County Judge John Watson was over from Cameron Tuesday for the purpose of fixing up the papers for a number of old Confederate soldiers who were applying for pensions under the new law. Final proofs were taken for the following:
- Isaac Long, Milano, Route 3.
- Dr. E.W. Allen, Rockdale.
- Lee Wallace, Minerva.
- N.C. Jones, Rockdale, route 2.
- Mrs. E. Denham, Rockdale, route 2.
- Mrs. Mary Joyner, Rockdale.
- Mrs. E.J. Ashby, Rockdale.
- Benj. F. Arthur, Rockdale, route 6.
- G.H. Davenport, Rockdale, route 3.
Applications and part proofs were taken also for B.V. Arnold and A.L. Pleasant.
There is a deal of seemingly unnecessary red tape to be unwound before these old heroes can avail themselves of the pittance awarded, but Judge Watson is using all due dilligence in the matter, and is entitled to the thanks of the veterans for the interest manifested. According to the red tape each of the applicants is supposed to make a trip to Cameron, taking along their proofs and witnesses, and Mr. Watson's trip over here was quite an accomodation and appreciated by all concerned.
Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, August 28, 1913
J.D. Hamilton Instantly Killed
in Storm of Wednesday Night.
Another Rockdale citizen meets tragic death by coming in contact with high powered electric light wire of Texas Power & Light Co.
J.D. Hamilton, Rockdale citizen and business man and former constable of this precinct, was instantly killed about nine o'clock Wednesday night of this week when he came in contact with a fallen electric light wire on East Cameron Street near SAAP Depot.
Mr. Hamilton had been in Cameron on the Grand Jury and has just returned home on the evening SAAP train, which was late on account of the storm. The storm had broken the high voltage electric wire immediately in front of the residence of Dr. C.E. Wisecup. This wire had fallen in such manner to catch on the paling fence, thus forming a loop across the sidewalk. Mr. Hamilton, after waiting at the depot a few minutes for the rain to abate, started walking up town. His foot caught in the fallen wire, and the full charge of 2300 volts passed through his body, killing him instantly. He fell in such manner that the wire continued in contact with his leg, and it was therefore necessary to cut off the power at the sub-station before his body could be moved.
A Mexican named T.V. Rincon of Rosebud, was just behind Mr. Hamilton and witnessed his fall. This Mexican stated that he at first thought Mr. Hamilton had slipped and fallen and he started to take hold of him and help him up, but received such a shock he immediately realized the situation. He then gave the alarm and in a few minutes a number of citizens were at the scene, among the first to arrive being Dr. Wisecup, W.E. Gaither and Dr. Coulter.
As soon as the body could be extricated it was removed to the Henne & Meyer Undertaking Parlors, it being impossible to reach Mr. Hamilton's home on account of high water in Ham Branch. Examination disclosed that one of the dead man's feet was completely burned off, the entire lower limb, from shoe top almost to the knee, being almost entirely consumed.
This is the second death in Rockdale by electrocution in two weeks, and it is a singular coincidence that the other death -- that of little Velma Ashby on San Jacinto Day -- occurred in Mr. Hamilton's yard. The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, Thursday, May 4, 1922
Rockdale Child is Victim of High Powered Electric Wire
Little Velma Ashby Meets Instant Death by Electrocution When Hand Comes in Contact with Texas Power & Light High Voltage Line.
One of the most distressing tragedies that has ever happened in Rockdale occurred Friday, resulting in the death of little Velma Ashby, thirteen year old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. Ashby, who met her untimely end by coming in contact with a high powered electric light wire.
The child was across the street from her home in the yard of J.D. Hamilton, playing with the Hamilton children. She climbed into a chinaberry tree to gather some of the sweet-smelling blossoms. It so happened that two uninsulated wires of the Texas Power & Light Company ran through the foliage of the tree, and little Velma evidently grasped one or both of the wires, receiving the full charge of the 2,200 volts of electricity, and evidently resulting in instant death. Her body slipped and caught by the feet in a tangle of small limbs, leaving her hanging by her feet, head down, some eight or ten feet from the ground.
The children gave the alarm and Tom Marrs, from across the alley, ran over with a ladder and assisted by his son, Wynette, and Miss Laura Hamilton, got the body down. Life was then practically extinct the child gasping once or twice after being taken down. Physicians were soon on the grounds and pronounced death due to electrocution.
The funeral was held Saturday morning at ten o'clock, being conducted by Rev. B.B. Blaylock of Temple assisted by Rev. G.S. Tumlin of this city, and the unanimous interest and sympathy of the people of Rockdale was evidenced by the large attendance and many beautiful flowers. The attendance of children was particularly notable. Velma was in the sixth grade at school and was popular with her classmates who grieved sorely at her death. Interment was at the New City Cemetery [i.e., Oaklawn], the religious services being conducted at the grave, where the consoling words of Bro. Blaylock, and the tender prayer of Bro. Tumlin brought comfort to the bruised hearts of the stricken family. The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger, Thursday, April 27, 1922
Rockdale Reporter. In June of 1996, Bill Cooke published the following list of rememberings as originally shared by Wiley Gilmore while addressing his RHS Class of 1951 reunion on the 8th and 9th of that month . . . Bill said that . . . Wiley's words will rekindle memories for the natives of our town and will serve as a history lesson for the non-natives . . .
You're an old Rockdalian if you remember . . .
- taking piano lessons from Mrs. Sledge, Mrs. Perry or Miss Catchings
- buying a block of ice from Mack Davlin's little ice house across the street from the post office
- when the Rockdale economy was influenced more by the weather than by a corporate decision in Pittsburgh
- when the town's Aggies ate a side order of crow along with their turkey after Thanksgiving (this menu has included more beef in recent years)
- your choices for swimming were a stock tank, the Gabriel or the pool in Cameron
- the Plunkett Stage Show which came to town for a few days every summer
- when Rockdale had three movies theaters -- two indoors, one out
- when the Rockdale football team made the front page of The Reporter just for scoring, much less winning (that was, of course, before the Tigers of '50 & '51, who were strong)
- when the fastest-traveling (good) news in town was that Ashby's Confectionery had gotten a shipment of Hershey bars
- the only real barbecue was cooked by Mr. Lee Caywood
- George Sessions Perry -- two bonus points if you knew the real names of the Rockdale people George wrote about in his novels
- the unique ammunition Stricker's Variety Store advertised once -- & only once -- in The Reporter (editor's hint -- the item involved the word 'shotgun')
- barber Arch Holley giving you your first barbershop shave free (applied only to boys, of course)
- Maxie's Sweet Shop, Stein's Bakery & Red Smith's Place -- also Weems, McVoy's, Backhaus Bros., M&T, and Holley's Red & White groceries
- riding a school bus driven by Mr. Beard, Mrs. Kirchenwitz, Mrs. Lynch, Mr. Alford or Mr. Gross -- in my case it was Mr. Dewitt Kornegay's bus, with the ever-present threat of a roadside breakdown or getting whipped by Toughy Hunt
- when the girls who were the best dancers went to the Baptist church & the girls who were the best piano players went to the Church of Christ
- when people uttered the words Republican & communist with the same tone of disgust
- playing racially integrated baseball on the playground of the old Minerva school long before Jackie Robinson set foot on Ebbetts Field for the Brooklyn Dodgers
- special teachers, including but not limited to Mizz Dee McCoy, who loved you like a grandmother before moving you out of fifth grade & into the hostile world of junior-high -- Mr. Arthur Winkelman who dispensed a lot of citizenship skills & compassion along with occasional whacks with his board Excalibur -- & Loween Malachek reading Damon Runyon's short story about Dancing Dan every year the last day before Christmas break -- I owe her many debts I can never repay
- special childhood friends -- mine was Frank Poncho Thompson who later made the supreme sacrifice for his country in Korea -- Poncho & I rode the school bus together, did crazy things like give each other models of German & Japanese airplanes for birthdays & Christmas -- he & I competed fiercely for everything -- once, in the third or fourth grade, we had a 'rasslin match for the favors of Nan Jones -- she spurned us both, grew up & married an engineer & served many years on the Austin school board
- the start of World War II -- I was seven years old when America got involved -- we attended a little Methodist church in Minerva & one of the young men of the congregation went off to war -- he asked the members, as a commitment of support, to sing God Be With You Till We Meet Again at the close of each Sunday service until he returned -- Charles Hickman Trotter & his brother, Billy, both returned from the war safely
And as we go separate ways from this reunion today, it may be appropriate to remember the words of that hymn & to ask that . . .
God be with us all . . .
until we meet again . . .
