Stamford American (Stamford, Tex.), Vol. 58, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 26, 1979 Page: 4 of 28
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Stamford Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Stamford Carnegie Library.
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*y DANNY LAMMCRT
Windstorm of '55 left
plenty of area damage
COW POKES
By Am Raid
The death and destruction dealt
Wichita and Wilbarger Counties 16
days ago, coupled with the presence
of "tornado season.” has brought
the question. "Has a tornado ever
hit Stamford9”
The best that can be determined
is that a "killer tornado,” one that
results in life loss, has not visited
-the local city limits And most
residents are quick to state that
there has not been a tornado here
However, an aged issue of the
Stamford American surfaced this
last week and information therein
would seem to dispute that belief
The issue was printed 24 years
• ago earlier this month — April 7,
1955. The mam front page headline
reads: "Wind and Hail Damage
-May Reach $1,000,000 "
While the word "tornado" never
appears in the story, the damage
> inflicted by the "heavy windstorm”
v and "twister" sounds comparable
to that possible with tornadic
winds.
Pictures from the issue, while not
> depicting as much destruction as
those coming out of Wichita Falls
and Vernon, do show damage that
must have been the results of more
> than just a hard straight wind The
evidence which discounts a tornado
•: is the width of the path of damage,
which was wider than generally
associated with tornados
A DPS official is quoted in t£e
story as estimating winds at 70 to
100 miles per hour But at least 70
miles per hour winds have struck
here many times, even in the last
year, without the property damage
■ described in the April 5, 1955.-
> storm
Quoting from the news account
might be the easiest way of letting
•I readers decide for themselves.
"v". ."The twister, which hit the
city just after 6am. came in from
a southwesterly direction and zig-
zaged across the south part of town
for the heaviest brunt of the storm
•1 Finger-like steaks. however,
v reached out and took in other areas
and no part of the town entirely
£ escaped
"Path of the wind was outlined by
a trail of corrugated roofing.
•* leaning service poles, twisted
antennas, smashed garages and
carports, ruffled roofs and tree
limbs, large picture windows were
e heavy casualty to the storm
“Some 500 service poles.
^HIGHLIGHTS FROM AUSTIN—
including electric high line and
telephone poles were broken or
leaning from the wind
“Damaged homes were estab-
lished from 500 to 700 pi a survey
Tuesday afternoon Most homes
had some damage. v
“Possibly heaviest Single loss is
Stamford Compress, in extreme
southwest part of city, where
damage was estimated at $50,000 ”
A sidelight story told of the
personal experience of C W May,
78, who lived three miles southeast
of Stamford on the Avoca highway
” ‘I wasn't really blown out of
the house, but I got battered up
enough.’ ” he related at the time ,
"Windows were blown out and
struck Mr May. hail pelted him and
even a flying mesquite limb came
sailing into the kitchen and
bedroom Numerous small purple
bruises and a cut lip are his tangible
marks from the storm
"One small pullet is all that is left
of his chickens and only one window
is left in the four-room house The
roof cracked and was beat in by
hail, the asbestos siding was ripped
off. the outbuildings were blown
away and the car shed collapsed
down on the car "
Among residences damaged was
the two-car garage on the Cleo
Jones home on Compton Street The
winds ripped off the garage and
storeroom, scattered pieces of
debris for half a block — and left
virtually unharmed the cars setting
in the garage
The colonial style home now
owned by Tom Ryan on East
Reynolds Street lost three of its four
columns Hail in front of the home
was so thick on the ground that it
looked like snow
The top of a sheet iron warehouse
which was located near the
Farmers Coop Gin in west
Stamford was lying halfway in the
street
An elevator located just a half
block from the square was upset
with the pit exposed
Winds ripped the carport from
the home of Gordon Wood on Cuba
Street and sent it sailing through
the air Part of it crashed into a
home on Columbia Street
Whether it was truly a tornado or
a fierce wind remains questionable
Whatever, it was sufficient in
damage and the area needs nothing
like it anytime soon — like forever
__W£J.TCR ' TJIE _
STAMFORD AMERICAN
April 26, 1979
•■v
(?) Ace ■£*>0
shoe him!
-
Gov. Clements' latest surprise concerns
vow to veto measures to raise interest rates
By. Lyndell William*
: AUSTIN - Gov Bill Cle
hients, sticking to his un
predictable ways, said this
keek he will veto any
measures passed by the
legislature designed to
raise interest rates on
Tiome mortgages
Piling one surprise on top
jof another, Clements didn t
•just say he would but
■actually did veto a bill that
•would have let truckers set
•their own rates before
•bringing them to the
•Railroad 'Commission for
approval
Clements described the
[trucking legislation as
•‘"bad public policy." and
?aid the bill could have
jpxempted the trucking
•Industry from state
■^piftitrust laws.
[; The governor saved his
heaviest criticism for
legislation that would have
Raised the home loan
Interest rate allowed by
law from 10 to 12 percent
Elements said it took a
Certain amount of
•‘audacity” on the part of
Ihe savings and loan
Industry “to come to the
Legislature asking for
Tnore money" when SAL
Institutions are already
Reporting record high
profits.
f Sen. Bill Merer, to1
Sponsor of legislation to
CaiK the home loan
Interest ceiling, predicted
B recession because of
Clements’ move '“and
inore probably a
depression in the Texas
bousing industry .”
: But Clements said he had
beard no convincing argu
jnents to raise interest
rates “when the average
Texan is fighting just to
Keep his head above water
financially.”
; Spokesmen for 'the
pavings and loan industry
•aid first-time home
buyers and sellers of used
homes would find fewer
fnortgages on the market
•nd higher down payments
•n those mortgages that
were available
Clements said he would
consider calling a special
session if there is a serious
housing slump
Consumer groups
warned to beware of a
backdoor strategy that
might be used to, in effect,
get the interest rates
increase by reducing the
penalties for charging
more than the 10 percent
now allowed by the law A
bill reducing penalties for
savings and loan institu
tions that charge more
than the legal limit has
already passed the House
Meier, who last week
managed to pass
legislation that will
weaken the Consumer
Protection Act, said
Clements' announcement
of a veto means his
legislation is “dead.”
A veto can be overridden
by a two-thirds vote but it
hasn't bOen done since 1941
and up until that time, the
Legislature has seen fit to
overturn only 25
gubernatorial vetoes
Teacher Pay Raises
Now that legislators
know how Clements feels
about interest rates, they
can get on to, other more
pressing matters such as
teacher pay raises. The
governor has kept no one in
the dark about how he feels
on his subject
From the outset,
Clements made clear that
he favored only a 5.1
percent pay boost for all
state employees, including
teachers
This week, seven of the
state's largest school
districts sent representa
tives to an half-hour
meeting with the governor,
and Linus Wright, Dallas
school superintendent,
said Clements made clear
“he wds "not going to
chapge his position” on
teacher pay raises.
able "That is not going to
be sufficient to meet the
needs of our teachers,"
Austin superintendent
Jack Davidson tol^l
reporters after meeting
with the governor
The superintendents said
local school <• districts
will have to come up with
the money for bigger
teacher pay raises if the
Legislature goes ahead
with Clements' plan to
bodst salaries by only 5 1
percent Wright. Davidson
and other superintendents
felt a 7 percent pay hike
was justified
School officials said
Clements wasn't all that
receptive to their pleas for
teachers to be treated
differently than other state
employees. But the
superintendents found the
governor “very receptive"
to the suggestion that large
metropolitan districts like
Dallas and Houston be
treated differently
Most of the larger school
districts have already put
into effect some of the
changes Clements called
for during his guberna-
torial campaign last year,
such as competency
testing for students.
The governor also
assured the superinten
dents that they will have a
voice in school matters
through Clements'
education task force
Short Snorts
The government has
hoisted the warning flags
again, telling American
motorists there may not be
enough gas to run their
cars on by the time
summer rolls around
Despite the warnings, con-
sumption is up by four
percent over ^his time last
year
One demand that Gov
Clements has been making
this session is that legisla-
tors vote into law some
All of the superinten- kind of proposal that would
(tent's said the governor’s give the voters initiative
proposal of a 5.1 percent and referendum rights,
increase was unaccept- 'Such legislation, for all
practical purposes, has
been beached in both
houses, but Clements has
threatened a special
session if no such bills
reach his desk
Lt Gov Bill Hobby and
Speaker of the House Bill
Clayton seem to have come
up with a proposal that will
pacify the governor —
indirect initiative powers
Under such a plan, voters
would be able to present
laws to the legislature and
have them considered like
any other major piece of
legislation Clements said
he would.support indirect
initiative powers as long as
voter proposed laws have
to come up for a vote in the
Legislature.
Bingo was a loser in the
House of Representatives
this week. Sen Babe
Schwartz of Galveston got
his bill legalizing the game
through the Senate but his
legislation fell 16 votes
short of the required 100
votes for a constitutional
amendment to pass the
House. Lawmakers also
failed to approve legisla-
tion banning corporate and
personal income taxes.
* While the federal govern-
ment was telling us to drive
Jess and save gasoline,
legislators were getting
their tanks filled up with
"gasoline,” a fuel made by
mixing gasoline and
alcohol made from farm
products
Rep Dan Kubiak, the
prime mover behind
"gasohol” in this state,
said it could serve as "one
of the immediate answers
to our fuel crisis.”
"Gasohol” is made from
90 percent gasoline and 10
percent alcohol and
backers of the fuel claim it
can be burned in most cars
without any expensive
alterations. The idea of
"gasohol” is 70 years, old.
Kubiak pointed out, and li
states already have it
available. Cars burning
"gasohol” supposedly
have less engine wear.
J. A. wants
horse sense
for problems
Etiitor's note The Old
philosopher an his Johnson
grass farm on Paint Creek
examines the energy «iuu
turn this week
Dear editor
It looks like this country
is faced not only with a
shortage of energy but a
shortage of horse Sense .;
Take the 55 mile an hour
speed limit If that's whal
we want it looks like a
better way to achieve it
could be found than
pleading with everybody to
comply, especially when
about two thirds don't
The horse sensical way
would bo to require
governors on cars, set for
maximum speed of 55
miles an hour That'd do it
and it wouldn't cost very
much Most cars are being
recalled anyway and the
governors could xbe
installed then
This would be a lot
cheaper and far more
effective than having high
Ain’t it sumpln this ole horse wan’t let any body but yop or Maw pnV,mo,?senoftrdmKers
down which is about like
having one cowboy on a
bicycle trying to head off a
wild stampede
While we re waiting to
get the governors installed,
control traffic by having
tvso patrol cars travel side
by side at 55 miles an hour
at »o mile intervals down
two lane highways If it s a
three laner use three
cars, four use four This
will work except that it’ll
'hack cars up from the
Pacific to the Atlantic,
from Stamford to the state
capitol
Or take lawnmowers
•There must tie 25 or 30
million of them, a large
percentage of^which will
start Think how much
gasoline could be saved if
the Energy Department
spent some of its money not
on pleading with jieople to
conserve but on a crash
program to produce a lawn
grass that grows only two
inches high Think how
much more sleep city
people get by not being
woke up Sunday mornings
by the roar of power
mowers
1 realize this would throw
lawnmower makers out of
work but they could turn to
something else, although I
don't recommend farming
I don.t believe you can
talk people into saving
energy , any more than you
can talk politicians rnte
saving their breath
Yours faithfully.
.1 A
PIONEERS ON PARADE—10 years ago
Kinney among nominees for honor
Taken from the files of the
Stamford American. May I
1969
The Stamford High
School sprint relay team
will compete in the state
traclC meet in Austin this
weekend The school also
will be represented in the
literary division of the
Interscholastic League
Stamford was greeted
with the first major storm
of the year Saturday night
but damage was-shght A
light hail accompanied the
rain but most damage was
done by strong gusty
winds
A Stamford man. Ray
Kinney, will be honored as
one of the nominees for
Retailer of the Year when
the Retail Furniture
Association holds its
annual convention in El
Paso May .16
The Stamford Junior
Sheriff's Posse, in their
first outing of the year,
brought home the second
place trophy
Sweepstake winners of
the Stamford Garden Club
Flower Show held last
Thursday at Carnegie
Library/were Mrs. R E
McNabb, Mrs Marvin
Stanford and Mrs Dave
Walker
Debbie Franklin was
elected president of
Stamford Chapter. Future
Homemakers of America
at a meeting Tuesday
night. April 22
Choya Teichelman was
crowned basketball king
and Lynn Prew it the queen
at the annual Junior Senior
Banquet held Saturday
night at the Cliff House
Romeo Rodriquez
Garcia of Stamford is
among 6X7 candidates for
degrees at West Texas
State University
Convocation will be May is
m Amarillo ('i\ ic Center at
I to p m
(’apt Pembcr W Rocap.
son of Mr and Mrs Don W
Rocap. Lubjbockjias been
graduated from the Air
‘University s Squadron
Officer School at Maxwell
AFB Ala
PIONEERS ON PARADE—20 years ago
Local bank president is CofC head
Taken from the files of the
Stamford American. April
30. 1959
W T < Buck) Stovall,
president of the First
National Bank, is the new
president of the Stamford
Chamber of Commerce
Stamford Bulldogs
finished fourth in Region I
Class-AA track and field
meet in Lubbock last week,
qualifying four men to
Cotton meeting
scheduled
next week
i Rolling Plains Cotton
Growers. Inc., will hold its
annual meeting here next
week
The meeting is scheduled
to begin at 10 a m on
Friday. May 4. at Stamford
Country Club
The agenda includes a
noon meal and several
speakers, including an
officer of Cotton. Inc., from
New York City, and Cong
Charles Stenholm
compete in the finals in
Austin May X
To represent Stamford
in the finals will be the mile
relay team, composed of
Fred Upshaw. Donald
Davis. Delton Jones and
Tab Bunkley; and
Bunkley, running the 440
yard dash
Anne Hudson, daughter
of Dr and Mrs. Ike
Hudson, won first place in
poetry reading for girls at
the regional interscholas-
tic league meet at Lubbock
last weekend
Paul Mosley of Big
Spring was champion of
the one-day invitational
golf tournament at the
Stamford Country Club
Sunday Gene Swenson
was runner up
Four Stamford High
School junior girls have
been certified to attend
Bluebonnet Girls State
sponsored by the American
Legion Auxiliary in Austin
June 10-19:
Each has a sponsoring
organization The girls and "
the sponsoring organiza
tions are Jane Smith,
daughter of Mr and Mrs
Dan Smith. American
Legion Auxiliary . Judy
Mills; Exchange Club.
Elsie Medlin Rotary Club
and Martha Holland
Business and Professional
Women s Club
Stamford High School
golf team came in fourth in
the Region 1 AA Golf
Tournament in Lubbock
Friday
STAMFORD AMERICAN
I NFS M ; two
Dorothy Craig
Danny Lammert
Steven Medford
Modelle Gamblin
Publisher
Editor
Advertising Manager
Woman's Editor
Member
National Editorial Association
Texas Prraa Association
M>>at Texas Press Association
Published every Thursday at the SUmford American office at 124 E Hamilton
Street. Stamford Texas 796S3
Entered ax second class matter August II 1924 at th poat office at Stamford
Texas under the Act of March V 1*70
Stamford leader consolidated with The American July I 1961
Notice to the Public Any erroneous reflection upon the character reputation
or standing of any firm individual or corporation will be gladly corrected upon
being called to the attention of the publisher
Subscription Hates
One Year in Jones and Surrounding Counties * g no
Elsewhere in Texas fj on
Outside Texas 110 00
Postmaster: Send change of qddress notices to
Stamford American. Box 1207. Stamford Texas
79553
TRADE IN STAMFORD
Grab Oil To Big Buys
OPEN
Ham to 5 30 p m
Tuesday Saturday
Service Barber Shof
10HW Mr Barg
.WEDGECO tools help
you get more work
done FASTER
Wedgeco
Hinged Tool Bars
Wedgeco Built
Sub-Soil Plow
Wedgeco Built Hoeme
Style Chisel Plow
Also Spacers. Shanks,
and Foot Pieces
Wedgeco
Farm
Equipment
773-5112
Stamford
Oil-Gasoline Tires
Batteries-Wash and
LuUHcation
ROSS GENTRY
I 773-3361
ft— ——,
301 E Hamilton
Buddy's
Northside 66
and Alignment Ship
Tire Truing and
Balancing
l«fl Na(Mn,
Tubing Master
Muffler and Tailpipe
Machine
P*». 773-2512
413 N. Swenson
“Your Complete
Drug Store”
Bunkley
Drug
Upshaw &
Upshaw
For All Your
Insurance
Needs
See Upshaw &
Upshaw
See Vs For All
Your Welding
Needs
General
^^Welding
Works
X '
See Carl Cooper
STAMFORD
AMERICAN
Office, .School Supplies,
Office Furniture,
Equipment.
Printing
124 E Hamilton
773-3621
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Lammert, Danny. Stamford American (Stamford, Tex.), Vol. 58, No. 3, Ed. 1 Thursday, April 26, 1979, newspaper, April 26, 1979; Stamford, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1170974/m1/4/?q=wichita+falls: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Stamford Carnegie Library.