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Claudia Harris P.N.
Amarillo, Texas
District #16
PASHAMLE
Rel:Aed by Mr.
2131011 Polk
Amarillo,
tA.4iiiggA
Robert Verdon
Street
Texas
Mr. Vmrdon was reared beside the banks of the river Lee, a tributary of
the Thames, where he often played as a ah 4 with Rvaageline Bo th. Later in
life he emigrated to the United Stntes, locating in North Dakota, Thar- he pros-
pered. However, he was not satisfied in the cold northern state. His unrest
was increased by tale, told by 11412 coming into the region for the P rpose of
selling lend in the Panhandle of Teams, the last frontier of the conntry. Accord-
ing to these plowing reports, the Panhandle was a f -no place to invest and get
a new start in life. Lend Was cheap. Amarillo was a bit, lively town. The
climate was all that could bo ,inhed.
On the Yourth of July, 1006, Mr. Verdon arrived with his family in Amarillo.
Pbbelievably, there were no fireworks, no brass bands. There were only a few
people in the town, and fewer hoses.
Once settled, Mr. Verdon rurchased the Mason Hotel from Mrs. Mason, who had
built the hostelry, wh oh stood near the Denver station in the old bowery district
of the new town.
Mr. Warden's deu-hter, now Mrs. Shaeffer, who later tPught in the Amarillo
public schools, receiveA her doctor's degree in Upland.
Mr. Verdon rec--11s that in the early' days of Amarillo when there was a bad
blizsard, in the evening after work hours, an old rantlem'n otoa11 ride around
in a burry to the three or four hotels which the ton boasted and tell the
proprietors th t they were tIlturn no one asr,7 ho came to them for shelter
at night durinr the "spell" of inclement weather. The bills for such service to
those wha coal not oay were to be sent to h.. Th s man was w. S. Fuona, for
years a financial power in Ararillo. Mr. Yrqua, who worked here .ne s-ved his
money, had no 'Timothy for the shiftless necer-do-well who made no effort to help
„Pet
himsalf. To those who tried, but failed, be was lenient and kind, always willing
to lend a helping hand. Mao, a rasher, beaten by the drouth, with his cattle
mortgaged, was given a new lease on life by Mr. ZlIna, who.rePused to take .the
mortgaged an often lending a further sum to help the unfortunets mortgagee
.to build his fortunes anew. but the person who did not try to help hAsself did
not n.ed to core to the astute banker, who was t first to *clamp down* an all
such offenders. Mr. lingua also quietly and unostentat-..ously helped may a poor,
hard--orking man of Amarillo to get a foothold on the ladder of racemes.
Mr. irliqua often told the night officers of Amerillo not to let the stranger
in the gatos sloop in a cold box car, but to send his to an hotel for *bolter
and food, sendinr the bill to his. He also saw to it that no one who woe unable
to buy coal should snffer for lack of ft fire. Goal was furnished during the 'dater
at his *snot:me to all familiss unable to pay for flel themsolvose
(Mrs. Fuqua, like her husband, was renowned for her kindness to the less
fortunate. Many of the eerlv sottlers in Amarillo recall her visits to the sick,
the poor, and the needy).
Mr. Verdi= rosmabers the Cornelius twins as the first white girls born in
Anarille. The Oorneltus family lived on the corner of Vourth and 2111moro, opposite
the present site of Cal Yarloy's filling station on lots given them by M. 2.
Sanborn for moving to the ne,, location of Amarillo. The first baby toy born
to Amarillo and. Powr County, Mt. VerdOn recalls', was Duncan Terse% the son of
'Jeff Kersey, a disratcher for the, D-hvAr railroad.
Mr. Verdon, as the keeper of a hostelry himself, had occasion to he fasaliar
*ith maay interesting experiences. Among these reminiscences is one of an old
Indian, known as 41Lef Pie Face, who came to the McIntosh Botol to get a room Om
night. The clerk of the hotel, evidently adversely impressed by the old Indian's
apooarance, refused to let him have a room. Chief Pis 710 waxed furious and,
waving his arms wildly,. ,taped out of the ostelry, yelliar, gift boy year hotel
20 buy your WW1* And he could have made good his word; for Mr. Vordonhays that
3
the Indian was a wealthy man. However, Chief Fie Pace MAX not left out in thee
cold, laterally or figuratively; for got-sone told him o' an 3nglishman (Mr. 'tertian)
'rho het' a hotel where he could obtam co -'ort ble quartera.
Mr. Vardon, a most modest gentlem n, has more then t o dozeted'ls which he
received for saving tia-, lives of others. One day, ih rtly after his erringe when
he was walking alon tha b-qike of the Lee, he heard h in the river. Looking
around, he saw a man Aisa -et rilg for the last ti- i tha water. Without stopoing
to think of tha danger to himself, he ,jumped intot ater. tre yo -mg MA Whom
be was trying to save, got a str-ngle grl o his rescuer's neck end it was necess-
ary to knock him unconscious before he could be rescued. Mr. Yerdon in some way
got the man to the river tank en- by mans of artificial respiration brought hit
beck to life. lnalenr has strict law e against suicides, as well as murderers.
There one who attempts suicide and fails may be tried for murder if the affair is
brought to the notice of the authorities. Ng atlas to say, Mr. Verdon did n -t
report the matter of the' yang man and the river to officers of tha law.
Two weeks late- a ynune man apneared at the Verdon door to thank Mr. Verdon
for saving nis life. "But you have the wrong person. I AP not IlVe your
he denied the charge, failing to recognise the man, w ose heir had turned snow-white
in the short time w ich had elapsed since the attempted alicide. Whether shock or
the worry amused by fear of tr41 as a murderer caused the phenomenon or not,
Mr. Verdon could not say, but he vouches for its truth. Re has been asked to give
the story over the air on the "Believe it or Not" hour of Nibert Ripley. At some
time in the near future, he plans to re-enact the episode for Pipley.
On another occasim, Mr. Verdon was on his way to the market place to buy
w Christmas turkey (on December R3, to be exact). Rearing SOMA one scream that a
man wag drowning, ha ran to see if he could be o any assistance. Tha weather being
cold and foggy, he was burdened with a heavy topcoat, -hioh he pulled off as he
ran. He plunged into the ch_lly water, but be Was to latP. l'hen he pulled the
man from the river, he could revive him.