The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 127, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1976 Page: 2 of 34
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PAGE TWO-THE CHEROKEEAN OF RUSK, TEXAS. THURSDAY, JUNE 14. im
Commentary • • • ISeirn & Vie tr*
Ml cililorials a|ip<-;it Iiik uiidcr this hrading wrrr wrHlrti rkrhfeitrly for THr
< ln'MtVcriin h\ HM-inhrr* id this ni*u %p«iprr' «tail. AN rtlilariil comment
iMIici mísi- MituHiil im htirroMi-il is appropriately crrdilrd '(¡vntl Editorial.'
Engine 6200' To Lead Train
A Dream Gome True
Tomorrow will see the fulfillment
of o dream. The official dedication of
Rusk City Park ond initial runs of
Texas State Railroad mark the end of
many long hours of preparation of
this public focility and the beginning
of yet another phase in the plans for
a successful city pork operation and
tourist train.
Those who have shared o part as a
member of Rusk's Pork Board of
Managers, as a member of the Texas
Parks and Wildlife Commission, as
civic leaders who have provided
valuable input into the park's
development or as a citizen who has
given support to the projects
organized in the park's behalf, can be
proud of the fine facility which Rusk
will formally present to its citizens
and to thousands of yet unknown
visitors who are destined to visit the
park.
The completion of this project
during the Bicentennial year is
significant considering the historical
nature of the railroad. More than
that, the accomplishment of this
dream is a direct result of a quality
which hot been associated with the
American spirit-determination. This
idea of a tourist roilrood ond city
park which posed so many problems
in the beginning could have easily
been lost in the making but for some
very determined individuals and
groups who had a vision and gave
their very best to see it fulfilled.
Those who have lent a contributing
hand to this project are many ond
reoch across the stote. At the hub,
however, has been the citizenry of
Rusk who has initiated ond supported
the graduated steps of development
of this focility. These represent the
true "Spirit of 76" which knows the
pain ond the triumph of sacrifice for
a worthy cause.
To all of those who have made any
contribution to Rusk City Park and
Texas State Railroad belongs sincere
gratitude. The facility which will be
dedicated tomorrow is o product of
another American dream and speaks
to us of a still undying desire of her
people to give of themselves for a
better community, a better state and
a better nation.
■from the-
Lions Den
By E. B. Mustek, Jr.
The newest bumper
sticker "Congressmen
Have More Pun". Then the
average husband worries
about what his wife spends
and what the government
spends The difference is
that he's not afraid to
criticize the government.
Utsl Thursday night was
the big insinuation night
for the new Lions Club year
at the New Southern Motor
Hotel Lion Paul H. Cox
was his usual charming
self as master of cere-
monies and a fine job he
did Lion Morris Elliott.
President Elect presented
the following 100 per cent
attendance pins for the
past year: Lions JoEd
Anderson. Winford Black.
R J Cooper. Ike Daniels.
Grady Dupree. Morris B.
Elliott, Jack Pitts. Thomas
Huckaby. C. II. King. I. .1
Ix*inback. E. B. Mustek.
Jr.. Kenneth Pcloquin.
I .eon Pledger. Doyle Has
berry. Corry Wallace, Billy
Watson and Henry West
brook Those receiving pins
for loo per cent attendance
consecutively *> years.
Lions C II King and Doyle
Hasberry; 10years. I.ion I.
A, licinhack. 15 years I.ion
F¡ J Cooper and 2n years
Lions Leon Pledger old
Monarch pins were pre
settled t" Lions I. J Lein
back, m years llcnrv
West brook John B Slovcr
and Grady Dupree. 15
years: Leon Pledger 2">
years and Gladstone
Thompson and Hubert von
Doenhoff :io years Century
Award-25 year Lion Mem
I km* were presented to
Lions HoIhtI I. Banks,
Paul B Cox. Bolter! A von
Doenhoff. Morris B Elliott,
(ilen Miller. K B Musick.
.lr . Hubert iBoln Persons.
Leon Pledger. Gladstone
Thompson and Corry W
Wallace We were so vet-v
sorry that Lion President
Grady Dupree and Lioness
Margie could not be with
us. Lion Grady did a fine
job this past Lions Club
year as President and we
sincerely hope that he will
be meeting with us again in
the very near future. Past
District Governor Chester
Stout from Carthage.
Texas did the installation
Ceremonies For the Husk
Lioness Club President
Marilyn Carlile, Vice
President Joy Slover.
Secretary-Treasurer
Mable Huckaby and
Reporter Norma Black
For the Husk Evening
Lions Club President
Charles Curtis: Vice
President James Camp
bell. Secretary. Lester
Hughes. Tail Twister Tout
Ball. Director* Chester
Stout and Man Mi-Nair For
the Husk Noon Lions Club
President Morris Elliott;
I>t Vice President Frank
Howell. 2nd Vice President
Ken PeliK|Uin. :lrd Vice
President Doyle Haslterry.
Secretary Tn-aMtrer
Manuel Agilitar. I.mo
Tamer Thomas Huckaby
Tail Twister Ike Daniel.
\ss'i Tail Twister W I!
I ang. Directors Dr Archie
I talgeislt. Fdilie i 'arlile I*!
It Mustek. .Ir Can in
Kim: Henry Westbrmik.
Bill Draper and Grady
Dupree Past President
The tables were Itcaiitilully
decorated and we are sure
that l.umCss Raymond
i 'ooper had much to do with
this We are sure that she
hail help anil to all •<! them
a Itcaul 11 ill job and we
appreciate it So lis a new
Lions Club y ear To the old
officers a job well done To
the new officers much
needs to Ite done We need
jUNEZ7-JUl.Y£"
WEEK JJ
to work to make Rusk a
Iteller place for all con-
cerned and we know that
this will Ite done "City
Hall" said the swilchbo;iril
o|tcralor. answering a call
There was no sound on the
other end of the line "< "ity
Hall." the nporaliir
repeated but there w as still
no reply Finally. alter the
third In. a rather timid
female voice said "Is this
really City Hall"" "That's
right." said the o|>crator.
"Willi whom «In yin i w ish in
s|tcak I'hcre was an
embarrassed silence
Finally lite voice s;ud
soltlv "\olmdy I guess I
just found this number in
my husband's coat
|Hieket " Ser you Friday
instead nl Thursday at the
Rusk City Park anil Texas
Sla'e Railroad Park lor
lunch iH uiniiiiic at 11 a in
Letter
to the editor
Dear Editor:
I always enjoy reading
lite Cherokeean each week,
especially the Roundabout
column. Having lived in
San Antonio the past twelve
years, i found last week's
column particularly inter-
esting. No wonder San An-
tonio is referred to as one of
the nation's most unique
cities.
Actually, we have a
beautiful city made up of
many transplants from
East Texas: even a few
from Rusk. Personally I
may be a transplant, but
my home will always be
Rusk.
When it was announced
on local radio and televi-
si. .t that Rusk was one of
six T«.xas cities to receive
the Governor's Community
Achievement Award. I was
not surprised. Since there
was also an article in the
San Antonio Light. I want-
ed to send it to you.
t am looking forward to
the opening of the new city
park and the Texas State
Railroad.
A Former Cherokeean
Employee
Leonard A Berry-
San Antonio
s*
The Cherokeean
t «o« Old* ! Wtakly NVwtpflp*! filohl.,h..i As ih Ch tofc i .>i, l i" lb:0
Entered as second class matter at the post office In Husk. Texas ÍSTM
Published weekly on Thursday By E. II. Whitehead Enterprises
«IN N. *«aln Street. Rusk. Texas. Phone AC2ll-MCI-tt3i
Subscription Rates Payable In Advance
t herokee County and Trade Areas, IS per annum
Outside Cherokee County. M per annum
"Holy cow, Martha.
Lookit that! It'a an (rid
steam engine painted red.
white and blue Remember
looking out the windowns of
those old passenger cars
and getting freckled with
the soot coming out of the
engine's smokestack? Ah.
those were the days."
"Henry, you're driving
off the road. Watch where
you're going."
The dialogue is a guess at
what went on several
weeks ago when a pick-up
ran off the shoulder of the
road when the Texas State
Railroad's engine number
(Bicentennial) "200" came
barreling along the tracks
parallel to U. S 84 West
near Maydelle Ed
Mclaughlin. Texas State
Railroad State Historical
Park superintendent,
related the story of the
pick-up incident and noted
that the train has gotten a
number of second looks
from passing motorists.
McLaughlin, as most
local residents know by
now. is the man who is
making the trains go
Through purchases with
stale funds and. in some
instances, outright gifts,
the unique state park has
five steam engines and two
diesel-electric engines for
use in the park
Kd Mcl.aiigltlin
So where does a man in •
his early :i0s learn about
the complexities of a steam
engine that was made in
18% and phased out in the
early 1900s9 Or w here does
he find out about some of
(he old steam engines that
slopped running in the
I'nited Stales before he
was even born"
The first thing for Ed
McLaughlin. who is
originally from Fort
Worth, was to begin in
childhood to have a driving
love for the big engines and
make il a hobby to study
I hem. Like most kids his
age. Ed collected model
trains.
He quickly moved on to
bigger and belter methods
of studying the trains in
college i North Texas State
University. TCI'. BYU. and
Pasadena City College in
California i by making
forays into Mexico and
Guatemala between seme-
sters to photograph the
steam engines that still
ran there The superinten-
dent observed the engines
firsthand and experienced
what many people had
thought had passed on into
history
The Maydelle Work
Center has done much
towards resurrecting the
well-worn old engines that
have been coming in bul
I hey don't come close to
Mexico's Aguascalientes
where the old engines were
rebuilt from the rails up in
a couple of w eeks Ed noted
thai Mexico is a public
works state where their
work force is unlimited,
therefore many men were
employed to perform a
special job in getting the
old Mexican steam engines
back on the tracks.
Mexico City's Valley of
Mexico Railroad Yard,
which is 10 miles long and
two or three miles wide,
was another of Ed's favor-
ite places to visit in his
college days. He noted that
the yard was modern and
proved how big a business
railroading was in Mexico.
Each visit to Mexico and
Guatemala was an adven-
ture that many of us only
dream about. Ed eventu-
ally settled down to a
married life in Fort Worth
and began working for
General Dynamics by
drawing mock-up drawings
for airplanes.
The faraway train
whistle was too much for
him as he quit his General
Dynamics job two and half
years later and bought into
the Heber Creeper tourist
train company in Utah For
five years. Ed worked to
improve the enterprising
railroad tourist attraction
in the Wasatch Mountains
above Provo, Utah. Much
of the work he did was quite
a success as representative
of the Texas Department of
Parks and Wildlife visited
the Heber Creeper line and
invited Ed to apply for the
TSR superintendent s job
at Rusk
He applied and was
accepted and for the past
four years he has been the
overseer of the work on the
24.5 miles of track work,
erecting working facilities
to repair the engines and
cars: ordering parts for the
engines and cars that date
back as far back as 18%:
scrounging parts that could
not be ordered : poring over
old engine and car repair
manuals to see how to get
them in running shape:
repairing the engines and
cars and updating the
facilities aboard the train;
and try ing to answer all the
quest ions...even the redun-
dant and inane one. that
reporters from publica-
tions across the slate could
possibly ask him
On the line itself, con-
victs loaned out from Ellis
and East ham Prison
Farms replaced (Hi per cent
of the railroad ties and
helped repair the 28
trestles on the line. The
most spectacular trestle
will be the 1.155-foot bridge
over the Neches River with
the next being the Bean's
Creek crossing w hich is Ho:?
feet
But what of the trains
that Kd McLaughlin loves
so much? Gel Ed to talk
about each of the engines
and you begin to feel that
each has a personality all
its own. Of the seven
engines at the two TSR's
complexes, only four will
actually be used on the
Rusk-Palestine line with
two in 'reserve arrd one
possibly on display.
Engine No. ''200'' *
Gov. Dolph Briscoe will
head a host of dignitaries
Friday who will be riding
on the Bicentennial steam
engine number "200.'':
Painted red. white and
; Mue. *"200," renumbered
Effort "2248" for the special
occasion, will make the run
from Rusk to Palestine
"200" was built in 1896
and. thus, has the distinct-
ion of being the oldest
engine at the Maydelle
Work Center Workers
have installed a diamond
smokestack and light atop
the engine to make it more
authentic.
The old antique engine
was once a High Sierras
Southern Pacific work
horse Its wheel make-up is
4-6-0
To understand the wheel
make-up. the first number
represents the front w heels
on the engine which are
called the "pony wheels."
On old "200." the "4" of
4-6-0 would be those wheels.
The next number i in this
case "6" i would be the big
wheels in the middle of the
engine which are known as
'drivers " The last
number i in this case "0")
represents the number of
wheels under the cab of the
engine and are called
"trailer truck wheels."
When old "2(H)" hits a
grade like it did two weeks
ago when this reporter
joined a camera-taking
session. black smoke
belches from its diamond
smokestack and the
countryside reverberates
with the 'thrump-thrump-
thrump' of its outdated but
still powerful steam
engine. If you're near the
front of the train and you
put a hand out the
window, you'll quickly
learn where the black
smoke i soot i from the
smokestack goes and a
black-speckled hand will be
your souvenir of an old-
timey train ride.
Besides being the oldest
train in the state park, it's
also the smallest.
McLaughlin noted that it
was used primarily in the
last few years for exhibi-
tion celebrations in and
around Los Angeles. Calif.
It was received by the TSR
.during the latter part of
1974.
' "General Pershing"
or ":t00"
The fourth engine
'""received bv the -'TSR was
the "General Pershing"
'"•"which is ¡a 1917 vintage
Baldwin 2-8-0 steam loco-
motive.
It was renumbered from
""""28" to '-«in." The steam
Origine was built for the U.
S. Army's American
Expeditionary Forces ih
Europe and Korea in World
War I McLaughlin noted
that of the 1.946 Baldwin
engines built very few re-
mained. He only knew of
two in the entire United
States
"The National Railroad
Museum in Green Bay.
Wise . couldn't find a
Baldwin engine of the Per-
shing class in the United
States so they located one
in the combat zone in
Korea and brought it back
If the museum in Green
Bay had known that
Temple Industries had this
engine, they would have
gotten it." said the TSR
superintendent
Arthur Temple, repre-
senting Temple Industries
of Diboll. donated the
"General Pershing" steam
engine to the park and
noted in part, "...(the
General Pershing
performed yeoman service
in the earlier days of rail-
road logging and now will
become a source of nostal-
gic enjoyment for thou-
sands of tourists and
visitors."
The rare engine was
brought to Rusk from Pine-
land. according to
McLaughlin. It will be one
of the four engines to be
used on the Rusk-Palestine
line
The Movie Star..."400"
The second newcomer,
the weighty Baldwin
Ma Kado 2-8-2 wheeled
engine, was purchased in
July 1974 and made the
long trip from Superior,
Ariz., on a railroad flatcar
to join the fleet of TSR
engines gathering at May-
delle.
Used in various tele-
vision shows and movie
pieces, engine number
"400" (renumbered from
"7") came to the Rusk-
Palestine line to star in yet
another role...that of an
East Texas tourist train on
the skinniest state park in
the state and perhaps the
nation.
Unlike its sister trains,
"400" had been completely
overhauled in 1967 and
merely needed some sheet
metal work and some
boiler work to get it into
shape. It was one of the few
trains received which could
literally hit the ground
running. "400" cost the
state of Texas $30.000,
according to the superin-
tendent.
The locomotive was
made in Philadelphia, Pa.,
in 1914 and its first job was
to haul timber for the Tre-
mont and Gulf Timber
Company in Louisiana. In
1951. the engine was bought
by the Magma Arizona
Railroad and used to haul
concentrate to and from a
smelter for a mining
operation. Later the train
was used in brief film
strips which were shot and
sold to movie companies to
be spliced into their
westerns.
The old engine has seen it
all since 1914 and at May-
delle its life begins anew.
"400" is capable of pulling
eight to nine cars with 60-70
passengers to a car once
the rail line is in operation.
Part of McLaughlin's
duties entailed going to
Superior, Ariz., and load-
ing "400" on a
flatcar to bring to East
Texas. It wasn't as easy as
it sounds as it took
McLaughlin six days to
build a large wooden ramp
topped by rails leading onto
the railroad car and get the
172.000 pound old- lady
aboard. After the lenghty
trip to Maydelle which
included numerous
gawkers from Arizona and
Texas who thought the
engine should have been on
the tracks pulling rather
than riding piggyback atop
a flatcar, the steam engine
was ushered into the May-
delle Work Center
compound where it had to
be unloaded from its perch.
The movie star has found
a home at Maydelle and is
ready to go to work when
the line opens. It will also
be one of the four trains
running.
"City of Abilene"
or "201"
The "City of Abilene"
was the first steam engine
to arrive at the Maydelle
Work Center in the middle
of June 1974.
The 4-6-0 iron horse was
built in 1901 by the A. L.
Cooke Locomotive Works
and during its lifetime had"
been operated on the Texas*?
& Pacific Railroad princi-
pally out of Shreveport, La.
It served as both a passen-
ger and freight locomotive.
"City of Abilene" was
previously numbered "75"
due to Abilene's 75th anni-
versary celebration. The
engine was donated to the
new line by the City of
Abilene with stipulation
See ENGINE P. 3
IP
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UH.I.I lip.ll.HLjtH
IV
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- ■
These first-graders began public school education in 1921, taught by Mrs. Irma Wilson Sale, sister to Mrs. W. H.
Hanna of Rusk. Included in the group are Clyde Sanders, first row. number six; Francis Butler, second row,
number two: Elizabeth Elliott, second row, number three; Annabel Jones, second row, number seven; Ethel
Pledger, second row. number eight: Gladys Riggs, third row, number one; George Peace, third row, number
three: and Harry Tosh, back row, last student on the right.
tha
Jol
we
tra
Graduating In I1W2 were, front row: Dorothy FltU, Evelyn Montgomery, Mary Jane Wiggins, Florence Pryor, Irene Russell. Jlnnle
Owens. Ora \rnwine. Mildred Brazier. Pauline Pri<?e, Frances Cobble. Mildred Bagley, Bessie Deckard (deceased). Sara Simmons,
Mary Sue Jones. Jewel Mae llalhert (deceased) and Virginia Beall. Second row: Robert Picketts (deceased), Tom Jr. Frazier, Leon
Brown. Ray mond Brown. Marvin Echols. Cletus Blakenship (deceased). Stafford Fields. Garland Manny, L. A. Carbin, James Banks. J.
T. Pryor (deceased), Charles Chapman. Jack Belvin, Marion Bolton, Curtis Gentry (deceased). William Moseley. Back row: Dorothy
Thompson. Betty Weems. Annabel Banks. Ernta Hardy. Evelyn Macon. Oleta Bane. Ruth Echols. Juanit^ Waggoner, Maggie Lee Speirs,
Kunclla Maness. Marguarite Birdsong. Ethel Mae Clark, Hortune Arrant. Dorothy Lee Jones. Mary Louise Allen and Mary Ella Meredith.
•photos courtesy Mrs. Annabel Banks Jones
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 127, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1976, newspaper, June 24, 1976; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151182/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.