The Paducah Post (Paducah, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, February 14, 1941 Page: 1 of 8
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The Paducah post
.NUMBER 44
XXXIV-
AIRES
REGISTER
i defense
lock Post To t’o-
i National Ainer-
Coninia mlar in
ntnry of legion-
mi ['naffiliated
Veterans.
-frUgion. working
j.iU'5 pf'’. '(rs°nn
,H of Its 1.0 1 °>1 1 •
it nossible, for nalion-
£vice. Unaffiliated
fa (till be invited to
tion "'ill be en-
v Its purpose is
i local, -tat ■ and
shin of ti e Legion
e inventory of the
ganization of man-
.nce anil special
iuld be made avail-
vernmen! if need-
,,5,, of the nation,
roman der 'Ido J.
odaimei Saturday.
8th anniversary of
eorg Washington,
dense registration
ticnnaires and un-
i war veterans who
every Legion post
will ask its mem-
oca 1 World war
rally to fill out
This form will be
It wili chronicle
, capabilities and
could be used in
e. These question-
sent to national
’ the Legion where
; the national dc-
These will enable
ckly to locate any
veteran for special
•rican Legion is a
imitation. however,
s who fill in the
j will have in more
i case of national
han will any other
le United States,
i W. Bullock Post
will undertake to
legionnaires and un-
irld war veterans in
ity and surrounding
f revealed.
that every L<‘gion-
Hd war veteran will
opportunity of per-
nother bit for their
do not expect to be
ave military' service,
re beyond that age.
many home defense
performed.” it was
} local Legionnaires.
E PARK
IE BUILT
W BE HONORED
GIVEN FOREST
35 PROG HAM
park will be built
®* Highway depart-
,miles north of Padu-
S. Highway 83 in
be Paducah Lions club
.--nee the organiza-
*' u. S. Forest Ser-
shclterbelts in
dub has purchased a
•o* of land from
- and Forest Ser-
f'll work with the
~™ent in landscap-
ing the park on
A- sign will be
"°nor of the Lions
ill overlook approxi-
•lles of shelterbelts
p area.
dub has sponsored
Stating i„ Cottle
ir|P»m began in this
Much
UK HERE
"PROM SEVEN
TO ATTEND
bally
^rich Of Dallas,
of the Christian
“c principal speak-
rf ti? Christian En-
tV“e Wichita FaUs
Padn f1? Christian
U'cltk riday night’
b'chi
throughout the
^ expected to at-
Quanah,
'inn. Lone Star
vorers will be in
VeVnl'onaL Tl,e
Eefr {flowed by a
^feshmenu will be
*£tvi9ited in
PAItfl All, TEXAS, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1941
PADUCAH PAUSES IN TRIBUTE
* TO BELOVED ATHLETIC COACH
Paducah and area men and wo-
men, boys ar.d girls, paid hun-
dreds of respectful tributes Sat-
urday to Ab P r u i 11, athletic
coach, builder of character.
Funeral services for the popu-
lar coach, who died in a local
hospital last Friday night from
complications lollowing an ap-
pendix operation, were conducted
at 3 o’clock Saturday afternoon
from the First Baptist chui <-h.
Rev. Raymond Partlow, who was
pastor of the Sherman Presbyter-
ian church at the time Pruitt was
converted, and Rev. Franklin E.
Swanner of Paducah, pronounced
the service. Members of the
championship Paducah high school
football team were pallbearers.
To the bier at the close of , i
vices came business men and civic
leaders, fellow school teachers,
men and women, and boys and
girls fiom all walks of life, who
had learned to love the jovial
coach during the brief years In-
had spent in the profession, to
pay their final respects.
Burial At Dallas
The body was carried to Dal-
las, home of the parents, when-
services were held at Welland's
Funeral Church Monday morning
at 10:30 with Dr. L. L. M<-
Cutcheon, pastor of the Sh- rmur
Presbyterian church officiating.
-Burial followed in the Restkind
Memorial Park in Dallas.
Supt J. D. Wilson, .Assistant
Coach Burns McKinney and C.
A. Phillips of Paducah attended
final rites in Dallas.
Death of the 26-year-nld coach
ended his brilliant career both
as an athlete and mentor. An nil-
city high school football back ;.i
(Forest Avenue) Dallas. Pruitt
made the All-Texas Conference
football team two .,f his three
seasons with Austin College in
Sherman. He was leading scorer
in the conference one year. Hi
also won the Texas Conference
golf championship while at Aus-
tin College.
Pruitt began his coaching
career in 1938 when he took ovei
the reins of the lowly Chillicethe
Kagles. By mid-season he had
the Eagles Defeating teams that
had been crushing them for the
past ten years. After opening the
1939 season with a victory over
Class AA Qcannh, the Eagle.,;
marched through a victorious sea-
son, losing only their final game
to Burkburnctt.
Receives Promotion
Because of his excellent rec-
ord, Pruitt was elected head of
the Paducah high school coaching
staff and assumed duties here
last talk The i940 Dragons,
hetaided as one of the greatest
Class A football team ever pro-
duced in Texas, swept through
the District 4-A schedule und
feated and won the first district
championship ever awarded a 1 a-
ducah grid team. The powerful
Dragon eleven crushed Shamrock
for the bi-district crown, and
probably would have ha 1 jittie
difficulty in defeating Phillips
for the region one title had tney
not been forced to play on an
ice-covered field in 1-’-degree
weather.
Although Pruitt had never
been particularly interested >n ■
basketball, his Dragon team had
lost only one conference game
before his death i n d probaDly
will win the 4-A title.
Recognized as the outstanding
young coach of the year, I ruitt
was being watched by athletic di-
rectors of high schools in major
cities of many sections of 1 exas,
and would doubtless have been
promoted to a Class AA position
within a short time. He was con-
sidered a n especially desirable
coach, because of his high ideals
and ability to handle boys. He
was loved by every boy who had
ever been under his direction.
Pruitt was born April 20, v ’
at Dallas. He was married to Miss
Mary Elizabeth (Tirmniel Wilson
June 26, 1936.
Survivors include the widow,
Mrs. Mary Elizabeth Pruitt; one
son, Ab. 'Jr., Paducah; his r-m-
onts, Mr. and Mrs. Frank 1 emtt,
three brothers, Johnny and Hi .
of Dallas and Oscar, ban An-
tonio; and six sisters, Mrs. J.
Hunter, Dallas; Mrs. Kattie Rice,
Whitesboro; Mrs. Bob McDonald,
Dorchester; Mrs. West Newman,
Whitewright; Mrs. Ed McKee,
Olney, and Miss Helen Pruitt,
Dallas. . .
Pruitt was stricken Monday be-
fore his death and underwent an
emergency operation the
day. Pneumonia developed Friday
and death came about midnight
Friday. _____
Grandfather ° f
Zane Brewer Die*
Funeral services for ° ”e
Brewer, 77, grandfather of Zane
G. Brower of Paducah, were held
at Coolidge, Ariz., Monday niom-
n*Mr. Brewer died Sunday morn-
ing at 7:30 o’clock afto, five
days illness. He was stricken with
paralysis Tuesday and neve- re
gained consciousness. ,
The grandson of FaducahaJ
other relatives from Texas were
at the bedside when death came.
'
Ab Pruitt, left, Paducah high
school athletic coach who died
last Friday night, is pictured
above with Burns McKinney,
* It Was Nice Knowing You, Ab
(An Editorial)
Ab Pruitt, the superstitious roach, played out his luck
last Friday night.
The little wooden horse shoe he carried in his pocket
wasn’t enough to bring him through his last battle: and
Lady Luck, who had helped him through so many tough
.pets on the gridiron, failed to intervene. And so his roly
poly hands slipped ever so lightly from the pig skin of
Etc. And then he died.
Ah Pruitt didn’t lose many battles, lie only lost one foot-
ball game during the last two regular seasons, and he was
never able to reconcile himself to that defeat — he loved
to win too much for that. And when he felt death tugging
at his elbow, he didn’t want to die because he simply had-
n't been accustomed to losing his scraps.
It was nice knowing Ah Pruitt while he was around. It
was nice having him as a friend. It was nice to understand
that Ah Pruitt belonged to the breed of men who believe
implicitv in friendship and the tenets by which it lives. lie
crave'a lot to his friends—his time, his effort, but greater
than all. bis heart.
It is nice to reflect upon his brief career as a toothall
coach One recalls main things. The way he guided the
Chillieothe Eagles to suen-ss in 1939, and the manner in
which he tutored the Paducah Dragons to district and In-
distinct championships Iasi all. One remembers ln> optim-
ism. his faith in the lays and the gentle way he corrected
their errors. . .
Farlv last fall when the Dragons were trailing h loydada.
ti-0 after having been played off their feet throughout the
first half of tin important conference game. Ab put his
arm around Rudolph Mobley’s neck, looked around at all
the boys and said: "Fellows, we’re not licked. Vv vejust
had a little hard-luck . . . just haven t had the ball enough.
We’ll use our passes the second half. Doc (he always call-
ed Rudolph. Doe) let Sandlin pass deep to Biddy tor a
touch when vou get a chance.” That’s what happened and
the game ended in a G-all tie. Nope, you just couldn t damp-
en Ab Pruitt’s optimism. . . his faith.
That’s about the creed by which this hefty coach lived.
It’s a rather simple one. but a clean-limbed one, taith and
C°Paducah is going to miss having him around Hots of
people are going to Hie remembering him for a long tune
n‘me. Remembering and loving the superstitious coach
who loved his followman. ,,
ESSKJ >!i“>m wmli out on‘the 'football grid-
irReme!iliHi^himlt!unping his cowboy hat when a player
11' Ren,embering him as the handsome, grinning, good-na-
tured fellow that he was.
Remembering him as plain Ab Hma-
Yes, it was nice knowing you, Ab.
right, assistant coach. This pic-
ture probably was the last
made of the late grid mentor.
RECORD WHEAT
CROP IN DUST
BOWL J VIEW
Largest Wheat Yield in Years
Is in Prospect but Is Caus-
ing More Concern Than Re-
joicing Among Grain Men.
CHICAGO, Feb. 14—The na-
tion’s one-time “dust bowl,” now
acclaimed by farm experts as the
wheat belt’s “garden spot,” is
sprouting shoots of a new crop
that may be the largest in years,
but the prospect already has
caused more concern than re-
joicing among grain men.
Farmers in t h e Southwest,
heart of the winter wheat coun-
try, are cheered by the crop out-
look, probably the best in at
least a decade. But they know
that a bountiful 1941 harvest
may lead to serious market com-
plications if the world demand
does not revive.
Already, because of prospects
of a record breaking supply foi
the season beginning next July,
there has been talk of limiting
the 1842 acreage to the utmost,
and May has been set tentatively
as the date for the wheat belt’s
first referendum on marketing
quotas.
The recent price decline to the
lowest level in about five months
has increased concern in the
tiade. At about 80 cents for May
delivery, wheat is almost 20
cents lower than a year ago.
The Southwest has been re-
vived by a full year of almost
perfect weather which permitted
harvest of a “miracle” crop of
1940 and now gives 1941 wheat
the best start in years. The 1940
crop had an exceptionally poor
start but revived to produce
589,151,000 bushels. The new
wheat is beginning to green as
far north as Kansas and will be
ready for reapers in a little more
than three months.
In the entire nation, 46,271,-
000 acres were sown last Fall,
5.6 per cent more than last sea-
son and only 3 per cent under the
average for the past ten years.
Last December the 1941 crop’s
condition was estimated at 84
per cent of normal, best for the
date in a decade, and the pre-
liminary forecast of production
was 633,000,000 bushels. If a
harvest of this size materializes,
it would be the largest since 1931
with the exception of the crops of
1937 and 1938, which were
"around 685,000,000.
A 633,000,000 bushel harvest
plus a normal Spring wheat crop
of 200,000,000 bushels would give
the country, with its prospective
carryover, more than 1,200,000,-
000 bushels for the season begin-
ning next July 1, largest since
1931. Spring wheat has not been
seeded as yet.
Just Arrived
Adm. Kicbisaburo Nomura, new
ambassador extraordinary and plen-
ipotentiary to the United States from
Japan, is pictured as he witnessed
the review of the Thirtieth infantry
at San Francisco presidio shortly
after arriving in America. With No-
mura is General Dewitt, command-
er of the Fourth army. Left to right:
Admiral Nomura and General De-
witt.
PASTOR BEGINS
4TH YEAR HERE
RECORD SCNDAY SCHOOL
ATTENDANCE DRIVE
ANNOUNCED
INCOME T A X
DEPUTIES HERE
NWWTH & WOODWARD TO
BE AT BANK TUESDAY,
FEB. 2ii
GREENBELT GOLF TOURNEY
SITE, DATES TO BE SET FEB. 23
. ., _____ fh. Hardeman country club will
Representatives of the Green-
belt Golf association will
in Childress Sunday, Feb. 23,
to decide on the dates and site
for their annual spring tourna
,lv« o<tot W. <h«
3SST& ft
the Hardeman country club will
not bid for it again this year.
Pampa and Childress have indi-
cated they will ask for the
l° Defending champion at th is
season’s tourney will be Frank
Mitcham of Shamrock. L. \.
(Cotton) Anderson of Paducah
was last year’s consolation
ChMem°beis of the association are
Paducah, McLean, Clarendon,
Crowell, Childress, Electra, Mem-
phis Quanah, Shamrock, Vernon,
G..VL, Okla., Frederick, Okla.,
Mangim, Okla., and Altus Okla.
James F. Newth and A. D.
Woodward, deputy collectors, will
be at the First National bank
in Paducah Tuesday, Feb. 25,
from 8:30 a. m. to 4 p. m. to aid
local residents in preparing in-
come tax reports.
W. A. Thomas of Dallas, col-
lector of internal revenue, in
making the announcement said,
“The new income tax law pre-
sents many complicated problems
which the layman, in attempting
to file his income tax return for
1940, cannot solve. This office
is eager to be of help to all tax-
payers who desire our assistance
in making out their returns.
“For this reason, we will send
deputy collectors to your city
to assist your citizens with their
income tax problems. The law
does not impose this duty on us,
but we feel obliged to assist
wherever we are needed. The ad--
vice and assistance is extended
purely as a courtsey and witiiout
cost to your citizens.”
Paducah Man Fined
For Theft of Battery
On a plea of guilty to a charge
of stealing a battery, Ruffle
Arbuckie was fined $25 and costs,
amounting to $40, in Justice of
the Peace J. M. Barron s court
Thursday morning.
Arbuckie was charged with
taking a battery from a home ij
Paducah last Friday night. Chief
of Police S. P. Sivells was the
arresting officer.
lions secretary here
R Roy Keaton of Austin, state
secretary of the Lions Interna-
tional, discussed organization of
the Lions club at the regular
luncheon of the jkocal club Thurs-
day. Students of the Valley View
school presented several v octal
numbers at the session. District,
F V Wallace of Dumas will be
guest of the club next Wednes-
day, Feb. 19.
Rev. Franklin E. Swanner Sun-
day will begin his fourth year as
pastor of the First Baptist church
of Paducah.
J. K. Sullivan, Sunday school
superintendent, said today teach-
ers and departmental heads are
making a drive to secure a record
Sunday school attendance in com-
memoration of the pastor’s third
anniversary in Paducah.
Rev. Swanner r.-me to Paducah
Feb. 15, 1938. During his pa-
torate there have been more than
200 additions to the church and
a marked increase in Sunday
school and B. T. U. attendance.
Sundlay school attendance has
grown from an average of 175
to approximately 250. The chuich
has had a standard Sunday school
for the past three years.
Recently the church budding
,-iebt of $5,000, which was in-
curred when the main building
was remodeled at a cost cf $11,-
000, was cut in half; and officials
believe the remainder of the debt
will be paid during the current
year.
Rev. Swanner came to Paducah
from GoLdthwaite. He is i naUve
of London, Ky.
Worst Sandstorm of
Season Hits Paducah
A swirling sandstorm, the
worst in two years, covered the
Texas Panhandle Wednesday and
was followed by colder weather.
A south wind, which shifted to
the southwest at noon Wednes-
day, stirred up the sand which
fogged through Paducah, c u c
visibility to a block and obliterat-
ed the sun during the afternoon.
High winds were reported
over most of the southwest, and
reached the velocity of 60 miles
an hour in some sections, the
sandstorm covered all of the Pan-
handle and strong winds were re-
ported throughout the state.
McGinnis Services
Are Held At Merkel
Funeral services for Sherry
Carol McGinnis, infant daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Oscar McGinnis
of Cottle county, were held at
Merkel Monday afternoon.
The child had been ill foi
several weeks and was—in an
Abilene hospital at the time of
her death.
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Dm HAIMS
J. B. HARRISON
HERE SATURDAY
I' iiial Rites for Pioneer Oil
Man Are Held From the
First Baptist Church Tues-
day Afternoon.
Funeral services for J. B. Har-
rison, 49, who died Saturday'
night, were held) from the First
Baptist church Tuesday after-
noon, with Rev. Franklin E.
Swanner, pastor, officiating.
Burial followed in the Padu-
cah cemetery under the direction
of the Norris Funeral home.
Mr. Harrison was stricken with
influenza Jan. 30 and suffered
a relapse about a week before
his death.
Mr. Harrison was born in
Alexander, Texas, Dec. 13, 1891,
and had lived in Paducah about
31 years. H-- first operated a
grocery store in this city, and
later pioneered in the retail
oil and gasoline business. He
established Paducah’s first drive-
in service station in the early
20’s, and had been in charge of
farm sales for the local office
of the Continential Oil company
for the past nine years.
He was highly regarded
throughout the retail oil and gas-
oline industry, and several out-
of-town officials of the Continen-
tial Oil company were present to
pay final respects Tuesday, in-
cluding J. L. Allen of Graham
district superintendent; W. R.
Doty of Shamrock, former dis-
trict superintendent, and W. R.
Johnston, Childress, agent.
J, 1’. Powell, Paducah Conoco
agent and other local representa-
tives, presented a beautiful flor-
al offering bearing the Conoco
emblem in paying final tribute to
their friend.
Mr. Harrison was married to
Miss Lorena Andrews in Padu-
cah June 30, 1915.
Surviving are the widow; two
children, Mrs. Jimmie D. Hamrick
of Paducah and J. B. Harrison
Jr. of California; a sister, Mrs.
H. E. Furgeson of Crowell; a
nephew. Charles Furgeson of Cro-
well; four nieces, Ruth Furgeson
of Crowell, Mrs. Raymond Bor-
row of Lubbock, Mrs. Clinton
Rhodes of Pine Bluff, Ark, and
Mrs. W. C. Lane of Dennison.
Another sister preeeeced Mr.
Harrison in death.
All members of the immediate
family were present for final
services. The son, who came from
his home in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains about 70 miles east
of Sacramento, Calif., travelled
15 miles on skis through the snow
before reaching passable roads.
He reached Paducah early Tues-
day morning.
Pallbearers were J. F. Powell.
Joe Green, Clyde MeClary, Jack
Bearden, O. E. Sturdivant and
Dudley Walker. Honorary pall-
bearers were W. A. Bishop. John
Brown, Ran Roy, Dink Woods,
(Continued on last page)
DRAGONS FACE
MATADOR HERE
PADUCAH NEEDS VICTORY
FOR CHANCE AT 4-A
CHAMPIONSHIP
The Paducah Dragon cagers
will entertain Matador here to-
night, starting at 7:30, in the
final game of the District 4-A
basketball campaign.
The Dragons, who dropped a
27-26 decision to Ralls last week,
must defeat Matador to gain a
tie with Floydada for the league
championship. Floyalada and Pa-
ducah each have lost two games,
and probably will participate in a
three-game playmff series in the
event of a tie.
The Dragons dropped a 48-21
decision to Coach Grady Graves
brilliant Wildcats in an exhibition
game sponsored by the high
school senior class here last Tues-
day night.
Assistant Athletic Coach Burns
McKinney is directing high school
athletics following the death of
Coach Ab Pruitt.
PADUCAH YOUTHS ELIGIBLE SI
FOR PILOT TRAINING COURSE
roll in the Civil Aeronautics
authority’s non-college civil pilot
training course which will > oe
started in Childress about Mkrch
free instructions will be given
a class of 50 under the program,
sponsored by the federal govern-
m<The entire \ class will receive
the classwork
in navigation, “na
civil aviation law, 72 hour course.
Hours of the class viU be ar-
ranged to suit the convenience
of the students.
At the conclusion of the
ground course, competitive exam-
inations will be given and the
ten members of the class making
the best grades, including one
voung lady, will receive the actu-
al flight course at the Childress
airport. At the conclusion of the
flight course, the students will
receive their civil pilot’s license.
For the ground course, stu-
dents will be required to pul-
chase $2 worth of text books ana
(Continued on last page)
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Fyke, E. D. The Paducah Post (Paducah, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, February 14, 1941, newspaper, February 14, 1941; Paducah, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth723210/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Bicentennial City County Library.