The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 3, 1978 Page: 1 of 16
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TIXAS PRESS
ASSOC I A'
1978
Vol. 129
15eper Issue
The Cherokeean
Texas' oldest weekly newspaper, established as the Cherokee Sentinel Feb. 2 ,1850
16 Pages
Number 24
Rusk, Texas, 75785, Thursday, August 3,1978
Home of
The Texas State Railroad
I**! Issue Put to Red
>>m by Saa hrita
Frank Kd Weimar. (ormrr Mlo Herald editor unit publisher, puts his last i**ue to bed. The hot type press was only
one of (tve in the State of Texas when it ceased operation last week. Weimar sold his interest in The Alto Herald tb
Kep Kmmett Whitehead o I Kusk This week's issue of The Alto llerald is the first one published by Whitehead
Enterprise*.
Weimar Ends Service
Family Owns Herald 58 Years
b% Dan Kellum
Managing Kditor
•We Serve Cherokee County
Uke Dew Covers Dixie" was the
proud boost of The Alto llerald for a
good many years, according to Frank
Ed Weimar, former publisher and
editor of the hot type pre**
The Alto Herald's ownership chang
ed hands last week after being in the
Weimar family for 58 years E H
Whitehead of Kusk purchased the Alto
weekly and plans were made to print
the newspaper offset with local pic
'tures included
The Alto newspaper not only cover
ed the news in the south end of the
county over th past many year* but
did it in a moa; unique way You see
the last few years has seen new spap
ers in Texas changing over en masse
to the expensive offset or computer!*
ed style of newspapering The Alto
Herald was in an elite crowd of five
newspapers in the Stale of Texas
which used the hot type or Linotype
method of putting out a newspaper
Herald offices were inundated with
journalism students from Stephen F
Austin State Univeristv this past year
under the guidance of Ben Hobbs.
Journalism instructor, who wanted to
ihow his charges how a real news
paper was pui out
And a real newspaper it is as Frank
Ed claims the weekly hasn't missed
•n issue since 1896 with all printings
taking place at the Herald offices
across from the Alto Post Office and
Alto telephone Company
Frank L Weimar. Frank Ed's
father, took over the ownership oí The
Alto Herald in April of 1920 The elder
Weimar had originally set out from
Nashville. Tenn to join his brother,
Harry Weimar, in Houston as a
pressman for the Houston Chronicle.
Travelling by log train in 1911, he
heard of a need for an editor at the
Katcliff Herald and stopped off there
for a brief period nine years!
Frank Ed notes that Harry Weimar
stayed on with the Houston Chronicle
for 65 years and formed the news-
paper's first union shop.
Frank L died in 1957 but he had
prepared his young son well as he had
given the boy free reign at the
newspaper five years earlier "We've
always run it as a family operation."
and she bears the years of practice on
her feet. She said that occasionally a
hot piece of metal would drip on her
foot burning her severely. She began
work at The Alto Herald in 1923.
J R. Merriwether has been with The
Alto Herald for 25 years and has
served the weekly in many capacities.
He's the Linotype operator and Job
press man. "We all Just work together
said Frank Ed.
What is the most important story
you've covered in the years you've
been with the Herald?...was put to
Weimar He thought briefly and sadly
recalled the death of his personal
friend, Sheriff Bill Brunt, in 1937. He
noted it was the Herald's biggest
story Brunt was fatally wounded
when he stopped the owner of the
"lie Serve Cherokee County Like Dew Coven Dixie"
whs the proud btwst of The Alto Herald for a good
muttv years... Frank Ed Weimar
y-.D i
RoUnd Ttmm
If ith Mrs. RimmiImIhhU
1
1
1 have a friend who is suffering It's
mental suffering Maybe you know
someone like that too This friend is
not the Kind to complain You can only
guess at her pain And it is one of the
most excruciating of all She is
keeping a hospital vigil with a
critically hurt child
Roseanne Burran Is one of The
Cherokeean's staff member*. She
moves quietly and efficiently about
her work here, neither given to great
excitement nor total silrnce. She is
Just s calm, even-tempered sort of
person. Mind* her own business and
allows you to do the same.
There's a reserve of strength there
Has to be. It has pulled her through
severe heartaches in recertt years-
the terminal illness and death of her
mother and then the loss of the family
home by fire.
This more recent tragedy Is the
hardest of all. Leslie, called Bubba by
family and friends, was the victim of
a freak accident Sunday. The kind you
read about In newspapers and always
happens to somebody else, lie was
patting his boot on. standing by the
tide of the highway. Ix t his balance
It*ABOUT, P. II
boast* Frank Ed The business was
known as F L Weimar & Son for
awhile, he said
Making machinery last has been a
way of survivial at The Alto Herald
through the years The Linotype
Model 5 machine which cranked out
the last issue off its presses last week
was built in 1914 they don't build
thein like they used to
"The Linotype machine was rebuilt
10 years ago and when it was rebuilt it
was like new." said Frank Ed What
most people today regard as type tray
ornaments, is a weekly piece of the
newspaper in Alto Lead is melted and
forced up against mats of varying font
types to make the desired lines for the
week's copy
Mrs Mamie Lee Carter isquitedeft
at operating the Linotype's key punch
Expansion Begins
Construction has begun on the new
$20.000 addition to the Stella Hill
Memorial Library by Duplichain
Contractors
The new addition will add
approximately 900 square feel to the
existing facility, more than doubling
the size of the library.
Funds for the construction came
from the Alto Thursday Study Club
and a $10.000 matching funds grant
from Temple Foundation
Included in the construction will be
a genealogy room, reference room,
new shelves and some new
equipment
Mrs. Virginia Singletary it
librarian and Mrs Thelma Shattuck
is president of the Thursday Study
Club. Mrs. Marjorie Warner is
Chairperson for the Library Board.
Physicals Set
Aug. 12
City Has To Pay
$1,076.95 Electrical Changeover Cost
The City of Rusk was out more
money than they expected at the Rusk
City Park this week during the electri-
cal changeover from Cherokee County
Rural Electrical Co-operative Asso-
ciation to Southwestern Electric Ser-
vice Company.
Councilmen Monday approved hir-
ing Edwin Thedford of Rusk for
$1,076.95 to complete the hooking-up
procedures at the city park. City
fathers expressed surprise at having
to pay any of the cost of the change-
over stating that George Dodd, Rusk
SESCO manager, had told them in
previous meetings the city would not
be out any money for the project.
Mayor Morris Hassell said he had
received a call that Thedford would
have to be hired for about $1,200 to
$1,300 to complete the hook-up opera-
tion between SESCO and the city lines
in the city park. He noted he called the
Dallas SESCO offices and failed to get
a positive answer.
"It develops we will have to pay the
expenses with hooking up," said the
mayor. Hassell asked if SESCO had
asked Thedford to go out there.
Councilman Fred Lunsford said 'yes'
that was true. It was noted Thedford
completed the hook-up operation
when REA came into the park.
"The light company says this isn't
their baby and they won't pay it. Dodd
misrepresented it down here. He
(Dodd) said not one red penny would
it cost the city," commented Johnny
Williams.
Lunsford agreed that Dodd had said
it would not cost the city anything to
secure the hook-up. "Everybody is
operating in good faith," he said.
"Dodd wasn't," shot back Williams.
Lunsford said he couldn't see any-
thing to do but pay it. "We should have
been made aware of it," The motion
carried with all councilmen voting
'aye.' Councilman Raymond Cooper
was not in attendance at the meeting.
Williams stated he was voting 'aye'
on account of the park and not Dodd.
Lunsford said, "I feel we'll get it back
on savings. I saw more charges on the
REA electricity bill. We've been
overcharged more ways than on the
meter bill. I feel we'll recover the
amount in savings on electric bills."
Dodd told the Cherokeean after tht
meeting that two SESCO employes, at
no charge to the City of Rusk, woidd
be assisting Thedford in tying on to
the overhead lines Wednesday (yes-
terday). He declined to make further
comment on the matter.
SESCO lines will be operational
Wednesday (Aug. 2), according to •
SESCO company spokesman. Several
SESCO crews from Jacksonville and
Rusk were busy Monday morning
stringing overhead lines throughout
the Rusk City Park.
Square Sees
Shooting Brawl
Downtown businessmen and
shoppers Monday witnessed a
shooting and a brawl on the
courthouse lawn during the noon
hour.
Willow Watts, 27, of Rt. 3 In Rusk
was listed in critical condition at Nan
Travis Hospital Monday after being
shot four times by her former
husband, Clarence Watts, 31, of
Cushing. Aubrey Don Criner, 22, of
Rusk, Willow Watts' brother, was also
injured in the fracas but not seriously.
A Wednesday report from the hospital
shows the woman in stable condition.
Keys Accepted
Hockwood Inn to see if he was
bootlegging whiskey. All this took
place during the Prohibition Era.
Frank Ed explains that the future of
Alto is looking up as more people are
flocking to the serenity of the country-
side. "We're trying to hold a lower tax
rate and 1 feel that will help to get
people in here."
The former Herald publisher and
editor has a lot to look forward to in
the future. He, his wife-Jo Frances;
Linda. 17: and Ricci, 15, reside on a
quiet piece of land southwest of Alto.
He owns the Exxon filling station in
Alto and plans to run it and "do some
fishing."
Having started working in The Alto
Herald offices sometime around 1925
at the tender age of six, it's about time
the Alto newspaperman took a little
rest.
Alto ISD Board of Trustees Presi-
dent Kenneth Collins and Supt. Bob
Brezina accepted the keys to the
newly-completed Alto Junior-Senior
High School Friday.
Speed Fabcrete Corporation of Fort
Worth constructed the 52,000 square
foot building. They began in April
1977. The final product was the result
of a $950,000 bond issue passed in the
Alto ISD.
The new structure will be dedicated
at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 27th with an
Open House being held immediately
after a brief ceremony in the cafeto-
rium. Tours will be conducted through
the building at that time.
The 52,000 square foot building was
constructed for $16.76 per square foot
and will accommodate 425 students,
according to Brezina. Alto presently
has approximately 300 students in its
junior-senior high school.
Grades seven through 12 will be
housed in the new building which
contains 17 classrooms, one science
lab, two home economics rooms and
labs, two vocational agriculture labs,
one CVA building lab, a band hall,
library for elementary and high
school students, cafetorium (with
stage area), gymnasium, administra-
tive offices, teachers workroom, nur-
ses office and storage areas.
The building is air conditioned and
is equipped with a public address
system and a direct intercom system
to the principal's office.
In addition to the new building, five
classrooms have been remodeled
from the Old cafeteria at the elemen-
tary school and added to that facility.
The new gym features a painting of
a Yellowjacket at midcourt, which,
incidentally, was done by Ronda
Collins, daughter of Board President
Collins. The gym will seat 550 students
and has four portable and two glass
backboards.
Principal John Cook has already
moved his office to the new school.
Paving around the facility is expected
to begin Monday. Members of the
school board are Bill Warner, Mrs.
Eloise White, Leo Hicks, Gary
Dominy, John Bean and Collins.
Watts was arrested by Sheriff
Danny Stallings and charged with
attempted murder and was placed ia
the Cherokee County Jail in lieu of
posting a $10,000 bond.
The man is alleged to have parked
near Mrs. Watts' car as she pulled up
to a parking place on the southwest
corner of the Square and fired Ave
shots from a .32 caliber pistol into the
car occupied by Mrs. Watts, Crinar,
her young son and two other men.
Mrs. Watts works at Rusk State
Hospital and was taking a lunch break
when the shooting occurred.
Greg Majors, Prescription
Pharmacy owner, said he heard the
shots as he was on the phone in his
business across the street from the
shooting and at first thought they
were firecrackers going off. He ran
out and noticed four men scuffling on
the courthouse lawn. Three of the men
were beating a fourth man holding a
gun, according to Majors. He said two
of the men had bricks.
Sheriff Stallings also heard the
shots from his second floor courthouse
office and hurried down the stairs to
the melee. He pulled his gun and
advised all four men to lay down and
for Watts to drop the gun. When Watts
let go of the pistol, Majors aided the
sheriff by kicking the gun away from
the man.
The sheriff advised Majors to call
an ambulance and as he started back
across the street Mrs. Jill Stovall told
him an ambulance had been called
already. The local pharmacist
returned to the scene and tried to
calm the woman whom he said had
bullet wounds in the forehead, lower
back and a third in her back near the
shoulder.
Sheriff Stallings took all four men to
jail to try to get the sequence of events
straightened out. Criner, the woman's
brother, was the only other person
injured in the incident and he was
See BRAWL, P. IS
With football right around the
corner. Coach Kick Largent noted
today that football physicals for both
Junior high and high school sthletes
would be given at • a.m. Saturday.
Aug. 12 at Bradford Gym.
"Those who are not present for the
physicals will have to gel their
phvsirals en their own and pay f«r It
themselves," advised the new coach.
Jk' "as
fl
New Key to a Nmc School
Alto ISD officials gladly accepted the keys to the newly-completed IIS
last week. From left, Alto ISD Mupt. Boh Breiiaa: Alto Beard of
Llmheraer, Job superintendent of Speed-Pabcrete C orp: and Randy
architectural firm.
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 129, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 3, 1978, newspaper, August 3, 1978; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151291/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.