A Texas Sized Story
My most recent good read is The Harness Maker’s Dream by Pulitzer winner and San Antonio born Nick Kotz.
The Harness Maker’s Dream is available in bookstores and I’m sure on Amazon in both print and Kindle format. I saw it on the shelf of a bookstore named The Twig in the Pearl Brewery area one recent Saturday morning. I’m still learning my way around San Antonio and some of its out-of-the-way areas.
The book is about a young man who at age 17 overcame great hardship, traveled a great distance, knew no English, lived in poverty, but went on to become a good American, assimilated into American life, founded an empire and contributed greatly to the rise of South Texas and San Antonio in particular.
Does that story sound familiar? Maybe.
I would guess most of us out in rural Real Texas are more familiar these days with immigrants from Mexico. It is those immigrants I knew best, played with, went to school with, and am still lifelong friends with. There are some similarities and success stories there. The Kallison story is really intriguing in that hard work and never-give-up attitude can overcome any obstacle. It can overcome poverty. It can overcome discrimination. It can overcome religious persecution.
Hard work and the mindset and attitude of success can overcome almost any circumstance one is born into. That in itself is a lesson.
This young man, Nathan Kallison, came legally through the immigrant system, one of around 2 million Jewish refugees from Russia’s Ukraine and Eastern Europe who were escaping almost certain death and hardship in their homelands. They were persecuted for their religion and politics in Czarist Russia. The Czars and Cossacks even conscripted children as young as 9 years old to serve in some capacity in their armies. They were forbidden to own property or even have basic human rights. It was a life if desperation and despair that young Nathan Kallison escaped.
San Antonio born Nick Kotz tells the story of Nathan Kallison. Nathan was that 17 year old who escaped to America and later made his way to Texas through hard work. He had no safety nets in his journeys. It is only at the end of the book that we learn Mr. Kotz is the grandson of Nathan Kallison and that The Harness Maker’s Dream is the story of his own family.
I’m sure many San Antonio area natives know the story of Kallison’s Store in downtown San Antonio. Many more ranchers and older residents in the Texas Hill Country probably listened to the radio show by Nathan’s son, Perry Kallison. The radio program brought south Texas residents into the Kallison store many times just to meet the Kallisons and in particular, Perry Kallison, Nathan’s son, also known as the Ol’ Trader through his radio personnae.
The Kallison’s were Jewish. Make no mistake about that.
But Jewish ranchers? Or Jewish Cowboys? Or Jewish owners of a feed store or ranch supply store in Texas?
Not in the Real Texas of my youth. That is a highly improbable scenario.
As a youngster, my personal interaction with members of the Jewish faith were practically zero. They still are practically zero. Many of us within 100 miles of the San Angelo, Texas area knew Mr. Nathan Donsky, owner of Nathan’s Jewelers in San Angelo. Mr. Donsky or his representative usually purchased several lambs at our annual 4H stock show. And, as long as he was in business, he purchased lambs and calves all over West Texas and in turn, was rewarded with jewelry business from ranchers and younger generations of West Texas residents. Donsky also purchased scoreboards for our football fields and basketball gymnasiums. He knew where to spend his advertising money. Our limited interaction with those of the Jewish faith was common during that time, primarily due to our isolation and some due to discrimination, I’m sure.
So, I knew who Mr. Donsky was and the possibly that he was Jewish, but that is all. My father and Mr. Donsky were honored together on the occasion of the 50th annual Reagan County Basketball tourney for their contributions to the tourney through the years. That tournament is now in its 83rd year. Otherwise, my knowledge of anyone of the Jewish faith was limited to books and the movie Exodus. My respect for Jews as the under-dog surrounded by a Muslim world was great. My respect for them as defenders of their homeland is also great.
So, my reading of the book The Harness Maker’s Dream, was an eye opener for a Real Texas boy who has limited personal experience or even interaction with members of the Jewish faith. The Kallison family overcame great odds in this world and they proved that hard work, education, and assimilation into the American way of life is a great equalizer. They are in inspiration to us all…of any faith or religion or ethnicity or circumstance.
Texas was, is, and shall forever be the Land of Opportunity if peoples like the Kallisons continue to settle here and call this Great State home. What a Texas Sized Story!
The Harness Maker’s Dream was published by TCU Press. It is available in bookstores everywhere and in Kindle format.
Thank you Nick Kotz for telling the story of your family.
I’m David out in Real Texas
Reading the Texas-sized story of the Kallison family
Learn more about Nick Kotz at: www.nickkotz.com
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
This is a superb piece of writing, on many levels.
OUTSTANDING!
My wife and I were born and raised in Brownwood. Nathan’s opened a few jewelry stores in Texas, one being in Brownwood. It was operated by Nathans son ErvIn. During my high school years (I graduated Brownwood High School in 1957), I always called Ervin and his wife Mr. and Mrs. Nathan. They never seemed to take offense to that and I believe that most people in Brownwood thought of them that way. I bought a few things from them and they always allowed me to pay it out long before credit was common. I went by their store and paid them $5 or so each week. The store was the cream of the crop for jewelry stores in Brownwood and got most of the business there. The store is still there. Nathans brother, Abe, was a beer distributor in San Angelo and joined Nathan in the Jewelry business. Legend has it that Abe was once held up by Bonnie & Clyde. Texas has some great local stories and legends.
Lowell, you can also count me as one of many who paid out our purchases on credit over time back then in West Texas. Nathan’s was unique in its day…..now we are friends with the Hollands of Holland’s Jewelers in San Angelo. Also very fine folks!
I love true stories. Those are those who have had the privilege of being born in Texas (my mother) and then those (me) who came here and discovered “God’s Country!”
For my readers: Cindy Jordan is author of the book “Pearl”, which is an historical fictional based on a bordello in San Angelo, Texas. “Pearl” is in the process of becoming a musical along the lines of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, with the music written by Miss Jordan.
Cynthia Jordan wrote the #1 song “Jose Cuervo”, You are A friend of Mine. Be sure and get a copy of Pearl and look for the musical-I’ve heard many of the songs already it is a sure hit! She is a great friend and super-talented as you can imagine!!
Click on her name above to learn more about the talented Miss Cindy Jordan.
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