Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 17, 1986 Page: 4 of 12
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Page 4-Paiacios Beacon, July 17,1986
This Week in Texas History.
“Confused” Texas pilot thrills the nation in 1938
isw i > i- I ~'i nr! I; i ; Jj.f ■ * i i
mechanic1 and partl-time -pilot, ht California,
decided tohSvaa do at the glory, i j Over the .
BY BARTEE HAILE
July 17, 1938, Texas born
Douglas Corrigan coaxed his
second-hand plane into a thick
cloud bank over a New York
airfield. Earthbound onlookers
watched in wide-eyed disbelief as
the barnstormer’s routine flight
turned into an unauthorized
trans-Atlantic crossing.
The scattered spectators wait-
ed in vain for Corrigan to set the
fragile craft on a course for
California. When he vanished
from sight on an easterly head-
ing, a surprised observer remark-
ed, “I’ve got a hunch this fellow
is on his way to Europe.”
By accident or design, and no
one ever knew for sure, the 31
aire landed at New York after The courtship of the Corrigans
circling the globe in the record came 'right out of' a Texas
breaking time offl days, 19 hours romance novel. The couple actua-
and 17 minutes. His ticker tape |iy met at the Alamo. Their first
avation obviously inspired Corn- offspring was born at Galveston
. gan’s own aerial escapade. in January 1907 and named
Painfully uncomfortable in the Clyde after his father. Six years
public eye, Hughes shrugged off later, the family moved to San
the rave reviews of his flying Antonio where the boy peddled
“ Ai 'ia.”‘ Ml' '• Indian tribe as Chief Wrong
decidedtoheveagoattheglory. 11 Over the diti 'M the •’■t cited Way, and Abilene admirers
In July 1938 Corrigan flew, j crowd, he explainfed his "mis- presented him a watch that ran
newspapers on downtown street
corners.
Papa Corrigan went away on
business and forgot to come
feat. Even at age 33 the wealthy
industrialist put an eccentric
premium on his privacy, a sign of
bizarre behavior to come.
With a mind boggling bank home. Two tough years dragged
balance, Hughes easily afforded by before the abandoned missus
the most modem plane on the heard from her AWOL spouse,
market, the latest navigational who finally wrote to confess that
gadgets and a tap-notch crew. his future plans did not include
Dirt poof Cottigan, on the her and their three children. She
other hand, challenged the Atla- filed for divorce and, needing no
year-old aviator winged his way~*nt*c alone with 75 cents, a map reminder of a no-good husband,
toward Ireland. Instant fame -,orn fr°hi an outdated almanac changed the eldest child’s name
awaited “Wrong Way” Com- and an antique aircraft picked up to Douglas.
for $900. To the man in the street Growing up in southern Cali-
scratching to survive the Depre- fornja while barnstorming was
ssion, he was an incomparably the rage, young Corrigan caught
more appealing figure than an the bug. After knocking around
aloof tycoon like Hughes. for more than a decade as a
across the continent and touched
down in Gotham with mere four
gallons of gasoline left in his
tanks. But with Hughes sche-
duled to circumnavigate the
planet the next day, his arrival
went unnoticed.
Hundreds of miles from the
Irish coast, a fuel line sprang a
leak, and suddenly Corrigan was
ankle deep in gasoline. Realizing
that a single spark might blow
him to oblivion, he used a
scredriver to punch a hole in the
bottom of the craft. The gas
take” to the American minister.
Diroriented by the dense clouds
over New York, he simply took a
wrong turn. He then trusted a
compass which turned but to be
broken.
The amused minister shook his
head. "It was hazy when you
took off, was it? Well, your story
seems a little hazy too,”
backwards.
At his island birthplace, the
award was in a more serious
vein. Galvestonians renamed the
local airport Corrigan Field,
fitting tribute to a hometown
hero.
Aviation purists dismissed the
Corrigan flight as a dangerous
grandstand stunt. No new trans-
To the delight of the press and Atlantic trail was blazed, and the
public, the impish aviator stuck daredevil had risked life and
•to his implausible tale: Back in limb for a cheap thrill,
the States he was heralded as The narrow-minded critics mi-
Wrong Way” Corrigan, a coast ssed the point entirely. More a
drained out, and he avoided a -to epast celebrity. Offers poured Walter Mitty than a Charles
watery grave.
Twenty-eight hours after leav
gan.
The Galveston native stole the
thunder of another Texas sensa-
tion, Howard Hughes. Only four
days earlier, the Houston million^
in from movie producers, book Lindbergh, Douglas Corrigan bo-
publishers and vaudeville agents Idly turned an armchair fantasy
ing the US, Corrigan switched off 'to the tune of $1,250,000., into a seat-of-the-pants adven-
his single engine at Dublin, Proud to be in on'the joke, ture, and Americans everywhere
countless cjties and towns honor- loved him for it.
ed the personable- Ipilot. In ........'
keeping with the spirit of the
humorous episode, Corrigan
was initiated into an Oklahoma
Ireland. Rising from the cramped
cockpit, he said with a broad
smile, "I’m Douglas Corrigan.
Just got in from New York.
Where am 1? 1 intended to fly to
tittle ads get ATTENTION..
You’re reading one now!
■mm
■HMBRHMiMl
bicycle craze marked the dawn of the
twentieth century. Less obvious
perhaps was a substantial shift within
electoral politics. Not only was the
Democratic Party consolidating
but Texas blacks were seeing blacks voting declined from about
their newly gained voting rights erod- 100,000 in the 1890s to 3,000 by
ing. 1906.
Previously, Texas politics had dil- Black Republican lawmaker and
fered somewhat from that in other educator R.L. Smith jo'-d with
states of the former Confederacy, others in seeking legal mei,..s to end
Partly because the proportion of the, ^segregation and discrimination in
Texas population that was black-^-"Texas. “Lynch law, peonage, white-
about one-quarter in 1880, and less __ capping (Klan activity) and all
than one-fifth by 1910-j-was smaller f kindred evils ,hayp their root in the
than in other southern states, the rape of the ballot,” Smith declared. *
Democratic Party tolerated opposition- Terrell's tlectioaJaws also
more readily. In the two decades aftdf institutionalized the party primary
Reconstruction, Texas Democrats system in Texas. They required a
faced strong challenges from discon- statewide nominating primary for all
tented fanners who joined the Green-- state, district, and county officials for
back and Populist parties. As histo* any party polling more than 100.000
nan Norman Brown notes in The votes in the previous election. As
Texas Experience, Texas blacks, with Democratic support gathered
Ml:
Tailoring the Vote
For Texans, the Galveston Hum- noncumulative poll tax to be p„id six
cane, a gusher at Spindletop, and a months before each election. Brown
says this stipulation effectively
reduced the size of the electorate,
removing many blacks, Mexican
Americans, and poor whiles from the
political process. Historian James
power—aligning Texas with the Solid. Smallwood found that the number of
South—I ~ ‘ *.....' ! -----
the skillful leadership of Norris
Wright Cuney of Galveston, regularly
voted for the Republicans and for
third parties.
After 1896 the Populists virtually
disappeared from Texas politics, leav-
ing the Democrats as the undisputed
moguls, Brown says. In November,
19M, voters approved a poll-tax
amendment to the state constitution,
which the Democrats presented as a
white-supremacy measure. Demo-
crats had made repeated efforts to
enact laws restricting the suffrage, but
since white Democrats from “black
belt” counties—those with large
numbers of blacks—had less power in
Texas than elsewhere, the state took
27 years to enact the proposed poll^-
strength, any candidate who gained
that party's nomination could count
on being elected to office.
But the party controlled “member-
ship” and participation in the
primaries, and eve.uually the Democ-
rats excluded blacks from member-
ship, indirectly denying them the right
to vote. Terell's legislation, along
with the runoff primary established
later, makes up the basic framework
of current Texas election laws
Although Federal court orders elimi
nated the poll tax and white primary,
some elderly Texans unaware of the
change still ask voter registrars how
much poll tax they must pay in order
to vote.
The Terrell election laws also
tax.
squelched opposition parties in Texas
Proponents of the poll tax argued until after World War II. In The Texas
that the restriction would eliminate Experience, Brown explains that the
“irresponsible” voters. Brown adds. . Democratic Party became the only
Voting was not a natural right, they serious forum for discussing and
contended, but a privilege the state resolving economic and social ques-
i to those willing to lions in Texas till then.
should extend only to those willing to
commit themselves by paying the tax. The one-party system caused Texas
Alexander Watkins Terrell, a Democrats to split into factions. In
lawyer, plantation operator, farmer; - 1911 Govenor Oscar B. Colquitt corn-
former Confederate Beneral and U.S menled. "We have only one political
minister to Turkey (1893-97), and party in Texas but there are enough
state legislator, became the most pro- political fights in that one for half a
minent and constant advocate of a poll dozen."
tax in Texas. In 1903 Terrell returned
to the legislature to author the first of-
what became the Terrell election laws. This Texas Sesquicentennial series is
Together with a more comprehen- courtesy of The Texas Committee for
sive statute
STATE
CAPITAL
HI6HU6HTS
By lyndafl Wiliams
TEXAS PRESS ASSOCIATION
brought close to a thousand
iSSSSS SSSwsS SSSEEc guwasr
the toughest office holders any- spots and by ’ working with much further the state is going “Sul Ross
where have teamed up on a trade associations. into the red, opting to wait im- vides teaches to virtually
move which could bring Texas Bullock, convinced that Texas *il next month for a more ac- West Tew uh^ dift-
aTuick$%V3on7year to con^Sen ™t the ^ curate picture Wet andI leaders to virtually
apply to the state’s budget ones who need to be convinced, We ex'Dec|. a, the ri«rht
problems. said he is “taking a page from estimate shortly before Aug. 1, who also
SS'SS ^Hr“ofgood &°^r^,Xppropria-
5021—to require national mail to supporters in all other Sul r0ss Spared Fiddlin’ Around
order firms to collect and remit states. The Sele(,t Committee on Whether a special session will
state sales taxes. “These big “I am also trying to convince Higher Education met to hear actually be called in August is
firms are doing $3 billion a the White House to get behjnd testimony whether to spare a matter of much speculation,
year in Texas business at the the bill as a tradeoff in giving Texas A&M-Galveston, Sul since House Speaker Gib Lewis
eiiiensd 0T the Itoeal merchants the SflWBS' some- ■ft'- biHrowan R^'TMWsity at Alpine, UT- and other lawmakers say they
of Texas/’Bullock skid. >>& new sales‘tax-revenue to re- p6rmjan Basin afOdessa and cannot find two votes for a tax
Congressional backers of piac% programs the President East Texas State University at hike.
Brooks’Bill say that they heed ’wantrto ctit from the federal Commerce. Last session, the An impasse exists for the
evidence of widespread public budget,” Bullock explained. Galveston and Odessa schools moment between Gov. Mark
support in order to move the
legislation—and that’s where
Bullock comes in.
Ink Gets Redder
narrowly avoided the budget White and lawmakers: White
ii
axe. Last week, Sul Ross was says he won’t call the session
Earlier in the week, Bullock spare(j thanks to a massive re- until the l egislature comes up
—----------a F ..... with a plan, while legislators,
He is leaving no stone un- warned the governor rad state sponse hy jts alumni. . _
turned in prodding the mer- legislators that the state s 10.5 gtate Rep Dudley Harrison in the words of Rep. Stan
tunica in piuuumg uie mci- - , ___x_____- i • uuuc ivcp. l/uuicj m»*.wvu *>* —----
chants of Main Street to write percent unemployment level in- gpearheaded a pubiic support Schlueter reply, Governor,
their congressmen. He is blitz! dicated the state budget mi^nt cannpajgn that saw more than where’s your plan?”
ing the state with a letter be faein2an even larger deflclt 58,000 letters mailed and white’s Republican opponent,
MY ATLAS SAYS
, THE EARTH IS THREE
QUARTERS (METER Ab\‘
ONE QUARTER LAMP,
passed two years later and the Humanities, The Shell Companies
written by Terrell, the 1903 law, in Foundation, Inc., and this newspaper.
‘ -• — -----•— "-------Humor
accordance with the new constitu-
tional amendment, provided for a
© Texas Committee for the Human-
ities, 1985.
former Gov. Bill Clements, is
pressing White’s dilemma by
charging he is devoid of leader-
ship, “fiddling while Austin
burns.”
Salary Increases
Clements, asked where spend-
ing should be cut, sidestepped
by saying that wasn’t his job,
but he recommended again
charging all agencies, commis-
sions and departments to pri-
oritize and cut their own bud-
gets.
While the rumor is rampant
that state employees will not
get their built-in three percent
raise on Sept. 1, one agency has
already rewarded some of its
staff and drew fire for it.
The head of the Texas De-
partment of Human Services,
the closest thing Texas has to
a welfare agency, approved
over $600,000 in annual merit
raises last week.
Some thought the raises
flaunted Gov. White’s austerity
order, but last week White’s
budget director said they were
in compliance with White’s di-
rective to trim 13 percent.
From the Palacios Beacon Early Files
20 YEARS AGO-1966
Jimmy Oglesby, Fred Huitt
and V. J. Kahlich were attending
the Texas Firemen’s Training
School at Texas A&M.
25 YEARS AGO-1961
Southwestern Pipe Line Cu.
and the Woods Exploration and
Production Co., planning to do
extensive work in the Caran-
cahua area, had set up head-
quarters in Palacios.
William Douglas was awarded
a music scholarship from Sam
Houston State Teachers College,
and Edward Kana and Carl
Pendergrass, Jr. were named
winners of 4-year Opportunity;
Award Scholarships at Texas:
A&M.
The city council voted to send
three firemen to the Annual
Firemen's Training School at
Texas A&M later this month.
Funeral services for Mrs.
Trude Ann Brandon were held
Thursday. July 20, at the First
Presbyterian Church.
38 YEARS AGO 1956
A fire at Blessing Sunday
which destroyed a home and a
garage, pointed out the need of
additional fire fighting equip-
ment in the county.
The first bale of cotton was
brought in by John Hunt last
Thursday and since then 72 bales
had been ginned locally.
Only 10.13 inches of rainfall
had been recorded in Palacios
sice January 1,1956.
The Chamber of Commerce
directors were seeking a new
manager following an audit re-
port Tuesday night.
The city council authorized
Mayor Petersen to contact the M.
E. Allison Company of San
Antonio for revenue bonds to
cover the costs of tying the city
water system with the Camp
Hulen water wells and pumping
system.
35 YEARS AC,0-1951
Palacios CAP Flight was mak-
ing plans for a big search and
rescue practice mission Sunday
as 10 or 12 planes from Gal-
veston's squadron were to be
here to participate in the mission.
City aldermen passed a reso-
lution authorizing the mayor to
arrange for the lease of the
Municipal Airport for oil and gas
development.
Actual construction on Pala-
cios' new boat basin was expect-
ed to begin this week.
Cpl. Frank Kruse arrived home
Friday from Korea to enjoy a 30 ’
day-furlough.
40 YEARS AGO-1946
Over T100 rpoidprpH for the
Texas Baptist Encampment held
this week. A Presbyterian Youth
encampment was scheduled to
begin Monday, July 22.
45 YEARS AGO-1941
Postal receipts for the local
post office for the past fiscal year
showed a gain of .762 percent.
Nearly 200 women from this
area attended the annual Young
Women's Christian Association
district meeitng here Tuesday.
Construction on the seven-
room brick residence for Herman
Bieri was started this week.
50 YEARS AGO-1936
The Texas Coast was visited by
more than 38 hours of continuous
rain and the rain gauge here
measured 121/: inches.
Young people of the Methodist
Yoakum district were coming to
Palacios for an encampment in
the BYPU grounds from July
21 28.
D. M. Green, Cleo Hamlin and
his son barely escaped serious
injury when their truck stalle don
the railroad track and was hit by
the regular train coming into
Palacios. The truck was totally
demolished.
The State Board of Education
announced $19 per .jpitu state
aid to the public schools for the
next veto
55 YEARS AGC 1931
Harris Milner was appointed
sheriff by the county commi-
ssioners court to fill the unexpir-
ed term of Joe Mangum, who
was fatally injured in a train and
car accident.
60 YEARS AGO-1926
The Texas National Guards,
under the command of Gen. John
A. Hulen, opened a two week
training period at Camp Palacios.
65 k EARS AGO-1921
District Attorney C. C. Parker
died while court was in session in
Bay City.
Dr. George W. Truett of Dallas
was the main speaker of the
BYPU encampment.
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West, Nicholas M. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 79, No. 29, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 17, 1986, newspaper, July 17, 1986; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth725992/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.