The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 173, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 31, 1955 Page: 1 of 14
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Cold
HAYKHORE WEATHER—Generally fair
and ountlnut'U cold Saturday night with
a low of 40. Sunday partly cloudy and a
little tvnmirr.
(PuhliCRtion of tidra will re Mime in The
Sun a» noon as the 10.W East Coast Tide
Tables volume la available.)
Ifogf
YOUR HOMt
NEWSPAPER
VOL 36, NO. 173
TODAY'S NEWS TODAY
Saturday, December ?l, 1955
BAYTOWN, TEXAS
TELEPHONE: 8302. Fiv# Cent* Par Copy
WILL YOU BE A ‘STATISTIC’ IN ’56?
First Breakfast Together
Man, Wife Retire At Refinery
. r By FRED HARTMAN
They made history out at the
Baytown Refinery Friday, and
y there wasnTa barrel of oil in sight.
There were between 200 and 300
people on hand, however, to say
goodbye lo Mr. and Mrs. J. R.
Seyc'icr—Buddy and Grace to near-
ly everybody at the party.
The Seydlers, one of the best
known husband and wife combin-
ations working at the plant, be-
came the first to retire at the same
time.
There wasn’t a tinge of sadness
nor a wet eye. Grace and Buddy
are retiring voluntarily. They were
happy about it all.
There was a strange silence Sat- gether Friday for the
urday morning at the Seydler since we were married.
home at 1218 East James. The
alarm clock that had been "ring-
ing at 5:30 a.m. for all these years”
had been silenced forever.
What retirement will mean can
best be answered by Grace.
"Buddy and I had breakfast to-
first time
she said.
Death Nears
For Scores
On Highways
"That sounds impossible, but it’s
been that way.’
By UNITLi) PRESS
One of the biggest safety cam-
Buddy hired in at the refinery paigns in the nation’s history ap-
on May 11, 1920, in the machine peared to be holding down traffic
shop. He had 35 years and eight deaths on the start of the New
months. Tat Bracken, an Irish- Year’s holiday Saturday.
(See RETIRE—Page Two)
State-Wide Hunt On
For Channelview Man
As Swindle Suspect
AMBULANCE FDI Xft IN Ml CK AS FI/H)D RECEDES—As flood waters recede in ravaged north-
ern California, exposing an increasingly vast pieture of destruction, an ambulance apparently trapped
while starting on a re sene mission is discovered in the flotsam in Yuba City. The floods claimed 67
dead or missing ahd did an estimated $150,000,000 damage In northern California and southern Oregon.
_ " (International Soundphoto)
—
v *k
A state-wide pickup order had
been issued Saturday for R. C. Bar-
nett Jr. of Channelview, who has
been charged with theft by false
pretense by at least four Harris
county residents.
What law- officials think may de-
velop into a state-wide swindle in-
volving the #ale of army surplus
vehicles that were never delivg
was gaining momentun
Biggest Month Since Consolidation -
City Taxpayers Cough Up Record $327,719
Despite Christmas shopping ex- since consolidation,
penses. Bayjtown tax-payers paid It surpassed by more than $100,
g record $327,719.89 into the city 000 the $205,000 collected in Dec-
treasury during December, City
Manager C. Darwin Middleton rc-
as the search for Burnett con-
tinued.
Three men filed charges with
Justice of the Peace Waiter Queen,
each complaining that Barnett ac-
cepted money as a down payment
on surplus army vehicles which
have not yet been deHvered.
Lloyd Frazier, assistant chief
deputy of the Harris county sher-
iff’s department, said Saturday he
had six Investigators trying to find
Barnett but so far they_have been
unsuccessful.
"We traced him to Fort Worth
last night,” Frazier sadi. “We got
word that he was supposed to
come back here (Houston or Chan-
neiview). We waited for him but
_ he never came.”
, Frazier said Barnett could now
by Humble Oil and Refining Co. far below the previous October. be arrested because warrants had
In a one-week period, the cily But apparently the people were been issued. According to the sher-
had collected more than $200,000 just waiting until the last two Ufa department, Barnett is free
fn taxes. * - months, Redd said. -- in bond after he was arrested on
Deadll
ported.
It was the largest amount in city
taxes collected in one single month
ine for
. „ • If
ember 1954. And Saturday’s col-
iecUons were not included in the Tax Assessor-Collector C. G
1955 total for the month. Redd recently expressed alarm „ „ _ MPQL _ JPQHH'
The tax total was bolstered by over the trickle of fax money into date, penalties and interest will man filed charges about two weeks
TOO YOUNG TO REALIZE—Orphaned when their parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Dean Marshall, were killed in the crash of a light plane
in a storm, five children pose in their Los Angeles home, too yonng
to realize their loss. From left are Lyle Dean, 3; Deanna, 8; Oda
paying city
not paid bv
taxes charges of theft by false pretense
Marie, 8, holding Nancy Jean, 11 months; George Marshall, 5.
el (International Soundpt
Soundphoto)
the approximately $190,000 paid the treasury. In October, it was be added.
ago,
SUN SPOTS State Insurane e Examiners Wheel Tax Would
\ Quiet Monday
gf BAYTOWN’S POST Office and
JB most of the business houses will be
| closed Monday in celebration of
Accused Of Conspiracy
AUSTIN —UP— A civil suit to eyholders in a much wider area,
recover $4,890,000 for creditors of The petition alleges that these
K.,; Yy, W Lt,.TSd.,0S“nWo',,;S '«» — «— ■ “» "W* <£ „ tte p*Sm,„ cJ, *,
Wremdin I™ I,hw n a f^v^ p,aeed on filc ln 1Xth examinati on June 30. tw
will remain open as will a few of district court by Texas insurance t*52. of General American Casual
th„ service stations..... - - *-* —*- « **-*------- *---
Constable Paul Anderson of Bay-
town said Saturday he had reason
to believe that more complaints
would be filed in the next few days.
Anderson said he had talked to
several people who had given
money to Barnett and that none
had received the vehicles.
Several of the men borrowed
money from the Humble credit un-
ion, Anderson said. He said he per-
sonally knew one man who borrow-
cides that Harris County's “wheel ed *500 and $av® t0 Barnett as
48-YEAR-OLD SECRETARY
TURNED INTO MILLIONAIRE
Raise Auto Tag
Cost One-Third
the restaurants,
and drug stores.
liqiili
idator J. D, Wheeler,
suit names
ty do. assets. If tfceir report had tax” law is constitutional, motorists
Attends Funeral
C. C. REDD, city tax assessor-col-
lector. was in Alexandria, La., Sat-
urday where he attended the fun-
eral of his uncle. He plans to re-
turn this weekend.
Wont To Aid?
FRIENDS WANTING, to aid the
R. E. Lee family, whose home was
destroyed by fire Monday, may
contact Mrs. R, J, Morgan. 109
East Sterling. Her phono number
is 2611.
defendants: been correct, it said, the loss of will pay one-third more for vehi-
m officers and director of the policyholders and creditors would cleg licenses pIates ln i956
Voters approved the new tax in
defunct company: (2) banks and Il0t have been so jreat.
SsyKFiS SSSkSS
department. so. Blanchard and Sutler received f°r 0,6 PuT*e of rights
The four employes, who still various gifts from the insurance °* way by the county,
work for the state insurance de- company, the suit alleges, and Applicable to all vehicles, the
partment are: L. W. Blanchard, went on hunting trips as guests of ™ covers cars ranging in weight
a down payment.
The complaints say that Barnett
offered to sell army surplus ve-
hicles to different people for $306
down with the additional amount
to be paid when the vehicles were
delivered.
CHICAGO—(OV-An insurance executive’s will has turned his sec-
retary into a millionaire. -’ v: • - tr : ,
Alfred E. Forrest, 48-year-old president of the North American
Accident Insurance Co„ left most of his estate to his secretary, Hazel
Boostrom, 48. when he died last June 27.
At first it was believed the estate came to about $500,000. But an
appraisal filed in the county clerk’s office Friday showed it amounted
to $2,370,775.
It was estimated that, after taxes Miss Boostrom’s share would be
$1,279,968. Forrest’s sister, Sirs. Saidec Rathbone of Pasadena, Calif.,
will receive a $100,000 trust fund.
Miss Boostrom was secretary for Forrest’s late father and con-
tinued in the post when the son took ever the insurance company
presidency.
The United Press count starting
at 6 p.m. Friday night showed
• that 29 persons had met death on
the streets and highways. There
were two deaths in fires and two
in miscellaneous accidents for a
holiday total of 33.
Across the nation, a small army
of police and National Guardsmen
waged war against death. Their
assignment was to prove the fore-
cast of a record-breaking 420 traf-
fic deaths by midnight Monday
wrong.
However, the hours of greatest
danger were still to come The
death rate was expected to pick
up rapidly Saturday night, when
hordes of merrymakers will wel-
come in the New Year by drink-
ing too much and then trying to
drive home.
The early count showed Michi-
gan, New York state and Ohio all
with four deaths each. New Hamp-
shire and South Dakota, which
both got through the bloody Christ-
mas weekend without a single
traffic death, were among the first
to report New Year’s auto fatali-
ties.
If the National Safety Gounefl's
prediction of 420 New Year’s dead
proves true, it will mean that
more than five Americans will die
in smashups during every hour of
the 78-hour holiday.
It will also mean an all-time
record for New Year’s slaughter-
five above the record 415 traffic
deaths counted over the 1962 holi-
day.
Only one week ago. the nation
set an all-time, ail-holiday traffic
death record of 621 during the
three-day Christmas holiday. It
was this staggering total which
aroused Saturday’s all-out. no-
hoids-barred drive to save lives.
Uniformed National Guardsmen
left their homes for the holidays
and aided state police fn Louisi-
ana. Illinois. Wisconsin, Kansas,
Arizona. Michigan, and Tennes-
see. In Tennessee, Louisiana, Kan-
sas and Illinois, they were aided
by planes which kept a sky patrol
for dangerous drivers.
Police forces across the nation
were beefed up to their top force
and efficiency. Leaves were can-
celled and shifts were lengthened
to as long as 18 hours.
Blanchard, went on hunting trips as guests of COVfrs <-arB ranging in weigh!
chief insurance department exam- company officers. fr°m to 5 0°0 pounds, but
Butler.
Elks Dance
ELK’S CLUB .dance is scheduled
for Saturday night in the Elk's
hall with music by Russell Jackson
from 10 p.m. until 2 a mVElk’.i
club members and their guests arc
Invited,
iner: Robert R. Butler^, assistant Noad is alleged to have accept
chief examiner: and William J. ed a cash gift as well as enter-
Noad and Lee L. Pfefferkorn, two tainment and meals during the Car> s- Smith, Harris County
field examiners. 1952 inquiry. The company was tax assessor-collector, has prepar-
Thcy were charged with aiding placed in permanent receivership ed a table showing how the wheel
and abetting a conspiracy aimed in July 8, 1954 by District Judge *«x will apply when 1958 vehicle
to defraud, General American had, Jack Roberts. Wheeler's petition -license plates go on sale Feb. 16.
before its collapse, been author- says the company went out of The deadline for buying new tags
ized to operate in 11 slates and business with 57.000 claimants hav- is April 1. but an enlension is us •
the territory ot Alaska. It had poli- ing claims totaling $6,578,289. ally granted.
cw.oT, 'SSI
Salk Polio Shots Wasted By Thousands
Enough For 35,000 Children Sets 'Stale' In Mixups
Parents' Council Meet
PARENTS’ COUNCIL for Men-
tally Retarded Children will meet
at 7 p m. Monday at the Opportun-
ity school, 1201 Parkway. Mr*.
James M. Jones, president, said
the council will meet the first
Monday of each month in 1956.
the safety testing staff this sum-
mer and other factors.
Most of this vaccine was ear-
menfs voluntary distribution
gram.
Dr. G. Foard McGinness,
Around Town-
WASHINGTON -UP- Thou-
sands of Salk polio shots went to
waste in the 1955 mass inoculation
program, it was learned Saturday, marked for the school program of cine director of the foundation,
State health authorities revealed the National Foundation for Infan- said he estimated vaccine losses
In a nationwide United Press sur- tile Paralysis. this year wouldn’t run more than
vey that enough serum to inocu- More than 11,000 additional 20,000 shots. But, he said even if
lale more than 35,000 children be- doses, it was learned, also have the 35,000 figure is correct, it rep-
came ‘stale” before it was used, been returned to manufacturers ‘ - ■
They blamed distribution mixups, since the start of the govern-'
DAVID BARNETT, stationed In
the Marines at Camp LeJeunc,
N. C„ is home visiting his par-
ents, Mr. and Mrs. R. A. Barnett
. . , Billy Tom Satterwhite and
Joe Bill Miller engaged in a deep
discussion . . : Linda Bcrgei afraid
Stork Ready In Sun Contest
Who Will He Visit First In 1956?
resents a “pretty good record.
"With all the clearing and re-
clearing of vaccine this summer,"
lift caiH Ht'o ClimMucInrr n
lie said, "it's surprising a lot more
shots didn’t become outdated and
imncoH ”
\A/ --.1L _ „ LJ District 8 which includes Wooster.
'V QQT net nete Brown wood and Lakewood, and
District 27 which takes in Coady.
R.A third water district election is
scheduied for Jan. 10 at High-
mg to find the weather crisp and iands wj,eft supervisors will be
skies clear after a cold front I]amed for Harris Coujlty Water
moved into the area and dropped Colltroi and improvement District
temperatures near the freezing x„ j Three incumbents, W. E.
Dunks, A. J. Lostak and O. M.
Baytown weather instruments Harmon are the only ones running,
showed a low of 34 degrees in Five supervisors will be selected
the east section of town. How- in the District 8 contest with eight
ever, a light freeze was reported candidates to be listed on the
in other sections where automo- ballot. Voting will take place at
bile windshields left unprotected David G. Burnet school, 5720 Bay-
were covered with a thin layer way drive, and voting machines
of ice Saturday morning. will be used. J. F. Hickerson will
At 10:30 a.m. the mercury had serve a« election judge,
climbed to 47 degrees. The high Eleven supervisor candidates will
Friday was 63 be included on the Coady ballot
Fair and mild weather is fore- aI°nK ta* assessor-col-
cast for the New Year weekend. aoriLc^
A farming trend was forecast for and W' T'
Dallas where the Cotton Bowl
game between the University of
Other candidates in the Coady
race are L. W. Wilkerson. W. L.
Shepherd, M. C. Setliff, J, P. Dur- By UNITED PRESS
nell, John M. Starr, T. M. Stack, Safety authorities redoubted
T. E. Boatright, Ollie L. Ostrum their effortsAxiay in a determined
and H. A. Miller. effort to keep the New Year’s
Mrs. Glayds Slone, the incum- ^ekend traffic toil from match-
bent, is opposed by Doris B.
Smuch for tax assessor-collector.
District 8’s candidates are T. J.
Gilliam, F. R. (Lefty) Rogers, Le
Roy Wilkie, W. J. Service, B. S.
Greenwood, G. W. Robinson, Al-
bert H. Franta and C. A. Ross.
The five selected will serve for
two year terms,
lectors candidates. T. W. Golden supervisor who left Baytown when
Schoppa are seeking transferred to New York.
Midnight Saturday will official- clock, Kovar Appliance Co.
go unused.
At present, vaccine is declared
outdated if it has not been used
within a six-month period. In the
babv Uniteti Prcss survey 32 states re-
y ported no wastage, but 12 states
Mississippi and Texas Christian
university wilt be played Monday.
»«n= aiWis » test s? sr «»
paper reporter for fear it will land
In the paper. What's there to be
being sponsored Irene's;
by The Baytown Sun for
Johnson baby set, Scar- ,n ( .. - . .
paper. What’s there to be w «*n tor resi- borough’s Pharmacies; first pair Here Is tte breakdown of tested
afraid of? . . . Lynn Hill telling {5fnta *n East Harrls and West of shoes, Moore's Shoe Store; shots: WMted
about some pretty flowers she is Lhambcrs counties. Engraved sterling silver cup, Oklahoma, 13,605; Pennsylvania,
growing in her Rio Grande valley Twenty-one Baytown business Robson's Jewelers; feeding dish, 10,000; Kentucky, 5,649; Ohio. 3,-
home , . . Patty Carroll gets houses will provide a variety of Black’s Pharmacy; set of three 000;,’ Alabama. 'several thou-
pretty excited over a long dis- gifts for the baby and his or her thermometeV, Purple Door Toy- sand:” Nevada, 150; Texas. 18:
tance phone call from California parents. house; nylon bed jacket and white Georgia and Louisiana, “some;”
way. The contest is an annual event Arrow shirt, Paine Bros.; Better Florida. Tennessee and Virginia,
Herb Gray bringing back a which this year will name Mr. or Homes and Gardens Baby book, “a b^e."
.prized possession from Florida— Miss Baytown of 1956. Official Beall Bros.; William Rogers bib
a pair of Bermuda shorts with notice of the child’s birth
matching shirt. No long socks, midnight Saturday must be
though. He says they don’t wear at The Sun office by noon Tups- City Pharmacy No. 2;
City In Huddle
On Patent Suit
Fair Winners Have Big Time
'Wonderful Trip,' Youths Report _
ing that of the Christmas week-
end.
The director of the Texas De-
partment of Public Safety, Homer
Garrison Jr., ordered J21 inspec-
tors to serve as highway patrol-
men over the weekend.
“A drastic situation calls for
drastic action,” Garrison said.
, "They will enable us to give con-
Rogcr and Wilkie are the on^ siderably greater coverage to traf-
m mpiimbent. in thn race W. M. fic po[icing 0„ y,e raraj highways
during their temporary diversion
from their regularly-assigned du-
ties.”
, Die regular highway patrolmen
number 470, so the 121 inspectors
will bring the total up to 591. The
temporary patrolmen usually work
as license and weight inspectors
and motor vehicle inspectors.
So far a total of 136 persons
have died violently in Texas since
two incumbents in the race. W. M,
Douglas, present chairman, and
J. M. D. Heald, secretary are not
running as is F. M. Orr. an elected
By CLYDE A. MURRAY
Sun Staff Writer
and two girls,, and five adults, left
by chartered bus Monday morning
the long holiday period began at
12:01 a.m. Dec. 23.
Seventy-four of these died In
James Stricklin had hardly en- and rolled back into Baytown Fri- traffic accidents, 39 in homicides
the long socks in Florida . . , day,
Vernon Cooke amazed at newspa- Proper notification calls for
per readership . . . Marilyn Pad- exact time of birth registered by
Official Beall Bros.; William Rogers bib
•th after 'n tucker set and baby ring, House MaRRA IninC lira
be made Jewelry; baby thermometer, Tri- ’ •»"■■*» ••*1 ' *Bv
On Forida Vacation
g«tt comes to supper and brings
her own steals . . . Chili Kelley
Clark and Cynthia Moore discus-
ring old times at Stephens college
. . . Clove Eowdoln anj Jimmy
Tyree, who are both stationed in
Korea, are planning a little get
together in ttiat far away place.
They are about 90 miles apart.
the attending physician or mid-
wife and certlfcatlon by a no-
tary public. This information must
be brought to The Sun office no
later than noon Tuesday.
Gifts, and their donors, for the
baby and or parents are a Stork-
line polid nak baby bed, Culpep-
Two and one-haif gallons of ice
cream, San Jacinto Creamery; 10
pounds of Wright’s smoked sau-
KEY WEST. Fla. -UP- Pres!
Principals in the patent infringe-
ment case brought against Bay-
town by the Chicago Pump Co.
will hold a- pre-trial conference in
Dallas Monday, at which a com-
promise settlement may be work-
ed out. City Attorney George
Chandler said Saturday.
Besides Chandler, Mayor R, H.
Pruett and a city councilman to
be selected by the mayor, will at-
tend the conference. They will
leave Baytown Sunday.
Co-defendant in the patent law-
suit with Baytown is the Walker
Process Equipment Corp. of
sage, Wright Packing Oo.; $5 gift here Saturday afternoon
certificate, Morrison Furniture Co., wife,
dent Eisenhower was to be joined S?*X m’JNwA
tered the door of his home after day afternoon. The bus still car'
a five-day trip that had carried ried the banner, "Baytown, Texas,” accidents,
him into three states — Texas, but someone had added the word
Louisiana and Mississippi—when: "Aggies” between Baytown and
“We had a wonderful time,” Texas.
Stricklin said. “I mean everyone “We made our first stop in
seemed to enjoy it It was a won- Beaumont” Stricklin recalled. "We
didn’t stay there very long, and
then we went on to Louisiana.
Our first stop in Louisiana was
Houma and we visited a sugar
refinery and saw the complete pro-
cess of sugar refining,”
And then he told about New
Orleans, the next stop, where the
party split into small groups and
toured the city, visiting the famed
and suicides and 23 in non-traffic
QUICKIES ... By Ken Reynolds
derful trip,'
Stricklin was one of 17 Baytown
area youngsters who returned
home Friday from a- three-state
tour sponsored by the Baytown
Chamber of Commerce for live-
stock winners at the 1955 Baytown
Fair.
A junior at Robert E. Lee high
school. Stricklin, who lives
per's Furniture Co.; GE electric count, Citizens National Bank,
certificate, Morrison Furniture Co., wife, who is flying dowiWrom I,nfrin*ing
Inc.; baby shawl, Gray’s Bo-Peep Washington to spend New Year’s pat*nt r‘ghu by
Shop; $100 gift certificate on Fw Jn ihe cZf cxeoutL tqUipment PUrChaSed fr0m "alker
clothes dryer, Reynolds Appliance Mrs. Eisenhower was to be ac-
companied by her mother, Mrs.
John S. Dourf of Denver, and Mrs.
Howard M. M, Snyder, wife of the
White House physician.
Cedar Bayou road with his par- French Quarter, the noted shrines
enu, Mr. and Mrs. S. B. Strick- and the renowned exhibits of ar-
Co.; training chair, Wllkenfeld's
ride home for mother and baby,
Earthman's and $5 savings a>
by Baytown and which contains
certain feature* claimed by Chi-
cago Pump Co. to have been used
by Walker Process,
Attorneys for both companies
will attend the Dallas conference.
lin, copped at least two second
places with his calves at the fair.
Instead of money brought from
auction of the prize-winning stock,
the winners were given a tour by
the Chamber of Commerce.
Stricklin and the remainder of
the winners, including' 14 boys
chitecture.
From Louisiana, the Texans
went east to Gulfport, Miss., and
there, Stricklin recalled, the group
were guests at Belingrath Gar-
dens, where the late wealthy coat
manufacturer took 60 acres of pro-
(See FAIR - Page Two)
“. . . You’re finding too many
•do-it-youreetr projects in The
Sun Want Ads—for me 1”
_
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Hartman, Fred. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 36, No. 173, Ed. 1 Saturday, December 31, 1955, newspaper, December 31, 1955; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1100475/m1/1/: accessed July 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.