THE FRANCITAS BEE

Francitas, Jackson County, Texas
 


December 1, 1910   Volume 1 #1
 

Thomas Does Good Turn
 

The first issue of The Francitas Bee is published on the press of the Harvard Courier, pending the installation of The Bee plant at Francitas. While in years to come Mr. H. G. Thomas the editor of the Courier will look back to this day’s work with considerable pride, we shall always feel under obligations to him and his force. It is quite an undertaking for an office which is as busy as The Courier to take on new work of this character on such short notice, but the Thomas organization is so complete and works so harmoniously that every cog in the machine seemed to be glad to take part in the work.

 

We gave this paper the name The Francitas Bee upon which we have worked for so many years. We desired the name, The Bee to be before us constantly that its spirit might have possession of us and that the high ideals for which it has always stood may be the ideals of our paper. We do not hope this paper will ever attain the dignity of The Omaha Bee, not have the great influence of that splendid paper, but we do hope that its news columns will be as truthful and its editorial columns will be as clean and the things for which it will stand will be as worthy.


 

December 8, 1910    Volume 1 #2

No, bronchitas does not thrive in Francitas. And neither has Francitas ever heard of appendicitis.


Distinguished Party at Francitas
 

December 15, 1910     Volume 1 #3

First Religious Services

The Rev. Mr. Bristor of Palacios, pastor of the Christian church and the owner of a farm in Francitas, delivered the first sermon and conducted the first religious service ever held in Francitas. The services were held both morning and evening in the large sale tent, and in the afternoon an experience meeting was conducted by the minister at which many interesting stories of southern Texas were told and the future was painted bright and rosy. In his morning address Mr. Bristor spoke of his life in the gulf coast country and the kind of men and women needed by such a colony. He advocated schools and churches even above orange trees and figs. He proposed that every contract holder relinquish his right to the revenue which was derived from the sale of the improved property and devote the proceeds to the building of a church and school. This proposition carried unanimously.

Mr. Bristor in his morning address told the settlers many things which he explained to them would be hard to believe, but which he knew to be true by experience. For instance he said the weather during July and August, the hot months of the north-west were pleasant months in this country and that during the past summer there had not been one unpleasant night. The days he said were hot but the nights were so cool that the man who worked could sleep and get his rest.

Mr. Bristor said Francitas waited men who do things and men who work, Francitas did not want any knockers or idlers. With the community settled by industrious, hard working Christian people, he said there would be no doubt of the steady growth and the development of the community.

The address pleased the crowd immensely and when the minister announced that he desired to be the first minister to preach a sermon in Francitas during the morning address; the consent was given with a hearty good will and unanimity.

Judge Adams of Lincoln , Nebraska made a short speech and on behalf of the congregation thanked the minister for his address after which A. D. Powers made a short statement in which he predicted the rapid development of Francitas if the advice of the minister was heeded.

The talks were interspersed with singing by the audience, the Christian church women of Palacios having brought over several hymn books.

Here's The Man

You Need!

 Anyone wanting driving, draying

& breaking, please come to

 CHARMEL NOBLE

Francitas     -     -     -     Texas

 

December 15, 1910   Volume 1 #3

Some Big Purchases

Name                                               Residence                    Acres

Mrs. Etter Elwood                            Bloomfield , Neb.        160 acres

J. H. Dunlap                                     Westerville , Neb.          80

Hattie Johnson                                Westerville , Neb.          80

Dan Geilus                                       Lincoln                           80

B. F. Grover                                     Nevada , Mo.                 80

H. Hohlfeld                                       Campbell , Neb.            40

Fred Norton                                     Ansley, Neb.                  40

A. H. Kingman                                 Palacios, Tex.               40

A. E. Chase                                     Loup City, Neb              40

J. B. Osborne                                  Majestic, Col.                 40

Wit Cook                                           Tabasco , Col.              40

Gottlieb __________                     Bloomfield                       40

J. C. Jay                                           Pendleton , Ore.             40

J. A. Watkins                                   Verango, Neb.                20

Mrs. H. F. Moore                             Presser, Neb.                 20

W. J. Ruby                                       Wauneta, Neb.               20

John R. McNickle                                                                    20

T. C. Wilson                                     Walton , Neb.                 20

Walt Palmer                                     Meadow Grove, Neb.   20

T. C. McCoy                                    Boone , Ia.                      20

E. D. Stinson                                   Red Oak, Ia.                   20

Albert P. Smith                                Sargent, Neb.                20

Mrs. A. Gregory                               Belmont , Neb.              20

G. L. Sevier                                     Arapahoe, Neb.             20

S. G. South                                      St. Louis, Mo.                 20

Walter Kerr                                      Kochler, N.M.                 20

Martin Storckovich                           Cedar Hust, Col.          20

Rudi Marciela                                   Bowen , Col.                 20

D. H. Mercer                                    Ludlow , Col.                  20

Sam Kasprok                                   Tercio, Col.                   20

Ida Dohl                                           Sopris, Col.                    20

C. D. McCartney                              Durango , Col.              20

Benjamin B. Jackson                      Trinidad , Col.               20

Jacob Domingo                               Weeping Water, Neb.  20

P. J. Cosgrove                                Lincoln , Neb.                 20

A. O. Hazen                                     Norfolk , Neb.                 20

John Weidenfeter                           Norfolk , Neb.                 20

Aug. Filter                                        Norfolk , Neb.                 20

Nora C. Walcott                               Norfolk , Neb.                20

Carl G. Zeulow                                Norfolk , Neb.                 20

Walter G. Wallace                           Omaha , Neb.                20

S. P. Jackson                                  Seneca , Kan.                20

Bernard McNerry                             Red Cloud, Neb.           20

C. H. Stephens                                Lincoln , Neb.                 20

John W. Kelso                                 Bloomington , Neb.        20

Alice M. Edison                               Ansley, Neb.                   20

W. C. Nazel                                     Cimorron, N.M.               20

R. B. Gibson                                    Grand Island                   20

Martin A. Pfeiffer                             Elwood, Neb.                 20

C. T. Coats                                      Elwood, Neb.                 20

L. T. Halverstadt                              Ravenna , Neb.              20

Geo. Riddle                                     Ravenna , Neb.              20

Mrs. J. M. Vansickle                        Ord, Neb.                       20

Emm__ E. Bateman                        Palmer, Neb.                 20

James McNeff                                 Antioch                           20

Julius Seidel                                    St. Joe                            20

H. H. Philpott                                    Francitas, Texas           20

The improved property brought a total of $14,135, the purchases being as follows:

Hotel, the trustees                                                                        $7000

Store building, C. W. Gibson, Blessing                                      $1085

Canning factory, J. W. Scott, Francitas                                         $575

Lumber yard, Merchant & Planters Lumber Co., of Palacios      $900

Cottages, J. M. Young, Francitas                                                  $910

K. E. Cleveland, Normal , Neb.                                                      $1000

L. N. Phinney, Kansas                                                                     $950

Fred Kingham, Norton , Kansas                                                     $875

 

Mrs. Phelps Gets Busy

Francitas will have a women’s club before very long and it will include in its membership many of the women of Blessing and Palacios.

Mrs. G. J. Phelps, wife of the local manager of the VFFGC, met with several women from Palacios and Blessing Friday afternoon and discussed the organization of a women’s club. Mrs. Phelps is the president of the club at Lincoln and is deeply interested in the work which the women’s clubs of the country are trying to do. She was greatly encouraged by the interest taken in the matter by the visitors and very probably Francitas will shortly have a club which will be a credit to the woman who proposed it as well as a distinct benefit to the little city.

 


The Francitas Opening.
Blessing News.

Late telegrams from W. F. Schwind of the Valley Fruit Farm and Garden Co., at Lincoln, Neb. announces that fully 1000 people will come down from Nebraska for the opening of Francitas today and tomorrow, and that additional large crowds will arrive from Kansas and other states. The Nebraska crowd left Lincoln Tuesday morning in twelve coaches and a diner.

Dr. C. Pickle of Blessing is overseeing the big barbecue and 16 large beeves are on the pit at this writing.

Matagorda County Tribune, December 16, 1910
 

December 22, 1910   Volume 1 #4

The

Francitas

Bee

for 1911

$1.00 a Year in Advance

----------------------------------------------------

The Francitas Bee, Francitas , Texas

 

December 29, 1910    Volume 1 #5

CHRISTMAS AT FRANCITAS

Nebraska Colony Enjoys Wild Turkey Dinner, Home Grown Vegetables and June Weather

Christmas at Francitas was a most delightful, satisfying and happy occasion. No man in the city had ever before experienced one just like it. Had belated and unfortunate relatives and friends of Nebraska and the northwest been here, it would have been a day ideal in every respect.

Just a mild, gentle little zepher spread itself over from the gulf and this softened the sun’s rays, making weather conditions that could not have been improved upon. In fact so delightful was it out of doors that many persons for the first time in their lives walked over their farms and over the city viewing and inspecting the many improvements, leaving their coats behind as useless wearing apparel.

The climax of the day was the Christmas dinner served at the Nebraska Inn. Mrs. L. B. Parkins, the popular and very efficient manager of this most delightful hostelery, had with her assistants tastefully decorated the dining room and the office with loads of mistletoe and holly gathered from the farms of Francitas lands. The meal served could not have been excelled by any served in the best homes in Nebraska , where wealth grows on trees and trees are scarce. The main item on a most bountiful bill of fare was wild turkey, which fell to the prowess of Hon. Will Clark, the mighty hunter of Francitas, who presented the colony with the birds which others had so long hunted unsuccessfully. And with the turkey there are served all the trimming, too delicate and delicious to mention by just an ordinary newspaper reporter. Among the surprises to the people of the north who were guests at the feast, were young onions gathered in the garden which is the delight of the country side around; radishes and lettuce taken from the same garden; turnips that grew along side the onions and the lettuce and the radishes. Then of course there was oyster soup full of oysters taken from Matagorda bay , which adjoins Francitas lands; then there were cranberries and plum pudding and mince pies and giblet gravy and many another dish that pleased and was most satisfying.

Cigars followed the feast and these were smoked out on the broad gallery, the men lounging around in their easy rocking chairs, coatless and comfortable.

Several parties drove in from various towns in the vicinity to verify the reports of the rapid growth of Francitas, and these were honored guests at the feast and the smoker, and added much to the joy of the occasion.

Mr. Clark was by all odds the hero of the day, for practically every citizen of Francitas has been out after turkeys during the open season, and while many birds have been seen, none had been shot until Mr. Clark struck the trail. It was the first wild turkey meat that any of the dinners, except the Texans, had tasted and it was pronounced better than tame turkey.

As a curtain raiser to the festivities of Christmas day, Mrs. Alice Holton and Mrs. U. G. Street entertained at their respective homes the previous evening. At both houses there were Christmas trees, musical and literary programs were carried out. 

A REAL TOWN
Strangers Visiting Francitas Marvel at the Development
MANY HOUSES GOING UP
Visitors Expect to See Only Prairie and Section House

The reports regarding the growth and development of Francitas have been so conservative that may visitors to the new little city have expressed wonder and surprise.

Many come here with the idea firmly fixed in their minds that Francitas has a section house, a few tents and nothing else. When they see with their own eyes what has been accomplished here within such a short time, no attempts are made to suppress exclamations of wonder.

Very few know for instance that Francitas has a hotel which is modern in every respect, even to water and light and bath. To find such a hotel in a town about 20 days old has certainly proven an eye opener. The Nebraska Inn has all the conveniences of the modern hotel of the city. And in addition it has both a first and second story porch, and a small porch above the second story. From the hotel one gets a beautiful view of the woods and the prairie to the south.

Very few know that Francitas has a depot which is better than the station of any town along the line with less than 2,000 people. This depot is larger that the depot at Blessing, and its platform is over 350 feet in length, made so by the foresight of the railroad people who expect to handle much freight in and out of this town.

Francitas has a blacksmith shop, modern and complete, and it is located in a new building just constructed by M. Jorgensen of Bennett , Neb. , who has bought a farm house.

In Dr. J. H. Mackay, Francitas has a physician who is very prominent in Nebraska medical circles. He is secretary of the Elkhorn Valley Medical Society of Nebraska, and the programs for the mid-winter meeting of that society have just been printed in the office of the Francitas Bee.

W. W. Bell has his large rooming house well under way and it will be modern in every respect, well-ventilated, lighted and comfortable. On the rear of the same lot he has built a large carpenter shop for his own use, for Mr. Bell expects to build another house shortly.

Francitas has a large store building, two stories, which was bought by G. W. Gibson of Blessing, and it is full of groceries, hardware and other commodities needed by the people here.

S. C. Holton has constructed another store building within a block of the Gibson store and in that he will handle groceries in addition to attending to his development work.

The Francitas Land and Improvement Company has built a nice office, a permanent building, on a prominent corner and is kept busy with its growing business.

Dr. Mackay has started on his office building and in the lower story he intends to put in a stock of drugs, though up to this time the doctor has been attending to his several tracts of land rather than attending to sick people. In fact sickness has not yet developed.

Sinclair Stock has made arrangements for the construction of a store building which he will rent and this will be under way before this paper reaches the north.

Nick Pederson had secured a good lot and has started work on his feed store, which will fill a long felt want here from the very start.

Mr. Thomas has constructed a nice house on one of his farms, and within half a mile of him in the edge of the timber is another nice residence, while to the north a half dozen houses have been completed and are occupied.

A score of families still live in tents, but they will move just as soon as their houses are completed.

Besides the many things enumerated in the above list which does not contain near all of the improvements made here since the opening of the town, there is the large Ward-Rose ware house, the splendid artesian well which supplies the water for the entire community, the five cottages which are occupied, after having been sold at auction by the VFFG Co. and the canning factory which temporarily has been turned into a residence by Mr. Scott.

It was a green Christmas in Francitas and the odor of roses was in the air.

FOR SALE :--Good hotel, 14 rooms,

in live community, always full, $4000

takes it; $3000 cash, balance from 3 to

5 years. Ground 110 X 135 feet. Ad-

dress The Bee, Francitas , Texas .