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GOLDEN WEDDING(Continued from first page)IylS-X)1n,thheheAaytondhebyIr.3I\veofedK)1►re.mit-lssd-y-inbep-titlei*r-rre-byinseeelt-atd-ththidA.rdn,idleof1-ry,icryie.ofiyer'ridrt.i-hd■examination as was the custom, and secured a certificate. The certificates in state and county were only issued for teaching the first, second and third grades with salaries ranging jfrcm forty-five, thirty-five and j twenty-five dollars, which was considered lots of money then, and a school teacher was a great person. Mr. Fooshee taught in many districts around Nocona, finishing at Eagle Point where his romance began.Teachers of those days often had to wait six months or a year for cash on their salaries or accept ten percent, twenty percent or even thirty percent discount. Mr. Fooshee invested his money on a farm on Farmers Creek, which he still owns. The romance began in the -80’s when he secured the Eagle Point school. Eagle Point was then quitea prosperous inland village with general stores, drug store, post office, blacksmith shop and a gin operated by oxen, and a school building used for school, church and any public gathering. Many of our fine families made up the citizenship of this village. Among that number was the heroine of our romance.She wras a member of the Moody family, which included Mr. and Mrs. H. C. Moody with their own family, the children of Mrs. Moody's first marriage, the three Priddy children. Dovie, Betty and Birk. These children attended the Eagle Point school. Mr. Fooshee secured board in the Moody home and walked to school with the children. He tcok great interest in his own wcrk and that of his pupils, which made him an ideal instructor.He found Dovie Priddy to be a most unusual pupil, studious, industrious and quite a lady. He took great pride in her ability and found plenty of time to be with and near her. Then, as now, the dames of the neighborhood began to whisper: That teacher is trying to marry Dcvie Priddy and she Ls not fourteen years old. Dreadful!”This gossip soon reached the grandfather in Denton County who was her guardian. The Priddy children had a small estate and grandpa was sure some one wanted it. He came to Eagle Point on a visit, locked the situation over, and promptly made arrangements at Faint Joseph's Academy in Sherman where his young ward was placed in the convent.Mr. Fooshee. not the least discouraged. wrote his lady, teiling her a cousin would come over on a visit on a certain day and for her to arrange with the sisters to greet him. When he reached Sherman. he sent a note to Miss Dovie. She. with a sister, boarded a mule-draWn street car to town. At the first stop, Mr. Fooshee stepped in and walked to greet his would-be cousin. A conversation followed which was satisfactory to the sister.He shook hands with the coupleand left, but In Dovie’s hand he left a note of importance.He came back to Eagle Point and to work. Later, Miss Dovie came home. No rime was lost in preventing another year in the convent.The wedding of J. A. Fooshee and Dcvie Friddy was the talk of the country, some approving and some wagging their heads—“What a terrible thing! She is so young.” Regardless of comments, on the thirteenth day of February. 1887. at 8:00 p.m. in the home of her mother and stepfather. J. A. Fooshee and Dcvie Priddy were married by the local Methodist minister. Rev. Dick Holland, a distant relative of Mr. Fooshee and grandfather to our present County Attorney.The entire community was present. A feast followed and how proud was the young bride in her fifteen-cent alpaca with over skirt and wire bustle. She was the envy of all the county! And to add to this was her nice calico, second day dress, purchased at a cost of three and ahalf cents per yard. It, too, had a bustje. How extravagant her mother had been! Kind, motherly Mrs. Moody did her best in work, cheer, and counsel, giving her approval and her blessing to the marriage.The bridal trip was made in a wagon to a little farm on Farmers Creek which Mr. Fooshee had bought with his teacfiing salary. They still ‘own that farm. To add to the flavorr.uCl;i.yand richness of the honeymoon, the next day the couple made a drive to Bowie, Texas, in a wagon, which might be compared to a trip to Dallas or Fort Worth today. They purchased their housekeeping supplies, two beds, a stove, two chairs and a safe. Then they enjoyed the trip home, the beginning of the end of the 1886 drouth.Unloading their purchases, they found that the bed rails had been let out. Mr. Fooshee felt sure they would drive back the next day and get the forgotten articles but not so. The next morning Mr. Fooshee said: ‘‘Oats must be planted at once.” Then corn and cotton were planted. It was four months later before thelittle bride had her furniture.She was resourceful then, as now, and piled hay high in the corner of the room and on his placed thelovely mattress and arranged the furniture which she had as neatly as possible. They were very happy.Each morning, Dovie went with her husband to work and plowed, hoed or planted right by his side. In the fall of 1887, they sold forty-seven bales of cotton at three and one-half cents a pound, and hundreds of bushels of corn at fifteen cents and moved to the new railroad town, Nocona. which Jordan and Broadus had founded.From Mr. D. C, Jordan they j bought two acres of land, their present home, and built a two-room.house. Mr. Fooshee associated himself with the general store of Black Mattox and the firm name read Black, Mattox and Fooshee. These gentlemen were also from Eagle Point.Well, launching in a new business is something to watch, despite rigid economy. Times were hard and the i birth of a son, his sickness and I death, took all the available cash.
Newspaper Details
Nocona News
Nocona, Texas, US
Fri, Feb 12, 1937
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Max B.
USA 03 Oct 2019
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