Matagorda County TXGenWeb
William Prissick.
Passages in the Life of an Eccentric Texas Legislator.
The Family Pedigree of Hon. William Prissick-Oddities of Odd Englishman
Scraps of Early History
in the Settlement of Texas.
(Written for The Galveston Weekly News
Jan. 12, 1882
By D.E.E. Braman, of Matagorda.)
EDITOR’S NOTE: D.E.E. Braman came to Texas in 1836 to fight in the Texas Revolution (see adjoining story) and became one of the state’s early great writers and chronicler of the Times - William Prissick was an important topic to him.
This is the second installment of the William Prissick chronicles that tell a good bit about Matagorda County life in early and mid 1800s.
From William Prissick from last week
foot, leading his horse and camping out at night.
He was a punctual member of that august body of law-makers, and performed much honest labor on committees; and although in dress and manner uncouth, was respected for his stern integrity and intelligence on all subjects by his colleagues.
After adjournment of the session, he returned to Matagorda by crossroads and by cowpaths, walking and leading his horse, as was his want on a journey.
At some out-of-the-way place midway between Matagorda and Austin he met a dozen of his constituents of whom, for talk sake he turned a distance from the high road; the men gazed with amazement, and at length, said, “Bees your name Mr. Prissick, from Matagordy?”
Mr. Prissick answered, “Yes, how did you know me?”
To which the German citizen said, “I been read ‘bout you in Mr. Flake’s newspaper, and I knowed you so soon I sot my eyes on you.”
“Dot is Mr. Prissick,” I says to myself.
“My gracious, Mr. Prissick, how you find yourself?”
This illustrates the unmistakableness of the strange man’s identity, if once seen or heard of.
When Mr. Prissick left Austin he left undrawn the whole pay as a representative, amounting to about $500.
His Seven Years Travels
In September 1871, Mr. Prissick left Matagorda, ostensibly for the purpose of attending as a member of the second session of the Twelfth Legislature, but in fact he struck off in the uninhabited region of Northwestern Texas, where he met with a fellow countryman named Gilbert, and they travelled leisurely about in that wild country for months, examining and studying the geology, fauna, and botany, lying loose about, and hunting for their daily provender.
At the Pack Saddle mountains, Mr. Prissick and his co-partner Gilbert dissolved companionship and the latter with his old horse, gun, ammunition, small bag of salt and package of matches, started for Denver, Colorado, where he safely arrived in good condition after several months, having walked nearly al the way and subsisted on the small game that he killed with his gun.
At Denver he discharged his horse and took the more expeditious mode of travel by rail.
From Denver he went to Salt Lake City, and remained among the Mormons two months.
From thence he went to the Pacific coast, and arrived in San Francisco without money, and among strangers; but he soon replenished his purse by teaching mathematics in a private class of students.
He also speculated in a small way in stocks, took risks at the gambling tables, bought the fruit of a vineyard on credit and manufactured it into wine and was altogether prosperous in his novel adventures.
After two years sojourn in San Francisco and vicinity, he took passage on a British steamer for Australia in search of his son, who had married on coming of age and settled on the tract of land which his father had conveyed to him.
He landed at Sidney and from thence he traveled into the southern part of Central Australia, and near Lake Forrens he found his son’s grave; also the last resting place of his son’s wife and their two children.
As to what had become of his son’s estate he made no inquiry.
He then sailed to the Figi Islands, to Borneo, China, and to Japan, and after an absence of three years in these countries returned to the Pacific coast.
He then invested a few hundred dollars in suitable merchandise and went in a sailing vessel to the Sandwich Islands. T
here he remained six months, trading with the natives, studying their peculiar habits and names and exploring the wonderful volcanoes in that group.
During all the time no tiding had been heard of Mr. Prissick by his Texas friends and acquaintances, and he was presumed to be dead.
His supposed lifeless body had several times been found, and administration on his estate for the purpose of realizing his legislative dues had been attempted.
It is said that in such a case the courts hold that seven years absence is prime facie evidence of the absentee’s death.
After over seven years of unexplained absence, Mr. Prissick suddenly appeared in Austin, collected the money due him from the State, obtained his veteran pension bonds, and arrived at his old Matagorda home in robust health and spirits, unchanged in features, and with $3,000 in his pocket.
But this amount of money, which with prudence would have long supplied his humble wants, was wasted on frivolous objects, or lost by loaning to irresponsible persons.
He existed during the last earthly turmoil in extreme poverty, and after he had outlived his money and his usefulness, he died uncared for like an unowned beast, in that desolate hovel on Tres Palacios Bay.
Much of good and no little of evil were inherent in the nature of this man, but I judge that the various benefits and kindly acts conferred by him on his fellow-creatures in distress and under other circumstances, far outweigh all the bad effects of his obnoxious precepts and examples.
Galveston Weekly News, January 12, 1882