The Aransas Pass Progress (Aransas Pass, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 8, 1959 Page: 1 of 14
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Tbe Aransas Pass Progress
Serving the Aransas Pass, Ingleside, and Port Aransas Area
VOLUME 50—NUMBER 45
ARANSAS PASS, TEXAS, THURSDAY, JANUARY 8, 1959
(10 CENTS BY THE SINGLE COPY!
Building Permits For Aransas Pass
Total $886,816; Highest Since ’54
Building permits issued by the
City of Aransas Pass in 1958 were
the highest since 1954 when con-
tsruction starts topped the mil-
lion dollar mark. Perimts issued
last year by the city totaled $886,-
Radar Station
Sergeant Is
Lions Speaker
“You can rest assured that there
are eyes watching over you ev-
ery minute of every day in the
year,” Sgt. J. R. Angleman of the
Aircraft Control and Warning
Station at Rockport told mem-
bers of the Aransas Pass Lions
Club at Wednesday’s luncheon-
meeting. Angleman was referring
to those who man the Strategic
Air Command’s many radar sta-
tions whose duty it is to alert the
Air Force in case of enemy at-
tack.
The speaker said the system of
warning stations similar to the
one at Rockport extends from
Alaska down the west coast to
afford protection from possible
air attack from Russia. He said
the Rockport station was a pre-
caution against “backdoor” at-
attack.
Although the radar stations
serve primarily as warning posts
against enemy attack, Sergeant
Angleman pointed out that they
also have an important peacetime
function. Through aircraft con-
trol, they save many lives, and
planes valued at millions of dol-
lars, he said.
Sergeant Angleman;' who served
in Alaska for several years, had
a great deal to say about the for-
ty-ninth state. He Said Alaska,
due to her geographical location,
is a vital link in this nation’s
defense system. He said for prac-
tical purposes, the new state can
be thought of in two sections—
one which has a gopd climate and
an abundance of fine hunting, and
fishing, and another which is
nothing more than a barren ter-
rain covered with ice and snow.
Pointing out .that the area was
once purchased by the United
States from Russia for $7,200,000,
he posed the question of what
Russia would pay to get Alaska
back. I imagine they would pay
many times what they sold her
for, he suggested.
The speaker was introduced by
Lion President Neil Kirkham.
M. G. Yoes, resident engineer
for the state highway department,
and Rockport Mayor H. E. Oollum
were guests at the luncheon.
816, according to Richard Graf,
city inspector.
The 1958 total included 49 per-
mits for new residential construc-
tion valued at $284,067; 19 for
commercial and industrial build-
ings valued at $303,914; two for
schools and churches amounting
to $212,135; 56 for residential re-
pairs and additions valued at
$42,668; and 28 for commercial
repairs and additions amounting
to $44,032.
Although the number of per-
mits for new residential construc-
tion was three less than for 1957,
the value of residential construc-
tion in 1958 was slightly higher
than the $242,679 for the previous
year. Graf said this was due to
the fact that a larger number of
the new homes built during 1958
were above the average in cost.
A large part of the commercial
construction last year was new
buildings at Conn Brown Harbor
to serve the growing seafood in-
dustry. Two new school additions i
and the new Methodist Church
building boosted the non-commer-
cial type of construction to a five-
year high.
All types of new construction
in 1958 were higher than for the
previous year, but the 1958 resi-
dential building was well below
that of 1954 and 1955 when devel-
opment of Oak Park Subdivision
was in full swing.
The total of building permits
for the past five years is as fol-
lows: 1954, $1,026,288; 1955, $391,-
035; 1956, $421,438; 1957, $615,786;
1958, $886,816.
May Set Record
1958 Rainfall of $7.16 Inches
Highest For City in Recent Years
During 1958, Aransas Pass took
its worst soaking in recent years
—and possibly in the history of
the city. According to weather
observer W. C. Hutson, 57.16 inch-
es of rain were recorded here
during the year just ended.
The 1958 rainfall exceeded that
for 1946—wettest of recent years
—by 2.06 inches and may have
set a new record for this com-
Church Will Show
Missionary Film
T. L. Osborn’s great sound film
“Black Gold,” which deals with
missionary work in Africa, will
he shown at 7:30 p. m., Jan. 9,
at the Pentecostal Church of God,
comer of Houston and Wheeler, it
was announced this week by C.
C. Jenkins, pastor.
We urge everyone to see this
outstanding epic of the Osborn’s
African crusade, the pastor said.
Every scene is real and was
iilmed and edited on the spot by
the Osborns, he stated.
HEARD.l.
. .V. BOYD FENDER, JR., spent
the recent holidays here with his
parents and returned to the base
where he is stationed in Califor-
nia with the U. S. Armed Forces
Jan. 1 . . . the LITTLE AND
PONY LEAGUE officials, mana-
gers and boosters will have an
important meeting at the Lone
Star Park Building Wednesday
evening at 8 o’clock ... SUPT.
ERICSON Says that due to final
examinations on Jan. 15 and 16,
the school busses will run 30 min-
utes early in the morning and re-
turn at 3 o’clock in the afternoon
. . . BETTY MEREDITH is recu-
perating this week at home after
a tonsillectomy Saturday . . .
GIRL SCOUT leaders are needed
badly in the local neighborhood
... HOWARD L. HARRIS also
killed a deer this season . . . most
everyone happy that the holiday
season is over . . . JAMES MIL-
LER, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G.
Miller, of Ingleside, has been
home on a 14-day leave. He is
stationed aboard the USS Okano-
gan, Long Beach Calif. . . .
United Fund
70% of Goal
Contributions of $425.00 during
the past week have swelled the
Aransas Pass United Fund to
$8,717.15, Melvin Beyer, treasurer,
announced Wednesday.
The fund is now slightly more
than 70 per cent of the goal of
$12,326.
Morrison Company
Buys Walker
Variety Stores
Rockport—Purchase by the C.
O. Morrison Co. of three variety
stores in Rockport, Aransas Pass
and Falfurrias was announced
here today by J. B. Kelly, district
manager of the Morrison com-
pany. The stores were formerly
owned and operated by Leonard
Walker of Fulton.
Kelly, here from Uvalde, said
that the Morrison Co., which has
operated West Texas stores for
the last 28 years, contemplates
no extensive changes in person-
nel, although increased assort-
ments of merchandise will be
available at all three stores.
Wayne Pruitt, who has man-
aged the Aransas Pass store for
the past ten of twelve years, will
be retained as manager, Kelly
said.
Transfer of the properties has
been completed, Kelly stated, and
the Falfurrias store is already
open. The Rockport store opened
this morning (Thursday) and in-
ventory and reopening of the Ar-
ansas Pass store will be finished
in the near future, the district
manager stated.
HAS BUSY YEAR—W. C.
Hutson, Aransas Pass weather
observer, had a busy year' in
1958 keeping records of the ex-
cessive rainfall which. was re-
ceived here. Rain was received
in every month of the year and
the 1958 total of 57.16 inches
may have set a record for this
locality. Mr. Hutson keeps up
with the rainfall by checking
regularly the big gauge which
is installed at his home on S.
Houston. He has been a resi-
dent Of Aransas Pass since 1929
arid has been weather observer
for over ten years.
A retired carpenter and
builder, Mr. Hutson, 82, spends
most of his time watching the
various construction projects
in the city. During recent
months, most of his leisure time
has been; spent observing work
on the high bridge on the new
Port Aransas causeway and the
new HEB building on S. Com-
mercial. He is an active mem-
ber of the Church of Christ.
Bank Deposits
Decrease In
Last Quarter
Bank deposits in Aransas
Pass decreased more than a half
million dollars during the last
quarter of 1958 and bank loans
Were also lower.
A statement of condition issued
by the First State Bank as of
Dec. 31, 1958, showed deposits of
$4,410,740.48 as compared to de-
posits of $5,017,983.28 on Sept. 24
when a similar report, was issued, j
The five million plus figure of
Sept. 24, however, was near the
record high for local bank depos-
its.
Deposits in the First State
Bank on Dec. 31, 1958, were
slightly higher than for the same
date a year; ago when deposits
amounted to $4,330,393.46.
The December 31 report showed
bank loans of $1,399,503.74, as
compared to $1,468,520.74 on Sept.
24.
Albert Galvan
Drowns In
Local Channel
Funeral mass for Albert Gal-
van, 38, were held Sunday morn-
ing at 9:30 o’clock at St. Mary’s
Star o fthe Sea Catholic Church
with the Rev. Gregory Boench
officiating. Burial was in San
Antonio Cemetery under the di-
rection of Cage-Marshall Funeral
Home.
A fire on his skiff drove Gal-
van overboard and he drowned
in the Aransas Pass-Port Aransas
channel Friday. He and Alaniz
Rodriguez were going after oy-
sters in a 14-foot skiff. One of
them was attempting to pour gas-
oline into the motor of the b®pt
when the gasoline caught fire.
Galvan leaped into the water
and began swimming toward the
shore. He dived underwater ap-
parently to remove his boots
which hampered his swimming.
He never returned to the surface.
His companion managed to ex-
tinguish the fire after a short time
but too late to help Galvan.
The body was recovered by the
jj S. Coast Guard Friday after-
noon,;:, 1
Survivors include his wife, Je-
susa; four daughters, Mary, Paul-
ine, Martha and Isadora; five
sons, Ralph, Albert, Jr., Cruz, Da-
maso and Jesse Galvan, and his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Damaso
Galvan ,all of Aransas Pass; five
brothers and three sisters,
munity. 55.10 inches were record-
ed here in 1946.
Rain was recorded in all twelve
months of the year. January had
the highest reading and April the
lowest. The year took a running
start on the rain gauge when 17.81
inches of rain were dumped on
the community during the month
of January. February followed
with 6.21 inches.
During the months that fol-
lowed, rainfall was normal or be-
low until September when 15
inches deluged the city. Since
September, rains have continued
regularly with 4.30 inches in Oc-
tober, 2.76 inches in November,
and 3.89 inches in December, And
the locality shows evidence of the
excessive precipitation. All in-
land lakes are filled, and water
has been standing since Septem-
ber in most low places. Farmers
encountered difficulty with their
fall plowing due to the frequent
rains, and construction was great-
ly hampered.
Only two months in 1958 had
less than an inch of rainfall. Ap-
ril had only .47 inch and July had
.90 inch. 1958 was a far cry from
several recent years when a pro-
longed drought plagued this
coastal section.
Rainfall by months for 1958
was as follows:
January _______________________ 17.81
February ___________________.... 6.21
March ..—..._______________________ ' 1.27
April _________......____...._______ .47
May —----------.......------ 1.98
June _________ 1.52
July_____________________ .90
August_________ ___________ 1.05
September _____...._____........ 15.00
October ____ 4.30
November .________________ 2.76
December _____________ 3.89
First Bauxite Cargo
Due to Dock Friday
Six Local Students
Make District Band
Six local high school band
members earned district rating
in an All-District band contest
held Saturday, Dec. 13, at Tuloso
Midway.
They are Arlin Commander,
sixth chair bass horn; Daniel Fin-
ley, seventh chair bass horn; Rob-
ert Mize, seventh chair bass horn;
George Glenn, fifth chair French
horn; Gay Gathright, fifth chair
clarinet; and Billy Geyer, eighth
chair trombone.
Will Be Transferred to Barges
For Shipment To Alcoa Plant
The first cargo of bauxite ”des
tined for Aluminum Co. of Amer
ica’s new alumina plant at Point
Comfort is due to arrive at the
company’s Harbor Island docks
late this week. The ore ship, Av-
ery C. Adams, is en route from
Jamaica and is scheduled to dock
at 7 a. m. Friday with the first
shipment of bauxite initiating
Alcoa’s shuttle operation.
Port Aransas Water District
Votes Tuesday On Bond Issue,
May Join San Pat Water District
TOTAL ____________57.16
Shrimp Landings
Low Last Week
Unfavorable weather conditions
together with the fact that many
vessels remained in port for the
holidays kept shrimp production
at a minimum last week here and
at other Gulf Coast ports. Land-
ings for the Aransas Pass-Corpus
Christi area for the week ending
Jan. 2 amounted to only 45,700
pounds as compared to landings
of 130,300 pounds for the previous
week.
Landings for the week at se-
lected areas on the Gulf Coast de-
creased to 617,300 pounds as com-
pared to 1,634,600 pounds for the
previous week and 645,700 pounds
for the same week a year ago.
We Invite...
We invite to be our guests at
the picture, “The Defiant Ones,”
showing Sunday and Monday,
Jan. 11 and 12, at the Rialto The-
atre, Mrs. T. B. Dill and guest.
This notice, clipped from The
Progress, will serve as your ad-
mission.
Police Handle
1,555 Cases
During 1958
The Aransas Pass police de-
partment handled 1,555 cases
during 1958, according to a report
by Chief of Police F. N. Turn-
bough. This is about an average
of 130 cases per month for the
department of eleven men in-
cluding the chief, assistant chief,
five patrolmen, three dispatch-
ers and one night watchman.
Part II offenses for the year
totaled 818; traffic law violations
627, and Part I offenses 110.
Part I offenses included five
for rape, 13 for aggravated assault,
21 for burglary, 58 for theft and
13 for auto theft. The depart-
ment handled no murder com-
plaints.
Part II offenses handled by the
department were eight for assault,
Residents of the Port Aransas
Water District will elect two di
rectors and decide a proposed
$590,000 bond issue in two elec-
tions set for Tuesday, Jan. 13
Voting will take place at the
Community Center in Port Ar-
ansas.
School Census
Being Taken
During January
The annual school census for
the Aransas Pass Independent
School District will be taken dur
ing the month of January, A. A.
Ericson, superintendent of schools,
has announced. Male members of
the factulty Will make the enu-
meration on a house-to-house ba-
sis.
Ericson said some of the enu-
merators started covering their
respective sections of the school
district Friday but he pointed out
that the weather has slowed the
work.
It is the purpose of the census
takers to enumerate all children
in the district who will be be-
tween six and eighteen years of
age on Sept. 1, 1959, Ericson stat-
ed. He expressed appreciation for
the cooperation given the enu-
merators in the past and asked
that parents assist by rendering
the children when the census ta-
ker calls, this year. An effort will
be made to contact every home
in the district, he said.
_—--o--
Day of Prayer
Observance
Set For Feb. 13
The World Day of Prayer com-
mittee met at a morning coffee
in the home of the chairman, Mis
A. J. Hagy, to make plans for the
World Day of Prayer observance
in Aransas Pass.
The worship service for adults
and young people will be held
on the World Day of Prayer, Feb.
13, in the new building of the
First Methodist Church on So. 8th
street, the time set at 10 a. m.
Members of WSCS of the Meth-
odist Church will give a dramatic
presentation in costume, and oth-
er features are being planned.
The theme of the service this
15 for forgery, 11 for embezzle-|yea£_ “Loid^I Relieve,” written
ment and fraud, sey§p f pr posses-
sion of weapons, one lex offense,
one offense against family and
children, eight for narcotic drug
law violations, 22 for liquor law
violations, 280 for drunkenness,
329 for disorderly conduct, 32 for
vagrancy, nine for gambling, 36
for all other offenses, and 59 held
on suspicion or for investigation.
Traffic law investigations han-
dled by the department includ-
ed 150 for speeding, 31 for reck-
less driving, 102 for drunk in car,
nine for improper lights or brakes i
30 for non-observance of light or)
sign, 192 for improper registra-
tion or license, and 113 for all
other violations.
During the year, tickets were
issued for 6,315 parking viola-
tions.
During the year, there were 88
traffic accidents in the city result-
ing in injuries to 33 but no deaths.
by Egyptian Christians, including
members of the ancient Coptic
Church.
The annual service will give
Christians all over the world a
united voice in praying.
It is hoped that a children’s
service may be arranged.
The World Day of Prayer.com-
mittee was organized last spring
immediately after the prayer ser-
vice to include a representative
from each of the cooperating
churches. It is hoped that other
churches will wish- to join in this
unity of prayer, and will appoint a
member to the planning commit-
tee.
Those present at the meeting
Monday were Mrs. E. M. Thomp-
son, Mrs. L. W. Morgan, Mrs. Ed
Richmond, Mrs. H. P. Bertsch,
Mrs. C. G. Long, Mrs. J. N. Scar-
borough, and the chairman, Mrs.
Hagy.
Only property owning taxpay-
ers will be eligible to vote in the
bond election.
Roy Hay ter and T. R. Smith are
candidates for re-election to the
water district board. Other board
members are S. H. Laws, presi-
dent, Sam Allen, vice president,
and E. T. Mathews.
The directors have announced
plans, should the bond issue car-
ry, to purchase the existing water
system from the City of Port Ar-
ansas, and to connect with the
system of the San Patricio Mu-
nicipal Water District. A line
would be laid from Port Aransas
to the south city limits of Aransas
Pass where the San Patricio Mu-
nicipal Water District now deliv-
ers water to the City of Aransas
Pass.
Aransas Pass recently started
taking water from the water dis-
trict and it is understood that the
engineers made allowance for wa-
ter delivery to Port Aransas when
the district’s supply line was ex-
tended to the south city limits
of Aransas Pass.
Port Aransas is now supplied
from water wells on the island
and water district officials say
the water is not of satisfactory
quality or of sufficient quantity
to meet the future requirements
of the growing community.
ARTHUR W. MARTIN
Martin Heads
Aransas Pass
Shrine Club
Arthur W. Martin was elected
president of the Aransas Pass
Shrine Club on Jan. 5. He will
succeed W. B. Kientz as head of
the organization.
Other new officers include L.
D. King, vice president; P. A.
Marsh, secretary; Boyce Elliott,
treasurer, John Scott, sergeant-
at-arms; J. R. McWilliams, parade
marshall; and H. M. Attaway,
chaplain.
Directors of the club for the
coming year are C. S. Parsons,
W. B. Kientz, A. W. Martin, Fred
Tabet, L. D. King, B. A. McDonell,
P. A. Marsh and Boyce Elliott.
C. O. Hill is chairman of the
ambassadors and other ambassa-
dors are Charles Borup, Jack Oon-
oly, A. J. Flanagan, W. W. Per-
kins and Joe Ulcar.
The new officers will be in-
stalled Saturday evening, Jan. 17.
At the Harbor Island docks, the
bauxite will be transferred from
the ore ships to barges for trans-
shipment down the Intracoastal
Canal and over the shallow wa-
ters Of Matagorda Bay to the
Point Comfort plant about 70
miles away.
The barges Navidad and Lavaca
are reported en route from Point
Comfort to Harbor Island to re-
ceive the cargo of bauxite from
the ore ship Adams, a 580-foot
vessel.
In preparation for the shuttle
operation, Alcoa completed docks
on Harbor Island near the Intra-
coastal Canal several months ago
and several ships a month will be
unloaded there when the transfer
operation gets in full swing. It
is understood that Alcoa’s alum-
ina plant will start processing the
imported bauxite about Feb. 1.
Council Approves
Harbor Area
For Air Strip
Aransas Pass flying enthusiasts
may have a temporary solution
to their needs for a local landing
strip. The city council at a ses-
sion Monday afternoon approved
use of the east side of the new-
ly developed Harbor Subdivision
for a temporary air field.
The new harbor area, which
was developed at a cost of about
$80,000, extends south from Conn
Brown Harbor approximately
2,500 feet and is about 600 feet
wide. Leases are now being let
to the seafood industry on the
west side of the area but little
use for the east side is contem-
plated in the near future.
Grading of the east portion of
the peninsula will be necessary
before it can be used for landings
since it was left unfinished as an
economy measure during the re-
cent development.
B. F. Sanders
Found Dead
In Flaming Home
Funeral services for Benjamin
F. Sanders, 81, were held Sunday
at the graveside in Prairie View
Cemetery with the Rev. W. B.
Chandler, pastor of the Second
Baptist Church, officiating. Cage-
Marshall Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
Sanders was found dead in his
flaming trailer house here early
Saturday.
He was a retired showman and
had resided here for the past 20
years. He was a member of the
Baptist Church.
Survivors include two daugh-
ters, Mrs. Melba Shaw of Corpus
Christi, and Mrs. Bethje Taylor
of Dallas; two sons, Leonard and
Lloyd, both of Marshall; 13 grand-
children and four great-grand-
children.
SEEN...
... MRS. J. L. MEREDITH op-
erating her tax service in the Bel-
ken insurance office this year ...
the BEN YODERs have a new
granddaughter . . . ALVIN HOS-
KINSON, Jhome on furlough, vis-
iting in town this morning He is
stationed at Detroit, Mich., with
the U. S. Army ... the sun shin-
ing this morning for the first time
in nearly a week . . . MRS. R.
W. SCHWENKE looking very at-
tractive in a wine corduroy at-
tire ... MA GREEN taking a hol-
iday from work . . . BREEDING
going home after a hard day . of
work .. . wardrobes really getting
a working over during the recent
weekend of very cold weather
/. . the new METHODIST
CHURCH nearing completion ...
the PATTY household makjing
plans for a busy month ahead
. . . ESTHER McNEILL really
excited over her future and
proudly showing off her
ring ...
new
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The Aransas Pass Progress (Aransas Pass, Tex.), Vol. 50, No. 45, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 8, 1959, newspaper, January 8, 1959; Aransas Pass, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth974962/m1/1/: accessed August 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Ed & Hazel Richmond Public Library.