A Mysterious Poem

From The Messenger Nov-Dec  1994  


     Back in 1981, as De Leon was preparing to celebrate its centennial year, a helpful individual forwarded this old poem to the centennial committee for inclusion in the centennial book.  Unfortunately, the book had already been sent to the printer and the poem was put away and forgotten.  In the intervening years, the name of the person who provided the poem has been lost.  If anyone ever knew who actually wrote the poem that too has been forgotten, for the poem was sixty-seven years old even then.

     The poem, which tells of De Leon almost a century ago, was dated january 30, 1914.  It gives today’s readers a very good perspective fo the principal businesses and people in our community immediately prior to World War I and the Desdemona oil boom.


AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR DE LEON

A friend of mine, the other day

   Was speaking of business in a general way

So I took my pen and set me down

   And wrote an advertisement of De Leon town.


I went up to town on a bright sunny day

  And into Higginbotham’s found my way.

They will fed you and clothe you and treat you nice

  And bury you decent if you should happen to die.


Jim Crown & Son, the Racket Store men,

  Will sell you everything they can when you come in,

Tin buckets and basins and pretty good tubs,

  And a nice washboard on which to rub.


Wilson and Whaley are right nice men.

  They’’ll tell the truth and never grin.

They’ll sell you dry goods and groceries too,

  And rest assured they won’t swindle you.


All you fine folks when you come to town,

  Take in the picture show as you go your rounds.

J.T. Edmondson is a nice young man,

   And all of his pictures are spick and span.


W.C. Chambers, the furniture man,

  Buys and sells everything he can.

He will sell you beds at a pretty fair price,

  And all kinds of furniture you want that is nice.


Go to the garage for a new automobile

   If your best girl you are fixing to steal.

They will take you to the parson in a hurry,

   And the old folks can’t catch you before you marry.


Old Brother Morris runs a a feed store.

  He has bran and chops and hay galore.

He will feed your horses, mules and pigs,

  And deliver the things in a pretty good rig.


Emery Terrill runs a good livery stable,

  And he’ll treat you just as nice as he is able.

He has some horses that go mighty fast

  And good new buggies that are made to last.


Mrs. Kate Bills runs the City Hotel

And if you board with her she’ll treat you well,

  For at every meal there is nice yellow butter,

And other good things that’s even better.


If you wish to move to another place

   Go to Mrs. Lester’s it will be a change.

Her house is real spick an span

  And she’ll  feed you all the good things she can.


Mrs. Gregory runs a nice little house

  And everything is as quiet as a mouse.

She is always busy cooking good meals

   And she is sure to give you a very fair deal.


If your are real hungry while in town

  Go to G.H. York’s and he’ll sit you down

To a good big dinner fit for a king

  And charge you a quarter for the whole thing.


Go to W.C. Streety’s for all your clothes

  And a good pair of shoes to cover your toes.

He will sell you everything to eat

   And if it’s a big bill, he will give you a treat.


Go to J.B. Hilliard’s for candies nice.

  He will sell you a bag full for one little dime.

Apples, bananas and grapes so sweet,

  To visit his store is a real nice treat.


W.W. Nance, the produce man,

  Will sell you everything he can,

Butter and eggs and chickens dressed,

  And good fresh lettuce and sweet watercress.


Stan Dabney, the harness fellow

  Will sell you bridles, black and yellow

A set of harnesses to fit your horse 

  For of all harness men, he is the boss.


Norton and Arrington the meat market boys,

  Will sell you fat beef that will make you rejoice.

They are two of the best fellow in De Leon town

  But they surely require on the spot, cash down.


If your Sunday trousers you want to get pressed

   Take them to O.B. Bragg and he’ll do his best.

And if a patch you want on the seat

   He will do the job and do it neat.


Come one, come all, to the peanut stand

  And get your fill on the fat of the land.

Little Mr. Maury runs the she-bang

  And sells peanuts to all in town.


Here comes Howard and Patterson for your trade

  You can get your groceries and clothes ready made

They have butter, eggs, coffee and spice

   And lawns, silks, and muslins nice.


You young married people to E.E. Dabney’s go

  If you want to buy a nice new stove.

He has pots and kettles and hoes and spades

  And everything in the hardware trade.


If at any time you happen to get sick

  Go to G.H. Harmon’s and go pretty quick

For there you can get drugs of every description

   And he is might quick to fill a prescription.


Another grocery man is on our mind

   It’s W.B. Mc Cain and we like him fine.

He sells everything you want to eat

  And rest assured he’ll never cheat.


The First National Bank will keep your cash

  And keep you from getting into a financial smash

And the Farmers and Merchants Bank will lend you money

  To keep you going and make you feel funny.


Lambert and company make a big show

  For they have about every thing you know.

You can get your dry goods and groceries too,

  And prompt delivery accorded you.


If you want a real up-to-date meal

   Go to W.S. Black’s and you will get a square deal.

He’ll feed you everything from a chicken to its gizzard

  And warm you with coffee if there’s a blizzard.



Witt and Harbin, the grocery men,

   Sell meat, butter and big fat hens

Flour, coffee and syrup in cans,

  And tobacco to suit any kind of a man.


J.E. Thompson, the jewelry fellow,

   Call sell you jewels red, blue and yellow.

He can fix your watch to keep good time

   And do a neat little job for only a dime.


Chambers, Strickland, Jordan and Hansford

  A barber shop keep.

Estes and Irvin will shave you too

  And charge you a quarter for a good shampoo.


Besides Mr. Harmon, who runs a good store,

  We have Weaver and Son with drugs galore.

Buy a little calomel and epsom salts

  And send for Dr. Self and his old gray horse.


Terrill Brothers have got things  fixed,

  They’ll sell you groceries and sell them quick.

They are as good grocery men you can find

  And they keep everything in the grocery line.


J.D. Ham will sell you lumber to build a house

  Without any knotholes to let in a mouse.

Our good friend Nabors is a nice man

  And will sell you the lumber as cheap as he can.


C.L. Kinchens wants to sell you a shirt

  Of the very best material he can possibly get

He will be sure to give you mighty good work

For he is a man that never shirks.


Joe Smth and son will treat you well

  And make you a cistern that will last a spell.

And if it ever springs a leak

  Send for Joe or his son  and they’ll come quick.


“Hello, Yes, this is De Leon town,”

   Says the telephone girl without a frown

“No, Dublin, Dr. Inzer is not at home,

   But will call you up as soon as he comes.”


Tom Collie runs the electric light rig

  And week before last he had us in a fix.

Old Brother Stephens couldn’t get out his paper

   About which some people cut quite a caper.


Buchan, Henricks, and Bonds each have a gin

  And if they meet you on the streets, it’s with a grin,

For each expects to gin your cotton

  And turn it out fine if pretty rotten.


Hotel Pittman is a mighty fine place

  For at every meal somebody says grace.

There’s everything good that you want to eat

  And the house is always cleaned neat.


The Union Store would like your trade

  For they have dry goods of the highest grade.

They will feed you high on the fat of the land

  Now beat their groceries if you can.


If a view of your face you want to send

  In a nice little case to sweetheart or friend

Go to C.L. Huddleston, and no matter how ugly you are

  He’ll do you justice, never fear.


There’s Dr. Barnett, i nearly forgot

  They say he’s about as good as we’ve got

I’ll sent for him when I get down

   But he gets so much practice that he’s never in town.


Last but not least, comes good Dr. Weaver

  Send for him if you have a fever,

Or if you should have a congestive chill

  He could cure that, for he’s very skilled.


Miller and Nowlin, each want to fix our soles

  When they get leaky and full of holes.

They will drive in plenty of good long tacks

  So you will never have to bring them back.


J.T. Edmondson will wash your clothes

  In a solution no one but he knows.

He will take out all the grease and dirt

  For he does the very best of work.


Broughton, Haynes, Short and Smith

  In De Leon town are the only smiths.

They do all your work on buggies and wagons

  And do it so nice you will always be bragging.


The Singer office is near City Hall.

  They keep machines, needles and oil.

The Singer is a good machine I can testify,

  For I sold them a lot in days gone by.


A. I. Stephens your watch will fix.

  He will do a nice job and do it quick.

He’ll fix it keep the best of time

  And polish the case till it fairly shines.


Marshall Kimball collects the fees.

  While I am left to hive the bees.

Come rain, come hail, come sleet, come snow,

  They can’t be hived unless I go.


So trot along Marshall, and collect

  The bees are hived and we’ll soon have honey.

Tell Brethrens Smith, Hillburn, Stephens and D’ Spain

  When we’re ready to rob we won’t leave ‘em in the rain.


So when you get married to our burg come

  And buy all you needs even down to a broom.

Dress your wife in the finest of gowns

  And tell folks you bought them in De Leon town.


S.N. Stephens, the Free Press man

  Now, beat his paper if you can.

Bring to him your advertising matter

  And over the country the news he will scatter.


To San Francisco the Free Press goes

  For it has a subscriber in that far port,

A man that is always glad to hear

  The news of De Leon though it’s not so near.


Now I’ve said everything I possibly can

  As an advertisement for Good De Leon

So guess who wrote this, if you can

  It’s neither boy, girl nor man.

   A photograph of the east side of Texas Avenue said to be about 1915.  The location of the photographer is a real question.  Today, to take that photograph would mean the photographer would be located in or atop the former Travelers Hotel building, but that building had not been constructed in 1915.  The Lone Star Theater in the lower center had been replaced first by the Union Store and later the Economy Store by the time the hotel was built. The Bills Hotel which was completed before the Travelers is not in the picture.  So what are the wires to the right of the water tank and where was the photographer?  Could it be an ariel photo?

   Visible in the upper left is the newly constructed De Leon Peanut Company.  Above the center of the city hall is the First Christian Church and the Presbyterian Church is across the street.  The First National Bank is adjacent to the theater and the F&M is on the opposite corner.  The Masonic Hall is the white building above the theater, and the water tower is in the intersection of Texas and Reynosa.