Moritz and Marie: Hardship in Paige, Texas

From New York, Moritz and Marie Beier traveled by train to Paige, Texas, in Bastrop County.  The U.S. rail systems was growing rapidly.  They could have chosen routes through Chicago or St. Louis to connect with the Houston & Texas Central Railway.  The H&TC Railway came through Paige every day on its way to Austin.

My grandfather Rudolph Beyer and his sister Ella Beyer Hardi wrote much about Moritz and Marie's life near Paige.  Both were born at a later time, so Moritz and Marie must have talked a lot with their family about the hardships they experienced.

Some of these notes are pieced together from the manuscript photocopies I have been given.

Rudolph Beyer wrote in 1969:  A former close friend August Thiele had left Germany earlier & had started on his own near Paige.  Also August Thiele was first to meet them at the train & took them to his house for their first meal at Paige, Texas.  Father soon landed a job with a farmer, Mr. Highsmith, who could talk the English language only.  This farmer had Father to cut up trees for stove wood & clear land.  The pay was very small, but could take home a hog free for meat any time he needed meat.  Hogs were running wild in pastures & lived on acorns.  They, Moritz & Marie, did not find the new country as they had expected, and would have returned to Germany if they could have made enough money to return.