75
WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1860 .
Austin, or take said Bonds in payment for any money that may be due me from the State, at One Thousand and Fifteen Dollars for each bond and coupons attached, including the July coupon, 1860."-lbid. Sven (Svante) Magnus Swenson (February 24, 1816-June 13, 1896) was born in the Parish of Barkeryd in the District of Smaland, Sweden. He was given a sound education, and after having clerked in a mercantile establishment of Eksjo, he set out to find a fortune for himself in America. He arrived in New York in May, 1836, and worked in that state for about a year, at any job that came to hand; during idle periods, he attended an English school in the town of Sing Sing. During 1837 and about half of 1838, he worked in the railroad shops of Baltimore, Maryand; for the greater part of this time he kept books for the B. & 0. Railroad. In the fall of 1838 he went to Texas. There he found relatives, for his mother's brother, Sir Swante Palm, was the Swedish consul at Austin. In partner- ship with his uncle, young Swenson engaged in the mercantile business at La Grange, Texas. When trade was dull, he peddled his merchandise through the country, a custom popular in Texas at that time. But he was no ordinary peddler, for he carried his goods in a fine, covered wagon, drawn by a pair of large, well-groomed horses, fitted out with ornamented leather harness. The type of goods that he carried, as well as the unusual elegance of his outfit, caused his customers to dub him "the Peddler Prince." But they learned to like him and to trust him, not only to supply them with the goods they desired, or needed, but also to deal fairly with them in trade. Thus, his enterprise was profitable on both sides. In 1844 the mercantile establishment at La Grange was moved to Austin. The business developed into one of the largest business concerns of the State, and it included a banking department as well as mercantile inter- ests. S. M. Swenson also acquired a great deal of real estate, both in the city of Austin, and throughout the state. The old Avenue Hotel, that formerly stood on the corner of Congress at Eighth Street, was the last piece of real estate that he owned in Austin. In the summer of 1847, he visited his old home in Sweden, and tried to induce his friends and kin- folk to immigrate to Texas, but he had little success. In fact, the only person he was able to induce to come with him to Texas, at that time, was his young sister, Anna, who was so thrilled by her brother's accounts of the land and conditions in Texas, that she ran away from Sweden against her parents' wishes, to try her fortune in the wonderful land of promise. But this young girl had better success in inducing her family to immigrate than her brother had had, so in 1848, a large number of Swedes came to Texas. These people were, for the most· part, farm labo1·ers, house.maids, and a few artisans-wood workers, and iron workers. Swenson's old mother, Margareta Israelson, came to live in Texas, but did not like the country, so returned to Sweden; but she visited her son many times before her death in 1894. At the time of her death she lacked only a few weeks of seeing her one hundredth birthday. For her time she was a very unusual woman, independent, self-reliant, and efficient in many arts. She was famed throughout Sweden for her knowledge and skill in the art of weaving. Sven M. Swenson was twice married; first, to Mrs. Jennette Long, who brought to him rich estates in land and negro slaves. These lands were located in Fort Bend County, near the present town of Sugnrland. But
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