JOHN L. SPURLIN, THE GENERAL MERCHANT

Mr. Williams said Spurlin would take credit for a lot he would do, but Spurlin inspired a long write-up in praise on him in the Hamilton "Rustler," by editor Peck, and wished he had kept the article.

("The Rustler" was printed upstairs over a saloon on the north side of the square. Old Uncle Bill Carter, whose father was Old Uncle Red Carter, who carried mail in a gray Confederate uniform and whose mother was a Withcer, told me he and Ras Doggett started the paper, that he bought Doggett out, and ran it. Said he brought Mr. Peck here as a boy as a printer, and gave him a dollar for board when he came in at night on the mail hack from Hico.  Mr. E. O. Peck became the owner and able editor of the paper.  Moved to a building on Main Street. Changed the name to "Hamilton Record." and ran it the rest of his life. After his death when the "Record" and the "Hamilton County News" merged, I personally named the newspaper "The Herald-News," after the first paper started by Captain W. T. Saxon and the last paper. Would have put in the "Record" but it would have made the name too long.

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