The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 11, 1981 Page: 2 of 14
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Or RUSK, TEXAS. THURSDAY, JUNE 11. lttl
'Ahead of His Time'
Dr. Charles Whitfield Castner
When you get to thinking that you, ooe
lonely meaalcy individual, can't really do
anything to change the course of events,
the life of ooe individual, Dr.
His life and the deeds of his fife will give
inspiration to anyone who desires to better
the lot of mankind and the world through
their efforts.
Dr. Castner was honored last week for his
efforts on behalf of human beings with the
dedication of the new patient services
building at the Skyview Máximum Security
Unit at Rusk State Hospital.
During the dedication ceremonies, a
longtime friend and former colleague of Dr.
Castner, David Wáde, M.D., presented a
history of many of Dr. Castner's works.
Parts of Dr. Wade's presentation are
reprinted here.
Dr. Castner had been superintendent at
other state facilities as well as at Rusk. He
had been at the San Antonio State Hospital
and the Wichita Falls State Hospital. Of
course he was here. I used to ask why it was
that he had so many stories to tell of the
Rude State Hospital and so few to tell of the
other places he had been assigned.
One time I asked him specifically what it
was like at the Wichita Falls State Hospital.
After thinking for a few seconds be said,
"CokL" He went on to say that it was
"Miserably cold in Wichita Falls in the win-
ter time" That was it, "CokL" I was not
going to be put off, I had a need, at the
moment, to know something about the
hospital, so I tried again.
"Is that all" I said. "Is that all you can
tell me about Wichita Falls State
Hospital?" After another pause he said,
"It's unbearably hot in the summer time."
In contrast he would regale me by the
hour, in the evening, when we woe on trips
about the things that went on in Rusk.
I knew about the minstrel that the
Kiwanis Club put on where Dr. Castner
wore a derby hat with a spark plug mounted
in the crown. I knew about Moseley Drug
Store which was á combination drug store,
museum, and watering hole on the square.
I knew the trials and tribulations - the
joys and the triumphs of the Board of
Deacons of the Baptist Church. In other
words I was totally versed in the folk
history of Rusk, Texas.
Further more I knew all about the
hospital. Before I ever came here, I knew
every building on the campus. I knew its
history, its architectual flaws and its ad-
vantages. 1 knew all about the big wisteria
vine and the little store.
I had learned about the history of the
Allred buildings, so-called because they
came with the great push for mental health
during Governor Allred's administration.
The remit of this push being many buildings
erected all over Texas at the time.
Dr. Castner knew the personnel at the
hospital although he had been gone a long
time. He knew most of them personally, he
knew where they lived, how many children
they had and was aware of the fact that
their uncle and cousin had worked here.
The years passed and they were kind to
Charles Castner. After the format of the
management system for the state facilities
was changed he felt be could best serve by
going hack to institutional management. At
his request he relinquished the reins as
director of the entire system and went back
as superintendent of the Austin State School
and later as superintendent of the Rusk
State Hospital.
Dr. Castner came back home in 1954 and
remained here in that post until be retired
in 1965. In all he served nearly 14 years
as principal officer in this facility and was a
dynamic force for good, both in the facility
and in the community..
In April of 1955 after Dr. Castner had been
back here less than a year, there was a
The opinions expressed in the
editorials on this page are those held
by the management of The
Cherokeean. Opinions discussed in
guest commentaries are those held by
the author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the management
or staff óí The Cherokeean. Reader
are welcomed and en-
AB letters to the editor
include the sender's name, ad-
i and phone number in order to be
No anonymous letters will
be printed. Address correspondence
to: Editor. The Cherokeean, P.O. Box
«75. Rusk, TX. 75785
disturbance in the maximum security sec-
tion and hostages were being held. One of
the hostages. Dr. Hancock, was severely
wounded. Dr. Castner immediately volun-
teered to take his [dace as an exchange
hostage and his offer was accepted.
This brave act undoubtedly saved Dr.
Hancock's life as well as the lives of others.
In his quiet and persuasive way. Dr. Cast-
ner opened negotiation with the dissident
patients and secured the release of all the
hostages and the restoration of peace on the
unit.
While the "hostage incident" is the most
spectacular event that occurred in Dr.
Castner's illustrious career, it is certainly
not the most meaningful. Charles Castner
conceived the idea of a maximum security
facility which he spoke of long before this
one was ever built. He would always say be
envisioned such a facility located
somewhere near the penitentiary and in an
environment conducive to restoration of
mental health and social rehabilitation.
I recall the phrase well "located
somewhere near the penitentiary, etc." You
know, young people are impertinent and, at
times, down right disrespectful. There was
a young accountant working for the Board
of control at the time named Fred Donohue.
Fred and I were about as disrespectful as
they come. Seated in our proper places
during these meetings where planning
would be going on - our proper places being
the back row - we listened and frequently
whispered. Fred leaned over to me one day
and said "located somewhere near the
penitentiary" was a code phrase for "Rusk,
Texas." From then on we looked at each
other and winked each time Dr. Castner
brought up the idea in planning sessions.
I shudder to think what might have hap-
pened if by some strange time warp, Dr.
Castner and Emmett Whitehead had been
cm the scene at the same time. Central Of-
fice might well be located in Rusk, Texas if
such had been the case.
Dr. Castner was far ahead of his time so
far as the care and treatment of the men-
tally ill public offenders was concerned. I
can say to you in all sincerity that if Charles
Castner could be here today he would say,
"You fellows have done well; this is as I had
planned it." He would then say "And you
should move ahead by doing these things."
Truly Dr. Castner would not be surprised
at what we have here now. It is as he en-
visioned it from the beginning. Today it is
his dream well on its way to fulfillment.
He affected, not just my life, but the lives
of all who associated with him by his per-
sonal examples of dedication to the prin-
ciples of service, honor and integrity. Dr.
Castner was tolerant of human frailty, but
he never tolerated abuse or neglect in
patient care.
Dr. Castner was a God fearing man who
lived his religion every day. He was a no-
nonsense man who felt good training was a
prerequisite to good patient care. He was a
frugal man who believed that good food
service reflected good patient care and
speedier recovery.
Dr. Castner believed "residual patients,"
and we had a lot of them then, deserved
more than an existence. Dr. Castner was as
modern as any scientist of his day and as
old fashioned as grandmother's cold
remedy. His modern views set in his old
fashioned values made him a man for all
ages; a great man whose work will live on
and on as long as there is illness and suf-
fering among us.
Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will
join me today as I thank Mrs. Grace Cast-
ner and her daughter, Mrs. Svenson, for
loaning their husband and father to Texas
for fifty years. Through this building his
memory will live on and his example will be
perpetuated for posterity.
from
the...
Lions Den
by E.B. Musick, Jr.
Strictly for Lion Ike Daniel: Where
there are three or four Baptists
gathered together you usually find a
fifth.
Our guest last week was Mr. Archie
McKnight our new Chief of Police.
Lion Doug Jordan is the Rusk Lions
Swimming Pool manager this year.
Things are going good-it is raining-so
swimming will come later.
Lion David Long reported on our
Baseball Program and things are
coming along.
Lion President Allen Gilchrest read
a letter of thanks from the Rusk High
School Yearbook committee thanking
the Lions for their help.
Lion Glen Stanley introduced Miss
Brenda Osborne as tbe person
receiving a Lions Scholarship this
year. Good to have such beauty visit
with us
Everything was so quiet last Thur-
sday and then Lion Ike came in late
Oh well.
This Thursday night June 11 is the
Installation Banquet at the Rustic
Rails Restaurant at 7:30 p.m. Please
be there-it is to be a real fun night
Lion president Alien gave us one of
his very fine stories,and then called
on Lion President Elect Eddie Van
Zandt for some remarks. Seems that
t -Mf Eddie has his committee chair-
man picked out and they are busy
farming their committees
We know of one. Lion Ron Collins,
that was already at work on his
program committee
Anytime you know of a really good
program contact Lion Ron.
Lion Gregg Majors made his quar-
terly appearance.
Lion Raymond is the new City
Judge and he had some choice
remarks to make. Some other Lions
said that they understood that Lion
Raymond and Lion Tom Ball formed
a new corporation here in Rusk known
as "Collectors Inc." The new Chief of
Police refused to comment.
The Way to Happiness: Keep your
heart free from hate.Your mind from
worry; Live simply, expect little, give
much. Fill your life with love, scatter
sunshine Forget self, think of others.
Do as you would be done by. (Try th
for a week and you will t
suprised.) Author Unknown.
Charlie Smith, although wealthy, wa
always too busy to be with his famil<
His excuse was that he had to keep ó
making money. One day hi
wife's pet parrot died and she bougl
another one.although the pet stor
man told her it was from a toug
gambling joint that had been close
down. Tbe bird was likely to ga
anything, coming from a place wher
there were booze, girls and burnt
"It's alright," said the wife, "D
retrain him."
She brought the bird home, and 190
arrival found to her suprise that he
husband was already home. Sh
carried the caged bird into the home
called out "Surprise!" and with he
husband and daughters looking on
she took the cover off tbe cage. Th«
parrot looked around, blinked, am
said, "Well, wadda you know-nev
joint, new madam, new girls. Shim
old customers. Hello, Charlie!"
See You Thursday Night 7:30 p.m
Rustic Rails Restaurant.
1854-1855School Census Listed
CAROLYN' ER1CSON
1414 REDBID STREET
NACOGDOCHES. TEXAS 75961
If you are doing research in Texas
records, you will be delighted with a
new publica Lion by Gifford White
TEXAS SCHOLASTICS 1854-1855 is a
school census which lists children
between tbe ages of € and 16 and gives
tbe names of their parent or guardian
There are lists remaining for 45 coun-
ties from either 1854 or 1855 Counties
included are: Ellis, Falls, Fort Bend.
Freestone, Gillespie, Goliad, Gon-
zales, Grayson, Grimes. Guadalupe.
Harris. Harrison, Hays, Hill, Hopkins.
Houston, Jackson, Lamar. Lavaca.
Liberty, Limestone, Matagorda.
McLennan. Madison, Medina. Milam.
Montgomery, Nacogdoches. Newton.
Nueces. Orange, Red River. Rober-
tson, Sabine, San Augustine. Shelby.
Titus, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Upshur,
Van Zandt, Victoria, Walker, Whar-
ton.
This volume contains ap-
proximately 400 pages, soft cover, off-
set printing with a surname index.
This is a GOLDMINE of informa taon-
-especially for those counties which
have suffered a loss of records due to
fire or tornado, etc. Cost is $19.95 and
is available from Ericson Books, 1614
Redbud Street, Nacogdoches—or
from the BOOKSELLER, 2106 North
Street, Nacogdoches, 75961. SUPPLY
IS LIMITED
SUPPLEMENT TO TEXAS
SCHOLASTICS 1854-1855 by Gifford
White contains tbe records for two
additional counties which were found
after the above book was completed
This volume contains the school cen-
sus records for Tarrant and Smith
Counties. This is especially valuable
because the Tarrant County cour-
thouse has been destroyed by fire and
tbe 1860 census is missing You will
want a copy of this book also.
This volume contains 35 pages, soft
cover, off-set printing and a surname
index Co6t is $6 95 and is available
from Ericson Books or from The
Bookseller.
I am interested in any information
on the MEANS family Would like to
correspond with anyone having in-
formation on this family.
Mrs Emily McCiaine, 12813 12th
Avenue, Hanford, California 93230
Need information on Thomas
BALLARD who married Sally
WALLACE in South Carolina
Removed to Montgomery Co . Ala .
then to Stevens. Ouachita Co.. Ark
His first son William Theophilus
BALLARD b. 17 October 1844 - died 20
Jan. 1914 in Arkansas.
Pews and Benches
For those of you who might just
happen to have a few extra pews and
benches lying around your house, the
RUsk Chamber oI Commerce is in
need of one or two.
The Cherokeean
Texas Oldest Weekly Newspaper,
Established as tbe Cherokee Sentinel, Feb. 27,1850
lad O— Md 1 W-h. Tw«i 71788
a ImV N J § M,i„ .
V it I*t ta nrn we* wij i nwr^iT By w s ■ ** j «•« •
mit Mate -k« Tw tti4> m-m:
iHaw Al ta ténm *7 pee mmmm ta llwnfcw Cawi
i atCWniwUMMyi *9 «■■« Ml ml
IIMimm, P H Ik * rV
(I SI*
Tbe chamber's tourism division u>
working to restore the old Catholic
Church, presently located at the
Texas State Railroad State Historical
Park, into a non-denominational wor-
ship center for visitors at the park
Towards this end. the division has
let a bid for the renovation work to the
building and plans have been nude
for the landscaping of the area
Still, the recent "Rusk Newsletter."
printed by the Chamber of Commerce
each month, notes that persons
having or knowing of old pews or ben
che for the rhurch are "still being
■ought "
Anyone knowing of pm for "give
away" or cheap ule" is asked to
contact the chamber office at *114)
MS-AMI or by writing the Husk t han*,
her o< t emmerve H tl hat ST Husk,
Teta titan
Snakes!
Snakes are animals people ap-
parently love to hate.
Texas Parks and Wildlife Depar-
tment officials said the recent an-
nouncement of a free non-illustrated
leaflet on poisonous snakes brought
more than 7,000 requests in a one
month period
Many of the requests came from
people who recently moved to Texas
and who were unfamiliar with the
state's four kinds of dangerous snakes
- the copperhead, rattlesnake, cot-
tonmouth moccasin and coral snake
Th* popular leaflet may be obtained
by writing the Tasas Parks and
Wildlife Department 4M0 Smith
School Head. Austin Tetas WM. er
b> calling toll free I NSSinr
Parka and WiMhte
Ray Beeman. 1246 Goodman. Mem-
phis. Tenn 38111.
Would like to correspond with
anyone having information on
Zachariah Robert FENLEY and his
wife Amie Waters Zachariah Robert
FENLEY was the son of Zachariah P.
and Rebecca DANZEL FENLEY. He
was born 9 October 1S3S and died 28
January 1905 in Angelina County. The
list of known children include: James
who married 1st Kate CARSON. 2nd
Armanda HINSON; George who
never married, Maurice who married
Lett* JONES; Cora who married
Frank M CARSON; Lennie who
married R.L. COCHRAN: Sallie who
married Ralph C. CHANCY; Suddie
who married John WALLACE and
Lilla who married Ernest SCOTT; and
Amie Ann who maried Van Buren
SCOTT
I would appreciate hearing from
anyone who is interested in this
family.
Charlotte Arceneaux. 5690 Tyrrell
Park Road. Beaumont. Texas 77705.
I am looking for information on
George Washington STONE born ca
1812-1814, who was a pioneer in Texas.
He came to Texas around 1836-1840
from Tennessee with a wife and a
child (so the story goes). He had five
children by his first wife and later
married in 1849 to Phoebe Elizabeth
CADENHEAD and I have that infor-
mation.
I have been told that there is a
marker down by the railroad station
in honor of George Washington
STONE. Does anyone know the
location of such a stone'* 1 would like
to hear from anyone having infor-
mation on this family.
Barbara Wagnon Hall. 37 Green-
field. Wake Village. Texas 75501.
Wish to correspond with descendan-
ts of Mary Ann BREWSTER who
married Joseph EDWARDS and set-
tled near Tyler. Texas Mary Ann b
ca 1833 Ala., daughter of James
Madison BREWSTER, b 1788 Ga ,
(bed 3-5-1866 Lauderdale Co.. Miss
His wife was Mary Jane < Mollie
SMITH b. 1800 N.C.. married 1-12-111
Clarke Co., Ala., died 1837 Sumter Co
Ala. She was the daughter of Cod
dington SMITH and Sarah JER
NIGAN of Glasgow and Dobbs Co
N.C.
Would also like to contact anyoh<
working on William FORGED
(FORGET. FORSHEE, FAUCETT
ETC > b 1763, living in Amite Co
Miss 1810; in Lawrence Co.. Miss
1814; in Pike Co., Miss '1817 where h<
died after the 1829 Poll Tax Roll wa;
taken His children went to Texas
Help needed in Isaiah. Nehemial
and Wiley WROTEN (any spellirg
RODEN. ROUGHTEN) who were ir
Barnwell Co . S C. 1790. 1800, 18l<
Census, then went to Lawrence
Franklin and Copiah Counties ir
Mississippi in 1816 Their descendant
went on to Throckmorton County
Texas
Daysidel Day Bruister. Rt 1. Box
166, Tutwiier. Miss 38963
David Mims JARRETT was born IS
Feb 1831 in Denmark. Madison Coun
ty. Tennessee He came to Texas
when he was 4 years old His father I
have as being David JARRETT and
his mother Elizabeth HULME He
went west to California to look for
gold, then to Canada fur trapping He
returned sometime after the end of
the Civil War. He married Eleanor
WILLIAMS whose father was Major
J.J. WILLIAMS, an early and well-
known settler of Bowie County He
(Sed 29 November 1908 "At his residence
12 miles west of Texarkana." Most of
the above information was obtained
from an old obit from a Texas paper
My uncle, who is still living, recalls
four children from the JARRETT-j
WILLIAMS marriage: David Joseph,
my grandfather, John, Emma and
Rachel who was a Methodist
missionary in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,',
but died in Texas. Would appreciate
any help.
Katherine Jarrett Smith. 45 W.:
James Way, Cary, Illinois 60013
¡W
Memorial Lil>rar\
SANDRA SANDERS. LIBRARIAN
Johnnies, Biffies,
Outhouses, Etc.
Phfttrfrapht by Jerry If. Fannin
Text by Angels Farrii Fannin
Folklore is where you find it. even
at the end of the 'path out back." The
approach of the subject by this
husband and wife team is sym-
pathetic. very human and with an oc-
casional touch of humor. Some ninety
photographs depict the pioneer
outhouse and the text provides scores
of folk stories of a day gone by. This is
a book for basic collectors of Texana
and American folklore and will
probably instill a greater ap-
preciation of the advent of modern in-
door plumbing tt.M
Jewel Babb is an independent Anglo
woman who has lived most of her
eighty yean- in the isolated desert
region near El Paso H—Umi
••man is her story-of her young years
spent traveling the area in a covered
wagon, of her manage into a wealthy
ranch family and of the family's loas
of that wealth, and of Iter Ufe alone af-
ter her husband died and her sons
were armled for cattle smuggling
It a the «tut v at her management at
the little land she had left-Indian Hot
Springs on the Rio Grande There,
Mrs Babb first began taking in people
who were sick, healing them with a
combination of herbs, spring water,
and what she calls "mind healing."
Her skill at these forms and at "zone
therapy " the massage of pressure
points in order to heal internal disor-
ers-has drawn many varied clients to
her. from poor laborers who exchange
chickens and goats for her services to
the Dallas multimillionaire H.L.
Hunt
Among those who have sought out
Jewel Babb is Pat Ellie Taylor, the
young free-lance writer whose
fascination with Mrs Babb led her to
record the healer s life story in Mrs.
Babb's own words, editing as little as
possible in order to preserve her ex-
pressive style. Taylor's own narrativa
provides background for Mrs Babb'
autobiography, describing their
growing friendship and Mrs Babb's
current life, as well as furnishing
historical data about folk medicine in
ganeral and tha Anglo healing
tradition in particular
Tha hook is available at booksellers
or directly from tha Uwveraity at
Upcoming Pages
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The Cherokeean. (Rusk, Tex.), Vol. 132, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 11, 1981, newspaper, June 11, 1981; Rusk, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth151492/m1/2/?q=%22~1%22~1: accessed July 16, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Singletary Memorial Library.