The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 19, 1960 Page: 1 of 20
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The Winkler County News
Weather
FAA Official Figures
Wink Airport
High Low
Published Twice Weekly—Head Daily
(Member Associated Press)
Monday, May 16
Tuesday, May 17
Wednesday, May 18
Thursday, May 19
(7 a.m.)
Vol. 24—No. 15
(Classified Ads on Pages 6 and 7)
Kermit, Winkler County, Texas
22 Pages in Three Sections
Thursday, May 19,1960
the
71/1 artin
cSr tanner
BY RAY MARTIN
This is an open letter to Jen-
nice and the thousands like her
who will be graduating soon
from journalism schools. Last
Sunday the Martins visited with
Jennice and her parents in a
toWn 160 miles or so from Ker-
mit.
She ■ will get her degree in
Journalism at midterm next
year. She’s an enthusiastic lass
about this matter of the Fourth
Estate, and she will make a
good writer, I believe.
However, there are certain
things I would like to tell her.
They go like this:
Way back in those distant
childhood days Martin Manner’s
mother used to say, “There’s
a big world put there, son, so
look at it — look hard at all of
it wherever you are.” And
41 sometimes she would say, “It’s
a noisy world, son, hear all of
it, hear hard.” Or, “The world
smells, son, good and bad, so
- smell it good or bad.” And
W when I asked her what she
meant, she said, “There’s so
much of the world that people
never see or hear or smell right
around them. It’s a great world
and it needs to be seen, heard
and smelled. Learn early to see
and hear and smell it.”
And much later when Yours
Truly was just starting in this
odd game of the Fourth Estate
there was a crusty old Pitts-
burgh editor who had come up
the hard way from copy boy to
editor, and he told me: “Son,
there are only two differences
between a newsman and other
folk: 1. He has the ability to
put words into the proper form.
2. He sees, hears and feels
things that most people never
see, hear or feel because they
don’t look for them. Of the
two requisite -J 1 would pi No.-2
at the top*.” Thai’s what he
said, Jennice.
And he told a woman he had
known as a child who could
write the most beautiful hand
he had ever seen, but she had
nothing to write so her talent
meant nothing to her. “What
. good is it,” he asked, “if you
4® can write well if you don’t see
anything to write about but the
drab, the commonplace that ev-
eryone else sees? Anybody can
write the straight factual junk
” that Joe Bloe broke his leg, but
the good writer is the one who
saw enough or heard enough
about the incident to write it in-
terestingly.” And he summed
it up this way: “The world has
plenty of people who can write
John Doe’s obituary. They are
necessary folk. But they are
terribly dull writers if that’s
ALL they write. Write about
the John Doe funeral, but write
about much more, too. Then
this fascinating game of writing
for print will never become dull.
See it and write it.”
I’ve thought of that little
speechby Mac, my editor, many
a time. He was a great editor
and he knew good writing when
he saw it. If he liked a story
he gave the writer a by-line;
'^if he didn’t, then there was no
' by-line. He explained that to
A me this way: “If the story is
» bad I don’t want to embarrass
the writer by putting his name
on it. It all depends on how
much the writer saw that the
average Joe Bloe didn’t see.”
He was talking about such
things as seeing something in-
teresting in last Tuesday night’s
cloud pattern when we in Ker-
mit sat on the sidelines of na-
ture’s amphitheater and watched
a weather fireworks take place
far to the east and south.
And I think he was talking
about such things as the sand
blow that I saw last Sunday.
The wind had piled the sand
levee high along the side of the
road up near Seminole, and then
^|the wind had come out of the
"west and new sand was blowing-
over the old peaks and rippling
out like water on a beach, bil-
lions of grains of sand leaping
■crazily over one another as
somebody’s farm went visiting,
possibly never to return home
again.
And I think he was talking
about the old bum whom we
saw trudging down the highway,
not particularly caring whether
anybody picked him up or not
because he wasn’t going any
place anyway and when he got
there he’d just have to go on
some other place. It was a
warm day but he had on his en-
tire winter wardrobe includ-
ing an old overcoat. But then
he wasn’t going back next win-
ter to wherever he spent last
(Continued on Page 3)
Kermit Gains
50 Per Cent:
Total 10,413
POPULATION AT A GLANCE
Winkler County /.
1940
.. .6,141
1950
10,064
1960
13,485
Per Cent
of gain
33.99
5
i A ^ c -
Kermit ..........
.. .2,584
6,912
10,413
50.65
Wink ...........
... . 1,945
1,521
1,869
22.88
- si
Kermit has had a growth of
50.65 per cent in the last 10
years, preliminary figures re-
leased this week by the District
Census office in El Paso show.
At the same time, Winkler
County was . showing a 33.99 per
cent growth, while Wink scored
a 22.81 per cent gain.
In figures, Kermit has 10,413
residents, the preliminary re-
port shows, while the county’s
population is listed at 13,485.
Wink has 1,869. Thus Kermit
had a gain of 3,501 persons in
the decade, the county climbed
3,421 and Wink gained 348.
While the figure for Kermit
Baccalaureate
Services Set;
Barnes to Speak
Rev. Larry Barnes, pastor of
First Christian Church, will
speak at Kermit High School
Baccalaureate services next
Sunday, in the high school audi-
torium. Service will start at
8:30 p.m.
High school seniors vote for
ministers they wish to deliver
their Baccalaureate sermon,
High School Principal Neal B.
Dillman- explained.
Minister receiving highest
was somewhat lower than had
been expected, nevertheless,
most Kermitians were pleased
with the results, although point-
ing out that the census prob-
ably would have shown at least
1,000 more had the count been
made last fall.
Mayor Bert Stevens said “It
was unfortunate that the count
came at the time it did when the
oil industry was at a low point.
I sincerely believe there were
at least 1,000 more persons here
last September, before the oil
industry began a slight retrench-
ment program.”
Many of the 1,203 persons list-
ed as “rural” in the report are
living just outside Kermit, it
was pointed out which would
bring the greater Kermit popu-
lation up to well above 11,000
persons.
First count ever taken in Ker-
mit proper was in 1940 while
the first county report in 1930
showed 6,784 total, but during
the next 10 years, the county
actually lost population drop-
ping to 6,141 in 1940.
Another interesting fact re-
vealed by census figures over
the years, shows that Wink
reached its peak so far as cen-
sus totals was concerned back
in 1930 when it had an official
count of 3,963 persons. In 1940
it had 1,945 residents, but by
1950 was down to 1,521. The
row1 b in the last 10 years re-
PAGEANT COMMITTEEMEN—Here with Judge
Cook (second from right) are the four committee
chairmen who will have much of the preliminary work
to do for the pageant to be presented as part of the
Winkler County Golden Jubilee late this summer.
Judge Cook is general chairman. Others are, left to
right, Cathy Eckels, head of the casting committee;
, „ . sessed a $50 fine after Pearson
number -of votes gives: ne ad- fleet? .a modest comeback for pleaded guilty
dress, second the invocation and the town,
next the benediction.
Rev. Carl Lawson, pastor of
First Methodist Church, will
present the invocation at the
service while Rev. M. V. Pruett,
pastor of Northside Baptist
Church, will give the benedic-
tion.
Commencement services are
scheduled for May 26.
County Judge W. E. Cook said
he believed if the count had
been taken a year ago, “we
would have .shown at least 1,000
to 1,500 more persons.” He add-
ed that he believes the prelim-
inary figures released at the El
Paso office are “accurate for
the time the count was made.
(Continued on Page 8)
Cases Settled,
Court Suspends
County Court jury term which
was to have started Tuesday,
came to an abrupt conclusion
shortly after County Judge W.
E. Cook had called the first
session.
Only criminal case scheduled
was changed into a plea of guil-
ty, and attorneys for the only
civil case due for jury trial
announced a settlement had
been reached out of court.
Judge Cook sentenced Clar-
ence Alvin Pearson to three
days in the county jail and as-
to a charge of
driving while intoxicated.
Shortly afterward, the case of
Earnest S. Gruben vs. The
American Hospital and Life In-
surance Co. was stricken after
the attorneys announced a set-
tlement.
A non-jury case, H.V. Brinson
vs. John Ward, damages, is to
be heard Thursday, Judge Cook
said.
Texaco Finishes Discovery Well
Near Kermit For Gas-Condensate
BY JAMES C. WATSON
News Oil Writer
Texaco, Inc., has completed
a Waddell sand gas-condensate
discovery at its No. 11 S. M.
Halley, Central Winkler County
operation, six miles south of
Kermit.
That same well has been dual-
ly-completed from the Devonian.
It is one location away from
the nearest Devonain producer
in the Emperor multipay area.
Texaco No. 11 Halley is one
and one-half miles northwest of
Humble Oil & Refining Company
No. 1 Hogg, a lone Waddell sand
gas-condensate producer.
No. 11 Halley is 660 feet from
north and 2,200 feet from east
9 ■ | *
f
m
1
||;
yesife
CAP AND GOWN DAY—Friday is Cap and Gown
Day at Kermit High School and seniors Carol Crow
and James B. Gammill are pictured trying out their
outfits. Baccalaureate services will be held Sunday,
May 22 and graduation exercises will be Friday even-
ing, May 27. (News Staff Photo)
lines of section 7, block B-ll,
psl survey. It drilled to total
depth of 11,514 feet in barren
Ellenburger. That horizon is
productive in other wells in the
adjacent regions.
Both the Devonian and the
Waddell showed for production
while drilling was in progress.
A string of 7-inch casing was
cemented at 11,484 feet. The
The cement inside that pipe was
drilled out to 11,400 feet.
For testing the Waddell the
section at 11,220-238 feet was
perforated. It completed natur-
ally for a calculated absolute
open flow potential of 6,850,000
cubic feet of gas daily plus 160
barrels of 61.7-gravity conden-
sate daily.
That potential was based on
Waddell being produced through
open two-inch tubing. Flowing
tubing pressure was 1,900
pounds. Gas-condensate ratio
was 16,400-1.
From the Devonian No. 11
Halley was potentiated for a cal-
culated absolute open flow of
41,000,000 cubic feet of gas per
day, plus 34 barrels of 57-gravi-
ty condensate daily. That was
on the basis of the Devonian
pay flowing from perforated
sections at 9,181-9,328 feet.
This producing formation also
was completed naturally. Gas-
condensate ratio was 105,400-1.
Flowing tubing pressure was
2,600 pounds.
One mile north of the discov-
(Coptinued on Page 3)
Kermit Boys Named
To Scout Council
Richard Campbell and Bobby
Pearson have been named to the
Explorer Cabinet, Buffalo Trail
Council, Boy Scouts of America,
according to District Director
Jim Stephen.
Campbell was named secre-
tary of the cabinet and Pearson
became chairman of the group.
The cabinet sets up programs
and plans activities for the posts'
in a 17-county area.
The boys are the first Ex-
plorers from Kermit ever to be
named to the cabinet, Stephen
added.
Maud Green,whose group has charge of scenario and
title; Reta Alley, head of the costume and make-up
group, and Keith Brister, whose committee will take
care of stage properties. The group announced the
name for the pageant, “Winkler Wonderama”. The
show will be staged at Walton Field September 1, 2,
3 and 5. (News Staff Photo)
Winkler Wonderama
Announced as Title
For Jubilee Pageant
Winkler County’s grandstand
extravaganza to be presented
during the Golden Jubilee cele-
bration at the end of summer,
will be called “Winkler Wonder-
ama,” it was announced Thurs-
day by the scenario and title
committee.
The show will be given in
Walton Stadium on Thursday,
Friday, Satin T.iy and Monday
nights, Sept, 1, 2, 3 and 5 and
will depict Winkler County’s his-
tory from 1910 to the present
day.
Darrell Mayer, chairman of
the spectacular which will be
one of the highlights of the
week-long celebration, said the
title was agreed upon by the
scenario sub-committee, headed
by Maud Green.
Meantime plans for the elab-
orate grandstand show were be-
ginning to take shape. Much
historical material has been
gathered and sent to the John
B. Rogers Company which is
producing the show. The actual
script will be written by the
Rogers Company’s professional
writers, and will be brought to
Kermit early in August when
the director from the Rogers
firm reaches town to start put-
ting the show together.
More than 350 West Texans
are expected to take part in the
spectacular with the Rogers
Company furnishing the light-
ing, costuming and scenery as
well as directing the production.
Before the director’s arrival
another of Mayer’s sub-commit-
tees, the casting group, will
start rounding up people for the
play. Cathy Eckels is chairman
of this group. Harold Diller
heads another sub-committee,
the construction group, and
Summer Hours
Set for Center
Annual summer hours for the
Winkler County Youth Center
were revealed Monday by Di-
rector Burk McGreevy. New
hours take effect May 28, he
said.
Hours are: Monday, for junior
high students only, 2:30-5:30 and
7:30-10:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Thursday, high
schoolers only, 2:30-5:30 and
7:30-11 p.m.
Wednesday, junior high stu-
dents, 10-12 a.m., and 2:30-5:30
p.m.
Friday, junior high, 10-12 a.m.
and 2:30-5:30 p.m. and from
7:30-midnight, high school only.
Saturday, 10-12 a.m., 2:30-
5:30 and 7:30-midnight, high
school only.
Sunday, 2:30-5:30, high school
students only.
McGreevy added that a num-
ber of new activities are being
added to the summer program
including arts and crafts, drama
and stage band work. In ad-
dition, old standbys of weight
lifting, basketball, co-ed bad-
minton, co-ed volleyball, co-ed
horseshoe pitching, table games,
dancing, table tennis and pool
will be continued.
James Stephen, newly-ap-
pointed director of the Center,
will assume his duties June 13.
Mrs. Reta Alley is chairman of
the group in charge of costumes
and makeup. Buck Sorrells will
head the sound committee.
Keith Brister is in charge of
’properties.
Mayer asked Thursday that
anyone knowing of interesting,
true early - day experiences
which should be included in the
script call Maud Green at The
News office arid tell her about
the incident. She will include
such events in the material she
is sending to the Rogers’ writ-
ers.
The material also will be used
by another sub-committee, the
historical committee headed by
Paul Foraker. This will be used
in the offical program to be is-
sued in connection with the Ju-
bilee.
Emblem for the celebration
was picked last week, and the
publicity committee announced
that Sam Wood’s drawing had
won first place. The drawing
now is being revamped slightly
and will be made into a number
of different sizes for use in the
promotion material.
With the celebration only 14
weeks off, County Judge W. E.
Cook, who is general chairman
of the entire Golden Jubilee
event, said many groups will be-
gin their activities soon. Posters
are to be printed soon and sou-
venirs are being ordered. Mrs.
Joe Gibson, Mrs. Calvin Wesch,
Mrs. Vincent Wesch and Mrs.
Richard C. Milstead comprise
the committee to distribute post-
ers and other printed material.
This will be done around the
middle of July.
Speakers’ committee also is
making its contacts. The speak-1
ers hope to line up invitations
to appear on civic and club or-
ganizations in West Texas and
Southeastern New Mexico to tell
about the celebration. Heading
this* group is Rev. Charles B.
Brinkley with Rev. Carl Law-
son, Rev. Hal Upchurch, Rev.
(Continued on page 8)
Kermit School
Paper is Cited
Kermit High School’s news-
paper, The Yellow Jacket, was
honored recently by the Texas
Interscholastic League Press
Conference according to an an-
nouncement by Mrs. Clyde Mar-
tin, newspaper faculty advisor.
Sandy Martin was also com-
mended by the League for her
editorial writing in District
2-AAA. She won the honor on
an editorial entitled, Opportuni-
ties at Kermit High School.
The award to the newspaper
read, in part, afor continued
achievement in the field of high
school journalism.” A silver
medal was awarded to Miss
Martin and a certificate was
forwarded to the paper.
Parents Asked.
To Visit School
Parents of fifth, sixth and
seventh grade students are in-
vited to meet in the Junior Pligh
Auditorium tonight (Thursday)
at 7:30 p.m. to discuss several
items of interest concerning
next year’s school program.
Among the items for discus-
sion will be elective courses,
promotion requirements, citizen-
ship and dress, attendance re-
quirements and manner of re-
porting absentees to the school.
Kermit Plans
Attic-to-Alley
Cleanup Push
Kermit is to have its annual
attic-to-alley cleanup soon, Sal-
ly Ferrell, chairman of the
Kermit Chamber of Commerce
Public Health and Sanitation
Committee, announced Thurs-
day.
The drive will start the day
after Memorial Day — Tuesday
—and continue through Satur-
day, Mrs. Ferrell said.
As in the past cleanup weeks,
this year’s event will have for
its purpose a general face-clean-
ing. Pickup service will be
done on a schedule basis, S. E.
Burnett, City Sanitarian, said.
“We will announce the sched-
ule soon,” Burnett said, “and
give the approximate times the
trucks will reach certain sec-
tions of the city.”
Start Clean-up Now
Meantime, Mrs. Ferrell said
it’s time for people to start
getting ready “by cleaning out
their storerooms and attics, get-
ting ready for the big event.”
She added it is the hope of
the committee which is sponsor-
ing the event, “that every alley
and street will be spic and span
with a fresh-scrubbed look when
the drive is over.”
The attic-to-alley drive in the
past has been highly success-
ful, she pointed out. “Last year
we gathered more than 500
truck loads of haul-off material,
and we believe this year’s event
should be just as successful.”
She pointed out that every
home has something to discard
which normally is not picked
up/ by the sanitation trucks.
“There’s always old broken
pieces of furniture, broken toys
and tools that should be carted
Off,.;, but folks- just dor
anybody, to get the job done,”
she said. “Now is the chance
to get rid of such things and
give the town a much nicer
look all over.”
Should Be In Boxes
Burnett said that people
should either put haul-off ma-
terial in boxes or barrels or
place in neat stacks either for
alley or street pickup on the
day when the trucks will reach
their particular section of the
City.
The County will provide the
trucks while the City will pay
the helpers’ fees, it was ex-
plained to make the affair a
co-operative effort with the
Chamber’s Health and Sanita-
tion Committee as the sponsor-
ing group.
Burnett pointed out that tree
limbs which have fallen off or
been cut off are not normally
picked up by the garbage trucks
but during this special week
“any kind of discard, including
broken furniture, will be haul-
ed off,” he said.
Co-operation Asked
“We have always had the full
co-operation of the people in
this drive, and the effects of the
attic-to-alley cleanup can be
seen throughout the town for
weeks afterward,” Mrs. Fer-
rell said. “I’m certain we will
have the same splendid co-op-
eration again this &year. It’s
actually a wonderful opportuni-
ty for many people to get rid
of junk for free which normally
would cost them money to haul
off.”
The trucks will operate on
schedule from 8 a.m. until 5
p.m. each of the five days of the
drive.
After the cleanup campaign
is completed, Burnett said the
(Continued on Page 8)
Tornado Safety
Rules Outlined
With tornadoes spotted re-
cently in several West Texas
areas, County Judge W. E. Cook
pointed out the Texas Defense
and Disaster Relief Administra-
tion’s suggestions for tornado
safety.
A publication by the organiza-
tion says that “there is no uni-
versal protection against tor-
nadoes except caves or under-
ground excavations.” And it
adds: “When time permits go
hire tP,,& tornado cellar, cave or un~
'd-L ground excavation which
should have an air outlet to
help equalize the air pressure.
It should be kept fit for use,
free from water, gas or debris,
and preferably equipped with
pick and shovel.”
Then the pamphlet tells what
to do under certain conditions
when tornadoes are spotted:
If in the open, country the
pamphlet says to “Move at
right angles to the tornado’s
path . . . they usually move
ahead at about 25 to 40 miles an
hour. If there is no time to
escape, lie flat in the nearest
depression such as a ditch or
ravine.”
If in town, the publication
says do this: “Seek inside shel-
ter, preferably in a steel re-
(Continued on page 8)
Kermit Junior Chamber Planning
All-Out Drive for New Members
Kermit Junior Chamber of
Commerce membership drive
moved into high gear Wednes-
day evening at the regular meet-
ing of the group at the Permian
Savings and Loan building.
Jim Stephen, membership
drive chairman, explained the
workings of the drive and re-
vealed the theme as “Prospect-
ing for Jaycees.”
In other business, the Jaycee
carnival to be staged in down-
town Kermit July 28-30 was dis-
cussed and a program featur-
ing movies of the Sugar Bowl
and other sporting events was
presented by Football Coach Joe
Ethridge.
On the membership drive,
Stephen named Bill Ware, Ernie
Stodghill, Dave Sclair as cap-
tains of three recruiting teams.
“The low team at the end of
the drive,” Stephen said, “will
prepare a complete barbecue
dinner on May 28 at county
park for all Jaycees (new and
old) and their families.
In addition to the barbecue
penalty for the bottom team,
the low Jaycee daily will lead
Sharon Henrich, Kent Stevens
Get Top Senior Class Honors
Sharon Henrich was named
Kermit High School Valedictori-
an and Kent Stevens Salutatori-
an according to an announce-
ment by Neal B. Dillman, high
school principal.
Miss Henrich is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Heii-
rich of 301 North Ave. A and
Stevens is son of Mayor and
Mrs.. Bert Stevens of Kermit
Hotel.
Miss Henrich had a grade-
point average of 94.38 while
Stevens trailed slightly with a
93.87 average.
Dillman also named 11 other
students who have maintained
a grade average of 90 or better
throughout their high school ca-
reers. Named were Don Al-
spaugh, 93.38; June Parks, 92.96;
Sand-ra Faulk, 92.04; Linda Mir-
acle, 91.84; Hoycille Montgom-
ery, 91.76; Jerry Edwards, 91.6;
Judy Horton, 91.88; David North-
cutt, 90.5; Mattie Gilbreath, 90.-
39; and Katy Gilligan, 90.25.
SHARON HENRICH AND KENT STEVENS
.. . top seniors
a burro around the square at
7:15 p.m. He will also take
care of the animal until he gets
a new member.
“In case the man nominated
to lead the burro feels he does
not want to appear,” the chair-
man added, “I have arranged
with Police Chief Bill Pence
to have an officer bring the
man to the square, handcuffed,
and ready for his duty.”
Mrs. Nunn Dies
Of Rifle Wound
Mrs. Bernice Elnor Nunn, 44,
621 North Ash, was dead on ar-
rival at Winkler County Me-
morial Hospital at 7 o’clock last
night of a gunshot wound in the
temple.
She was found by her husband,
Cecil Arnold Nunn, 44, and her
son, Terry Lynn Nunn, 16, in a
bedroom of their home.
Police Chief Bill Pence and
Sheriff Bill Eddins, who investi-
gated, said Nunn told them Mrs.
Nunn had just prepared dinner
and her son and husband were
eating. They heard a gunshot
and rushed into the bedroom to
find Mrs. Nunn lying on the floor
dying. A .22 rifle was at her
side.
Police said only one bullet had
been fired.
Nunn is part owner of Buffalo
Drilling Co.
Hixson Funeral Home will an-
nounce arrangements for the
funeral.
Neighbors said Mrs. Nunn had
returned Tuesday from attend-
ing the funeral of a relative in
Indianapolis.
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Martin, Ramon. The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 24, No. 15, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 19, 1960, newspaper, May 19, 1960; Kermit, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth886193/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Winkler County Library.