The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, April 17, 1942 Page: 1 of 6
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The Winkler County News
f
Friday, April 17,1942
Kermit, Winkler County, Texas
Volume 6; Number 5
Take Office
Missing?
Kermit Makes Its Bid
I
in
J
To Be Officer
Side
the
Issues
BY II. G. VERMILLION
the
rl
1
4
1
— Lewis
George ■ Bruce,
— Coy Blum er
Reeves,
Robert
Eller,
Allen
Loach,
Rain-
Loyd Tarver,
Parsons,
James Fiensy,
<r
Ira Wilburn
Taylor,
Dewbre,
Walker,
Carter,
)
For War Project
In Immediate Area
Winkler Calf Again
Takes Honors
In Monahans Show
Navy Week Funds
To Be Solicited
In Drive In Kermit
Pictures On China
To Be Shown Here
Ward-Winkler P T A
Meeting Set Here
School District Has
794 In Census
Finished In March
Rev. C. C. Elrod
To Preach Kermit
Baccalaureate
Mr. and Mrs. J. O. Fench of Abi-
lene spent Tuesday in Kermit.
Jane Blackburn left Friday for a
brief visit in San Antonio.
OLD COUNTY BARN
ORDERED TORN DOWN
Wink Obtains Lease
On Airport Land;
Next Move Waited
Sugar Rationing
Schedule Drawn
For Kermit Area
Frank Lawlis, top picture, be-
came mayor of Kermit Thurs-
day night at a meeting with
the retiring City Commission.
One of the n:iw commissioners,
Hugh Moore, 5s pictured at bot-
tom. The other new commis-
sioner, O. C. Mays, is not pic-
tured.
E. C. Hitchcock of Midland visit-
ed in Kermit this week.
to
the
a
will be maintained
When former Commissioners Her-
rin and Madiscn agreed to hire An-
drews County Attorney Bean to col-
lect delinquent Kermit city taxes
and pay him 25 per cent of the pro-
ceeds, I felt the deal was faulty.
The 25 per cent over the. legal limits
for such things, and such a deal
usually leads to the collection of
the cream of the delinquent taxes,
and letting the rest slide. Thus if in
a month’s time a man could collect
$2000 of the $8000 or so owed the.
city, he could take $500 for a mon-
ths work and quit, leaving the more
difficult $6000 debt still on the city’s
hands.
Winkler County Commissioners
Court this week voted to have the
old county bam southwest of Ker-
mit torn down, with the lumber
to be used in building sheds to
house equipment near the new
county bam on the Jal Highway.
Kermit got a new city government Thursday night as Mayor Frank
Lawlis .and Commissioners Hugh Moore and O. C. Mays took their oaths
of office.
A new city secretary also was ’appointed. Fred Pearson, veteran Wink-
ler County News printer, was named to succeed Mrs. La Fern Whitworth,
who handed in her resignation.
Rev. J. A. Kidd and Rev. John
Abbott, .missionary, will present
motion pictures on China, includ-
ing relief and other activities there,
in the First Baptist Church in Ker-
mit at 8 p. m. Wednesday.
A running comment on the pic-
tures will be given during the show-
ing. Church officials invited the
public to see the pictures, which
they said are timely and inspiring.
The Ward - Winkler Bi-County
Council will meet at 11:30 a. m.
Wednesday for an all-day meeting
in the Kermit High School Audi-
torium.
There will be a business meeting
and installation of officers, follow-
ing which lunch will be served in
the school cafeteria. Afterward,
there will be a musical program and
report of delegaets to the spring
conference.
Stout Advanced
To Captain’s Job I
In Kermit Company
Capt. Joe Boudreaux of Kermit I
Company D, Texas Defense Guard,. I
has been recommended by Major
B. F. Meek, First Battalion com-
mander, for transfer to First Bat-
talion adjutant to succeed Capt. A.
C. Riley of Monahans, who will go
on the inactive list, Meek said
Thursday.
First Sgt. Steve Stout of the Ker-
mit company has been recommend-
ed for rank of captain to take Bou-
dreaux’ place as company command- I
er. Promotion of Gene Angus to
first lieutenant in the company and
of Maury Alberts to first lieutenant
in charge of battalion supply has
been confirmed.
Monahans Company A has seen I
some promotions since Capt. Joe
Mogfard was called to Army ser- I
vice. First Lt. Cobb was recommend-
ed for captain, Second Lt. Summer-
hill for first lieutenant, and First
Sgt. Osteen for second lieutenant.
Tom Wooden, 24, Kermit
ycuth who last was reported in
Java just before it fell to Japan.
Wooten, who married Vermeil
Gariingtcn in Kermit last fall
while on f urlough, was on Java
as a radioman in the U. S. Army
Signal Corps. His grandmother,
Mrs. J. M. Keithley of Kermit,
has not heard from him since
January.
Rev. C. C. Elrod of the Communi-
ty Church will preach the baccal-
aureate sermon for Kermit High
School gradur' ’ng class Sunday
May 24 at 11 a. m. in the high
school auditorium, School Supt. B.
F. Meek announced Thursday.
Dr. John Brown of John Brown
University, Siloam Sprinsg, Ark., I
has been scheduled tentatively as J
speaker for the commencement ex-1
erciss her Tuesday, May 26, MeekB
said. w
Freeman Underwood of Ker-
mit, formerly in the Coast Artil-
lery Corps, who now is in the
officers’ training school in Fort
Monroe, Va. Son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. S. Underwood of Ker-
mit, Th'-der wod had been an
instructor in surveying. His
cousin, Joyce Underwood, re-
cently sailed for an unnamed
destination from a Pacific port.
Since it was incorporated Kermit
has collected very little of its taxes,
considering the small levy imposed
And collections on the paving job
have flopped since the first rush of
enthusiasm.
Cf course, the citizens of Kermit
are responsible for this. If the ad
valorem taxes have to be used for
the paving, those out of the paved
district and those who already have
paid for the paving will have a
righteous and loud squawk ccming.
So there will nave to be some
kind of intensive collection drive
made. This applies to delinquent
taxes as well as paving assessments.
I have felt for some while that the
city will have to file seme tax suits
before it can ever really get on the
beam in its collections. If such col-
lections seem too difficult to some,
let me point to the. successful rec-
ord of the tax collector’s office for
the schools.
COUNTY LICENSE SALES
IN MARCH $28,586.35
Winkler County netted $28,586.35
from sale of auto licenses in March,
compared with approximately $26,-
000 in March last year, when com-
mercial vehicle licenses were not
sold; with $32,884.94 in March, 1940;
with $43,803.17 in March, 1939, and
with $55,590.27 in March, 1938, ac-
cording to records compiled by
Deputy Tax Assessor-Collector Ed-
die Mae Mosely.
Wink’s CAA airport appeared all
set to go this week after the City
cf Wink obtained a lease agree-
ment with the University of Texas
Board of Regents by which the land
on and. near the present airport will
be leased by the city from the uni-
versity at a rental of 10 cents per
acre per year.
The 50-^ear yease covers approxi-
mately 1000 acres.
With the lease out cf the way,
next step apparently was up to
CAA, which proposes to spend $364,-
733 on the airport. J. D. Church,
CAA distict airport engineer, earlier
had said the work would be by con-
tract.
Hopes were high in Wink that the
airpert would be the first step to-
ward establishment of an Army
flying training center at Wink.
Contacts reportedly had been made
with authorities with this in mind,
and. it was known that Army engin-
eers at Albuquerque, a district en-
gineering headquarters, were con-
sidering the matter.
As a rain wisher-for, I’m all right,
I found last week, but perhaps I’d
better lay off now or I may find
myself in the middle of a flood.
Monday I wrote a column wishing
for rain, and Tuesday and Wednes-
day we got more than anyone would
wish for. Next time, instead of writ-
ing it in the paper that way, may-
be I’d better sort of whisper to my-
self.
Kermit made'its first bid for a war project Tuesday when a group cf
business and professional leaders drew up and dispatched & telegram to
congressional representatives urging that Kermit be presented to the pro-
per authorities as a logical site for a war industry or Army flying train-
ing field.
With war projects being scattered broadspread through Texas and
•---t---------------------->New Mexico, it seemed to those at
the meeting that it was time—and
perhaps past time—for Kermit to
seek some such project.
Following the meeting and
dispatch of the telegrams, which
drew immediate responses from
Senator Conally and Rep. Thoma- .
son, Chamber of Commerce Secre-
tary Don Tracy, with the help of
various individuals in and near Ker-
mit, began gathering facts to be
put in a brief which will be sent to
Washington to back up the request.
Included will be facts on Ker-
mit’s favorable situation as regards
to gas and oil for supplying fuel
for an industry; data on weather
showing favorable ' climatic condi-
tions for all-around flying; facts
and figures, with pictures where
possible, of the local industries,
businesses, schools, chuches, streets,
highways, and so forth.
These at the meeting, numbering
about 30, expressed determination
to carry the thing through to a con-
clusion, and try time after time if
the first effort failed.
It was pointed out that large
Army air schools recently have been
located at Pecos, Hobbs, Lubbock,
San Angelo, and other West Texas
points in addition to large schools
already at Midland, Lubbock, San
Angelo, and other places, and that
Fort Stockton obtained a civilian
flying school and Monahans has
been working this week on a sim-
ilar project.
Kermit.
10112 — Samuel Garvey Buford,
Wink.
10065 — Raymond Homer Yates,
Kermit.
10229 — Roy Parker, Kermit.
10382 — Guy Graziano, Wink.
10347 — Herman Earnest Dodson,
Kermit.
10085 — Henry Jones, Kermit
10052 — Boyd Rae Anderson, Ker-
mit.
10046 — William Marvin Eaton,
Kermit.
10282 — William Denny Rambo,
Kermit.
10262 — Ed Earl Brumlow, Ker-
mit.
10307 — Marlin Lewis Wood, Ker-
mit.
10352 — Clyde Mark Farmer, Ker-
mit.
10Q16 — Jessie Lee Quinn, Wink.
10413 — James Preston Atwood,
Kermit.
10024 — Aaron Kirk Bailey, Wink.
10105 — Monroe Craig, Kermit.
10303 — Charles Aldridge Mitchell
Kermit.
10293 — James Willie Shedrick,
Kermit.
10286 — Edgar Van Peebles, Wink
10328 — William Edgar Madden,
Wink.
10060 — Oral Cortez Craig, Ker-
mit.
10037 — Charlie Faison Norris,
Kermit.
10241 — Ewell Lon Love, Kermit.
10235 — Louis Edwon Franklin,
Wink.
10435
Wink.
10308 — James Bryant
Kermit.
10386 — Jimmie William
the way of new projects for Kermit
from the new City Commission had
better change their singhts, because
there won’t be much money for any-
thing except getting out of debt for
a long, long time.
Sugar rationing schedule for Ker-
mit was drawn up Thursday by
School Supt. B. F. Meek after he
and members cf the Winkler Coun-
ty Rationing Board, W. B. Me-
Cargo, Hal Hester and H. H. Lee,
attended a rationing meeting
Fort Stockton Wednesday.
Commercial users cf sugar such
as operators of groceries, cafes, bak-
eries, hospitals, and so forth must
register April 28, but before that
date must draw up figures on their
business showing various facts on
sugar use, Meek said. Forms are
expected for this within a few days,
he said.
Consumers will register May 24,
first day of a four-day national
registration period, and will be ask-
ed to register by alphabetical seq-
I uence as nearly as possible. School
I will be dismissed that day, and the
I school faculties will work on
' registration in the schools.
FAMILIES GROUPED
One member of each family will
be expected to register for the en-
tire family, and will be expected
to take with him or her facts on
the age, weight, height, and color
of hair and eyes of each person in
the family. Servants must register
for themselves.
Persons whose names start with
letters from A through E will reg-
ister from 8 to 10:30 a. m. May 4;
those from F through L from 10:30
to 1 p. m.; from M through R from
\ 1 to 3:30, and from S through Z
frem 3:30 to 6. Those who fail
’ register May 4 may register
next three days in the school;
skeleton staff
' for such work.
Those to be registered include all
persons, including small infants.
Those who are out of town may
register in the place they are during
the registration period.
. Those who have as much as three
' pounds of sugar and less than six,
■ counting the average supply where
< there is a family, will have coupons
' torn out of their books when they
■ are issued; anyone may have up to
three pounds without penalty.
: Those who have over six pounds,
■ or a family that averages over six
’ pounds, will not be issued ration
. books. This may be serious in the
long run, Meek warned, because
, other things besides sugar may be
■ rationed from the same books.
■ Those who have excessive stocks of
■ sugar were urged to turn them back
to the person who sold them.
Order Numbers In County Given
Order numbers of Winkler Coun-<$>-
ty men in the Feb. 16 registration
are given here. The number shown
is the order number; the national
draft lottery determinted the seq-
uence. Thus Blix Graham Bevers
of Wink is No. 1 man in the county
because his order number is 10,1001,
which led off this registration. Bev-
ers held serial number 441.
The list is in sequence by serial
numbers, from 1 through 453. How-
ever, serial numbers are not given,
since they will have no further sig-
nificance. Order numbers determine
the sequence of those subject to
call.
10333 — Luther Phelmond Strick-
land, Wink.
10232 — Charles
Wink.
10141 — Stanley Travis Sanders,
Kermit.
10356 — Charles Leslie Simmons,
Kermit.
10340 — Tom Prichard, Wink.
10129 — Paul Disch, Kermit.
10086 — William Record Pryor,
Kermit.
10245 — Charles
Kermit.
10258 — Joe Nathaniel Cannon,
Kermit.
10322 — Joseph Beebe McCann,
Wink.
10419 — Charles Alvin
Wink.
10274 — George Earl McLemore,
Kermit.
10117 — Sam Edgell Leake, Ker-
mit.
.10248 — Clarence Vern Fillman,
Cheyenne.
10415 — William Olin McDaniel,
Kermit.
10159 — John Newton
Kermit.
10432 — Homer Loyd Deshazo —■
Kermit.
10348 — Frank Leslie Sheffield,
Kermit.
.10341 — Fred Herring, Wink.
10417 — Hardy Edwin Cox, Ker-
mit.
10076
Wink.
10317
Wink.
10050 — Ralph Alvey, Wink.
10211 — Eugene Hays Johnston,
Wink.
10447 — Joseph Chester Friend,
Wink.
10028 — Jesse Dewey Pierce, Ker-
mit,
10009 — Burl Leon Shinn, Kermit.
10018 — Edward A. Lonzo Earles,
Wink.
10268 — Alma Lee Johnson, Wink.
10257 — Billie Lee Andrews, Ker-
mit.
10377 — Claude Wilson Cox, Wink.
10359 — Walter Dodd, Wink.
10204 — Dallas Delbert Randle-
man, Kermit.
10234 — William Sira Norris,
Wink.
10054 — Raymond Fox Moss, Sr.,
Wink.
10302 — Claude Hunter
water, Wink.
10201 — William
Wink.
10353 — Henry Edward Odom,
Kermit.
10095 — Walter
Kermit.
10072 — Curtis Lee Nelson, Ker-
mit.
10011 Erley B. Cryer, Kermit.
10167 — Frank F. Harris, Wink.
10406 — Albert Austin. Wink.
10374 — Charlu ronder Ingam,
Kermit.
(Continued on Page Four)
Pearson Named City Secretary As Officials Take Over
------------<?>
Shape Of Finances
In Kermit Worrying
New Commission
Winkler County’s champion 4-H
Club calf repeated the county’s
hold on the 4-H championship in
the Pecos Valley Livestock Show
in Monahans by taking the grand
championship in the 4-H division
last Friday.
Jack Reeves’ calf Wimpy, which
won top honors in the first annual
Winkler County show, was judged
champion in Monahans, and then
was sold to Royal Crown Cola Com-
pany of Monahans for 37 1-2 cents
a pound. Top price in the show was
paid for a Ward County calf.
Other Winkler County animals
took honors, also. James Jett’s calf
was first in the light dry lot class,
and was bid in by Chambers Super
Market at 26 cents a pound. Junior
Cryer’s calf, third in the milk fed
division, was bought by Burton-Lin-
go for 20 cents a pound.
Only Kermit buyer, Spruill’s Food
Market, bid in Ray Carter’s fifth
place milk fed calf at 15- 1-2 cents.
Joe Nichols fourth place milk fed
animal was bought by A & M pack-
ing Company for 21 cents, and his
fifth place dry lot calf went to L.
A. Brunson for 12 cents. Wilbur
Jett’s 10th place milk fed was
bought by Chambers Market for 17
cents.
Kermit Rancher Pink Mitchell’s
female registered Hereford, Pretty
Lady, was second in the female
Hereford Division, and J. M. Wad-
dell’s bull was third in the two
year-old division.
Many Winkler County people
went to the show. The Kermit High
School Band and Winkler County
Sheriff’s Posse were in the parade
which opened the show.
Kermit Independent School Dis-
trict had a total of 794 children of
school age when the school census
was completed in March, figures
showed this week. This was an in-
crease of 30 over the same date last
year. State school apportionment
of $22.50 per pupil ecah year is
based on the census.
There were only 719 students in
school April 13, but School Supt. B.
F. Meek pointed out that the cen-
sus takes in children who will not
go to school until next year, and
otherwise does not conform exactly
with students eligible to go to
school now.
The commissioners’ first discus-
sion was a grave one about city fin-
ances. On May 1, two weeks away,
$6000 in paving project warrants
will be due, and .another $500 on city
bonds used to finance the water
and sewer system. All are obliga-
tions on the general fund and pav-
ing fund, and there is only about
$2000 as a maximum available to
pay them.
Outgoing Mayor W.' H. Wilson
administered the oath of office to
the incoming officers, and they
signed a typed oath after some de-
lay because a regular oath form
could not be found.
AUDIT BEGUN
An audit of the city’s books was
begun Thursday and was to be
finished Friday. Upon completion,
the new commission is scheduled to
take. the audit figures and consult
with banks in Monahans and Pecos
that held the paving obligation
notes.
The new officials were depressed
in their discussion of finances.
Mays said it appeared to him it
will take the city at least three
years to get out “of the mess it’s
in.”
Mrs. Whitworth will work her
last day Saturday .Pearson appoint-
ed as cf Saturday, is scheduled to
take over fully Monday morning.
An intensive drive for collection
funds in Kermit for Navy Apprecia-
tion Week during the coming week
was outlined Thursday after mem-
bers of the Kermit Lions Club voted
to help the drive .
C. J. Oliver, manager of the Ker-
mit and Texas Theatres, agreed to
help the drive by giving 30 percent
of the poceeds from ticket sales
Tuesday to the local relief drive or-
ganization, headed by Mayor Frank
Lawlis. Lawlis said he would pro-
claim the coming week as Navy
Appreciation Week in Kermit.
Collections also will be made in
the local theatres to help the drive.
Local stores Will sell tickets and
otherwise help collect funds which
are used to help the families of
sailors during emergencies.
Impetus was given the local drive
by W. L. Kerr of Pecos, candidate
for district judge, who spoke to the
Lions Club Thursday. Kerr said a
steak fry is to be held in Pecos
Tuesday on behalf of the Navy
drive and the scrap metal collec-
tion drive. Price of the meal will be
some scrap metal.
BAND TO HELP
Complete plans for the local cam-
paign had not been completed, but
it was believed the high school
band would be used to help promote
collection of funds.
Kerr in his Lions Club speech
said there still is not enough enthu-
> siasm for the war effort. The men
1 who cannot serve in the armed
forces must do their part as well
as those who fight, he said, and
they cannot do it well unless they
feel enthusiastic about it. Kermit
Lions, however, seem mere enthu-
siastic than most service clubs, he
said.
Kerr urged a high spirit and a
firm determination as the best
means of helping win the war.
Horror which gripped the new
Kermit mayor and commissioners
after they had made a hasty survey
of the city’s affairs rather amused
me because I had been shouting the
sad truth for some time to tall who
would listen, including this same
three.
Those of the citizens who may
have been expecting great things in
• Ja
The Kermit Chamber of Com-
merce is conducting an inquiry
among the merchants and business
officials to fine, out about payroll
and other such here, and one of
the questions is, “What would you
get for Kermit if you had your
pick of any one project?” or some-
think like that.
I know two answers that have
been given. One is a bank, and the
other is an east-west highway to
El Paso by Signal Peak.
If you had your pick, what would
you choose?
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Vermillion, Henry G. The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 6, No. 5, Ed. 1 Friday, April 17, 1942, newspaper, April 17, 1942; Kermit, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1227177/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Winkler County Library.