Yale University Library

REMINISCEHiii
Biographical and Historical

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Randolph Clark

REMINISCENCES

Biographical and Historical

By Randolph Clark

Lee Clark, Publisher
Wichita Falls, Texas
1919

Copyright, 1919
by
RANDOLPH CLARK

^3

'Dedicated to
MY WIFE

FOREWORD
Friends have requested a number of items connected
with the early history of the Disciples in Texas and with
AddRan College and its founders. Soon after brother's
death a number called for his biography, which would
have been written by one more competent, but, for
kindly considerations, the task was left for me; that is
why it was never done. I thought to furnish a series
of sketches that would partially answer all these de
mands. I decided that a few months would give suf
ficient time in which to compile material that would
furnish some future historian, who had more time and
means than I have, the data for a more exacting history ;
but the months passed into years and the work not done.
I find that the man who preaches eight sermons a
month, answers frequent long distance calls to funerals,
weddings, school addresses, and reunion occasions, and
adds to this list one or two protracted meetings in the
summer, and, with all, has acquired the orchard, garden
and chore-boy habit, has little time for writing books.
The preacher cannot afford to go before his audience
with warmed over sermons, that he prepared long ago
when he knew everything. The shepherd must not lead
his flock to stagnant waters. He may have a mind well
stored with knowledge, but he will have to study to
know how to apply to the present world conditions what
he has learned. And he will be surprised to find out
how imperfectly he has learned things he thought he
knew well. Instead of writing of the past he needs
5

6 Foreword
every moment of his time to study his Bible anew, and
to read the productions of the greatest thinkers of the
present that he may keep his people from going war-
mad — ^that he may preserve the patriotism of the King
dom of Heaven. From these demands I have taken a
moment now and then and penciled these sketches. I
send them forth hoping they may give some moments
of pleasure to the remnant of the old AddRan family
and that some student of today may be helped to learn
that the joy and success of life is service. This is my
apology for this very imperfect production. "Mr. Randolph."

CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
J. A. Clark  9
CHAPTER II.
Addison Clark  16
CHAPTER III.
His Early Education  20
CHAPTER IV.
The Civil War  23
CHAPTER V.
Teacher and Student  29
CHAPTER VI.
Early Days in Ft. Worth  33
CHAPTER VII.
Thorp Spring  42
CHAPTER VIII.
AddRan College  46
CHAPTER IX.
Personal Characteristics, Ideals, and Teachings 61
CHAPTER X.
His Last Work as Preacher and Teacher ... 68
CHAPTER XI.
"Addison Clark Gone Home"  74
7

CHAPTER I
J. A. CLARK
"Biography is history teaching by example," says
Bolenbroke. Channing says, "Every human being is a
volume worthy to be studied;" and Quarrels makes
the stronger statement, that "Each particular man is
a short story of mankind, written in his own dear ex
perience." The record of lives that are worthy to be kept is
valuable as a guide to others passing over the same
highway. The most valuable lesson to be learned from this
sketch is that with right teaching and environment,
principles can be so fixed in one's being that the in
clinations and tendencies will naturally be for right;
that there is a law of gravitation in the intellectual and
in the spiritual world, and that when the life is fixed to
the right center all actions will be in harmony with
God's laws, aU things will fall into right relation.
The subject of this sketch had the advantage of a
good start in the race of life in that he was well born.
His father, Joseph Addison Clark, came from that rug
ged stock of pioneers who colonized North Carolina, the
first of the colonies to declare their independence of
kings and state religions, and who have been prompt
and united in defending their liberties.
Joseph Addison Clark was born Nov. 6th, 1815. All
the child-life allowed to him was spent near Columbia,
9

10 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
and Clarksville, Tennessee. At the age of twelve years
he had to assume the responsibility of caring for a
widowed mother and two sisters. The books do not
record the hardest fought battles nor tell of the greatest
heroes. No embellishment of fiction, nor pictures of
imagination are needed to make thrilling the story of
a boy standing helplessly by while the agents of the
law sold the home, every article of furniture and even
family relics to satisfy claims, just and unjust; then
taking up the fight for a place in the world and a shelter
for loved ones, often to be defrauded of hard earned
wages and to be offered all comforts at the price of
honor; to find hypocrisy where he looked for pure and
undefiled religion, to receive scorn when he hungered
for sympathy, and then to find that those, "Who hope
against hope," and unfalteringly press toward a prize
of a high calling, may find a place among the best, and
may become companions of the great.
This boy had a premature manhood forced upon him,
but accepting the responsibility as a sacred trust, with
a brave heart and an exalted purpose, he began life's
battles. At the age of eighteen he was editor and
proprietor of a newspaper in a thriving town. He sold
the paper for a sum that would support the family and
give him a year in the University of Alabama. He ap
plied himself to the study of law and mathematics, and
before he had reached his majority he had completed
the required course in law and was also a scientific
surveyor. One incident shows the self-assertive element
in his nature. The ancestral record shows a long line
of Bible names : Moses, Aaron, names of prophets and

J. A. Clark 11
of apostles, were represented in the family genealogy.
He had been given the name Zachariah, but when he
took control of himself he dropped this and took the
name Joseph Addison. To him at that time religion
seemed unreal. The prophets and mythologists were
all of a class. Addison was real and human, he wanted
to belong to the modem, moving world.
On leaving the university he returned to Kentucky
and taught school for three years near Lexington. He
was successful as a teacher; the school developed into
a flourishing academy. Offers came from larger towns
wanting his services. His disposition to avoid the
public, get away from the multitude, caused him to give
up teaching. He sold what property he had acquired
and with his mother and two sisters started to Texas.
August 15, 1839, they took steamboat passage at Louis
ville for New Orleans; from there they went by sail
boat to Matagorda, Texas; from there to Austin their
conveyance was an ox-wagon.
The congress of the republic was in its first session at
the capital. Politics with the personal equation dom
inating was rife over the state. His legal attainments
and newspaper experience fitted him for this field of
activity, but he avoided the crowd, wanted no public
position. He secured employment in the printing de
partment of the government and remained in Austin
till January, 1841. In a few years he had lived a long
life and at every turn there was some sad event. His
mother had taken sick on the voyage across the Gulf
and died soon after arriving at Matagorda. The elder
sister had married. Now having the care of only the

12 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
younger sister, he decided to return to Kentucky; he
secured a horse and vehicle, and, with his sister, started
to make the journey overland in mid-winter. They
reached Nacogdoches County when the winter storms
and swollen streams prevented further progress. Here
he soon found profitable employment, untangling con
flicting land titles, caused by recent locations overlap
ping old Spanish grants. This and the adjoining coun
ties offered great inducements for one so well equipped
to engage in the land business, but he seemed to have
little desire to make money for the pleasure of having it.
He never allowed himself to be in want, and provided
bountifully for those depending upon him; made no
debts, allowed no store accounts; this was a rule with
him as long as he provided for a family.
On his surveying tours he had made acquaintances
among the settlers in Nacogdoches, Shelby and San
Augustine Counties. Many of these were in culture
and refinement, such as the best he had known in the
older states. He found a very congenial folk in one
community where he had much work to do. He came
to feel much at home with a family with whom he had
secured board and a room for an office in which to plot
his surveys, and work out his field notes. The stay
here proved fatal to his plan to return to Kentucky.
He abandoned the trip and decided to give his life to
Texas. Joseph Addison Clark and Hetty (Esther) D 'Spain
were married January 21, 1842, in Nacogdoches County,
Texas. The D 'Spain contribution to the making of
America was different from that furnished by the Clark

J. A. Clark 13
family. They trace their lineage to the French prot-
estants, who were pilgrims and strangers in many lands
till they found a resting place in America. As far into
the past as this generation knows of them they were
zealous disciples of Christ, taking no religious name but
Disciple, or Christian ; no creed but faith in the personal
Christ as our Savior, and God as an ever present
Father ; acknowledging no authority in religion but the
Word of God. Before the Campbells started the move
ment for undenominational Christianity, before Chris
tian Union was preached in America, a few of these pe
culiar people were among the settlers in Alabama and
Tennessee. They nor their descendants were troubled
with trying to harmonize church doctrines with the
teaching of the Bible. They studied the Word of God to
know truth as it is revealed to common folk.
At the time of his marriage, J. A. Clark had no sure
religious convictions. He had allowed himself to be
classed with unbelievers. He was certain he did not be
lieve in the phases of religion he had seen expressed in
the lives of many believers and that he had heard ex
pounded by preachers. He was led to examine the Bi
ble as a system of teaching. He came to respect re
ligion and to have confidence in professed Christians by
the revelation of Christianity that came to him in the
every-day life of his wife, by that beautiful faith that
produced an ever-cheerful, trusting personality and
manifested the spirit of Christ in every condition of a
busy serving life. He secured the best books of that
time on Christian Evidence and studied the Bible as
he had studied the law books. In the Old and in the

14 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
New Testament he found a complete system of teaching,
a perfect law designed to restore man's complete one
ness with God, and to enlist man as a worker with God
to recover the world from sin and its blighting effects.
This was a revelation to him, a real birth into a new
life. He now had solid ground upon which to stand in
accepting Jesus as the Christ, and he lost no time in
finding an opportunity to confess that faith by being
baptized into Christ.
On becoming a Christian and refusing any denomina
tional name or creed, he learned something of the power
of religious prejudice. He had decided on teaching as
his life work, had selected a suitable location and had
built a house with the purpose of establishing an acad
emy. He had begun teaching, and every prospect was
favorable for a successful school. The community was
giving a united support to the school. On the morning
after he had been baptized, a concourse of citizens, led
by the preacher of the community, assembled at the
schoolhouse and demanded that he give up the school,
and vacate the house, which was his private property.
He asked what were the charges against him; for what
crime was he to be disfranchised and his property con
fiscated. The answer was, that he had joined the Camp-
bellites. He was innocent of any purpose of joining a
sect; the people with whom he had taken fellowship did
not trace their succession to Campbell, nor to any other
man. He had simply become a Christian and supposed
that, as he had formerly been considered an unbeliever, his
patrons would be glad to have their children taught by
a Christian. To his astonishment he found that with

J. A. Clark 15
some very religious people it was more unpopular to be
an unsectarian Christian than to be an unbeliever. The
opposition was strong enough to break up the school.
He gave up teaching and devoted his time to preaching
in defense of the stand he had taken in becoming a
Christian, until he had used up what means he had ac
cumulated to support a family, then he resumed the
practice of law and the editing of a newspaper.

CHAPTER II
ADDISON CLARK
Addison, son of J. A. Clark and Hetty D 'Spain Clark,
was born December 11, 1842, in Titus, now Morris,
County. From his father he inherited that physical and
intellectual fiber that indicates strength. From the
mother, in whom were well proportioned physical
beauty, bright intellect and pure spirit, he received
those mollifying tendencies that gave balance to the
forces. His education — ^that is, the training and influ
ences which fixed the principles that guided and gave
direction to all his future, began very near the begin
ning of life. Home was the school, father and mother
were the teachers. Mother came first in laying the foun
dation for character building and in giving direction to
the child impulses. He was blessed with a mother and
grandmother, not Eunice and Lois, but Esther and
Rachel, and the unfeigned faith that dwelt in them soon
became the boy's faith. From them he learned that
God is an ever-loving Father, that the world and all
things, even the commonplace things, belong to Him,
and that the people must be about the Father's work.
This child faith never failed him through his entire
life and was strongest in the hour of his death. He
learned that idleness is sin, and that there are no high
and low callings, but that honor lies in doing some
needed work well, and that to engage in any work or
calling that did not benefit others is a waste of the time
IS

Addison Clark

Addison Clark 17
and the talent with which God had endowed him. This
was one mother, and the same could be said of the
grandmother, who could truthfully say, "I care not for
silver nor gold." Riches and worldly honors did not
appeal to her as the things to live for. In after years
it became the fixed law of his life to settle all questions
of conduct and to decide between alternatives by the
question, "What is God's will? What is right?"
There was no vacation in that school; all work was
play, and all play was work. The only rule was to know
and to do the right. There were no arbitrary laws, but
there was delightful companionship and home was a
Bethel. Mother taught the fundamentals of book education,
reading, writing, history, arithmetic and geography.
She was an artist and sketchings from the wildwood,
a twig from an oak with a broad leaf and cluster of
acorns, painted true to nature, a cluster of wild flowers,
an old farmhouse, with calves and colts and barnyard
fowls, decorated the rough walls and were the ties that
bound the boy to nature. There were no carpets on the
rough floors, nor cushioned chairs, but there was a big
square piano, whose polished wood added to the refining
influence of the music. The instrument was not trained
to give out artistic strains nor operatic airs, but it
could add to the melody in the heart and bring the life
into nearness with sacred things as its notes blended
with father's and mother's voices in rendering the old
songs which the heroes of the cross had sung throughout
the ages. Supplementing these with the ballads of Scott
and Burns and closing the evening concert with Home,

18 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
Sweet Home, would send the boy to the trundle-bed with
visions of angels and a feeling that home was a paradise.
Books were not plentiful in the homes of the early
settlers, but there was a small, select library in this
home. There were large volumes of history, biography,
natural history, and standard authors of English liter
ature. Some of these were calf bound and richly illus
trated with steel engravings. With these books spread
out on the rough floor, with portraits of the world's
great men and illustrations of world events, the boy
spent hours, thinking the thoughts and forming the com
panionship of the great. Supplementing these books,
the paper edited by the father, which was more than a
chronicle of the local happenings, brought into the fam
ily every week a digest of the questions of public inter
est. The editor attended no political conventions, took
no part in street corner politics, but his paper was his
medium of teaching on questions that concerned the
people. The time came when the boy must have school ad
vantages beyond what the home could give. He needed
the big outside world and was becoming restless for its
pulsing life. The father's business and the mother's
increasing cares did not allow time for the boy's needs.
A glimpse of the social conditions of that time will en
able one to appreciate the difficulties in the way of a
youth's moral and intellectual development into a well-
poised, self-controlled man. Animosities, handed down
from the period of the Texas Revolution, dominated
public questions, and all political issues and even in
fluenced business affairs. Father had formed a law

Addison Clark 19
partnership with Rufus Chandler, a young man of ster
ling character and aggressive spirit. Politics had been
at fever heat since before the annexation of Texas to
the United States. The paper was intensely Whig in
politics, — endorsed all of Henry Clay's policies. The
other party was the Democratic. Its adherents wor
shiped at the shrine of Andrew Jackson — with such
combustible material it was easy to start a conflagra
tion. The firm of Clark and Chandler was employed to rep
resent some heirs in a suit involving a large estate. The
property was recovered and the case was out of court,
but the fight did not stop. Chandler was shot from am
bush by the leading lawyer of the opposition. The
same fate was planned for the other member of the firm,
but being apprised of it, he interviewed the parties and
they changed their plans.
After the death of his partner he gave up the law
practice for a time and moved the paper from the town
of Rusk to Palestine. Soon after this he went to Gal
veston with the purpose of establishing a paper; but,
as the Galveston News was of the same political faith
and occupied the territory, he engaged with Willard
Richardson, the proprietor of the News, in publishing
that paper.

CHAPTER III
HIS EARLY EDUCATION
Texas had no system of public schools. Each community
had such schools as the people were aole and willing to
pay for. Some of the larger towns and wealthier com
munities maintained academies about equal to the pres
ent high schools. These were supported by the tuition
of those who went to school. At the age of twelve years
Addison went to an academy at Palestine. He had at
tended a primary school a few weeks at Rusk, and one
of the same grade for a short time in Galveston. In the
academy there was no system of grades, each student
was given the studies for which he was prepared and his
progress was determined by his ability and application.
On entering the academy Addison parted company with
childhood. He found himself classed with young men.
The few years in the past were all the child life that was
allowed to him. He ranked with the young men in the
class room and on the athletic field; he led in the ball
game, in swimming, rowing, riding, and in hunting,
where he used a rifle and shot for game, not for sport.
The completion of a course in the academy was the
end of the school career for most of the young men of
that day in Texas. Some would go from the school to
some lawyer's office; some, to read medicine with the
town doctor, and these would soon be among the profes
sional men; while a few would find their way to college
in the East. Addison had set no limit for himself in the
20

His Early Education 21
matter of getting an education. There was to be no
graduating time, no commencement occasion. He stud
ied to know truth and he was not limited to any nar
row field. He was not ambitious for a place in the world,
with pay and world honors. He had learned that life
is service, and that the world's need is for prepared men,
and that to be ready would insure a call to the highest
service. He had one year in the academy at Palestine, and
vsdthin the following two years he had three teachers in
different communities. These men were qualified to teach
the high school course, but there was little in it that he
needed to study. Father was kept on the hunt for a
competent teacher. In 1857, Mr. Hocker, from Lexing
ton, Ky., took charge of the academy at Tennessee Col
ony in Anderson County. In him he found the teacher,
that for the time, he was hunting. With Mr. Hocker,
Addison had one year of profitable work. In 1858, Mr.
Averett, a Baptist preacher and teacher, took charge of
the Tennessee Colony school. In him, Addison found a
man worthy the title, Teacher — ^he measured up to his
ideal. He had a teacher's library, such as was not often
found in this country at that time. This, of itself, was
a college to a boy whose desires and habits were such
as his.
Mr. Averett had been president of a college in the
East, a position for which he was much better qualified
than he was for teaching a multitude of children of all
ages and classes. To Addison, he was a university; he
gave the boy a vision of a universe of science of which
God was the center. In mathematics the philosopher

22 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
saw the law that governs the worlds, and, in teaching it,
he seemed to think the thoughts that God thought when
he set the worlds in motion, and arranged the forces to
govern them. In the classics, he communed with the
poets and orators, and to him it was better than the rich
est strains of music to hear a boy scan Homer, Horace
and Virgil. He held in contempt teachers who dug out
words and chopped up sentences trying to put Latin and
Greek into English. This eager boy was with Mr. Aver
ett two years — two memorable years that counted for
much in all his after life.
The school went to pieces. The people wanted a
teacher for their children, not a philosopher for a few
select students. The next teacher was a graduate re
cently from an eastern college, and brought a letter of en
dorsement from the college president. This man adver
tised to teach a limited number of boys and young men.
Addison eagerly embraced this opportunity, but soon
discovered that the teacher was not master of the sub
jects he wished to study; that like other graduates he
had met, his education, except in a narrow course, was
limited. This experience caused him to place little value
on diplomas and to have light respect for degrees. All
through his career as a teacher he placed little empha
sis on credits that led to graduating, but strenuously
emphasized thoroughness in search for knowledge that
built life. The freedom that came from knowing truth
was his constant aim.

CHAPTER IV
THE CIVIL WAR
In 1860 the storm that had been brewing in the politi
cal horizon gave evidence of near approach. The people
had been made to think of war till they were willing for
it to come. Secession was the subject for orators, de
baters and political wranglers. There were three classes
in Texas in favor of secession. The slave holder on the
cotton and sugar plantations, from pecuniary interest;
the old Texan, with an almost sacred reverence for the
Lone Star, and with the memories of the struggles and
hardships endured in establishing the Republic of Texas,
thought the way out of the political broil was to resume
its status as an independent republic; the third party
was made up of those tenacious of the doctrine of states'
rights, who feared the tendency toward centralized
power, many of whom opposed slavery, but thought it
a matter to be settled by each state. Two classes op
posed secession. One claimed the states had the right
under the constitution, as New England had always con
tended, to withdraw* from the Union, but thought it bet
ter policy to surrender the right than to disrupt the
Union. These were mostly from the middle southern
states, and held the doctrine of Henry Clay and the old
Whig party. Another party was for the Union without
regard to sentiment, pecuniary interest, or political
rights. The northern border counties gave a large majority
23

24 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
against secession, but the state went for secession by an
overwhelming majority. The state was out of the Union
with all these conflicting sentiments, and a grave feeling
of uncertainty as to what would be the result swept over
all. The purpose of forming a Southern Confederacy
had not fully taken possession of the people. Some "pa
tient waiting" and wise counsel might have spared the
Union without the horrors of war. Lincoln's call for
volunteers to invade the South instantly welded the fac
tions, all differences were forgotten, every man and boy
was ready to volunteer to meet an invading army.
Addison had been taught from childhood that Chris
tians should not go to war. On the mother's side the
. family history was a record of a people who had suffered
affliction for righteousness' sake. When the father be
came a Christian he accepted the teaching of Christ on
all relations of life. He was a Mason, but did not af-
flliate with the order after becoming a Christian. As
institutions of the world, for people who did not accept
Christianity, fraternal orders, charitable institutions,
might be all right ; he had nothing to say against them,'
but Christ taught universal charity, the Church was in
tended to meet every want of the human family. This
could be done only by the working together of all the
members, and doing all things in the name of Christ. In
polities, he had decided convictions and knew the issues
in the present crisis better than most of the politicians,
but he made no speeches, attended no political meetings.
He taught that Christians should not go to war. Such
a doctrine was contrary to all his early teaching and
training. No small effort was necessary for him to ad-

The Civil War 25
here to the teaching. It was easier to preach non-resist
ance than to practice it in the face of an invading army.
Addison kept his own counsel, did not discuss the war
problems. In writing to a friend who was elated over
the prospects of military glory, he said, "It is a good
time to be calm, and take one's reckoning. The people
will soon know who are the unsafe advisers. Some
Washington may arise and lead the people to safety, but
just now the political fools are in appearance." He
was slow to prophesy of the future. He made up his
mind as to his individual duty and advised with no one.
He was impelled by no ambition for place or for glory,
had no personal or sectional hate to gratify. He vol
unteered among the first that went to the front. The
captain and first lieutenant of the company in which he
enlisted were elders in a Christian church, the orderly
sergeant was the senior deacon in the same church, and
the preacher for the church had gone as chaplain in a
regiment whose colonel was a son of Campbell's co-la
borer, Barton W. Stone. Many of the boys and young
men of the company were members of the same congre
gation. There were young men in the company who had
recently come to Texas from the North, and whose rel
atives were in the North. They settled no doctrine of
state's rights, and were opposed to slavery. The South
was their home, it was invaded, they answered the call
to defense.
In the knapsack that held his outfit of clothing he
placed a small Bible, a pocket edition of Byron, and
a translation of a French work on higher mathematics.
After many a weary inarch, or anxious watch on

26 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
picket line, the soldier's camp fire became the scholar's
study. He took his place in the ranks, aspired to no of
fice, sought no easy task, was ready for every call of
duty. He was soon asked to take office of orderly ser
geant of the company, and in a short time was given a
commission as lieutenant. He accepted cheerfully all
dangers and hardships that came in the line of duty,
avoiding easy places, even to the extent of declining an
appointment to a position of light service out of the
danger on the firing line. On occasions he was given
command over men his senior in years and rank. He
accepted the honor with a modest self-forgetfulness,
and when the occasion passed took his place with his
own company. These stoical qualities that gave poise
when all was excitement, and prevented passing im
mature judgment in time of crisis, became more firmly
fixed by the experiences of the war.
The early part of 1865 was a period of wearing sus
pense in the army west of the Mississippi. The Fed
eral forces had been withdrawn and all efforts were
being concentrated on crushing Lee and Johnson. A
heavy patrol of gun-boats prevented any movement of
the Army of the West to reenforce the armies east of
the Mississippi. News from the east filtered through
slowly. The account of Lee's surrender, then of John
son's capitulation, the assassination of Lincoln, the
capture and imprisonment of Davis, caused such revul
sion of feeling that men almost stopped thinking; all
things seemed unreal; it was the hush, the daze after
the storm, before the mind can realize what has hap
pened.

The Civil War 27
The Confederacy had collapsed — ^was no more than
a memory; titles and ranks were no more than phan
toms of authority. Without the form of surrender the
Army of the West went to pieces, disbanded, melted
away. Amid the chaos and confusion Addision was of
few who were seemingly not disturbed. In Lee's sur
render he realized the inevitable. There was no time
to mourn when the country was calling for men to re
build a wasted land, to reconstruct a shattered govern
ment. Four years of the hardship of war had trans
formed this army of boys into men trained to duty's
call. With the consciousness of duty done, with fame
untarnished by a single act of vandalism, they answered
the call to higher service.
On May 22, 1865, we shouldered our knapsacks, leav
ing much of our soldier equipment behind, and began
the long tramp homeward. At the beginning of the
war the family were living in Grayson County. Ref
ugees from the war-ridden sections found the border
counties in Texas the nearest safe retreat; partisan
bands who belonged to neither army used this territory
as their base of supplies; the nondescript, that is in
such evidence at disastrous fires, was there. These kept
the country in such a state of unrest that father sought
a more quiet retreat. He found the ideal spot where
the counties of Hill, Johnson, and Ellis join. Here he
bought a cow-man's home. It was a rich tract of black
land with a rude ranch house near a small stream,
fringed with scattering trees. Looking south from his
door one could see an unbroken expanse of rich prairie
covered with waving grass. For sixteen miles this

28 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
stockman's paradise was not marred by a single mark
of civilization. Thousands of cattle, horses and wild
animals roamed unmolested. During the war the stock
were undisturbed by the annual "round up." The
vesper and reveille were rendered by prowling packs
of wolves with an occasional accompaniment by a lone
panther. But these were more pleasant than the dis
cordant notes of war.
It was to this home we came. For days and
far into the nights, we had walked, coming "nearer
to our home." In the afternoon of a beautiful spring
day, through the green grass and wild flowers, we came
to an eminence overlooking a beautiful valley, through
which ran a sparkling stream. Beyond this, in a cosy
nook of the valley, nestled an humble ranch house;
cattle were lazily browsing on the green ; smoke curling
from the kitchen chimney, told where the mother was
preparing food for any tired ones who might pass that
way — ^while, with every heart-beat, ascended a prayer
that her boys might be the next. A little girl sat on
the fence intently watching the soldier boys homeward
bound, hoping to find her brothers among them.
Here, and only this once in all his life, I saw Addison
overcome with emotion. He halted a moment at seeing
this picture of perfect peace — this wonderful contrast to
the scene of war — and raising his hands to give a shout
of joy, he could find no words to express his thanks.
Silent tears coursing down the weather-beaten cheeks
said more than words could have spoken. We hurried
on; the little blue-eyed Mary at the gate could not, in
these tattered, war-worn men, recognize her brothers,
but the mother was near; she knew her boys, and this
was home !

CHAPTER V
TEACHER AND STUDENT
There was no time for lingering with the past; life
must be begun anew. There were opportunities for
young men in various fields of labor, there were tempta
tions for gain in lawful and unlawful ways.. The need
was for men to give unselfish service in rebuilding on bet
ter foundations, aU the business of the country. Those
who had been in the front rank in the war must take the
lead in bringing peace and good will to the country.
The spring and summer of 1865 Addison gave to help
ing move the family to a more thickly settled community,
and to helping put home in order; then, with the assist
ance of a few neighbors, he built a small log school-
house. Here he taught a few children and some ex-sol
dier boys, till the fall of 1866. He then formed a part
nership with another teacher, an ex-Confederate officer,
and taught in a near-by town till the summer of 1867.
He had not yet made out a program for his life work.
One thing was settled, it must be a life full of service.
He said no one could save himself who did not labor to
save others. How to make a living was a matter of small
concern — the Master whom he served had promised the
laborer his hire.
To the young man intellectually equipped, various
avenues to wealth and to fame were open. Friends urged
him to enter the law and take the lead in politics. Men
of distinction in the law and in public life offered a wel-
29

30 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
come into their fellowship, while some flattering offers
of partnership in established businesses were offered;
ways were open for the best positions. He declined these
tempting offers, and set to work to thoroughly prepare
himself for service where there was the greatest need.
He found a companion and helper in the person of
Charles Carlton, Mr, Carlton was a native of England,
and his early training had been in the school of adversity,
where those who survive are fit for hard work. He grad
uated from Bethany College with the men who made the
institution famous, and was teaching in Springfield, Mo.,
when the Civil War made this place the center of the
territory torn by warring factions. He moved to Texas,
expecting to return to Springfield when conditions would
allow him to resume teaching.
Men of his kind are in demand wherever they hap
pen to be placed, and he seized every opportunity to
be about his Master's work. No sooner had he found
shelter in Texas than he began to teach every day,
including the Sundays. At the close of the war, while
waiting for peace to be restored in Missouri, he se
cured a building in the village of Kentuckytown and
began teaching. The school was crowded from the
first day. Many had been deprived of the opportuni
ties of going to school through the years of war, and
lost no time in taking advantage of this privilege.
After the second year, he decided to remain in Texas.
The citizens of Bonham offered him a suitable build
ing and equipment and he moved and settled perma
nently in their midst.
The schools at Kentuckytown, and for some years

Teacher and Student 31
at Bonham, were not like anything known in modern
times, except possibly those conducted in the South
under similar conditions. The teacher was the school;
students came from far and near, many of them
boys in years, who had developed into men by the
hardships of war. The school was to them the oppor
tunity for making up for the four years which had been
cut out of their lives just when they should have been
getting an education. Life's work was calling, urging
them; they must be ready to answer.
In the school's program, there was no time for idling.
The early hour for assembling was given to Bible study
and devotion ; from this, the students went strengthened
and in the right frame of mind for the day's work. Each
student selected the studies he especially needed, finished
these and pushed on to others. While the teacher held
some in classes, others would be scattered in groups, un
der trees or in the sunshine, aU intent on some task and
needing the teacher only when they met some obstacle in
the path of progress. Mr. Carlton's personal presence
and his daily life before the students were a source of
inspiration. Association with such a leader was an edu
cation to a young man who wanted to fill a man's place
in the world,
Addison joined Mr. Carlton at Kentuckytown in Sep
tember, 1867, From boyhood Addison had been rigidly
systematic, and now his program called for every mo
ment of the twenty-four hours. There was but little in
mathematics in which the teacher could give him help,
and in a short time he had finished the course that Mr.
Carlton had to offer in the classics. He did not accept

32 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
this as the end, but, having the instincts of a student,
no prescribed course could mark his limit. He and an
other young man of like purpose procured works on
higher mathematics and forged on alone — pioneers in the
wilderness, they blazed their own way. In studying He
brew, he had neither teacher nor companion. He rea
soned that as scholars without aid had mastered the
language and had left the fruits of their labors to guide
others ; that anyone should be able with these to learn
it. At this time he began teaching with Mr. Carlton, and
rearranged his program to adjust the teaching to his hours
of study. Every hour had its assigned work, study or
rest. Only one short period, from seven to ten o'clock,
Friday evening, was given to social recreation. There
was in the Carlton home a young lady of bright intellect,
pure heart and modest mien, Miss Sallie McQuigg, Mrs.
Carlton's niece. She filled his measure of Christian
womanhood. He gave the social hour to her companion
ship. This was a liberal contribution for him to make
to social life. It became the habit of his life to give this
hour to social enjoyment. In after years, when the wel
fare of hundreds of young people was on his mind and
heart, the Friday evening, and with it a visit to father
and mother, would bring the surcease of toil and care.

CHAPTER VI
EARLY DAYS IN FT. WORTH
Addison Clark and Sallie McQuigg were married Jan
uary, 1869, on Sunday, in the chapel of the academy,
in the presence of a throng of people, President Chas.
Carlton officiating. Immediately after the ceremony
his wife took her place in the audience and he went to
the pulpit and preached the sermon of the occasion. This
was characteristic of the man in obeying orders. He
went to the pulpit as he had gone to battle, in answer to
the call of duty.
From this union were born eight children, all brilliant
of intellect. Two died in early childhood and one in
young manhood. One is professor of history in the Uni
versity of Oregon. The youngest son's career was cut
short by failing health just before graduation, and he
is compelled to live an outdoor life, and is now a very
busy man in California. The three daughters are home
builders, one in Arkansas, one in Texas and one in Cali
fornia. Teaching the things that make for life, training the
youth for service, was to be his calling. Where to begin
for permanent work was the first question to be settled.
There was no lack of places and material to work with;
it was not of first importance to find the place that of
fered the best inducements for the present, but the place
that would be the best for all time. Citizens of Ft.
Worth invited him to locate there. Being on the border
33

34 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
of the undeveloped West and the rich agricultural lands
of the East, with an enterprising citizenship. Ft. Worth
seemed to fill aU the requirements. For healthfulness
and beauty of location, the village on the bluff of Clear
Fork was unsurpassed. Unmarred by the hand of man,
the fertile valleys, the billowy sea of prairie, dotted with
islands of live oak, the somber cross-timbers forming a
background to the picture, — ^these created a scene never
to be forgotten. Looking back over a half century one
can realize something of the feelings of the red man as
he saw himself despoiled of his loved hunting ground by
the irresistible march of the white man.
The only public buildings in the village of Ft. Worth
were the unfinished walls of what was intended to be a
court house, a two-story brick building, the upper story
of which was used for a Masonic haU, and the lower
story for the general purpose of church and school; and
a small brick building that served for a jail and sheriff's
office. During the war the Masonic building had been
but little used and the lower story had been taken pos
session of by vagrant stock as shelter from storms. K.
M. Van Zandt, Dr. Peak, Judge Milwee and Milton Rob
ertson formed themselves into a general welfare commit
tee, appointed themselves trustees of the building and
employed a man with ox teams to haul flour to East
Texas and exchange it for lumber. He brought back
material to put the lower story of the Masonic building
in condition for use, putting in doors, floor, window sash,
benches and desks. They employed Oapt. Hanna, a
stranded ex-Confederate, to teach the school. Capt.
Hanna was a lawyer, and, like most of the honorable men

Early Days in Ft. Worth 35
of that profession in those troublous times, had time
to do something else while waiting for conditions to
change. At the close of the school he resumed the prac
tice of law and Col. Peter Smith, of the law firm of
Hendricks & Smith, was induced to take the school, while
the trustees were on the hunt for a permanent teacher.
Col. Smith was a graduate of Bethany College and other
wise well fitted for teaching, Addison joined Col. Smith
in teaching in January, 1869. They finished that session
together and Addison was to continue the school in that
building and published his plans to begin the next ses
sion in September.
In the meantime there were rumors that the sleeping
spirit of sectarianism was coming to life. It was said
that a preacher should not have the school, most espe
cially a preacher of his particular faith. A few brethren
advised that he give up preaching while engaged in
teaching. In his program, teaching the Bible held the
most important place, and there was no provision for it
to be eliminated. There was a hurried getting together
of the members of the lodge, present, past and prospec
tive members. A resolution passed that the lower story
of the house belonged to the Masons, and that a Masonic
school would be taught there, beginning the first week in
the next September, which was the date Addison has an
nounced for his school to begin. No protest was made
to this action. There was an old concrete building in
town that, at one time, had been used for a church, but
had not been used for some time for any purpose, and
was badly out of repair. This was made ready and the
school began on time. The enterprise prospered and

36 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
everything looked promising for establishing a perma
nent school. But these were the troublous times of the
Reconstruction and the state was under military govern
ment. A free school system with compulsory attend
ance had been created. There were state, district and
county superintendents, all appointed by the military
authorities, as were also the teachers, who were required
to take the oath of loyalty to the government, which
meant loyalty to the ruling party. This was known
as "the iron-clad oath" that was administered to all of
ficials who were suspected of having been in sympathy
with the South in the war. This was the process of re
constructing the "rebels." Teachers and officials were
paid high salaries, for there was no limit to the power to
collect taxes. The patrons could send to private schools
and be exempt from fine for non-attendance upon public
schools, provided the teachers of such schools had cer
tificates and authority to teach from the state school
board. The way was open to large salary and official po
sition by joining the party and becoming a part of the
political machine; but Addison could not adjust himself
to those conditions. He secured a certificate from the
state examiner. This he took to the county board and
got permission to teach in Tarrant County. A descrip
tion of this board need not be preserved as a part of the
history of the county. The system was an episode in the
life of the state and passed out when President Grant
said: "Let us have peace," and withdrew the military
and turned the state government over to the people. The
citizens of the town generously supported the private
school and paid their taxes to maintain the military sys-

Early Bays in Ft. Worth 37
tern, until the civil government was restored to the peo
ple. The building the school now occupied had been
erected several years before by private subscription.
Now that there was no political disturbance, the religious
prejudice began to revive. Some who claimed to have
contributed to the building began to agitate opposition
to the school and tried to get control of the house. All
controversy was stopped by the members of the church
deciding to build a church house, and use it for a school
building. A one-story brick building was erected on the
block now occupied by the Ft. Worth National Bank.
On the same block was put up a twenty-four by thirty-
six box house, and these two buildings served the pur
poses of the school while it remained in Ft. Worth.
There had come into Addison's home a child, a deli
cate boy with beauty of body and mind — ^the pride and
joy of all the family. As he was passiag out of his third
year he was taken with diphtheria. Medical science was
not advanced then as now ; the doctors were powerless to
control the disease; the little fellow battled bravely for
Ufe, lingered a few days and passed out. At times it
seems that the veil that hides the other world is drawn
aside before a loved one leaves this ; in the last moments
of this little boy's suffering he asked his father to sing
Happy-Land. This request and his actions during the
last moments of suffering seemed to indicate a vision of
the world into which he was passing. A marble slab in the
Pioneer Cemetery at Ft. Worth, inscribed "AddRan,"
marks the resting place of the body of him for whom the
name was coined. During the child's sickness, his father

38 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
taught his usual classes, watched with him at night, was
with him when he passed on, and then stoically turned
to his daily duties. He was the same soldier, who in bat
tle caught a fatally wounded comrade in his arms, gen
tly laid him down, and was at once again in the front
of the battle.
Father had secured a plot of ground in the east sub
urb of the town, on which it was designed in the near fu
ture to erect an academy building. This was near the
territory that afterward acquired the significant title
"The Half Acre." Addison had already built a resi
dence on a block near this place. A change, almost as
sudden as the change in Texas weather, came over the
quiet village. I give a paragraph here from "Early
Days in Ft, Worth, " by B. B, Paddock, which accurately
describes the hurrying events that brought this change.
"Ft, Worth came into prominence in the year 1872,
when Col, Thomas A, Scott, who had come into the own
ership and control of the Texas and Pacific Railway, in
company with Col, John W, Forney, the editor and pro
prietor of 'The Chronicle,' of Philadelphia, made a trip
across Texas for the purpose of selecting a route for this
road across the state. Col. Forney wrote voluminous let
ters to his paper describing what he saw and how he was
impressed with the resources of the state. He after
wards wrote a pamphlet entitled: 'What I saw in Texas.'
In these letters and in the pamphlet he had much to say
about Ft. Worth. In fact, he gave it more space than
any other point in the state, and predicted for it a bril
liant future. He did not hesitate to predict that it would
be the most prominent place in the northern part of the

Early Days in Ft. Worth 39
state. It being generally known that he was a guest of
Col. Scott, on the trip, it was quite natural that his
readers should reach the conclusion that he reflected the
opinion of the president of the railway company,
"A secondary purpos,e of the trip across Texas and
the presence of Mr. Forney, one among the foremost edi
torial writers of the day, was to educate the public and
to influence it in favor of a grant, or subsidy, from the
general government in the construction of the road, such
as had been granted to the Union Pacific road. A bill
was then pending in Congress for this purpose. For
ney's paper, as weU as others in the East, set forth with
great emphasis that this line would be of greater benefit
to the nation than the more northern route, inasmuch
as it was in a more southerly latitude and would be
open for traffic every day in the year, and would not be
snow-bound as it was contended the more northern
would be at certain seasons of the year.
"Col. Scott commenced the active work of construc
tion westward from Marshall and Jefferson immediately
on his return from the Pacific slope, and prosecuted it
with all possible energy. H* had associated with him
Gen. Grenville M. Dodge, who was chief engineer of the
Union Pacific, and Mr. Frank S. Bond, who was the fi
nancial director of the same road. In the summer of
1873, Scott went to Europe on this mission. It was re
ported on what was regarded as reliable sources, that
he had interested English capital in the enterprise arid
everyone in North Texas was rejoicing in his success."
Ft. Worth was the much talked of place on the pros
pective line; it was the coming city of the great South-

40 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
west. It was on the great cattle trail from Texas to
Kansas. There had been but little market for range
cattle since the beginning of the war, and the prairies
west and southwest from Ft. Worth to the Rio Grande
were an almost limitless cattle range. The longhoms
roamed over the hills and valleys by the thousands. Ft.
Worth soon became a gathering place for dans of all
sorts. A market was opened in the western com states,
and the overland trail to Kansas soon became a turbid
stream of animal life. Ft. Worth was a supply station;
here the "grub-wagon" was replenished for the long
drive to Red "River and through the Indian Territory to
Kansas. Here the buyers from the North met the cat
tlemen from the range. Prospectors and adventurers,
the genuine cowboys in charge of the herds and the noisy
imitation, the tough vagabond and the professional
gambler, the latier passing at times for a missionary or a
singing master, seemed ever present. Money circulated
freely ; there was no law against carrying deadly weap
ons. Business was transacted in the open; and each
man carried his own burglar insurance. There was one
class, however, which was strictly for business and idled
away no time. Many of these had been schooled during
the war in partisan warfare; they had belonged to
neither army and had fought for revenge or for booty.
When the war was over, they "went on the road." Their
ranks had occasionally been recruited by boys who had
not been in the army, but had imbibed the spirit of war
and the desire for adventure and the glory of killing.
The Sam Bass gang operated in that section. The name
stood for almost any kind of outlawry, and was a talis-

Early Days in Ft. Worth 41
man for almost any band of thieves. They had their
rendezvous in the adjacent thickets of Westfork and
Elm and collected toll from the freighters, passenger
hacks and stages plying between Dallas and Ft, Worth
and west of Ft. Worth,
The quiet prairie town was deluged with a flood of
humanity. Boys, young men and men of families were
caught by this whirlpool of licentiousness and greed of
money getting. It came to be a saying that one trip
over the trail with a herd to Kansas would ruin the or
dinary boy, and that the boy who was strong enough to
stand two trips was forever safe, but he would show the
scarsi. The place selected for a school site was soon surrounded
by human wreckage and debris. The saloon with all its
confederate iniquities, the red light, the dance-hall and
gambling hells, co-operated in making days and nights
hideous. The town boys, the boys from the farms and
ranches, rough, but clean, were dazzled by this glitter of
vice and caught like insects around a street lamp. It
might have been the better part of valor to have re
mained and fought the flames in an effort to prevent the
fire from spreading, but we thought more of saving those
who could be kept out of the burning, and of building a
place to prevent others being caught. One thing was
clear, that was no place to build a school to bring stu
dents from abroad.

CHAPTER VII
THORP SPRING
At the dose of the session of 1873, Addison announced
that the school would be continued the next session at
the same place. Once having decided on a course to
pursue he was slow to change. In arriving at a con
clusion he studied every phase of the conditions, care
fully analyzed every motive, and when he had reached
a decision he could hardly be persuaded to review the
case. He saw that Ft. Worth was no longer the kind of
place he had selected, but he would have to take time
to decide what was best to do. He spent the sum
mer in different parts of the state preaching and, inci
dentally, making known the plans and purposes for
building the school. He was chary of making promises
before he had thoroughly jwoven his work. In his ab
sence, interested parties from Thorp Spring came to
try to induce him to move the school to that place, Mr.
Thorp had large interests there. The school would en
hance the value of property and otherwise benefit the
new country. He had erected what was, at that time,
quite a commodious building. Mr. Thorp did not offer
a bonus to have the school come there, but offered to sell
the building for what it had cost — considering the ad
vantages of location sufficient inducement, Addison was
absent and could not be reached ; this was before the days
of railroads and telegraph lines, I decided to return
with the messenger and look over the situation and ad-
42

Thorp Spring 43
vise for or against the move. The location was more
nearly ideal that I had pictured in my imagination. The
Brazos River, the mountains, the valleys, the matchless,
never-failing Stroud Creek filled the requirements for
student life. The people were not there to furnish the
boys and girls for the school, but the rich valleys and
prairies would invite settlers who would want the school,
and the children from the farms, ranches and cities
would come in numbers. The house was well built of
good material, but had cost what would be a pretty
heavy sum for us to carry. The prospect was good for
the Ft. Worth property to sell for enough to pay for
the building and leave a sum quite sufficient for further
equipment. I see now that I was wholly disqualified to
negotiate such a trade. I saw but one side; I knew that
we had but little school reputation, had only a vision of
what was to be done and a purpose to try to do it. I did
not think we should be justified in asking anyone to
give a place for us to work out our plans ; I did not see
that the financial gain was all on one side, and the in
vestment on the other. If the situation had been re
versed, I would have gladly given the property to have
the school established, I agreed to take the property at
the price, subject to Addison's approval, allowing time
for us to realize from the Ft, Worth property, I re
turned to Ft. Worth and took father to see the property
and to pass judgment on the transaction. He was
pleased with the location and outlook and approved the
trade. I left to father all further business with Mr.
Thorp. He attended to making out the papers and get
ting the title to the property. All the business was to

44 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
be left subject to Addison's approval. When he re
turned I laid the matter before him in detail, I painted
the picture as my imagination saw it. He did not be
come enthusiastic, but showed a mingled feeling of pleas
ure and disappointment. The financial part of the busi
ness gave him little concern; he left that to others, but
he had selected Ft. Worth as the place to do his life's
work and had put three years of his life into it. Part of
his life was planted there. He had taken his stand and
was slow to retreat ; he would have to take the matter un
der advisement. His only advisor was the Master whom
he served. He had advertised to teach another session
at Ft. Worth ; this he would do if he lived, He had his
heart set on the work there ; the powers of evil seemed to
have the vantage ground just then, but he did not like
to give up the fight. After some days of consultation and
serious study he decided to employ assistance and teach
the next session at Ft. Worth, while I should pioneer the
enterprise at Thorp Spring, I went to Thorp Spring in
August, 1873, took charge of the building and advertised
to begin the school on the first Monday in September. I
began on that day and date with thirteen pupils. I did
not know of that being an unlucky number and am not
sure of it yet. I was not surprised at the small attend
ance, for that was about the number in the community
who felt any interest in the school, and we were not ex
pecting boarders. In fact, there was no school; it was
only a purpose formed in the mind, a matter of faith.
It was a vision of things yet in the future. I was there
to open the door of opportunity for any ready to enter.
Thorp Spring had some reputation as a health resort.

Thorp Spring 45
It had been a camping place and council groimd for the
Comanches before the whites took their hunting grounds.
It was a place of rendezvous for frontier soldiers during
the Civil War. Before the sanitarium and scientific sur
gery reached this country, worn out Confederate soldiers
and others with chronic ailments camped at the spring,
drank sulphur water, bathed in the creek, fished, ate
wild meat and got wdl. This kept a goodly number
there through the summer and early fall who had little to
do but hear and tell some new thing. The teacher was
an innovation in their midst. They wondered what the
young man would do in the big house without students
to fill one corner. Some prophesied he would be gone
with the coming winter, others ventured to encourage him
to hold on. To one and all he had the same answer. He
was well pleased with the prospects. He was not the
school, only a forerunner, a voice in the wilderness pre
paring the way. The beginning of the second month
found an increase in numbers; students enrolled from
the four adjoining counties. The session closed in June,
1874, with an enrollment of seventy-five.

CHAPTER VIII
ADDRAN COLLEGE
The first session of the school was but fairly under
way when the awful financial crash of September, 1873,
caused a money panic throughout the business world.
Here I copy again from "Early Days in Ft. Worth" a
description of conditions written by one who was in the
center of the storm and felt its effects: "Col, Scott was
so confident that he had secured the capital to build the
road that he had provided a dinner at which all in Lon
don, who were interested in the enterprise, were to par
ticipate in celebrating his success. While the dinner was
in progress a cablegram was received announcing the
suspension of the house of Jay Cook and Co., the finan
cial house of the general government at this time. It was
this firm who had carried on the negotiations for the
United States during the war, and who had handled and
marketed the bonds issued to support the armies of the
United States in that great contest. This had given it
the widest reputation throughout the world and its fail
ure wrought havoc in financial circles everywhere. Very
naturally it put an end to Scott's negotiations and he re
turned to this country very much dejected, but not at all
dismayed or discouraged.
"It was a hard day for Ft. Worth. The news fell
upon this city like a thunderbolt from a clear sky. From
the highest point of expectancy the people fell to the
lowest depths of despondency. When the road reached
46

AddRan College 47
a point west of its eastern terminal this side of Marshall,
Ft. Worth began to grow. People came to the city from
all points but more numerously from Kansas and Mis
souri. But they came from everywhere, bought proper
ty, built houses, engaged in business. From the fall of
1872 to that of 1873, Ft. Worth grew from a little ham
let of a few hundred to a city of three or four thousand.
Rents were fabulous and business of all kinds was active.
Fortunes were made in real estate and corner lots would
double in value in a night.
"But the first day of September, the day of the sus
pension of Jay Cook and Co., told another story. Values
declined with as much rapidity as they had gone up.
People who had invested their money and paid a part in
cash and gave their notes for the remainder; who had
commenced houses that were never to be finished; who
had ordered and in many instances had received goods
for which there was no market, saw bankruptcy staring
them in the face. Professional men from aU over the coun
try who had left comfortable homes and good business to
come here and begin their fortunes anew, faced inevitable
ruin. The population dwindled as fast as it had grown.
Stores and dwellings were vacated by the score. Busi
ness was at a standstill and gloom and dispondency were
everywhere Adsible. The road to the eastward was filled
with people' who were leaving the town in as large
numbers as a few days previous they had sought it.
"Meanwhile the road to which so many looked with ex
pectancy and hope was nearing Dallas. It was completed
to about Forney, east of Dallas, and the work was con
tinued till the road reached Eagle Ford, six miles west of

48 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
Dallas, when it was discontinued and the forces dis
banded. Eagle Ford, which had sprung up into a town
of a thousand inhabitants, was as quickly depopulated —
the people for the most part moving back to Dallas.
It was the opportunity for that city. Had the panic
broken thirty days later so that it would have been
practicable to have completed the road to Ft. Worth be
fore suspending operations Dallas would have been a
good county seat town instead of a thriving city and
Ft. Worth wotdd now be a city of a quarter million
population." The school had but just opened when we realized the
full force of this financial panic. All our hopes for
means to pay for the school building had been in the
sale of Ft. Worth property. Now that was gone, for the
present, at least. Before conditions could change and
property values recover, the interest on the debt would
become a burden too heavy to be carried. I went to the
man who had been Mr. Thorp's adviser from the first
and who had transacted the school business for him, and
showed him the situation. I proposed that as the school
had just started, and no one would be greatly injured by
its stopping; and that to continue would be to deprive
Mr. Thorp of the use of his property and involve us in a
debt that we could not pay, the trade had better be can
celled and the enterprise abandoned. He would not
consider cancelling the trade but proposed that as this
unexpected financial crisis had brought hardship on
everybody, had paralyzed all business, that while wait
ing for busine&s conditions to become normal, the holders
of the notes against the college building would have to

AddRan College 49
bear part of the burden of the accumulating interest.
This agreement was not put into writing, and I do not
know that Mr. Thorp ever heard of it. I went on with
the school, trusting that all things would come out
right. I learned more of the business ways of the world
as the years went on. At the close of the session in June,
1874, with excellent promise of patronage but with no
better financial prospects, announcements were made for
the future plans of the school.
Addison moved to Thorp Spring in the summer of
1874. The house had been named a college when built
and the school had fallen heir to the title, but Addison
was very rductant to assume the responsibility of mak
ing it a college. He wanted to take no chances of in
creasing the number of "Soonover colleges" that had
paraded a while before the public in Texas. The pur
pose was to make a strong academy in which boys and
girls would be taught how to study, would be given a
purpose in life, and a foundation on which to build
character. He finally consented to obtain a charter for
a college at Thorp Spring with the name AddRan, in
memory of the little boy for whom the name was coined.
This would be an inspiration to labor to make the name
stand for something worthy. Whether it would ever
stand for more than a memory would be determined by
the work done in the school. In every published cata
logue he promised less than he expected to do. He would
not consent to its being called a Christian college; if it
became Christian it would be made so by Christian
teachers and would be known by its fruit. He said to
call the school Christian in contradistinction to other

50 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
church schools in the state was to denominationalize the
name. With chartered rights and privileges of a college came
weighty obligations. It must be a college in fact. With
no endowment, with but little local patronage and, as
yet, no reputation, it would take all the means we had,
together with the tuition fees, to maintain a college
faculty, not considering other expenses. It was faith
and not sight that gave the courage to press forward.
He had never wanted a ready made position, and en
joyed overcoming difficulties and making a place for him
self. The ship was launched, his hand was at the helm,
the prow to an unknown sea, the voyage must be made.
The session of 1874-1875 opened auspiciously. Stu
dents came from the Southwest as far as Bexar and
Uvalde counties ; along the black-land bdt from Houston
to Red River; from Bast Texas, North Texas, and from
the great cattle ranges of the West. After the railroad
reached Ft. Worth that point was the nearest railroad
station. From here the stage and private hacks
furnished transportation to the college. Many students
came in wagons and hacks distances ranging from a day's
travel to more than a hundred miles. Even after the
railroads reached Weatherford and Granbury, many still
came by private conveyance. At the beginning and close
of each session the caravans gave the village the appear
ance of a busy market town. These all found free hos
telry; there was one big barnyard shaded by a grove of
stately live oak trees that furnished food and shelter for
the teams of all who came. In the home was a cheerful
woman, one of the elect, whose cruse of oil and measure

AddRan College 51
of meal never grew less. Under all circumstances there
was a glad welcome to every tired traveler. By some
kind of magic there were rest and refreshments for all
comers at any hour of day or night. The children grew
up, accepting it as their mission in the world to minister
to others, and found their pleasure in this service.
Before the close of the session in June, 1877, it was
evident that the debt against the building must be
settled. By unwaveriiig courage and continuous toil of a
few who had never lost faith in the future of Ft. Worth,
the railroad had been finished to that town, and several
other roads were moving in that direction. There was
some appearance of returning life, but business was
cautious. There was a reasonable prospect that in the
near future our property there would more than pay
the debt, even with the accumulated interest. By one un
acquainted with the expense of maintaining a college and
the losses in tuition, it could be figured out that the
present large patronage could be made to meet ex
penses and allow a sum to pay the debt. It seemed to
such that it would be good business to own the building,
employ just enough teachers to manage the school, and
thus realize a profit. It had not occurred to them that a
rock house and a pleasant location would not of them
selves make a college. The parties chosen to settle the
business were not very careful each to please the other;
not much effort was made to harmonize and settle to the
interest of all. Mr. Thorp decided he had rather have
the school building than to take the chances of the Ft.
Worth property's pajong for it. His proposition was
accepted; the deeds were cancelled and the notes re-

52 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
turned. The school was to pay rent at the rate of fifty
dollars per month to the close of that session. At that
time unless other arrangements could be made the school
would be without shelter.
The school now had a reputation of money value
if it was desired so to use it. Citizens of Gran
bury offered to build such a house as we would
designate and give Addison a residence, to have
the school move only three miles. Other places offered
buildings, some offered lands of a value that would have
insured the erection of buildings and a foundation for an
endowment. But against all these tempting offers was
Addison's word that he had settled at that place perma
nently. On that assurance several persons had moved
there, bought property and made homes. Unless he could
remunerate them for all losses he would remain; besides,
he had no intention of adding this to the number of
failures. He announced that the session of 1877-1878
would open on time at Thorp Spring. AddRan college
would remain and must have a shelter. Besides an ex
pensive building it would cost a goodly sum to procure
a suitable site on which to build. A plot of 6l^ acres
was secured at a cost of $650.00. Addison gave little
attention to this phase of the enterprise. Father at
tended to the details of making contracts with workmen,
paying for material and superintending the construction.
The task of getting the money fell to one poorly qualified
for such work. I had an architect make a draft of the
building that we would try to erect. Father made a
contract for the stone walls, agreeing to pay for each
story as finished. The money for the first payment was

AddRan College 53
obtained by the sale of Addison's home and my home in
Ft. Worth. These were sold at a price just equal to a
year's rent on them in 1873. Another sale was of 320
acres of land belonging to my wife. This land is in
Collin county, and the location tells its value, but not
what was received for it. Another was wife's childhood
home in Bonham, — ^improvement and five acres of land
within two blocks of the courthouse square. I do not
look back on these transactions with any feelingsi of
pride or assurance of having acted wisely. The only
palliation is the purpose for which the sacrifice was made.
What these sales lacked of furnishing the means was
raised by sale of scholarships covering tuition and board
for four years. This entailed a heavy burden. To pay
tuition and feed boys when the money for these things
was in stone walls was more than a hardship — some
body had to suffer. It is often the case that men get
credit and their praises are sounded for doing things
when the reward and the praise was due to the silent
partner who toiled in the home. In that Great Day who
will hear the Master say, "Well done?"
Temporary buildings were prepared for the beginning
of the session of 1877-8, and by the end of the first term
the new building was ready. The ship had weathered
one storm, but there was rough sailing on the high seas.
The school had made some reputation for thorough
work and high moral standard. Emphasis was placed
on doing well every task undertaken and on clean living.
This character was sustained by the co-operation of a
loyal faculty who stood by the president in his every

54 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
purpose. The faculty meetings, which were held one
evening every week, were marked by a seriousness and
gravity bespeaking the earnest solicitude of the entire
corps for each student.
Second only to the president in maintaining the high
standard in work and conduct, was one of the youngest
members of the faculty, John Enoch Jarrott. He was
rigid in discipline, but never harsh or unsympathetic. It
was in a very extreme case that he would consent for one
to be expelled. After a young man had fallen by the
way several times, and the faculty had given up hope of
saving him and decided he must go, Mr. Jarrott took him
to his room, made a companion of him and saved him.
He was a leader and the students followed. He came to
the school just as he was coming into his full manhood,
and at the time of the school's greatest need, when its
plans and policies were being formed. He lived for and
with the students, in his devotion to their welfare he
sacrificed his life. After a night spent watching by the
bedside of a boy dying with typhoid fever he went to his
own deathbed, and as we bore his body to the grave we
walked lower down into the valley of shadows than ever
before. His standard of integrity and high moral pur
pose continued with teachers and students. After a
half century of learning men and their motives, I think
I have never known one who more nearly filled the meas
ure of the real teacher.
The school was very fortunate in having, in the person
of the youngest member of the faculty, the versatile T.
M. Clark, ("Mr. Tommie") who was ready for every
emergency; if it was to head the Department of Music,

AddRan College 55
Language, Mathematics, Public Speaking or Physical
Culture. He added much to mollify the strenuous life
of the college by his readiness always to see the beauti
ful and to mingle the social element in all the hard
work of the college. He made distiact and definite con
tributions to the curriculum, the policies, the ideals and
life of the school; and individual lives were ennobled
and the institution's usefulness largely increased by
his untiring zeal and labors.
As the world estimates pay for the work done these
teachers received little compensation for their labors.
Sessions passed in which the janitor received more money
than the president of the college. The soldier in time of
battle cannot reflect on the surroundings nor take ac
count of personal dangers; he thinks only of the cause
that is calling for the best that he can give and of the
hope of success.
The welfare of the students was always the flrst con
sideration. The prohibition of all intoxicants and of
tobacco early became a fixed policy of the school. No
question was ever asked as to the possibility of enforcing
a regulation, when it was decided that it was right and
to the interest of the students.
The President thought that aU things right could be
done by the help of the Power that guided him. He
adopted the plan of teaching six days in the week, decid
ing that every day should have its apportionment of
work, rest and recreation. Christmas was properly ob
served, but little time was lost in holidays. Vacations
were taken as they were needed. When the long winter
of hard work was passed, and the green prairies and

56 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
trout brooks began to call, the President would appear
in chapel and say: "I am going to take a three days'
trip to Paluxey. All who want to walk the 18 miles with
me, be ready at a certain hour. A wagon will follow to
carry camp equipment and to pick up the stragglers and
those who fall by the way."
Addison believed that punishment should follow wrong
doing as a natural result. One typical illustration will
suffice. When on an outing to Comanche Peak, eight
miles away, some students in a freak of malicious mis
chief, tried their skill by throwing rocks at a woman's
wash pot — to its utter ruin. When the boys returned
to the college he wrote a receipt in full for the wash pot,
and had them retrace their steps, pay for the pot, get
the receipt signed, and return with it to him.
The following from an address by James H. Kirkland
of Vanderbilt University on: WHAT IT IS TO BE A
COLLEGE PRESIDENT, speaks Addison's sentiments
and his rule of action as perfectly as if these were his
words. "To labor constantly for the world with no
thought of self, to find indifference and opposition where
you ought to have active assistance, to meet criticism with
patience and the open attacks of ignorance without re
sentment, to plead with others for their own good, to fol
low sleepless nights with days of incessant toil, to strive
continually without ever attaining — this it is to be a col
lege president. But this is only half the truth. To be as
sociated with ambitious youth and high-minded men, to
live in an atmosphere charged with the thoughts of the
world's greatest thinkers, to dream of a golden age not
in the past but in the future, to have the exalted privilege

AddRan College 57
of striving to make that dream a reality, to build up
great kingdoms of material conquest, and make daily
life richer and fuller, to spiritualize wealth and convert
it into weal, to enrich personal character and elevate
all human relationships, to leave the impress of one's
life on a great and immortal institution— this is to be a
college president."
The college was now recognized and its reputation
had a money value. Prosperous towns and prospective
cities made splendid offers of grounds, buildings and
equipments to have the college move to one of these
places. A large body of land could have been secured
which would have enabled us to erect and equip the col
lege building, and left the larger part of the land for a
future endowment fund. The proprietors were again
forced to a decision. If the college was to continue be
yond the lives of the present workers it must have an en
dowment. These might toil on till worn out and others
might not be found to take their places. It was de
cided to give the property to a board of trustees for the
Church. This was thought to be the surest and quickest
way to get the college endowed and firmly established,
and there was no need of a better location. The title to
the property was held by J. A. Clark, A. Clark and R.
Clark. An inventory was taken of the building and fur
nishings and appraised at $43,000. This was considered a
cash value at that time, but only a small per cent, of
what it had cost. There were two valuable tracts of
land, not appraised, included in the gift. One of these
was 640 acres in West Texas, the other 160 acres in
Kaufman County. There was $5,000 indebtedness; this

58 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
the Kaufman County land would have paid in a short
time and left a surplus.
All assets, visible and invisible, were a free gift to the
cause of Christian education. Father had not given
money to the building of the college, but he had given
his time and labor while the house was being erected
and for years afterward without any compensation. A.
& R. Clark paid him, as I now remember, $2,000, and he
joined in making the deed to the trustees. The charter
was altered and the name changed to AddRan Christian
University. We did not agree to the change in the
name. We thought it not wise to denominationalize the
name Christian by using it to distinguish the school
from other church schools, and to call it a University
carried the implication of a change ia rank.
The enrollment the year the transfer was made was
four hundred and twenty-six, representing eighty-two
counties of Texas and six other states.
When the school was private property all bids for its
removal were refused. Now that a board of trustees were
in control it was for them to decide on the future of
the school. A proposition came from Waco to move the
college to that place. Addison was fixed in his judg
ment as to location, besides to move would cost the loss
of his home ; but he would not let personal interest inter
fere with the prosperity of the school. The trustees were
business men. If it was their judgment that a move to
a business center was necessary for the success of the
school, he would not be in the way.
He preferred they would take the school and leave
him, but he was the. school and must go. Few ever

AddRan College 59
knew what it cost him. He said to me ; " I would rather
work here the rest of my life, die and be buried in these
hills, than go anywhere, or have anything, any city
can give." He went as if going from the grave of Add
Ran, but as he had gone to every battle of life, cheer
fully answering the call of duty. After the move to the
city, it became evident that a change in the methods
of controlling the students, and somewhat in the policy
of the institution, was desired. It was thought that the
rigid discipline and supervision of the president partook
too much of paternalism; that it was not university
method ; that this would do for a country school, but was
not becoming a university. Addison took no offense at
this. In mapping out his life work he had followed no
coUege or university precedents. His purpose was to
train for character, to lay the foundation on which to
build life. He had decided on a course of action and
could not conscientiously change. He did not claim per
fection nor that some other might not be a better way.
He was willing for the trustees to adopt whatever policy
in their judgment was best. His own might be out of
date, but he did not know how to change policy to suit
others. When the trustees made some rules to govern the
president in matters of discipline, he placed his resigna
tion on file. Some thought he was disappointed, perhaps
offended ; some talked of ingratitude and wrong treatment.
None of these understood the man. Few seem to ever un
derstand a really unselfish man; one who puts the King
dom of God first, and allows no consideration of self to
have weight in deciding a course of action. I remember
but one time that he expressed disappointment at the ac-

60 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
tion of the trustees after the move to Waco, and that was
when he could not persuade them to retain the property
at Thorp Spring and allow it to be used as a training
school for the university. I know of no incident in his
life in which he felt slighted, or thought he was not
treated with due consideration.

CHAPTER IX
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS, IDEALS, AND
TEACHINGS
On public occasions he avoided platform reserva
tions and conspicuous seats. He was an attentive lis
tener and would select a seat where he could see
the speaker and get every word and facial expres
sion. On one occasion, when W. J. Bryan was to de
liver an address, the committee of arrangements in
formed Addison that a seat was reserved for him on the
speaker's platform; but, when the crowd assembled, he
was found in the audience in front of the speaker. At
the Jubilee Convention at Pittsburgh, there was a special
time and place for the assembling of the pioneer preach
ers. They were seated according to seniority; represent
atives were called to give reminiscences of their times,
places and work. The most distinguished of the seniors
had delivered addresses and they were approaching the
age that embraced Addison's dass. A brother arose and
asked to be permitted to introduce "the distinguished
pioneer Christian educator of the great Southwest." Ad
dison saw the trend of his introduction and whispered to
one sitting by him; "If I am not here when the audience
is dismissed I will be just outside by the door," and
stooping, he slipped out by a near side door. When his
name was called there was no one to answer.
In his sermons, addresses and writings he avoided all
allusions to self. With him the measure of greatness was
61

62 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
service and the teacher was the greatest servant of all.
He believed that the greatest opportunity to serve man
kind, the greatest responsibility comes to him who takes
upon himself the task of molding young life and forming
character for time and eternity. He considered no one
worthy to be called teacher who measured his service by
money value and who could not find joy in self-denial
and hardship that would make him Worthy to be a leader
of the young.
Addison knew no secular and religious side of life. It
was for or against Christ in all things. "Study to show
yourself approved by God" he considered as necessary
an injunction for young teachers of today, as when Paul
gave it to the young men of his time ; and, as for the re
ward, he believed that if one put first the kingdom of God
and His righteousness all necessary things would be sup
plied. In preaching he was at his beat as teacher ; he
thoroughly prepared every sermon; delivered none off
hand. In studying to know the truth, he was bound by
no system of doctrine; was not troubled with trying to
harmonize truth with established systems of theology;
and never feared the bugbear of "inconsistency," con
sidering that if in error the wise thing to do was to
change. He taught that Christ's mission was to redeem
man from all iniquity and lead him to become a zealous
worker for all right things ; that salvation is to be saved
from the love, practice and guilt of sin. He saw in the
plan of salvation a process of molding character into
Christ's, likeness. All ordinances and acts of worship are
designed to bring man into closer relationship to God, the
Father. The individual is bom into a new life and must

Personal Characteristics, Ideals, and Teachings 63
grow into the fulness of the likeness of Christ. His chap
ter and verse for the order of worship was 1 Cor. 14 :40,
"Let all things be done decently and in order ;" and Eph.
5:19, "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart
to the Lord."
To be decent and orderly there must be harmony; the
songs and exhortations must be in harmony with the oc
casion and with the worship of God ; the singing must be
with melody in the heart to God, and not for entertain
ment. He taught that music had great power either for
good or evil; it stirs the emotions, arouses the passions,
directs the impulses and thoughts. If the music and the
words be of the frivolous ragtime sort, it stirs the sensual
emotions and the life is started on the incline plane
downward. He loved music, studied it when a child, but
would never sing nor listen to foolish or vulgar songs.
From the time he was twelve years old he took an active
part in the congregational singing. To him it was a means
of spiritual growth. The hour of prayer and song was a
season of fellowship with saints and with God ; and all his
life he took part in the song service with the congrega
tion, unless the singing was of the frivolous, having the
form of Godliness with the power of evil.
The following letter gives his views on the question of
music, and the spirit that guided him in all his teaching
and preaching. It was in answer to a letter by a daugh
ter of a very dear friend and brother. She was raised in
a congregation that would not use the instrument in the
worship, and had been taught that it was sinful. She had
married and moved to a congregation that used the in-

64 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
strument; her husband needed her companionship in the
worship ; she needed his. There could be no complete har
mony in the home without this. What must she do? She
wrote for his advice as she would have done to her father
had he been living. She referred him to the various pas
sages she had been taught to rely upon as condemning the
use of instrumental music in worship. He wrote her as
follows : "September 21, 1901.
"It is a most delightful task to reply to your beautiful
and refreshing letter. It brings to mind the lovely girl,
that long-ago day when I first saw her in the old home,
and all the interesting years during which she grew in
to pure sweet womanhood — ^but to the subject of your let
ter. First of all, let me say that the promptings of your
heart just now, re-enforced by unbiased judgment,
strengthened by prayerful study of God's Word should
be followed. To the Lord, to your husband, to the cause
of the Master, to yourself, and to your home do you owe
it to take a stand with the congregation of Disciples at
your home. Your father and mine were grand men of
God, serving the Lord faithfully and heroically, during
their time and under thdr circumstances, acting accord
ing to their best judgment and light ; but they cannot act
for their children in that great day when everyone shall
give an account to God for himself. Old people are like
old vines, they become fixed in their ways by long habit,
do not yield readily to new environments. They are apt
to tegard a new method of doing some familiar thing as
an innovation on the Lord's plan of doing that thing;
when the Lord's plan was that the thing be done heartily

Personal Characteristics, Ideals, and Teachings 65
unto the Lord and not unto man. The passages to which
you allude, 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Pet. 1:3, teach the entire
sufficiency of the Word of God for all Christian work and
worship. It does this by furnishing the fundamental and
guiding principles, not by giving minute details of meth
od, Th^ gospel of Christ is God's power of salvation, and
it is foolish and wicked to try to substitute any other gos
pel for that ; but as to the various methods by which the
gospel shall be given to the world, that method is best
which best succeeds in reaching the largest number of
minds and hearts with the gospel. It may be proclaimed
from pew or pulpit, housetop or street corner, whispered
by lips of sympathy to suffering and dying mortals,
breathed by gentle song by consecrated singer. Anyway,
every way, so Christ be preached. One thing is certain,
God has no plan whereby His people can fold their arms
and do nothing. The Lord has no method of idleness. As
to the music question, the Scriptures are equally full and
explicit, and just as wisely silent as to detail of method.
We are commanded to sing with the spirit and with the
understanding, making melody in the heart to the Lord.
There can be no melody in the heart if there is discord in
the voices. Hence a i^stem of music has been invented by
man for the purpose of guiding the song service. The
notebook is an instrument for guiding the eye, an organ
is an instrument to guide the ear. Both are for having
mechanical part of the music so orderly that the mental
and spiritual may not be disturbed or embarrassed, there
by the melody of the heart be as nearly perfect as pos
sible. You know by your own experience how difficult it
is to keep the mind on the sentiment of the song when the

66 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
music has been set out of tune, or there arises a discord in
the parts. It is by the same principle that you lose much
of the benefit of a sermon or lecture by having an uneasy
seat, or having some disturbance, by having someone whis
pering or a baby crying near you. The woe pronounced
by Amos was upon people who, in addition to other
sinful performances, had prostituted the sacred instru
ments used by David, to base, sinful amusements. By
reference to 2 Chron. 29:35, you will see that David
placed those instruments in the worship by the direction
of the Lord, through the prophet?. The passage referred
to in Romans 14, teaches us in brief, how we should de
port ourselves incidently, in matters where our conduct
might influence others injuriously. The word offend in
the New Testament means to cause another to stumble or
to fall. So Paul said if eating meat caused his brother
to stumble, fall away, be lost, he would eat no more while
the world stood. Paul had reference to meat offered to
idols and had afterward been sold in the market. Such
meat was no more to Paul than other meat, but if some
weak disciple who had been recently converted from idol
atry and been accustomed to an idolatrous use of such
meat and seeing Paul use it might be caused to go back to
idol worship, if this made the weak brother stumble he
would eat no more meat while the world stood. We must
deny ourselves to help others, and bear and forbear that
there may be peace among the people of God. Did I be
long to a congregation which did not favor instruments,
notebooks and such things that give aid to the music and
could not convince them in a quiet way of the error of
this opinion I would submit to the will of the majority;

Personal Characteristics, Ideals, and Teachings 67
or on the other hand should I not favor such instrumental
aids in the music, but a majority of the active working
members favored them, I would submit to the wiU of the
majority. It is hardly possible for all the members of
£iny one congregation to be of one opinion in all the af
fairs of a busy church, and there can be no peace only by
the minority yielding to the majority where there is dif
ference in mere matters of opinion. We can be of one
faith, but of one opinion we can never be and there must
be liberty.
"I have been somewhat lengthy in this reply, but
could not be more brief without omitting some important
points. I shall always be glad to hear from you when
you feel like saying a word to me.
"Much love to you and yours, "Affectionately, "A. Clark."

CHAPTER X
HIS LAST WORK AS PREACHER AND
TEACHER
On retiring from the college, Addison engaged to
preach for the church at Waco. His preaching had been
mostly to students, those with whom he lived and taught
day by day. He was unused to the methods and customs
of a city church, but no one knew whether he was pleased
with the work or not. With him it was to decide what he
ought to do, and it was his pleasure to do that with all
his might. He felt that one accustomed to doing that
kind of pastoral work would succeed better than he
would. He would rather sit up at night with a sick man,
wait on him, cut his wood and make his fires than to
spend the time making social visits. At Thorp Spring
in mid-winter, with snow and mud on the ground, he
walked six miles after school in the evening and sat up
till after midnight in a log cabin with an old man who
was slowly dying. He would walk home in time to get a
little rest and be ready for chapel at the usual hour,
eight A. M. He found pleasure in this kind of visiting,
for he knew he was brightening the last hours of a suf
ferer. From Waco he accepted a call to AmariUo; here he
found congenial work. This was a new enterprising west
ern town, rapidly filling with strangers ; he found oppor
tunity to pilot some of these to safe harbors, and could of-
68

His Last Work as Preacher and Teacher 69
ten help some health-seeker to get a cot in the open and
extemporize ways and means to cook his meals. He had
a weekly Bible class, published a "Weekly Visitor" for
the members, and with preaching twice every Sunday, at
tending Sunday school and mid-week prayer meeting, he
kept busy and enjoyed the work. His fraternal fellow
ship with all the preachers of the town was beautiful.
This was to him a source of joy, for he held that the
union of Christians was our mission, and to help bring
this about he accepted every opportunity for fellowship
in work with aU Christians. The last Sunday that he
spent with the church at Amarillo, the day he was to bid
them farewell, the preachers of the town came in a body
and took possession of the service and bade him take a
seat, while they conducted the service in his honor. This
was a precious memory for the rest of his days. He mar
veled that such demonstrations of respect should be
shown him, and said he would accept this as his funeral
ceremony, and was glad to know what people would say
when he was gone.
Although busy and enjoying the work, there were rea
sons for deciding to change. His wife had been in fail
ing health for several years, he had hoped that the high
altitude and dry climate would be beneficial to her, but it
had proven othendse. The climate of the lower country
suited her condition better. He felt that he was not us
ing his time to the fullest measure of good, that preach
ing to the ordinary congregation on Sunday would not
advance the cause of Christianity as would the day-by-
day training of the youth. At this time, some business men
of Granbury and Thorp Spring proposed to re-equip the

70 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
college buildings at Thorp Spring and give them over to
him to build an academy. He accepted the offer at great
financial loss and returned to his old home to the old
work; not to build a college; it mattered but little with
him whether he was called president of a college or a
teacher of children. His highest ambition was to be
worthy to be called Teacher. When it became known that
he was leaving Amarillo, some of the most desirable loca
tions with churches in the state were offered him ; he de
clined them all, and returned to his former work. He
spent years of joyous work, teaching without a salary and
walking three miles to Granbury every Sunday, preach
ing morning and evening, walking back by starlight and
receiving for a salary one-third what he might have had
as pastor of a prosperous church.
He had no thought that his returning to school work
would be misunderstood and disapproved of by the Chris
tian University management. But the university was
having a hard struggle to get on a safe basis, and while it
was compelled to have a preparatory department, they
thought it unwise to allow any of the patronage to be di
verted. He and the teachers he had associated with him
were not willing to be put in the position of a rival of
the church school. He had taken up the work at a finan
cial sacrifice and giving it up entailed a burden of debt
on some of the teachers associated with him. No one knew
the pain it cost him to give up the work so dear to his
heart. His family being at Amarillo, he returned there,
but not to preach. His wife's health was still declining,
and upon the advice of physicians he took her to South
ern California. She did not improve, though he eared

His Last Work as Preacher and Teacher 71
for her, nursed her, anxiously watching by her side, for
days and nights, through weeks and months. Finally,
mentally and physically exhausted, he succumbed to a se
vere case of sickness. This was the beginning of his last
sickness. He was soon up and at the bedside of his in
valid wife. In a little while he brought her worn-out body
and laid it to rest by the side of loved ones in the village
cemetery at Thorp Spring. He was suffering, but no
one knew it, for he never complained. He went to Min
eral WeUs, Texas, hoping to find relief, and while
there preached for the church. Physicians gave him lit
tle satisfaction as to what was the cause of his suffering ;
he had no critical examination to ascertain what was ail
ing him. He had never had any serious sickness, and
with such a vigorous constitution he thought by care and
endurance to wear out the malady. He continued his
work, meeting promptly every appointment. The last
Sunday that he had an appointment to preach, he arose
early, and while taking his usual morning bath, became
unconscious and, falling, burned himself against a stove.
He was alone in his room and did not know how long he
had lain on the floor unconscious. Coming to himself,
he dressed and went to church ; the congregation had as
sembled and he made an effort to preach, but had to give
up. He was confined to his bed for several days. I had
kept in communication with him and would see him as
often as once a week. But now, not hearing from him
for several days, I became uneasy and went to him. He
had employed a man to stay with him until he was able
to be out of bed. I found him packing his books prepara
tory to leaving.

72 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
We cleaned out this, his last workshop, a room in an
apartment house; collected his tools, and he sought rest
at the home of his eldest daughter in Comanche. Here
he thought to rest awhile, and again be at work. In his
severest suffering he would say: "If this is to prepare
me for some harder work than I have yet done, I am
thankful for it; or, if it is to fit me for some greater
work in the higher service beyond, I am glad to be made
ready," In all his suffering, he never lost interest in the great
world movements. He was especially interested in all
that was being written concerning Christian Union. He
considered this the special plea of the Disciples; without
this they had no mission. On the day of his death, as he
sat supported in bed by pillows, he had around him a
number of late papers and journals, from which he had
several selections read to him. With unabated interest
and strong voice he commented upon them. In a short
while, however, the paroxysm of pain returned and he
lost consciousness and never more returned to the things
of this world. At no time did he think he was sick to
death. He was expecting to have an operation to ascer
tain what was the cause of his suffering, and said to me,
if he did not recover from the operation, to have his re
mains taken to the little church at Granbury. He
wanted no funeral display, but would like for Bro, J. C.
Mason to conduct the funeral. The little band at Gran
bury had endeared themselves to him. While he was with
his invalid wife in California, they sent regularly to him
the salary he had received while preaching for them.
E. C. Boynton knew Addison as the students knew him,

His Last Work as Preacher and Teacher 73
entered into his life, understood the motives, the main
spring of his great, unselfish life. He was present dur
ing the last hours of suffering and triumph. The follow
ing article was written for "The Courier" just after the
funeral.

CHAPTER XI
ADDISON CLARK GONE HOME
"As these words are written the great heart of the broth
erhood, already stunned by the tidings of irreparable
loss, are sadly awakening to the realization that the
earthly labors of Addison Clark are ended. On Satur
day morning, May 13, 1911, at twenty minutes past one
o'clock the great leader quietly passed away at the home
of his daughter, Mrs. Lyman Russel, at Comanche, Tex.
After the announcement some two months since of his
serious and probable fatal iUness, the public was not al
together unprepared for his death. He had, however,
rallied sufficiently to be up and about the house for a few
days and the family and intimate friends had begun to
hope that he might even yet with his iron constitution,
conquer the disease which had fastened on him. He him
self was hopeful that an operation might restore him to
his usual health, as soon as he could gain the necessary
strength to undergo it. About ten days before his death
he began to fail and was soon confined to his bed. Though
he had expressed himsdf earlier as willing to go "if his
work was done," he remained hopeful to the last. He
feared only if he could not recover he might linger to
need the care of others — so characteristic a feeling in one
who never in his life had wanted anyone to be put to the
least inconvenience on his account.
Friday afternoon he seemed to be in splendid spirits,
and his faculties were never clearer. His daughter had
74

Addison Clark Gone Home 75
been reading to him at intervals throughout the day ar
ticles from various magazines and journals. That after
noon he asked us to read a contribution to the current
"Outlook" on "The New Bible" and discussed with
keen and unflagging interest the questions which were
near his heart. He seemed to be as one preparing by
study and reflection for a great life work. His only ref
erence to death was the direction given to his brother
Randolph as to the funeral service in the event of the un
expected failure of the operation which he stDl believed
could be performed in a few days. As his attendants left
him for a little while, he himself read the daily paper
which had just come. Life was never more full of mean
ing to him than at that moment.
About nightfall he was seized with a hemorrhage from
the bowels and soon began to grow weaker. His physi
cian administered an injection of morphine, and about
nine o'clock the self -forgetful patient turned to his fam
ily: "Don't sit up here with me; lie down and rest, for
you need it and I am going to sleep." He soon had given
himself to slumber — ^the last of earth. His waking was
with the loved and lost where they shall run and not grow
weary, and shall walk and not faint. Funeral services
were held in the little chapel at Granbtiry, on Sunday,
May 14, 10 a. m. It was Bro. Clark's request of many
years' standing, that if he should be taken first, Bro. J. C.
Mason should conduct the service, which he did in a spirit
worthy of its great subject. Bro. H. M. Bandy, one of
the early AddRan students, and Bro. V. R. Stapp, pas
tor of the Granbury Church, which had so long and faith
fully loved Bro. Addison, assisted in the service. At one

76 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
p. M., under the leafy bowers of the cemetery at Thorp
Spring, while the tender songs of the Thorp Spring Col
lege choir fell upon the air we sadly laid beside the form
of his beloved wife the manly form of Addison Clark, and
turned away to face a world from which his leadership
was gone.
That he founded and was the first president of AddRan
College, now Texas Christian University, is generally
known to the Brotherhood, and yet to the great mass of
Disciples he was a stranger. His modesty was so charac
teristic and thoroughgoing that he withheld himself from
the public notice at all times, unless the occasion called
for his service. When he heard that call he responded at
whatever cost to himself. He sought that others rather
than himself should be preferred in honor. He seemed
unconscious that he had ever done anything of special
merit, and while he felt strong affection for hundreds of
friends and former students he could scarcely realize the
almost boundless love that multitudes lavished upon him.
When he, our greatest Texas preacher, would revisit the
scene of his university labors and the students at chapel
would cheer the mention of his name, it was always a
fresh surprise to him. And even in his last illness, when
his daughter would read the letters of personal affection
that came like a flood, he could not comprehend why he
was the object of so much solicitude, and would say to
her: "This reconciles me to being sick." And yet be
yond all of his modesty the fact remains that the entire
state is his debtor. Men of strength, in f oram or in legis
lative halls, great jurists who sit in responsible positions
in our higher courts, physicians of worth and ability.

Addison Clark Gone Home 77
ministers of the gospel of more than local fame, sturdy
toilers of the farm and leaders in the business world, to
say nothing of homemakers, whose solid worth is the
guaranty of our civilization — ^these, by scores and hun
dreds owe their whole conception of life and noblest im
pulses to him whose services can be given to his Master's
cause no more.
He was a man who grew younger with the years. He
was a close and careful student, a clear and profound
thinker to the last. His childlike love of truth was to
every young man among us a challenge to preserve the
open mind ; his resolute maintenance of whatever he con
ceived to be right an inspiration to us all to dare and do
for duty's sake. We shall miss his clarion call in our
great prohibition battles now upon us ; we shall miss him
in our councils in the Church of G«d; we shall miss him
in the halls of education and progress. But in the hearts
of his "boys and girls" who knew him in the years long
gone will live forever the picture of "Bro. Addison,"
sage, prophet, leader, teacher, friend. And time will but
deepen the impress the life of him than whom, it may be
said without exaggeration, the Disciples have produced
no greater personality since Alexander Campbell went
away. ' '
From the many articles that appeared in different pa
pers, I have selected a few as showing how he was known
by busy men in different walks of life. I have not in-
eluded any of the many letters from personal friends and
close associates. Dr. Wysong and Addison were associ
ates only in school. In their very busy lives they met but
few times.

78 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
As a friend and college associate of the late Addison
Clark, I beg the privilege of offering a tribute of respect
to his memory through the columns of your paper. He
and the writer first met as students in the old Kentucky
Town Academy of which "Uncle Charley" Carlton was
the principal, A warm personal friendship soon sprang
up between us which grew into a riper friendship after
moving with the school to Bonham, Since our separation
there our lives have touched but at one point, in
1870, through our fields of respective labor — a fact which
enabled the writer to keep closely in touch with the la
bors and growing influence of this man of God. The gen
ial, kindhearted, unpretentious friend, the stainless
Christian gentleman, the splendid soldier of the Lost
Cause will be with us no more, but we will ever cherish
a feeling of the highest admiration for this great leader
and organizer of men as we look through the record of
his services, of duties performed, sacrifices made, of trials
and sufferings heroically endured. In all his life work
one can see exemplified in his character the rounded finish,
the grace and symmetry of an almost perfect man. His
was a life devoted to the highest interests of humanity —
a life in purpose, in ambition, in deed worthy of the fond
est emulation. — James Hopkins Wysong, Hico, Tex.
As recognized by the secular press :
Addison Clark's work and influence was like the si
lent, but incomputible forces of nature, great without os
tentation. If modesty and self-depreciation — ^that is the
extreme manifestation of it — ^were ever a fault ia anyone
they were in him. He seemed never to suspect the great
ness of personality in himself, that his friends and inti-

Addison Clark Gone Home 79
mates saw in him. When told of these estimates of him,
by his friends, he looked incredulous and treated them as
the exaggerated expressions of personal love and interest.
In all the planning of his great work sdf was never
seen. — The Granbury Democrat,
Addison Clark has crossed over the river and rests
under the shade of trees. He was truly a great man —
great in thought, particularly great in his service to hu
manity. He felt the power of the invisible and he met
in joyous spirit every demand it made upon him. There
was no pretense about Addison Clark, and vanity he
knew not. His one great ambition was to do his duty in
that state of life to which God had called him and he
never faltered. When the storms beat fiercest, the spirit
within was calm and sweet and resourceful, making it
easy for him to succeed. Somehow as we contemplate
this man, heaven seems to be nearer and the things un
seen become indeed the realities. The world is gainer
many fold by reason of the career of Addison Clark. —
The Waco Times-Herald. Safi Francisco, Cal., May 25, 1911.
I am shocked and grieved to hear of the death of Bro,
Addison Clark, I feel his departure as a personal loss.
Since I first met him in the year 1877, when for a short
time I was an inmate of his home, I have counted him
among my warmest, truest friends. In all the years that
I have known him, I have known him only to love him.
He possessed many of the qualities that go to make up a
princdy man. Not the least among these was his mod
esty. At the time that he was the most outstanding fig-

80 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
ure among our people in Texas, he was as modest and un
obtrusive as a little child. After the frosts of age had
whitened his hair, I met him only at infnequent intervals
— the last time at the Brotherhood meeting at Pittsburgh.
I love to think of him as I first saw him in the prime and
vigor of manhood, — a figure that would have attracted
attention in any company.
He rests from his labors and his works do follow him.
— W. H. Bagby.
Personally I mourn the death of Addison Clark; he
was a dear friend of mine. Twenty-five years ago I was
Sunday School Evangelist in Texas, he with others stood
by me in the work when enemies sought to overthrow it.
Had he turned me down I would not have spent twenty-
five years in Texas and Texas work. I shall never cease
to revere his name. — J. H. Rosecrans, Breakabeen, N. Y.
The transition of this great and good man is a serious
loss to the cause of Christ on earth, but no doubt a great
help to the cause in the spiritual realm. Addison was
not only a talented and logical reasoner, but also an hum
ble but powerful preacher of the gospel of Christ. He
was an educator of the highest type ; and as the founder
of AddRan which developed into Texas Christian Univer
sity, left a legacy to Texas and to the world which will
bless mankind to the end of time and be realized in eter
nity. He was a reformer on all lines of life; and taught
both by precept and example wherever he went and in
whatever position he was placed. There is no death, he
has only cast off his earthly garments and passed on to
a higher and happier state, where physical poverty, sin

Addison Clark Gone Home 81
and suffering cannot come; and where he will continue
his labors for the good of man, with a tenfold leverage
of love, wisdom and power. His pathway wiU ever be
onward and upward in the pathway of divine truth in
the sunshine of God's love. — E. L. Dohoney, Paris, Tex.
Addison Clark has gone home to all that the Father
has in store for him. I believe that this means more
than what we think of when we speak of rest. That
would not satisfy the spirit of such a man. Surely there
is a place for service, for growth, for doing the will of
the Master over there ; else how can such as our brother
call it heaven? Since the year 1869 his influence and
prayer and diligent effort have been for the cause of
Christian education in this great Southwest land of ours.
And right nobly has he labored and right earnestly has
he prayed. What must have been the feeling that
thrilled his great soul when he contemplated the work
which is following that which he and his brother planted
almost half a century ago. I have known Bro. Clark for
more than thirty years, and our paths have crowed each
other many times. It would be strange, indeed, if two
men should be thrown in such close contact for so long
a while without passing points where they felt strong dif
ferences which existed. This has been true with us. But
I can stand beside his grave and say with truth that there
never was a moment when I did not revere the integrity,
the candor, the bigness of heart of my brother. When
we differed the strongest I wrote him letters saying just
what I am saying after he is gone. And he has written
kindred words to me in the kindness of his great heart.
He never struck in the dark, never shut himself from his

82 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
brethren m the spirit of spite. He never failed to ack
nowledge his mistake when it was pointed out to him;
he never pouted because he was not "appreciated" and
never sulked because he was not treated ' ' right. " He was
too big a man for such baby performances as these. And
because he was a man his brethren respected him ten
derly — ^loved him whether they agreed with or opposed
that which he advocated,
A prince in Israel has fallen ; a mighty man of valor
has laid aside the armor; a hero has gone to his rest. —
Chalmers McPherson, Ft, Worth,
The following is one of a series of articles to "The
Courier" on:
SOME PIONEER PREACHERS AMONG THE
DISCIPLES IN TEXAS
Addison Clark
"It seems strange that someone that has the data has
not written a biography of this great and good man, the
man who has done more for the cause of primitive Chris
tianity than any man who ever lived in Texas. If such
a book was written there ought to be 20,000 copies sdd
and each copy sold would be enshrined in the hearts of
living Disciples and do good for the ages to come. I do
not know when his father, J. A. Clark, came to Texas,
or when Addison began to preach, but think it was soon
after the war between the states. Neither can I state
when he first entered thfe school. Perhaps no man ever
had the power to mold young men and women and im
press his character on them more than Addison Clark.

Addison Clark Gone Home 83
As they would come from his college they would quote
his sayings and adopt his mottoes and imitate his actions
and praise his patience and kindness, even his justness
in discipline. It was as a preacher I knew biTn best, as
it was my good fortune to be with him in a great many
meetings. It was a common saying among the Disciples
that Addison Clat-k was the best preacher in Texas, and
no other felt envious over it. This was a rare combina
tion, that he was so well rounded on all sides that he
could be the best teacher and the best preacher at the
same time in Texas. In our association in meetings he
always insisted that I should preach time about with
him. This was a great burden to me, for I was young,
inexperienced and uneducated, but his kindness and lov
ing consideration and suggestiveness always brought me
through. Many a night have I sat up nearly all night
trimming my sails for the next day, that I might not fall
down before this great man. He often would correct in
a gentle way my quotations, pronunciations, historical
statements and errors of grammar and give me the rule
by which I could profit in the future.
He had a happy faculty of suggesting that never
seemed like criticizing. He always praised young preach
ers and tried to make them feel like he was no better
equipped than they were. After a long separation from
him he asked me how I had made such improvement and
I answered by association with you and such men as you,
and when I looked in his eyes he was shedding tears, ffis
eloquence was of a peculiar kind, not eloquent as the
world calls eloquence, but always plain, direct, argumen
tative and sympathetic, with the earnestness of his whole

84 Reminiscences — Biographical and Historical
being thrown in. There was never an effort at word
painting for self-glory. Jesus Christ, God the Father
and His Word were his only themes, for these his whole
heart was taken up. He glorified the Church because it
glori&ed the Christ, for these he gave his heart, body,
mind and soul and labored excessively and wore his
body out and laid down his armor and went to a prema
ture grave in the midst of his usefulness when he was
better equipped than ever, but he carried along the love
of thousands of hearts he had won to the Christ. — J. A.
Lincoln. Note — In a personal letter to the editor in regard to
the above article, Bro. Lincoln says: I feel like I said
nothing as it ought to have been said about Bro. Clark;
but I hope his friends and brethren will appreciate my
love for him and fill in their own minds all I have left
out. I could not write for shedding tears over the tender
recollections of the years we were together. Perhaps it
may not be long till we meet again.
The following was his last message to his brethren :
Comanche, Texas, May 8, 1911.
To The Texas Christian Missionary Convention,
Assembled at Ft. Worth, Texas,
Dear Brethren: —
On my sickbed I dictate a few words of fraternal and
Christian greeting. May the jubilee convention be the
best of all the twenty-five, both as to fruits and to outlook.
I regret very much that I cannot be with you in person
as I am in spirit. I have missed very few of the annual

Addison Clark Gone Home 85
meetings of the association since its organization, and
would have missed none, if higher duties or sickness had
not prevented. In all your deliberations, plans and pur
poses may the Lord guide you.
Faithfully and fraternally, Addison Clark.

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