George Walker Weller Interview - George Walker Weller Interview [part 1 of 3]

PIONEERS IN TEXAS OIL Topic: Beaumont merchant who went into business during boom. Name: Weller, George Walker Interviewer: Owens, William A. Place: Beaumont, Texas Tape No.: 117 Date: 7-22-53 Restrictions: None

O. - This is an interview with Mr. Weller in Beaumont Hotel at Beaumont, Texas, July the 22nd, 1953. What is your full name, sir?

W. - George Walker Weller.

O. - Where were you born?

W. - Born in Russville, Kentucky.

O. - When was that?

W. - 1883.

O. - 1883. Will you tell me something about your family there?

W. - Yes, sir. My grandmother was born in Glasgow, Kentucky, She was in business, 82 years old when she died, in the mill business. My father's mother, my grandmother, lived in Russ-ville, Kentucky, and my father run [sic] a grocery, bakery and confection [sic] in Russville, Kentucky.

And then when my father lost his health in the store, the doctors told him to come to to get outdoors and do outdoors work. So he came to Beaumont, Mr. and Mrs. Ratchford was my aunt and uncle. So he came out here and he started to driving a hack to Spindletop,

O.- Your father did?

W.- Yes, sir. So I was in school in Lewell, Kentucky, taking a business course, and soon as my school was out, why, I went home and packed up and came to Beaumont, my mother and sisters and little brothers. I have three sisters and two brothers.

O.- Yes, sir.

W- So when we came to Beaumont, we had recommendations from the Russville National Bank and the Rodin County Bank and we still have that recommendations [sic]. And it helped me in business when I was a young man,

O.- Is that right?

W.- Yes, sir. So a-- I-- when I first started out in business here, why, I worked when I came here, I worked as an agent for the Galveston and Dallas News for twelve months. I saved my money and put it into my business.

O.- What time did you come what year did you come?

W.- I came in 1900, the latter part of 1900, in September.

O.- September, 1900, Yes, sir.

W.- Yes, sir. So during the oil boom then, my father was driving a hack for Mr. Stone. Used to run a livery stable here. So when we got here, my mother and I told him that he'd better drive for himself.

So we went over to bought two horses, and paid he had about $600 saved up and we bought two horses, paid $500 for two horses. We went over to Mr.

Perlstein where Kress is now located and we bought the harness and the surrey from him. So he started in business and my mother always said to go to work for yourself. And I always took her advice.

And so my father went to work and he made money. And he saved it, but he didn't like the business much that I went into. So when I went into business, why, I worked five months for the Beaumont Racket Store. And first month, the salary I got was $30.

Next month $40, Next month, 50. Then he said he'd pay me 85. Well, I told him I was gonna [sic] quit and go into business for myself. So he said, "Well, I'll give you $125." I said, "No." Said, "150." I said, "No." So I said, "I'm gonna quit, Mr. Perl."

So I quit and rented a little place way down on College Street and I didn't have any money so I went down to Mr. C. B. Chenault, run a grocery store there. I asked Mr. Chenault what he paid for his fixtures. Had an old counter, some lights. And he says, "$25."

So I say, "Well, I'll take them. Let me pay you a couple of dollars a week on them?" He says, "Yes." So I went in there and I hung up some towels and this

and that and the other, and spread out everything I could. Didn't have but I only had a hundred dollars and I borrowed twenty-five dollars from the Texas National Bank, Mr. Cunn-ingham. And then my aunt let me have twenty-five dollars in Kentucky. So I started in business. So I started in business.

O. -What was the business you started in?

W. - I started in the racket business, just a selling general merchandise, towels, china, crockery, just different items that way.

O. - Well, that term 'racket' store has been lost, hasn't it?

W. - Yes, sir. A racket store is lost. So then we run [sic] the store as Weller's-- Weller's Hotel Supply.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - We first run [sic] It Weller's Department Store and then after I got in further, why, I commenced selling hotel supplies -- dishes, stoves, and all kinds of hotel supplies. So then I called it the Weller's Hotel Supply and Gift Shop. So we've just grown and grown. And then I was married, married a Texas girl.

O. - What was her name?

W. - Her name was Miss Pansy Sawyers.

O. - Where was she from?

W. - From Palestine, Texas.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - So we started out in a humble way. We I had about I guess about 12 - 1500 dollars stock then. So most everybody wanted to sell me a fine house, this, that and the other.

I told them no. I didn't want to buy an expensive house. I wanted to buy a cheap house. So I bought me a house, little four room house and fixed it up. Paid $800 for the house and lot.

O. - When did you buy that?

W. - That was been married 47 years the 20th day of August.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - 47 years ago.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - So we lived there. And then we found a lot round further and I bought another lot. So then I built a new house and rented this place and then we lived there for quite a while and some lady came up, said, "Mr. Weller, you buying houses? I want to sell you another house down here on the corner. "

I said, "Lady, I haven't got any money. " And she said, "Well, I want to sell it to you anyway. " I says, "How much you want, Mrs. Tick [?]?" "$1500. " I says, "I'll take it. " Didn't even go and look at the house but I knew the lot by hand.

So then my sister wrote me from San Antone [sic] she had a place next door to her. She wanted to sell it to me, $1200. Well, I told her I'd take it. Well, went down to the Texas National Bank and they let me have the money.

I said, "Mr. Alvey (Mr. Frank Alvey was the president of the bank), Mr. Alvey, I'm buying another house." "George, what are you doing? Buying all the houses in Texas?" I said, "No, I'm just buying a few, Mr. Alvey. Gonna make some money on them."

So I did. So I paid them out and just kept on in my business and buying real estate and pushing my business, too.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- And so everybody would when I was in business, why, there wasn't no five-and-ten-cent store here then.

O.- Yes, sir. W.- So when Kress came, why, people would walk by my store. "Well, Mr. Weller," says, "you're done with now." Says, "Kress is gonna put you out of business."

I says, "No. I never run from anybody." But I says, "Kress can live. I can live." So he really took all my candy business. You know, I was selling lots of candy, and he took that business and stationery business, but I went into high price merchandise.

I kept making money. So then Woolworth opened up a year later. Then they made fun of me. Said, "Well, Mr. Weller, you're done now. You got one on this side and one across the street." Says, "They'll put you out of business."

I said, "No." I says, "We'll get along just the same," Well, so he come [sic] and did more business. In place of hurting me, it helped me cause it brought the people in,

O.- Yes, sir,

W. So I made-- I made probably a hundred thousand dollars. Well, then I first started renting that building. I paid #90 a month.

O.- The building where you are now?

W.- No, over on Pearl Street.

O.- Pearl Street. Yes, sir,

W.- Yes, sir, I rented it from Mr. Ras Landry. He was sheriff of Jefferson County. So when I believe I told you about the Tatee case,

O.- No, I'd like to know about it.

W.- Well, I told Mr. Landry I wanted to rent the building and he said, "Mr. Weller, it's rented." Well, I said, "Mr. Landry, there's many a slip between the cup and the lip." And I says, "[If] Mr. Tatee don't take the building (He was running a printing shop.), I'd like to

have it. " He says, "Son, if he don't [sic] take the building, It's yours. " Well, I says, "All right, " So that very afternoon, he went up to the doctor's office and he died. So Mr. -- I said, "Mr. Landry, you see what happened to Mr. Tatee?"

He said, "Yes. " He said, "The building's yours. " I says, "All right. " So I wanted to move into it and give him a check. He said, "Oh, my bond my word's my bond and your word's your bond. " I said, "All right, Mr. Landry. It's agreeable to me. "

He said, "Here's the key. You move in. You get moved in, I'll come around and give you a check. " So he I moved in and got the check. And everybody said I was crazy. Said, "You moving in that great big building with the merchandise you got?" I was down on Pearl Street then, way down in the 800 block.

I said, "Yes, I'm gonna take that building. " Well, I went in there and I just made money just coming and going.

O. - About what year was that?

W. - That was in 1920.

O. - Yes.

W. - So, everybody just didn't see how I could do it. But I just kept on going and kept a moving

branched out a little bit and I started my brother in business in Port Arthur. And so he has a store like I have, in Port Arthur. But I started him in the business. And so he owns that store and I own this one. But he didn't know anything about the business.

I taught him how to trim the windows and do every-thing. So he's made money, too. And so then I married and after I married I began to raise a family and I have four boys and one girl. So George, that's John is the oldest. He's with me. And F. R. is with me.

And then George A. Weller, he's an attorney here in the city. Fact of the matter, he's one of the-- about one of the best that's in the city. Not because I say so, but the judges say so. So-- my daughter, she's married and they all have a family. I have fourteen grand-children, seven boys and seven girls.

And they're all lucky, I've never been sick but one time in my whole life. I've just-- my family's been healthy and we've always had good health.

And there's only-- I tell them we have two part-ners. I have a partner my wife and God Almighty. So that's my partnership. And she works in the store with me now right along.

O.- She's always worked with you?

W.- Yeah, she's worked with me. Yes, sir. So when we first started out, we started out with one little house and we worked up to we had 24 houses and I owned my house.

We still own our own warehouse. We have a brand new warehouse now which we built that is 50 by-- 50 feet wide, 108 feet long and we have a big stock of merchandise. We wholesale and retail.

O.- Yes.

W.- Yes, sir. So we have really been fortunate all the way through.

So now we take contracts from the schools, furnish them tables and chairs by the carload and we've sold in Nederland, Port Arthur, Port Neches, all the different schools, merchandise-- tables, chairs, and pots, and pans, and silver-ware and such as that.

O.- Yes, sir. W.- So, that's the way we make our money.

O.- Well, I'd like to go back for a little while now. What were you doing when the Spindle top well when the Lucas Gusher came in?

W.- When the Lucas gusher came in, I was-- I was agent then for the Galveston and the Dallas News.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- And I was their agent and I delivered the papers for the Dallas and Galveston News and took advertising for them.

O. - Yes, sir.

W.- And I would get, sometimes, full pages from these different companies, oil companies, for the Dallas News.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- And then when what money I collected, I put into my own store. So I was agent for them for about a year and two months

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- And O. Well, where were you when you heard about the gusher?

W.- I was in Kentucky. Oh, you mean here?

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- Oh, I was when I was here, I was selling papers. I was about right around near the depot there, Southern Pacific depot. See, the Southern Pacific depot then was right here in town.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- It-- I think-- just had a triangle. I don't where-- you remember, I mean

O.- Yes, I know about where it was.

W.- Yes, sir. Well, there was a triangle there and they had the Pacific station on that side and I was at the depot. And on this side they had the freight house. So

O.- Who told you about it?

W.- Well, everybody was excited. And want out there-- well, they couldn't get out there fast enough in hacks and people walking, just going out there in buggies and hacks just

five, twenty-five dollars, ten dollars, any amount you'd want to ask them, they'd say, "Well, all right. Let's go."

O.- Yeah.

W.- And

O.- Did you go out there then?

W.- Yes, sir. So.....

O.- Describe your trip.

W.- My father went out there. We went out there In my father surrey.

O.- Yes, sir. W.- And he'd take the-- let's see, who was it he took out there then? I don't remember the gentleman. But anyway, he took four of them in the hack out there.

O.- You went with them? W.- I went with them.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- And it was certainly exciting.

O.- Well, describe what it was like.

W.- Well, the uh it just roared just like a-- well, more like a thunder just it went way up in the air and it just roared right-- well, you could hear it almost to town here.

After it got started in fact of the matter, my uncle, John W. Daring, that's my uncle from Kentucky. They wanted to borrow the money to put down that well from him.

W. - Yes, sir. So Uncle John says, "Well, I'll go back to Kentucky and find out what they think about it." So they told him, "Ah," says, "those fellows out in Texas just try to do you out of your money." Says, "You better keep your money in your pocket."

So Uncle John started to let them have the money to put down the well. They was gonna give him a third interest in it. So they said, "No, that's too good." Says, "You'll lose all your money."

So he came back and told them 'well, he wouldn't do it.' So he was one of my uncles but he was made plenty of money and [was] rich. He loaned money out but he never let-- he didn't never [sic] give me any of it. So I just had to bat it for my own self.

O.- Yes, sir. Well, what were the people saying around you at Spindletop that day?

W.- Oh, they-- everybody wanted to dig another well, dig another well. In fact of the matter, Mr. Kiber was running a cafe. And Mr. Kiber and myself and about fifteen of us started to put down a well out there at Spindletop.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- We we put down that well until we run [sic] out of money. So the geologist says, "Go deeper. Go deeper." Says, "You'll hit it." Well, we didn't have any more money and we couldn't raise any money then because everybody was trying to get a

lease here and a lease there. So we had to give it up and then.....

O. - What tract were you on?

W. - I was on that-- that tract as you turn around let me see what's the name of that tract? Anyway, you go out to Spindle- top. It's on the right hand side when you turn to go out to Lovers' Lake.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - So where Yount-Lee hit the big well is where we drilled.

O. - Is that right? W. - And Yount-Lee went in there later-- several years later.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - After-- when they had the second boom, rightly speaking.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - He went in there and drilled that very same place we did and I was out there the day that well came in. And when it came in, why, I saw him jump in there with a black suit of clothes on, grab a wrench and help them turn that thing off.

Well, it was exciting, I tell you. And those wells were so close to each other, why, you couldn't hardly [sic] turn around.

O. - Is that right?

W. - Oh, yes. So, the fact of the matter, I got a little piece of land down there near the gulley now, six acres, and I leased that here about two months, three months ago. Leased

that from us. So then I went over to Hackberry and I also bought some royalty over there. And that's paid me off. Well, it's paid me $1500. I paid 500 for it and I made well, in fact, everything I touched except that one well turned into money.

O. - Well, that's good.

W.- Then we-- we-- Mr. Langum and myself and Mr. Gadcheaux, we went up here to this side of Temple. We hit two gas wells there and then we hit the third one and some people from Okla-homa came down and offered us $40,000 for it. We only had 15,000 in it. I said, "Sell it." I was treasurer of the com- pany.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- I says, "Sell it, Langum." I says, "Gadcheaux, sell it quick." Said, "No, worth 15,000, 20,000, or 40,000, 50,000 to them, it's worth double to us." I said, "Gentlemen, sell it and play on velvet." That's the way I always play it. No, they wouldn't do it.

Well, they moved that rig. We owned our own rigs. They moved the rig about two miles across to another lease we had. They lost everything they had, the rig, everything else.

O. Is that right?

W.- Didn't make a dime.

O.- What was the name of that company?

W.- That was the-- Mr. White was our driller. We called that let's see, I got the name over there in a book. I don't remember it now, but we had three, three different wells.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- In fact, the gas people paid us more for gas on that line because there was a booster on the line.

O.- Yes, sir. W.- But the wells didn't last long enough, you know, to make any real money out of it.

O.- Yes, sir. Well, what were the other business establishments around you when the boom came?

W.- Around here?

O.- Yes. What.....

W.- Well, business like when the boom came here, there was the Beaumont Racket Store and then there was Gus Weils. They had a china-racket store. J. J. Nathan opened up a little store. And there was no place to open up business.

O.- Yeah. W.- Just-- you couldn't get a business any place.

O.- Yeah. W.- In fact of the matter, you couldn't even buy a nickle's worth of anything. You had to buy a dime's worth. They wouldn't sell you a nickle's worth during the oil boom.

O.- Is that right? W.- No, sir. You walk into a store and ask them to give you a nickle's worth of candy, why, "We don't sell you a nickle's worth." And so I thought it was pretty funny because I'd been used to buying things when I was a kid, so I just took it all in and then in the meantime when I was selling those newspapers

O.Yes, sir,

W.- The night we came back from Spindletop (that was in 19 1903), why, there was a man riding in my father's hack aid he says, "Mr. Weller, I want a man to lead me around Beaumont here." He was a blind man.

And I says, "Well, where do you want me to go?" "Well," he says, "I just want you to go around town." And I said, "I'll lead you." So when I told the gentle-man, I says, "I'll lead you around town."

I says, "Now, where do you want" "Meet me at the Crosby House in the morning." I went down to the Crosby House and met him and I said, "Where do you want "

He says, "I want to go down to the Episcopal Church." And he says, "I want to go down there and fix the organ."

And I wondered how the dickens he was going to fix the organ blind. He says that was right over here where the

fashion store is now. There used to be an Episcopal Church there. So he took that organ all to pieces. He said, "Now you lay it in a row as I hand it to you. You lay it right in a row. And I get ready to put it back," says, "you hand it to me just like I tell you."

So I did. Laid them, different pieces, in a row and handed them back to him and he put it all back together. Took him three days to fix that organ. And so he fixed it all back and played that thing just like every-thing. Then one night he said to me, "Mr. Weller," he says, "have you got a little extra time tonight?"

I said, "Yes." And he says, "I want you to take me out to Mr. Wither's, Dr. Wither's residence out on North Street." Says, "I want to sell him a piano." Said, "All right, I'll take you out there."

So I took him out there and he sold him a piano. So he came back and had supper at the Crosby House and he said, "Well," he says, "I had a good day today."

And he says, "Here's $15 for your trouble." So he paid me $15 and he said, "I'd like for you to help me tomorrow to fix another piano." And he says, "I'll pay you for your time."

I said, "That's all right." So I put that extra time in. Saved all I could. Put it right into my store. So that's the way I built up my business.

O.- Yeah. Well, apparently you bought everything that came along, just about.

W.- Yes, sir. I bought the fact of the matter, that during the after the World War I was over, I bought everything that I possibly could in surplus. I was my health broke down in the store.

That was in 20 years. Why, I went across the river. Mr. Zellas and I was [sic] over there and we were just walking around and so the man that from Washington was over there and he said, "Mr. Weller," he says, "I want to sell you this shipyard."

I said, "Sell a shipyard?" I says, "I don't have that kind of money." "Oh," he says, "don't take much money to buy it." So we sit down on the log and we was three talking and I said, "Well" He says, "What'll you give me for it?" "I'll give you $500."

Well, he says, "I've got two offers for $500." "Well," I says, "I'll make it $575." Well, he says, "You bought a shipyard." Well, sir, it'd knock me over. And it had twelve build-ings on it. One building was 50 feet wide and 200 feet long. In fact of the matter that I came back and told my people,

told them down at the store that I bought a shipyard. He [Mr. Weller's son] says, "Daddy, what's the matter with you? You going crazy?" I said, "No, I'm gonna work outdoors the balance of the summer."

So the doctor told me, said, "You'll have to get out of the store or you'll have to go up to West Texas and stay out in the sun."

I went over there in the shipyard and I hired me 16 darkies. I took my lunch with me every morning. Went across the river In a boat. We went over there and we started tear-ing down the buildings.

Well, we saved all the roofing paper. We saved where we knocked the nails out of the lumber, we saved the nails. I sold them to the junk man. I had about a hundred -- well, I had about fifty kegs of nails. We sold those. We sold roofing paper. I sold one of the buildings for $100.

And then I built furnished in fact of the matter, I fur-nished the money that went into the San Jacinto Building, build-ing right across the street. All the foundation out of that shipyard.

I sold them $2800 worth of lumber. Well, the then I built the duplex house. I built five houses besides furnish-ing lumber over there. I sold [to] the county, the state, I don't know how much lumber. Well, meantime, he said, "Why, you've bought the buildings, Mr. Weller, I'll sell you all the

fixtures in there." Well, I says, "I don't have that kind of money to buy all those fixtures," I said, "I'll give you $500 for everything," He says, "You bough it,"

Well, sir, I had three comptometers. I had about 30 or 40 typewriters, and some guns. I sold the guns to the county and I sold one comptometer to Judge Noll, I sold another to the Gulf States, I got all my money back in four items.

I had about 50 or 75 desks and I couldn't tell you how much other stuff. But I sold the fact of the matter, I sold electric light wire, buckets, just everything.

Well, anyway, then we started in, I opened up another store down on Virgie [?] called the Shipyard Merchandise Company and I had 10,000 in it and Mr. Zellas had 10 B. F. Zellas. So I tried to get dif-ferent ones to put in money and go into a stock company.

"Well, Weller," he says, "we don't want to do that." He says, "You're going in too deep." I says, "No, I ain't [sic]." I went down to the bank. Said, "Mr. Doty, I want to borrow $10,000." He says, "All right." Fixed me out the note and I signed the note.

I made I paid him back in 11 months. I made 120 percent dividends in 11 months out of that shipyard, besides all my houses.

So Mr. Doty said, "Gee, Weller, I wished [sic] I'd gone in with you now." Well, I said, "I told you you'd make money." But in the meantime, why, I'd buy had 1200 cuspidors. Fellow says, "You want to buy them?"

I says, "Sure, I'll take them. How much you want for them?" "What'll you give me?" "Sixteen cents apiece." "All right. You can have them."

Well, I sold them for $15 a dozen. Couldn't keep from making money. So I was telling Mr. Doty and different ones. "Well," he says, "I never thought you could make that much money out of It."

Well, so we put in that money. We issued 120 percent dividends in 11 months. We Issued 20 percent dividends a year. And after four years, I sold the place out for $24,000 cash. So that's the way that my boys I brought all my boys up through the store, right around the merchandise.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- Because a man that starts out, the first tiling I've learned is salesmanship. You've got to be a salesman if you'll be a doctor or if you're a merchant or anything, you've got to be a salesman.

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- Don't you find that out?

O.- Yes, sir. That's definitely true.

W.- So my son went through law school and he had to write a theme on salesmanship and he got the highest honors there was up at the university.

O.- Is that right?

W.- Yes, sir. George A. Weller. So

O.- Well, tell me about the tombstone that you bought.

W.- Oh, well, we was [sic] down at theó we used to go to the different auctions at the KC Southern depot and they had an auction down there and they had a tombstone and put it up for sale and nobody wanted It. And he says, "Where is Weller?"

They say, "He's out here on the platform." Called me in and said, "Got a tombstone. What'll you give me for It?" I says, "A dollar." He says, "Sold." And everybody just hollered and laughed. Said, "What are you going to do with it, Weller?" I said, "I'm going down there and sell it to that woman." "She's dead."

I said, "Yea, I know, but I'm going to sell it." I was kidding them. So I told them to take over there and put it in the lot. Put the lot-- put the tombstone over on the ware-

house lot. And I sold it to the monument people out here for $12. And he says, 'well, I can sell anything. '

So they'd have pasteboard had these boxes to put lunch-boxes in. Bought that at an auction down there. So they said, "What you gonna do with those old boxes?" I said, "Well, nothing. Just give them away. "

So the church came along and they wanted to have a box supper. Well, I gave them 200 boxes. Stamped my name right in the bottom of them. I gave them 200 boxes. So then, some other people wanted a supper, different ones.

And the fellow came in and said, "Weller, " he said, "I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll give you a cent apiece for those boxes. "

And I said, "Okay. " So I sold him all the rest of them for a cent apiece. I sold him about, oh, I guess 20, 000 boxes, after giving them away, all of them. And I didn't pay but $2 for the whole bunch. Well, that's the way I make my money. Buy and sell, buy and sell.

O. - Yes, sir. Well, what about the coffins?

W. - Oh, after buying the tombstone, I-- Mr. Long used to work for the Southern Pacific and he went over to Houston, rang me over the long distance telephone and he said, "Weller, I got some coffins I'll sell you. " Says, "I got 12 coffins. "

I said, "No, I won't buy no [sic] coffins. " And he says, "Well, you bought a tombstone. Thought you wanted those coffins. "

I said, "No, won't buy it." So they all laughed about It. And then the newsman came in, the newspaper man came in and give [sic] us a write-up. Says, "There's a man that buys everything." And he says, "He buys anything but coffins." And that thing went all around, all over the country.

So people I used to go and buy bath-tubs. People had any bathtubs to sell, they'd ring me up, I'd go down and buy them. Just put them in my lot down there. People wanted to buy a bathtub, I'd sell them back to them. So.....

O.- Did you handle any oil well supplies?

W.- Well, only our shipyard store did. We sold cable wire and shackles. Yes, we boughtó during theó we bought about 2 1/2 carloads of shackles, these things you raise derricks with and

O.- Yes, sir.

W.- So we bought those shackles around 70 cents apiece. And then I sold the Yount-Lee Oil Company, I believe, 12 of them for $100 apiece. And then we also bought a lot of these air hammers, I bought some air hammers at over in Houston for I think I paid $2 for them.

While I was up in New York trading, and I sold them up there for $10 apiece, broke or no broke. So they paid the freight on them and I sold them a little over 50 some odd air hammers.

And then also, way we made some money was that the when we run [sic] that shipyard store, they had a boat that got hung up down there in the canal and they had no cable not enough cable in the whole Beaumont to pull it out of the canal.

So a man came in the store there and said, "Weller, y'all got any cable?" "No, I haven't got it, but," I says, "we can get it for you right quick," "How quick can you get it?" I said, "Well, we got some over in the Houston warehouse."

Well, he said, "Bring me" Gave me an order for the cable, to bring It over right away. So we got on the train the next morning, went over to Houston and loaded that cable on trucks to send it back to Beaumont.

And the trucks were just paving those roads going into Houston and the trucks went down clean to the hub, all four. So we had a terrible time, I stayed up all night long trying to get those fellows I told them, "If you get these trucks down there, I'll give you $50 apiece extra."

Boy, they got up and went to hustling. Had to pay the trucks a hundred dollars to haul it over here, a hundred dollars apiece. So we got the cable down there and the fellow says, "Dump it off."

I says, "No, I can't dump it off unless you sign these papers and pay these men a hundred dollars."

So, he says, "This is the government." I says, "I can't help it if it's the government or no government."

So they paid the men for hauling it and then they okayed the bill. Well, the next morning, I sent Mr. Gonzales to Galveston to get the moneyó $6,000 for cable. So the fellow says, "Well, the ship we got the ship up now." Says, "You can go down and pick up half of that cable. We didn't use it.

I says, "I don't want it." I says, "I sold it to you." I says, "I don't want to buy it back." And, "Well," he says, "I'll see that you don't get your money." "Well," I says, "I already got my money."

He was going to cut me off that check, but I had done [sic] cashed the check. "Well," he says, "you want to buy it?" I said, "No, I don't want to buy it." Well, I had done made a couple of thousand dollars on It; what did I care?

So and that's the way we make And then, fact of the matter, fellow had some barbed wire some telephone wire and he said to me, he said, "Weller, what do you want for that telephone wire?"

I says, "Well, I'll take 3 1/3 cents a pound for it." He says, "You got a carload?" I said, "Yes."

I didn't have a carload, but I knew where it was. He said, "You got two carloads?"

I said, "I think so. I'll let you know right after dinner. So we got in the car and went to Houston to see if the man had two carloads. He had two carloads. I rang him up.

He said, "Yes." He says, "Ship me a car to Shreveport and ship me a car to Beaumont to the creosoting works."

I says, "This is a cash deal now. It's no time deal."

Well, he says, "We'll give you cash just as soon as we receive the cars."

So I I telephoned Mr. Prank Alvey I was giving a check on the bank. And I said, "I don't have but $200 there, Mr. Alvey, but," I says, "this check comes through before I get there with this deposit," I says, "you pay it and I'll come sign the note."

He says, "I'll take care of it for you, George." So we shipped the wire out and we got it. Mr. Alvey said, "George," says, "that check came back this morning. Where do you want to handle it?"

"Well," I says, "I'll come down and make a note for it." I says, "In the morning, the checks will be here."

And he says, "All right."

So I went down and made a note. Next morning, here come [sic] my checks. So we made $2000 out of that wire and we didn't touch it. Well, that's how we.....

O. - Yeah.

W. - Kept going.

O. - When Spindletop came in, you were living with your parents, I guess, were you?

W. - Yes, sir.

O. - Living at home? W. - Living at home there.

O. - Uh huh. Did you take any of the people in to room at your house, any of the oil people?

W. - Oh, yes. Yes,

O. - Will you tell me a little about that?

W. - Well, we lived on Railroad Avenue and College and we had -- let's see we had about-- let's see there was Mr. Mr Kinsey and Mr. Brown. I think we had six of the men that worked for the oil business here.

And then my sister was working for the Pierce Music Store. She was a music teacher but she worked for the music store there. And so we we had -- water then. My gracious alive, when we lived here, why, when it rained, we'd have to wade into water up to there, up to.....

O. - Your waist?

W. - Up to your waist, Down there on Railroad Avenue and Col-lege and going out College you'd have to wade knee-deep to get home. And them streets onó Orleans Street, there wasn't

more than about six or eight blocks paved, and on Orleans Street, why, you had to walk on two boards. It was like about two feet high, 1 by 12's, and you had to walk on them. If you fell off of them, you'd go in mud up to your knees.

In fact of the matter, in the winter time, rainy weather, you couldn't drive a team in there, in the streets. I've seen right right over here on the Pearl Street you know where this drugstore is on the corner?

O. - Yeah. W. - Well, they didn't have any pavement no further than that corner right there.

O. - Yeah.

W. - So I've seen wagons and I've seen [muffled] stick up in that mud and they'd have to unhitch the horses to let them-- till they dried out to get them out. In the street.....

O. - During the boom, huh?

W. - Yes, sir, during the boom. And then they had they had mule streetcars, then. You knew that, didn't you?

O. - No, I didn't.

W. - Oh, yes. They had mule streetcars.

O. - That was during the boom, too?

W. - Yes. That was right after the

O. - Right after the boom. W. - Right after the boom. Had mule streetcars and so then, even the streetcars couldn't run. It rained so bad. And then these wagons and buggies would try to get on top these rails to ride those keep from going down in the mud but

got pretty bad. They had toó oh, the streets was [sic] terrible, So then, when I was up on Pearl, they commenced paving the streets. In fact of the matter, they paved it with one time, with wooden blocks. And those wooden blocks, after it would rain, would all pop up. You've seen streets like that?

O.- I've seen block streets, but I've never seen them pop up.

W. - Oh, yes. They'd we'd have so much rain here they'd just pop up. And then after I moved off of Pearl off of Pearl Street, I was on Pearl Street there in the Landry Building a number of years. I moved over on Orleans Street.

And those blocks popped up and stopped up all the sewers and the water was clean up to the edge of my front door. Oh, it was terrible.

But then they commenced paving with bricks, laying brick down. So they'd pave bricks and then every time the streets would pop up, why, they'd take it up and lay some more brick. Then they got rid of the brick and now they've all got laid with concrete.

O. Yes, sir, W. - So the town has grown, and grown and grown.

O.- Yes, sir,

W. - It's in fact of the matter, when I first came here, they didn't they 's just building the Keith Building. After we came here, they didn't have let's see brick buildings well, they had that where Fullers Cafe, they had that building there

and one across the street. Then they had that block down be-low there was some oldó some brick buildings. That's where the Wilson Hardware Company and the Edison Hotel stands now.

And where Hotel Beaumont is today, there was [sic] three wooden houses, two-story houses. They moved them down Fannin Street.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - And right right where T. S. Reed's place is, the Metho-dist Church used to be there. And when Reed bought that, why, then the Methodist Church built down where they are now.

And the First Christian Church was down on Wall Street right near the Catholic Church, a little bit of wooden building. So they held a big meeting and then they built up on Magnolia. So the Baptist Church used to be where the Reading Club is.

O. - Yes, sir. The Tyrrell Library.

W. - The Tyrrell Library. So that's where the Baptist Church used to be. So everything's changed and the town has grown and grown.

O. -Was there a synagogue here, during the boom, or not? When'd they build the synagogue here?

W. - Well, they built that syna I don't remember exactly, but it hasn't been built so awful long,

O. - Yes, sir. Well, there was a fairly large Jewish population, wasn't there?

W. - Oh, yes, yes,

O. - In the early days?

W. - Early days there was a big Jewish population.

O. - Where did they hold their worship then?

W. - I I don't remember where they did hold it to tell you the truth. I don't remember now where they did hold their

O. - Well, most of them were in business one way or the other, were they not?

W. - Oh, yes.

O. - Merchandising.....

W. - Yes. Balanchine Company was in the china business. And J. J. Nathan was in the drygoods business. Mr. Levy was in the drygoods business and the Beaumont Racket Store over there on Pearl, and Banner owned it. And they was [sic] all Jewish.

And there was no I don't-- I don't believe there was an American, hardly an American store in Beaumont until I opened up. And then, now the White House, Mr. Spearsó used to be the Spears Drygoods Company.

The Spears Drygoods Com-pany opened up on Pearl and-- an Railroad. And then later on, the White House took them over. They moved down on Pearl Street where they-- where the drugstore is now. And then after-wards they moved over here where they are.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - But all the stores now-- where the Fair Store was there was a little bit of house there that-- well, there was [sic]

two houses there.

O. - Residences?

W. - Residences.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - Yeah, there was residences here. There was residences right across the street. Used to go see some girls right on that corner.

O. - Is that right? W. - Yeah.

O. - Right across from the Beaumont Hotel,

W. - Yes, sir, right across from the Beaumont Hotel, Then when I opened up my business, why, the first day sales, I sold a nickle's worth; the next day's sales two and a half; and the next day's sales was [sic] $5 and I have a record of all the books yet,

O. - Well, those are very valuable records.

W. - Oh, valuable records. And my bank book, I still have that bank book. I took it down to show it to the First National Bank a few days ago,

O. - Is that right?

W. - Yes, sir,

O. -Well, you must take care of those.

W. - Oh, yes. Yes, we'll take care of those.

O. - They're very valuable.

W. - Yes. That's one thing that we're-- I always keep records. I can tell you whatever we sold from, In my ledgers, from the time I opened up until now.

O. - Is that right? W. - Yes, sir. I filed all those records. A lot of people don't do it. They throw them away or bum 'em up.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - But I've had a very good record.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - Bought a lot of real estate made a lot of real estate deals. In fact of the matter, Judge Noll and I, we bought 80 lots out in the [muffled]. Sold those. We bought them for $75. We sold them for $200 to $650.

O. Goodness. W. - So

O. - Well, back to the Spindletop time. You were keeping these men in quarters in your home?

W. - Yes, sir.

O. - What did you charge them for their board?

W. - Well, I-- my mother charged them at that time, $30 a month.

O.- That's for room and board?

W. - Room and board, $30 a month.

O. - Did she pack a lunch for them to take?

W. - Yes, sir.

O. And what kind of accommodations was she able to give them?

W. - Well, they had pretty good accommodations. We had-- there was-- we had sewerage at that time, but there was [sic] very few people that had it.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - Just very few people. But the this water works was very bad. That's when, see, they began to improve the water works. When Mr. Langum was mayor. Then Mayor Fletcher and then we had different ones that kept improving and improving. We still have improving.

Even now, they say the water's a little low. They got to have another tank out In the north end. It'só they got to get better pressure, but we do have very good water.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - But Beaumont has grown from, well, from, I'll say, from six or eight blocks of pavement to miles and miles.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - And it's been a wonderful.....

O. - It's been a fine thing to see.

W. - Yes, sir. It is. I've seen all the different buildings grow up here The Keith Building, the Weiss Building, and the Beaumont Hotel and the Edison. I've seen all the buildings. And I like to watch construction work. Very much interested in construction work.

O. - I'd like to go back to the boom days again and ask some more questions there.

W. - All right. O. - Of course, you were a young man then and single.

W. -Yes, sir.

O. - What did you do for amusement?

W. - Well, we want to at that time, we'd-- we had lots of dances.

O. - Where did you have the dances?

W. -Well, we-- out at the out here at the Catholic School, they had a pavilion there. Used to have a dance there about every other Saturday. Every Saturday, we used to have a dance every other Saturday.

And we boys and girls we'd pay a dollar a couple, so-- also then-- the pier they had a pier at Port Arthur, wooden pier, way out. So my brother-in-law was conductor on the train. So on that train, why, I could take my girl friends down didn't cost me anything.

So I'd go down and take them to a dance. But when we come [sic] back, we had no taxis. We had to walk from the depot to plumb the end of Calder, then back home.

Well, we'd take a girl home, we had to walk them home and walk them back. And didn't have no automobiles or no buggies at that time, except these surreys. We'd get in one o'clock, two o'clock in the morning on that train.

So some nights, why, we'd go to Port Arthur and we'd dance all night. Then I'd catch the boat and go to

Orange, dance until morning, then catch the train and come back to Beaumont.

O. - Well, what were the tunes that you danced to? What kind of music did you have?

W. - Well, they had string bands. We had a-- we had these-- had a colored band, a five piece band. And then down in Port Arthur they had about a twelve piece band. So we had a very good time.

O. - What did you dance to? Two-step and.....

W. - Yeah. Danced two-step and waltz.

O. - Two-step and waltz?

W. - Yeah, wasn't no [sic] such thing as this rhumba and all that other. Yes. Two-steps and waltzes. Then weó in fact of the matter, we used to go down here toó they had a hotel right down there by the KCS depot and we used to go down there and dance.

O. - What was it called?

W. - Uh that was called-- Charlie Tottle [?] owned that place there, hotel,

O.- It was his hotel,

W. - Yes, it was his hotel. Yes, sir. Then we used to have a Professor Cheesman here. He was a teacher of dancing and he used to have a dancing school over around here on Crockett

Street up over one of those big stores. Up over Congress Cafe there, he had a regular school. Then every week, why, he'd give a dance and all the young people would go. There was hardly, well, there wasn't [sic] but aboutó let's see-- I think we had two picture shows here.

O. - Well, that was after the boom that you had picture shows?

W. - After the boom.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - Yeah, wasn't no far as going out on the streets, it was dangerous.

O. - During the boom?

W. - During the boom. Oh, yes, they'd during the boom, they'd find people floating in the river down there most any morning. It was dangerous.

O. - Yeah, did you know anybody from Beaumont who was killed during that time?

W. - No, sir. I don't remember. At that time.

O. - Most of them were drifters who came in?

W. - Yeah, drifters. Yes.

O. - Uh huh.

W. - Yes. No, people was [sic] very careful. In fact of the matter that when I had my store over on Pearl Street, why, we'd have to carry our money home. We couldn't leave our money in the store.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - And there'd be four of us going two of us carrying guns and we'd carry sacks of money clean from town, home. We'd hide it out different places. But it was dangerous.

O. - Were you ever robbed?

W. - No, sir. Never robbed. There was [sic] two men tried to hold us up one night in a car after the automobiles came in. We was [sic] going home, my son and I and two others, and they tried to crowd us into the sidewalk right here by the high school.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - And the when they they tried to crowd us in, we slowed up and they went ahead like that and we made a turn, went in another street. And we took their number but they never did find out who it was. A stolen car.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - But that's the only time we was [sic] ever-- well, we did ó I say robbery was only on Pearl Street. There was [sic] three white fellows robbed my store but they caught one of them inside of it and so they sent him to the penitentiary for twenty years, I think.

O. - Was that during the boom or after?

W. - After the boom. About five years to six years after the boom.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - Sent him to the penitentiary for twenty years. But he was really a rough character. And so there was three of them, but they only caught the one but he never would tell who the other was.

He had saws tucked in his socks, the bottom of his shoes, and he had a gun tied in here around his waist and one in his hip pocket. They searched him, found all those things on him.

He told the judge that if he ever got out, he'd kill him and kill all the jury. But I don't think he ever got out 'cause they was waiting for him somewhere else.

Boy, Beaumont was really rough during the boom time, now. Yeah, I saw-- when I was a boy, let's see-- there's a darky killed a man out here in the on Pine Street, so they went out in the woods to get him. Sheriff Landry and about ten others went on horses.

So this darky got the drop on them (he had a pump gun) and he got the drop on every one of them and told 'em if any of them moved he'd kill them. So they told him they come [sic] out there to talk to him. They wanted to get him out of town.

In fact of the matter that he was In a surrey and he had his foot right, just like that, holding that gun and he had the men walking in front of him on them horses. He had brought them to town.

Someone said, "Well, you come on to town and get to the First National Bank (the First National Bank then was right there where Montgomery Ward is now) and, " they said, "we'll give you $350 and you get out of town. "

So when they got in front of the First National Bank, I come [sic] out of the Nathan store. I was on a bicycle. I was following them, riding around on this bicycle, watching them. So when they got in front of the First National Bank, why, two of them got off their horses and went into the bank.

Ras Landry started to get off his horse and this Negro got out and started shooting Ras Landry. Ras Landry pulled his gun right quick and shot and his gun dropped down. So Landry shot him first in his arm and he went on down the street and he was shooting, shooting.

Some man run [sic] out of the First National Bank with his beard way down to there and he says, "Where is he? Where is he? I'll get him. " He had about a 45 gun. Meantime, I was getting out of the way.

I took my bicycle over to Lewis Brothers Store down there, run and got under the counter. I was getting out of the way of the shoot-ing.

O. - Did they kill the Negro?

W. - They killed him about, well, right back of the, right--well, where theó back of the old postoffice building. Yes, they killed him. But he was-- he come near to getting them, but finally Ras made that quick shot.

O. - Yeah. W. - That's what done it. Oh, there's been lots of things happen in Beaumont.

O. - Yeah. Did you see them lynch a Negro here?

W. - They did lynch one here.

O. - During the boom time? W.- Yes, sir,

O. - What about what were the circumstances of it as much as you know?

W. - I I don't remember the circumstances of it now, but let's see. They lynched him all right, during the boom. Let's see-- who was that now? I don't recollect,

O. - Well, that's all right. But did it happen during the boom?

W. - Yes, sir. O. - One time only?

W. - Yes, sir. Yes, sir, one time only.

O. - Well, what was your opinion of Ras Landry as a sheriff?

W. - One of the best sheriffs we ever had in Jefferson County,

O. - Well, how good were his deputies?

W. - He had good deputies,

O. - Uh huh. Well, how do you account for the amount of rough-ness going on during the boom?

W. - Well, it was people just coming in here from place to place. And theó had no place for them to sleep and half of them were sleeping on theó in the parks, in these dirty room-ing houses. In fact of the matter, then, they had saloons here.

O. - Yes, sir.

W. - Had saloons on nearly every corner. In fact, some places on Pearl Street there, they had three, four and five saloons. Oh, I guess they had probably 50, 100- 100 saloons here.

That was rough. It was just all there was to it. Just a lot of them hanging around these places and they'd watch these people. Had any money, they'd just knock them in the head and take their money.

O. - Just too many for the law to control?

W. - Yes, sir, really was.

O. - And too many of them were strangers, of course.

W. - They were a lot of them strangers, that's the trouble.

O. - You didn't have a city police department at that time, did you?

W. - I-- no, right at that time, we did not.

O. - No. So everything depended upon the sheriff.

W. - Depended upon the sheriff. Yes, sir. Then they they built aó they had a police department and they had a station over on Main Street and then they built another. So that wasn't large enough so they turned around and built a city hall. Then they had this has been improved and improved a lot.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - You see, Mr. Langum was mayor then and that improved and Mayor Fletcher-- but we hadó we had one mayor here that the citizens had to wait on themselves.

O. - Is that right?

W. - That's right. In fact of the matter, I don't guess I ought to put it in the record. He was a union man.

O. - Is that a what?

W. - He was a union man.

O. - Oh, is that right?

W. - And so everything was union in the city.

O. - Yeah.

W. - So, it got so rough here during that time that's about several years ago but, I guess, about 15 years ago.

It got so rough that they picketed these stores, White House and all these different places and they threw rotten eggs at them. So all of the citizens got tired of it and Mr, Dittenbacher [?] was mayor was mayor then,

O. - Yeah.

W. - So all of them just says, "Well, gentlemen, we're going tomorrow morning, we're going at nine o'clock. We'll be over at the office and wait on the mayor."

So I think there was about 150, 200 of us went over there, and told him, "Mr. Mayor, we've come over here to wait on you now. We want them pickets taken off the street and we want them kept off there.

We want them off of there within the next hour. If they ain't, we're gonna put you out of the city hall and we're gonna deputize every man in here and we're going to take charge of the City Hall and you, too. "

"Gentlemen, I give you my word none-- they'll be off here in the next hour." He tele-- picked up that telephone, says, "Clear them streets. No pickets allowed. " Broke that strike wide open.

O. - Is that right?

W. - Yes, siree [sic]. So there was no more union here for a long time.

O. - Yeah. About what year was that?

W. - I don't it's been about 15 years ago. But they broke it wide open. All the mills, the planing mills, carpenters, yards and everything was open shop. And it's going to happen again if they ain't careful.

O. - Well, did they have any labor trouble during the boom it-self?

W. - No. No, wouldn't notice it. Had all the work he could do at that time. They didn't have no trouble like that,

O. - Yeah.

W. - Never had any trouble like that for years and years, since ó oh-- I guess when I was-- they had trouble when we was on Pearl Street, but very little bit. But we moved over here, they did have. Butó oh, I could tell you a lot of things about theseó about the union men. I don't like to put it in the record.

O. - All right. Fine. We won't talk about that. We'll go back again to the time of the boom because we're interested in the impact of it on the people.

W. - Yes, sir.

O. -Well, how many of the people who just drifted into town were customers of yours?

W. - Well, I couldn't hardly say. We had a number of customers. Mrs. Bodash [?] was one of my best customers. And Mrs. M. Getaman was another one of my good customers. Mr. Bodash was in the oil business. Mr. Getaman was in the oil business.

In fact of the matter, right where the San Jacinto Building Is now, there was a that building that's on the far side was on the corner and that the Gulf Oil Company was in there.

And I had about oh, 30 or 40 customers, good customers. In fact of the matter, I was furnishing the oil companies with a lot of that stuff for the pipeline.

O. - Yes, sir. W. - For their camps and such as that. Then they was [sic] buying good dishes from us. So they had a meeting and they wanted to build here on that corner.

Well, when they begin [sic] to talk about building oil companies here, why, the prices went up so high that Houston says, "Come over here and we'll give you a piece of ground, if you'd take it for 20 years or 30 years. "

O. - Yeah.

W. - And I told the-- told them then, I says, "I'd be glad to donate a $1000 towards buying the ground and giving it to them within a reasonable price.

O. - Yeah.

W. - Well, some of them couldn't see it. That's how come Beau-mont-- this hotel here. The citizens of Beaumont built this hotel. In fact, I gave $1000 towards building this hotel. And all different ones.

And then took it in stock and then the fellows went around and bought the stock up for 25, 50 cents on the dollar. That's how come them to get it. But this the boom days, why, we didn't have any hotels.

Why, you had to there was no place to stay. Tents, you had to sleep in a tent or on the street. You couldn't-- you couldn't get a house.

O. - Well, did you do you feel that the people overcharged the oilmen during the boom time or not?

W. - Well, probably some of them might have. Because they did charge, but up till todayó why, rents are higher now than they was [sic] during the boom,

O. - Yes, sir. W. - Much higher. Because everything then was pretty reason-able. After all, Ió when we moved from Kentucky out here we came in on the train and we had a house there. We rented a

house on Archer Street and we paid $35 a month for that house. And we lived there for about a year. Then we moved into a bigger place on College and we paid $60 a month there for that place. And then my mother took in roomers and boarders. But rents then wasn't [sic] exhorbitant in the boom days.

O. - Yes, sir. Well, what about the prices of meals? [end of tape]