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The County Line Business & Community Journal ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

Monthly Issue

JULY ,

2011

In This Issue: Presidential Papers of Ronald Reagan

Growing Up Small Town by Mike W. Norris

Texas Conservative by Chuck Norris

Good Neighbors by Clint Coffee

Friends of the County Line by Mike W. Norris

@Ranger Library

by Diana McCullough

Star Pride

by Ginger Tobin

Tumbleweed Smith by Bob Lewis

Daily Devotional

by Various Submissions

Love Lessons

by Vicki Stiefer

Treasure Hunters by Jerry Eckhart

The Breckenridge Wall Local Advertisers

Out of the Box

by Joellen Hodge

Rising Star Bulletin Board Local Advertisers

Ol’ Doc’s Homespun Yarns by Luther Gohlke

This Week In Texas History by Bartee Haile

From the Backside

by Henry J. Clevicepin

COUNTY LINE EXCLUSIVE

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Presidential Papers: Ronald Reagan - Message on the Observance of Independence Day, 1981 Today, all over America, families and friends are reuniting to renew ties, enjoy each other’s company, and celebrate our Nation’s birthday. It is a day when liberty and laughter go hand-in-hand -- when we can acknowledge that, oh yes, we have our faults, and lots of problems, too, but we’re happy and proud because we’re free, and we know the best of America is yet to be. If you close your eyes and try to picture our country, chances are the first thing you’ll see is your own hometown. I always see mine, Dixon and Tampico in Illinois. Today it is the hometowns of America, both big and small, that remind us what a diverse yet united country we are. Each in its own special way will carry out a wish expressed by one of the Founding Fathers 205 years ago. Back in 1776, John Adams wrote his wife Abigail that the anniversary of our independence should be observed with great fanfare: ``. . . with pomp and parades . . . shows and games . . . and sports and guns and bells . . . with bonfires and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, and from this time forevermore.’’

The County Line Published by Wolverine Design Mike Norris - Owner

P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Tx 76448 Phone: (254) 433-2693 mike@mycounty-line.com

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It began in 1620 when a group of courageous families braved a mighty ocean to build a new future in a new world. They came not for material gain, but to secure liberty for their souls within a community bound by laws.

Abilene Albany Baird Breckenridge Brownwood Carbon Cisco Comanche Cross Plains DeLeon Desdemona Dublin Eastland El Paso Gordon Gorman Irving Olden Lingleville Lubbock Ranger Rising Star Stephenville Strawn Thurber Weatherford

A century-and-a-half later, their descendants pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to found this Nation. Some would forfeit their fortunes and their lives, but none sacrificed honor.

We appreciate your support! Mike &rris Ruth No

Well, Mr. Adams, rest assured that what you wanted is being done. Your traditions are now ours, and we guard them like national treasures. And you know why. When we unfurl our flags, strike up the bands, and light up the skies each July 4th, we celebrate the most exciting, ongoing adventure in human freedom the world has ever known.

Thomas Jefferson wrote that on that day of America’s birth, in the little hall in Philadelphia, debate raged for hours, but the issue remained in doubt. These were honorable men; still, to sign a Declaration of Independence seemed such an irretrievable act that the walls resounded with cries of ``treason’’ and ``the headsman’s axe.’’

~ continued on page 7

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

3Growing Up Small Town

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, Mike W. Norris

I SURVIVED A WEEK WITHOUT INTERNET!

A Horrifying Tale of Frustration as One Man Rages Against the Machines That Rule Our World! “It was kind of like the Matrix, where you wake up from a virtual world and find out that the real world is where the machines are out to get you and stuff and make your life miserable. Yea, it was like that, but without the cool sunglasses and awesome theme music.” ~ Mike Norris

Well, hello there! As some of you may already know from following my Facebook and Twitter posts, the County Line Central Command and Control – also known as my “home office” – went into an Internet dark zone on Friday, July 1st. It was due to a simple misunderstanding between myself and the nice young woman handling my call-in request, which I thought was pretty simple – drop the phone service, keep the DSL Internet service. I’ve been on AT&T DSL for over 3yrs with complete satisfaction. The customer service agent pointed out that in order to drop the phone service, my Internet service would have to dropped as well for a 24hr switch-over period. She asked if this would pose a problem as many home-based businesses would rather not go without Internet service unexpectedly (insert dramatic pause here!) The customer service agent asked if I would like to schedule the disconnect for after the holidays? I replied, yes indeed! Let’s schedule it for Thursday and Friday after the 4th – that way I can get the paper out before the switch-over. She was happy to comply and verified the dates with me while we were still on the phone. She also gave me a new customer ID number for my records. When I hung up the phone, I was thrilled. This little change in service was going to save me about $75 a month! Woohoo! After that, I gradually got back into working on the newspaper. It wasn’t until late that evening that things started going off track. I noticed that my home phone was dead in the middle of the afternoon. I thought that maybe the batteries were dead on the handset, so I placed it back on the charger and used my cellphone the rest of the day for all my calls. Later that night, around 9:30pm, while I was in the middle of a very important discussion with one of my online buddies discussing our impending ruling of the EVE Online universe, my voice chat got disconnected...a few seconds later, my game client crashed...and just moments after that, Sherrie started yelling at me from the dining room, “Dad! Did the Internet go down?!?!” Not overly worried just yet, I stalked into the kitchen for an ice cold tea refill and to reset the wireless router and modem. I reported to Sherrie that next commercial, I’ll plug everything back in and we’ll be good to go. So I sat down with Ruthie to watch a few minutes of TV. Commercials came on so I got back up and plugged everything back in...but much to my surprise, still no Internet. I picked up the telephone handset and it was still dead – nothing! “Uh oh,” I thought to myself as I walked into my office and dialed our home phone number from my cell phone... “The number you have dialed is no longer in service...blah, blah, blah...” was all I got in response. “Ohhhh, that ain’t good...” So I pull out my AT&T bill where I wrote down all of my new account information and I called the same service

number I had called that morning. The next 15-minutes I spent talking to a machine who just couldn’t understand my problem: “No, this is not the number I am calling about.” “My account number is one-potato, twopotato, three-potato, four...” “This is a service problem...no wait...an Internet problem...um can I check my order status?” The machine finally figured out what I was asking about and was kind enough to inform me the following, “Your order is currently being processed...Your order number XYZ was placed on Friday, July 1st, at 10:15am. Your order is scheduled to be completed by Friday, July 15th. Is there anything else I can help you with?” “Ummm...yea, can you compress time and space and move today and July 15th to Thursday and Friday, July 7th and 8th!!!” I guess not. It would seem that the automated service machine couldn’t grasp my frustration, and I quickly learned that I would go through the July 4th Holidays without Internet. And because of the drought, I would also have to go without fireworks and blowing stuff up like in true American July 4th tradition thanks to

the fireworks ban! It was tough. Nothing to blow up online, nothing to set fire to in real life...I didn’t get any work done on the paper either because I couldn’t do research or check my emails, but worse than that, I didn’t get any fun out of avoiding work! Solitaire and Mahjong just don’t compare to Internet Spaceships and conquering the universe! And after the AT&T computer screwed me over to start with, I didn’t like the idea of my own computer kicking my butt at chess either! But I did learn one good thing about taking a break from the Internet – I think I can save about $50 a month on my DirecTV service, too...seeing as how there ain’t a dang thing on it worth watching anyways!!!! If I could only convince Ruthie to give up General Hospital and all that stupid minuteto-embarass-yourself-cause-you-got-no-talent crap!!!! Well that’s behind me now...I am so happy to be back online and in EVE where I can blow stuff up that gets on my nerves! It’s so much more rewarding than just changing the channels. Now if I just had some more ice cold tea.... “SHERRIE!!!” Send Comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

4Texas Conservative ■

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, Chuck Norris - The Man

Our Founders vs. NBC and New York Atheists By Chuck Norris

Part 1

In a few days, on July 4, we once again will commemorate the work and courage of America’s 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. Few words are as inspiring as those that rallied patriots in 1776: When in the Course of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation. We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness -- That to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed... Rights endowed by their Creator (“Nature’s God”) and secured by government? That doesn’t exactly sound like yesterday’s news or today’s understanding of God and government. Consider these two headlines from just this past week: “NBC dumps ‘under God’ from Pledge at U.S. Open” and “New York Atheists Angry Over ‘Heaven’ Street Sign Honoring Sept. 11 Victims.” In November 2005, an MSNBC poll asked, “Should the motto ‘In God We Trust’ be removed from U.S. currency?” In March 2004, a CNBC poll asked, “Should the words ‘under God’ be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance?” Then, despite the fact that more than 80 percent responded in the negative to both of those questions, NBC twice omitted the words “under God” from a patriotic montage in which children recited the Pledge of Allegiance during the start of the recent U.S. Open golf tournament. NBC later apologized for the omission after nationwide outrage, but the damage already had been done. Similarly, Fox News reported last week that some New York City atheists are demanding the removal of a street sign, newly dedicated to honor seven firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. They say the new street sign, “Seven in Heaven Way,” which was posted in Brooklyn outside the firehouse where the firefighters once served, is a violation of the separation of church and state. Posting a street sign with the term “heaven” on it is a violation of the separation of church and state? We definitely don’t live in our Founders’ world anymore, but that doesn’t mean we have to abandon the very principles on which they founded our republic. Freedom of religion and expression (including religious expression) was so fundamental and important to our Founders that they mandated the liberty in the very first part of our Bill of Rights. Whether on street signs, in congressional corridors or at sporting events, government is called to protect

(not prohibit) our right to religious practice and speech. As Thomas Jefferson said, “a Bill of Rights is what the people are entitled to against every government ... and what no just government should refuse or rest on inference.” Luckily, we have a Bill of Rights. But the threats against it are constant and growing. The wording of the Bill of Rights is not ambiguous. But people who want to expand the power of government keep chipping away at, modifying and replacing what it actually says. In 1823, near the end of his life, Jefferson similarly wrote: “On every question of construction (of the Constitution), let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.” The phrase “separation of church

and state” actually comes from a letter Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptists. He told them that no particular Christian denomination was going to have a monopoly in government. His words “a wall of separation between church and state” were written not to remove all religious practice from government or civic settings, but to prohibit the domination and even legislation of religious sectarians. The Danbury Baptists had written to him seeking reassurance that their religious liberty would be guaranteed, not that religious expression on public grounds would be banned. Liberals would have you believe it establishes a “separation of church and state.” But that phrase appears nowhere in the First Amendment, which actually reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably

To find out more about Chuck Norris and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2011 CHUCK NORRIS - DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris for The County Line. Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Part 2

Last week, I began to contrast America’s Founding Fathers’ understanding of God’s role in our republic with that of those at NBC, who omitted the words “under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance. I also began to contrast our founders’ views with those of the group of New York atheists who are demanding that the city remove a street sign reading “Seven in Heaven Way,” which was just dedicated to honor seven firefighters killed in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. (The atheists claim the sign is a violation of the separation of church and state.) Thomas Jefferson is generally hailed as the chief of separation. But proof that Jefferson was not trying to rid government of religious (specifically Christian) influence comes from the fact that he endorsed using government buildings for church meetings; signed a treaty with the Kaskaskia Indians, which allotted federal money to support the building of a Catholic church and to pay the salaries of the church’s priests; and repeatedly renewed legislation that gave land to the United Brethren to help their missionary activities among the Indians. Some might be completely surprised to discover that just two days after Jefferson wrote his famous letter citing the “wall of separation between church and state,” he attended church in the place where he always had as president, the U.S. Capitol. The

very seat of our nation’s government was used for sacred purposes. The Library of Congress’ website notes, “It is no exaggeration to say that on Sundays in Washington during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) and of James Madison (1809-1817) the state became the church.” Do they sound like individuals who were trying to create an impenetrable wall of separation between church and state? Do they sound like those who oppose a street sign with the word “heaven” on it or the Pledge of Allegiance with the words “under God”? If all that the American Civil Liberties Union said about the First Amendment were true, Jefferson would flunk the group’s religion/ state separation test. Liberal groups such as the ACLU don’t want Americans to know that for the founders, Judeo-Christian beliefs and practices and government administration and policy were not separated at all. Denominational tests for public office were prohibited, but the idea that JudeoChristian ideas and practices had to be kept separate from government would have struck the founders as ridiculous because the very basis for their ideas was the fact that there were rights endowed upon all of us by our Creator. The ACLU and like-minded atheist groups and liberal media outlets are not preserving First Amendment rights; they are perverting the meaning of the establishment clause (which was to prevent the creation of a national church like the Church of England) to deny the free exercise clause (which preserves our rights to worship as we want, privately

and publicly). Both clauses were intended to safeguard religious liberty, not to circumscribe its practice. The Framers were seeking to guarantee a freedom of religion, not a freedom from religion. As Judge Roy Moore of Alabama reminded his readers, “the issue was addressed 150 years ago when the Senate Judiciary Committee, while considering the congressional chaplaincy, said, ‘(The founders) had no fear or jealousy of religion itself, nor did they wish to see us an irreligious people; they did not intend to prohibit a just expression of religious devotion by the legislators of the nation, even in their public character as legislators; they did not intend to spread over all the public authorities and the whole public action of the nation the dead and revolting spectacle of atheistical apathy.’” Yet groups such as the ACLU, much of mainstream media and those New York atheists are spreading that “revolting spectacle of atheistical apathy” across our land, and in doing so, they are not only changing our laws but also revising our history. If those groups existed during the Revolutionary era, they undoubtedly would have fought with our founders about whether to include any God language in the Declaration of Independence. They also would have ensured the prohibition (not the practice) of any religious expression and speech in any public arena -- something our founders secured in the First Amendment. How grateful we can be this Independence Day week that those antagonists were not there.

The truth is that atheism was virtually nonexistent in those Revolutionary days. As Ben Franklin’s 1787 pamphlet for those in Europe thinking of relocating to America highlighted, “serious religion, under its various denominations, is not only tolerated, but respected and practiced. Atheism is unknown there; Infidelity rare and secret; so that persons may live to a great age in that country without having their piety shocked by meeting with either an Atheist or an Infidel. And the Divine Being seems to have manifested his approbation of the mutual forbearance and kindness with which the different sects treat each other; by the remarkable prosperity with which he has been pleased to favor the whole country.” This week, as with others, we all should celebrate not only our independence from Britain but also our dependence upon God. (Part of the article above is from my most recent New York Times best-seller, “Black Belt Patriotism,” now revised and available in paperback.)

Send Comments to: chuck@mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

7Presidential Papers

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, (continued from page 2)

Then, it is said, one unknown man rose to speak. He was neither young, nor strong in voice; yet, he spoke with such conviction that he mesmerized the hall. He cited the grievances that had brought them to this moment. Then, his voice failing, he said: ``They may turn every tree into a gallows, every hole into a grave, and yet the words of that parchment can never die. To the mechanic in the workshop, they will speak hope, to the slave in the mines, freedom. Sign that parchment. Sign if the next moment the noose is around your neck, for that parchment will be the textbook of freedom, the bible of the rights of man forever.’’ And sign they did. What makes our revolution unique and so exciting, then, is that it changed the

very concept of government. Here was a new nation telling the world that it was conceived in liberty; that all men are created equal with God-given rights, and that power ultimately resides in ``We the people.’’ We sometimes forget this great truth, and we never should, because putting people first has always been America’s secret weapon. It’s the way we’ve kept the spirit of our revolution alive -- a spirit that drives us to dream and dare, and take great risks for a greater good. It’s the spirit of Fulton and Ford, the Wright brothers and Lindbergh, and of all our astronauts. It’s the spirit of Joe Louis, Babe Ruth, and a million others who may have been born poor, but who would not be denied their day in the Sun. Well, I’m convinced that we’re getting ■ Good

that spirit back. The Nation is pulling together. We’re looking to the future with new hope and confidence -- and we know we can make America great again by putting the destiny of this Nation back in the hands of the people. And why shouldn’t we? Because, after all, we are Americans. As Dwight Eisenhower once said: ``There is nothing wrong with America that the faith, love of freedom, intelligence and energy of her citizens cannot cure.’’ He was right. If we just stick together, and remain true to our ideals, we can be sure that America’s greatest days lie ahead. Happy Fourth of July! Send Comments to: president@mycounty-line.com

Neighbors, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm Insurance® Agent

Save childcare money for your child’s future

The cost of childcare for preschool age children can be one of the more significant expenses parents face. While childcare expenses may be unavoidable in two-income households, it can represent a significant increase in discretionary income once the child begins elementary school. That extra income could be used to pay for a new car, or to save for a vacation. However, you may want to consider using that money to save for your child’s future. A quality education may be one of the most important factors in determining your child’s future. Studies have shown a significant difference in earning potential

between college graduates and those with only a high school education. There are a number of options available that can help build significant assets to be used toward a college education. A financial professional can help you choose one that is appropriate for your goals, timeline and tolerance for certain risks. Take the time to speak with someone who knows what is available to parents in your state. The earlier you start, the more time you will have in preparing for the education of your child.

Send Comments to: neighbors@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

8Special Feature ■

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, by Mike Norris

Friends of The County Line:

Dennis & JoAnn Thompson The Thompson’s provide encouragement, inspiration, and advice which all add up to help bring this newspaper to you -- the reader.

Breckenridge -- One of my favorite places to spend time at in Breckenridge is with JoAnn and Dennis Thompson at Sweet Stuff & Coffee on the corner of East Williams Street and South Baylor Avenue. Their version of the corner bakery, candy, cafe and gift shop brings back memories from my childhood of when Mrs. Brooks used to baby sit me and several of my friends after school back in the day in Carbon. Just walking in the door makes you feel like a kid again with the colors, the atmosphere, and of course, all the goodies! JoAnn and Dennis have become good friends and unexpectedly have turned into my greatest advocates in helping support this paper in Breckenridge. At a time when I was afraid that I would have to reduce my presence in Breckenridge, JoAnn spoke to me from the heart and made it clear that placing your trust in God and having faith was as much of a part of business as anything else. “In God We Trust” is not just our nation’s motto, it is the cornerstone of our community and our business endeavors; JoAnn opened my eyes to that. I owe them a great deal of thanks and thought I would share with you a recent renovation that JoAnn and Dennis completed to their dining and event room. In keeping with the spirit of Breckenridge, the Thompsons wanted to renew a feature of their building which has been long lost; that is, the windows on the west-side of the building. According to JoAnn, one of the previous owners of the building had the west-facing windows boarded up and plastered over, yet you can still see their shape in the wall of the dining/event room. Without doing a major renovation to open those windows back up, the Thompsons enlisted the help of friends and family, including artist Elaine Greene, to bring another Breckenridge wall mural to life. The following pictures only hint at the amount of effort that was put into the renovation and I would invite you to drop by and enjoy a sit-down lunch or sweet snack with the Thompsons anytime to see it for yourself. In addition to being able to sit down and enjoy a deli-style or home-cooked meal, you can also rent the dining/event room for special occasions with full catering services right on the spot. Just ask JoAnn for details while you’re trying to figure out which sweet to try next. And please tell them that Mike said “Thank You!” ~mwnorris

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

This page: The painted wall mural representing the view as if the window was still there. Artist Elaine Greene working on the wall mural. Dennis Thompson hard at work making peanut brittle. Opposite Page: The completed mural inside the Thompson’s dining and event rental room. Send Comments to: comments@ mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

10@The Ranger Library

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, Diana McCullough

Roaring Ranger Day Community Festival September 17th, 2011 By Diana McCullough

It is the truth. I was TERRIFIED. I was worried the night before, and when I awoke in the night, I never really went back to sleep. I told my husband that morning that if I ever was tempted to do this again to just shoot me, put me out of my misery. All that anguish and grief for NOTHING! It wasn’t that bad! It was nearly fun. You might know that anyone who is fearful of “Public Speaking” should probably avoid invitations to chat on the radio, but the cause was a good one—our upcoming Roaring Ranger Day Community Festival, coming September 17. Radio announcer, Michael Cogburn, is a professional. He put us at ease. When he said that we were “shaking in our boots”, he was teasing. But when he’d asked how I was doing that morning, I answered, “Fearful”, because it was the truth. My offer to be shot is officially retracted! I am so excited about Roaring Ranger Day—every day our plans keep getting bigger and better. After last night’s Ranger Citizens Task Force meeting, I had permission to “negotiate” incentives with Jody Lee of KWBY Promotions. Our plans as of this minute are to start with the Ranger High School Band, the National Anthem and School Song, and crowning of our Roaring Ranger Day Queen. At 11:00, we have the Breckenridge Cloggers scheduled to perform. Then…the plan is for Jody Lee to schedule a number of different bands including a “Headliner”. Everything is falling into place! The MAIN thing we need is a beautiful day, safe from all harm. Special thanks to John Ward. “Sir John” is a member of our Ranger Citizens Task Force and he agreed to HELP water our downtown oil derrick planters this summer. I remember him saying that he could water plants “two or three times a week” and with this wicked hot weather, I think it may have evolved into more than that. Ranger is lucky to have John Ward! More workers are needed, it is safe to say. And thank the Lord for our half inch of rain lately, it was welcomed.

Last year’s Roaring Ranger Day Community Festival featured lots of booths, fun and games for

Two new books arrived today! Now You See Her (releases June 27) kiddos of all ages! The Ranger Citizens Task Force is anxiously organizing this year’s event and by James Patterson and Buried Secrets by Joseph Finder await processing. invites everyone to attend! Mark your calendars for September 17th! ~ mwnorri Paranoia by Joseph Finder is still one of my favorites—I like a story with unexpected twists. Tonight’s sermon was delivered by Don Middleton from Cross Timbers. He spoke of The Good Samaritan. I eventually took out my pen, specifically when he started reminding me of our Ranger Citizens Task Force. Do you know what the greatest hindrance to HELPING OTHERS is? TIME. He encouraged us to “Slow down and take time to make a difference.” Then stand back and be amazed at what God can do. Will Rogers was one of the greatest political sages this country has ever known. I’ll close with a few of his sayings: “There are two theories to arguing with a woman. Neither works.” “If you find yourself in a hole, quit digging.” “The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back into your pocket.” “Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” “Never miss a good chance to shut up.” Now’s my chance! Please take care, and as always…ENJOY READING!

Send Comments to: rangerlibrary@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

11Star Pride ■

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, by Ginger Tobin

Yards of the Month for June!

Star Pride is a group of local and area citizens who are committed to volunteering and working to improve Rising Star and make it a more beautiful and pleasant town in which to live. The wonderful support which local citizens have given Star Pride in its mission is greatly appreciated by members. Anyone who wishes to become a member is welcome to attend meetings which are usually held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the Rising Star Library at 4:00 p.m. By Ginger Tobin

and every person who bought something from Star Pride. Every dollar in profit goes right back to our town. If you are interested in positive changes to our town, you are cordially invited to become a member of Star Pride which usually meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month at the library. If you are unsure of the meeting day, please contact Barbara Medley, President. Star Pride thanks each and every member who worked on the 4th for their efforts; yes, it was a hot day and so MORE thanks for sticking it out. You are what make this City different; and you are so appreciated.

Carla Odom gives her husband, Terry, credit for having a beautiful, lush and green landscape at 310 S. Mayben Street in Rising Star. She says “Terry really works hard on our yard.” and it shows! Red bird houses swing from two of the large trees in their yard at the corner of Ross and Mayben. Star Pride is glad to acknowledge the Odom family yard as a “Yard of the Month” for June.

Send Comments to: starpride@mycounty-line.com

Don and Ramona Dudas’ home at 516 S. Main Street in Rising Star features an attractive statue underneath one of their fantastic trees. The front lawn is kept well mowed and watered and definitely qualifies for a Star Pride “Yard of the Month” marker.

This beautiful yellow home with white trim, owned by Alta Bullock, really stands out against the green of the front lawn at 512 S. Main Street in Rising Star. A beautifully kept yard is what Star Pride’s panel of judges look for in the “Yard of the Month” contest.

Star Pride members were busy and “on the job” on July 4 selling cold and icy drinks, chips and ice-pops both downtown and at the park on Hwy. 36. They added the delicious treat of cold snow cones at the park, made in many fabulous colors and flavors, which were a huge hit with the holiday revelers gathered there under the pavilion, listening to the band and eating the delicious food being cooked there. A tidy sum (as yet uncounted) has now been added to our fund for the beautification and improvement of Rising Star; what the next project will be is yet to be decided by members. THANK YOU to each

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

12Tumbleweed Smith ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

, Bob Lewis

The Little Girl Who Runs An Airport By Bob Lewis

Pecos, Texas. Bill Hubbs Airport. You might expect the manager of the place to be a big rough-talking guy wearing a leather jacket and chomping on a cigar. Hardly the case. The manager is a woman who weighs about a hundred pounds and is dressed like she’s on a picnic. Actually, that’s what she considers her job: a picnic. She loves it. Her name is Isabel Blanchard. She is not from these parts. “Across the pond and then some,” she says. “I was born in Tanzania and raised in Kenya, on the east coast of Africa. I came to the states because of opportunity. They say go west, so I did and here I am thirty years later.” She still carries that lilting accent common to people who speak the King’s English. She got interested in flying about the time she was learning to drive. “When I was eighteen, I took my father to the airport in Mombasa, Kenya. While we were waiting for his flight, just out of the blue I told him I would really like to learn how to fly. He sat down his newspaper, looked at me and said, ‘we’ll have to organize that.’ I learned to fly in Kenya, got my private pilots license and the instructor suggested I do further study in the US if I wanted to make a living flying.” She learned about a flight school in South Carolina that had an extremely intensive course that lasted six months. She did class

work in the mornings, flew in the afternoons and ended up being certified in several levels of flying. When she finished the school she sent out two hundred applications. “I got an answer from somebody in Beaumont that had a flight school. So I got on a Greyhound bus and went there. They hired me and I worked there for a while. A friend of mine from El Paso told me there were good opportunities in West Texas, so I put out some feelers and ended up in Monahans to teach flying. I arrived with my blue Samsonite suitcase and a hundred thirteen dollars to my name. After working awhile I started free lancing. I leased an aircraft, then bought an aircraft. I was a flight instructor and pilot for hire. Anybody who needed a pilot, I was there.” An older couple had been managing the airport in Pecos for thirteen years. She helped them

for a couple of years, then they retired. “I put in my bid to manage the airport, along with fourteen other people. I think the city council took a big risk. I was all of twenty-three, a foreigner, a young girl and they gave me a chance. This was in 1985.” Isabel has developed all sorts of programs for young people with the intent of one day getting them in the pilot’s seat. “I have some three hundred kindergarten children out here every year. We put every one of them in the cockpit of a small Cessna. They sit in the airplane, use the controls, look around the airport and visit the hangars. Years later, some of those kids who are graduating from high school come out here to learn how to fly.” Send Comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

13Daily Devotional ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

, Submitted by Readers

Galatians King James Version Freedom Through Christ Please submit your suggestions for Bible verses to devotionals@mycounty-line.com

Galatians 4 ~ Now I say, That the heir, as long as he is a child, differeth nothing from a servant, though he be lord of all; But is under tutors and governors until the time appointed of the father. Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Howbeit then, when ye knew not God, ye did service unto them which by nature are no gods. But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. I am afraid of you, lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain. Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are: ye have not injured me at all. Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first. And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth? They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them. But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you. My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, I desire to be present with you now, and to change my voice; for I stand in doubt of you. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of promise. But as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit, even so it is now. Nevertheless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bondwoman and her son: for the

son of the bondwoman shall not be heir unto liberty; only use not liberty for an with the son of the freewoman. occasion to the flesh, but by love serve So then, brethren, we are not children one another. of the bondwoman, but of the free. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour Galatians 5 ~ Stand fast therefore as thyself. in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made But if ye bite and devour one another, us free, and be not entangled again with take heed that ye be not consumed one of the yoke of bondage. another. Behold, I Paul say unto you, that if ye This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and be circumcised, Christ shall profit you ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. nothing. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, For I testify again to every man that is and the Spirit against the flesh: and these circumcised, that he is a debtor to do the are contrary the one to the other: so that whole law. ye cannot do the things that ye would. Christ is become of no effect unto you, But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not whosoever of you are justified by the law; under the law. ye are fallen from grace. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, For we through the Spirit wait for the which are these; Adultery, fornication, hope of righteousness by faith. uncleanness, lasciviousness, For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, but faith which worketh by love. heresies, Ye did run well; who did hinder you Envyings, murders, drunkenness, that ye should not obey the truth? revellings, and such like: of the which I This persuasion cometh not of him that tell you before, as I have also told you in calleth you. time past, that they which do such things A little leaven leaveneth the whole shall not inherit the kingdom of God. lump. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, I have confidence in you through the joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, Lord, that ye will be none otherwise goodness, faith, minded: but he that troubleth you shall Meekness, temperance: against such bear his judgment, whosoever he be. there is no law. And I, brethren, if I yet preach And they that are Christ’s have crucified circumcision, why do I yet suffer the flesh with the affections and lusts. persecution? then is the offence of the If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk cross ceased. in the Spirit. I would they were even cut off which Let us not be desirous of vain glory, trouble you. provoking one another, envying one For, brethren, ye have been called another.

Sweet Stuff Coffee & Gifts 100 E. Williams Street - Breckenridge Meetings -OR- Game Nights (Bunco, Keno, Cards) Rent is $50.00

Book for August and have a lemon pound cake Free. ($15.00 value) We can make and serve a delicious snack or meal for all your guests at a reasonable price. (Please do not bring snack foods or drinks)

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Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

14Love Lessons Learned So Far

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, Vicki Stiefer

Flirting and the Feminine Wiles By Vicki Stiefer

I admit I am a flirter, especially when I feel good about myself. I’m a woman so my weight, makeup, and dress make up a big part of my confidence for the day. When all the stars align and I feel great I don’t have any problem winking or finding a man who needs a kind word and a light touch. There are women who immediately accuse me of cheating. So I thought I would explore what is cheating when you flirt and what is acceptable. Most of my flirting is to get information. For example, standing in the big box store I couldn’t find a particular product and I noticed a stocker who looked a little lonely so I turned on the charm and batted my eyelashes and the stocker took me to the exact product I was looking for. Little did I know my husband was right behind me watching every move. He gave me the classic dirty look and asked who I wanted him to rub out first-me or the stocker. He looked over the matter because I didn’t want anything from the store stocker except to know where the hamburger helper was. Did I do something wrong? I catch my husband and his pals drooling over the latest TV anchor. They feel guilty when I clear my throat because they are busted. It doesn’t bother me that my husband looks at other women. He’s human for crying out loud. He’s also a man. Men are visual and women are emotional. If a woman looks good she has got a man’s attention. I don’t care who she is and to flirt with big box stock boy made me feel good because I got the emotional high. So did I cheat on my husband? Does he cheat on me when he drags his tongue at the sight of a handsome woman? I don’t think so. No matter how civilized we are the caveman inside of us still lives on. It’s nature for the man to bring in the money. It’s maternal for the woman to raise the child. Roles are obviously different today in almost every way but the basics are still there in the shadows.

Feminine Wiles are not cheating if you use them innocently. If you do not use your powers for good then yes you walk the line of unacceptable. If my husband actually approached the woman he was drooling at with a proposition, then he’s in serious trouble. In his head he should hear, “Danger Will Robinson, Danger!” Same for me with the stock boy, if I had slipped him my number, I would have crossed the line. For all of the folks who claim the cheating line is hard to see they are not looking. If you love someone and are truly committed to them the cheating line, the flirting line, the feminine wiles line is crystal clear. Who said you couldn’t have a little fun in your life? Listen, my husband is my world. I walk with the blinders on when I am in public, but I’m not dead and neither is my husband. I do not think flirting and batting my eyelashes is a really big deal. I think it is simple bio chemistry. Even though I am married I still have sparks with other people. I still feel a connection with some men. I still have a type. Have you ever looked at pictures of your old flames and realized how much alike

they look and how much your husband favors them? I can safely say all of my old flames and my husband could be brothers or at least distant cousins. I have a type that excites me. Now that I am married I still see that kind of guy and I admire him but I do not want him. I want my husband. He is the man I live for and the man that I have promised myself to. I do not see anything wrong with a little harmless flirting. I do not see anything wrong with my husband looking at other women as long as it does not get out of hand. I understand that out of hand can take on different levels for different people, but I think a man and woman who are married should not leave behind who they are just because they are married.

Send Comments to: lovelessons@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

15Treasure Hunters ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

, Jerry Eckhart

Unusual Treasures By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

One of the most often questions asked of a treasure hunter is; What is the most valuable thing you have ever found? Most treasure hunters will either ignore that question or give a generic answer. The reason most do this is for self protection. It is highly dangerous to answer that question truthfully because someone is always lurking around the corner wanting to take it away from them. Their house can be burglarized, the treasure hunter can himself be assaulted, or the IRS just might decide that they want something they have no right to. The second most asked question is; What is the most unusual thing you have ever found. That is the question most of us don’t hesitate to answer and the answers are sometimes really strange. Civil War relic hunters take pride in finding a chewed bullet. Those chewed bullets were the result of field surgeries during battle conditions, especially amputations. There were few pain killers and practically no anesthetics during the Civil War so in order to help the patient get through the surgery, they were often given a piece of wood or bullet to bite on while the surgeon was sawing off a shattered arm or leg. Two of our most popular figures of speech came from the Civil War surgeons. The term, “sawbones” came from that practice of removing a limb with a saw. The other, in reference to the chewed bullet, was where we get the term, “bite the bullet” which is often used whenever we have to do something we really don’t want to do. Those chewed or bitten bullets clearly show the tooth marks and are most generally found around where Civil War field hospitals were erected. They are rare, and seldom found in Texas, although, it was a habit for many frontiersmen to carry a bullet in their mouth and chew on it from time to time. They did this to alleviate thirst or to substitute for tobacco. Occasionally one of these is found and mistaken for a bitten bullet. They are identified easily because the teeth marks are not as deep. I have found so many odd things while searching with my metal detector that it is hard to decide which is the most unusual. In some of the Indian battles around the state, I have found two rifle cartridges, one jammed into the other. Legend has it that this was done to prevent the Indians from picking the spent cartridges and reloading them. Around some of the buffalo hunting camps, I have found perfectly mushroomed bullets. This usually happened when a bullet hit the buffalo, and mushroomed against a bone. Other treasure hunters report that occasionally they have found bones with arrowheads embedded in them. There is one on display at the Lela Latch Lloyd Museum in Cisco. Coin hunters often find some oddities as well. They have found medical syringes with needles still attached, unfired ammunition and coins chopped in half by lawn mowers. Once, when I was searching a yard in Wichita Falls,

I found the silver mouthpiece from a bugle. I showed it to the elderly lady who lived there, thinking she would be puzzled by such a find in her years. Instead, her eyes filled with tears as she held the mouthpiece in her hand. “This was my son’s when he was twelve years old. He lost it one day when he was outside practicing his bugle. I wouldn’t let him in the house because it was too noisy. He was killed in World War II. I wish I had let him in the house that day.” As I left the yard she was still standing on her porch, looking at the mouthpiece. That little piece of silver meant more to her than it ever would to me. Another time ten years or so ago, a friend and I were searching a place where a house had been torn down. We were both making some nice old coin finds, when my metal detector sounded off with a nice coin sound. I found a ring made from a silver coin. It appeared to have been a wedding ring. On the inside of the band was an engraved man’s name. That was interesting because I had read about the early day settlers making rings from coins by hammering the outside edge until they folded over, then cutting out the out middle and smoothing it to the right size. I tucked it into my pouch and

continued hunting. A few minutes later, my friend came over to me and was holding an identical ring. Inside was engraved a lady’s name. We had found matching wedding rings. Perhaps the most disappointing find was a class ring. I had lost mine in my father’s yard. I searched and searched with my detector but had no luck. I moved to the gravel drive where we parked our cars and immediately got a signal. Out popped a class ring. No, it wasn’t mine, but my brother’s. His name was engraved inside. I never did find mine. Other treasure hunters have made unusual finds as well. One found a Roman coin in the middle of a vacant lot in a downtown area. Whether it was lost by Romans or part of a coin collection that was lost is not really known, but it sure is unusual to find a Roman coin in a vacant lot. It is common to find one lost earring, but when two matching earrings are found in the same place at the same time, it makes a person wonder. That is the joy of metal detecting. You never know what or where you will find something. It doesn’t matter whether it is valuable or just interesting, a person never knows just what will be hiding a few inches in the soil until he digs it up. Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

If you do business in Breckenridge, contact The County Line to advertise here for an unbeatable low, monthly cost!

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

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Rising Star Trade Days April through October 4th Weekend each month Call 254-643-1611 for details

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Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

18Out of the Box ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine , Joellen Hodge

Politics on the 4th of July? No more for me, thank you! By Joellen Hodge

I have decided that this year I will celebrate the 4th of July with a resounding attitude of complete apathy towards my fellow citizens. Since this is the land of the free and the home of the brave, the idea of freely expressing myself in a brave fashion has enveloped me completely! This year, from this point on, I am making it my personal policy to not answer certain questions or engage in specific debates with people I do not live with. As a citizen, assured of my rights to happiness, this is in line with what will make me happy. My examples of how I will carry out this new directive are amazingly simple! First, I am now refusing to discuss politics with anyone. It is none of your business what I think about the political process of this country or any other…and frankly, I do not care to hear yours. If we were to generally agree on these former points, then it would be a pointless conversation. On the other hand, if we are on opposite ends of the argument, then it is safe to suggest that, considering my age and mind set, I do not have the energy to engage you…and for that matter, I have become arrogant enough in my old age to believe that you are wrong because you are stupid. You can, of course, assume the same of me, or risk becoming totally frustrated with my perceived inability to understand your personal approach as to how governments should be run. I say we skip the entire discussion and move forward. Religion is the second subject I have grown tired of entering into my conversations with strangers. I have been beat on the head with religion at the Eastland Wal-Mart, had it presented to me at my own front door as if it were an Avon product and even been offered spiritual insights in the not-so-sacred walls of a bathroom in Weatherford, Texas at a truck stop. None of these seem to be the place for such a personal subject. I feel that it is so personal a subject, that I would prefer to tell you whether or not I am wearing panties and if so, include color, size, and brand! My belief system is not something I am going to share with you, a stranger smelling of Dr. Pepper and rancid beef jerky while waiting in the check out line at Allsups. Not happening. And I will afford you the same courtesy regarding my beliefs.

of people I don’t even know. These are not isolated events, or occasional run ins with zealots. Every day, I hear or see some person trying to shove their personal opinions down the throats of strangers. It does not share your ideas…it only makes your audience hostile and angry. Folks, being free and brave does not mean you get to be a bully with your politics and religion. There is a point when

your forcing yourself onto others becomes act of terrorism. Call it Terrorism by Belief. So, next time you see me, ask me about the weather and I will ask how the pecans are looking this year. We can leave it at that. All of you go be free of the burden of forcing your opinions and brave enough to embrace the concept of discretion. We will all feel better! Send Comments to: outofthebox@mycounty-line.com

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Why have I chosen to become a free and brave American this year? Because last year, I was yelled at, cornered and harassed because I made the “mistake” of not parroting the religious and political views Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

Member SIPC

If you do business in Rising Star, contact The County Line to have your business card posted here for an unbeatable low, monthly cost! Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

20Ol’ Doc’s Homespun Yarns

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, Luther & Pat Gohlke

Sound Advice By Luther Gohlke

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio: “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. 4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree. 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks. 16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful. 18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’ 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive everyone everything. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day . Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need. 42. The best is yet to come... 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.” ©cleveland.com Cleveland Live, LLC Send Comments to: outofthepast@mycounty-line.com

Donations may be made to:

Farmers & Merchants Bank

Ruth Norris Benefit Fund 930 East Main Eastland, TX 76448 (254) 629-3282

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

21This Week In Texas History

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, by Bartee Haile

Wild Bunch Hides Out in San Antonio Brothel By Bartee Haile

After blowing the safe on a New Mexico train on Jul. 11, 1899, Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch high-tailed it for Texas. As lawmen of every description and an army of Pinkerton detectives searched high and low, the surviving members of the notorious gang were the guests of a San Antonio madam. Fanny Porter operated a house of ill repute in Hell’s Half Acre, an infamous red-light district where sanctuary was always for sale. By the time the Pinkertons tracked the outlaws to the Alamo City, Butch Cassidy and his cohorts were long gone. Fanny’s employees did confess, however, that Butch had entertained them with daredevil tricks on his new bicycle. But for 34 year old Cassidy the criminal life had gone stale. Except for two years in the Wyoming state penitentiary, he had been a desperado on the dodge for more than a decade. The subject of a massive manhunt, he knew it was only a matter of time until he was captured or killed. So in 1900 Cassidy secretly petitioned the governor of Utah for a pardon. In turning down the unusual request, the politician countered with a novel suggestion of his own. The Union Pacific, Butch’s favorite target, might drop all charges if the badman promised to be a model citizen and hired on as an express guard. A clandestine conference was scheduled, but the company representatives happened to be running late that afternoon. Smelling a trap, Butch bolted and held up the first Union Pacific train he could find. After pulling their last job in the summer of 1901, the Wild Bunch went their separate ways. To throw off his pursuers, Cassidy took a roundabout route to South America by way of Canada, England and the Canary Islands. A year later at Montevideo, Uruguay, Butch met up with the Sundance Kid and his wife, Etta Place. Under their real names, Robert LeRoy Parker and Harry Longabaugh, the exiles bought a ranch in Argentina with the intention of spending the rest of their days quietly raising cattle. But in time Butch and Sundance were bored to tears and in 1906 resumed their robbing ways. Sketchy reports two years later had

the gringo bandits surrounded by troops in a Bolivian village. Cassidy supposedly put his mortally wounded sidekick out of his misery before taking his own life. Not so according to The Bandit Invincible, The True Story of Butch Cassidy written nearly 30 years later by a Spokane, Washington businessman. In the thinly disguised autobiography, William T. Phillips divulged the sensational details of a miraculous escape. Sundance did die from multiple gunshot wounds on that bloody night in Bolivia, but Butch crawled to his horse under the cover of darkness. He managed to reach Brazil and caught an ocean liner to England. After minor facial surgery to alter his appearance, Butch slipped back into the United States. Assuming the identity of Phillips, a mechanical engineer, he wooed a woman in a small Michigan town. The newlyweds moved to Globe, Arizona, where the groom worked on local ranches and in construction. The hand-scrawled story told how Phillips took a mercenary sabbatical as a sharpshooter for Pancho Villa. This claim coincided with a rash of unrelated sightings of Butch Cassidy during the Mexican Revolution. Leaving his wife in Spokane, Phillips panned for nuggets in Alaska, where in an Anchorage casino he allegedly made the acquaintance of Wyatt Earp. The frontier legend did, in fact, swear he encountered Cassidy during

the gold rush. On a visit to his old Wyoming haunts, Phillips called upon many former friends. Years later, a score of old-timers convincingly claimed that Butch Cassidy, alias William T. Phillips, had come back from the dead. As proof positive they cited the opal ring sported by Phillips, which was exactly like the finger ornament Cassidy always wore. Failing to find buried loot on another trip, Phillips wrote his memoirs in 1934. Publishers passed on the poorly written manuscript, and the author abandoned the project. After Phillips’ business went belly up, his health deteriorated rapidly. He died in a charity hospital on Jul. 20, 1937 at the age of 71 assuming, that is, he really was Butch Cassidy. When the movie version of her brother’s exploits turned him into a modern folk hero, Cassidy’s 86 year old sister granted a rare interview. She revealed in 1970 the closely guarded family secret that Butch had visited his kin 45 years earlier. “The law thought he was dead, and he was happy to leave it that way. He made us promise not to tell anyone he was alive, and we never did.” Butch Cassidy joined that long list of outlaws some think shortchanged fate. For an admiring public, it is somehow easier to believe six-gun Robin Hoods were bullet-proof instead of simply dead. Send Comments to: texashistory@mycounty-line.com

Bartee Haile lives in Friendswood, TX and is the author of one of the most long established Texas History newspaper columns in the state. Column collections available at twith.com or request list from Bartee Haile, P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 7754

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine

Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

23From The Backside ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ July Issue, 2011 v4.50 ~ www.facebook.com/MyCountyLine , Henry J. Clevicepin

Little Johnny, A Dead Mule & Idiots In Washington By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker

Wow, oh mercy me…is it hot and dry here in Buzzard’s Roost. These 100 degree plus days with the wind blowing has got things so dry that the jackrabbits are carrying sack lunches and the lizards are carrying canteens of water. I’ve wore ol Nellie Frecklebelly out doing rain dances up behind the Buzzard’s Roost mule barn. But as my mule barn partner, ol Estee K. Bibbles, says… “we’re one day closer to a rain !!!!”. Speaking of ol Estee K., he’s got a little grandson named little Johnny K. Bibbles and some of the neighborhood boys been teasing him for being stupid. One of their favorite jokes they play on him is to offer little Johnny K. his choice between a dime and a nickel. Little Johnny always takes the nickel. Well, the other day one of the local men saw them other boys playing their little trick on Johnny K., so he took him aside and told him….. “Johnny K., them boys are making fun of you. Don’t you know a dime is worth more than a nickel, even though the nickel is bigger”? Little Johnny K. broke out in a sheepish grin and said “shore I know that, but if I took the dime , they would quit doing it….so far I have made $20 bucks off of them” !!!!!!! Now, I’ll tell you where the boy gets them financial smarts. He’s kinda like his old granddaddy, Estee K. ….they are not as dumb as they look. Here awhile back an ol boy came by the mule barn and told Estee K. he had a mule he needed to sell and would take a $100 for him. Estee K. bought the mule and the guy said he would deliver him the next day. Well, the next morning the guy drives up and tells Estee K. the mule had died. So, Estee K. said , just give me my money back and the guy said he couldn’t cause he had already spent the money. Well, ol Estee K. said just bring me the dead mule and I will raffle him off. The ol boy said you can’t raffle off a dead mule. Estee K. said , shore I can….I just won’t tell anybody he is dead. A few weeks later, that ol boy ran into Estee K. down in town and ask him what he did with the dead mule. Estee K. told him that he sold 500 raffle tickets at $2.00 each. The ol boy said , well, did anybody complain? Estee K. said “just the guy who won…..so I gave him his $2.00 back” !!!!! And speaking of putting money in a dead mule. That is about what our government is making us do. Them sapsuckers up there in Washington just want us to keep sending more money in so they can spend more. Look at’em now, wanting to raise the debt limit so they can just print up some more of that funny money and spend it. Now my mamma raised an idiot, but it was one of my brothers……when they raise the debt limit, then the next thing they are going to do is raise our taxes so they can pay the interest on the debt limit. That’s kinda like an ol dog chasing his tail. Now, I got to thinkin if the Federal Government could raise their debt limit without any more income, I could maybe do the same thing. So, I

went down to the Buzzard’s Roost 5th National Bank and told the President, I.M. Tuffernhell, that I wanted my debt limit raised. He didn’t throw me out the door….he threw me through the door. And that is what we got to do with them thieving sapsuckers up there in Washington….throw’em out. I don’t care if they are Republicans, Democrats or whatever we got to make’em quit spending more money that they ain’t got. And then when them k-niving suckers start talking about cutting something, what do they start talking about???? Social Security & Medicare. Now I am hearing they are going to move back the date when you can start drawing Social Security and then do means testing, which means if you make too much money you don’t get any Social Security. WELL, EXCUSE ME !!!!! Just where in the devil do they think that money came from????? We have paid into that fund all of our lives and it was in a trust fund until our illustrious, crooked, thieving politicians took it out and put it in the general fund and spent it. And, now they want to tell us when and how much of our own money we can get back. It is too late for ol geezers like me and ol Estee K., but for our kids and grand kids it is proof that they should be able to put their Social Security money in a private fund, where them leeches

can’t get their hands on it. Why do we keep voting these suckers in there??? It is kinda like the story about the seven dwarfs that were working in the coal mine and there was an explosion and it caved in. Cinderella ran down to the mine and was so worried about her beloved seven dwarfs. Then came a cry from down below…. “if I die, vote for Obama”. Cinderella, shouted out …. “at least Dopey is still alive” !!!!! Wow, that got me heated up worse than a widow woman hanging out wash !!! I better go find ol Nellie so we can do another little rain dance!!!! Words of Wisdom from Henry J:

A mountain lion killed a bull and ate it, then starting roaring as loud as he could. A hunter heard him and came along and shot him. Moral: When you are full of bull keep your mouth shut !!!! Politicians need to heed this !!! You can email ol Henry J at:

henryjclevicepin@aol.com Send Comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com From the Backside Sponsor

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Published by Mike W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design ● P.O. Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

THANK YOU to the following sponsors of the EMH Volunteers 5th Annual Charity Golf Tournament

A Special Thank You goes to Taylor Ford and Rod Straw for allowing us to use Lakeside Golf Course. Also, special thanks to Frito Lay (Gilbert Hernandez), Brookshire’s, and Ben E. Keith for the meal. We would also like to thank the golfers who braved the heat to come and support their local hospital. This year’s event raised over $17,600 and all proceeds will be used toward medical equipment purchases needed by the hospital. Our success could not be possible without everyone’s continued support and generosity, which make this wonderful event even possible.

Basic Energy EBAA Iron Inc. Insurance Partners Kass Land Services Bubba & Pat Byrd B&W Clinic Encompass Home Health Jim Farrar Lone Cedar Country Club Pat & Donna Hogan Linda & Tim Jenkins Atlas Equipment Davis & Wilkerson, PC Eastland Drug/Gold Lantern W.H. Hoffmann Estate

MIRACLE SPONSOR $500 or MORE: Billye Bradley EBAA Iron Sales Financial Corp of America First Financial Bank Jeff & Vicki Bradley Jim & Leslie Keffer Ken & Sammie Blades Kennedy Financial Services RECOVERY SPONSORS $300 or MORE: Bird Electric Crowder Construction Girling Home Health HPRN-KATX Radio Kinnaird, Rossander & Perry Larry & Cathy Vernon Martha & Omer Pigeon Moylan Construction (MOTEC) Robert Deluca, DO Russell’s Auto Sales The County Line Eastland Telegram WELLNESS SPONSORS $200 or MORE: Bill Meyer Bryan’s Signs Dr. John Liddell Earl & Mary Ragland LaFamilia Mexican Restaurant Wal-Mart

HOLE SPONSORS $100 or MORE Blake Fulenwider Dodge Brandon’s Dozer Service Burt Holdsworth Cafe Rico Dessie McCarroll Diagnostic Management Group Donnie Cate, CPA Earl & Linda Bullock Edward Jones Edwards Funeral Home Fullen Motor Co. Germania Insurance Guardian Title Hank & Vicki Smith Hayden Photography IntegraCare Home Health Jodi’s Floral Judge & Mrs. Austin McCloud Lazy 3 Animal Clinic Pam Thomas Raymond James & Associates Security Title Stanley Ford Stephenson Oil & Gas, Inc. Tucker Farm EAGLE SPONSORS $75.00 Aaron Insurance American State Bank-Cisco Arther Business Products Buck Wheat Resources Competitive Flooring Crossroads Realtors Don Bradshaw, CPA Eastland County Vet Emmett & Kay Lasater Joel’s Paint & Body Scott Body Works The Station DOOR PRIZE DONORS AND OTHER SPONSORS: Andrea Watts Auto Zone Beall’s Commerce St. Mercantile Commerce Street Floral E & E Kustom Eastland Dry Cleaning Francie’s Fountain & Deli Great Times Furniture Hardin’s Bar-B-Que Hardwick’s Farmer’s Market Heaven Sent Floral Higginbotham Brothers Images Salon Janie’s Salon Jay-Way Jean Hicks Louise’s Cafe Main Street Oil & Lube Majestic Theater Mane Street Station Martha & Omer Pigeon O’Reilly’s Auto Parts Pulidos Richeson Dairy Queen Salvatorres Restaurant Solar Nails West Texas Golf White’s Ace Hardware Sammie Blades Images RAFFLE DONORS: C & H Monograms Coats Furniture Cookie Petree Eastland Drug Everisto’s Tire Greer’s Hendrick Medical Supply LaQuinta Rhonda Reeves Vicki Armstrong HOLE-IN-ONE-SPONSOR: Dr. Simpson & Family

Bentgrass of Texas Briley Well Service Clint Coffee State Farm Dirk & Vicki Zollinger Eastland County Tire Express Medical Guardian Home Health Hanlon Gas J & J Air Conditioning Larry & Maria Duncan Parrish, Moody & Fikes Sonic Drive-In Sterling Monument