Chapter XXXIX: My Family

Our married life was blessed with seven children—four girls and
three boys—five of whom are living and happily married. Our
oldest, Henrietta Louise, married Doctor Frank M. Dannelly at
Waxahachie, and they are now living on a large farm about seven
miles from Dallas. Dr. Dannelly is a native of Georgia, in which
State his father was a prominent physician, and his mother the
gifted poetess, Elizabeth O. Dannelly, who published “Cactus”
immediately after the close of the war, embracing a number of
war poems, notably “The Burning of Columbia,” a scathing and
true denunciation of this inhuman crime, which gained for it a
large circulation, demanding a second edition; a second book
entitled “Wayside Flowers,” a literary gem, was also very
popular. Their union is blessed with three boys. The oldest,
Henry G., a graduate of Staunton Military Academy, Virginia, is
now in the fire insurance business in Dallas. Henry G. married
about three years ago Miss Gwendolyn Dunn of Dallas; they have a
sweet baby girl about four months old, which is now our first
great-grandchild. The other two boys, Frank C. and Perry, are
still at school. Our second daughter, Alice May, married W. D.
Hume in Dallas about sixteen years ago and they are now making
their home in Muskogee, Oklahoma, where Hume is engaged in the
real estate and insurance business; they have no children. Our
third child, Augustus Lee, was a fine young man, eighteen years
of age, at home with us when, through a mistake of our family
physician he was given an overdose of medicine, from the effect
of which he never rallied and died in about two hours; this
proved the saddest blow of our lives. Our fourth child is Irene,
who married B. P. McDonald, Jr., of Fort Scott, Kansas, the son
of B. P. McDonald, Sr., one of the builders of the M. K. & T.
road into Texas, and for many years treasurer of the road. The
old gentleman died here in Dallas a few years ago while still a
director in the road and also owner of a short-line road into
Cleburne, Texas.

At a meeting of the Board of Directors of this company, held in
Parsons, Kansas, April 8th, 1909, the following testimonial to
the memory of the deceased director, Mr. B. P. McDonald, was
unanimously adopted:

IN MEMORIAM

“Since the last annual meeting of this Board, death has
invaded its membership and claimed its oldest member in
continuous service. After a brief illness, Benjamin
Perry McDonald, of Fort Scott, Kansas, departed this
life on February 16th, 1909, at Dallas, Texas, where he
and his wife were temporarily sojourning.

“Mr. McDonald was born at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania,
October 18th, 1839. He removed to the Territory of
Kansas August 1st, 1857, saw the Territory pass to
Statehood, and his destiny was ever afterwards
identified with his adopted State.

“He was married November 21st, 1860, to Emma A. Johnson,
who, with their three sons—William A., Charles B. and
Benjamin Perry, Jr., all now arrived at manhood’s
estate—survive him.

“He was elected mayor of Fort Scott in 1866, and at the
expiration of his term re-elected. He early engaged in
the mercantile and banking business, and organized the
First National Bank of Fort Scott in January, 1871. He
was elected a director of our Company at its annual
meeting on May 15th, 1872, and continued as such every
succeeding year during his life. In 1873 he was elected
to the Legislature of Kansas as a representative from
Bourbon County. In 1874 he built the line southeast from
Fort Scott to the coal fields, a distance of twelve
miles, which was afterwards purchased by the Kansas
City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company. In 1881 he
built twenty miles of railroad on Long Island, New York,
for the Long Island Railroad Company. In 1888-9 he built
the Sherman, Denison & Dallas Railway, from Denison to
Sherman, Texas, now a part of the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railway of Texas, and in 1901-2 built the Fort
Scott, Iola & Western, from Iola to Moran, Kansas, now
owned and operated by the Missouri, Kansas & Texas
Railway Company. In 1902 he organized and built the
Dallas, Cleburne & Southwestern Railroad, from Cleburne
to Egan, Texas, of which company he was the president at
the time of his death. This railroad is now operated
under a trackage contract by the Missouri, Kansas &
Texas Railway Company of Texas. He was a director of the
Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company and
its predecessor companies from their earliest history
until they passed to the St. Louis & San Francisco
Railroad Company. He lived in Kansas when the Union
Pacific Railway Company, Southern Branch, now the
Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, was originally
incorporated, knew the promoters of the company, and was
always a great friend of the enterprise. In those early
days his aid and support was of great benefit to the
company. He became a director in 1872, while the road
was being built through the Indian Territory. As a
director he was constant in his attention to the duties
of his office, faithful to the interests of the Company,
and one of its most active and influential friends.
During the receivership of H. C. Cross and George A.
Eddy he was appointed by them as their treasurer, and
served as such during their whole term, his appointment
having been confirmed by the United States Circuit Court
for Kansas, and his accounts confirmed by that court and
found to be faultless. He was one of the strong men of
the West, and ever ready to serve the interests of this
Company. His acquaintance extended along the entire
line; the people and the employes knew him and loved
him. He was of sound judgment and absolute honesty. He
had troops of friends. He had a more intimate knowledge
of the Company’s history from the beginning than any
other man. His long career made him seem to be almost a
part of the Company’s life.

“His health was always robust, his nature cheerful, his
sound sense commanding. There was nothing subservient in
his nature; it was all open and manly. We were shocked
and grieved at his sudden taking off, and unitedly mourn
his loss.

“He was buried from his old home at Fort Scott, under
Masonic ceremonies and according to the rites of the
Episcopal Service, and now sleeps on the banks of the
Marmaton which he loved so well.

“We express our deepest sympathy and sincerest
condolence to his widow and sons, and direct that this
memorial be spread upon the records of the Company and a
copy transmitted to them.”

B. P. and Irene have their home in Birmingham, Alabama, where he
is engaged in the brokerage business; they are blessed with two
interesting children, a boy and a girl: B. P. the third, and
Emma Louise. Our fifth child, Henry A., is living in Dallas;
Henry was connected with the Kansas City Southern Railway for
about fifteen years, and finally resigned the general agency of
his road in Chicago and returned to Dallas to make this his
permanent home. While in Chicago he married Ollie Elizabeth
Anderson, who was born and raised in Negaunee, Michigan; their
union is blessed with two sweet children, Roy Lee and Alice H.
Our sixth child, Roy, died when about five years old at
Waxahachie. Our seventh child is Lessis, the baby girl, who
married Charles Weems Kidwell, born in Louisiana, but came to
Texas with his parents when quite a child; Kidwell is now
connected with the house of Sanger Brothers, Dallas, as
assistant manager of the retail department, starting in at the
wrapping counter about fifteen years ago; his father was a
prominent physician in Louisiana and died in Dallas years ago;
their union is blessed with two bright boys, Rolla, seven years
old, and Graber, five years old. On the 23rd of last April we
passed the 49th milestone of our married life and if spared
until the next 23rd of April will celebrate our golden wedding,
with five loving children and nine grandchildren and one
great-grandchild in our family circle. Owing to fast declining
health, about four years ago I was compelled to give up
business, and take a much-needed rest, the first vacation from
business cares in about fifty years; have had two serious spells
of sickness, one in Dallas and another in Detroit, Michigan,
where we went to spend last summer, but through the loving care
of wife and children and the dispensation of a Divine Providence
my life was again spared, and I am now enjoying better health
than for over fifty years.