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Folklore,
Miss Effie Cowan,
_cLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
/Z50
NO. of Words,
Pile NO. 240
Page NO/ I.
Reference.
"Interview with mrs nettieqhlooner Allen, White Pioneer Marlin, Tex.
My father Willis Lang Falconer,who departed this life in 1929 at the
age of 81 years was a Ember of the firm of Nettles and Falconer, ii0600
44wwWw, ami....wwWwWW,Vte. Ho was Woe a farmer and stockman. He with the
family came to Falls county in 1885 from Clark county Mississippi. He was
born in Wayne county, Mississippi Jane 27, 1848 and was a son of the Hon°
Thomas Falconer, a planter and lawyer and owner of slaves,w4ep was Judge
of his district. Judge Falconer was born in South Carolina and died in
1849, aged fifty years. 70 was twice married, his first wife being a Miss
dreagb, who at her death' left children named William, Thomas and John,
the oldest and youngest were Confederate soldiers. All of whom are now
deceased.
For his second wife Jadge Falconer married Miss Jerasha Lang, who at
the age of thirty six years passed away in 1858, leavhng one child Willis
Lang Falconer,(my father.) Father was reared by an aunt and attended the
public schools of his vicinity. In 1864 he joined Company B.Mormans batta-
-lion, General Wirt Adams brigade, and saw service in the Confederate army,
His detachment was detailed to ran down deserters until near the end of.
the war. When the end of hostilities came he was under General Forrestls
commanfnd was discharged at Gainoville,Alabama ,144,„retarned hole.
After he came home he attended school it here. Springs Mississippi.
He was engaged in farming lip to 1870 on the home plantation. the country
abounded in game of all kind and when he was not at work on the plantation
Folklore,
Miss Effie Cowan,
44cLennan County, Texas,
1)istrict 8.
File NO. 240
Page NO. 2.
he spent a great part of time hunting. When we moved to Texas father
farmed on the lillingsley estate, Mr Billingsley was a relative and
sent for him. We lived in the town of Marlin,Teras and the Billings-
-ley plantation was located some seven or eight miles up the river
between iarlIn and Waco in the Brazos bottom. Later father and Mt
Vettles of Marlin became partners on a more extensive scale in the
stock and farming business and remaigned together until their death.
In those early days the political parties were unsettled, there
were the .l'iopulist on which ticket father was elected in 1894 as
county clerk of Falls county and served a term, The Greenback and the
Union Labor and Peoples party were in close race witOhe democrats.
Bat in the end the IJemocratic party was accepted as the standard for
the south.
In 1869 my father married my mother who was Miss 3mma Shaw a
daughter of Wheodore Shaw of Wayne county Mississippi. To them were
born the following children Bolivar, George, myself, Mary, Daisy,
Albert, Theodore, Roberta, Willis and Emma both of whom died when
four years of age.
"My brother Bolivar Lang Falconer entered the Civil ervice of
the United States and filled b.)6tJa positions in several departments
at "ashington before his appointment as a member of the Civil Service
Bureau a an4)., PhTi?ne Islands. He was retired in 1931 as
Senior Examiner of the United States Civil Service Commission.
Folklore,
lilies Effie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
"The following is a clipping from the warlin0e4.4,.1-ch,,,"Since
Dr Falconer's retirement from the Civil ''ervice Commission he has
File NO 240,
Page NO. 3.
spent his time in travelling all over the world, having encircled it
four times and visited every continent He has spent several months
in hew Zealand aid Austria and in the interior of China, had toured
Asia overland from China through India, Africa from cape Town to Cairo
(Cape to Cairo Route) and South America from Panama down the West
Coast to Chile, across the Andes to Argentina, and up the East Coast
through Brazil and the West Indres to Boston. He is now about to start
on a trip around the world by air, hoping to be the first passenger
to accomplish this feat."
left warlin May 6, anKflew
"He amosAmitomairptrom Dallas to hew York on May 7, 1936,and left
"ew York on May 10,on the maiden voyage of the new zeppelin, the Von
Hindenherg and arrived in Erankfort dermany on may 174 left Amsterdam
May 15 on a(1)utch plane, arrived at Batavia, Java, on May 22, spending
one night each in Rome, Cairo, Bagdad, Jodpur, Rangoon and h'ingapore.
Erom Batavia he took a chartered plane and flew from -6orneo to Manila.
He reached Manila idlay 26, and had he been allowed to return on the
China Clipper he would have made his trip on schedule of thirty days,
around the world and back to Dallas.
"But the China Clipper did not at this time take passengers so he
spent the t'ite in Manilla until November of 1936 By this time the
airship China Clibpper bad commenced to carry passengers and he made the
return trip on it by way of Gam, Wake, Midway amd Oahn, all islands
belonging to the United States. He is now completing his sixth trip
train*
around the world, this time by airship, steamer ,!-nd
Folklore,
Miss :i:ffie Cowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 4.
"Dr Bolivar Falconer has obtained the degree of M.D. from .ieorgetown
tniversity, of Sc.M. in;Learology from GeorgeWashington University;
and A.M.in Mathematics from Harvard University. He is a member of the
tniversity clubs of Paris and ian1lla, the Pans -Pacific Club of "ono
lulu, and several other clubs and societies. ae is liscensed to practice
medicine in Washington and
Z
The remain of my fathers family are George, who is a stockman
of Falls county, myself, Mary;who married rofessor Winkler of Nashvill•C_
Tenneessee( deceased) aisy:who has done governpAnt service. Albert,
June 27, 1910.
who died in the PhillipinesA and was buried in Marlin the following August
after nine years in the customs service. '1:heodore who was also in the
custtms service andloberta, a teacher. the two younger ones Willis and
Emma who died in Ohildhood.
In the days when we first came to -iarlin the town was just a small
place and we children spent our time as other children in he town,'
we attended the public schools and then each of us took our course at
some college. I attended Peabody at iiashville)Tenneesseetand completed
a course to become a teacher. I taught in the public schools until I
established my own home when I married.
I can remember when the first automobiles were introduced to our town.
Where were three doctors who first bought cars. Dr Allen, ;ix. Torbett,and
Dr Snead. They had a time driving them over the rough country roads,
together witla the teams on the roads becoming frightened and rnIvn4-/c),
away made the drivers of the new way of travel nervous wrecks at times.
Folklore,
Miss EffieCCowan,
McLennan County, Texas,
District 8.
File NO. 240.
Page NO. 5.
On the 18th, day of January, 1899 I married Dr Walter H.Allen a
practicing physician of Marlin, Texas. Dr Allen was born September 18,
1868, and his parents were John W.and Mary H. Allen, who for a number of
years were engaged in the hotel business in Marlin. Dr Aliens father came
to Texas in 1857 ,from Limestone county,Alabama where he was born
in 1837. His mothers parents were James Mc Cain and Frances A.Mann;
the mothers birth occurred ten years after her husband in Tennessee,
where they lived for many years. For several years after coming to
Texas ,John Allen engaged in the mercantile business at Marlin until
the war between the states drew him into the ranks of the Confederacy,
where he served in a regiment under Hoods brigade, and at the second
battle of Manassas he lost his left arm at the shoulder.
"Dr Aliens father's usefulness as a soldier being at an encishe came
home and devoted himself to his duties as a citizen of Marlin until
1871, when he removed to Californi*id engaged in business in Pacheco,
that state, for four years.Dissatisfied with the Pacific coast and
remembering his former place of business at Marlin he returned and
engaged in the hotel business at this place, carrying it on successfully
until the year 1892, since which date he retired, he and his wife were
the parents of three children Lea E. Allen of Llano Texas, Dr Walter 44,
Allen,Cmy husband), and N.W.Allen
While four years of 42.4.0 boyhood was passed inlealifbrnia, the chief
part was in Marlin. ills education was obtained at the public schools,
iqMarlin, and in 1885 he entered 0116 A.& M. College at College Station,
Folklore,
Miss Effie Cowan,
ctennan County, Texas,
District 8.
fiFile NO. 240.
liege N0,6.
"He graduated at A.&.M.College in 1888, taking the degree of B.S.
A. At graduation and in this class he was first honor man and senior
captain of the corps of cadets. In August after his graduation he
entered the drug store of the late Dr R.C.Nettles, where he sr:ent two
years and a half)engaged in practical pharmacy until be took up the
study of medicine°
"In 1890 he entered the Missourri Medical College at St Louis,
afterwards entering/ Tulane University of blew 'rleans, where he
graduated in medicine in 1892. Ae then returned to Marlin and took up
the practice of his profession, where he was very successful In a
business way he owned the Allen dtug store of Marlin; was a stockholder
in the First State Bank and of the Marlin Hot Well Company while at
the same time he owned some farming land in falls county. Professionally
he held membership in the Mc Lennan County Medical Association, and in
the Benevolent and Protective Order of 31ks.
To Dr andMrs Allen were born the folowing children, Willis Lang,
in business at aoaston Texas, Walter H. who is in the employ of the
Home .6enefit Association of Marlin, Texas, Bolivar A. of 31 Dorado Ark,
who is in the oil business, and 2;mily, deceased.
After the Marlin hot mineral water became famous for its healing
of the afflicted, especially stomach trouble and rheumatism 'sr Allen
awned and operated what is now the Buie hospital and Clinic, where
the hot water mineral baths were so successfully given that he became
one of marlins best physicians in the treatment of these troubles.
Many have been the expressions of gratitude from his patients.
Folklore,
Miss 3ffie Cowan,
Mclennan County, Texas,
District 8.
Pile NO. 240
Page NO. 1.
Marlin is situated only a few miles from the Brazos river, in the
spring of the ear the river often is on a rifle. It overflows the
lowlands for a distance of several miles at places. In the days before
drainage had been established, and even at the present times it
is not uncommon for the river to overflow into the nearby farms and
get up into the houses of those living in the bottom. Many haviLbeen
the time that rescuers from the country and town had to go out in the
night and bring in the victims of the floods. 3om_ times down in the
bottoM the negroes who lived there would have to climb up on their
house -tops and wait for some one to come to their aid. They were as
a rulelremoved from the houses and treetops and placed in wagons and
brought into town, if the water kept rising, then they were rescued
with boats.
ft was just such a flood in the spring of 1922, May 16, 1922,
that the long bridge over the Brazos river just west of Marlin showed
signs of weakening on the farther end, the bank was caving in and truck
and heavy loaded vehicles were on it to hold it down. it was thought
there was no immediate danger of a span giving away as the bank on the
west end of the bridge had been re-inforced. It was a beautiful day
after the big rains and a large part of the population of Marlin,
together with a few of the visitors taking the bath) rode out to see
the bridge. Many went out on the bridge to get a better view of the far
end. Among them was my husband, Dr Allen, all at once there was a loud
report and the weak span of the bridge gave way, and with it a number
of people went down into the river, a few never to return in life.
?olklorel
Miss ffie Cowan,
4cLennan County, Texas,
District 8
File NO. 240.
Page AO.
Among the number who lost their lives on this day were Dr Allen,
the mayor of Marlin, Mr Stallwyrth, a child and a visitor to the city,
a woman who was in Marlin for the baths. This was a time of intense
anxiety and distress. The men rushed to the river from town immediate
-ly and cast ropes out into the river to catch the'41dies as they float-
-ed down stream. The visiting woman and child were rescued at once, but
it was a week before Dr Allenp,or Mr Stallworth's body was found, It is
with a feeling of gratitude to the citizens of 44arlin, that I say they
camped for a week at the river. The divers and other'A never leaving,
the women brought them their food and continually for a week they kept
faithfu atch for the bodies. In a week there came another rise in the
river and the timbers of the bridge rose and floated down the river
and with s -me of the timPf the body of rlinen and igir Stallworth came
down and were seen and rescued. They were buried just a week from the
day they lost their lives.
"Many lives in the days gone by, in our own time has the hungry river
claimed for its own, but while it takes from us it also gives to those
who depend on its contrubution'to the land. It is well known that the
bottom
rich soil o the Brazos has its production increased by the deposits
of the floods. It has done its part toward making the country prosperous
as it wends its way to the 4ulf oP Mexico, now angry, then peaceful,
forgetful of the sorrow it leaves in its angry moods:
Saturday A.M.
Dear liars Davis; In the paragraphs in the Allen story of "Jr 2alsoner,
(4rs Aliens brother) I forgot to mention the feet the -1-"r 7alconer has
established an endowment fund for a teachers salary in the crippled
A" twit/LILA_
childrens hospital His sister made him give Avt o her recently_r- I heard)
at—Max444a..lhe fund takes care of the equipment needed in the school
room?SeA3has also established a picture show fund whereby the cripp&ed
children who do not have the money to go to the show may be enabled
to go. ;ou can insert this if you desire. This is authentic.