This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Kavanaugh, McCord, Keenan Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/hkB.2ACE/5749 Message Board Post: Cameron Herald – Thur., 22 May 1902 "In Search of Greener Fields - The Local Santa Fe Agent Elopes and Leaves Endorsers in the Lurch" Last Saturday sensational reports were circulated in Cameron in regard to the conduct of J. W. Kavanaugh, the local agent for the Santa Fe at this place, however he is no longer on duty as the agent. He was of portly bearing and was regarded as a very serviceable individual. He was on the list of democratic delegates to the state convention that assembles in Galveston this summer. His current whereabouts are unknown. It was discovered on Thursday of last week that there was something peculiar in local railway circles and that some of our citizens were on Kavanaugh’s paper at the bank here were feeling a little weak in the knees and were otherwise generally shaky. Last Saturday the whole thing turned loose like a volcanic eruption when it was learned Kavanaugh had eloped with a woman from Temple, and that by telegram from Temple to his deserted family in Cameron, he misled them on a fool’s errand to San Antonio in search of him. We cannot undertake to portray ! the anguish that now reigns in the hearts of his abandoned family. Kavanaugh’s services here have been of such a noted and valuable nature. The Herald has an advertising contract with the Santa Fe road which stipulates that we are to be paid for advertising in passenger transportation, the contracts expiring semi-annually, when they are promptly renewed, because these relations between us have been pleasant, and we trust, mutually beneficial. Last fall we decided to attend the Dallas fair and the transportation for our entire family amounted to about $36. We made application 2-weeks in advance for this transportation through Kavanaugh, and the time passed on and our date set for our going passed. Those tickets were not placed in our possession until Saturday before the last day of the fair and not desiring to go then, we returned the tickets to him requesting he supply us instead with round-trip so that we could go to the San Antonio fair. We have a like contract wit! h the I&GN railroad and on the same day made application for what we wanted to the offices of that company at Palestine. We received these passes in a few days, but the Kavanaugh business again hung up and the date for our trip arrived with no transportation. We went to the office here and demanded satisfaction. Kavanaugh was polite as a “basket of chips,” and assured us that if we would pay our way to Milano he would see to it our money would be refunded. We did so, leaving Cameron in the night and taking from the night agent a receipt for $2.65 cash paid. Upon our return home, we made application for reimbursement of this small amount, enclosing the receipt as a voucher to be used by Kavanaugh in make collection for us. Weeks and even months passed and still no tidings. We finally got after him and threatened to lay the matter before the general offices in Galveston in person; he remonstrated against this and assured us he would have our money refunded in a! few days. We waited and finally he sent to this office by Blount McCord a railroad check for $1.50 attached to a receipt which we were asked to sign in discharge of the debt. We refused to do this and commented freely on this system of business. Blount reported to his royal highness, who called us up over the phone to tell us that Blount was but an “underling” in the office and didn’t know anything about the business. We at once and for the first time, addressed a letter to W. S. Keenan, general passenger and ticket agent at Galveston, giving him a full history of all these transactions and what Keenan wrote back was a plenty. It was disclosed that Kavanaugh had $2.65 in his possession for The Herald at the time when he sent the $1.50 and as to what he did with the $36. Dallas transportation, he was wholly unable to explain. We read Keenan’s letter to him and his reply and he came near getting fired then. He begged like a dog to retain his po! sition, and upon assurances of future good conduct, he was allowed to retain his position. We wrote to Keenan withdrawing our grievances and asking conciliation as to Kevanaugh. The next we hear of Kavanaugh was that he had accepted a lieutenancy under Sorreltop and had undertaken the work of mustering the railroad vote against McAnally’s contract bill and really he was more successful than was Macune, who held a similar office under the same Jacob in 1895, when the attempt was made to drive The Herald from the field. Constituted by nature as he seems to have been for questionable practices, it was but meet and proper that on a matter involving dishonest methods that he should have been found on the side that he was. [very lengthy article] = = = = = Cameron Herald – Thur., 12 June 1902 Update on Situation - Mrs. J. W. Kavanaugh called on The Herald office last Saturday and secured a number of copies of the May 22nd newspaper containing an account of the exodus of her husband from this city and state. She said she had received a number of letters making inquires about him and the report published in The Herald was so realistic she decided to send out copies in reply. She and her little son were left perfectly destitute and will need assistance or else they will suffer. It is not known the amount of money Kavanaugh took off with him. He had just received his time check for the last month and his family did not get a cent of his. He sold a railroad lot here, received money for it, and did not report the collection to the company. We do not know the amount of his shortage. He moved in the upper circle among the blondes.