Typed as spelled and
written - Lena Stone Criswell

THE DAILY DEMOCRAT
Thirty-First year - Number 135
Marlin, Texas, Wednesday, October 7, 1931

MARLIN TOWN SITE ORDERED
LOG HOUSE JAIL PAID FOR

"Adams Spring" Set Aside by Court
as Public Watering Place
For County.

Immediately after formation of Falls county and the organization of county court, the commissioners proceeded to establish a town-site on 640 acres of land which happened to be in two conflicting grants, the Chambers and La Serda grants.  Although some progress had been made in adjusting claims necessary to make clear title to the land after
two years the work was still incomplete.  In addition to these conflicting claims, difficulties were met in consummating a satisfactory agreement with General T. J. Chambers, the holder of the Chambers grant.

~~~~~

In November, 1852, the court appointed B. G. Shields to correspond with Gen. Chambers looking toward exchanging claims on a portion of four leagues of land at the old town of Viesca for Gen. Chambers' claim on 640 acres at Marlin," or to negotiate with said Chambers for purchase of 640 acres in Marlin.  Evidently correspondence was unsuccessful for in April of the next year, John W. Pierson was appointed agent and attorney-in-fact with authority to "procure from General T. J. Chambers a title to town tract of Marlin" and "said John W. Pierson is fully authorized and empowered to convey to said Chambers such interest as he may think proper in any land belonging to said county of Falls or said town of Marlin" in exchange therefore.  At the same time an order stopped the sale of any more town-site lots.

The court seemed determined to settle matter of title for they resorted to rights given them under the constitution of Texas and the United States.  A month after Mr. Pierson was empowered to make a deal with Gen. Chambers, condemnation proceedings were instituted.  The court ordered "that there shall be advertised in some newpaper published in Texas notice requiring Gen. Chambers to make a title to 640 acres of land where the town of Marlin is and requesting said Chambers to make title and the same shall be paid ouf the county treasury.

~~~~~

Five days later, May 21, the court ordered payment for building the two-story log jail which had been completed.  Contract had been let to F. W. Capps on January 1, of the year.  The cost of the jail was $1145.  A notation appears in the minutes of the time which is both unique and incomprehensible.  A man, appearing before the court, was "allowed $9.00 for his experience while at Wheelock as a prisoner."  What had he been in jail for?  Why did Falls county owe him $9.00 for "his experience"?

~~~~~

"Pateroles" were needed again, for the records show the appointment, November 21, 1853, of the following:  James McDonald as captain, David Barton, Thomas Wardlaw, Thos. I. Goode, Jas. M. Grundy and A. Adams.  They were "to ride and 'paterole' once every week and as much oftener as they may think proper."

~~~~~

Adams spring, set aside by the county as a public watering place, appears to have been located in the vicinity west of Ward street near the foot of the hill.  Its location was probably refered (sic) to in the description of the Marlin-Rockdam-Waco road accepted by the court in Novemember.  The road was described as follows:  "Leaving the public square and running with the north street and by the school house and spring and thence in a direction so as to cross Flat creek at Fortune's spring, then with the road to Fortune's mill and thence with Fortune's farm road until its entrance with the Brazos bottom, then in a westerly direction to Rockdam, thence with the road out on the west side of the river to the old Waco trace and with said old trace to the county line up the valley in the direction for Waco."

~~~~~

Y. W. H. McKissick was appointed overseer of this road, and at the following court session (next day) was authorized to "operate a ferry at Rockdam."

(to be continued)

(I hope we will one day be able to continue with this most interesting article of early Marlin and Falls County when we have located a copy of the newspaper in which the continuation appears-lsc)

Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing by
The Democrat, Marlin, Falls County, Texas