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Van Vleck Newspaper Columns
1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas H.
Miss Sallie Gregory is visiting in Wharton this week.
The health of this community so far has been good.
Judge Barbee came in a few days ago, from the Sour Lake oil fields.
A rice mill and a sugar mill are very much needed here and offers a
fine chance for capital.
Crops are very promising and labor will be in demand as soon as
harvesting rice begins.
Mrs. Cates and Miss Sallie Gregory have returned from Matagorda,
where they were visiting friends.
We are having too much rain. Cattle are fat, but flies and
mosquitoes are very troublesome and worry stock a good deal.
Oil experts have decided that indications of oil exist around Van
Vleck, and boring for oil in the near future is talked of by
prominent men here.
With the rich territory around our town—rice north and west, sugar
and corn on the east in Caney bottoms—it is only a question of time
when this place will be a large city. Being a junction of the Caney
Valley extension gives it shipping facilities.
The vital statistic law passed by the last legislature requires all
births and deaths to be reported to the county clerk within then
days, failure to do so makes it a fine of $5.00. This law is now in
force and the grand jury will be apt to find bills, as the old woman
midwives and some others who seldom read a paper will certainly fail
to comply.
Matagorda County Tribune, August 7, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas.
Miss Lula Myers and Mrs. Sallie Myers visited Bay City Tuesday.
Tom Rainy [Rainey] and Miss Annie Rainy are visiting relatives in
Jackson county.
John Walker, who has been in the hospital at Houston, returned home
a few days ago.
Mr. Mitchell, who has been visiting J. H. Rainy’s family has
returned to his home near Edna.
The oil fever is rising at Van Vleck. Strong talk of a test well
being bored in the near future.
Charlie McMaster, Taylor Kemp, Frank Gregory, Raymond Cookenboo and
David Reynolds went to Palacios on a fishing excursion.
The corn crop on Caney is made, and cane and cotton are doing well.
Rice on the prairie looks fine. Vegetables of all kinds do well here
and we can’t see why truck farming is not carried on. Fruits such as
figs, pears, plums and peaches, so well and should be extensively
planted, as they are all paying crops in other parts of Texas. Small
capital will pay well in truck farming, as you can plant almost the
year round and have vegetables every month. Chickens do well here
and always bring a good price, both at home and in the Houston
market. Eggs have sold here all this year at 15 cents a dozen. The
dairy business is another, paying investment. Butter sells here at
25 cents. Everybody can’t raise rice and sugar, but a small piece of
land and a little capital is all that is required for poultry,
butter, fruit and truck. The opening for business with a small
capital ____ herd.
Matagorda County Tribune, August 21, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas II.
New corn is selling here at 50 cents per bushel.
Mrs. Dr. E. E. Scott and Miss King are visiting Mr. Kemp’s family.
J. H. Rainey has a very sick son. He took him to the hospital at
Houston Tuesday.
County Attorney Biggs was on our streets Tuesday. Law breakers had
better keep an eye on him.
There is more sickness in this community than at any time this
summer. So far, no death to report.
S. W. Cates and wife have returned
from a visit to Tiger Island where they had a fine time eating fish
and oysters.
John Walker, who returned from the hospital at Houston a short time
ago, left for Markham, where he has a job with the railroad.
We are having showers and fall gardening is now in order. Cabbage,
turnips, Irish potatoes, beans, lettuce and mustard are bring
planted.
It is rumored that the railway company will put on another extra
gang to repair the road between this place and Hawkinsville. There
is now a large force at work here.
Matagorda County Tribune, September 4, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas, II.
Taylor Kemp has returned to Sherman to attend school.
Mrs. W. J. Ratcliff is visiting her sister in Houston.
Mrs. W. W. Cannon is visiting her daughter in Houston.
Dr. M. M. Myers made a flying visit to Houston a few days ago.
Miss Bulah Grover of Bay City is here visiting her sister, Mrs.
Miller.
Miss Maggie Walker of Kenner is here visiting Miss Mamie Thompson.
Mrs. Kemp, who was visiting friends in Houston, has returned home.
Mr. Stapp of Edna is visiting the family of his sister, Mrs. J. H.
Rainey.
Cal. Rainey, who was sent to the hospital on the 1st, is
getting along splendidly and returns home Sunday.
An oil company was organized a few days ago at Van Vleck and expects
to sink a test well in the near future.
Dan O’Connell’s baby died a few days ago. He and his family have
the sympathy of the community in their loss.
J. W. Sweeney saw a bear in his field a short time ago, and a Negro
killed one on Caney five miles from here about two weeks ago.
Rice planters in our community are
pushing work, and the rattle of the binders is heard on all sides.
Threshing will begin next week, if the weather permits.
Dr. M. M. Myers, local surgeon for the S. P. Ry. Co., reports a good
deal of sickness among the different crews working on this branch of
the Caney Valley railway.
Rev. Thorn of Bay City was visiting Van Vleck Tuesday. Our town
needs the light of the Gospel, and we hope to have some one live
here soon who will look after that part of our interests.
Matagorda County Tribune, September 18, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas II.
Judge Barbee of Wharton is visiting Van Vleck.
Miss King of Bay City is visiting Mrs. Kemp’s family.
John Walker made a short visit to his family Sunday.
J. C. O’Neill of Galveston is here visiting J. H. Rainey’s family.
Mrs. Cannon has returned from Houston, where she has been visiting
her daughter.
Miss Nancy Harper of Bay City opened the Van Vleck school today with
35 scholars.
Mrs. Cannon’s two daughters from Houston are visiting their parents
at this place.
Harry Myers, a stenographer from Kountze, is here visiting his
parents, Dr. Myers and wife.
Our streets are being crowded with wagons loaded with rice which is
being shipped by car loads and stored in warehouses. The yield is
said to be very fine.
Matagorda County Tribune, September 25, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas II.
There is a lull in the oil field for the present.
Beal Myers is here visiting his parents, Dr. Myers and wife.
Mr. Cannon’s daughters, from Houston, are visiting their parents at
Van Vleck.
Mrs. Dr. Myers, Miss Lula Myers and Beal Myers have gone to Dallas
to attend the State fair.
Simon Johnson and bride have returned to Houston from a visit to the
bride groom’s father at Van Vleck.
C. C. Adams, railroad pumper, got his hand caught in the machinery
at the Podo pump and had several fingers so badly injured that they
had to be amputated, which was done by the local surgeon at Van
Vleck, Dr. Myers.
Sam Gregory, who was accidentally shot in the foot some time ago,
had his ankle badly sprained by his horse falling with him a few
days ago.
Matagorda County Tribune, October 2, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities
By Veritas II.
Fall gardens need rain.
Health is very good here, for this season of the year.
Rice harvest is being pushed while the dry weather lasts.
News is very scarce and with the reception of the rice business,
times are dull.
There is a dance at Sam Watkins’s Saturday night, which was well
attended by the young people.
Mrs. John Walker is visiting her sister at Kenner this week. Miss
Annie Walker accompanied her.
Matagorda County Tribune, October 2, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas II.
W. Carman visited Bay City Monday.
Dr. Myers visited Bay City last Monday.
The cotton crop on Caney is very short, owing to the boll weevil.
Drummers are pretty thick in here since the rice harvest opened up.
Mrs. John Walker and daughter have returned home from a visit to
Kenner relatives.
A norther Monday night with a shower laid the dust and made it more
pleasant to the eyes.
Mrs. D. Myers and son and daughter have returned home from Dallas,
where they have been visiting relatives and attending the State
fair.
In a drunken row, one Negro cut another’s throat on Caney Saturday
night. The injured man was taken to Van Vleck and the doctor sewed
up a gap about ten inches long—a very ugly looking wound but not
necessarily serious.
Matagorda County Tribune, October 16, 1903
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Van Vleck Verities.
By Veritas III.
(Arrived too late last week.)
Trout and red fish are plentiful in Caney just now.
John Sanborn is visiting at F. M. Gregory’s.
The Van Vleck drug store reminds us strongly that Christmas is
coming.
Dr. Rugeley made us a short call today. It is always a pleasure to
meet the doctor.
Carroll, son of Chas. Cookenboo, is on the sick list. We hope to see
him about soon.
Mrs. Wimberly is in charge of the post office this week, as the
Judge is bear hunting.
C. D. Kemp will farm rice north of town next year. He contemplates
watering from wells.
Quite a number of our citizens took in the Carnival last week. Dude
Sweeney and wife, Misses Lela Johnson and Sallie Gregory, Major
Stockton, Dr. King and Mr. Reynolds were among the throng.
The local sportsmen, headed by Judge Barbee, went to Ashwood to meet
Jno. W. Gates of New York and G. M. Craig of Port Arthur. Mr. Gates
is a famous bear hunter on Wall street, and is wintering at Port
Arthur. He hopes to get a shot at a real bear this time.
A disgraceful affair took place upon our streets last week. A white
man of the name of Clanton took it into his head to punish a Negro
woman, claiming that she had stolen a watch from him. He used his
revolver as a club over her head, and when ordered to desist by
Justice Shelton, he presented his gun at him. Mr. Johnson was
deputized and made the arrest. This old lolly-gagging among the
ladies of color is getting too frequent and should be stopped.
Matagorda County Tribune, December 11, 1903
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