Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1895 — GOV. HOGGS’ LUCK. [ARTICLE]

GOV. HOGGS’ LUCK.

He Found Pirate Lafttte’s Strong Box and Will Be a Millionaire. Houston, Tex., Cor. Globe- Democrat., Dec. 28 _ In a few more days James Stephen Hogg, who has for four years been Governor of Texas, will lay asidf the cares and responsibilities of political life and retire from publit office. His career has been an eventful one. He was a poor farmer boy before he entered a country printing office, where he went through the regulation apprenticeship of rolling and carrying papers, setting type and pulling a Washington hand press, winding up by adding editorial duties to the others, and taking cordwood, potatoes or other produce in exchange for, his weekly. While editing his paper he studied law, and soon after obtaining license was elected County, and afterwards, District Attorney of Smith and Cherokee counties. Afterwards he was appointed to the office of Attor-ney-General of Texas, and here began to lay his plans to secure the Governorship. He made himself notorious, if not famous, by suits against railroads and other corporations, which he assailed in such manner as to win the plaudits of the boys at the forks ol the creek. Succeeding L. S. Ross and a full treasury, he set about inaugurating reforms, putting in operation a railroad commission, depleting the Treasury, and had ths most stormy time of it any Governor of Texas has ever encountered. But Gov. Hogg loves excitement, not only that of politics, but of the chase, and to this latter trait h< owes his present and coming fortune. Whenever he could find time he would slip off from the Capitol to the coast country and put in a few days hunting and fishing. He was equally as happy angling for bass or trout as on a stand waiting to get a shot at a fat buck or in a big thicket following a pack of dogs in pursuit of bear. On one of-these expeditions, he and Capt. Jerry Longfellow Mitchell were messmates. They chartered a boat and took in the coast along the Gull of Mexico. In a cove near Sabine Pass they put into port and struck their camp. It was a picturesque spot, and a better harbor in case ol stormy weather could not have been selected. The cove was one into which the famous buccaneer and pirate Lafitte frequently sailed when he was marauding the Texas and Louisiana coast. While hunting one day, the Governor and Capt. Mitchell discovered an excavation, which they explored, and found it to be a cave. Prompted more by a spirit of adventure than any thought of making a discovery, they removed all the old rubbish and thoroughly explored it, Their labors were rewarded in the discovery that the cave had been the hiding place of the notorious Lafitte. 'ln a corner was an old box full of papers, a few in the French, but the larger number in the Spanish language. In the batch were the original deeds to - large bodies o! land in Mexico, and tied up with them was an old diary. This diary, it appears, contained a great deal ol Mexican historical data, and had evidentlv been captured by Lafitte in one of his raids. One chapter in the chronology was devoted to a description of the lands which was called for in the deeds. Some of them are far in the interior of Mexico, and were old silver mines rich with the white metal. One piece of property is situated near the ruins pf an old Aztec city, and is said to contain untold quantities of not only silver, but gold. Guarding their secret until they could have the deeds and papers translated, which was done by District Attorney Gillaspie and Judge S. R. Perryman, they set about plans for investigating the lands. As the Governor could not well leave the State on such an expedition, Capt. Mitchell made a trip to Mexico. He explored the interior and located a portion of the property. Counsel was called and a prominent Mexican lawyer was . summoned to attend. It was held in this city about a year ago, and so favorable was the prospect that Capt. Mitchell was again detailed to visit the land of the Montezumas. This time he pursued his investigations further, and with the aid of the Mexican attorney and an experienced mining engineer succeeded in locating two of the mines. Samples of the ores were taken and assayed. They turned out very rich in silver and copper, and the test was so satisfactory that it was determined to operate the mines. When Gov. Hogg went East last summer he consulted with a number of capitalists, and impressed them with the enormous value of the property to which he and Capt Mitchell held the deeds. A syndicate was formed, and the Eastern moneyed men sent a representative to investigate the merits of the claims. His researches satisfied him that untold millions were concealed in the mountains to which they held claims, and he made a glowing report of the result of his investigations.