The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 343, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 5, 1990 Page: 4 of 18
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7
4-A
THE BAYTOWN SUN
Wednesday, December 5, 1990 T
Opinion
i
AshbeY Smith’s Goose hunting friends
role significant
|\r. Ashbel Smith, one of the most important
■ men in Texas history lived here, and one of
his most notable accomplishments was helping
to establish the University of Texas Medical Branch
at Galveston..
In 1991, the centennial, of the medical school will
be observed.
For the-past 100 years, the University of Texas
Medical Branch at Galveston has played a pivotal
role in Texas history. The state’s oldest health sci-
ence center, UTMB was established as a as the med-
ical department of the University of Texas. Author-
ized by the state legislature in 1881 and located
Galveston" as a result of a public referendum, the
small medical school of 23 students with a single
teaching hospital and a nurses’ training program be- <
gan classes on Oct; 5, 1891. ,w;
Although UTMB’s Centennial is a first for a
Texas health science center, three earlier attempts had
been made to form medical schools in Galveston.
Finally, ip 1873, the Texas Medical College was
established in Galveston with the help of Ashbel
Smith, a Connecticut Yankee who had lived in Bayr
town (on Evergreen Road) since the late 1830s.
Smith received his M.D. degree frqrn Yale, and
studied in Paris before settling in Texas. His. first
position was that of , surgeon general for the Army of
the Republic of Texas.
He later served ?s ambassador to France and Eng-
land for the Republic of Texas, as secretary of state,
as a state legislator and, as commander of the Bay-
land Guards in the Civil War.
In addition ,to playing a key role in forming the •
medical school, he helped to form the University of
Texas at Austin. 'I Jimmy wuuiu maiai uiai iiit tai win-
An elementary school in Baytown is named in"W
The duck and goose hunting season is
here again, and with its arrival, I think back
to other seasons that are long past.
Living in the Baytown area all my life
gave me the privilege of hunting in some of
the best waterfowl places in the state. ,
The area teemed with large flocks of
geese and ducks. Trinity Bay at times would
be covered with rafts of ducks. The geese
would abound in huge flocks down in the
matches of Chambers County.
During the early morning, just as the first
streaks of light began appearing in the east-
ern sky, the birds would begin flying to the
rice fields to feed. Flock after flock would
fill the sky, all the way to the horizon.
Sitting in a duck blind, or hunkered down
on a levee in a rice field watching this na-
tural event unfold, gave me a special feeling
for nature and all its creatures. Being with
good friends, who were true sportsmen,
made those, early morning hunts complete.
Many of the men who I hunted with were
older than me. I was a good listener, and
enjoyed hearing them talk about their hunt-
ing experiences during earlier days.
J.W. (Jimmy) Riggs, who was a well-
known businessman in Pelly’s early days,
bccarnc a good friend of mjne in his later
years. When I first heard of Jimmy, I was a
child living on Riggs Street, and he was the
man who owned the water system in Pelly.
He also was a member of the school board in
the early 20s, when Anson Jones Elementary
School was built. Anson Jones was the first
school that I attended.
Fate has a way of bringing people together
in strange ways. Jimmy and L both worked '
at the General Tire and Rubber Co.,, which
later became owned by Ashland Oil Co. We
had many long talks, and he gave me council
that helped me throughout my life.
When I would pick up Jimmy to go hunt-
ing, he would always wear a lopg black rain-
coat. Jimmy would insist that the car win-
( ,
L /
C. Gene
\ *
Erwin
, . j . c . ^ , , so we would be acclimated to the cold,
honor, and a statue of the great physician/educator/ Those trips were not short, usually lasting
statesman stands at the Republic of Texas Plaza on ' .
about one and one-half hours. We had to
travel to Dayton, Liberty, Devers and then
go south to Hankamer. From there, we
would go out on the prairie of lower Cham-
ber?’County to the rice fields where we
hunted.
Believe me, I was more than ready to get
out of the car, so I could warm up! I never
did let Jimmy know how cold and miserable
it was riding in that naturally air conditioned
vehicle. I figured that if an old man like
Jimmy could take it, so could L .
We would pick a spot in the field near a
levee, and put out our spread of white rags,
which served as decoys. Then we would sit
on the levee, waiting for the geese to come.
Soon we would hear the honking of geese as
they approached. Everyone would get down,
except Jimmy. He would be sitting straight
up like “Old Sitting Bull,” with that black
raincoat on, waiting for the geese to ap-
proach the decoys.
The rest of us wore white clothing to
blend in with the decoys, but not Jimmy.
When we asked him about this, he replied
that it made no difference to the geese, so
why should it bother us. And, you know,
what? It turned out that he was right. The
geese would come right on into shooting
range, and Jimmy would get off the first
shot. He never missed.
Another time when hunting with my regu-
lar partners Marshall Heffner,, Charles
McKay and Frank McKay, I invited my
brother Earl to hunt with us. Earl had re-
mained in the “Navy after World War II,-and
had just recently retired. W? all had high
powered magnum shotguns, except Earl,
who- had a little 20 gauge. v
We all kidded him about the pea-shooter
he had brought along to hunt those big
geese. Earl didn’t say much and took the rib-
bing calmly. Soon the geese came in and he
let that little gun do the talking. He didn’t
miss a shpt, killing three Geese with rapid
fire. All three were shot in the head; After
that demonstration, we just sat back and
watched him shoot. Needless to say, they
were all head shots. Our big guns were
silenced by the little 20 gauge.
Another couple I had the pleasure of hunt-
ing with was Luther (Red) Choate and his
wife. They truly were two of the best hunters
I have known. Both were good shots, and
masters of goose and duck hunting. We
hunted on the Jackson Ranch, which later
became the Anahuac Wildlife Refuge. Red
was a friendly and outgoing person, who
knew many pf the landowners along the
coastal marshes, of Chambers County. They
liked hunting geese, as well as eating them.
Mrs. Shoate really knew how to cook those
birds.
'Dan McDonald was another hunter who I
effjoyed hunting ° with. We” were hunting
geese one day and all the geese were flying
high, and would not come down to the de-
coys, Geese are like that sometimes. They
knew where they wanted to feed, and con-
tinued flying over, paying no mind to us.
After waiting most of the morning and not
firing a shot, a lone goo%passed over real
high. I asked Dan if he'thought he could
shoot that old goose? Dan replied, “I reckon
so” and pointed his double barrel straight up
at the goose and fired. That goose never
knew what hit him and fell to the ground like
brick. When I asked Dan what kind of shot
he used, the reply was “BBs.” Needless to
say, I started' carrying some BB shells with
me when hunting. I also got me a double
barrel shotgun. *
m
m
•j
m
m
Ci
M;
Sh
M(
Gene Erwin A an employee at Exxon
Chemical Plant.
Eai
Bill
North Main.
In Galveston, the original medical-department
building is named in honor of Ashbel Smith but it is
known mostly as “Old Red,”.............
On the occasion of the medical School’s 100th an-
niversary, Galveston should find a better way to
honor the memory of the man chiefly responsible for
founding the school. We don’t think a building • ••■•
called “Old Red” is sufficient.
Mail paperback to a soldier ui
From Sun files
• ' - '• ' f .
’80: Local men drive
antique cars in film
From The Baytown Sun files, this is the way it was:
55 YEARS AGO
Robert Hill is elected chancellor commander of the Knights of
Pythias.
A bargain drive is launched for non-Baytown Refinery employee '
membership in the Baytown Country Club. Continuing through Dec.
31, the non-employee membership fee of $25 is lying cut to $12.50,
says Blaise Alleman, member of the board.
Elsie’s Beauty Shop in the Aron Building advertises $12.50 Ther-
mique heater-less waves for $5.
Mrs. - W..C. Swain entertains the HEO Bridge Club.
50 YEARS AGO
B.B. Williams, Goose Creek city engineer, is the new president of
the Tri-Cities Junior Chamber of Commerce.
W.M. Knowles is a new council commander of the Goose Creek
Camp* of the Woodmen of the World.
45 YEARS AGO
Bernard Olive, son of Mr. and Mrs. C.H. Olive of Pelly is home
after 39 months in the Pacific. His younger brother, Leonard, is in
Jfet
WASHINGTON — The Vietnam War
seems like a very long time.,coming to mind.;
Recently, for example, I’ve been thinking
about a small library in'Saigon where QIs
used to go to read books when they were off
duty, or in from the field. ~ '
I don’t remember who operated the li-
brary. It may have been a branch of the U.S.
Information Agency, At a rate, it was located
out past the Central Market, on the edge of
the Chinese district of the city,' and the
troops used to sit on the floor, cradling their
weapons, and lose them selves in literature.
I introduced a Marine to the works of
Winston Churchill at the library. Others read
everything 'from Shakespeare to Sherwood
Anderson. 'Plus’ there was Mickey Spillane.
The books were a break with the hum-
drum and madness of the awful war; they
offered light in the night and inspirations for
withered spirits.
Now it seems to me that the light and in-
spirations would likewise be beneficial for
Americans on watch in the Persian Gulf cri-
sis. They arc not yet at combat in the desert,
• The first way. is individually, through
the U.S. post offices. The cost is relatively
low; book rate, and there is priority service.
Tufts says people can mail the paperback
books to either of these military addresses:
Tom
Tiede
Any U.S. Soldier/Airman ,
Operation Desert Shield
APO New York, NY 09848-0006
the Army of Occupation in Japan.
but there is a special humdrum ar.d madness
associated with waiting for war to take
place, and reading matter would help ease
the frustrations. -
So I believe we might want to sup ply the
troops in the Middle East with books as well
as with bullets. And individual Americans
rather than the government can do the job.
People at home can start a massive circulat-
ing library in the Middle East, simply by
sending paperbacks through- the - regular -
Ted Lyman, manager of the Baytown Plant of General Tire and
Rubber Co., predicts tire rationing will end in 1946.
, 10 YEARS AGO
Longtime .Baytonians Freddy Real and Bob Schrader finish film-
ing their bit roles in a new movie, “Liar’s Moon.” The movie is set
in 1949 in the fictitious town of Noble, Texas, and - Real and
Schrader can be seen driving through the tipy town in their old-
model cars. Schrader drives a 1937 Mercury and Real, a 1949
Plymouth.
Serene and happy aboard his favorite fire truck, Santa sighs,
“What a night! The Oilers won and Baytown had one of the best
Christmas parades ever.”
mails to the members of Operation Desert
Shield.
The softcover books can be sent to, any
man or woman serving on the sands or on
the seas. They can also be dispatched in
bulk, with a little additional effort. In either
case, the books will no doubt pass from per-
son to person, which in my view is the prin-
cipal magic of books, to provide yet another
printeu wonder: small pleasure. '
Helen Keller once said reading is the way
to the infinite ocean. She meant it’s a voyage
out of tedium. One enemy in the Middle East
is dread monotony. There are English-
language libraries in the Arab states, but
they are far from the troops on the line.
Hence the literature has to be provided in
other ways.
Some U.S. publishers have already recog-
nized the need. And they have begun send-
ing materials to the armed forces. The Penta-
gon says at least three major newspaper cor-
porations are posting editions to Saudi Ar-
abia; and almost a dozen magazine concerns
are distributing their products throughout the
region. '
The United Service Organization is simi-
larly contributing in kind. The USO is put-
ting books in what it calls its “‘Oasis Pack-
age” program. The group has gotten $2 mil-
lion in business donations, which it has used
to buy 100,000 gift packages, and it is send-
ing them over on military transports where
space is available. r “ 1 .
These endeavors are exemplary , of course.
They are also expensive, and in a way face-
less. It’s nice to read a special edition of The
Sporting News. It’s even better to geta per-
Any U.S. Sailor/Marine
Operation Desert Shield
FPO New York, NY 09866-0006
HO
Transi
staff
four [
facilit
involv
roleur
Mo:
ees w<
reduct
binatic
sonalized softcover from an ordinary Ameri-
can, Send a hook and a small note: Here’s to
you, pal, from me. You keep the peace, and
-I’ll keep the faith.
Capt. Tom Tufts is chief of planning for
the Military Postal Service Agency. He says
the agency encourages civilians to encourage
troop morale in this manner. He says U.S.
soldiers and sailors in the Mideast are al-
ready receiving many tons of mail each day,
but there’s room for more.
Americans can send paperback books in
two ways:
• The second course is for group or orga-
nizational efforts. Capt. Tufts says the De-
fense Logistics Agency can help groups that
want th collect and send large-numbers of
books. \
The agetjey may be able to facilitate mili-
tary transport for the books, for instance, and
organizations can ask for assistance by call-
ing the DLA “hotline”: 703-274-3561.
Capt. Tufts suggests that paperbacks are
better than hardcovers. They weigh less, take
up less space and are preferred by the troops
— especially those in the infantry. The
books can be fiction or nonfiction, certainly;
long or short, whimsical or serious. The only
thing to keep in mind is there are more
troops in their 20s than there are in other age
groups.
And, oh yes, be advised that the Arab
governments have the right to censor mail
entering their countries. They do not like
sexual content. A group in North Caiuluia
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Leon Brown:-....
Fred Hartman..
Wanda Orfon..
Bruce Guynn..
Russell Maroney...
Debbie Kimmey....
.............................................................Editor and publisher
.............Editor and publisher, 1950-1974
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
..........................:...................................Managing editor
.........................................'.........Associate managing Editor
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
..Advertising manager
Gary Dobbs.
CIRCULATION
..Classified manager
........ General manager
"Circulation manager
Production manager
Composing room foreman
PRODUCTION
Gary Guinn....................................
Lynne Morris......................................................\
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.LETTER POLICY
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Today in history
learned this recently when it made arrange-
ments to send thousands of books to Saudi
Arabia; it was asked first to tear out all
photos of wbmen in evening gowns.
Sigh. Well, the troops deserve any sacri-
fice. Most books do not have pictures, any-
way. And I’m going to do my part, what-
ever. I’m sending a book about space flight,
a novel by John Cheever, a Sherlock Hol-
mes, and a history of the circus; there is a
drawing'of a lady in the latter '— but don’t
worry, she’s covered with tattoos.
Newspaper Enterprise Association - -
1933: Prohibition era comes to an end
On Dec. 5, 1933, at 5:32 p.m. EST, national Prohibition came to
an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment
to the Constitution, thereby repealing the 18th Amendment.
In 17761 the first scholastic fraternity in America, Phi Beta Kappa,
was organized dt the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg,
Va. •
In 1782, the first president who was a native citizen of the United
States, Martin Van Buren, was bom in Kinderhook, N.Y.
In 1791, composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna,
Austria, at the age of 35. _______ _______ „
In 1831, former President John Quiricy Adams took his seat as a
member of the U.S, House of Representatives.
In 1848, President Polk triggered the Gold Rush of ’49 by con-
firming that gold had been discovered in California.
In 1901, movie producer Walt Disney was bom in Chicago.
In 1932, German physicist Albert Einstein was granted a visa
making it possible for him to travel to the United States.
In 1955, the American federation of Labor and the Congress of
Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO under its first
president, George Meany.
In 1977, Egypt broke diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Al-
geria, Iraq and South Yemen in the wake of criticism that followed
President Anwar Sadat’s peace overtures , to Israel.
In 1978, the American space probe Pioneer Venus I, orbiting
Venus, began beaming back its first information and picture ,of the -
planet to scientists in Mountain View, Calif.
Today’s Birthdays: Sen. Strom Thurmond, R-S.c!, is 88. Singer
Little Richard is 58. Author Joan Didion is 56. Author Calvin Trillin
is 55. Actress Morgan Brittany is 39.
BIBLE VERSE
“Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me and know
my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and
lead me in_ the way everlasting.” »
- ... Psalm 139:23,24.
v
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Brown, Leon. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 343, Ed. 1 Wednesday, December 5, 1990, newspaper, December 5, 1990; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1044347/m1/4/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.