Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 15, 1940 Page: 1 of 8
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For a Greater, Better Palacios Country—Agriculture, Industry, Commerce, Living
SUBSCRIPTION $1.75 AND $2.00 PER YEAR
PALACIOS, MATAGORDA COUNTY, TEXAS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1940
VOLUME XXXIII NUMBER 7
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Progress of Port Facilities
Committee Reported at
Regular C. of C. Meeting
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97 Property Owners
Protest at Court
Hearing Tuesday
The Chamber of Commerce held
its regular meeting Tuesday night,
February 13. Chief item of business
was the report of the Committee
on Intraeoastal Canal Harbor Facili-
ties.
The committee reported that a
site had been selected for the turn-
ing basin and necessary options and
easements secured. Also that the
Commissioners Court granted a
hearing on the issue of creating a
navigation district and calling a
bond election to finance the harbor
< construction on February 13. Vigor-
ous opposition to the proposition
was set forth by certain interests
in the eastern part of the proposed
district, which is coincident with
Commissioners Precinct No. 3. At
the -close of the lengthy hearing,
which lasted from 10 to 3, the
Court announced it would withhold
its decision until a later date.
The following report of the hear-
ing is taken from The Herald:
Ninety-seven of the resident and
property owners on the east side
of the Tres-Palacios Bay and River
in Precinct 3 Tuesday presented a
petition to the Commissioners Court
protesting a petition calling for an
election and creating a navigation
district at Palacios.
A petition had been signed by 31
property tax-paying voters of Pre-
cinct No. 3 living on the west side
of Tres-Palacios Bay and River
asking the Court for permission to
' nold an election of voters in Pre-
cinct No. 3 to determine if they
want a navigation district created
and $25,000 in bonds issued for the
construction of terminal facilities.
The "protestants'' asked the
Court that the east side of Tres-
Palacios Bay and River be ex-
cluded from the proposed navi-
gation district because they said
they would derive no benefit from
the proposed terminal facilities on
the west side of the Tres-Palacios
Bay and River.
In the testimony, a Texas statute
was brought out that a petition
must be accompanied by a deposit
of $500, which has not been done.
County Judge Thomas H. Lewis,
who earlier in the week had re-
ceived the Court's appointment to
fulfill" the unexpired term of the
late County Judge, Oscar Barber,
ruled that the Court would not de-
cide to deliberate until the $500
was deposited with the County
Clerk.
Commissioners Guy Johnson of
Area Executive
Council Future
Homemaker's Club
The area Executive Council of
the Future Homemakers met at the
Home Economics Cottage here Sat-
urday, February 10. A tentative
program was worked out for the
area meeting to be held at the En-
campment grounds April 13-14.
Our out-of-town guests Saturday
were Area president, Gertrude Per-
kins; Vice-president, Marie Smith
Crashy; Area Sponsor, Miss Brown,
and Miss Boswell and Louise Dick
from Columbus, and Area Advisor,
Miss Lenora Walters from Hous-
ton. Others were Miss Kees and
Miss Bonnie Harris from Angleton,
Miss Anita Richter from West Co-
lumbia.
Palacios, Luther Robertson of Mark-
ham, Jim Tabb of Bay City attend-
ed the hearing. Commissioner Ed
Baker of Matagorda was not pre-
sent but testimony was recorded so
that he will be able to study the
hearing.
The petition presented by the 31
Palacios voters provides for the
federal government to dredge out
a channel from the Intraeoastal
Canal to Palacios.
If the terminal facilities were
set up, they would be paid out by
sale of $25,000 in bonds and proper-
ty owners in all of Precinct No. 3
would be taxed proportionately in
paying out these bonds.
The landowners on the east side
of the Tres-Palacios Bay and River
protested this petition for two rea-
sons:
1.—That they already have ac-
cess to the main part of the Intra-
Coastal Canal by a newly-con-
structed road leading to Oyster
Lake, which road was constructed
for this purpose.
2.—That if the election was
called and the bond issue carried,
that they would have to travel
over a long and tedious road to
get to Palacios by going north-
ward to a weak bridge spanning
the Tres-Palacios River, thence
southward to Palacios, a distance
of approximately 15 miles from
Collegeport, and that a tax would
be imposed on their properties,
this decreasing the value of their
properties to an extent.
Veterans to Hold
Rehabilitation
Meeting in Palacios
The Veterans Rehabilitation meet-
ing as mentioned in last week's
issue of the Palacios Beacon will
be held at the Palacios High School,
Friday night, February 16th, at
7:30 p. m. The public is cordially
invited to attend Lhis meeting, and
all veterans are especially invited
to be present.
Mr. Miles Wasson, field repre-
sentative of the Veterans State Ser-
vice office will be here, and also
some of the officials of the 9th
District of the American Legion
and a number of Buddies from El
Campo, Bay City, Alvin, and Free-
port.
Mrs. Guy Hensley of Goose Creek,
who is doing some census work in
Bay City and other parts of Mata^
gorda County was in Palacios, Tues-
day and an overnight guest of Mr
and Mrs. Ruel B. Foley.
Mansfield Issues
Statement On
Transportation Bill
To whom it may concern:
I have received a great many
letters from constituents the past
few days requesting me to vote for
Senate Bill No. 2009, for placing in-
land waterways and ocean and gulf
ships under the Interstate Com-
merce Commission. Many do not
seem to realize that the bill passed
both House and Senate in the last
regular session of Congress and no
vote can now be taken upon it in
Congress except upon a conference
report to settle points in dispute
between the House and Senate.
None of these however, affect the
main purpose of the bill to have
all water transportation placed un-
der the railway commission.
I did not support this bill when
it was before Congress last year.
It places all our ocean and Gulf
ships under the Interstate Com-
merce Commission to be regulated,
and with power to equalize water
rates with rail rates. The rail rates
are approximately four times as
high as the rates by ship. As an
illustration, the rail rate on cotton
from South Texas points to the mill
towns of New England is $1.44 per
hundred pounds, or $7.20 per bale.
The rates by ship averaged about
.40 cents per hundred, or $2.00 per
bale. In fact, the rates from Gal-
veston and Houston to some of the
New England mills was only .35
cents jier hundred before war condi-
tions prevailed. I mentioned cotton
only, but the difference in rail and
ship rates on all other freight is in
about the same proportion.
It was the thought of many that
the rates by ship on all freights
were too low and that the charges
should be made the same, both by
rail and by water. You can readily
see how this would affect the cot-
ton industry of Texas. I see no good
reason why we should gouge the
cotton farmer in a vain effort to
benefit the railroads. The cotton
farmer is still in the depths of de-
spair, while the railroads have com-
Employes of
T. G. S. Earn
While Saving
Employes Federal
Credit Union
Formed In 1937
NEWGULF, Feb. 10.—At its an-
nual meeting hei-e, members of the
"Texas Gulf Employes Federal
Credit Union" elected O. G. Gage,
president; William J. Martin, vice
president; H. W. Mecklenburg,
treasurer, and K. G. Gilbert, assist-
ant treasurer. Directors elected for
a two-year term were O. G. Gage,
H. W. Mecklenburg, William J. Mar-
tin and C. S. Elliott. Directors serv-
ing unexpired terms are S. W.
O'Connor, Allen Caldwell, A. F.
Mecklenburg, G. G. Savage and
William Calloway.
This organization composed ex-
clusively of Texas Gulf Sulphur
company employes was organized
on Sept. 8, 1937. All employes of the
company together with members of
their immediate families are eligible
for membership and almost 100 per
cent of the workers have made in-
vestments 'in the credit union.
Monthly savings are thus invested
by many employes and it has been
found that those in the lower wage
brackets have, through their con-
sistent efforts, savings accounts
ranging up to hundreds of dollars.
Earn While Saving |
It offers a source of great satis-
faction to participants to realize
that through the intelligent use of
income a substantial profit as well
as savings can ben effected. Loans
have been made members for in-
numerable purposes, the low inter-
est rate together with immediate
cash when needed, has relieved the
financial strain of many employes
during the two years the organiza-
tion has been functioning.
Controlled By Employes
Federal Credit unions are con-
trolled entirely by the membership,
each member being entitled to one
vote regardless of the number of
shares owned. Directors and com-
mitteemen are not permitted to bor-
row amounts in excess of their
share holdings.
While the Texas Gulf Sulphur
company has nothing whatsoever to
do with management or organiza-
tion, the company has consistently
lent its wholehearted cooperation,
furnishing office equipment, office
space and clerical help in getting
the union started. Under this help-
ful cooperation the union has been
a success from its infancy.—Hous-
ton Post.
Charley H. Eddy
Announces For
Constable, Pet. 3
Charley H. Eddy, announces this
week as a candidate for the office
of Constable of Precinct No. 3, his
candidacy of course being subject
to the action of the White Man's
Union primary April 13.
Mr. Eddy has been a resident of
this community the past four years,
coming here from Mt. Pleasant, Tex.
Mr. Eddy informs us this is his first
time to run for a' public office, but
has served as a deputy United
States Marshal and feels he is able
.to qualify as an officer of the law
and if elected will strive every way
possible to see that laws are obeyed
properly. He will appreciate any
support and your vote is solicited.
Rotarians Hear E.
N. Noyes Talk On
Harbor Construction
Harbor-minded Rotarians listened
with deep interest to a talk by their
guest speaker, Mr. E. N. Noyes, of
Dallas, a member of the engineer-
ing firm of Myers and Noyes, who
at the present are engaged in har-
bor construction at Rockport, a
project similar to that proposed
here. Mr, Noyes discussed water-
front improvements that had been
made at Corpus Christi and other
coastal towns and made many val-
uable suggestions. "One thing I
would recommend," said Mr. Noyes.
"Whatever construction you do,
make it of a permanent nature, and
save the expense of rebuilding in a
short time."
Mr. G. A. Han-ison, who had
charge of the program, and Mr. Ray
Phillips, a member of the Chamber
of Commerce harbor committee, re-
ported the present status of the
turning basin issue and made recom-
mendations as to further procedure.
Visitors introduced were Mi. and
Mrs. Noyes, R. T, Phillips and Rich-
ard Hood, High School student.
Local Fire Loss Held at
Minimum, Reported at
Annual Firemen's Banquet
m
Sketch of 21 st Legislative District
History, Since 1893, Is Given
Legislature
Governor
Member
Address
Home County
21st—1889 j
L. S. ROSS |
R. H. D. SORRELL
WHARTON
WHARTON
22nd—189J
JAS. STEPHEN HOGG
G. C. DUNCAN
SPANISH CAMP
WHARTON
23rd—1893
JAS. STEPHEN HOGG|
N. H. HALLER (negro)
BRAZORIA
BRAZORIA
24th—1895
C. A. CULBERSON |
R. C. DUFF
COLUMBIA
BRAZORIA
(NOTE:—R.
, v 1 l ' • 1 i
C. Duff Lost His Seat to Negro, N. H. Haller, by Contested Election.)
| N.H. HALLER (negro) | BRAZORIA | BRAZORIA
25th—1807
C. A. CULBERSON |
A. D. HENSLEY
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
26th—1899:
J. D. SAYERS
A. E. MASTERSON
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
27 th—1901
J. D. SAYERS |
E. L. PERRY
VELASCO
BRAZORIA
28th—1903
1 S. W. T. LANHAM |
E. L. PERRY
VELASCO
BRAZORIA
29th—1905
S. W. T. LANHAM |
W. D. WILSON
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
30th—1907
TOM M. CAMPBELL |
WM. E. AUSTIN
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
31st—1909
TOM M. CAMPBELL |
M. S. MUNSON
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
32nd—1911
O. B. COLQUITT |
A. R. RUCKS
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
33rd—1913
,f, O. B. COLQUITT |
JAS. H. ROACH
BLESSING
MATAGORDA
34th—1915
,, JAS. E. FERGUSON |
JAS. II. ROACH
BLESSING
MATAGORDA
35th—1917
JAS. E. FERGUSON |
*W. T. WILLIAMS
ANGLETON |
BRAZORIA
36th—1919
W. P. HOBBY
J. T. LOGGINS
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
37th—1921
PAT M. NEFF
W. C. CARPENTER
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
38th—1923
, PAT M. NEFF |
W. C. CARPENTER
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
39th—1925
MA FERGUSON |
A. E. MASTERSON
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
40th—1927
DAN MOODY
A. E. MASTERSON
ANGLETON
BRAZORIA
4lst>—1929
"'DAN MOODY
W. C. CARPENTER
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
42nd—1931
ft': s. sterling |
W. c. carpenter
BAY CITY
MATAGORDA
43rd—1933
|ma ferguson |
EMMET C. HILL
ANGLETON
brazoria
44th—rl935, ,
james V. allred |
EMMET C. HILL
angleton
brazoria
46th—>1937 l
james V. allred |
paris smith
bay city
matagorda
46th—1939
w.'lee o'daniel |
-rH-rH —I L
paris smith
bay city
matagorda
*—W. X. yvimams Kesignea.
NOTE:—Up until 1893 District comprised of Wharton, Brazoria, Matagorda and Galveston Counties,
National Flower
And Garden Show
Mrs. Russell Williams, chairman
of the local flower show committee
calls your attention to the fact that
from now until Wednesday, Feb. 21,
is the only time tickets for the Na-
tional Flower and Garden Show in
Houston can be purchased for 45
cents. After that the regular gate
admission price of 75 cents will go
into effect. If you have not purchas-
ed your ticket, see one of the local
committee and get your ticket be-
fore that day. Mrs. T. A. Elder,
Mrs. John Bowden, Mrs. D. Ruthven
and Miss Alpha Bussell have tickets
for sale.
pletely recovered from the depres-
sion. Their reports show that last
year their profits were greater than home folks
ever before known, with only a few
exceptions.
For more than a hundred years
the Gulf of Mexico has been a great
asset to the people of Texas. There
is no good reason why they should
now be deprived of the use of it to
the extent as contemplated by this
bill. Furthermore, the railroads will
not be benefited by raising the
rates upon Gulf traffic. Our ships
engaged in the foreign trade must
compete with the ships of other na-
tions. Any raising of our ocean or
Gulf rates will not divert traffic to
the railroads as some people seem
to think, but will cause much more
of it to be carried in ships under
foreign flags. We can not place the
foreign ships under our railroad
commission. They will be foot loose,
while our own ships will be unneces-
sarily burdened under this law. In-
stead of calling this measure a
Transportation Bill, it should be
called A Bill for the benefit of the
shipping interests of Great Britain
and Japan.
Miss Gertrude Koerber, of Port
O'Connor, spent the week end with
Musicians on Parade
At Music Festival
Held at Victoria
It isn't every day that high school
students are called upon to per-
form for the leading newspapers
and magazines of the country, the
movie producers and radio audiences
all in a single day. But such was
the experience of many Palacios
students who attended the Musie
Festival held in Victoria last Sat-
urday, sponsored by the Victoria
Lions Club and other interested or-
ganizations. Representatives of
United Press and Associated Press>
photographers from Life Magazine,
and cameramen of Universal News,
Inc., a news film company, wei'e on
hand to record the colorful activities
of that sun-filled day. Several of the
choral groups were presented over
radio station KVIC during the
morning. The campus of Patti
Waelder High School was throng-
ed with hundreds of eager students,
their teachers, directors, and friends,
with but one objective: to produce
and to hear good music.
The morning hours were given
over largely to choral singing.
Group after group, girls glee clubs,
boys glee clubs, mixed chorus, oc-,
tettes, sextettes; some offering the
most finished music; others taking
their first stumbling steps. But each
offering their best efforts and re-
ceiving expert criticism that will
enable them to continually aid their
performances.
On the same plan, the various
bands were presented in concert
during the afternoon. Exhibition
drilling was carried on at the foot-
ball stadium throughout the day. i
In these various fields, the Pa-'
lacios musicians acquitted them-
selves most creditably. This report-
er was especially impressed by the
verve with which the mixed chorus
presented "Homeland." The vocal
study undertaken by several girls
this season, made its influence felt
in the rendition "Dedication" by the
girls glee club, and brought forth
very favorable criticism from the
judges. These two selections, with
"Lullaby" l(>y the mixed chorus
made up ti e program presented
over the radio.
One of the highlights of the day
was the noon-day parade, when 29
High School bands paraded through
the downtown streets of Victoria,
for something like ten blocks.
Crowds of spectators thronged the
sidewalks and hung out office win-
dows. Clouds of torn papers scatter-
ed down in the breeze. And along
the youngsters came, with their j
Two Speakers From
Houston Fire Dept.;
Officers Announced
About 60 Volunteer Firemen and
Councilmen, with their wives, heard'
two members of the Houston Fire
Department at their annual banquet
which was held Monday night at
the Green Lantern Inn.
Mr. W. H. Monaghan, Deputy
Fire Marshal of the City of Hous-
ton, and Mr. Lewis A. James, Chief
of the Safety Division of the Fire
Prevention Bureau, city of Houston,
gave their listeners some very valu-
able information on fire prevention
and elimination of fire hazards as
a means of reducing fire losses and
rates for insurance.
Secretary J. B. Feather gave the
annual report from which the fol-
lowing facts were gleaned:
Regular meetings, 11; Called
meetings, 1; Practice Meetings, 11;
Fire Alarms Answered, 19; Still
Alarms 3; Estimated loss from Fire
Damage $5,213.50.
The new corps of officers recently
elected are Chief, T. A. Elder; Ass't.
Chief J. D. Bowden; Sec.-Treas., J.
B. Feather; Foreman Squad No. lr
D. D. Paulk; Foreman Squad No.
2, E. A. Barrett; Foreman Squad
No. 3, H. J. Dismukes.
City Officials present were R. J.
Sisson, Councilman and Mayor pro
tem; Guy Claybourn, Councilman;
H. C. Lewis, Councilman; Dr. J. R.
Wagner, City Health Officer; J. F_
Barnett, City Treasurer; E. I.
Chiles, Supt. Water Department;
and E. P. Noble, Fire Marshal.
After partaking oi' a sumptuous
chicken dinner, guests enjoyed
dancing until a late hour.
vivid uniforms and stirring music.
Truly a most exhilirating exper-
ience.
Another special treat for Festi-
val attendants, was the concert pre-
sented by the Golden Wave Band of
Baylor University. These finished
musicians offered an hour of sym-
phonic music which could not fail
to be a source of great inspiration
to their youthful listeners.
Mrs. F. A. Sisson who is with
her daughter Mrs. N. L. Hayes, in
Boling, spent Sunday here with
relatives and friends.
Mr. and Mrs. Ward Cook and
Mrs. O. C. Arnold spent Sunday in
San Antonio. Mr. Arnold is spend-
ing a few weeks in San Antonio at
the art studio and they visited with
him while in the Alamo city.
40-Year Agreement Shattered
By Paris Smith Announcement
With Paris Smith's announce-
ment for re-election for the posi-
tion of State Representative, an of-
fice which he has had for the last
two terms, arrives the fact that a1
forty-year agreement between Bra-
zoria and Matagorda Counties is be-
ing shattered.
This and other factual informa-
tion pertaining to the formation of
the White Man's Union and the cur-
rent political race for representa-
tive between Mr. Smith of Bay City
and Jimmy Phillips of Angleton,
Brazoria County, have been uncov-
ered for readers of The Herald.
Also—
March 1 Last
Day To Enquire
Of Range Program
Anyone who might be interested
in the 1940 Range Program, please
come into the County Agent's of-
fice at your earliest convenience and
not later than March 1, 1940, in
order to sign all necessary papers.
It will be necessary this year, for
you to tell us in advance, what prac-
tices you intend to carry out, as the
county committee must approve
these practices in advance.
ft. T. Mast,
Sec.'yjlatagorda ACA
Negro Served
Did you know that a negro from
Brazoria once represented the Bra-
zoria-Matagorda Counties district in
the legislature?
Did you know that these two
counties, plus Wharton and Fort
Bend, are the only ones in Texas
to have a White Man's Union?
Did you know that this legislative
district was once made up of four
counties instead of two?
Prior to 1893, Matagorda and
Brazoria Counties were in the same
legislative district with Wharton
and Galveston Counties. In 1893,
the districts were redistricted with
Matagorda and Brazoria Counties
composing one.
Hogg Elected
This was the year that the great
commoner, James Stephen Hogg,
was elected to a second term after
a bitter fight.
When Galveston and Wharton
Counties were in the same district
with Matagorda and Brazoria, there
was no trouble with the problem of
negroes being elected to the legis-
lature.
However, when Brazoria and
Matagorda did, the negroes were
voted as a unit by a white boss and
the result was that a negro named
N. H. Haller of Brazoria was elect-
ed over a field of white candidates
in the race from both counties.
While many negroes had served
in the legislature prior to this Lime,
especially during the dark carpet
bagging days following the Civil
War, N. H. Haller was the only
negro elected in 1893 and also was
the last negro to ever serve in the
Texas Legislature.
Loses To Haller
In 1895, R. C. Duff of Columbia
was apparently elected over the in-
cumbent, Haller, but lost his seat
to Haller by a contested election.
The fact that Haller was the only
negro in the legislature, among oth-
er things, caused the citizens of
Brazoria and Matagorda Counties
to organize and form the White
Man's Union before the election of
1897, so that they might decide up-
on one white candidate to support
to counteract the negro vote which
was controlled by one white man
and which was sufficient to outvote
a ticket of several white candidates.
This White Man's Union was or-
ganized in these two counties and
is still operating in eash. There are
only two other counties in the state
which have a White Man's Union—
Wharton and Fort Bend.
Solves Question
This proved an effective remedy
for the negro voting problem, but
it did not solve the question of
which county the white candidate
was to be elected from.
Officers of the White Man's Un-
ions in Brazoria and Matagorda
Counties met and decided that the
candidate for the 25th legislature
in 1897 should be furnished by Mat-
agorda County and that the candi-
date for the next session should
come from Brazoria County.
A. D. Hensley of Bay City was
the first white man to serve in the
Texas legislature under the gentle-
man's agreement and was also the
first white man to serve from the
district composed of Brazoria and
Matagorda Cqunties.
Later, after a little hard feeling
(See "AGREEMENT," Page 5)i
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Dismukes, Mrs. J. W. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 33, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 15, 1940, newspaper, February 15, 1940; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth411819/m1/1/: accessed June 20, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.