The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1935 Page: 1 of 16
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THE ROCKDALE REPORTER
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16 PAGES
IN TWO MOTIONS
VOL. ^3 ________
AND MESSEN G E R
________ TUB OLDEST AND BEST
ROCKDALE, MILAM COUNTY, TEXAS, THURSDAY OCTOBER 3, 1935
Rockdale Reporter L*>t»r>Ush«-«l I89b
NO. 31
ACCEPTANCE PAPERS SIGNED FOR NEW BUILDING
—jjjnNG Reporterman from El Paso
11 Mrs. R H. Hicks says: “We all
_jeved deeply over the burning of the
old Scarbrough & Hicks stores. We
novhave no financial interest in them,
but the memories that cling around
them were more precious than money,
and will always remain with us.”
mq; football season is two weeks old
I an(f Reporterman hasn’t written a
ine about it yet. With Bill and Billy
jimdling the gridiron grist in a pro-
fessional manner this column can only
find room for a short semi-pro para-
graph- and here it is: First, the Tig-
ers are going to "take” the Ducks at
Taylor tomorrow' night; the score will
be about twenty to something—or may-
be nothing. This semi-pro opinion is
based on two propositions—it’s our
time to win by the law of averages, and
again, if we can’t win with this year’s
Tiger team we need never expect to
^uck the Ducks. Incidentally, Repor-
terman would urge Rockdale football
fans to see all the Tiger games they
can this year. We’ve got the smooth-
est-working team we’ve ever had, and
graduation next sipring will tear this
machine all to pieces. So get your sys-
tem full of good football now while the
getting is good. We’re headed for the
district title, and nothing but bad luck
can stop us.
While on the football subject Repor-
terman will quote from remarks made
by the Tiger team on the Caldwell
game Some of these Tigers think the
Hornets were mis-named; Wildcats or
Bulldogs would have been better, for
practically every Tiger was either bit-
ten or scratched. “We pulled their
stingers," said Boyd Middleton, “but,
oh, them teeth and claws!”
Tlit Caldwell high school band made
a pleasing appearance on the field.
With 45 members this band not only
made good music but in their natty un-
iforms they put on the prettiest parade
and drill ever seen here. Some of the
Tigers had to be restrained, from fol-
lowing that little blonde drum major
out of town.
JONNIE HARRLSS sends Reporter-
man a copy of the Maracaibo (Ven-
ezuela) Herald—an English speaking
paper published in a Spanish-speaking
country, it resembles the Texas coun-
try weeklies of forty years ago, being
set in double-leaded “long primer” type
*|th a head-letter apparently worn
“wn to the second nick. But it con-
tains a lot of news and quite evidently
jjf lts mission with credit, both to Its
oilente.e and its publishers. Its editor
Wve Lonnie quite a nice story on his
j** *nt 3-month vacation spent in
« dale and in menticning Lonnie’s
-pound gain in avoirdupois and ac-
K10n of a "bay-window,” takes oc-
ion to express the belief that Mrs.
Harriss of Rockdale is a good
cook.
D MAXWELL, head of the voca-
R/v.Jrf" “** Culture department, of
ale Hi8h School, asks Reporter-
2 10 say t0 local farmers that he Is
* for t,he Rockdale com-
hihn \ have a creditable farm ex-
held ,atihe Milam ^nty Fair to be
2? ‘n Camer°n October 10-12. Max-
itvUn t0 prepare a W* commun-
to arid a*lts his farmer friends
He cim6 *n Inaterial for this display.
nSS^ corn- maize- Hegira, grain
this VI116 an<i olher forage crops. All
suggitl iJOITunity booth He also
offer? l dlVidual farm displays, and
this locaiitf l° thC farmers
intere^H v^ preParing same. Those
at one* <?0Uld coat^ ^th Maxwell
^me nice prizes are offered.
*VAN is VICE PRESroENT OF
A r,B A* STANDING COMMITTER
standw the names appearing on the
kers a? CPmmitte«8 of the Texas Ban-
Wh0 k^ atl0n is that of T. B. Ryan,
the n™t ,prwiident and manager of
k !isSkdale Stat* Bank- Mr. Ryan
mittee onaS Vice president of the com-
unllorm service charges.
* E S0!11 returns from
*• SAM HOUSTON HOSPITAL
»^master R. E. Smith
Houston 2? Priday from n- Sam
In the _he* he had been a patient
foUowln„ y hosPltal for several weeks,
has mad an 0perati°n for rupture. He
tack ™ fv,a ^mplete recovery and Is
he job at the post office.
Raby Hill Will Go On Trial
Monday for Cameron Murder
BOND GRANTED IN
SUM OF $12,500
WEDNESDAY
Jury to be Picked From
Special Venire of Two
Hundred People
Raby Hill, Cameron restaurant man,
in jail under indictment for murder in
the killing of Nightwatchman George
Richards in Cameron on the night of
September 21, was given a habeas cor-
pus hearing in district court yesterday
afternoon, and was granted bond by
Judge Gillis in the sum of $12,500.
Hill’s case is set for trial in district
court next Monday, October 7. A spe-
cial venire of 200 men has been sub-
poened from which to select a jury.
Defendant will be represented by Hon.
DeWitt Bowmer, of Temple, and Hon.
John Watson, of Cameron. District
Attorney E. B. Camp will be assisted
in the prosecution by his father, Hon.
E. A. Camp, of Rockdale.
Other cases tried in district court the
past week were State vs. Rex Bailey
and Herman White, charged by grand
jury indictment in companion cases as
follows: One robbery by assault, one
felony theft, and two burglary.
Pleas of guilty were entered and sen-
tences of five years in the pen in each
case for each defendant were returned.
Two sentences each were cumulative,
and two concurrent. This, in effect,
gives each man a total sentence of ten
years.
These cases grew out of the burglary
of the Willard Smith store in Gause
on the night of July 17, 1935. Night
officer A. MoCown was held up and
bound with ropes, after which the store
was entered and the safe blown, sever-
al hundred dollars in cash Txfcing secur-
ed by the yeggs.
Grand Jury Adjourns Monday
The grand jury adjourned Monday
after returning into court four addi-
tional felony bills, to-wit:
One against O. J. (Dummy) Cun-
ningham, for assault to rob; one
against Robert Wilson, assault to mur-
der; one against Dude Rite, driving a
car while intoxicated; one against Joe
Lewis for murder. Lewis is charged
with the murder of John Roily at
Sharp, on the night of September 14.
Tig
ers Have New
Stuff Ready For
Taylor Hi Ducks
NYASEEKSTO
AID STUDENTS
Wants 40 High School Students
From Milam Eligible For
Financial Assistance
The National Youth Administration
desires to find 40 high school students
in Milam county, eligible to receive fi-
nancial assistance in pursuing their
high school education. County Super-
intendent, Guy T. Newton, reports that
so far he has been unable to find any
such students in this county. Mr. New-
ton submits the following statement.
The National Youth Administration
has provided funds for a program of
financial assistance for single men and
women .between the ages of 16 and 25
who are at present unable to attend
school for want of money or text books,
bus fare, lunches and other essentials,
from the beginning of the individual
institution’s fall term after September
1st., 1935, to the end of the spring term,
in no case later than Jdne 30th, 1936.
Students to be eligible for participa-
tion in this program:
1. Must be between the ages of 16
and 25.
2. Must toe single.
3. Must be members of families cer-
tified to relief.
4. Must toe able to do high grade
work In school.
5. Must toe able to show that without
FIRE DESTROYS
LUCAS GIN HERE
FRIDAYNIGHT
Loss Estimated at $12,-
000 Above Amount of
Insurance Carried
The Lucas Bros, gin on North Main
street was destroyed by fire about mid-
night last Friday night. A. L. Lucas
stated Monday that he estimated the
loss at around $12,000 above the amount
of insurance carried.
Mr. Lucas discovered the fire about
midnight while making his final in-
rpection for the night. He observed a
small amount of smoke issuing from
the press, gave the alarm, and then
busied himself rolling bales of newly
ginned cotton off the gin platform.
The fire department made a quick
run, but the fire had gained great
hr ad way, and the main building of the
gin, together with all machinery, was •
a total loss. Three bales of cotton were
also badly damaged.
The seed house, at one end of the
gin building, and the hull and storage
house at the other end, were both sav-
ed by the firemen.
Mr. Lucas said Monday that the gin
would be rebuilt in plenty of time for
next season’s run.
Locals Expecting Hard Game On
Duck Pond Tomorrow Night;
First District Tilt of Year
Calvert Negro Finds
Gold Cache in Yard;
42 Coins Worth $840
When W. F Jackson, negro, discover-
ed a cache of 20-dollar gold pieces un-
der a stump in his back yard at Cal-
vert recently, he di$ not reveal the
fact fer a time because he feared the
government would prosecute him lor
hoarding gold.
On September 2x, Jackson sent the
coins forty-two in all, amounting to
$840, to a Dallas bank to be exchanged
for currency.
It is thought that the gold was se-
creted during and shortly after the
Civil War,
The oldest coins were dated 1850 and
the newest 1871.—Hearne Democrat.
The starting time for the Rockdale-
Taylor football game at Taylor to-
morrow night has been announced at
7:45 p. m., instead of 8 p. m., accord-
ing to word received from Taylor yes-
terday. It Is expected that a large fol-
lowing of local fans will make the trip
to the “Duck Pond” to see Coach Hu-
bert Dennis’ Tigers in their first con-
ference tilt of the season.
The Tigers have been going through
the paces this week in preparation for
this game. Fans tomorrow night will
no doubt see a different brand of foot-
ball displayed by the locals as they' dale school board was had at a meet-
uncork for the first time this season
SCHOOLBOARD OF
ROCKDALE NOW
REORGANIZED
New Members for Year
Brought Up to Five,
With 2 Holdovers
Annual reorganization of the Rock-
their bottle of deceptive plays.
New Plays on Tap
The squad is in good condition, con-
sidering the punishment absorbed last
week in a tough tilt with the Caldwell
eleven. Against the Hornets last Fri-
day night, as in the Allen Academy
game the week before, the Tigers
strung along with straight football, and
to date have uncovered none of the
See £'l «7i ENT AID, Page 8
Officers Elected For
Milam Co. Federation
Of ‘Future Farmers’
The Milam County Federation of Fu-
ture Farmers of America met at Sharp
Tuesday night, with four of the five
chapters sending candidates for dif-
ferent offices.
Three candidates were sent from the
following chapters: Rockdale, Thorn-
dale, Cameron, and San Gabriel, Sharp
being absent.
President, Lonzo Johnson, San Gab-
riel; vice president, A. W. Lucas, Cam-
eron; secretary, Travis Key, Rockdale;
treasurer, Claudie Muston, Rockdale;
watchdog. Harris Neely, Rockdale; re-
porter, Mabrey, Cameron; parliamen-
tarian, Lowe, Cameron; advisor, E. D.
Parnell, Cameron.
The federation will meet the first
Tuesday of each month. The first or-
ganized meeting will be held at San
Gabriel November 3. At this date the
next meeting place will be determined.
The receiving chapter will furnish some
form of entertainment for the visitors.
Travis Key, Claudie Muston and Har-
ris Neely were appointed as a com-
mittee to work out a program for the
coming year, to be presented at the
next meeting. _
See TAYLOR GAME, Page 8
PECAN EXHIBIT
AT MILAM FAIR
Only One of Many Features of
Three-Day Fair at Cameron
October 10, 11 and 12
Farmers and other interested people
in the development of pecan orchards
will take special interest in the State
pecan exhibit which will be on display
at the Milam County Fair to be held
in Cameron on October 10,11 and 12, J.
T. Kelly, ?. pecan specialist of the state
department, will be in charge and will
give information relative to the propa-
gation and other matters relating to the
product.
“Tell your pecan men that I arc com-
ing to Milam county to help them with
their pecan problems," Mr. Kelly told
E. D. Parnell, general chairman of the
fair association, and vocational agri-
culture instructor of the Yoe High
C«V»aa1
K/V»*W* *
The pecan exhibit will be educational
in nature. It will include samples of
all the leading varieties. Model budd-
ing and grafting tools and charts show-
ing the various steps in top working of
native pecans will also toe seen.
“We are bringing the pecan exhibit to
Cameron at a special sacrifice.” W. D.
Simms, pecan specialist in charge at
Austin, wrote Mr. Parnell. It is being
brought to the county fair because the
exhibit has never been in this section.
ing held last week, the following of-
ficers being named for the ensuing
year:
L. A. Baxter, president; Clyde Frank-
lin, vice president; H. J. Stone, secre-
tary.
Three new members have been in-
stalled recently, as foDows: H .H. Cof-
field, to succeed J. F. Coffield, resign-
ed; Glenn Stewart, to succeed Ed
Gunn, resigned; Gus Backhaus Jr., to
succeed C. M. Sessions, resigned. Clyde
Franklin was installed earlier, to suc-
ceed W. B. Smith, resigned. H J. Stone
was elected a member of the board in
May.
This gives the board five new mem-
bers this year, and L. A. Baxter and
John E. Cooke are the only old mem-
bers holding over.
President Baxter has announced the
following standing committee appoint-
ments: Buildings and grounds: Cooke
and Franklin; finance: Stone and Cof-
field; grievance: Backhaus and Slew-
art.
BONDS APPROVED
AND SOLD ON NEW
AUDITORIUM-GYM
Work Building Expect-
ed to Start by Decem-
ber 1 or Sooner
The Rockdale School Board and City
Council held a joint session Monday
night, at which C. H. Page, Austin ar-
chitect, appeared, and submitted plans
and specifications for the new school
auditorium-gymnasium. These plans
were considered carefully, some minor
changes recommended, and the accep-
tance papers signed
The building, with its> equipment, is
to cost $30,000, of which $13,500 is an
outright PWA grant, the balance be-
ing raised by bond issue. Mayor E. A.
Camp stated that the bonds had been
approved and sold, and the city’s share
of the money is now immediately avail-
able. The Government’s share has al-
so been officially allocated and will be
available as scon as the construction
contract is let.
Mr. Page said Monday night that he
would take the ,f.ans to Ft. Worth
Worth Tuesday, and that approval of
the PWA office there might be expect-
ed in about three days. He anticipates
such action as will enable a call for
bids to be made within the next two
weeks.
Mr. Page complimented Rockdale
highly Monday night. “You folks have
gone about this project in a highly bus-
inesslike manner.” he said. “Not a mis-
take has been made anywhere along
the line, and I predirt that your build-
ing will be among the very first pro-
jects of its kind to be completed under
the PWA plan.”
It is hoped that actual construction
work will be under way by December
1, or sooner.
Marvin Pugh Injured
When Refrigeration
Unit Opened in Face
Marvin Pugh, service man for a lo-
cal electric refrigeration agency, re-
ceived severe injuries last Thursday at
Taylor when he received the full charge
of a freezing gas from a unit he was
working on. After several days in a
hospital, Pugh has 'been released and
is new on a “rest cure," suffering with
burned lungs and eyes.
Pugh was removing a valve from a
unit he thought was ’‘dead.” The unit,
however, was fully charged under about
40 pounds pressure, he says, and when
the cap was removed the workman re-
ceived the charge full in the face.
Temporary- blindness, caused by the
freezing and acid, has been overcome,
Pugh states, and his chief trouble now
is overcoming the damage done to his
lungs by inhaling the gases. Both
lungs are badly burned, and doctors
advise that it will probably be months
before he will be allowed to go back
to work.
11.316 BALES OF COTTON ARE
GINNED IN MILAM TO SEP. 16
Census report shows that there were
11.316 bales of cotton ginned in Milam
county prior to Sept. 16. 1935. as com-
pared with 30.100 bales ginned to same
date 1934. Ray O’Neill, special agent.
DAMAGE IS LIGHT IN ROW
FIRE AT 8 A. M. SATURDAY
A fire alarm about 8 a .m. Saturday
called the fire department to the G.
Bt.lcar home on North Ackerman street
where a defective flue set fire to the
shingle roof. The blaze was extin-
guished in short order with small dam-
age.
Dan Bounds Writes President; Says
Times Better; Offers “Gift” to F. D.
Rockdale, Texas, Sept. 30, 1935.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt,
Washington, D. C.
My Dear President:
Your favor of September 24 received.
I am bound to say I feel honored In
having a letter from you. 1 am Just a
country farmer-preacher; been trying
to preach 40 years and have made bb
crops. Made my first crop at ten years
of age. So you see I’m Just the right
age to get on the pension roll.
Was digging yam potatoes when your
letter came. I’ll send you a fat ’possum
and some yams if you want me to.
Brother President, my observation is
times are wonderfully Improved in the
last two years. I have talked with far-
mers, bankers, lawyers, doctors, and our
editor of Rockdale Reporter, and they
all bear me out in this. At church last
evening, fine crowd of people, all wear-
ing good apparel, and they looked like
they had been well fed, and semed to be
happy.
Well, you recall the Apostle Paul said,
“Godliness with contentment Is great
gain.” Of course we are poor, but our
Lord said, “ the poor you have with j^tou
always." He also stated. “A man’s life
consisteth not In the things which he
possesseth.” So I am pleased to say
I can’t offer any suggestions as to how
our Government can better serve the
people.
In 1929, ’30 ’31 we were praying God
to give us a man (a Moses) to lead us
out of this dilema, and He sent you.
And now we commend you to God and
to the word of HLs Grace which is able
to teach you and guide you. and at last
give us a home among the redeemed oi
earth.
Anything we can do, command us.
Sincerely yours,
DAN F. BOUNDS.
HEAVY RAINS
DAMAGE CROPS
Cotton Crop Will Be Shortest in
Many Years; Feed Crop is
Reported Excellent
Heavy rains on the headwaters of
Little river, the San Gabriel river, and
Brushy creek again brought these
streams out of banks and over the bot-
tom lands in Milam county last week,
and added further damage to that al-
ready sustained by fanners during this
crcp season.
Ed Simms, manager of the big Simms
San Gabriel bottom farms, stated Fri-
day that this was the seventh overflow
for that stream this year, and added
that this is the most disastrous cot-
ton season he has ever known with the
sole exception of 1925. the year of the
13-month drouth, when no cotton at
all was made, and not even Johnson
grass and blood weeds sprouted.
Simms said that this year he had
150 acres of the finest bottom land
which had been replanted and poisoned
twice, and on which not a single lock
of cotton matured. Up to last Friday
he had gathered only 23 bales of cot-
ton off the entire bottom land acreage.
On the other hand Simms reports
the finest feed crop he ever saw In his
life. He has every barn and crib full
of com, as well as a part of his mule
bam boarded up for feed storage.
Simms’ experience is about on a par
with other river bottom tanners of this
county. It will be the shortest cotton
crop in many years, it is agreed
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The Rockdale Reporter and Messenger (Rockdale, Tex.), Vol. 63, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 3, 1935, newspaper, October 3, 1935; Rockdale, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth693700/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Lucy Hill Patterson Memorial Library.