The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1942 Page: 1 of 6
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w
Friday, April 3,1942
Side
BY H. G. VERMILLION
♦
w
♦
neverprofited anyone—except the undertaker.
Magnolia Gasoline
G. I. Brown, plant foreman
Ray
e'
V
Bond, Stamp Sales
Reach High Level
During March
WINK FIREMEN SET
BENEFIT PARTY TUESDAY
Bob
best
John
Pvt. First Class Robert Griggs of
Kermit, formerly stationed in Flo-
rida, now is with the 131st Infantry
Band on detached service at Camp
Wolters, Texas, he wrote The Wink-
ler County News.
INJURED BARLEY CHILD
TAKEN FROM HOSPITAL
Jerry Barley, three-year-old Ker-
mit girl who was injured last week
beneath the wheels of her mother’s
car, was taken home from a Ker-
mit hospital this week, apparently
fully on the way to recovery.
Private Carl J. Dawson, graduate
of Kermit High School, now is in
the U. S. Marines stationed at San
Diego, Calif., he wrote The Wink-
ler County News.
I were driving
a
that
from over the
We thought
Stock Show Parade
Here Outstanding;
Schools Big Factor
Plant Foreman
Critically Injured
Air Raid Wardens
Will Be Assigned
To Their Districts
Wilson Will Lead
Navy Relief Drive
Mayor W. H. Wilson of Kermit
Thursday said he had consented to
become Winkler County chairman
for the Navy Relief Society drive,
and would attempt to create an act-
ive organiation in the county.
The society is one that helps the
families of men in the Navy. Dona-
tions are voluntary, an din many
places funds have been raised by
dances and other affairs.
Issues
Wink firemen will hold a bingo
party in the Wink Fire hall at 8
p. m. Tuesday, they said in Ker-
mit Thursday.
Proceeds from the party will be
used to defray costs of the Permian
Basin Firemen’s Association con-
vention set for Wink in June, it was
said.
third
Ray Carter
in the
James
routed out his Sheriff’s Patrol about
3 a. m. and they set out to find the
plane. About 9:30 a. m. members of
the patrol found the plane.
Nine officers and men from the
school came to Kermit by plane and
car during the day, and late Thurs-
day Kattendorf returned to the
school by car. A huge crash truck
was due from Lubbock to return the
plane.
The plane was closely guarded,
first by members of the patrol and
later by soldiers, during its stay on
the ground.
LeRoy Billy Prescott, who volun-
teered in the Army, is in the Radio
Intelligence Company at Fort Sam
Houston, he wrote his family in
Kefrmit. Prescott volunteered March
Richard Kattendorf,
the Lubbock Flying School, wander-
ed far off his course cn a routine
training flight from Lubbock to
Big Spring and return Wednesday
night, and made a forced “belly
landing” near Kermit, about four
miles southeast of the Cabot Camp.
Flying an AT-6A advanced trainer
plane, Kattendorf was starting back
to Lubbock from Big Spring when
he lost his compass bearings and
veered west. He flew clear off the
area shown in his map, and al-
though there was bright moonlight,
he had no way of knowing where
Big displays of Northern Lights
play havoc with telephone and
telegraph communications. But they
make good stuff to write about,
don’t they, State Press?
Despite income tax payment time
in March, Defense Bond and Stamp
sales in the county increased in
March over April, and set a record
for the year, County Chairman Lee
Johnson announced.
With a county quota of over $45,-
000 a month, the sales within the
county, including both bonds and
stamps, have been: January, $25,-
941; February, $26,992.80, and March,
$29,135, for a total so far of $81,-
468.80. The figures are for maturity
value of the bonds, the figure used
in setting the county quota.
Johnson said that the March fig-
ure, if out-of-county sales such as
in banks and through salary de-
ductions do get the county’s total
proach the county’s quota.
Johnson and Emory Spangler,
Kermit chairman, had not yet com-
piled joint figures on payroll de-
ductions to get the county’s quota,
but said the Wink would be over
$3600 a month.
Then a number of years ago when
I was in Bisbee, Ariz., I got a good
story out of a display of Aurora
Borealis. Strangely enough, these
northern lights were first seen from
the east, and in that direction lay
the Chiricahua Mountains, where
there was big timber. An officer
and a friend drove out from Bisbee
to see the forest fire that caused
the red glow, and had driven 20
miles or so, if I remember’ right
when they saw it was no forest
fire. They were kidded plenty.
Later, in El Paso, I saw another
brilliant display of lights.
Stover, managing editor of the El
Paso. Times, and
home from work when we sa’w
red glow in the northwest
seemed to come
Franklin Mountains.
the big El Paso Smelter had caught
fire, and so reported to the office
by telephone. But later we saw it
was much bigger than that, and
gave two or three corrected versions
as we drove on.
Cadet Sets Plane Down In Sand
cadet from-$>--------------------------------------
he was. About 11 -p. m. he saw a
comparatively level place and set
the plane down. The treacherous
moonlight had not shown him the
sandhills, but fortunately his plane
lurched across the top of one dune,
ploughed through a little valley and
came to rest on another dune.
The plane was ■wrenched, and es-
timates Thursday placed damage as
high as $15,000.
Kattendorf walked a beeline
course to the Cabot Camp and tele-
phoned his superiors. Sheriff Ellis
Summers was notified and he
I remember when I was a small
child in northern Arkansas we had
a brilliant display of Aurora Bor-
ealis. It was one Sunday night af-
The Winkler County News
■■_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Kermit, Winkler County, Texas
O. F, Carr Seeks
Justice O f Peace
Post In Precinct 4
O. F. Carr of Kermit this week
annunced he would be a candidate
for justice of the peace in Precinct
4.
Carr, resident of Kermit, about
six years, is married and has a
family. He made a campaign for
mayor in the election two years
ago, and said the support he re-
ceived in that race convinced him
he has many friends here.
“I believe I am well qualified to
hold the office of justice of the
peace, and that I can give justice
without partiality,” he said. “I
trust all my friends will support
me.”
voters prepared
polls Tuesday to
the county; that these two-thirds of the votes, Justly or unjustly, con-
trol three of the four votes on the Commissioners Court. Naturally1
that is a political point of view—but in politics, more than anything, it
may be apt to say, “Let him that is without sin among you cast the
first stone.”' ' . ' r
Wink and Kermit should be friends. This is a plea, not that there;
should not be rivalry—that is natural—but that it be a friendly riv-
alry, not embittered by harsh charges and counter-charges that usual-
ly are not justified in fact. Why be so silly as to start a feud that
possibly could last as long as there are two towns in the county? Feuds
Mayor Lester Prater of Wink said
Thursday that Wink had a tenta-
tive agreement with the Civil Aero-
nautics Authority whereby the City
of Wink would stand as sponsor fcr
the proposed $364,733 CAA airport
on the site of the present CAA air-
port near Wink.
This came after prolonged con-
toversy over location of the airport
which ended last week when the
county commissioners refused spon-
sorship of the port at the Wink
site.
Prater said he made a trip to El
Paso to see J. D. Church, CAA en-
gineer who is in charge of locating
the airport, offered sponsorship by
the City of Wink, and made a ten-
tative agreement with Church. How-
ever, details have not been ironed
out, Prater said.
Earlier, it had been thought that
Wink could not sponsor the air-
port because of expenses involved.
Land must be bought or leased, and
operating costs will run an estim-
ated $60 to $100 a month or more.
walking honie. It Was during the
First World War, and the supersti-
cious Arkansans saW in the blazing
red lights an omen—they claimed
the red of the lights, the'blue of the
sky and the white of the stars rep-
represented’ thfe -U.‘1S.' (^lbrs, and
surely predicted an Allied victory
over' Germany. The victory came,
al! right, but I have no feeling the
Aurora had anything to do with it.
Tire Retread Quota
Is Received Here;
Sugar Signing Set
Winkler County’s first passenger
tire retread quota was received ’by
th e Winkler County Rationing *
Board this week, along with infor-
mation on sugar rationing registra-
tion to be held from April 28
through May 7.
• ■.....■. ■'
The April passenger tire quota
was 33. This will permit retreading
of tires belonging to persons who
are ineligible for new tires under
the rationing program, it was said,
but who still are in one of the
severely restricted groups set up
under the program.
Sugar rationing registration for
businesses buying to resell, commer-
cial users buying at wholesale, and
institutions such as hotels, cafes,
hospitals, will be held April 28 and
29. Sales of all sugar will be cut off
April 28, and will not be resumed
until May 4, first day for consum-
ers registration.
The consumers, the general public,
will register in the schools of Ker-
init and Wink May 4, 5, 6, 7. All
who expect to buy sugar must reg-
ister so as to receive rationing
bocks.
April new passenger tire quota
was set at 9, and passenger tube
quota at 21. New truck tire qucta
will be 19, truck retread quota at
17, and truck tube quota at 18.
Typewriters rationing will begin
April 13, Board Chairman W. B.
McCago said, but no information on
details has been received.
Do I know about Aurora Borealis?
Why of course I do. I’ve seen ’em—
and this Kermit phenomenon is
strictly Winkler County’s, and does - - .
not belong to Dallas, or Amarillo, istration of the city’s affairs, _
where South Texas thinks the ting the money in and the debt paid
Northern Lights come from, of Med-
• / - r , ■ ■ ■ ■ • •_____ • ■ • / '■ ' •• - - - ’• - . ■ - _
icine Hat or Fairbanks. .
State Press is cdrfect that the
Aurora Borealis has a reddish color.
Or even more so. But this Winkler
County light is stationary, while the
northern lights .are far from sta-
tionary, and don’t tend to repeat
themselves. ” • .
State Press colume of the Dallas
Morning News picked up my re-
marks of a few weeks back tq this
effect: “Who knows what causes
the strange vertical shaft of light
to the north of Kermit sometimes?
It was plainly visible one night this
week, and some persons said they
had seen the same thing lots of
times. It seems to have some con-
nection with old field torches and
cicud formations, but except for its
reddish color, it looks more like
a searchlight beam than anything
else.”
To which State Press replied:
“Why, man, do you not recognize
the Aurora Bcrealis when you see
it? Or maybe you have always
known it as Northern Lights. In
either case it is an electrical dis-
charge originating in the arctics.”
And more on the same line, with
State Press waxing eloquent not
only about Aurora Borealis, but al-
so about Aurora Australis, or South-
ern Lights, about Santa Claus and
other items.
Kermit To Vote On
Officials Tuesday;
Campaign Is Dull
Kermit’s .1942 city election cam-
paign drew near to its placid climax
this week as voters prepared
to go to the polls Tuesday to
choose between two candidates for
mayor and four for the City Com-
mission.
Voting time Tuesday will be from
8 a. m. to 6 p m. in the City Of-
fice.
Thursday night, the City Com-
mission in its last regular meeting
before the new officials take office
voted to extend absentee voting
period through next Monday.
Those who will be gone from the
city Tuesday may cast a vote with
the city secretary Friday, Saturday
or Monday.
(General apathy was shown by the
public as the campaign drew near
the close, in marked contrast to
previous city elections that were
marked by spirited campaigning
and heated controversy ever issues
and policies.
Mayor W. H, Wilson, running on
a ticket with O. C. Mays and W. A.
Clark, is seeking office again on a
platform of having the city offici-
als refund all but $3 per meeting
of their present $50 a month salar-
ies to the city, the money to be
used to hire a night watchman.
■Frank Lawlis, independent can-
didate for mayor, is seeking office
on a platform of business admin-
First annual Winkler County
Livestock Show was ushered in
auspiciously Tuesday by one of the
outstanding parades ever held in the
county.
The parade, which wound from i
the schools through the downtown .
section, had four bands, three i
mounted groups, and the entire <
school student body on floats, bicy- i
cles or afoot.
Featuring a victory theme, the '
school entries were outstanding.
Floats included one with boxers
in the ring, urging physical fitness;
another featured Uncle 'Sam and
his forces; still another featured ;
diet. A Cub Scout float had a fac-
simile of a cannon bearing the in-
scription, ‘<Buy Defense Bonds.”
PATROLS RIDE
Mounted groups in the parade in-
cluded the Winkler and Ward
County sheriffs’ mounted patrols, (
and a group of miscellaneous horse-
for men and " horsewomen. Observers
said it probably was the largest
total of riders ever to appear in a
parade in Kermit.
Bands included those from Mona-
hans, Jal„ Wink and Kermit.
School clfiidren marching and rid-
tor bicycles were a< colorful sight. 57’
One class had numerous children’s ter church’ and aU the peDple were
wagons ridden by Class members
and drawn by others; another
marched in “V” formation and car-
ried a huge V of cardboard and
crepe. Bicycles were gaily bedecked.
I as
Indians; another had a black-face
group.
Large crowds followed progress of
the parade. Following disbanding,
School was dismissed for the day,
and many teachers and students
attended stcck show events in the
afternoon.
LUNCHEON IS GIVEN
STOCK SHOW GUESTS
Judges and stock show officials
and guests met for luncheon at
noon Tuesday in the Bluebonnet
Cafe.
Appropriately, huge beef steaks
were served those at the luncheon.
Forty-two were on hand
Among those who made brief
talks were President G. P. Mitchell
of the show group, Maury Alberts,
president of the Kermit Chamber
of Commerce; Sheriff Ellis Sum-
mers and School Supt. B. F. Meek,
parade co-chairmen; Seth p. Woltz,
finance chairman; Judges J. D.
Prewit and George W. Barnes, Mrs.
Tom Linebery. and Sheriff Irby
Dyer of Ward County.
Stock Show General Supt. Lee
Pool acted as master of ceremonies.
Business Holding
Own, Despite
Shutdown In Oil I
it V .? i •••*■ 1 ■ < j
Announcement that Humble
and various other of the large
companies would end pipeline
proration wae an encouraging
note Thursday, Although uUim-
ate ®ffects tctrald not be predict-
ed. The companies said their
Texas Gulf storage frad been re- |
duced by the proration, and >
they could take more oil ut |east |
for the time being. >
Some Kermit merchants and
ethers have spent much time the
last week dr two asking, with long „
faces, 4‘How’s business,” and being ■-
surprised when other merchants M
said it was holding up. J
This appeared to be true in all
but .a few cases, a survey showed.
Drug, grocery, dry goods and most
retail businesses found slight if
any depressing effects from the oil I
production slash.
Accompanying the business gloom I
were rumors, apparently founded on I
slight fact, that the major oil com- I
panies, particularly Magnolia, con-
templated mass layoffs because they I
could not dispose of their oil from I
the Winkler County fields. This I
month, 18 shutdown days are due. |
Actually, Magnolia laid off seven
employes, department heads said— I
three in the production and four in I
the shops. All were men with less f
than a year’s service with the rom- I
pany. Officials said they had re- I
ceived no information at all on a I
rumored layoff of all who had not I
had five years with the company, I
and said it apparently was sheer h
rumor. |
STOCK SHOW GOOD I
One merchant remarked that sue-
cess of the first Winkler County j
Stock Show Tuesday was an indi- |.
cation that business here is not I
so bad—at least not yet. |
Local oil men have been follow- j
ing efforts to crack the oil trans- I
portation problem. Nationally, the I
picture is one of a bottleneck be-
tween the great production areas I
of the Southwest, particularly West |
Texas and New Mexico, and the |
great consuming areas of the East. , I
Loss of tankers to submarines andl I
diversion to war purposes of other" I
tankers has cut off much of the I
capacity of the one major source I
of getting oil from Texas to the At- g
lantic coast. I
Almost all agreed that the Wink- |
ler County production and business I
picture would be as good as ever g
should that problem be solved. |
Hugh Moore, independent candi-
date for commissioner, is seeking
office on a pledge to seek to straigh-
ten out the city’s affairs and give
a good administration.
Homer “Beck” Crowley announc-
ed on a platform of reducing the
city water rate.
Voulme 6; Number 3
Wink’s Offer To Back
CAA Airport Accepted
!....................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Prater And Church
Agree Tentatively
In El Paso Talk
Why Be So Silly?
AN EDITORIAL
Wink has been at Kermit’s throat—or so some citizens of Wink be-
lieve—ever since Kermit fell in enthusiastically with the CAA’s pro-
posal to build a $364,733 airport halfway between Wink and Kermit
instead of at the old site the other side of Wink from Kermit.
■What’s all the fuss about? Well, let’s look at it realistically. First,
both Wink and Kermit citizens are selfish, as is the rest of the world.
They want what will benefit them. So both want the airport. When
Kermit thought Wink was the spot 'being considered, Kermit residents
backed Wink with telegrams and letters; when it appeared it could
be moved halfway, Kermit residents were happy.
But Wink residents were not—not all of them. They saw “subver-
sive” activities in the Kermit residents’ actions taken to back the,
Kermit view. They made stinging charges which, of course, were
promptly hurled back, human nature being what it is.
At that time—and mark this ;w!ell-—The Winkler County News
carried quotations from a majority of the Winkler County Com-
missioners Court to the effect they would1 not lybte to sponsor the
field at Wink, now that a half way sitewas being iconsidered. This
word was given ;to Ji D. Church, the CAA engineer who represent-
ed the CAA in all CAA negotiations here.
'Time lags. The fight is all but forgotten. Then Church writes that
the CAA wants to put the field at Wink, and asks if the county will
sponsor it there. The three commissioners did just what they had
given their word they would do—voted against the Wink project.
;'And then dries Wink rise up in arms! To quote from the Wink Bul-
letin: “Either these commissioners are so narrow-minded, self-center-
ed and jealous of anything that may help Wink (even if it is in Wink-
ler County) that they unpatriotically refuse to aid and assist a gov-
ernment request for sponsorship—dr they are so afraid of certain
political bosses in Kermit, that they follow their dictates, rather than
their own conscieace and opinions."
These are strong words—stronger than the situation merits. Cer-
tainly, to a degree, Wink has a squawk coming. And those who hav®
just been hurt are apt to lash out wildly. But those in Wink' should r
realize that Kermit controls approximately two-thirds of the votes in
for
the Magnolia Petroleum Company’s
Kermit gasoline plant, was critical-
ly’injured late Sunday when his
motorcycle overturned in soft sand
as he was returning to Kermit from
the Wink airport by way of the
Magnolia tank farm.
Brown’s collar bone was broken
and he received head injuries when
the accident occurred about 8 p. m.
Some negroes picked him up and
took him to Wink, where friends
brought him to a Kermit hospital.
Brown recovered consciousness,
but suddenly took a turn for the
worse about two hours later and
lapsed into a coma from which he
had not recovered Thursday. Doc-
tors held some hope for his recov-
ery, but said it was purely a matter
of time and other factors beyond
their control.
They said there was some physic-
al injury to the brain that was
causing the coma.
Brown has been with Magnolia
about 17 years, and has held his
present position about three years.
He is approximately 40 years old.
Kermit Air Raid Wardens Service
will be set up in its final form, and
Wardens will be assigned to districts
in a meeting Monday night in the
High School Library, it was an-
nounced Thursday.
Prospective wardens have been
taking intensive courses of study
on phases of air raid warden work,
but so far have not been assigned
to the territory they will guard in
case of raids.
Wardens and auxiliary firemen,
along with other groups, were shown
a film on incendiary bombs which
was bought by the Kermit Volun-
teer Fire Depatment. Next week the
film will be shown to a civilian first
aid class Tuesday night in the
Grade School Auditorium, and of-
ficials of the department said the
public is invited to see the film and
hear the accompanying talk and
demonstration.
Stock Show Success;
Jack Reeves Calf
Sweeps Club Honors
Barring unfavorable war conditions, Winkler County’s First Annual
Livestock Show should grow into a bigger and 'better attraction from year
to year, judging from outstanding success of the first show held Tuesday.
This was the opinion of most of those who attended and who have
watched other West Texas shows grow from small beginnings.
Top 4-H Club calf honors Tuesday were taken by Wimpy, milk-fed
animal fed out by Jack Reeves and^>-------------:-------------------
bred by G. P. “Pink” Mitchell,
Winkler County rancher and presi-
dent of the show committee whose
animals won numerous prizes.
(Second was Joe Nichols,
Junior Cryer, fourth
and fifth William Priebe,
milk-fed animal division.
Jett’s calf won in the dry-lot divi-
sion, with Wilbur Jett’s animal sec-
ond.
Glenn Taylor of the San Angelo
Standard-Times, who covered the
show and has covered scores of
similar shows in West Texas, said
he believed the quality of animals
was outstanding, and that the
champion calf would show well in
any company.
Young Reeves and young Priebe
will show their calves in the Odessa
show, where the auction of 4-H Club
drives will be held at 10 a. m. Sat-
urday.
l^ONAHANS SHOW
Next week, Thursday, Friday and
Saturday, the Pecos Valley Live-
stock Show will be held in Mona-
hans, and many of the animals en-
tered in the Kermit show Will be
shown there. “ ' "
County Agent I^ee Pool, general
superintendent of the »Winkler
County, show, announced that J. H.
Hale had given $10 to Reeves fcr
winning first place with his calf.
In addition, Hale had sold feed at
cost to the 4-H boys, Pool said.
’Grand champion Hereford bull
shown was entered by Pat Wilson
of Pyote, Whose young animal, Sup-
erior A 30th, Was calved April 17,
1941. In the final judging, Wilson’s
young bull won over two older bulls.
In the older bull division, Char-
ley Mitchell’s entry was first, Tdm
Linebery’s second and H. J. Perry’s
third. In medium age group, Jim . . ______ _____ a___,______
Waddell’s bull was fjrst, G; P. Mit-j One group cf marchers appeared
chell’s second. In the young age
group, Wilson’s animal was first
G. P. Mitchell’s bulls second and
third. r,r,;' *•■•*
In the female registered Hereford
division, G. P. Mitchell’s Bonny
Lulu 41st was grand champion,
shown against another G. P. Mit-
chell animal in the final judging. S.
W. Estes of Monahans showed the
second place winner in the medium
age group, and Charlie Mitchell
and Jim Waddell’s animals placed
second and third in the youngest
group.
E. H. Self and Jack Williams won
prizes in the swine division, where
there was little competition.
SHISLER’S HORSE BEST
In the horse divisions, Jack Shis-
ler of Barstow showed the best
stallion of the shew, and Jim Deak-
ins of Pecos the best gelding. Jess
Hildreth showed the second horse
in the all-age greup.
Shisler’s stallion won in the
thoroughbred division, with Hil-
dreth second; Jim Waddell’s quar-
ter horse stallion was first;
Spence of Pecos showed the
quarter horse gelding, with
Haley, Jr., second and Mrs. Charlie
Mitchell third; Shisler showed ^the
best quarter horse filly.
Pat Wilson had the best Palomino
stallion, with John Haley second;
Wilson also had< the best Palomino
gelding. Mrs. M. A. Matlock of
Monahans showed the best Palo-
mino filly, with Gene Halley of
Kermit second.
I nthe dairy cattle class, Jimmie
Williams of Monahans showed the
best bull under one year; Bud Ta-
tom of Monohans the best heifer
under one year; Clayton Tatom the
best heifer one to two years, and
Buddy Tatom the best female..
In the poultry division, there
were numbers of entries, but almost
no competition. Prizes were won by
Bob Smith, Regan Teague, A. E.
Kotrola, Mrs. Myrtle Foster, A. M.
McBride, Mrs. Roy Glass, Betty Jo
Purvis, J. B. Porterfield, Carl A.
Jones, W. R. Vance, P. L. Williams
and Perry Williams. Entries includ-
ed ducks, pigeons, Guineas, bantams
and numerous chicken breeds.
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Vermillion, Henry G. The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, April 3, 1942, newspaper, April 3, 1942; Kermit, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1227138/m1/1/?q=+date%3A1941-1945: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Winkler County Library.