The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, May 26, 1944 Page: 1 of 4
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Winkler County Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Winkler County Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Friday, May 26, 1944
Kermit, Winkler County, Texas
Volume 8; No. 11
i
Side
issues
BY H. G. VERMILLION
occurred
*
y
*
attorney
Mrs.
*
*
Wed-
Fort
at
CONGRATULATIONS
Capt. W.
C. C. Elrod,
r
and relatives in South
and
Chairmen Named
For $175,000
War Bond Drive
Summer Session
Of School Here
To Open June 5
Two Men Killed
As Oil Derrick
Falls On Them
J. H, Gober, Kermit
Resident 12 Years,
Dies Thursday
Roy Gulley Goes
To Crane Church
Four Men Given
1“A Classifications
Sandra Wilson Ill;
Is Given Penicillin
Baptist Church
Vacation School
To Begin June 2
Mrs. Ethel Rollin’s
Dies At Home
( N£WS OF OUR
P MENwWOMEN
* ON UNIFORM
Mrs. A. D. Mullinax of the Gulf j
Camp underwent major surgery I
at the local hospital Monday.
. his family, and is a taxpayer here
I with all his interests in Winkler
County.
“I believe in equal justice un-
der the law,” he said.
Olsen said he hoped to see all
the voters before the July pri-
mary, but that if he fails, he will
appreciate the votes, influence and
support of all.
County Attorney
Post Is Sought
By G. C. Olsen
Mrs. L. C. Missiner of Bennett,
N. M., underwent surgery at the
local hospita ITuesday.
Mrs. Webb Jenkins of Mooahans
had her tonsils removed at the
local hospital Saturday.
ELRODS PARENTS
OF INFANT SON
MAN CHARGED IN THEFT
HERE IS JAILED
KJ
*7'
left
parents
“Stogie”
Marshall
The Winkler County News
An Institution Promoting The Interests of Winkler County
Carbon Black Gets
Highest Rating
On Necessity List
Mrs. C. L. Simmons, Jr., and
baby are visiting in the home of
Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Simmons of
the Magnolia Camp this week.
Pineapple Canning
Demonstration Given
For Garden Club
Mrs. Fred Hard Wright, Wink-
ler County librarian, left Satur-
day to spend two weeks visiting
friends
Texas.
visiting his par-
Jeff Hill-
Mrs. J. N. Cannon left Saturday
to attend) market in Dallas. She ) Mrs.
expected to return the last of
this week.
Mrs. J. O. Buffington of Odessa,
who underwent major surgery in
the local hospital last week, is
getting along nicely, according to
i attendants.
on
to
Mrs. Ethel Rollins died Wed-
nesday at her home on an oil
lease near Wink after a long ill-
ness.
Survivors include her husband,
Julius Rollins, four married dau-
ghters, and a 12-year-old son.
Funeral services were onduct-
ed by Rev. Roy EL Gulley in the
Wink Church of Christ Thursday.
Burial was in the Kermit cemet-
ery under direction of the Maples
Funeral Home.
Guy* C. Parsons, charged with
theft over $50, was bound over
to action of the Grand Jury this
week by Justice of the Peace B.
F. Sandel under bond of $3000.
Parsons was accused of going
into W. T. Cox’ hotel room and
taking $10 in cash and a pocket
watch. He was arrested at Wink.
First use of penicillin, latest
wonder drug for fighting infect-
ions, in Winkler County was
made this week as Sandra Wilson,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. H.
Wilson, was treated with the
drug after an operation for an ab-
dominal infection.
The child’s condition was re-
ported as quite serious. She had
become ill much in the same
maner as have hundreds here in
recent weeks, with what appears
to be an epidemic form of abdom-
inal disorder, but hers failed to
respond to treatment.
Penicillin only recently was
made available for limited civil-
ian use and a small amount made
available for use in each county. I
One of the biggest snake yarns
yet is told by my neighbor, Jack
Meers, who said he was working
on a well, bailing out, the other
day when he saw something out
of the corner of his eye, falling
from somewhere.
He looked hastily around, he
said, and saw a large bull snake
on the rig floor, squirming from
its fall and covered with oil.
The only place Jack could fig-
u-re the snake could have fallen
from was the mast, and he could
not see how a snake could have
gotten up there, since the mast
was nothing but a round pole.
But still, down the snake had
fallen, and there it was, with oil
on its scaly hide to show that it
had not dropped out of the sky.
So Jack killed it to prove to
W. F. Garner, charged with be-
ing drunk, was fined $1 and costs,
a total of $14.15, by Justice of
the Peace B. F. Sandel.
* * *
Lt. Durward
son of J. R.
Because carbon black is one of
the necessary components in syn-
thetic rubber, the War Production
Board has given carbon black
the highest official standing
all urgency lists, according
a news release from the Cabot
Carbon Company, which operates
the Kermit carbon black plant.
It was estimated by the com-
pany that 98 per cent of the
current output of Cabot’s Kermit
plant goes into natural and syn-
tetic rubber, but the percentage
used in rubber has grown greatly
since the waj? began, since much
more carbon black is used in
synthetic than in natural rubber.
Statistics on the carbon black
industry show that production is
running about 40 per cent behind
consumption, and the amount of
the material on hand was said
to be alarmingly low.
As a result of the recent rapid
growth of the sythetic rubber in-
dustry, government officials have
estimated that an additional 100
million pounds of carbon black
will be needed to meet the min-
imum requirements for 1944.
The bright spot in the picture
was said to be the fact that pro-
duction has increased and may
reach a record high of 850 mil-
lion pounds this year.
* * *
Elie Lam, who can’t seem to
crash this column with the reg-
ularity he once achieved, said
the other day that he keeps hear-
ing of more rigs moving in all
the time, but little notice seems
to be taken of such events, or
else the oil and drilling compan-
ies are keeping developments un-
der their hats.
Perhaps it is just that the oil
play is getting so big and so reg
Roy E. Gulley, minister of the
Church of Christ in Kermit, this
week left with his family for
Crane to assume the ministry of
the Church of Christ there.
Mr. Gulley assumed the minis-
try here about two and a half
years ago, left to lead a church
in the state of Washington for
a while, and returned here.
The pulpit of the church will
be filled Sunday by Mr. Patterson
of Abilene, and the following Sun-
day by Mr. Kaiser of Coahoma.
The church has not selected its
next minister yet.
I
Ker-
died
Fugitive Captured After Wide West Texas Manhunt
Intensive Hunt
Over Wide Area
Continues Week
The annual First Baptist Church
Vacation Bible School will begin
June 2 and continue through June
16, it was announced this week.
The school will begin with a
preparation day June 2, when the
pupils will be enrolled and class-
ified. Regular class work will be-
gin Monday, June 5, and will
continue through June 16.
Class periods will be from 9
a. m. to 11:30 a. m. five days a
week for the two-week duration
of the school.
Church officials said that all
children of the community are
invited to enroll in the school.
Children 4i through 16 years of
age will attend. The school will
be divided into four departments.
The daily program will consist
of Bible study, recreation and
handwork. There will be no tuit-
ion charge.
what would have happened if the ) R.
snake had fallen on him, as it
easily could have, and if it had
been a rattlesnake.
Mrs. Harold Kaiey and baby
who have been visiting Mr. and
Mrs. Hugh Houston, left last
week to visit her parents ia
Gladewater.
Summer school in Kermit will
begin Monday, June 5 and con-
tinue through July 14, with the
notified program beginning each day at
2 p. m. and extending to 5:15 p.
m.
All the academic work in the
grade school will be offered, but
in all cases only make-up work
will be given to children who fail-
ed a subject or subjects in the
regular term, it was announced.
A child who failed in the long
session thus can gain promotion
in summer school if attendance
and progress are satisfactory.
Nine grade school teachers will
be on hand to offer classes in
reading in Grades 1 and 2, read-
ing, spelling and arithmetic in
Grade 3, spelling and arithmetic
in Grades 4 and 5, spelling, arith-
metic and language in Grades 6
and 7, and arithmetic in Grade
8.
In high school, the subjects to
be offered are English 1, 2 and 3;
typing, plane geometry, Algebra
1, Homemaking, and general math.
A bus schedule will be worked
out for students who wish to
attend.
The swimming pool will be open
from 6 to 10 p. m. daily, and on
Saturdays and Sundays at the
regular hours, it was announced.
and went about his work, some- camp,
what shaky over the thought of camp,
E.
Smith,
Falcon, J. R. Teague,
Coal & Oil, Whitey Fillman, Sid
Richardson, H. J. Perry, Contin-
ental, Walter Fiensy, Emperor,
Mrs. A. T. Skaer, Courthouse,
Elie Lam, business houses, Mrs.
J. M. Waddell and Mrs. W. E.
Reneau, Zones 1 and 2, Mrs. H.
W. Froelich, Zone 3, Mrs. Laura
Furgason, Zone 4, B. F Sandel,
Zone 5, Clyde Bone, Zone 6, and
1‘. E. Summers, rancher
Second
Marshall,
of Kermit, and 1940 graduate of
Kermit; High School, is missing
in action after his plane went
down on a raid over Germany
May 12, according to notification
to his parents.
No report was received on the
possible fate of the crew.
Lieutenant Marshall was the
pilot of a B-17 Flying Fortress
heavy bomber. Following his
graduation from high school in
Kermit, he attended the Univer-
sity of Teras for two years, and
enlisted in the Army Air Forces
as a cadet in July 1942, and re-
ceived his wings at Ellington
Field, Houston, in September of
1943. He arrived in England April
10, only a little over a month be-
fore he was reported missing.
* * *
Sgt. James Dyson, son of Mrs.
Claude Lane of Kermit, has been
visiting his mother here after an
escape from Nazi-held Europe. He
left with Mrs. Lane Sunday to
visit relatives in Dallas and Fort
Worth.
Sergeant Dyson, gunner on a
Flying Fortress, was reported
missing in action last summer
when his plane went down in a
raid on Le Bourget Field close to
Paris, France. Next Mrs. Lane
was informed by the War Depart-
ment that her soh was alive and
well, not a prisoner, but that his
whereabouts could not be disclos-
ed. Then some time later she was
told her son had rejoined his
unit. He returned to the United
States May 1.
In line with instructions, Ser-
geant Dyson cannot discuss his
escape or the adventures he had
en route. Officials have explained
this ban by saying that if the
Germans do not find out about
the escape route, they will not
plug it, and other Allied fliers
may escape the same way.
* * *
“Bill”
Four men registered with the
local draft board were assigned
to Class 1-A this week as the
board made reclassifications.
The reclassification list:
2A to 1A
J. T. Varnell
Edgar' E. Thompson
Travis C. Hurst
Franklin W. Bowers
1A to 2B
Thomas C. Cope
Y. C. Wright
0 to 1C
June B. Smith
2BH to 1AH
Jesse I. Stafford
1A to 1C
Harold E. Baker
Billie Black, son of Mr.
K. C. Black of Imperial,
I was a medical patient in the
local hospital this week.
With $175,000 set as Winkler
County’s quota in the Fifth War
Loan drive to begin June 12, the
Kermit committee chairmen for
the drive were announced this |
week by S. M. Halley, co-chair-
man, with I^ee Johnson of Wink,
of the county-wide campaign.
The quota for the drive now
approaching is the largest yet,
but the E Bond quota of $98,000
is the same as in the last drive.
National, state and county
leaders of the wai' loan campaign
have emphasized that with the
nation poised for the invasion of
Europe, forecast as one of the
costliest military operations in
history, the American public has
a greater incentive now than ever
to put its savings into War Bond
investments, and to cut other
spending to a bare minimum.
Chairmen announced by Judge
Halley are Steve Neely, Cabot.
Pete Simmons, Magnolia, R. R.
doubting Thomases later that he Mitchell, Gulf, George Soles, Sun,
actually had seen the snake fall, W. E. Shever, Skelly Halley lease
Charlie G’arlitz, Sharp
Dee Rose,. Ralph Lowe,
Garber, Standard, Barton
Amarado, Floyd Long,
T. & P.
*
Another sight worth seeing, for
those who haven’t already seen
it, is the cluster of drilling wells
in the deep Keystone Field no’rth
of Kermit. Driving in from the
north, the area looks like a bunch
of big Christmas trees.
* * *
I believe that the business men
of Kermit should think seriously
about re-establishing a chamber
of commerce, board of develop-
ment, or whatever it would be
called.
The time is coming when such
an organization will be needed
urgently, at Kermit’s present rate
of growth. And now is the time
to prepare.
A town is built by men, not
circumstances, and building must
be planned. Those towns that
have forged ahead have done so
because of adequate and intelli-
gent leadership. We should ask
ourselves whether we have such
leadership, and if not, how and
where we can get it.
A demonstration of canning
pineapple was given to members
of the garden club at a called
meeting in the home of Mrs.
Clyde Barton Monday afternoon
by Mrs. Tex Patillo.
She demonstrated methods of
shredding the fruit and prepar-
ing it by slicing.
Those present were Mesdames
W. E. Reneau, Russell Lilly, Roy
Charlesworth, Lee Moore, J. B.
Coffey, Steve Neely, John Fiez-
patrick, L. W. Patterson, Stroud
and Barton.
The next meeting of the club
will be in the home of Mrs. A.
J. Newby May 31. A demonstrat-
ion will be given on the caning
of chickens.
Flight Officer Hubert Bayless,
son of Mr. and Mrs. A. B. Bay-
less of Kermit, has been killed
in a mid-air collision over Eng-
land, his parents were
Friday.
Bayless had been overseas for
some time after receiving his pil-
ot’s wings in Arizona.
The fatal collision
May 12.
Corp. W. R. “Bill” Knowles,
who is statoned at Camp Carson,
Colo., is here
ents, Mr. and
I house.
Promising, if elected, “to be of
help and assistance to any mem-
ber of the armed forces of our
country, regardless of whether
servce was at home or overseas,”
G. C. Olsen this week anounced
his candidacy for the office of
county attorney of Winkler
County, subject to action of the
of the Democratic primaries.
Olsen in a prepared statement
said he is 47 years old, a resi-
dent of the county 16 years ex-
cept for two years at law school,
ular that not” too much attention |is married and lives here with
is paid to one new rig more or
less.
To an old timer in Kermit like |
! me (I’ve been here nearly three
years now) the greatest change
noticeable is at night, shortly be-
fore the midnight shift goes on,
when the drillers and roughnecks
are having a final snack before
going to work.
Kermit at that hour looks more
like the Kermit of 1937 than of
1942, I imagine.
* &
*
Pfc Alfred Pearson and wife
visited his brother, Fred Pearson,
and family Tuesday and
nesday of this week.
Pearson is stationed
Logan, Denver, Colo.
* * *
Marine Corp. Phil Hinkley, who
has spent 16 months in the South
Pacific, is visiting his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Hinkley, in
Dallas, according to word received
by friends. The Hinkleys are for-
mer residents of Kermit, and
Corporal Hinkley is a graduate of
Kermit High School.
* * *
Pvt. Don Mallow, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Gene Mallow, is visiting his
parents' this week. He is station-
ed at Camp Phillips, Kansas.
* * *
S. Fields, stationed
at San Antonio, has been advan-
ced to rank of major, friends in
Kermit were advised. Major Fields
is a former Kermit resident.
* * *
Bud Gutherie, who is in the
Navy, is visiting his sister, M^s.
Charlie Mitchell. He has been on
active duty in the South Pacific
for several months, and is home
on 30-day leave.
* * *
Sgt. Jay B. “Buddy” Adkins is
in the hospital at Camp Stone-
man, Calif., he has advised Ker-
mit friends. He recently came
back to the United States after
(Continued on Page Four)
W. M. U. Makes
Baptismal Robes
Members of the W. M. U. of
the First Baptist Church met at
the' church last Thursday for a
covered dish luncheon and to
sew. Eight baptismal robes were
made for the church.
Mrs. V. J. Holder presented the
program Monday afternoon at the
regular monthly business meeting.
Topic of the program was “The
Work of the Church in the Hos-
pitals Througout the South.”
Those present were Mesdames
W. H. Spears, J. B. Salmon, Jack
Kennedy, W. H. Watson, J. H.
Munn, Byron Bryant. John Bullis,
R. L. Rolston, Roy Horner, Les-
ter Day, Lee Warnick, G. A.
Shelly, and Holder.
Rev. and Mrs.
formerly of Kermit, a- ^ parents
of a son born May 21 in Shreve-
port, La., they notified friends
here this week.
The baby was named Charles
John. Mr. Elrod, formerly pastor
of the Community Church here,
now is pastor of the Presbyterian
church at Athens, La.
One of the most intensive man-
hunts in the history of the sand-
hills country of West Texas end-
ed Friday night with the arrest
in Brownfield of Jack Williams.
Williams had been traced and
raced in and out of Kermit, Mon-
ahans, Wink. Hobbs and Brown-
field during the past week. He
was wanted for jail breaking and
assault on an officer during his
escape at Gatesville, where he
was serving a year’s jail term on
a liquor charge.
Sheriff Joe White and Highway
Patrolman Ed Major came to
Kermit Thursday of last week on
a tip that Williams was here, but
a check revealed he had been
here and gone. He had pulled
out the morning the officers arr-
ived.
The officers trailed Williams to
Hobbs, found he had gone, and
from tli|ere the trail grew cold.
Ruddie Dossey, reputedly the
girl friend of Williams, who had
been working in a Kermit busin-
ess establishment, was arrested
and jailed here on a charge of
! being Williams’ accomplice. She
presumably was the reason Will-
iams was here in the first place.
Sheriff White went back to
Gatesville Friday night, but Sat-
urday Sheriff Ellis Summers in
Kermit got a tip that Williams
was in Brownfield, so White had
to turn around when he got home
and drive to Brownfield, only to
find Williams gone.
So White came back to Kermit,
and waited here until Tuesday
morning, when information drift-
ed in that Williams had been in
a Kermit business house making
inquiries about Ruddie Dossie. On
beng told she was in jail, he left
in a hurry, the officers were
told.
Next came word that Williams
had been seen near Wink trying
to hitch a ride toward Pyote, and
the search turned that way. A
checkup revealed no Williams on
the road to Pyote or in Pyote, so
Summers and White headed for
Monahans, got Sheriff Irby Dyer,
and the three sheriffs began a
search of the town.
Before long White spotted Will-
iams in front of a taxi stand.
But the fugitive spotted the sher-
iff at the same time, and dashed
through the open stand to the
railroad tracks beyond, lost him-
self momentarily in some box
cars, and fled through the negro
settlement into the brush, with
the sheriffs in hot pursuit.
But Williams was faster on his
feet and outdistanced the offic-
ers. Dyer went back and got two
airplanes in the air looking for
the' fugitive, and horsemen went
out to circle the area and to try
to pick up the trail. Dyer found
Williams’ hat and shirt where he
had discarded them, but no one
saw Williams.
The search continued into the
day Wednesday, with hounds be-
longing to Alf Hodges being called
into play at one point, but the
trail grew cold.
Williams was reported seen in
Kermit one more time, but the
next day Summers went to
Brownfield to prepare the trap
that caught Williams Friday.
Summers left Friday night to
return Williams to the jail here,
to be held with the girl until
Sheriff White comes for them.
J. H. Gober, resident of
mit for twelve years,
at 7 p. m. Thursday at his home
here.
He had been ill a long while.
Recently he returned home after
two months of treatment is New
Orleans.
Mr. Gober ist the time of hia
death had a son, two sons-in-law
and three grandsons in the armed
forces.
Survivors include his wife and
seveh children, Sgt. J. L. “Frerich-
ie” Gober, stationed at Warrens-
burg., Mo., C. C. Gober, Mrs.
Mary Wicker, Mrs. Eva Wicker,
Mrs. Stella Dennis and Mrs.
Charles Pamrowski, all of Wink,
and Mrs. Ruby Pearson! of Ibex,
Texas.
Ten grandchildren also survive.
Funeral services will be held in
the First Baptist Chhrch at 2 p.
m. Sunday with Rev. Byron Bry-
ant offiliating. Burial will be in
Breckenridge Monday, under dir-
eltion of Maples Funeral Home.
Two Monahans men were killed
and another seriously injured
Monday night when a steel derr-
ick collapsed on them as they
were working on a drilling well
five miles south of Wickett.
The men, all of Monahans,
were J. C. Witherspoon, cementer
for the Halliburton Company, and
Earl Mitchell, driller for the West
Texas Oi and Royaty Co., dead,
and Lloyd Wood, drilling crew
member, injured.
The men had encountered a
stuck packer, and wTere Dying to
get the drill pipe out by jerking
it, at the same time pumping in
drilling mud, when the derrick
collapsed) on them. The rig, a
light-weight unit designed for
pumping operations, had never
been used, although it was built
a number of years ago.
The well was on the lease of
the West Texas Oil and Royalty
Co., and reportedly was being
drilled for Bill Purcell.
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Allphine of
Kermt, a son born May 18. He
has been named Tommy.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Rogers, a
daughter born May 22. She has
been named Hattie Sue.
Capt. and Mrs. L. D. Nye of
Wink, a son born May 18. He
has been named Douglas Edward.
Captain Nye; is stationed at the
Pyote Air Base.
Lt. and Mrs. Jack Thornton, a
daughter born May 21. Lieuten-
ant Thornton is stationed at
Frederick, Okla.
.Mr. and Mrs, A. A. Decker, a
daughter born May 23. She has
been named Betty Alverina.
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Martin,
a daughter born May 24.
* *
John Williams, Kermit youth
who underwent a series of oper-
ations at the Warm Springs, Ga.,
Foundation, wrote back to ask
his mother, Mrs. Leona Williams,
to thank cAl the Kermit people
who had written him. And since
Mrs. Williams) said she did not
have the facilities for thanking
everyone, she asked me to do it
for her. So here it is.
John is still in a plaster cast
at the hospital, and will be in
one for a good while, but seems
to be getting along fine, his moth-
er said.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Vermillion, Henry G. The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 11, Ed. 1 Friday, May 26, 1944, newspaper, May 26, 1944; Kermit, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1227220/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=0: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Winkler County Library.