Town Full Of Ginners

Halletsville Herald, May 4, 1899

In response to the call issued by W.P. Laughter of the Southwest Texas Ginners' Association, a large number of the ginners of South, Southwest and Central Texas arrived in the city on different trains yesterday and a meeting of the association was called to order at Green's opera house by President Laughter at a few minutes past 4 o'clock.
After the meeting had been called to order Mayor B. P. Stephenson, in a brief speech, extended to the visitors within our gates a most cordial welcome, which was responded to in a happy manner by Judge S.F. Grimes, a member of the association, and the meeting settled down to business. The first thing in order was the election of a secretary and John Williams, of Sweet Home, was elected to that position. Col. Laughter being sick and not feeling able to perform the duties of president, asked that Mr. W.J.McManus perform the duties of that office, and retired to the floor where he could be free to rest and talk- (Col. Laughter has to talk- he just can't help it.) The committee on constitution and by-law, (appointed at the Cuero meeting,) and which was composed of Messrs. John Williams and W.P. Laughter, not being ready to report was given until the night session to report, and upon motion, Judge S.F. Grimes was added to it.
On motion it was decided that all persons in attendance who wore the badge of the association and who were owners and operators of gins be considered members of the association. A motion was made and carried that the names of the different ginners present be furnished the secretary and the names of those in attendance were handed in as follows: Chas. HILLMANN, Yoakum, A.H. POTH Cheapside, Farmers Ginning Co., Cuero, Mr. Vanhoogenhuyze, J. E. WILCOX Sweet Home, PAUL FAHRENTHOLD, W.H. THOMAS & SON Hochheim, FRANK BARTSCH Dilworth, A.FARENTHOLD and LEIBEKNECHT Halletsville, THRIFT & ARCHER Hope, FRANK LANIK Morserrrate, VRAZEL & FEHREKAMP Shiner, FOSTER BROS. and COFFIELD & WILLIAMS Rockdale, G.S. COOK Mineral City, LAUGHTER & SIMMONS Edna, R.W. MALONE Luling, RUDOLPH KARNEY Karney; E.F. ELDER Manager Farmers Milling & Ginning Co, Cuero, J.C. KOEPTH & CO. Sweet Home, O.N. GUTHRIE and WILFERD BROWN Yoakum, WM. MUENZLER COST P.O., POTH BROS. Cheapside, E.A. DORNARCHK Giddings, M.V. SMITH and J.B. FRANKS Luling, A. MOERBE Serbin, C.R. STEINMAN Stratton, C. RIEDEL Riedelville, JNO. T. HOGWOOD Moulton, W.H. BROWN & SON Leesville, J.J. JONES Prairie Lee, B.F. JOHNSON Oakville, S.F. GRIMES and H. RUNGE & CO. WALTER REIFERT, J.C. KOSSBIEL and W.K. BREEDEN Cuero, JOE BARTSCH Dilworth, ERMIS & WANGEMANN Hermis, C.H. HILLMANN Jasmine( now Telferner), SMILEY GIN CO. Smiley H.N. SMITH and MR. WHITE, JOE GERDES Nursery, JOHN STRATTON Cuero, Farmers Gin, G.H. MOHLER Lockhart.
The night session of the association was called to order a little after seven o'clock and continued until 10. One of the main features of the evening session was the adoption of a resolution offered by Judge Grimes favoring the passage by the Texas legislature of the anti-trust law now before the lawmakers, and a motion was made and carried that copies of the resolution be sent to Senator Davidson and to representatives McFarland, Bailey and Adams.
A strong talk was made by Col. W.P. LAUGHTER in favor of the standard square bale and in opposition to the round bale system from the standpoint of a ginner.
The matter of the election of officers for the ensuing year being taken up resulted in the election of the following officers:
W.P. LAUGHTER, president; W. J. McMANUS, vice-president and JOHN WILLIAMS, secretary and treasurer. In adopting constitution and bylaws for the association it was resolved that the name of the association be known as the Standard Square Bale Ginners' Association of Texas. There being little other business to come up before adjournment, Mr. Andrews, a representative of the American Cotton Co., made a strong plea in behalf of the round bale, which, was followed by a paper read by W.K. Breeden, of Cuero, showing up the disadvantages of the round bale. The business of the association being over the members repaired ( that's what it says), to the Commercial Hotel, where a sumptuous supper was served them and where a general good time was enjoyed.- YOAKUM TIMES