Google Books
The following excerpts were taken from mentions of Sanderson and Terrell County, Texas, in a Google Books search.Locomotive Engineering A Practical Journal of Railway Motive Power and Rolling Stock, January 1899
Good Advice about Building a Small Locomotive.
The Schenectady Locomotive Works have favored us with a little of their recent correspondence, which is interesting in several ways. It gives good advice to those who may think of attempting to build such machines without proper tools, and also shows how even a busy firm like the above give careful consideration to all their correspondents.
"Sanderson, Tex., August 15, 1899.
"Dear Sirs--Will you please give me a model of your engines and tell me how I can make a small one to run on the ground. I want to make one with as few works as possible. I am a boy thirteen years old, and please explain it all. I will make three or four cars and caboose. I want to make so it the engine will hold about 5 or 20 gallons and go ten miles an hour, and will pull 500 or 800 pounds. All I want you to do is tell me how. I want to play with it, because I have a telegraph line. I enclose 10 cents. Yours respectfully,
"KYLE STANSELL."
The answer follows:
"August 23, 1899.
"Mr. Kyle Stansell, Sanderson, Texas:
"Dear Sir--We have your favor of August 15th, in which we are much interested. We believe that you have taken too much of a job, however, in building a small locomotive, and think that you better try something easier first. It would cost us probably several hundred dollars and a great deal of time of skilled workmen to build such a locomotive as you mention, and if you attempt it, it is almost certain that you will make a failure, and failures of this kind, you know, are very costly and discouraging.
"We think that you may be interested in a little pamphlet catalog which we have issued, and we therefore send you copy.
"We return the 10 cents, as we are very glad to furnish this information free of charge. Yours very truly,
"THE SCHENECTADY LOCOMOTIVE WORKS."
Kyle Stansell born 13 Aug 1886, Kopperal, Bosque Co., TX; d. 1955, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Co., CA, son of Joshua Calvin (JUN 1862 GA) and Clemmie R. Watson (JUL 1862 TX) Stansell, father was a ticket agent according to the 1900 census.
The Journal of the International Brotherhood of Boiler Makers, Iron Ship Builders of America, Jan 1, 1901
Card Lost.
I lost my card issued from Lodge 76, reg. no. 4096, good to Jan. 1st 1902 and stamp book with seven stamps maked No. 30, one strike assessment and five stamps marked No. 76. Lost of a trip to Sanderson, Texas, in the week of Nov. 10th. Should it be found, please return to my address.
With best wishes I am
Yours fraternally,
E.W. Kite,
314 Missouri St.,
El Paso, Tex.
P.S.--Strike off at Alamogordo in our favor; men at work.
Texas, A Guide to the Lone Star State, page 615
Compiled by Workers of the Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administrationin the State of Texas, American Guide Series, Illustrated, 1940
SANDERSON, 121 m. (2,775 alt., 1,850 pop.), in a deep canyon, one wall of which rises over the main street, is sun- burned and Stetson-hatted. In early days it was a wild frontier town. Outlaws roamed the mountains and canyons of the Big Bend country to the southwest, and trafficked in "wet" herds, stolen in Mexico and driven across the Rio Grande, often at the old Comanche Crossing deep in the Bid Bend.
With the arrival of the railroad came more citizens, mroe saloons, and more trouble. For a time Roy Bean owned a saloon here. Other charaters of the day were "Uncle" Charlie Wilson, the town's founder in the 1880's, and the Reagan brothers, principals in the story of the "Lost Nigger Mine." A Negro who had been sent to round up some stray horses, returned not with the horses, but with his pockets full of rocks. The brothers cuffed him for disobedience and drove him from camp, not realizing then that the rocks he had found were rich gold ore. The Reagans are said to have spent a fortune trying unsuccessfully to find the missing Negro.
Sandersoon is a repair and crew change point on the Soutern Pacific, with large railroad shops and yards. The town ships sheep, cattle, wool and mohair.