[GEN0007...GEN0016] Autobiography of Charles Wesley Whitis II [This was written in 1938 in Dallas Texas - CWW] I was born December 17, 1872 in a little chack known as "Harney Cottage" so called from having been erected in _____ by federal government as a residence for General Harney, Commander of the army post then located there in the northern section of the city of Austin, Capital of Texas, and adjoining the campus of Univerity of Tex. This property had formerly been owned by L. L.[?] Lamar, one of the early presidents of the Republic of Texas and came into possession of my father about the year 1870? Our family consisted of the parents, Charles Wesley Whitis and Florence Rogan Whitis, both born [?] in Eastern Tennessee; my maternal grandfather, Griffith Rogan, a native of Kingsport, Tenn; and seven children, Rufus, Mollie, John, Florence, Ellen, Gertrude, and Myself. Subsequently in Feb'y 1874, another son, Thomas was born, making eight children, four boys and four girls. Ellen died in 1877, and the remaining 7 children survived to attain normal life experience. My father died in Austin, in a newly erected home on the same property in 1877 one month after his little daughter, Ellen died. My mother died in Austin in Febuary 1905 of pneumonia. John died in Austin in 1925?. Mollie died in Charlotte, Vermont in 1931, Florence died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. [1934?] At this time -May 1938- the following are living: 1- Rufus aged 78 Married, Living with wife in Dallas, Tex and practicing medicine There since 1884. no children 2 - Gertrude - Aged. 67 - unmarried, living in Austin, Tex. 3 - Myself - Chas. W. - IId - aged 65, married, have wife & 3 children living a son - Rufus - IId - living in New York City - has 3 children (boys); [now four boys -CWW?] Sallie - Daughter -married, living in Berea, Ky. Husband, Chas. S. Price. has two children - boy + girl. Laura - unmarried - at present living with her mother in Berea, Ky. [now married & living with husband, F. Long ??? - CWW?] 4 - Thomas - my youngest brother, married, living in Austin, Tex [no children] [Thomas wife Mary died in 1936 - CWW?] My father emigrated to Texas from Eastern Tennesee - (Rogersville) - in the year ___ [1852?] and settled at lockhart, caldwell Co. Texas, where my mother also lived. He studied law in the office at Lockhart, under my mother's brother Theopoliss. Married my mother in Lockhart; built a small home there which still stands, and several children wer born There. He removed to Austin, about 30 mil3es distant, first engaging in merchantile business, Then forming a partnership with James H. Raymond in the private banking firm of Raymond + Whitis which was financially succesful until shortly before his death - owing to ill health, he sold his interest. Autobiography (2) As I was only 5 years old at the time of his death, I have only faint recollections of him. The few incidents I recall have been treasured all my life. Wile living in the "Harney" Cottage, I recall getting mixed up in a red ant bed and my father coming home just at the time rescued me and hurriedly tore off my clothes to save me from further stings. Next, - I recall taking down a broom and galloping astride it around the house, until some one suggested I go someplace where I was'nt such a nuisance. I evidently took the hint literally, for I next recall reclining under shade of a tree about 3/4 mile toward the town, hot, dust + tired, when my father and Fuf, my brother, came driving fast in a buggy, searching for the runaway and returning home laughing over the adventure. He had followed the trail of my broom-stick horse through the dusty road. Next, I recall the planning for the new home which was built about 150 yards north of Harney cottage on a beautiful sloping hill. I remeber "Pa and Ma" as we called them sitting under a tree there with me, and "pa" bending over and picking up a stone and tossing it saying "that is where the front door will be" It seems odd that this incident should make such an impression on a child of my age, but it did, and the picture has never been erased. Finally, I recall his last return home from a trip East in search of health and his quick death thereafter. I recall my mother lifting me up to peer in his coffin, and the funeral and burial therafter. Father, or "Pa" as his children called him left his family in comfortable circumstances. He left the new home, a large three story residence, built of white cut limestone surrounded by 80 acres of land which is now mostly embraced in the Campus of the University of Texas. In addition, he left about $15000 in cash and possibly $10000 in securities. His will provied that aboout 40 acres should be surveyed into lots, blocks, streets and alleys, the lots, 48'x120', should be partitioned among his seven children equally. Due to lac of business instinct and other circumstances, my mother was unable to conserve the cash, although Pa left his home and lands free of any inccumbrances. The cash was soon gone and as there was no income from any source, my mother was forced to take in boarders to sustain herself and family, a sad reflection on poor managerment of affairs. When I was about six years old, mother employed a young woman by name of Miss Ora Nixon to open a little private school in the old "Harney Cottage" on the place, and this was the first Autobiography (3) Schooling I ever had. I remember the teacher, Miss Nixon, very well. She was quite a disciplinarian and as I was a restless, independent little freckle-faced redhead, always sensitive, I recall some frequent scoldings, "stay-ins", stand-in-corners, etc., as punishments, but the most severe of all punishments which brought hot tears and anguish, was her custom of taking her pen and and making a big dirty X across the beautiful (to me) colored pages of Maguffey's First REader. Do you ever see a copy of Maguffey's REaders? They are now preserved in museums: "A Boy"; "A Cat"; "A Dog". "See The Dog Chase the Cat, etc." These were pioneer days and maguffeys were the standards of the time. Miss Nixon did not stay long, about 2 years, and removed to Hempstead, Texas where she met a man by name of Arnold emplooyed by Southern Pac. Railroad, married him and subsequently removed to Houston Tex. She recently died of great age in Houston, leaving a large estate inherited from her husband which developed from oil lands. My mother's brother, Ferdinand, who had been teaching in Arkansas, then came to Austin and continued the little school for a year or tow in Harney Cottage, but as he did not have enough paying pupils, closed up and removed to Houston, Texas. I never saw him again. I was then about eight years of age and my mother sent me to a school for boys, run by a german, Jacob Bickler. After about one seasion there, I was entered in the ffirst grammar grad of the old West Austin Public Schoool where I went thru all the grades and into the second year of high school. Of my teachers in the public schools, I only recall distinctly, three, a miss schloss, Prof Leonard in the high grades and miss Nannie D Dawson in the High School. In 1888, when I was sixteen years old, on account of the distressful financial condition of my mother, I left the second year of high school in early season and went to tDallas, Tex. where my brother john was working as a clerk in the Texas + Pacific R.R. general offices - auditors department, of which a man by name of Richard Fenby was chief auditor. While in Dallas employed as a journal clerk in the auditors office, I roomed with my brothers, Rufus and John at a Miss Smiths boarding house on masten Street. After working about a year in this R.R. office, the office caught fire one night and burned out completely. Shortly thereafter, I was offered a clerkship in Austin, by Ira H. Evans, who was manager for the New York and Texas Land Co. - a company which had been granted a large land bonus for building Railroads in Texas, principally The International and Great Norhtern R.R. built from Longview Junction to Austin, San Antonio and Laredo. I was employed by that Company as a bookkeeper until 1895, when I accepted a position in Dallas again as bookkeeper for The Security Mortgage and Trust Co; a mortgage lending company of which H. A. Kahler was president. I was employed here until 1899, when Kahler, who had formed a partnership with J. G. O'Connor, President of City Natl. Bank of Dallas, to open an investment secities underwriting business in New York City under the firm name of 'Connor + Kahler, offerd me a postion with that firm in New York City. I arrived in New York on 17th day of October (Sunday?) 1899. No one met me at tthe 42d str. ferry[?] of the Westshore Railroad and I put up temprarily at [old|red] Continental Hotel near 23d st. + Broadway. While in Dallas, I attended the second Presbyterian church at Harwood and Wood Streets. The pastore was a fine man named Warner B. Riggs of whome I thought very highly, I frequently sang in the choir and it was there I met Miss Fannie Robinson, who I subsequently married. I returned to Dallas from New York in July 1900 and on the ninth of July we were married by by Mr. Riggs at aprivate wedding at the bride's home. She was the adopted daughter of D. A. Robinson + his wife, residents of DAllas. My wife, Fannies name before adoption was Falowell, and she was born in Denton County TExas at place called Pilot Knob about 40 miles from Dallas. So far as I know, her real parents were very poor but respectible people wh emigrated from Indiana. My wife had brothers and sisters born to her real mother and father, the Falowells, but none were born to the Robinsons. She was never in touch with her brother and sisters after her adoption by the Robinsons and neever knew what became of them. When we returned to New York after our marriage, we passed through Kansas City, Mo. where the Democratic Convention was in session which nominated Wm. Jennings Bryan for President of U.S.A. We went toa a boarding house on State Street in Brooklyn, in a section near the ferries to New YHork, Known as Brooklyn Heights. The place was a typical cheap rooms and board run by a pecular old widow. Autobiography (5) This place was infested with vermin and we soon moved away to a small apartment nearby. At this time we became acquainted with a young dentist by name of Herbert Gotham, who had just married a young woman native of New Haven, Conn, who was also a dental student in Phildelphia where they first became acquainted. Here in this little apartment with the Gorhams as our neighbors, we set up our first housekeeping. Although we eeventually moved to different sections of the metropolitan District, we kept in touch with the Gothams freguently until this date (May 1938). Afther living on State Street Brooklyn for about a year, we moved to a small apartment on Union Street, Near Prospect Park in Brooklyn were our first child (Nov 1901) was born (a girl) in a private hospital nearby and died after living only two days. A Dr. Robertson was the attending physician. Shortly thereafter, I sent my wife to Texas for a vist of two or three months with her parents at Dallas, Mr. + Mrs. Robinson. I then closed the apartment and rented a room in the eastern section of Brooklyn at a private home of Mrs. Kinkead. After my wifes return from texas, we rented a two family house on the Park Slope again near the Prospect Park in Brooklyn. The upper part of this house was occupied by Mr. + Mrs. Sherwood. My daughter, Sallie, was born in may 1904 at this place. Mrs Robinson, my wife's mother also visited us there about that time. In Febuary, 1905, while living there, I received a message from Austin Texas, that my mother was dying of pnuemonia and hurriedly left for Texas, but she was dead beffore I arrived there. My mother's name before marriage was Florence Rogan. She was born in old Kingsport, East Tennessee on the Holston River, her father, Griffith Rogan, was at the time operating a mercantile establishment nearby. She was of Scotch-Irish descent, her grandfather on the paternal side, named Daniel Rogan, landed in Baltimore in 1796 after sailing from Dublin, Ireland. My mother married at 18 in Lockhart Texas where the family emigrated to from Tennesse as has been stated. She was a small woman with dark eyes and hair and pleasing features. She was brought up as a strict Presbyterian and Sabbath day observer. No recreation on Sunday, but church going, bible reading, and "The New York Observer", the latter a weekly periodical of the Presbyterian denomination. She had four brothers: Theopolis a lawyer, Ferdinand a teacher, Daniel Henry, a preache, and Leonidas, a lawyer. Also two sisters, Emma and Alice, all are dead. Each of them left descnedants which are scattered around over the country. [GEN0012] Autobiography (6) Shortly after my marriage in july 1900, my salary with O' Conner and Kahler was raised to $3000. per year and I was promoted from bookkeeper and cashier to manager of the bond and trading department. Shortly after my brothers deathi in 1905, I purchased a small home in Montclair, New Jersey and moved there, about 12 miles from Jersey City. this was my first owned home. My son Rufus, named after my oldest brother, was born in this house in 1907. In that year a great fanancial panic of national effect occurred, money was "scarce" and currency sold at a premium in Wall Street. As my firm had invest heavily in Railroad bonds, our ke many others was heavy. In 1908, I received an offer to go with another firm a smanager of their bond department. this firm was W. N. Coor [illegible] an old private banking and unserwriting house. At that time, the partners wer Bird S. Coles an son of the founder, L.H. Hole and his two sons Charles and L. H. Jr. Charles Hole was the brains of the firm and was responsible for inbiting me to become an associate. My salary was $800 per moth and a bonus. I was emplyed by this firm until Sept 1916 and made considerable money for them and myself. In 1914 the great European war broke out and in 1915, L. H. Hole, senior died. I resigned in 1916 and for remander that year and a part of 1917 represented a Tuledo, Ohio firm by name of Cumming, Prudden + Co. In latter part of 1917, I took what cash I had saved and formed my own company under the name of C.W. Whitis + Co with office at 85 Cedar Street, NYC. to deal in Municipal bonds continuing this business as sole proprietor until this date, May 1938. I lived in Montclair, N.J. until March 1908 when I sold my place there for $11000 and while my wife was visiting in Texas removed to New York City and rented an apparment in the Bronx in a new neighborhood at Hunts Point Road. This was before the Jews and other foreign populations began to swarm to that section. We lived in the Hunts Point House for three + one half years, from March 1908 to Sept 1911, when we removed to White Plains, [illegable] miles from the grand cental station in New York. The three years lived at Hunts Point were years of happiness and sorow. From the windows of our rooms we could look out on the waters of Long Island Sound - and across the meadow to some of the few old remaining estates of Colonial Homes. My second boy, named Phillip, was born at Hunts Point and died there after living 16 months. He died from a development of whooping cough int Pnuemonia after a lingering illnes. Here in Hunts Point, both Sallie and Rufus first went to school [GEN0013] Autobiography (7) It was at the private primary school run by a young woman teacher that whooping cough was contracted by rufus and sallie and brough home to little phillip and caused his death. He is buried in woodslawn cemetery in the bronx, NY. City. Just a few days befroe he died, I made a snapshot photo of him in his carriage on the front stoop. I have preserved it in my old snapshot album these many years, for the loss of tis little fellow was a great grief to me. While living at Hunts Point, I took an interest in a little church established and supported by main presbytarian foundation of New York. I sang in the choir and was tresurer. Many amusing incidents occurred in connection with my association with this church. Shorlty after phillp's death in 1911, believeing that living so close to the [illegible] was not benificial to health of my family, I removed to White Plains in Westchester County and lived their until March 1980 in a rented home on Bryant Avenue. Hewe we lived a happy life for nine years and here in 1912 my third daughter, Laura, was born in may. All of this time I was associated with the firm of H.N. Coles + Co at their office at 43 Ceder Str. NYC. and making a good income and saving money. I bough the lot adjoining the house were I lived, it was a large lot, 100'x100;. I build a nice tennis court, a large chicken yard and in addition had room for a good sized vegetable and flower garden. In 1913, February, I went to Phoenix, Arizona to bid on a block of $2,000,000 state of Arizona refunding bonds. This territory had just been admitted as a state. this was _quite_ an eventful trip. I went from chicago on the Santa Fee RR. to williams army [???] and hence to Phoenix. I was withen a few miles of the Grand Canyon of the Colorado and neglected to take the opportunity to see it. However, I had great good fortune to be the succesful bidder for the bonds against keen competition and the bonds wer sold readily to investors at a handsome profit in which I shared with my firm. Returning from Phoenix, I came by El Paso, Texas, where I stopped over and saw my sister Florance Bell [Sp?] who was then living in that city. Whil in El Paso, a ressurection in Mexico broke out and there was great excitement in juarez[???], the mexican city just acros the Rio Grand from El Paso. My nephew, George Bell, took me over there and showed me around the filthy place. I saw the state jails were rebels were crowded in and the bullet marks on the walls where some had been shot that morning. I also went thru the old cathedral there and the bullfight stadium. Leaving el Pas on the Southern Pacific, I went to San Antonio and on to Austin, where I had [illegible] some of my folks. [GEN0014] Thence to Houston and New Orleans, returning to New York. In 1914, August, the great european or world war commenced and for the next four years the world tragedy was inacted midst many exciting and moving incidents in New York City, Many of which I either participated or was an onlooker. In 1929 - the year of the great stock panic and the beginning of the great long depresion era, was getting along all right in business. I had moved to Pleasantville, about 7mi N. of White Plains, where I had purchased a beutiful old home from a quaker family in 1920. It was at Pleasantville that my three children Sallie, Rufus, + laura grew up + went to the local school. In 1931, I made a serious blunder in buying a large block of North Bergen, NJ bonds on an order from the from the state treasurer of new Jersey. Before I could clear or deliver the bonds, it was discovered that the Bonds had been fraudulently issued, and as a result, I met serious losses - all my capall wiped out. Nevertheles, I hung on and tried to keep going. I morgaged my home in Pleasantville and in 1934 lost it by forclosure. In 1932, 33, 34 + 35 were years of worst depression in my business. In 1932, I sold a block of $300000, New Brunswick, NJ to EHR Green, Hetty Green's son and made abou $4000. this was a lifesaver. I took a trip to Berea, Ky in Oct 1932 with my wife + Laura, my daughter. Was gone about 3 weeks. Stopped over in Washington DC one day + night. Had a wonderful trip to kentuck by way of Roanoke, VA, Kingsport, Tenn (where my mother was born), Rogersvill, Tenn. and thru cumberland gap to kentucky. Sallie, my daughter had married a teacher, Chas S. Price of Berea college + had given birth to her first child, a boy, in september, just bbefore our arrival there. In 1933, 1934, 35 + 36 were years of struggle, In 1935 we [illegible] in cheppaqua, 1 mile from the old home in Pleasantville. In 1936 moved to Montclair, NJ. Lived there until May 1937, when we packed + stored what H.H. goods we had left and my wife + laura went to Berea, Kentucky to live near my daughter, Sallie. In October 1937, I found I could not keep my business going any longer and closed up, went to texas. Drove all the way in my car to Dallas, Texas where I stayed with my brother Rufus for several months and also at Austen , with my brother rom. Tried to get some kind of a job down there but was unsuccessful. Returned in August 1938 to Berea, Ky and stayed there until april 39 when I came to New York + have been staying with my son, Rufus, since. From Dec 1939 to July 1940, had a temporary clerking job with a stock echange firm, [illegebile] but was laid off in July b/c no work. Stock exchange depression b/c new world war #2 and too much political interference from washington. [GEN0015] In August 1940, spent a week with rufus (son) family at seashore in Mass. My wife, daughter (Sallie) + her husband + two children drove over from Michigan where they had spent the summer + I came with them from Mass, to New York. We went to the Worlds fair at Flushing one day + they had another day in NY + then returned to Kentucky. I have been try to get a job ever since, but I guess I am no good at finding one. I neglected to Say that in June 1932, my son Rufus married Ruth Roome, they now have 3 children, boys. For two years now, 1939 + 1940, we have been passing thru another world ware - Germany + "The Axis" against France + England - when + how will it all end. [GEN0016] (10) In December 1940, I obtained a job as editor of a weekly publication called "Fitches Bond Review" published by the Fitch Publishing co, Inc., which firm located at 120 Wall Streat, New York City. I held this job continuously until February 1946, when I was living with my wife, at a rented rooming house at 91 Prospect Park over in Brooklyn. On saturday night, Feb 16, 1946 at mignight, I was awakened by an illness which developed into a slight appoplexy stroke, which of course partially paralysed my right side and incapacitated me from further work. My duaghter, Mrs. Sallie Price, came to New York from her home in Mt. Vernon, Ohio, and Kindly offered to take my wife and I home with her and reside there until, if, when and as, I recoved sufficently to obtain a job where I could again be employed in remuneration postion. So on March 16, 1946, my wife and I came to Price's home in Mt. Vernon where we have stayed until this date, Sept. 6 1946, Mt. Vernon, Ohio is a small community of about 12000 population, located about the center of the state of ohio and about 50 miles from columbus, Ohio, the state capitol. It has been a beutiful summer; Chas Price has had a nice garden, and on the whole I have enjoyed it, altho I have been and still troubled pains shooting through my right side face, eyes, hand, and feet which incapacitated me and makes me fearful of early recovery. My son Rufus, who owned a nice home in Yonkers, NY. in September 1946, sold his place for $7000 and moved his family to duxbery, Mass, about 5 miles from POlymouth. He gave up his office job with the Republic Insurance Co, in New York, and is now doing contracting jobs in house repairing and renovations near Duxbery, Mass. I am in correspondence with my syister Gertrude, living at Austin, Texas and who is now 67 years old; my brother, rufus and his wife, francis, atDallas Tex., Rufus is now 87 years old and Tom, younget, now 72 years, a widower, and living in San Marco, Texas. [To be transcribed later, - MRW]