The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 2007 Page: 2 of 6
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Page 2 Issue 30
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Thursday, July 26, 2007
Texas
Times
Texas Cowboy
defines America
By U. S. Senator John Cornyn
“The Texas horizon will forever
include the silhouette of a lone soul, in a
tall hat, sitting on a strong horse—help-
ing lead cattle to market and moving
Texas forward on the road to great-
ness."
Nothing has done more to define the
American character than the image of
the Texas cowboy. In the world’s eyes,
the cowboy is the personification of
independence, grit, honesty, humility,
geniality and straight shooting, all dis-
played in wide open spaces with an
unerring sense of right and wrong.
Other states had their pioneers and
frontiersmen, but the cowboy was large-
ly a Texas creation. For 300 years, well before Texas
joined the United States, Mexican vaqueros ran cattle on
horseback across the region. That included a few long-
horns, originally imported from Spain.
But as the nation began to heal after the Civil War,
Texas’s first major industry was born. The bustling north
needed beef. Texas had cattle. The trail drive phenome-
non—moving herds across vast, unoccupied plains north-
ward towards railroad loading points—was soon underway
The cowboy’s heyday lasted only about one generation,
from the mid-1860s until the late 1880s. But his impact on
the popular imagination is permanent. It started almost
immediately. Dime novels began circulating in the eastern
U.S. and Europe during the 1870s, vividly dramatizing life
on the open range.
Within a few years, Buffalo Bill Cody and others had
created Wild West shows to exploit fascination with the
frontier. And popular interest appears timeless. The cow-
boy is the central figure in an entire genre of literature,
movies and television, the ‘Western," that will never dis-
appear.The cowboy remains America’s most popular hero.
One writer, William W. Savage, says the cowboy, “as a
representative of an occupational group, has received
more attention than any other workers in the world." In the
popular myth, the cowboy combined conservative, tradi-
tional social values with hard-fisted frontier justice.
Of course, in reality, life for a 19th century cowboy was
hardly glamorous. The work was dirty, and often danger-
ous. Trail rides were long, and the pay was modest, from
$25 to $40 per month for the average hand, up to $125 per
month for a trail boss.
Newly-settled parts of the U.S. wanted to join the cattle
industry, so trail drives went all over the West. Lonesome
Dove by Larry McMurtry chronicles an epic journey from
South Texas to the new territory of Montana. One signifi-
cant route, the Goodnight-Loving Trail, started in Fort
Concho and ended in Pueblo, Colorado.
But the main drive was the Chisholm Trail that started
near Fort San Antonio and moved north through Austin to
the Red River and on to railheads in Kansas. Altogether,
some five million head of cattle were moved northward
from Texas in the late 19th century. The era’s end came
when barbed wire closed off the open range and railroad
expansion into production areas made the cattle drives
obsolete.
At his best, the cowboy displayed strong, traditional val-
ues—courage in the face of the unknown, respect for the
land and a basic faith in ultimate justice. These values live
on. The U.S. Congress has specified July 28, 2007 as the
National Day of the American Cowboy.
In Texas, several churches are devoted to preserving
those values and melding them with teachings of the Bible.
In Atlanta, Texas, members of the Cass County Cowboy
Church have a “western trade day" this month. In
Crawford, Texas, parishioners of the Top Hand Cowboy
Church are staging a “Boots for Bibles" campaign and
other celebratory events.
In Fort Worth, at the historic stockyards, an all-day cele-
bation is planned for July 28, including living history pre-
sentations, a small cattle drive and parade.
The cattle industry remains a thriving bulwark of the
Texas economy today—even as increasing parts of our
traditional grasslands are occupied by wind farms or resi-
dential subdivisions. Today’s cattle may well be herded by
a cowboy flying a helicopter.
But the Texas horizon will forever include the silhouette
of a lone soul, in a tall hat, sitting on a strong horse—help-
ing lead cattle to market and moving Texas forward on the
road to greatness.
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Armed Services, Judiciary
andBudget Committees, in addition, he is Vice Chairman
of the Senate Select Committee on Ethics. He serves as
the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s
immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee
and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommit-
tee. Cornyn served previously as Texas Attorney General,
Texas Supreme Court Justice and Bexar County District
Judge.
Write a letter to the editor
The Odem Edroy Times accepts timely,- original letters to
the editor on topics of local interest. The deadline is
noon Wednesday for the next available edition. The let-
ter must be signed and it must include a daytime phone
number for verification.
Letter to the Editor - Odem Edroy Times
P.O. Drawer B • Sinton, Texas 78387
or email to: editor@sanpatpublishing.com
Gov. Perry signs children's insurance hill
AUSTIN — Gov. Perry on July 17 signed legislation
eliminating a 90-day waiting period for needy parents
to enroll their kids in the state ’s Children’s Health
Insurance Program.
The legislation, HB 109, makes room for 127,000
more children on the CHIP roll and makes it easier for
parents to qualify based on income and other factors.
CHIP provides primary and preventative care includ-
ing immunizations, wellness exams, eye exams and
dental check-ups to children who do not have private
health insurance or who do not qualify for Medicaid.
In May 2002, at its peak enrollment, CHIP served
529,211 children. By January 2007, the number of chil-
dren had dropped to 321,815, although there were an
estimated 700,000 eligible but unenrolled children.
Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, was HB 109’s pri-
mary author. In his statement of intent about the bill, he
pointed to reports that children without health insur-
ance are 25 percent more likely to miss school
because of illnesses, and school districts in Texas lost
$4 million per day in funding because of absenteeism.
Noriega considers Senate run
State Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, is exploring a
2008 run for the U.S. Senate.
Noriega is an officer in the Texas Army National
Guard. He has served in Afghanistan and has been
deployed in the Hurricane Katrina relief mission. While
he was serving abroad, his wife Melissa Noriega
served in his place in the Texas House.
Also looking to run is Democrat Mikal Watts, a San
Antonio lawyer. Watts filed papers to form an
Capitol
Highlights
By Ed Sterling
exploratory committee in June.
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is up for re-election in 2008.
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison was re-elected to a
six-year term in 2006.
Williams chairs RRC second time
Michael L. Williams is the new chair of he Railroad
Commission of Texas, succeeding Elizabeth Ames
Jones as chair. Williams previously served as chair,
from September 1999 to September 2001.
The Railroad Commission regulates the state’s oil
and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in
the liquefied petroleum gas industry and the surface
mining of coal and uranium.
Williams, a Republican and the highest-ranking
African-American in Texas state government, also
chairs the Governor’s Clean Coal Technology Council,
the Texas FutureGen advisory board, and serves on
other state and federal'1 energy-related boards and
councils.
Williams to lead GOP fundraising
Weatherford car dealer Roger Williams, who
resigned July 1 as secretary of state, has been named
chair of the Texas Republican party ’s “Victory ’08”
fundraising program. Gov. Perry named his own deputy
chief of staff Phil Wilson to replace Williams as secre-
tary of state. Wilson, a Brownwood native, took the
oath of office on July 18.
McLeroy to head education board
In other appointments, Perry named Bryan dentist
Don McLeroy as chair of the State Board of Education.
McLeroy first was elected to the SBOE in 1998. His
term as chair will expire in February 2009.
McLeroy has worked to include creationism in new
biology textbooks and has voted in support of health
textbooks that promote abstinence while cutting back
on information on methods of birth control and the pre-
vention of sexually transmitted diseases.
Fred Thompson to visit Texas
Television actor and former U.S. Sen. Fred
Thompson, R-Tennessee, is scheduled for campaign
stops in Houston and Dallas this week.
The visit was announced by Texas Land
Commissioner Jerry Patterson.
Thompson supporters plan to rally volunteers and
raise funds for a likely presidential bid in 2008.
Unusually rainy season continues
Heavy rains hit south and central Texas July 20-21,
the National Weather Service reported.
lastiaugh
A little girl asked her mother, "Can I go out-
side and play with the boys?"
Her mother replied, "No, you can't play
with the boys, they're too rough."
The little girl thought about it for a few
moments and said, "If I can find a smooth
one, can I play with him?"
worthquoting
"It is a bit embarrassing to have been con-
cerned with the human problem all one's
life and find at the end that one has no
more to offer by way of advice than "try to
be a little1 kinder."
Aldous Huxley
bibleverse
Love is patient; love is kind; love is not
envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It
does not insist on its own way; it is not irri-
table or resentful it does not rejoice in
wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It
bears all things, believes all things, hopes
all things, endures all things.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
electedofficids'
CONTACT INFORMATION
U.S. Sen. Cornyn, John
517 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 • (202) 224-2934
Web site: cornyn.senate.gov/contact/index.html
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey-Hutchison
284 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510 • (202) 224-5922
Web site: hutchison.senate.gov/e-mail.htm
U.S. Representative Ruben Hinojosa
U.S. House of Representatives (15th District of Texas)
2463 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515 • (202) 225-2531
Texas State Senator Judith Zaffirini - District 21
P.O. Box 12068, Capitol Station, Austin, TX 78711
Capitol: (512) 463-0121 • District: (956) 722-2293
The staff of the Odem Edroy Times
invite your participation in a new fea-
ture, which we will call Reflections. If
you have old photographs of people,
places or things from days gone by,
we would like to borrow them to use
in this space every week. They can be
special to Odem, or anywhere in San
Patricio County.
We will be glad to scan the photos
while you wait if you bring them to
the office. If you prefer, you can mail
or email them to us.
We are located at 113 S. Rachal
Street in Sinton and our telephone
number is 361-364-1270. Or, email
your pictures, complete with identifi-
cation and any comments you may
have, to jslittleton@sanpatpublish-
ing.com.
Looking Back Fifty Years
from the 1957 archives of the Odem Edroy Times
The Kids, a baseball team made up of the boys at Sacred Heart and Our Lady
of Guadalupe churches took a shellacking from the Old Ladies team at St. Vincent
Society in a sandlot game Sunday. The Old Ladies laid it on the Kids 13 to 11.
R. P. Mozeny of the Corpus Christi Weather Bureau brought a film, Hurricane
Watch to the Odem Kiwanis Club by Supt. H. W. Herndon.
Joe Alan Green and Jerry Mertz both turned four years old and shared honors
at a birthday party Saturday at the park in Sinton. Children who attended were
Horace Smith, Rhonda Wallace, Timothy Brown, Doyle Curtiss, James
Compton, Gary Stalcup, Eugene Davis Jr., Virginia Lane, David Green, Le Ann
Tewes and Cheryl Stalcup.
The Baptist Woman’s Missionary Society met with Mrs. J. W. Lane Thursday.
Attending were mesdames Jack Thornton, L. M. Burnett, R. J. Lane, Lewis Horn,
H.E. Cooper, J. B. Whatley, Harry Mohrman, Ray Childress.
Mrs. A. J. Glass of West Sinton, prominent in Art Colony work, will be an assis-
tant to members of the San Pat County artist communnity who meet at the Rob and
Bessie Welder Clubhouse. Present Friday were Mrs. Julia Pyle, Mrs. W. Mayfield
and Mrs. Frank Wilson.
Miss Martha Montgomery, who received a bachelor’s degree from Abilene
Christian College last spring, has accepted a position as first grade teacher in the
Lozano School in Corpus Christi.
Ruby Lee Pyle of Odem and Clyde Mayo Jr. of Sinton are among the young
people who attended the Conference of Church Vocations at at Mt. Welsley over the
weekend.
The Woman’s Study Club rounds out its 25th year. It was organized in 1932, with
Mrs. A. N. Smith and Miss Allie Hancock, as charter members. They have retained
their membership.
H. B. Sipes’ new and modern Texaco Station was officially opened Wednesday.
One of the most modern and convenient in town, it boasts restrooms that are thor-
oughly modern. The ladies is equipped with three mirrors, large enough for at least
five ladies at one time.
A four-foot circulating fan was installed in the attic of the Kiwanis Club room last
week, adding much to the comfort of the place. Artie Tally and Ed Brown were on
the committee which made the arrangements and C. E. White and Royce Reed
made the installation.
Patricia Lawhon and Carolyn Weatherly, of Odem are two of the 21 young
ladies who have entered the Miss Texas Baseball contest set for Sinton in conjunc-
tion with the Texas Championship baseball tournament in August.
District Clerk Lloyd Hamilton and family left Saturday for a 10-day trip to
Colorado. During Mr. Hamilton’s absence Miss Johnnie Sue Gore, clerk, will be in
charge of the office in the courthouse.
Mrs. Floyd DuBois of Pittsburg visited with her brother and family, Mr. and Mrs.
David Ellis Sunday.
THE ODEM-EDROY TIMES (USPS 402-940) is published weekly every Thursday by San
Patricio Publishing Co.. Inc., 113 S. Rachal Ave., Sinton, Texas 78387. Periodical postage
paid at Odem, Texas 78370.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATE: Effective January 1, 2007. (Subscriptions run for
one (1) year.) $24.75 - mailed within San Patricio County; $31.10 - within the
State of Texas; $32.15 - mailed outside the State of Texas. (Good only in the
United States.) All subscriptions not renewed prior to expiration or canceled, will
carry a $2.00 reinstatement penalty to defray handling charges.
THE ODEM-EDROY TIMES
P.O. Drawer B
Sinton, Texas 78387-0167
Phone: 361-364-1270 Copyright © 2007 The entire contents
Fax: 361 -364-3833 of this publication are copyrighted by
E-mail: editor@sanpatpublishing.com The Odem-Edroy Times
JAMES F. TRACY, JR. & JOHN HENRY TRACY
Co-Publishers
JAMES TRACY
Editor
JOHNNIE SUE LITTLETON
Community Editor
RON JACKSON
Graphic Designer
CATHY JO SUAREZ
Advertising Sales
ASHLEY TREVINO
Receptionist/Classified Sales
MELINDA RAPPE
Reporter
DIANNA HAMILTON
Reporter
SANDRA MARTINEZ
Bookkeeper
FRANCINE GARCIA
Asst. Bookkeeper/Billing
JIMMY PEREZ
Distribution Manager
NOTICE:
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
The Odem-Edroy Times accepts timely, orig-
inal letters to the editor on topics of local inter-
est. The deadline is noon Wednesday for the
next available edition. The letter must be
signed and it must include a daytime phone
number for verification. Letters may be edited
for brevity and clarity. The publisher reserves
the right to limit the number of times a writer
may appear and to reject unsuitable letters.
Letter to the Editor
The Odem-Edroy Times
P.O. Drawer B • Sinton, Texas 78387
or email to: editor@sanpatpubiishing.com
CORRECTIONS, ERRORS AND OMISSIONS:
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fair and accurate information regarding events
and issues in the public interest. Should we
make an error, we ask you to call someone in
the news department at 361-364-1270. It is
our policy to make corrections as quickly as
possible.
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Tracy, James. The Odem-Edroy Times (Odem, Tex.), Vol. 61, No. 30, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 26, 2007, newspaper, July 26, 2007; Sinton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1055520/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=180: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Odem Public Library.