was a clear-eyed, indomitable Houston who marshaled ragged volunteers, conducted conduct-ed masterful retreats and finally crushed Santa Anna and his army in a day of slaughter. His later years were no less packed with color and high accomplishment. As President of the Lone Star Republic, hi. beat down rhe greeds, Impatience and vagaries of men, building firm and enduring foundations under the tottering totter-ing superstructure of government; It was his shrewd statecraft, pitting European powers against America, that made annexation possible; in the senate sen-ate or the United States, although a Southerner and a slaveholder, he braved the hate and anger of the South bv an unflinching stand against slavery and secession: contemptuous of threats against his life, he returned to Texas to runtor governor on a Unionist plat-form plat-form and won against overwhelming odds; confronted with the necessity ot declaring allegiance to the Confederate States, he suffered deposition rather than surrender his principles, and walked out of office to the humble cabin that was his home, old, poor and proscribed, but with his head unbowed. Such was the career which enables its chronicler to say by way of summary sum-mary : A gigantic, towering figure, well worthy to rank with the Illustrious and admired of America, yet, save in the Southwest, born of his courage, Sam Houstrn is but a name, known in detail only to the Inquiring few. Out of the annexation of Texas, an expansion expan-sion important enough in itself, came the Mexican war that added California New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Utah to the Union, yet schoolbooks either Ignore Houston's connection with these epochal events, or else confine con-fine themselves to casual and misleading mislead-ing mention. . . His entire life, as a matter of fact, constitutes a contribution to Americana Ameri-cana as important as fascinating. A soldier in the War of 1812, he lived to see the North and South lock In deadly grapple and, during the fifty crowded years that lay between, he played a leading part In the national drama More than that, Sam Houston, perhai s better than any other, stands as a per. tect expression of the frontier spirit, and his portrait Is a composite of those amazing men who rode the forest aid plain as the Vikings rode the sea reckless, dauntless, indomitable, simple as children, craftier than the Indian, arrogant and invincible in their courage cour-age and pride of blood, lawless vet curiously law-loving, and fleeing from civilization only to extend it. Never was a biography more intensely intense-ly American. . . . I While the average American may be but faintly interested in the work of Houston, the empire-builder, he cannot can-not fail to be stirred by the deeds of Houston, the man. We can admire the pure grit he displayed when be received that dreadful wound in the assault on the Indian stronghold at Tohopeka, but we must admire more the moral courage he displayed when he faced a vast crowd of Texans. deplored de-plored their hasty decision for secession seces-sion and dared to predict defeat for the South. For "it is far easier to do something spectacular with all the world applauding than it is to stand square for a principle and to flout the mighty monarch, Majority." Small wonder then that three states should claim him as their own. Virginia's Vir-ginia's claim lies in the fact that he was born March 2, 1793 at Timber Ridge in Rockbridge county not far from Lexington, the son of Samuel Houston, who served in the Revolu tion as one of Daniel Morgan's slnl-wart slnl-wart riflemen, and one of those pioneer mothers, who were "tall and strong" and a fit mate for such a man. Last year Virginia, with Texas co-operating, erected a monument at that place and there each year memorial ceremonies are held on April 21, the anniversary of Sam Houston's greatest victory, the battle of San Jacinto. When the elder Samuel Houston died in 1807. his wife took her six sons and three daughters with her over the Alleghenies and established them a pioneer home on the horders of the Cherokee nation in eastern Tennessee. So Tennessee spreads upon the record of its contribution to national na-tional history that she sent Sam Houston Hou-ston to his first war under the leadership leader-ship of her greatest hero, Andrew Jackson, in bis expedition against the Creeks; that she sent him to represent her In congress and thai she later made him her governor. Texas' claim to Sam Houston is based upon events too well known to need repeating here. The events themselves them-selves nre well known, hut the si--nilicnnce of these events and Hie mim responsible for them are not such rmn- I mon knowledge and thai is why the J appearance of a new biography f Houston at a time when il will be easiest for his name to he recalled is a happy circumstance. Virginia. Tonnes see and Texas may claim Sam Housi.m for their own bui as his e..niribmi.m ' to the building of the L'niied Smies ' becomes better known, these Ht,.,. : states must share him with all their 1 sister commonwealths. For ibis ',.!,, s j sus in Buckskin, like all other empire i builders, belongs to us all. j A Birmingham hotel has a miniature golf course laid out ou the roof, it includes traps, water- hazards an.l putting greens. Old Mike McTigue says be has Jnsi ne ambition. The way he bang-iround bang-iround be inusi ii musi be to lick lb grandsons of the men who licked bin Joe Kirkwood. famous Atisirall rick-sbol gol'er. rerenlU Mew fro lacksonville. Flu., to M.mig.uuei Ala., and back In onlet id pani.-ip.-. in previously scheduled luurimmenis |