Keene Star (Keene, Tex.), Vol. 18, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 24, 2011 Page: 4 of 12
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4 ★ Keene Star
www.keenestar.net
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Viewpoints
Looking back at Fort Brown — Part XIII; Working at the King Ranch
We were isolated deep inside the King
Ranch and visitors were not welcome. The
officer stayed with us until we settled into
the quarters provided, then returned to Fort
Brown. He was a very fine officer, and I don’t
blame him for returning to the fort.
After the officer left, the sergeant was in
charge. He assigned me to the kitchen, on
K.P., assisting the cook. It was the middle of
March and the weather was cool and pleas-
ant, and the cool weather made working in
the kitchen a pleasure. In fact, that’s about
all I could do with a bum leg. The cook and
I had very little trouble caring for the men. If
we needed help, someone was always eager to
volunteer.
To help us patrol the ranch, and protect
the monitoring station, the regiment sent a
jeep and scout car to us. We were miles out
in the ranch with many roads that had to be
patrolled. Anytime we saw a strange car, or
lights at night, we were obligated to investi-
gate. To our surprise, in daytime it was rather
quiet, but when night claimed the area, the
lights were numerous and every car light we
checked out were couples looking for a place
of seclusion. We were all single men and
didn’t want to interfere with the plans that
were made, but we could not do otherwise.
We had to ask them to leave.
For years, the King Ranch was the largest
privately owned piece of property in the Unit-
ed States. I do not remember the exact num-
ber of acres, but it was well over 600,000.
The 3-D ranch south of Vernon has more
than 500,000 acres and was operating 4,000
oil wells. It also has a 17,000-acre wheat field
tucked away deep inside its acreage.
At one time, W.D. Wagoner purchased
30,000 acres of land from Quanah Parker
for two cents per acre. The largest landowner
at the present time is Ted Turner, who owns
over 2 million acres of land in Montana. The
Montana land has been acquired in just a few
years past. The two ranches in Texas were ac-
quired back in the days when the Indians had
control in the early 1800s. The history lesson
is over. I will return to the story.
Apparently, the monitoring station inter-
cepted a short-wave radio signal coming from
down on the border. One of the cars equipped
to trace short-wave signals was made ready
and the operator with a federal marshall were
on their way. We were guarding the station
24 hours and knew when the tracer cars were
sent and when they returned, but the results
of their mission were top secret.
A radio to receive the daily news was not
available and we knew
nothing of how the war was
progressing. Without our
attire, a person wouldn’t
know we were soldiers.
We were located near
the coast of Texas, and
morning comes almost im-
mediately. The sun doesn’t
rise as such here. Instead,
it is ejected into a pale-blue
sky. Day begins at this time Carver
and the sun follows an as-
signed orbit on to evening. Commentary
As it tucks itself beyond the
distant horizon in the west, the sun paints the
sky with the most brilliant colors of red. Night
is returning and you won’t believe the noise
the coyotes make at this time. Night moves
slowly onward and darkness becomes dense,
and the coyotes are trying to determine who
can howl the loudest.
When your duties are so lax and easy, time
seems to drag its hours through the day. We
did everything we knew how to move time a
little faster. Some of the men explored this
section of the ranch. Some pitched washers,
some played cards, some took afternoon naps
and some just set around trying to see who
could tell the most awful stories.
We were assigned to guard this station for
one month. It was the longest month I have
ever lived through. The day finally arrived
with our relief. We were packed and ready,
and as soon as our relief was brought up to
date as to what the requirements were, we
were on our way to Fort Brown.
On arrival, we reported to our troop head-
quarters and the first sergeant said, “Wel-
come home, glad to see you.” He brought us
up to date on the changes that had been made
while we were gone. When he finished with
all the other men he said, “Carver, I have a
new job for you. Don’t return to the kitchen.
You’re our latrine orderly until we receive
your orders of transfer.”
World War II veteran Doug Carver is a
longtime Keene resident who likes to hang
out weekday mornings at Keene restaurants.
Mr. Carver celebrated his 91st birthday Oct.
8, and on Oct. 28 received the Keene Cham-
ber of Commerce Pioneer Award, which is
presented to an organization or individual
whose long-ago contributions and influence
helped make Keene what it is today.
■ Short Takes
A lesson from a laptop
about working for God
I have a severe problem with my laptop.
It seems it wants to search for something
and once it gets started, it stops at the
place where I last tried to have command
over it. I thought I was master and it was
the tool. Even as I try to write this, my task
is thwarted. It has just about made me
realize that this thing needs to go its own
way and I will junk it. It is no further use
to me or my purposes.
My computer is looking for something
and trying to work within the boundaries
I am setting for it (a particular task in a
particular program) but it no longer works
properly. At one point, it worked fine; it
knew how to access and respond to my di-
rectives but for some reason, it has become able to neglect
me, has forgotten how to access instructions and work “nor-
mally.” It is pointless to even try to use it.
Yes, I believe it has lost its ability to serve my needs and has
become so corrupt that it is beyond repair. If it won’t work —
it won’t work.
During February and March, I am teaching from the Apos-
tle Paul’s letter to the Romans. Within the first two chapters,
Paul tells us something about God that relates to what I just
said about my computer. It is not a happy thought for many
and it was difficult to share with my congregation; it was in
the Bible so I had to share it.
God says in Romans that man has no excuse for not know-
ing God, for serving Him, to be valuable to His plan and pur-
poses, for following His directions. Man is without excuse in
this. Like my computer, many people have placed themselves
in a useless mode of life. The Bible says they have known God
but neglected Him, quit believing in Him, substituted Him
or just started doing what they want to do (sinning) in such a
useless way that they are no longer good.
When this gets bad enough, and that is the tendency of sin-
ful man, God responds. Those chapters in Romans say God
gave them over to reprobate minds. They can no longer func-
tion in a “normal” way in relationship to God. That is so sad.
I guess I’m trashing this computer. I’ve exhausted grace
with my computer. I think you should check out Romans to
see what the fate is of those who no longer function for God.
It is just about the same thing only God’s grace offers repair
for sinners and at a great price — of which I’m not prepared
to give my computer.
Lamar Black is the pastor of the Keene Baptist Church.
Readers can e-mail him at lamaroftx@yahoo.com. Bible
quotes are from the King James Translation.
Lamar
Black
Commentary
Keene^cStar
Volume 18, Number 31
12 Pages in 1 Section
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When Ellen White
Lived in Texas
A CONTINUING SERIES BY MARY Ann HADLEY — PART SEVEN
Ellen G. White
Where Ellen attended church in Texas
One-hundred-thirty-two years ago,
from November 1878 through April 1879,
James and Ellen White lived in Texas.
While these founders of the Seventh-day
Adventist church did not make Texas
their permanent residence, they never-
theless “wintered” here.
This series began in the Keene Star
of Jan. 13, when the Whites arrived in
Dallas on Nov. 6,1878. In parts two and
three, they visit Grand Prairie, traveled by
carriage through rain and black mud to
Plano, and teamed up with S.N. Haskell
at Texas’ first Seventh-day Adventist
Campmeeting. There, they organized
the Texas Conference of Seventh-day
Adventists.
In Part 5 (Keene Star of Feb. 10) Mar-
ian Davis joined the household to provide
editorial assistance for Ellen, and last
week we reviewed the hard times, finan-
cial and otherwise, during January 1879.
Today: Where Ellen attended
church in Texas.
Although James and Ellen White lived
in Denison for a half-year, there is little or
no information in their correspondence
regarding their Sabbath observance dur-
ing those months. At the time the Texas
Conference was organized there were
four established Seventh-day Adventist
churches in Texas: Dallas, Cleburne, Peo-
ria and Terrell. There is no solid evidence
that Ellen ever traveled to any of the lat-
ter three. [NOTE: Certainly, Ellen White
never visited Keene, as this town was
not established until 15 years after the
Whites left Texas. Their son, Willie, often
visited the school here, and preached at
the Keene Church when he was in town,
particularly in the earliest years of the
20th century when his daughter, Ella,
lived in Keene.]
In addition to the four first Adventist
churches in Texas, there is some indica-
tion that the Baptist church in Plano was
taken over by Adventists when most of
that church’s members converted from
Sunday keeping to Sabbath keeping in
the fall of 1878. It seems the church had
been built on land which was owned by
the leading Baptist deacon, who turned
Adventist, and that the meetinghouse
had been built largely with funding
provided by the turncoat faction of the
membership.
Plano, the northernmost of the five
churches, is some 60 miles south of Deni-
son, so it is not likely that the families
in Denison would have often traveled
southward to church, considering the
rate of wagon travel would have been at
20 miles per day. (Even for the Whites
traveling in their new super-speed pha-
eton, the trip would have been too time
consuming. And traveling by train on the
Sabbath would have been unthinkable,
as a rule.) We can assume that Denison’s
early Sabbath worship services were held
in the Bahler home in inclement weather
and outdoors in fair weather.
Conducting Meetings
In one instance Ellen mentions holding
a meeting for the neighbors in the Bahler
home. During that winter, and in the
spring of 1879, James and Ellen were in-
vited to hold meetings in country school
houses or community churches within 20
miles east and southeast of Denison. They
took turns speaking, always to capacity
crowds — on Sundays — at country school
houses or churches several miles from
Denison and Sherman — Cherry Mound,
Hebron, Shiloh and Virginia Point. At
these meetings the Whites routinely
underestimated the attendance, and ran
out of Adventist literature, which they
handed out at no charge.
In February Ellen wrote, “Last Sunday
we rode over bad roads to Cherry Mound,
to fill our appointment there at 11 o’clock.
When we arrived, found the people wait-
ing, and ready to hear the words of truth.
The house was literally packed. I had
barely standing room. Many were stand-
ing by the door and windows. Hymns
were sung from Song Anchor, which
interested the audience. I had freedom
in speaking.
“After the close of this meeting we
partook of our lunch, then rode on to
Hebron to fill our appointment at 3 p.m.
The people here had had preaching in
the forenoon and we did not expect many
would be out to hear us. Yet they came,
gentlemen and ladies, on horseback, and
whole families in lumber wagons, and the
house was well filled.
“As we looked over the sparsely settled
country on our way to the place we que-
ried where the people would come from
to make a congregation. But about one
hundred and sixty came together. My
husband addressed them while they
listened with eager attention. I spoke
about thirty minutes with great freedom;
many were in tears. As soon as the meet-
ing closed persons from different points
came to us and urged us to hold meetings
with them.”
Ellen marveled at the spiritual igno-
rance of the people, yet she admired their
desire to learn. These “appointments”
prepared the way for a brief evangelistic
meeting that would be held in Denison
late that spring, and for a number of
tent meetings that would be conducted
by R. M. Kilgore’s brother, Scott, and by
A.G. Daniells and other preachers who
would remain in Texas after the Whites’
departure in May, 1879.
At the organizational Texas camp
meeting in November 1878, one of the
items of business had been the replace-
ment of the campmeeting tent.
In the previous year and a half, the
camp meeting tent, which had been used
by R.M. Kilgore in his evangelism, and
which seated about 300, had sustained a
40-plus foot gash from a tornado in Ter-
rell. That was after it had been through
high winds at Peoria and a flood in Cle-
burne. During the latter, the tent had
collapsed on top of the seats, and the next
day it was found to be covered in mud,
sticks, and little fish.
Kilgore, living with his family in a
much smaller family tent, had escaped
ELLEN G. WHITE RESEARCH CENTER, DEL E. WEBB MEMORIAL
LIBRARY, LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY, ENGRAVING (M A SAMUELS
PALACE OF ART)
James White circa 1878
with the lives of all of his family members
— wife Asenath and three children. The
tent was well worn. It was replaced dur-
ing the winter of 1878-79 with two tents,
the larger called “Texas Tent #1” and the
smaller, “Texas Tent #2.” Those tents
were used for continuing evangelism in
Texas for quite some time.
In January, James reported to his son,
Willie, “The enclosed statement shows
how our calendar is prized. Send me 200
by mail or express as soon as possible. I
shall put them in the book stores here
and at Dallas.” He encloses a newspaper
notice which says, “The combination
Almanac-Calendar for 1879 has been
placed on our table. It is printed by the
Review and Herald Publishing Associa-
tion of Battle Creek, Michigan, of which
Elder James White, now temporarily
sojourning in Denison, is president.
The almanac-calendar is the most
complete work of the kind we have ever
seen. It is full of information, compact
and handy as to size and shape, and very
pretty indeed as to appearance and qual-
ity of the work.”
Two weeks later James writes, “I gave
one to the banker and asked him to hang
it outside. He did so and asked for one for
the inside. I gave him that. I put one in
each of the book stores, one to my black-
smith, and the man where I purchased
my carriage. This will all come back to
me, bring more with it. I gave one to the
Herald editor who calls for articles on
Temperance.”
In late spring, 1879, Ellen held a one-
week series of meetings in Dallas, fol-
lowed by a similar “revival meeting” in
Forest Park, six blocks from the Bahler
home in Denison.
In upcoming weeks we will see how
the leading men of Dallas arranged to
hear Ellen speak, then we will consider a
couple of proposed Adventist enterprises
for Dallas, and later we will examine
Volume 1, Number 1 of the “Forest Park
Reporter.”
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Gnadt, Paul. Keene Star (Keene, Tex.), Vol. 18, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 24, 2011, newspaper, February 24, 2011; Burleson, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth804116/m1/4/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 4, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Burleson Public Library.