Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 13, 1956 Page: 1 of 8
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GRASSY POINT
By LORRAINE BASFOftD
It was just 270 years 'ago this
week that the famous Izaack Wal-
ton passed away. His name is fa-
imiliar to every adult fisherman,
■and many o'f the younger ones al-
:so, but very few know mucli more
about the man than his name.
Izaack Walton was born on Au-
gust 9, 1593 in the town of Staf-
ford, England. When he was 20
years of age, he went to London
and was in business in Chancery
Lane for many years. He had a
flair for 'friendship in its true
sense, and made a comfortable
I living.
He was Blessed with seven chil-
dren by his first marriage, and
later burdened with sorrow when
"he lost all "m their youth. Years
after the death of his first wife he
married again. The three children
by this marriage gave him hap-
•piness, coitffort and grandchildren.
'Walton pursued the recreation
■of angling in clear streams from
■ childhood, sa^nng in later years
•that, "Angling invites contempla-
tion and quietness." This phrase
has become' 'famous the world over.
"He used frogs for bait and ad-
vised all fishermen to "use the
frogs as if you'loved them." Wal-
ton said of himself, "I am not a
'cruel creature. *1 love to kill noth-
ing but fish'."
Izaack Walton-wrote two famous
'books, "The Linet" and "The Com-
pleat Angler." The first edition of
'"The "Compleat Angler" was print-
ed1 in 1590. Five editions were
'bougfht out during Walton's life
time—:in 11353, 11555, 1668 and
1676.
Chai'les Cotton, poet and author,
•was an expert fly fisherman and a
great friend of 'Walton. The River
Dove near "Dove Dale, England was
their fa-vorite fishing grounds.
"Here, the banks were shaded by
tall trees, the water was clear and
ice cola, -and grayling and brown
trout were in abundance.
Today, fishermen from all over
the world spend pleasant hours in
the Izaack Walton HcJtel, which
once was the summer cottage
•where Walton and Cotton spent
many hours after a day of fishing.
War, bombs lejnd natural de-
terioration have ruined many of
the historic plaices mentioned by
Walton and Cotton in their writ-
ings, but the famous bridge of
The Compleat Angler still stands.
Walton and Cotton also had a
small fishing house on the banks
of Pike Pool. It stands today as a
shrine and is called The Temple.
The initials "I. W.—€. C. 1674"'
carved on the doorway still stand.
Izaack (Walton passed away the
15th of December 1683 at the home
of his son-in-law in Sal'sbury
England. He was buried in Prior
Silksteads Chapel in Winchester,
England.
Today the Izaack Walton
League of America, composed of
members interested in fishing, is
a living memorial to a man bom to
enjoy the life of a fisherman.
* * *
The Game and Fish Commis-
sion's new aircraft, A Champion 7-
'EC was flown from the factory in
Wisconsin by Pilot Warden Jim
Palmer to Rockport, where it will
be based. It will serve the coastal
Notes for the Angler: A good
casting reel is built with the same
precision as a watch and deserves
the same care and treatment. It
is noteworthy that even the novice,
following simple instructions that
every tackle manufacturer gives,
can disassemble his reel and give
it attention needed periodically.
These are days when almost
anything in the ■fisherman's tackle
box will catch fish, but there are
times when it is always well to re-
member that a plug with a wiggle
will account for some nice trout if
sunk deep. A spoon with a yellow
bucktail trailer is popular with
trout fishermen.
A coat o'f' liquid auto wax ap-
plied to fishing plugs aid's in
making the lure scratch proof
and keeps the enamel from crack-
ing and colors from fading.
♦ » »
Did you know that?
In swimming downstream a fish
must swim faster than the cur-
rent or be suffocated by water en-
tering its gills and remaining sta-
tionary.
The mongoose is not immune to
the venom of the deadly snakes it
kills and eats. Keen, ,vision and
lightning agility enable it to evade
their poison fangs.
For its size there is no more
savage animal in the world than
the weasel, which measures only
about 10 inches in length. It can
worm its way into the runs of rats
and mice, hunts its prey by scent
and will evqn fly at the throat of
mart.
' It has been estimated that the?e
are anywhere frpni' 20,000 to '40,000
different species ,<?f fish.
The "Jaqk-rabfcjt" of AVnerica
is really a, hare. This anhrial—r
more correctly . dAlled the prairie
hare—is famed for its "spy hops,"
(See "FISIfING," Page 4)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1956
PALACIOS, MATAGORDA COUNTY, TEXAS
VOLUME XLIX NUMBER 50
CAGE TEAMS TO
TRAVEL FOR NON-
DISTRICT TILTS
Boys At Ganado,
Victoria; Girls
At Van Vlcck
*
'Local area basketball teams \will
wind up most o'f their non-district
play during the coming week-tend
aside early next week.
Friday (tomorrow) night \will
find two of the squads getting a
"wtork out" when they travel to cQa-:
nado to battle the Indians of Coach,
Frank Hafernick. At 5:30 p.m. Pa-
lacios Junior High's Hornets will'
encounter the Indian Freshmen
team,:at 6:45 p.m. Palacios High's
"B" team plays .the Ganado "B"J
tearm.iand at 8 p.m. the Sharks and;
Indians square off for the main|
event.
On Thursday, Friday, and Sat-!
urda-y '.the Sharkettes of Coach]
Joanna Hendricks will engage irni
the Annual Van Vleck Girls Bas-j
ketball Tournament. The Shark-j
ettes won their own tournament
here last week by trouncing three
opponents.
In the Van Vleck tournament
the Palacios giiis will be a slight I
favorite, because of their success
at pouring points through their
opponents'' goals while their op-
ponents are held to a minimum of
points.
Coach R. D. Renfro's Junior
High Hornets will enter their first
tournament competition of the sea-
son when they travel to Victoria
Saturday for the Annual Crain
Junior High Tournament.
The Sharkettes will play their
last pi-e-Christmas game Monday
night when they take on always
tough Louise bene in both A and B
game affairs.
Next Tuesday the Sharks and
Hornets will play the Ganado High
School and Freshmen teams here
in return matches beginning at
5:30 p.m., with the Freshmen game,
at 6:45 p.m. with the "B" teamers
playing, and the high school "A"
teams playing at 8 p.m.
m
m
*•
1
WATER MEETING—Eli Mayfield, secretary, and Carlton Crawford, president of the
Texas Mid-Coast Water Development Assn., (from left) talk with Rep. Clark W. Thomp-
son and Col. Willard McCrone of the U. S. Corps of Engineers prior to a meeting of the
board of directors here Friday night.—Photo Courtesy Victoria Advocate.
Banquet Plans
Discussed At Meet
Of (. C. Women
Tuesday, December 18, the Wo-
men's Division of the Chamber of
Commerce will have an exchange
of Christmas gifts at their regular
monthly meeting and luncheon at
the Green Lantern Inn at 12 noon.
At this meeting the final plans
for the football banquet will be
made. All member# are urged to
attend if possible and an invita-
tion is extended to anyone who
would like to attend.
Tickets for the banquet to be
held January 22 in the Junior High
School cafeteria will sell for $1.75
each and can be purchased from
any member of Women's Division
or at the Hurley Butane Co., Pat
Raplee's office or Beacon office.
Marion Pugh of College Station,
who played for the Texas Aggies
in 1941-42, will be the principal
speaker at the banquet which will
honor the Sharks football boys and
coaches. Football highlights will
be shown and a delicious baked
ham dinner with all the trimmings
will be served.
Film 'For This
You Gave' Viewed
At Rotary Meet
MERCHANTS SAY
'BUY AT HOME'
Mr. and Mrs. So-and-So went to
Houston, Bay City, Wharton, Vic-
toria last week end for Christmas
shopping.
That's ridiculos!
Palacios merchants have your
Christmas presents on their shelves
or in their stock rooms. They are
gifts that you want to give.
For instance if you would look
at Goppert's display of toys, or
Cooper's Ben Franklin outlay of
toys and gifts, they alone would
compel you to trade at home. But
then, there's Brandon's, Western
Auto Associate Store, Muriel's :and
many other businesses that help
Palacios. ■ <t > ■'!
George Curtis at the Palacios
Grocery and Arl Hunt at his gro-
cery chime in with "Give Food This
Christmas"—and their prices are
right.
That's Palacios—help Palacios—
trade at home, please.
Help wanted, was the call at the
weekly meeting of the Palacios
Rotary Club, Wednesday noon at
the Green Lantern Inn.
Dr. John Hart wanted help to
install new chains on the swings
on the bay shore.
J!mmie Shearer wanted help- to
install new road signs by the high-
ways.
Paul Miller received help from
Ralph Murry, field representative
of the Gonzales Warm Springs
Foundation, for his program for
the week.
Mr. Murry presented a film "For
This You Gave", showing the
Warm" Springs Foundation build-
ings, grounds, equipment, doctors
and patients, and the methods of
treatment.
Everyone is invited to visit the
clinic at anytime, and they will
come away with a clearer under-
standing of the need and benefits
of the Foundation, and the im-
mense good that it does, Mr. Murry
stated.
The Foundation is not solely for
Polio patients, but any type of
muscular ailment is admitted for
treatment. However, only children
under 21 years of age are admit-
ted as welfare cases.
About 45% of the operating
expenses come from the National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis,
while the other comes from contri-
butions and other sources. This
year, 1957, Warm Springs will re-
ceive help from approximately 76
United Fund and Community Chest
budgets in Texas (Matagorda
County included).
President Fluth announce d that
next week would be a "White
Christmas" as all gifts will be in
cash and all cash going to the
Warms Springs Foundation.
There will be no meeting on
December 26th, it was announced.
Visitors were Rotarians Cecil
Blake of Port Lavaca, James W.
Sartwelle of Houston, and Ralph
Murry of Corpus Christi.
SCHOOLS PREPARING . . .
Individual Classes Plan Programs
For Christmas Week Observance
Local schools of the Palacios
school system will have their an-
nual Christmas programs and par-
ties next Wednesday afternoon,
according to principals of each
school.
Central Elementary School will
have a Christmas sing-song in the
auditorium around the Christmas
tree each morning next week
with all the students participat-
ing. Wednesday afternoon each
home room will have individual
Christmas parties, according to
Miss Elizabeth Sisson, principal.
Principal Leroy Neal announced
that the student body of East Side
Elementary will have a group pro-
gram consisting of Christmas
carols and Christmas readings.
After the group program each
home room will have it's own par-
ty where gifts will be exchanged.
The traditional Christmas pro-
gram of the Junior High School
will be presented next Wednesday
afternoon in the school auditorium.
Preceding the Christmas Tree
and gifft exchange, a program
"Meditations At Christmas Time"
will be presented by personnel
from the student body. Marvin
'The Messiah" Well
Attended Sunday,
Over 40 In Choir
The Messiah, a sacred oratorio
by Handel, was presented by the
Palacios Community Choir to a
crowd of over two hundred per-
sons at the Palacios Junior High
auditorium last Sunday afternoon.
Under the direction of D. E.
Leighton, the choir of over 40
voices featured soloists Ray J. Bal-
tar, Elizabeth Scott, Kenneth Turn-
er, and Ginger Turner. Accom-
panists included Ginger Turner,
Esther Leighton and Ann Cooper.
"The time to start arranging to
have pleasant memories when
you're young!"
Kastrop will give the Invocation.
Roger Wilson, assisted by girls
from the Junior High Chorus, will
read the Nativity as told by Saint
Luke. Aurora Gonzales will quote
Grace Noll Crowell's, "Let Us Be
Silent," and Rita Horrell will close
the program with her rendition of
James Metcalf's, "This Christmas
Day." >
Members of the chorus are:
Aurora Gonzalez, Blanche Hal-
stfad, Billie Sue Roach, Judy Loth-
ridge, Nona Christy, Ann Cooper,
Diana Smith, Hazel Whitley, M'ae
Dell White, Margarita Vela, Sophie
Frangullie, Toni Navarro, Georgia
Hurta, Jo Beth B lay lock, Jane
Blaylock, Florence Clardy, Gloi-ia
Martino, Carole Raasch, Sabina
Contreras, Mary Dillard, Julia
Mae White, Barbara Adams,
Mary Garcia and Jean Ann Schike.
Members of the sextet are: Blanche
Halstead Billie Sue Roach, Judy
Lothridge, Nona Christy, Aurora
Gonzalez and Ann Cooper; Aurora
Gonzalez will be soloist. Accom-
panists will be Ann Cooper and
the chorus director, Mrs. D. E.
Leighton
Their selections include: "The
Prophecy" (solo), "Oh Little Town
of Bethlehem", "Away In the
Manger", "The First Noel" (sex-
tet), "Angels We Have Heard on
High" (sextet), "Oh Holy Night"
(sextet), "When'Christ Was Born",
and "Silent Night?i '
Principal J. G. Smith announced
that the High School Christmas
program will consist of home room
parties. The Sophomores, Juniors,
and Seniors will each have short
programs, sing songs, and Christ-
mas trees in their respective
rooms.
The Colored School will have it's
annual Christmas festivities next
Wednesday at 2:30 p.m. A pro-
gram for the entire student body
will he presented with Santa Claus
being the highlight. Principal
Granville Sanfoi^T would like to
issue a special invitation to all
parents to attend the program.
DIRECTORS ELECT
GEO. HARRISON
C. C. PRESIDENT
V
Seven Directors
Are Elected By
Chamber Members
George Harrison was elected
president of the Palacios Chamber
of Commerce at the organization
meeting of the chamber last Tues-
day evening.
Seven directors were elected to
the board of directors as a result
of the recent balloting by chamber
members. C. H. Chatham, Chair-
man of the Election Committee,
reported that eighty ballots were
mailed out and that fifty-six had
been returned. A tally of the bal-
lots that were returned placed
John C. Richards, Marvin Curtis,
Adolphus Rioux, George Harrison,
l51i Mayfield, C. S. Rowand and
Ralph Newsom on the board for
the coming year.
Other officers elected were: IVJar-
vin Curtis first vice president; Dr.
Norman E. Runyon, second vice
president; John C. Richards, trea-
surer; L. A. House, recording
secretary and Adolphus Rioux,
secretary. The new officers will
assume their duties on January 1.
The board of directors adopted
a resolution which was presented
by the chairman of the Highway
Committee, Dr. Norman E. Run-
von,'which gave support to a reso-
lution passed earlier by the Mata-
gorda County Commissioner's
Court calling on the Texas High-
way Department to purchase all
rights-of-way needed for improv-
ing and building Texas highway;
This policy, if adopted by thp
Highway Department, will relieve
local taxpayers of heavy road bond
debts and will allow the state to
build roads under the federal aid
program without being delayed by
waiting for local bond issues to be
voted, Runyon pointed out.
Other matters discussed at the
meeting were housing, oil field
development, industrial develop-
ment prospects, water transporta-
tion problems, agricultural prob-
lems and several other matters of
interest to the community.
A vote of thanks was extended
to S. Woodrow Wilson and his of-
ficers for the fine manner in
which they conducted the affairs
of the chamber during the past
year.
CITY TAKES ON
FESTIVE AIR
With Christmas less tfian two
weeks away, Palacios has begun
to take a festive air for the holi-
day season.
Last week the multi colored
Christmas lights were strung
around the square and Christmas
trees arrived.
Merchants have been busy for
weeks placing their Christmas
wares on display for shoppers to
choose from.
Decorated Christmas trees are
all aglow in many homes and this
week several are busy putting up
out-of-door decorations.
Clubs, churches and schools are
planning Christmas programs and
the exchanging of gifts.
UNITED FUND
ANNUAL DRIVE
CLOSED HERE
Local Chairman
Thanks Workers
And Contributors
The 1956 United Fund drive for
the Palacios area has been official-
ly closed according to Guy Clay-
bourn who gives us the following
information. If however there is
anyone who was missed on the
solicitation they may still partici-
pate by submitting their contri-
bution to Mr. Claybourn or to L.
A. House who took care of'all the
office work involved in the drive.
Total subscriptions total $3,850.-
24 nearly all of which has been
paid. A small balance is due on
pledges which are due later in the •
year. This total docs not include a
subscriptions made thru Alcoa by. '
employees of that company which ■
will add something over $1,500 to
the above total.
First prize for the most money
collected went to Mrs. Thomas
Brandon with second prize to Mrs.
Glenda Beaton. Mrs. Dick Flores
Vas winner for the largest number "
of subscriptions turned in with
Mrs. Granville Sanford a very
close second. Mr. Claybourn asks •
that we extend his thanks to the.'!
many people who so heartily and '
promptly responded when the call
was made for workers.
Ground Observers
Hold Presentation
Ceremonies Mon.
The local Ground Observers
Corps, under the direction ol
George Hunter, post supervisor,
held their presentation ceremonies
Monday evening at 7:30 in th«
Central Elementary School.
George Harrison, commissionei
elect of Precinct 3, acted as mastei
of ceremonies. Mayor A. H. Peter-
sen was introduced and gave a
word of welcome.
Captain Caplin, o'f the Filter
Station in Houston gave the award
to the following members of the-
Palacios Ground Observer Corpa;^
Mr. Hunter received Wing?:, Train-
ing Certificate and Certificate-
showing Post Supervisor.
Glen Smith was awarded Wings,.
Training Certificate for Chief Ob-
server. Don Rowand and Marvin
Kastrop received Wings and Train-
ing Certificates.
Training Certificates were also
given to George Mall, Sue Harvey,
John Schneider and Bruce Harris
OUR BUSINESS PEOPLE . . .
First Woman C. Of C. Secretary
(Editor's Note: This is the
15th in a series of stories about
Palacios business and profession-
al people.)
iMrs. John Bowden, owner of
Crescent Drug Store, began work
when she was 14 years old and
she isn't looking forward to retire-
ment.
"Why, what would I do with my-
self?" she asked as she hurried
over to get change for a young
customer.
Her first job was in her fatherfs
dry goods store in San Saba-where
she was born and reared. She
laughingly says that her fdthe^
put her to work to "keep her out
of meanrteds." i ; / >1 - .. -j
Later she was to become the
jfirst woman Secretary of a cham-
ber of commerce in Texas. She
took the position in 1923 when the
regular secretary resigned.
During World War I Mrs. Bow-
den, better known to her friends
as Bertha, was county chairman of
surgical dressing in San Saba. It
was her job to travel over the
County and teach classes how to
make bandages fot war victims.
And still in San Saba, she was
supervisor of thp county welfare'
organization. For this job she took
a short course at the University of
Texas.
IWhen Mrs. Bowden was married
to her late husband in 1936 and
came to live in Palacios, they had
known each other for 24 years.
That is to say, they met 24 years
before and had not seen each other
in many years.
In 1912, Mrs. Bowden had been
clerk in a San Saba drug store
where her husband-to-be was a
pharmacist. A few years later
they went their separate ways.
Mr. Bowden came to Palacios and
bought the Crescent drug store ii}
1913. ■ ...... --luS., !•
"My husband was doctor t td
everybody in Palacios," Mrs. Bow-;
den remembers proudly, n;.- .' |
As a fnatter of faot, he-was so
popular that the people elected
him mayor in April of 1954 only a
month before he was claimed by
death.
Although the active lady dreads
to think of the time when she will
have to retire, she will have plenty
to keep her busy. In addition to
membership in the Wednesday
Club, 'the Eastern Star, and the
Past-Matrons Club, she plays
bridge regularly and fishes when
she can take time off from her
seven-day a week job.
In the summer she and her clerk,
Miss Yvonne Paulk, go fishing sev-
eral times a week. A true fisher-
man, she has no adversity to
measuring out sizeable catches.
She always looks forward to the
times when her sister and nephew
come to Palacios to try their hand
at angling.
ii When she first moved to Pala-
cios in 1936 she thought she would
not like living in the City by the
Sea. "I thought it was so small
then," she says.
• Now she proudly points out its
growth in the 20 years she has
been here.
" I wouldn't think of living any
place else now," she says, "this is
my home."
Sixth Grade Pupils
Lead Schools With
$50. For TB Fund
Mrs. J. J. Harbison, local TB
chairman, reports that the sixth
grade of East Side Elementary
School, led by Mrs. F. A. Griffin,
had collected $50.00 for the TB
Fund.
The children who led the col-
lection in the school and communi-
ties are Mary Jo Blackwell of Col-
legeport, Carol Goff, Carolyn
Maddox, Karen Halamicek, Gene
Cooper, IWayne Husak, Jimmy Ste*-
wart, Stephen Neal, Linda Hunt,
Betty Bickham, Roberta Anthis,
Allen Morris and Linda Dilliard.
This is the first school to finish
their sale of Spangles and Santa
pins. Mrs. Harbison wishafc t»
thank the school and all who help-
ed to make the sale so successful,
and especially to say "Thanks Mrs.
Griffin for your interest and' TB
leadership."
At The Bayview
Patients In Hospital;
Dr. J. R. Wagner, Mrs. Effie
Palmer, Mrs. L. A. House, Mrs.
Anna Hensley, Eureka, Kansas?
John Nobel White, Pat Lowry, A.
J. Williams, Tony Alverez, Miko
Gatica, Frank Edwards, John Dead-
rick, and Mrs. U. W. Nickels.
Patients Dismissed:
Mrs. Julius Hunter and baby
boy, Buddy Davis, Shreveport, La.;
Mrs. Ed Lezak, David Hall, and
Ray Jordon, Port Lavaca.
An explorer says an Eskimo wo-
man is old at 40. An American wo-
man is not so old at 40. In fact,
she's not even 40!
The Weather
Date
Max.
Min.
Prec.
Dec. 5
so-
66°
0.00
Dec. 6
so*
68°
O-OO
Dec. 7
81'
68°
trace
Dec. 8
SO*
46°
0.00
De<% 9
48°
39*
trace
Dec. 10
58°
37°'
0.00
Dec. 11
72°
53°
0.00
Dec. }2
IT
60*
0.00
L
v
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Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 49, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 13, 1956, newspaper, December 13, 1956; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth428121/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.