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Bennie is one of the most remarkable and unique characters in West Texas. His parents were both English, coming to the United States in 1840 while young. They were married in New Jersey in 1848. His father, catching gold fever, in 1849 sailed for California via Cape Horn, arriving at Valparaiso, Chile, early in 1950, where his vessel was laid up to remove barancles. While there he joined the Ada Isaac Menken troupe which was showing in Chile as Mazeppa. He was a musician and sign painter for the troupe. He with the troupe sailed for California, arriving about June, 1850 where they played throughout the mining camps. In 1851, he began mining on the American river, near the present penitentiary town of Folsom. Benny's mother, becoming weary in waiting for her husband to return, left New York in 1852 for California, and there joined him, much to his surprise.On February 3rd, 1855, Bennie was born on the banks of the American River in Sacramento County, California within four miles of where gold was first discovered. He lived there until 1862, when he moved with his parents to Sierra County amidst the Sierra Nevada Mountains on the Yuba River where his father engaged in river mining.
Bennie attended the common schools of the time and at the age of 16 began teaching in a mountain mining camp where in winter snow was eight feet on the level and he traveled on snow shoes. In 1972 he left for San Francisco, where he entered private school and pursued his studies until 1874 when he entered the law office of Campbell, Fox and Campbell, one of the leading firms of the city.
In 1876, he joined the Native sons of the Golden West, which has since played an important part in the election of governors, senators, and congressmen in the states of the Pacific Slope. In 1877, he became president of Parlor No. 1 of the order, and as such personally organized Parlor No. 2 at Oakland and Parlor No. 3 at Sacramento. In 1878 as president of Parlor No. 1, he presided at the organization of the Grand Parlor at San Francisco, the three Parlors with five delegates each, constituting the Grand Lodge, and there he was elected the first Grand President. In 1884, as Grand Orator he organized Parlor No. 98 at San Diego.
In 1878 Bennie went to Virginia, Nevada, engaged in the law and insurance business and speculated in mining stock. On a straight trip to buy "Chola Postosi" he lost $40,000 in six weeks and then married, broke.
In 1881 he accepted a position in a real estate and insurance agency at Portland, Oregon, in the boom times at the completion of the Northern and Pacific he made a stake. His wife's health failing, he returned to California where she died in 1882. The Santa Fe railroad was then entering San Diego and he here engaged in the insurance business.
In July 1887, thinking he had a chance to make big money, he sold his business and made a trip to Georgia to buy Lelbo Lot located adjacent to the False Bay of San Diego, owned by an old lady living in Savanna Armed with letters of introduction from Olen Welborn, then a Federal Judge, formerly a member of Congress from the Dallas district of Texas, to the two senators of Georgia, and the congressman at Atlanta, he set out to make his purchase. At Atlanta he met Henry W. Grady, prolonged his stay in social activities and he said, "discovered something better than 3 per cent could be secured," Atlanta being dry. After the loss of two weeks, he ten proceeded to Savannah where he met the lady owner of the lot and found the lot had been sold two days before, at a price much less than he was prepared to offer. Mad at himself for failure, he hired a Negro boy to kick his posterior five times. The by was loathe to do so, but did, to the amusement of the occupants of the hotel lobby.
He then concluded to see the East; visited Boston, New York, Philadelphia and St. Louis, where he met the celebrities of the day.
In 1888 he landed at Texarkana, broke, hungry and dry. There he found a job with a surveying corps of the cotton belt railroad, and worked with it into Fort Worth. At Fort Worth, met Mr. Beddle, secretary of the Western Securities Company of which Mr. Somerville, general manger of the Matador Land and Cattle Company was president. Mr. Sommerville believing Bennie to be the man to go demonstrate the fruit and agricultural possibilities of his ranch, employed him in March, 1899, as a farm demonstrator. Regardless of his previous limited experience he made a success of this venture or at least, pleased his employer.
This position he resigned, and at the organization of Motley County in February, 1891, H.H. Campbell range boss on the Matador Ranch became a candidate for county judge. Bennie was in Matador one day when Mr. Campbell came driving into town in a fine Haynes buggy, drawn by a span of fine Matador horses.
"Where you going, Mr. Campbell"? asked Bennie.
And Mr. Campbell replied, "I am running for county judge."
"The Hell you are;" said Bennie. Well I'll just go with you and make the race myself.
So he climbed in and the two made the race together. When the votes were counted, Mr. Campbell had defeated Bennie by three votes. They were fast friends to Mr. Campbell's death. Bennie remarked recently, "I am reminded that all the successful candidates in that election are now dead, but the defeated ones are all still alive, so I can congratulate myself that I was not elected at that time."
The organization of Dickens County soon followed. J.D. Harkey a former Matador hand was the first sheriff. In August of 1891, he persuaded Bennie to come to Dickens County to act as federal deputy for all the county officials, most of whom had never been in a court house before, save possibly as a witness. Bennie ran the county for a year. In 1892 he ran for County Judge of Dickens County and was elected. Col. Jno. A. Green, a lawyer of that section used to say that Bennie's election was due to a change in his political tactics. He joined two organizations of more or less popularity, the Christian Church, then in the ascendancy, and the Goodfellow Club, an organization that met in Samuel G. Flukes store at Espuela, the county seat, at irregular intervals, and had a good time. These two organizations had, by no means, common purposes, but the two together had sufficient following to insure Bennie's election as county judge.
After serving for a time as County Judge, Bennie resigned and tried farming, fruit growing, cattle raising and freighting with more or less success.
In November, 1896, Bennie was elected County Attorney, which office he still holds, and has for thirty-two years and will run in the county election this year for his seventeenth term.
While deputy for all officers he was once waiting on the District Court as deputy sheriff. He and Col. Green had been out on a lark together the night before the judge in calling the docket called a case in which Colonel Green was noted as counsel for one of the parties. The judge said to Bennie, "Mr. Sheriff, call John A. Green, Bennie to the window just as Colonel Green stepped out of an establishment across the street, and then called out "John A. Green, you son of a gun, come into Court." When Bennie returned to the bench, the judge said, "Mr. Clerk, enter up a fine of $25.00 against Mr. Sheriff, it is none of his D.... business whether Colonel Green comes into court or not, I just told him to call Colonel Green.
When Colonel Green came into court the judge also fined him $25.00. At the same term of Court, Bennie applied for admittance to the Texas Bar. Colonel Green and Joe Rosson were appointed to the committee, and made favorable reports, but the Judge, who had ways of his own, refused the license.
At the next term of court, the Judge who had to come from Seymour, on account of extremely cold weather, failed to appear at the appointed time. Colonel Green and Joe Rosson, were the only ones in attendance. Proclamation was made at the court for the election of a special District Judge. Colonel Green voted for Joe Rosson and Joe Rosson voted for Colonel Green. Bennie, for good reasons known to himself, cast the deciding vote for Colonel Green, who at once took office and proceeded to conduct the court. The fines imposed on Colonel Green and Bennie at a former term of court had not been collected. The first official act of Colonel Green was to call from the docket, then he said.
"Mr. Clerk, I observe here a fine of $25.00 imposed at a former term of court on Col. Green and a like fine on Mr. Worswick, you will remit these fines". Then turning to Mr. Rosson he said: The court will appoint you as a committee of one on Mr. Worswicks application to practice law. The court was on a committee with you for that purpose at the last term and found the applicant qualified. You will draw up a favorable report and the license will be granted.
When the regular judge finally arrived he was indignant that the fines he had thought to collect had been remitted. He desired to re-impose these fines but communication with the attorney general, Charles A. Culberson, resulted in the advice that the fines had perhaps been irregular, but legally remitted and could not lawfully be re-imposed.
The subject of this sketch, Judge B.G. Worswick, was married the second time in Dickens County in March 1892, and to this union were born seven children, all girls, whom he has reared and educated.
During the World War, Judge Worswick was food administrator of Dickens County. He has figured actively in two seat contests Espuela against Dickens and Spur against Dickens, in each of which Dickens was successful.
In 1917, Judge Worswick alone stumped the county in favor of a $400,000 road bond issue and it carried by two thirds majority. The result is that Dickens County has the best system of roads of any County of that section.
Although 73 years of age, Judge Worswick is yet young and healthy and known extensively as "Bennie".
A life size painting of Bennie hangs in the District Court Room at Dickens.
June 17, 1928. by Charles E. Coombes
Source: History of Dickens County; Ranches and Rolling Plains, Fred Arrington, ©1971
Not only the citizens of Dickens but the entire citizenship of Dickens county felt the pangs of grief Monday afternoon when they learned of the death of Judge B. G. Worswick which occurred at his Dickens home. He had been in ill health for several months, in fact, for the past two years he had not been strong, and his friends realized that before many months he must be called away. Yet, with all this warning his departure was a great shock to all who knew him.Judge Worswick was born in Folsom City, California, February 3, 1855. He attended the public schools and colleges in that State during a pioneer period, and acquired what was considered at that time a very excellent education. He began the study of law in the office of the law firm of Campbell, Fox and Campbell and was so diligent in his work that soon he was admitted to the bar. He became the representative and attorney for an insurance firm at San Francisco in 1879 while just a young attorney and executed his duties in a successful manner. He was a charter member and served as the first president of the association known as the Native Sons of the Golden West of California, an organization fostered by his and other companies which selected worthy members.
In the year 1882 he became affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and lived an active member. He had been an active member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows for many years and imbibed the spirit of fraternity.
He made a tour of the United States and arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, in 1888. At this place he became identified with the Matador Land and Cattle Company and was sent to the Matador headquarters in Motley County and was one of the promoters in the organization of the County. In 1893 he was elected County Judge of Dickens County and served with efficiency for four years. In 1896 he was elected to the office of County Attorney of Dickens County and held it continuously from that date until the time of his death, lacking just a few months of having served thirty four years. He probably was the oldest County Attorney in point of service in all the Southwest.
Judge Worswick was a life long Democrat and never failed to support the ticket in full any time during his fifty four years of voting. He represented his party on many occasions and serving as County Chairman, District delegate and delegate to the State conventions, or various occasions, his last service being that of delegate to the State convention at Beaumont in 1928.
For his immediate community he served several years as a member of the Dickens Board of Education, and was a member of the County School Board of Dickens County. He was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Dickens Baptist Church.
In 1881 Judge Worswick was married to Miss Julia Meadow. One son, Charles W. of San Francisco was born to this union. In 1887 Mrs. Worswick fell ill and died. In 1892 he won the heart and hand of Mrs. Minnie Burke. In this family there are eight children living. They are Robert Worswick and Mrs. W. P. Evans of Dickens; Mrs.L. A. Johnson and Mrs. Roy K. Harkel of Lindale [sic-Glendale], Arizona; Mrs. T. B. Walker of Wink, Mrs. S. D. Dawes of San Antonio; and Miss Virginia and Bennie Worswick of Dickens. Their children were present for the funeral services.
Funeral services were conducted at the Baptist Church in Dickens Wednesday afternoon at three o'clock. Rev. Harris delivered the funeral oration. Interment was made in Dickens Cemetery, Webber B. Williams acting as funeral director.
One of the great characteristics of Judge Worswick was his loyalty to his friends. He never failed them in time of trouble or otherwise. If he was a friend, he could be depended upon. He probably has wielded a greater influence in Dickens County the past thirty years than any other citizen here. He was a very useful citizen in many respects. He was a very capable man in a professional way and could have held positions of great honor and trust had he so elected. Dickens County has not only lost a time honored citizen but hundreds of people have lost faithful friend in his going.
©The Texas Spur, June 29, 1930
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