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PROVED HIS CITIZENSHIP LaGrange, April 11.–Mr. R Wolters, Sr., of Schulenburg accompanied by his brother, Mayor Theo. H. Wolters, was in LaGrange Wednesday and the cause of his visit brought out quite an interesting story. In 1833 Jacob Wolters, a wealthy banker of Germany, fell out with the constituted authorities in the fatherland and decided to embark for the "land of the brave and the free." A friend represented to him that the people of New York needed harness and leather goods, so the two invested the bulk of their fortunes in that commodity and sailed across the sea. They found that the investment was ill-advised and practically lost all they had. Jacob Wolters sent for his family and removed with them to New York, the oldest son of the family being R. Walters, Sr., who was in the city Wednesday. The Wolters family soon removed to New Orleans and from there came to Texas locating at Industry, Austin county, in May, 1835. R. Wolters, Sr., was at the time 15 years of age and with his father built the first log house erected at Frelsburg, Colorado, county. R. Wolters Sr., or "Uncle Bob," as everybody calls him, is now nearly 82 years old, lived in Texas while it was a State of Mexico; attained his majority while Texas was a republic; became a citizen of the United States by the annexation treaty; served in the Confederate army and has continuously resided in Colorado, Austin and Fayette counties. Some years ago Mr. Wolters took out a claim upon some mining lands in Colorado which have now become valuable. In order to procure the patents to his mining lands from the government, it became necessary for him to furnish written proof that he is a citizen of the United States and to secure these papers of citizenship was the reason of his visit to La Grange. The proof of citizenship was made before Judge Ehlinger of the county court; who said that he felt constrained to take judicial cognizance of Mr. Wolters' citizenship as the court's father and Mr. Wolter's father served together in the army of the Texas Republic, Though 82 years of age, Mr. Wolters is hale and hearty and his never used spectacles, his eyesight being perfect. In the early days of Texas Mr. Wolters hauled freight with ox wagons between points in Austin county and Houston and he relates many interesting stories of the men of that day who did business in Houston and of other interesting characters well known in Texas history,--Houston Post Special. Weimar Mercury, April 19, 1902, page 4 |