Col. Charles Edward Anderson

A Partial Sketch of the Life of One of Austin Citizens

By COL. JOEL H. B. MILLER Editor and Publisher of

"Texas Personnel of Prominent Citizens and Officials"

Also Prof. L. E. Daniels' later publication of

"Distinguished Citizens of Texas"

Col. Charles Edward Anderson

Hon. Ed. Anderson, the subject of this sketch, former sheriff, county treasurer and United States postal official, of Austin, Texas, is the son of Judge Thomas Anderson of Astin Texas, who died in 1894. He was born in Front Royal, Warren County, Virginia, on December 5, 1852, and with his father emigrated to Texas in 1859, and settled near Austin, where he engaged in farming and stock raising. Mr. Anderson who was educated at the Texas Military Institute at Austin, Texas, the largest educational and military school in the South at that time, where he spent three years, and left this institution well equipped as a scholar as well as a military tactician.

 After leaving college, young Anderson served eight years as chief field Deputy Sheriff of the Texas Capital county under the gallant cavalryman and noted Texas sheriff, Major George B. Zimpleman, who was known all over Texas as a terror to outlaws. Those were the wild and woolly days in Texas, Austin being a frontier town. Mr. Anderson's many narrations of these frontier chases after outlaws would make a volume of sensational and hair-raising stories. Edward marries and again takes up the pursuit of his early boyhood, purchasing and operating what was known as the Anderson Bend farm of I500 acres in this county, 500 acres of which were in cultivation. One hundred and fifty bales of cotton, 8000 bushels of corn and 150 tons of hay was his last farming year's crop. "For many years he was a large beef and hog feeder, using his entire crop in this manner. He also had in connection with his extensive farming interests a large high-grade horse ranch, which roamed 1500 head of the best horses ever raised in Central Texas. He organized and for several years served as President of the Colorado River Livestock Protective Association of Central Texas, with headquarters at Austin. Mr. Anderson had a remarkable talent as a practical writer, and while on his farm for many years contributed articles concerning Texas to the New York Tribune and Toledo Blade, which were highly commented on. 

He was elected treasurer of Travis County November 4, 1888, a largely Democratic County, as the nominee of the Republican party, by a majority of 504 votes, after a most vigorous and, to many, a most wonderful and surprising campaign, his opponent being the Democratic nominee and one of the most worthy men in the county. This fact alone attests to the esteem and confidence in which he is held by his fellow citizens. His habits are good; he is enterprising and attentive to his affairs. He resides in Austin, has a young and growing family, and is keenly interested in public affairs, and especially of his adopted home. Continuing in 1890 and 1892 he was re-elected county treasurer over Democratic nominees by 710 and 1308 majorities, in his last race he being the only Republican elected on the entire ticket. In 1891 he was nominated on the Republican State ticket for Commissioner of the General Land Office, and in appreciation of the honor at the hands of his party made a most vigorous campaign and received by far the largest vote of any candidate on the ticket. This was a most deserving compliment over some of the oldest and most prominent Republicans in the State. After the election Mr. Anderson engaged in the land business with marked success. He is Past Grand of Capital Lodge No. 23, I. O. O. F., also a member of the Woodmen of the 'World. 

Early in 1896 he took an active part in the Presidential (campaign and went to the National Convention as State delegate at large. For several years he owned and edited the Southern Republican, a spicy weekly political paper. Rounding out his official career by serving from 1898 to 1902 as cashier and Assistant Postmaster of Austin, in his capacity as cashier of the Austin office nine hundred other post offices in Texas remitted all collected postal funds through this office, which required receiving and accounting for about $5,000,000 per annum to be accounted for each quarter and requiring a $140,000 bond. As county treasurer of the county funds as well as the county school funds, he gave a $160,000 personal bond made by his friends in the county. As will be seen, Col. Ed. Anderson, as he is familiarly greeted in his older days by friends, has served about twenty years in office, both to his own as well as his county's credit, and all the more to his credit, as he belongs to the minority party in his county, which is Democratic by a 3 to 1 vote. Friend Anderson says he is in the land business to stay, as he prefers it to any occupation known, and I say without hesitation that no man in all this great State can be found who is better versed in Texas' lands and her resources than Ed. Anderson. He is credited with personally knowing the exact location of each out of 251 counties in the great empire State 265,780 square miles: 1000 miles across three ways. To illustrate what I have said of Mr. Anderson's knowledge of Texas, a map seller once proposed to sell him a map. Ed. remarked that he could make as good map as that, as he knew the exact location of each county on it. A test ensued and counties were called by the questioner. With his eyes on some other section of the State, twenty-seven counties were called, and Mr. Anderson placed his hand on each one without looking for names. A lawyer standing by said he could catch him and named Encinal county. Anderson put his hand on the east line of Webb and found no Encinal county it was explained that it had been abolisher in the last legislature and absorbed into Webb County. 

Mr. Anderson has traveled extensively in the United States and claims the distinction of having personally known five Presidents of the United States as well as eighteen Governors of Texas, whom he delights in naming in rotation, beginning with the famous Civil War Governor, Uncle Frank Lubbock. Having lived within the shadow of the Capitol for fifty-nine years, and being of a very social turn, he easily formed the acquaintance of most of the prominent officials whose missions brought them to the Capital City. I do not know of a man in the State who personally greets so many of Texas' leading citizens. A volume could he added in eulogy of my faithful and life-long friend, Ed. Anderson, a true. Southern gentleman of the famous Kentucky colonel type. Saucier in modo. Generous to a fault. A true Samaritan to those in need, but as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar with those in the wrong. A man who knows no such thing as fear. A scholar by opportunity, a gentleman by environment, a cosmopolitan by travel. Such is the life and character of this worthy citizen of Austin, whom I have always been proud to claim as my friend.