1884 :: Drowning of Shelton Sisters

Galveston Daily News
July 31, 1884

Distressing Occurrence.

Two Young Ladies While Bathing Venture Beyond Their Depth and are Drowned.

[Special to The News.]

Milano, July 30. -- The community was terribly shocked by the news brought this morning of the drowning of Misses Lou and Florence Shelton, daughters of J.M. Shelton, resident of this immediate vicinity, in Little river, near McCowan's ferry.

The young ladies, aged twenty-one and nineteen years, were in company with their father and had camped for the night in the locality near where the accident occurred. . . . 

The young ladies were members of the temperance council in this place, and were active and zealous in the cause.

The council in a body, with a large number of the citizens, attended the funeral this afternoon from the father's residence.

The quiet little village is enshrouded in gloom.

1880 :: Temperance Societies and Fires

The Rockdale Messenger seems to think that temperance societies and fires do not work in concert. It relates that John Redding of that town joined the temperance society at 9 P.M., at 2 A.M. a fire broke out and John fell from grace. He again joined and on the occasion of the next fire again succumbed. A third time he buckled on the temperance armor, again a fire occurred and again John became a backslider. He was cured, he still has confidence in temperance societies, but can't be induced to join another -- he is afraid of fires. Brenham Weekly Banner, May 14, 1880