Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, December 21, 1945 Page: 1 of 20
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8TEPHENVILLE, ERATH CpUNTY. TEXAS. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1946
TWENTY PAGES. Vol. 76. No. f3
(Mi Min, Yonder Comes Fletcher
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Fletcher Hereford, whoee bend will play here OhrletmM night, Dec. 25,
for ft dance sponsored by the American Legion. The dance will be held ftt
the City Recreation Building
CITY FINANCES
HIGHLY SOUND
REPORT SHOWS
Improvement Program
For Year Made Without
Any New Bond Issues
The financial condition of the
City of Stephenville is very good,
and the city has 963,720 on hand
in all funds, the financial gtate-
ment printed elsewhere in the
Empire-Tribune this week shows.
Despite $19,892.48 spent re-
cently for airport repairs, the city
still has on hand almost enough
money to pay off its bonded in-
debtedness. Bonds outstanding to-
tal $80,000.
Money on hand will allow the
city^to-gt^ ahead with many plan-
ned improvements during the nertt
year on a cash basis, according to
city officials. A continuation of the
sewage improvements and paving
planned during the coming year
will be carried out without incur
ring any moro bonded indebted
ness.
. Tax collections for the past year
have been high, according to City
Secretary Jack Henderson. Records,
show a percentage of better than
96 per cent collection* for the year.
The same percentage of collections
for the local district have been in
about the same proportion, city
hall records show.
Assistant Tax Collector Richard
Fagan said Tuesday night that in
his opinion city finances wore
more highly solvent than at any
time in the history of the In-
corporation of Stephenville.
Dividend and
Bonuses Voted
By State Bank
Directors of the Stephenville
State Bank, in a meeting Tuesday
afternoon, voted to declare a divi-
dend of 6 per cent on stock in the
bank.
A substantial Christmas bonus
was voted to all employees of the
bank.
STEPHENVILLE PARENTS
LOSE SON IN DEATH
A son was born to Mr. and
Mrs. Hollis Holamon, Washington
street, at Stephenville hospital Sat-
urday, December 16, but survived
only fourteen hours. The little one,
named Thomas Lynn, was the first-
born child of the couple, and other
than his parents he is survived by
his paternal and maternal grand-
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Tom Hola-
mon of Stephenville, and Mr. and
Mrs. Lynn Jones of Linglbvilte.
Mrs. Holamon is the former Mist
Willowdene Jonep. The body of the
little baby was buried in East End
cemetery Sunday with the Rev. H.
Marshall Smith conducting a com-
forting religious service at - the
grave. Mr. and Mrs. Holamon have
many friends in Stephenville and
the county will learn with deepest
sympathy of their sorrow in the
loss of their baby soa
BONUS GOES TO EMPLOYEES
OF -CLAY BUILDING CO.
, Clay Building Material Co.,
whose headquarters are In Steph-
enville, has announced that em-
ployees of the company will be
paid a Christmas bonus equal to
one month’s salary to all em-
ployees who have been with the
company a year, and all those
with less than a year with the
company will be paid a bonus based
on the length of time with the
company.
A similar bonus was paid to all
employees last August by the
company.
Building New Farm Home
Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Brannon, 802
West Long, have aa their house
, Mr
Emmett
guests, Mr. and Mrs.
Counts and daughter, Patty, of Elk
City, Oklft. Mrs. Counts is a sis-
ter of Mr. Brannon, and Mr.
Counta is assisting Mr. Brannon
in the erection of a new farm home
on his recently asquired property,
located about seven miles out of
Stephenville on highway 281 be-
tween this city and Hico. The
Brannons have sold their town
residence property and will move
to their farm home sometime in
the early part of the new year.
At Home From Pacific
Raymond Cosby, who entered
the navy in 1912 and served with
an aviation squadron, also witfi a
medical unit overseas for thirty-
three months in the Pacific com-
bat area, visited relatives in Steph-
enville and the county for several
days last week. He formerly lived
here and has many friends to ex-
tend to him cordial greetings. He
received his discharge at Camp
Wallace, near Houston, on Decem-
ber 7, and will visit- with his fa-
thers, R. C. Cosby, at Andrews,
Texas, before deciding on his fu-
ture plans.
Milburp Nutt of Breckenridge
was here Tuesday visiting hit old
friend J. C. Akey. Milburn was re-
cently discharged from the army
after serving overseas in England.
NEW WHOLESALE
GROCERY HOUSE
TO OPEN HERE
Trade Territory
In Fifty Miles
To Be Served
Announcement has been made
by B. J. Wilson, president of
Wilson-Thorfiton Co., that a new
wholesale grocery firm will be
open for business in Stephenville
in early March.
Wilson-Thornton Co. will be an
affiliate of Tyler and Simpson Co.,
pioneer grocery firm which has
served this territory from its Fort
Worth office for many years.
Plans are being made to serve
all communities in the radius of
fifty miles, and the firm will
handle a full line of merchahdise,
including nationally advertised
brands.
According to Wilson, a $60,000
corporation will be formed and
the payroll will be about $3,000
per month, this amount being paid
to some fifteen employees.
The business will be housed in
a building which was started Mon-
day, December 17, by Higgin-
botham Brothers and Co., on the
site of their old peanut warehouse
on North Graham street which
was destroyed by fire recently.
The new building has been leased
from Higginbotham Brothers and
Co. by the nevy firm. The new
building is being built under the
supervision of Tom Johnson, who
is acting as supervising contractor.
The new company will be under
the active management of B. J.
Wilson and W. B. Thornton. Both
of these men will make their homes
in Stephenville. Both Wilson and
Thornton are veterans in the
wholesale grocery business, both
having had ten years experience.
Following are the names of the
directors and officers of the new
company: B. J. Wilson,' president;
Wm. H. Tyler, vice president: Wm.
C. Simpson, vice president; W. B.
Thornton, secretary-treasurer, and
John L. Simpson.
Tyler and Simpson Co., whose
principal office is in Gainesville,
has announced that they will dis-
continue their service to this part
of Texas in favor of the new firm.
Wm. H. Tyler, vice president
of the new firm, is president of
Tyler and Simpson Co., and Wm.
C. Simpson, also a vice president
of the new organisation, is secre-
tary-treasurer of Tyler and Simp-
son Co. John L. Simpson, vice pres-
ident of the parent company, is
also a director of the new or-
ganization.
Chas, S.Long, Business and
Civic Leader, Dies Sunday
Hereford*s Band
To Play For Dance 1
Christmas Night
First big name band to
ce the beginning
he Fletcher Hereford,
appear
of the
locally since the bei
war will
whose 12 musicians will play for
a dance at city recreation hall
Christmas night, Dec, 26.
The dance is being sponsored by
the Ammon Turnbow post of the
American Legion.
Hereford, who has recently re-
organized his band, plans to have
music of all sorts to offer dancers
here.
Hereford will come here direct
from the North Side Colisaum in
Fort Worth.
Reye Reed and Gail Allen will
furnish the vocals for the band,
the latter being a former George
White's scandal beauty.
Visitors. Here From Ohio
Guests of Rev. and Mrs. E. L.
Miley from Thursday of last week
to Monday were his cousin, C, A.
Miley and wife of Wausean, Ohio,
where Mr. Miley is a prosperous
farmer. A son of the couple ar-
rived at home from service over-
seas for several years, and has
been discharged. He took over the
management of the farm for his
parent* to enjoy a long vacation
with visits to Austin, Galveston,
to Mexico City, D. F., and to
California, where they will sojourn
the balance of the winter months.
Mr. and Mrs. Miley made many
acquaintances while in Stephen-
ville, and will be welcomed here on
ffiture occasions of visits to this
city.
There aro five zones of climate
on the earth—the torrid, north
temperate, south temperate, north
frigid and south frigid zones.
GENERAL INVITATION GIVEN
TO THURSDAY NIGHT SINGING
The public is cordially invited to
attend the singing which is held
each Thursday night at the Erath
county court house in Stephenville.
The sponsors provide a good pro-
gram, and all people who sing, or
who are interested in singing, are
invited to attend. There are always
special leaders present, and classes
receive aid in learning new songs.
Everyone is invited, and each one
is asked to bring a friend.
BOND ELECTION
IS CALLED FOR
WORK ON ROADS
Election to Be Held
January 26 in
Road District 4
Commissioners’ Cdurt Wednes-
day morning, in special eession,
ordered a special road bond elec-
tion to be held on Jan. 26 to de-
cide whether or not $100,000 iff
road bonds will be sold to finance
a new good road program in Road
Bond District No. 4, whose limits
coincide with those of Precinct 2.
The election will be held at the
various voting places in Precinct
2, and only those people of that
road district will be eligible to vote
In the election.
A total of 236 people signed the
petition submitted to the Commis-
sioners’ Court which led to the
calling of the election.
The bonds to be sold, if the
election carries, will be bonds to
mature in not over 20 years and
will carry not over 3 per cent in-
terest to be paid semi-annually.
Under present plans, $26,000 of
the total amount will be spent for
road machinery, which will be used
to build and maintain the roads,
and $26,000 will be spent each year
in 1946, 1947, and 1948 for road im-
provements.
Plans are not complete as to the
exact amount of work to be done
under the proposal, but a com-
mittee composed of citizens of the
road district is being appointed,
and they will have the responsi-
bility of planning and administer-
ing the work.-
Popular Citizen
Buried at West "
End Wednesday
Chas. S. Long, veteran Steph-
enville business and civic leader,
died from a heart attack at the
Stephenville hospital Monday night
at 10:30, following an illness of
Only a few days.
Last rites were conducted at the
First Methodist church Wednes-
day morning at 10 o’clock with
Rev. E. C. Carter officiating. He
waa assisted by Rev. E. L. Miley
of the Tarieton Avenue Christian
church. Interment was at West
End cemetery. Ewell Jones of the
Stephenville Funeral Home com-
pleted all arrangements.
Besides his widow he is sur-
vived by a daughter, Mrs. James
Lorimer of Fort Worth; two grand-
children; four sisters, Mrs. J. H.
Walker, Fort Worth; Mrs. R. E.
Stallcup, Dal hurt; Mrs. W. F.
Cowden, Fort Worth, and Mrs.
Allen Connell, Fort Worth. All
were present for the last rites, ex-
cepting Mrs. Walker, who was ill.
Two brothefs, Rev. Henry Long
and Dr. H. A. Long, preceded him
in death.
Pallbearers were Oren H. Ellis,
Frank Carlton, Raymond Arm-
strong, Chas. Neblett, Jr., Jack
Price and Joseph Chandler. v""
Honorary pallbearers were made
up of a large circle of friends and
business associates.
Came Here in 1914
For more than thirby-one years
Chas. Long had been a citizen of
Stephenville, establishing his home
here in 1914 when he Became as-
sisted with Higginbotham Bros.
& Company as cashier. He later
entered the retail grocery business,
but later relinquished that line or
pndeavor to become manager of
the grocery department of the firm
of G. M. Carlton Bros. & Company.
Following this he organized the
Stephenville Wholesale Grocery
Company which he liquidated in
1938 to build the Long Hotel
which he was operating at the
lime of his death.
The building of the hotel was
one of the crowning events ,in his
long tenure as a business man.
Erected at a time when the needs
for such a commodious structure
was questionable he never faltered
in his plans, completing the proj-
ect in 1939 just prior to the be-
ginning of World War II. His busi-
ness judgment and all aroun^
acumen was brought out in the
success hei made of his last invest-
ment. The hotel today stands as
a monument to his sound judgment
and abilijy:j
However, friends of Chas. Long
believe that his untimely death
was to some extent brought about
by his close attention to business,
coupled with his untiring efforts
to take care of his guests. Within
the past year when there has been
a premium on hotel accommoda-
tions the ever accommodating
Chaii. Long lost countless hours of
needed rest by staying up nights
seeking quarters for those he
could not take care of. During the
war days wheri so many young
soldiers were passing through
Stephenville it was his joy and
delight to aid them. Veterans in
all parts of the United States will
mourn his passing.
Successful Business Executive
In business, civic affairs, educa-
tion and the churches he was in-
tense in his desires to see success
climax any and all undertakings.
(Continued on page 12)
m '
w
CHAS. L. LONG
Poll Tax Payments
Up Over Same Time
Last Year in County
A total of 1616 voters of the
county have paid their poll tax out
of an estimated 6000 eligible vot-
ers. This is almost 200 more than
had paid their tax at the same
date fast year, 1336 having paid up
on the same date in 1944.
Jan. 31 is the deadline for pay-
ing poll taxes.
Veterans will not have to pay
their poll tax in order to vote this
year, according to Jim Fincher,
tax collector. Veterans may vote by
presenting their discharge papers.
This will Hold good until 18 months
after peace is declared.
Those people who become 2D be-
fore Feb. 1 must have an exemp-
tion certificate from the county
tax collector, and must call for it
before Feb. 1 in order to vote.
Those who become 21 after Feb. 1
do not need an exemption certifi-
cate, but may vote free by satisfy^
ing the election judge that they
are 21 .
People who have become 60 years
of age also will receive a free vote,
and do not need a certificate. They
must have been 60 years of age be-
fore Jan. 1, 1945, however, to re-
ceive the free vote.
Veteran to Enter Tarieton
Edward B. Roach has been sep-
arated from the U. S. Army Air
Corps, where he had served for
some two years,' and has joined
Mrs. Roach, the former Miss Eliza-
beth Everett, and their baby son,
Eddie at the home of her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. G. Dudley Everett,
with whom they have been residing
during the absence of Corporal
RoaCh. The family will remain in
Stephenville, and Mr. Roach, a
graduate of Colorado City high
school, will enter John Tarieton
College as a stbdent with the be-
ginning of the 1946 semester.
WORK TO START
NEXT WEEK ON
NEW OIL WELL
To Be Drilled On
H. C. Lackey Land
South of Selden
Work is scheduled;to start next
week on the Lackey No. 1, an oil
well to be drilled some 12 miles
southeast of Stephenville by S. C.
Hoel of Wichita, Kansas.
The well is to be drilled to the
Ellenburger lime unless oil or gas
in commercial quantities are found
before reaching 'that strata, ac-
cording to Hoel.
Pool and Schkade of Odessa
have contracted to drill the well on
a turnkey job, bottom hole con-
tract, which in oil field paMance
means that the. money is in the
bank to pay fox'the job and that
the contractor is prepared to drill
to the specified depth or until the
specified strata is reached.
The well will be drilled on ai
ten acre location on an 80-acrer >
tract out of a 500-acre lease Ob'-
tamed from H. C. Lackey by
Hoel. The well will be some two
miles South of Selden, and is near
the present Laney gas field.
Work will be done with a Jumbo
No. 5 Fort Worth SpuJder rig,
and will be a cable tool test all
the way, according to present
plans.
A block of leases including some
5,000 acres, has been secured by
Hoel. He is associated with sev-
eral men from Texas and Kansas,
he said. Among his associates is
Emmett Burks.
Leasing negotiations were start-
ed in August.
- The Gulf Oil Company has
agreed to analyze the'samples, and
samples will be taken -frOm the
grass roots to the bottom, Hoel
Raid, thus giving a test of exactly
what formations are present in
the area. ,< -
Hoel said that the exact date
for starting the drilling could not
be set, but his contract calls for
drilling to be started on or^>e-
fore December 29, and it is honed
that it will he started before that
time.
Joyce Dawson at Home
Miss Joyce Dawson is at home
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs.
C. H. Dawson, at 1192 Shirley,
after four months at Gonzales
Warm Springs Foundation, where
she received treatment for restora-
tion from infantile paralysis. She
will complete her recovery at home
and with the progress she is mak-
ing she is expected to be in per-
fect normal physical condition in
some eight or twelve more months
of continued treatment.
Top Honors Being Planned for Chas. W. Froh
Major Phillips on Lonve
»jor H. L. Phillips ftrrlrod
Major H. L. Phillipa arrived this
week from Santa Rosa, Calif., and
is at homo with hi* parents. Mr.
and Mrs. F. L. Miller and Faribeth.
He la on a 40-day leave, at the
end of which time he wi 1 be trans-
ferred to Hamilton Field, San
Francisco. Major Phillipa is Barr-
ing with the 4th Air Force.
Forty-one years of teaching
piano, and now instructing moro
students than over before, is the
record of Charles W. Froh of the
music conservatory at John Tarie-
ton College. This la his thirty-sixth
consecutive year of teaching at
Tarieton, where exactly 3,041 stu-
dents have studied piano under
him. And as far as he is concerned,
he will be teaching a good many
years hence. But under ths policy
of the institution, an Instructor,
upon reaching the age of 66 as-
sumes a reduced teaching sched-
ule. And Charlie froh isn’t par-
ticularly happy tbAt ho will fall
in this category next January.
However, he is glad to continue
his work even on a part-time basis
because, other than smoking cigars
—ten or twelve a day—and watch-
ing athietie contests, there Isn’t
a thing he loves to do as much
as teach.
This veteran teacher cannot give
a plausible reason why he became
4 musician. That was exactly the
profession his mother and faither
didn’t want him or his brother,
Garnett, to follow. Yet both boys
made music their life’s work, and
aa is ao often true in the case
where children choose their own
vocations against the will of their
elders, they made a success of it.
But back in the eighties when
Charlie was a very small lad In
Madison, Ind., helping his painter
father redecorate the "ginger
bread” work on the Ohio river
steamers, the show boats, as they
pulled by with their steaming,
achreeching calliopes, thrilled him.
He knew then that nothing v
please him so much as to oe able
to make music, and when he im-
plored his mother to teach him
to play the old reed organ in their
home, she consented. Little did she
realize she was launching him on
his career. But at the age of four-
teen he was somewhat a profes-
sional, playing regularly at the
Methodist church in Shelbyville,
Ind., for the sum of fifty cents a
Sunday.
But young Charlie Froh wasn’t
satisfied with his organ. He wanted
to play the piano, and to. take
lessons and buy an instrument cost
a lot more money than his parents
could afford. So he got a job in
a shoe store, working in all of
hia spare time for two dollars a
week. Hts sole object in working
there was to get enough money
to further his musical education.
His Hither, though, mistaking the
motive of his son in working se
.dilligently selling shoes, advised
him to continue in that business.
"You may even own s store your-
self, someday,” he encouraged.
As soon as this black headed
youngster had saved a few dollars,
he started to riding the interurban
to Indianapolis once a week to
-J
CHAffc FROH
ickMs
he
taka lefsons. Occasionally he could
manage to hear a good concert
p is hist when he had a few nick
ahead. "I shall never forget,'
remarktd, "what an impression
Willard Pierce and Albino Garno
made on me. When I heard these
two artists play in a music ball
in Indianapolis, I knew then that
nothing else but playing good
muaic would plaase me.”
About the biggest thrill of his
life, he remembers, was when he
acquired his first piano. His moth-
er gave him the old reed organ
to trade in on a huge square grand
piano, which he bought on the in-
stallment plan. "Although my sal-
ary had then been raised to eight
dollars a week, I sold many a pair
of shoes before I was able to pay
F
the $250 balance on that piano,”
he commented.
His first real encouragement
came from an uncle, who was a
poor musician but a good psychol-
ogist. “If you really want to be
a musician, go ahead and be one
regardless of what anyone tells
you,” he advised the young piano
student and shoe salesman. Char-
lie took his advice. He had then,
at the age of 18, accumulated the
sum of $760, and he set about to
find a conservatory that would
give him some assurance of a four-
ear education for that amount.
inally, Professor Charles W. Lan-
don, who had a conservatory in
Dallas, offered him a part-time
job to induce him to Come to his
school, probably feeling it would
be good advertising to nave a stu-
dent from such a distance. So
Charlie packed his efccordion va-
lise and went to Dallas.
Young Froh found the position
awaiting him at the conservatory
to be that of part time janitor!
But Mr. Landon, whose immensity
of heart proved to be in keeping
with his gigantic body of almor
300 pounds, saw merit in the stu-
dious youngster. Gradually, more
renumerative and dignified work,
such as soliciting students, was
given this knowledge-hungry «u-
dent. And by going home on y once
(Continued on page 12)
Schools Dismiss
For Christmas
Holiday Season
Some 1,175 students of the pub-
lic school system of Stephenville
started their Christmas holidays
Wednesday, Dec. 19, holidays
which will last until Jan. 2.
Supt. of Schools J. B. Merrell .
said that most of the school chil-
dren had recovered from attacks
of influenza which had caused
some absentees in the system, and
attendance on the last few days
before school was dismissed was
up to normal. Several towns nnd
communities surrounding Stephen-
ville have been much harder hit
with influenza in the school sys-
tems than has Stephenville, with
schools closing at several points
in the area because of the sickness.
Erath County Still
Behind on Quota
For Bonds to Date
Erath county still lacks some
$60,000 filling her quota for the
Victory Loan drive, according to
the last tabulation, which was
made last Saturday night from re-
ports from the entire county. A
total of $166,000 worth of bonds
had been sold on that date with the
quota for the county being $225,-
000.00.r
The overall auota for the county
has been exceeded, however, accord-
ing to Ellis Hill, chairman of
the bond drive, as bonds in the
amount of $416,000 have been
bought in all series against the
qiiotal of $376,000 set i up for the
ccjuntjr.-
The Victory Loan Drive will end
December 31.
LOCAL P.-T.A. POSTPONES
REGULAR MEET TO JAN. 4
On account of the New Year
holiday, announcement is made
that the regular meeting of the
Stephenville Parent-Teacher Asso-
ciation will not be held on Tuesday.
January 1, but the association will
meet in the usual place for the
program on Friday afternoon, Jan-
uary 4. Mrs. A. C. Robbins, presi-
dent of the P.-T.A., states that a
representative from the Dallas
OP A will be the guest speaker on
that occasion, and there will also
be a special address by a local
speaker. Every member who can
possibly do so is urged to be
present
J. XT. Young, 26, seaman first
class, 'husband of Mr*. J. T. Young
of Stephenville, has received his
honorable discharge at the sep-
aration center at Camp Wallace.
Young entered the naval service in
March of ,4944 and has served 14
months irt the Asiatic-Pacific.
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Stephenville Empire-Tribune (Stephenville, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 50, Ed. 1 Friday, December 21, 1945, newspaper, December 21, 1945; Stephenville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1129601/m1/1/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dublin Public Library.