San Patricio County News (Sinton, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 5, 2006 Page: 2 of 24
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Viewpoint
Tea pluckers busy every day in Sri Lanka
WaMmiMi'o
kf JMuu WOfoiitblty
I was watch-
ing the 1957
movie The
Bridge on the
River Kwai for
the umpteenth
time the other
night when I first
noticed the clas-
sic flick had
been filmed in
Ceylon.
You probably
remember that
award-winning
flick starring
William Holden,
Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins and
Sessue Hayakawa. The movie plot fea-
tured a battle of wills between a
Japanese POW commander
(Havakawa) and a British colonel
became Sri Lanka in 1972.
Oh yeah, I kind of remember that.
Yes, I remembered that pear-shaped
Ceylon was once the premier Crown
Colony of England. But why did those
Brits want this 266-mile-long island
southeast of India? I also vaguely
remembered that the island was noted
for its elephants, apes and peacocks,
but the British in the late 1700s general-
ly based their goals of world dominance
on the potbrftials of minerals, gems and
such. The Dutch, whom they displaced
in 1795, were well aware Qf the sap-
phires, rubies, cat’s-eyes and the coffee
growing regions on the mountainous ter-
rain of the beautiful tropical island. But
graphite was the only other known min-
eral of any significance. The country
abounds in tropical fruits such as
pineapples, oranges, and mangoes and
in such trees as ebony, satin, calaman-
the forms of the Catholic religion and the
principles of the Church of England. The
decennial census of 1901 gave the fol-
lowing statistics: Buddhists, 2,141,404;
Hindus, 826,826; Christians 349,239;
Mohammedans 246,188; others 2,367.
Until the 1860s the main crop pro-
duced on the island was coffee. But in
1869, the coffee-rust virus Hemileia
vasatrix, killed off the majority of coffee
pilants and estate owners had to diversi-
fy to other crops in order to avoid total
ruin.
In 1866, James Taylor, a recently
arrived Scot was selected to be in
charge of the first sowing of tea seeds
on 19 acres of land. Taylor had acquired
some basic knowledge of tea cultivation
in North India and his first tea harvest in
Ceylon was a huge success. By 1872 he
had a fully equipped tea factory in
Ceylon and his high-quality teas sold for
percent of today’s production goes to
Russia, the Middle East and North
Africa. Now just what happened to the
6rits here? Are they skipping their
famous afternoon tea or have they gone
over to wine or gin or something? Or
perhaps, it’s just the Russians and
Arabs catching up on tea sipping.
There are six main tea-producing
areas in Sri Lanka. Each region offers
their own unique characteristics of fla-
vor, aroma and color. Some yield green
teas; others have golden liquor, flowery
orange Pekoes, or rich, black teas that
are usually topped with a splash of milk
before they are drunk.
Everyday around 300,000 estate
workers pluck several million-tea leaves
by hand. That is the first step in the
manufacture of Ceylon tea also knows
as “the best tea in the world.” Only the
bud and the two youngest leaves are
dried to improve the “keeping” quality.
No preservatives or artificial flavorings
are added to Ceylon teas.
You have perhaps wondered why I
appear to have gone back and forth with
the ancient name Ceylon and the mod-
em name Sri Lanka when referring to
the island nation. I have already
described that transition to you; but Sri
Lanka estate owners prefer to see their
premier export known as Ceylon Tea. In
fact, products containing 100 percent
Ceylon Tea are marketed using a Red
Lion logo clutching a sword to guarantee
the country of origin and the assurance
of quality in their sachets, cartons, soft
wood boxes, basket packs, tins and
canisters of Ceylon Tea.
Incidentally, studies by the US
Department of Agriculture have shown
that tea may pack as powerful a punch
of health as one serving of many veg-
etables or fruits. Tea Is also thought to
be rejuvenating. It is enjoyed worldwide
because while it is calming it is also
reviving and uplifting. It is also one of
the few natural sources of the mineral
fluoride. We all know that fluoride is the
most successful agent against tooth
decay.
So, that’s that Teasip! Ceylon tea for
two?
John Willoughby is a lifelong South Texas
resident who loves to travel. Readers may
email him at johnw@stx.rr.net
Thursday, C
a raw soupl
bobbing jusl
Aunt M.
already kne
caught in th
woman in a
If she hac
falling into tl
funny. Well
old, but whe
sault into thi
(Guinness) over the construction of a
railroad bridge flnH tha pftrpllfll flffnrts of
an escaped American prisoner (Holden)
arid his efforts to destroy the bridge. If
you saw the movie you’re also almost
certain to recall the inspired whistling of
the marching British solders to the mem-
orable tune of the “Colonel Bogey
March.” >
Filmed in Ceylon, huh? Don’t hear
much about that island anymore, I
thought.
Of course not, Wildman, Ceylon
der and ironwood. Cocoanuts and cin-
namon are also found on the island and
rubber was a late discovery on the Pearl
of the Indian Ocean.
But since world dominance was on
the agenda for the Brits during that era
Ceylon was not just another beautiful lit-
tle bauble in the King’s treasure chest.
Its strategic position in the Indian Ocean
along the major sea routes from the Far
East to Africa and Europe make it a vital
holding. The Dutch and the English had
established Christianity op the island in
good prices in London auctions.
Most of the excellent Ceylon tea gar-
dens are situated in elevations between
3.000 and 8,000 feet in two areas in the
southwestern part of the island. In the
hot, steamy plains and foothills lower
grade tea bushes “flush" every seven or
eight days and are picked year-around.
But the finest teas are grown above
4.000 feet and hand-harvested from
early February until mid-March.
Although the UK was once Sri
Lanka’s largest customer, almost 70
plucked. Those are the leaves with the
most flavor and aroma. By the way, in
other parts of the world tea harvesting is
done by machines.
The plucked tea leaves are brought
to sheds where they are weighed,
inspected and “withered” using large
blowers. The next step involves cutting
the leaves to bring out the juices and
begin the fermentation process. This is
a critical step, involving humidity and
temperature control. Next, the chopped
leaves are fired to lock in flavor and
Looking Backward
Fifty Years Ago - 1956
The Ground Observer Corps
met at city hall Monday with Post
Supervisor R. C. Eakin in
charge. Meeting with them were
Mayor A. C. Brlnkoeter,
Commissioners J. J.
McMcwhorter and L. A. Harris,
J. P. Hall, John Flinn, John
/ Hayes, Lynn Glut**, RUHif
Hunt, W. F. Joseph and Harry
Trodller.
* Faye Beyer and Sharron
Betts were honored on their
17th birthdays with a pajama
party at the Beyer home after the
football game.
Mrs. Walter Wruck hosted a
surprise shower for Mrs. Edwin
D. Hunt Monday at the Wruck
home. Guests were'Mrs. June
Land, Mrs. John TVacy, Mrs. T.
K. Ferrell, Mrs. Melvin Hunt,
Mrs. Edgar Barr, Mrs.
Christine McCrory, Mrs. Ruth
Piper, Mrs. Iona Mlnson, Mrs.
Evelyn Clark, Annabelle Kargl
and Alice Holt.
Members of the MYF enjoyed
a come as you are breakfast
.cookout at Park Welder.
'Merhbers going were Allen
Lawrence Jr., Johnny Burton,
'Allen Krause, Billy Nicholas,
Cathy Moore, Nancy Young,
>Linda Fullick, Charles Neu,
Judy and David Mayo, Bobble
Sue Stephenson, Mike
Carlisle, Russell Grimes,
Chuck Mann, Suzanne
Morrow, Pete White, Sandra
Boyls, Patsy Mitchell, Susan
Dewveall and Sallie Gordon.
Guests were Charlotte White,
Cappy Johnson, Carol
Johnson, Diane Thomas, Vera
Nell ap.d Walter Burton.
Forty Years Ago -1966
Plans are underway for the
14th annual Old Fiddler’s
Festival with Dutch McKenzie
as chairman.
Kenneth Duke president of
Sinton Savings and Loan, spoke
on money management at the
chamber meeting^
Home from Baylor University
this weekend for a visit with fam-
ily and friends are Mary Kay
Simpson, Susan Nicholas and
Johnny Curlee.
Cupid S, owned and ridden
by Chester Brittain was named
Open Cutting Horse of the Year
by the Alamo Quarter Horse
Breeders Association.
New members of the Cub
Scout Pack 57 receiving Bobcat
pins were Bruce Collier,
Richard Daniel, Ricky
Hesseltlne and David Kastner.
The Monday Night Bridge
Club met in the home of Mrs.
It has come to the attention of
the Sinton ISD that a paragraph
in the Chamber Happenings col-
umn contained information pro-
moting a fundraiser, “Fiesta On
La Playa."
Please be advisbd that this
fundraiser was not approved by
the Sinton ISD and is not a dis-
trict event, as the District cannot
participate in the type of event
that is planned.
The district will not accept any
responsibility or liabiity for this
function.
The Sinton ISD requests that
the San Patricio County News
clarify this issue to the public and
acknowledge our position on this
fundraiser.
We appreciate your coopera-
tion and prompt attention to this
matter. >
Sincerely,
George S. Hernandez
Asst. Supt. for Businsess
Management
:>n
w.
m
(
VX
• - . *7
Early Sinton entrepreneurs coming to South Texas on the Tourist Train included Dan Martin, seated front
' row In the pMrfjdJe hfp wifPi Daisy MariUfo Ending Rt right.
i ^ vfihph r»iri movt J
1910 excursion brings settlers
The following was written by Mrs. R. T. Moore and printed by Dan Martin in the Liberty Journal newspa-
per in Liberty, Nebraska. Dan and Daisy Martin were members of the Oct. 18-27,1910, railroad excursion
promoted by the George H. Paul Land Company to sell farmland near Sinton. They had purchased farm-
land here in 1908 and later bought a city lot and the local newspaper. Eighteen months later they moved
here. This excerpt as been taken from the text of a lengthy article telling of the entire Texas trip. The arti-
cle Is entitled “Our Trip to the Gulf Coast.”
At Sinton we find a string of carriages and
the ever-present mule team, waiting for us.
As we start out along the road we half-way feel
that we are sort of a circus __
parade, and in fact some of
our crowd are already acting
like clowns and monkeys for
everyone is bent on having a
big time. In the outskirts of
town we go through a large
orange grove. These trees
are only two and three years
old, and many of them are
bearing, the fruit however is still green, and does
not ripen until later. West of Sinton we pass
through a sandy strip about a mile wide; this is the
melon and vegetable land. .
About one hundred cars of melons were
shipped from Sinton this past summer, command-
“Within a radius of a few miles of
Sinton, Liberty people own nearly a
thousand acres of land which when
planted to cotton yields from one-
half to one bale to the acre, worth at
the present price about seventy dol-
lars per bale.”
ing the highest price in the northern markets as
they are the first on the market.
Our drive takes us through the lands that have
^Deen thrown open during the last
three years, and while some of it
is still in brush, a great deal is
already under cultivation and with
improvements of a substantial
character. We pass a large coun-
try school, and learn that it is
located on one corner of the farm
owned by one townsman, Mr.
Geo. Sutter.
We soon pass to the lands now being sold by
the company. It is what they call hog wallow, and
the mesquite is df rather heavier growth than
some we passed through.
See Excursion, Page 4
Trans Texas Corridor Project estimated at $8 billion ~ patiM) fouiltv News
Details of Cintra/Zachry’s proposed con- becomes a reality, drivers will have an alter- Child support debit card debuts UtMM *
Details of Cintra/Zachry's proposed con-
“JSk tract t0 bulld the “Trans Texas
Corridor” project have been
made public by the Texas
Department of Transportation.
Cintra, a Spanish firm, says
the toll road part of the 50-
year-long construction project
will cost more than $8 billion.
The Project Cost document,
CHapter 4, has a chart showing that main
lanes of the road will cost about $5.8 million
per ihile, while frontage roads will come in at
$2.6 million per mile. “Fully Directional" inter-
changes will set taxpayers back more than
$49 million each. Bridges will cost a little
more than $1.7 million per crossing.
Also budgeted is a line item for customer
becomes a reality, drivers will have an alter
native to Interstate 35, which runs from
Laredo through San Antonio, Austin and
Dallas-Fort Worth to the Oklahoma border.
There's also a high-speed rail component
to the Trans Texas Corridor Project, and its
cost is estimated at more than $8 billion.
Plans are for rail lines to connect San
Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth.
At public hearings around the state, oppo-
sition so far has been registered by land and
other property owners along the proposed
construction route, anti-tax groups and indi-
viduals and government watchdogs. A final
vote on the project is forthcoming.
Child support debit card debuts
Parents who receive child support through
the state's San Antonio child support dis-
bursement office can use a credit-card style
debit card instead of cashing a paper check.
The Attorney General’s office said the
cards are accepted at grocery stores and
other retailers, and can be used to make
cash withdrawals.
P.O. Drawer B • 113-117 S. Rachal Ave. • Sinton, Texas 78387 • (361)364-1770
AG rules on license scanning
The attorney general ruled there is nocon-
On-air debates scheduled
Candidates for governor will square off in
Dallas on Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. in their only tele-
vised debate. The hour-long forum will be
broadcast from the studios of KERA-TV.
Broadcast rights are owned by Belo Corp.,
the owner of The Dallas Morning News.
Also, U.8. Ben. Kay BaHey Hutohieon, R-
service and public relations, at $30,360 per
mile,'per year.
- Anyone who has a fast computer connec-
tion and plenty of time to read can go to the
state agency’s Web site and download the
contract and related documents: 31 different
files In all.
Phns include separate lanes for passen-
ger vehicles and large trucks, freight rail-
way*, high-speed commuter railways, and
infrastructure for utilities including:
■ • ’«water Inea • ■___
eil and gas pipeline*, and
* - transmission lines for electricity, broad-
band and other telecommunications services
, .If the 600-odd mile highway project
flict in state laws about this: *t>efore complet-
ing the sale of a product containing
ephedrine, pseudoephedrine or norpseu-
doephedrine, a business establishment that
engages in those sales shall require the per-
son making the purchase to display a driver's
license and make a record of the sale ...
including the number of grams purchased.”
Those substances can be used in the
manufacture of illegal methamphetamine.
State Sen. Leticia Van De Putts, D-San
Antonio, asked Attorney General Greg Abbott
to render the opinion.
Her Senate Bill 164, requiring the license
scanning, was signed into law by Gov. Rick
Perry in 2005.
Texas, will meet challengers Barbara Ann
Radnofsky, Democrat, and Scott Jameson,
Libertarian, in a debate on Oct. 19. The
debate will be broadcast at 9 p.m. by PBS
affiliate KLRN-TV San Antonio.
Lottery year was biggest yet
The Texas Lottery set a sales record in the
fiscal year that ended Aug. 31, bringing in
$3.8 million.
The previous record was set in 1997 when
lottery customers bought $3.7 million worth
of tickets.
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
JAME8 F. TRACY, JR.
JOHN HENRY TRACY
CoPubX*h«r9
JIMMY TRACY
Editor
JENNIFER RAMSEY
Aeeoc. Editor/Reporter
JOHNNIE SUE LITTLETON
Community Editor
JIMMY TRACY
Sporta Editor
TW SA« PATROO WPMtUSfS eWWMo; * I**.
SUSSR
, Ilk***
•vary Wednesday man a Thuraday
n Parao PuMaNnoOo Inc
t) 364-1170
MIKE - Car da erf mantra and posey are
putotatiad In trta paper at per ootumn mob
earned rale 8«x1ee of death* and funerals
puhtohad m time 10 potato the new value
are not rated aa oMuartee. OMuarlee are
tree when the editor la In oon rot of (he con-
tent*. There la a amal tea tor printing a pto-
ture of me deoeaaed mere wfl also be a
charge I (he tamty request a apeoDo lan-
guage with no edUng and/or Ms an
above-average number of survivors Any
erroneous refleodon upon the character or
etandktg of any MMdual or msdiutton pub-
(shed m these columns wd be oorreoaad
upon being brouemt to (he attention of me
edtex. W» yM atoo appreciate neoeMng
any news Earn, me names of yWAora m
your home, or any visas (Men by members
of your fam*y Such aaslwanoi w* hstp
mere ess ms uatoe of your looaf paper.
Effective January 1, 3006. (BiAjeurtynwe
run tor one (1) year.) 427.60 • matted wIIMn
SAMUEL CASTANEDA
Aaeoc. Edltor/Reportar
ami nam amity. (Si w * rnmm mw
Me or Tana: ftBSBO - mWtad ouMde the
Stale of T*xaa. (Qood only Si me iMtad
SYLVIA PAYAN
BSelee.) Arrengementa for moltaio the
Advnrtlalng-Salm
pflfwr outside mm aonttfMMilMl ImBi of ttws
CHRISTY BAZAN
United States, which in moot omm
RacapttonM Sales
wBi tie puMahet. Aa aubacrtpttone not
RON JACKSON
renewed prior to aeptrattorl and muat he
Graphic Designer
can paled. «A carry a 6200 ratnetotamant
KATHRYN TURNER
penehy to dehtar hendtaiu Uhergaa
BookSeepar
PAULA DE LA GARZA
A
AmI. BooMraspsr
i®nr/ /A
M //%
PRODUCTION
Jimmy Pen** \
but on her f<
It was mi
n earth. Pa
sputtered ai
Aunt Marthc
hard not to
entertainme
That was
seashore. C
live crabs u|
I don’t rei
tered on the
0 One thine
time my aur
sun, my poc
skin in rich (
no good am
I think of
children witl
some things
Bi
Bake
Satu
VFW Lac
a bake sale
building on
There v
cookies anc
the proceec
and researc
briix
COI
m
Wa know ax
or ahower gift,
purchased, wa
bride iwftywat
VMuawf
wrapt. Wan at
I ISI
4 Horn
STEERS: S
200-300 lbs.
300-400 lbs.
) 400-50u lbs !
500-600 lbs
. 600-700 lbs.
700-800 lbs
HEIFERS:
200-300 lbs
300-400 lbs
400-500 lbs
; ■ 500-600 lbs
600-700 lbs
700-800 lbs
SLAUGHT
SI. AUGHT
STOCKER
or Bred Cc
PAIRS.......
HORSES:
[ Mgie: We th
and KitKfiit
is 3 1/2 perc
[ the sale and
1
Hwy. 59 E
16 3
Vm "M'-ee-
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Tracy, Jimmy. San Patricio County News (Sinton, Tex.), Vol. 99, No. 40, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 5, 2006, newspaper, October 5, 2006; Sinton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1123684/m1/2/?q=%22%22~1&rotate=90: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Taft Public Library.