David Evander Shapard (Chapter 14) 1906-1909 Dawning of a Knight

 Chapter 14

DAWNING OF A KNIGHT

1906-1909

 

After the yellow fever epidemic of 1905, David continued his service as a citizen soldier on the weekends, until he retired from the Arkansas State Guard in 1906, after one year of service. Upon his return to Fort Smith on October 30, 1905, David resumed his full-time employment as a shipping clerk for the Webber-Ayers Hardware Company. To be a better asset to the company, David began taking evening classes at the Fort Smith Commercial College in 1906.

In 1889, Professor George M. Neale (1857-1917) established a non-classical school, whereby, students could receive a modern business education to prepare them for actual employment. The Ft. Smith Commercial College was located in two large classrooms at the Baer Masonic temple building, and specialized in teaching bookkeeping, shorthand, typewriting, penmanship, telegraphy, arithmetic, commercial law, banking, business practice, spelling, correspondence and rapid calculations. Instructional courses lasted about three to six months and cost around fifty dollars, after which, students received a diploma in their course of study. A large number of Fort Smith companies valued the graduates of the college as the most desirable candidates to hire, for they were already trained for the position they were seeking. In David’s case, he was preparing himself not only to be a higher quality order and shipping clerk, but also for the possibility of a better position within the company. The flexibility of the school allowed him to earn a living during the day while attending courses at night. In December, David proudly received his diploma from the Fort Smith Commercial College as one of their graduates of the class of 1906.

        David’s brothers were not only actively traveling as salesmen for their respective firms, they were also climbing the ranks of their companies. Sumner had been promoted as a representative of the Berry-Wright Dry Goods Co., and was traveling to New York and other markets three or four times a year, as a buyer. Edwin Jr., was likewise excelling in his career, and was the head salesman for the W. J. Echols Grocery Company.  Both brothers were also involved in the fraternal order of the United Commercial Travelers. In February of 1906, Edwin Jr., was elected to the Soliciting Board for the Travelers annual state convention that was to be held at Hot Springs on June 6-8. He also was part of the board that made arrangements for the 1907 annual convention to be hosted at his hometown of Fort Smith.

In the summer of 1906, Sumner and Benetta sold their house at 1117 North 15th Street, on Block 105 in the School Addition, and moved back to 513 Lexington Avenue, next to his mother.  On July 30, 1906, Sumner invested the earnings from the sale of his house into a new land investment, by purchasing lots 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, of Block 52 in the Fitzgerald Addition of Fort Smith, from George H. Lyman for the sum of $5,000. Sumner was able to put down one-third of the sale price out of his own savings, and then borrow the remaining $3,500 from Mr. Lyman on the three-year promissory note at 7% interest. Sumner was able to fully satisfy the loan on September 28, 1911.

In early August, during the congressional recess, Lizzie came back to Fort Smith to visit her family. She stayed for several weeks, reconnecting with her mother, grandmother, brothers, sister-in-law and nieces. On August 20, she left Fort Smith by train, meeting her husband at Mansfield, who accompanied her home to Washington D.C.

The day after Christmas 1906, David was invited to a party at Miss Minnie A. Southard’s (1888-1968) house. The house was adorned with Christmas decorations of holly and mistletoe. The highlight of the evening was an entertaining drawing contest between the guests, to determine who amongst them could produce the best profile of the guests of honor Missies Lizzie and Grace Reynolds of Cameron, Indian Territory. After much laughter, the most proficient artists were David Shapard and Eunice Leard, each of whom received the prize of a box of candy.

David and Minnie had known each other since middle school and became friends. They were in the same grade during high school and were involved in numerous organizations and activities together. Minnie was also quite athletic and was the captain of the highs school girls’ basketball team. She attended Central Methodist Church, with the Shapard family, and was very active in the Ladies Auxiliary and Epworth League, as well as, using her talented singing voice for church programs. Shortly after high school, Minnie accepted a teaching position, a career she would follow for the duration of her life. She was the daughter of Wilbur (1847-1928) and Martha Southard (1853-1921), of south 13^th Street, who were engaged in the lumber business; as well as, the niece of Dr. Jefferson Davis Southard who was head of the Fort Smith Board of Health during the yellow fever epidemic of 1905. In 1916, she married Herbert N. Hall (1869-1945) and raised a family.

A day or two after the party, David and his friend, Frank Humphrey, of South McAlester, Indian Territory, son of Judge T. C. Humphrey, escorted Minnie Southard and her guests Missies Lizzie and Grace Reynolds back to Cameron, Indian Territory. The group of young people spent the day together, having a grand time, before David and Minnie took the train back to Fort Smith that evening.

On December 29, 1906, David’s elderly grandmother, Hadassah Hall (1821-1907), was standing in the kitchen near a table, when she fainted and fell to the floor. The impact was hard enough to fracture her hip. She was attended to by Dr. E. H. Stevenson, yet remained bed ridden at the Shapard home. Unfortunately, the injury and her advanced age was too stressful upon her frail body, and she passed away three weeks later, at 7 o’clock in the morning, on Saturday, January 19, 1907, surrounded by those who loved her. At the time of her death, David’s grandmother was almost 86 years of age, and one of the oldest women residing at Fort Smith. She had 24 grandchildren, a number of great grandchildren, and had sadly outlived the majority of her own children. Later that same night, her remains were taken to the train station by Edwin Shapard, Jr., who accompanied the body to Madison Station, Tennessee. On Monday morning, January 21^st, Rev. J. H. McNelly conducted her service, after which, she was laid to rest beside her husband at Spring Hill Cemetery.

Although, a great absence and sorrow was felt in the Shapard home after Mrs. Hall’s passing, the family had solace through the many gifted years of her presence. In the days that followed, Mrs. Shapard was not only heartbroken but exhausted. Having devoted so many years as her mother’s caretaker, there was now an unsettling quietness and stillness in the house, an unfamiliar freedom of sorts. Over the following months, Mrs. Shapard devoted a larger amount of her time to the activities and societies of the Central Methodist Church. She also decided to take an extended vacation, something that she had not allowed herself to do for many years. In June of 1907, Mrs. Shapard boarded the Kansas City Southern Railroad’s westbound train and spent the rest of the summer in Colorado, returning around late September. The following summer, she ventured to Washington D. C., to spend some quality time with her daughter Lizzie and tour the sights.

A great celebration was had in Fort Smith on November 17, 1907, when President Theodore Roosevelt signed the proclamation admitting the twin territories as the new state of Oklahoma. And with a swipe of the eagle quill pen, a new state was added to the dominion over which the American flag floats and a 46^th star was added to the galaxy upon its canton. Fort Smith had been the gateway into Indian Territory and the two were tied socially, politically and commercially, yet constantly in a struggle between tribal law and U. S. law. With the admittance of the free and independent sister state of Oklahoma, U. S. citizens were no longer tormented by the blight of tribal laws, but had achieved the principle dearest to the hearts of all Americans, that of self-governance. At 9:16 a.m. there was a great rejoicing in Fort Smith over the news. Whistles were blown, bells were rung, and guns were fired, and hardly a citizen of Fort Smith failed to make note of the event for which they had desired for so long.

On Saturday, May 2, 1908, David Shapard entered a competitive shooting competition at the Fort Smith Gun Club, of which he became a member. Because of his target practice training while in the Arkansas State Guard, David was quite proficient with the use of firearms. The competition involved shotguns and clay pigeons. Out of 30 shots, David impressively broke 23, as a testament to his skill.

In late 1908, the Webber-Ayers Hardware Company spoke to David about being promoted to a coveted traveling salesman position. The company desired to hire from within, and respected David’s work ethic, character and devotion, however, he had no experience beyond his employment as an order and shipping clerk. In response, David returned to the Fort Smith Commercial College and took a multi-month educational course learning the art and business of a traveling salesman. On February 20, 1909, David received his salesman diploma from the Commercial College, and was promptly promoted to the new position within the Webber-Ayers Hardware Company, selling general hardware, stoves, farming tools, mining supplies and sporting goods.

For years David had aspired to join his brothers Sumner and Edwin as a knight of the road, sharing in the adventures and camaraderie of that profession. His wish, through perseverance and hard work, finally came to fruition. David’s promotion was abundantly celebrated by his family and created an even stronger bond with his brothers, who took him under their wing as mentors. By all accounts, this promotion was the defining moment, whereby, David, at 21 years of age, shed the last vestige of youth and became fully equipped as an adult. What an exciting moment it must have been for such a talented, likable and responsible young man.

On May 20, 1909, David’s mother mortgaged her property on lot 4, in Block P, of the Fitzgerald Addition, being the home where Sumner and his family resided, to the Little Rock, Arkansas & Union Trust Company for the substantial sum of $2,250 in gold coin. She agreed to pay the money back at 7% interest over five years. The loan was satisfied in full on September 11, 1914.

The Shapard family had a joyous celebration in late September, when David’s 29-year-old brother Edwin R. Shapard, Jr., announced his engagement to Miss May Gullette Miller (1882-1968). The wedding was a quaint ceremony, of mostly immediate family members, held on Saturday morning, October 16, 1909, at 6:30 a. m., at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. John G. (1842-1925) and Mrs. Mary J. (Trester) Miller (1847-1928). The Rev. William Sherman preformed the service. Dr. Eugene Stevenson was the best man and Miss Eliza Kinkead was the maid of honor. Fittingly, Edwin Jr. had been the best man at the wedding of Dr. Stevenson two months earlier. Edwin’s bride wore a raisin-colored traveling suit with matching gloves and hat. After the ceremony, the newlyweds traveled by train to Hot Springs, Arkansas, for a ten day honeymoon. Upon their return, they briefly made their home at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Miller, at 403 North 7^th Street, until moving to their own home, in 1910, at 605 North B Street. For a wedding present, David purchased his brother a Hoosier Special Kitchen Cabinet at a cost of $27.50, from the Willis-Brookover Furniture Co., on Garrison Avenue.

Edwin was first introduced to May G. Miller in 1908, upon her return to Fort Smith after graduating from Northwestern University. In June of 1908, Edwin and his best friend Dr. Eugene Stevenson had a charming double date, boating by moonlight on the Poteau, with Miss May Miller and Miss Linnie Burrows. At the time, May was employed as the Treasurer of the Grand Governing Council of the Chi Omega Sorority, and traveled to universities across the United States in the interest of the Sorority. Edwin found May charismatic and captivating, and since they both traveled for their jobs, she was also highly relatable. May had a deep appreciation for history and was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), due to the fact that her father, John G. Miller, was a Civil War Union soldier from Indiana, and her great-great grandfather, Nathaniel Lyon (1758-1833), was a private in the New Jersey Militia during the Revolutionary War.

            By September of 1909, David was fully embracing his position as a traveling salesman for the Webber-Ayers Hardware Company. David quickly proved his capabilities, and the company expanded his territory beyond the “training area” of Fort Smith, to more distant locations in search of sales and new clients. He had finally joined the ranks of the “knights of the grip,” and was spending more and more time away from home and family. On Monday mornings, David gathered his sample case and assembled with his brothers, and the hundred or two hundred other salesmen, at the train station to catch their northbound, southbound, eastbound and westbound trains to their territories for the week. While working for the Webber-Ayers Hardware Company, David traveled a circuit of towns along the Arkansas Central, Rock Island and Frisco North railroads, generally coming home on Saturday. During the week, David traveled by horse and buggy, going from business to business and house to house, selling his wares, in every town along his circuit. At night, he lived out of his luggage, resting his head at the familiar hotels and boarding houses he frequented. In some comforting way, David’s life of a traveling salesman greatly paralleled the life of his father, Rev. E. R. Shapard, during his time as an itinerant minister riding his circuit of churches in Tennessee and Indian Territory.

Although romanticized in some respects, the life of a traveling salesman was wrought with risk and peril, and accidents occurred frequently among the men. The dirt roads they traveled daily were encumbered with ruts, rocks, washouts and pot holes. And their means of transportation by horse, buggy and train was no safer. Runaway or spooked horses were a common hazard, and train accidents, of all kinds, took the lives of many young traveling men during this era. The men also suffered from exposure to the elements during the hot and cold seasons, as well as, inclement weather. As a means of security, life insurance was carried by the majority of traveling salesmen. On September 20, 1909, David Shapard purchased a $2,500 policy from the National Life Insurance Company of America of Chicago, Illinois. He paid an annual premium of $71.20 for 20 years of coverage, and sweetly listed his mother, Mrs. Jennie H. Shapard, as the beneficiary.

While life insurance provided a form of morbid security, the men, on a day-to-day basis, found security in the brotherhood of other traveling salesmen. As men of kindred spirit, they would assist each other by any means possible. Out of this camaraderie arose the fraternal order of the United Commercial Travelers of America (U. C. T.). The charge of the U. C. T. was to unite fraternally all commercial travelers; to aid all members and their dependents, financially and materially; to establish death and disability funds; to obtain just and equitable favors for its members; to raise its members both morally and socially; to operate as a secret society; and, to establish a reserve fund for widows and orphans. Like the knights of old and the code of Southern gentlemen, members pledged not merely to defend the character of woman, but never to violate the chastity of womanhood.

Both of David’s brothers were active members of the United Commercial Travelers, and highly encouraged his involvement. As soon as he was able, David made application to the Supreme Executive Committee on Membership of the UCT. At the time of his application in 1909, David stated that he was 22 years of age, weighed 134 pounds and was 5 foot 7 inches in height. He abstained from all alcohol and intoxicants, and the only health issue he reported was having pneumonia in 1903.

On December 23, 1909, David’s application for membership, being certificate number 77102, was accepted, stating: “The order of United Commercial Travelers of America. This certificate witness that David Evander Shapard has been duly enrolled in the Grand Commercial Army and is a member in good standing of Fort Smith Council No. 86 at Fort Smith, Arkansas. He is hereby insured in a sum not exceeding sixty-three hundred ($6,300.00) dollars, provided he shall sustain, during the continuance of his membership, and while in good standing, bodily injury effected through external, violent and accidental means, which alone, shall occasion death immediately or within six months from the happening thereof, subject to the provisions, conditions and requirements of the Constitution of the Order of United Commercial Travelers of America. He is further entitled to all the rights and privileges of membership accruing to him under the Constitution, and he is hereby recommended to the fraternal courtesy of the Brotherhood wheresoever dispersed.”

“In witness whereof, we have affixed our signatures and the seal of the Supreme Council, in the name of the Beneficent Father of all, this 23^rd day of December, 1909. Done at Columbus, Ohio. (signed) W.D. Murphy, Supreme Counselor and Chas C. Daniel, Supreme Secretary.”

In recognition of his membership, David was issued a U. C. T. lapel pin that he proudly displayed on his jacket. Whenever he traveled, one glance upon the pin communicated a kinship to fellow commercial travelers. In addition, women, especially those traveling alone with young children, found comfort in the U. C. T. symbol as belonging to a gentleman willing to help. David became highly active in the organization, and in March of 1910, had been elected to the office of Sentinel of his local Fort Smith council No. 86.

As he did before, David sweetly listed his mother, Mrs. Jennie H. Shapard, as the beneficiary of his life insurance. David and his mother had a wonderful and respectful relationship. She had imbued him with love and security during his childhood, despite perpetual financial struggles and the early loss of his father. When David reached the age of maturity, he lovingly returned the gift of his mother’s benevolence, ensuring that she would always have love and security while under his wing. No sweeter bond could be shared between mother and son.

In early January 1910, David’s mother began having complications with her health. Over the following weeks, her symptoms intensified, and Dr. E. H. Stevenson was summoned. Upon his examination, it was heartbreakingly discovered that she was afflicted with terminal cancer. David spent as much time as he could with his mother. As time was fleeting, their talks became more deliberate, purposeful and sentimental. One evening she looked into his eyes and told him, “If we do as near right as we know how, everything will turn out all right.” David tried to abide by those instructions for the rest of his life.

Despite Dr. Stevenson’s best medicine, and a remarkable outpouring of community prayers, David’s mother succumbed to her illness, three months later, on April 9, 1910, at 1:30 a. m. She was 61 years of age. The following day, at 3 o’clock in the afternoon, the funeral was held at her house on Lexington Avenue, and was heavily attended. The Rev. E. R. Steele, pastor of the Central Methodist Church, kindly officiated. After the service, pallbearers carried the casket to an awaiting horse-drawn hearse.  David, Edwin Jr., May, Sumner, Benetta, Dorothy, and Jane followed the hearse in chauffeured horse-drawn funerary hacks through the streets of Fort Smith to Oak Cemetery, where she was buried next to her husband, Rev. E. R. Shapard. Her grave was completely adorned with a beautiful canopy of flowers, bouquets and wreaths, as a testament to how much she was loved.