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In This Issue: 3 Growing Up Small Town

4 Texas Conservative 7 @The Ranger Library

8 Community Calendar

8 Good Neighbors 9 Treasure Hunters: History Series

10 Tumbleweed Smith 12 Treasure Hunters 13 What’s Cooking? 14 Love Lessons Learned So Far

15 Star Pride 16 Breckenridge

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18 Puzzle-Club.com 19 Rising Star

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3Growing Up Small Town

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Growing Up Small Town

, Mike W. Norris

The Great Bicycle Camp Out and Midnight Marathon by Mike W. Norris

Somewhere in the neighborhood of around 1985~1986, the entire Carbon High School contingent of boys decided to go on a weekend camping trip. Don’t bother asking me who came up with the idea because I honestly don’t know -- it might have been one of the seniors or juniors, or most likely it was one of their fathers’ idea. It’s possible that it was even one of the local church leaders such as a deacon or pastor who originated the idea and got several other fathers involved. It could have been “all of the above”. But what I do know, is that we were all invited. All of the high school boys were invited to come to the camp out...all we had to do was get there. This was before I had a driver’s license so my personal mode of transportation was a bicycle. Lot’s of other guys also had bikes as their primary mode of transportation. So there ended up being a large group of us who brought our bikes out to the camp out. The location was next to a nice little fishing hole and several of the dads had already setup camp and spent most of the day fishing by the time I was dropped off at the site. I suppose that it had started out as a father/son camping trip, but it turned into mostly us kids and only a handful of dads to keep us entertained. Somewhere along the way, enough of us were sufficiently bored with camping that we decided to run back into town in the middle of the night. “Town” being Carbon, not Eastland. I can imagine what you’re thinking -- there was never much going on in Carbon to begin with so why we wanted to head into town in the middle of the night is beyond me. But we were guys, we never really had to have a good reason to do anything... just whatever we felt like doing was pretty much what we ended up doing. Oddly enough, it was almost never illegal or even remotely dishonest...just something to do besides stand or sit wherever we were at the moment. So quite a large group of us, mostly the underclassmen, decided to strike out from our campsite to go into Carbon in the middle of the night. At this point, I’ll go ahead and reveal that our campsite was in a field out east

Texas

It’s Like a Whole Other Country. of Flatwood, nearly all the way out to Kokomo on the Flatwood highway. Looking on a county map, I would guess the location was on County Road 309, just a few hundred yards off of FM2563. According to Google® Maps, it’s right at 9.0 miles from there to downtown Carbon. So we struck out in the middle of the night heading for Carbon. I don’t remember why, but that’s what we did. There was about 15 or 20 of us at first. Not all of us had bikes, some were on foot. But almost all of us were in track at the time, so running and walking long distances was not much of an obstacle. Even so, during the first couple of miles, a few of us began to see the folly in our task and turned back to return to camp. Many of us kept going, undeterred. At some point along our route, before

reaching Highway-6, “Cheeks’” bike had a blowout -- both tires! It didn’t help that his bike was a chopper-style with the front wheel way out in front. So I gave him my bike as a substitute. One of our “pit crew” took up the task of walking the stricken bike back to camp and the rest of us continued on. At this point, it was no longer just something to do to pass the time. Our task had taken on the challenge of destiny -it HAD to be done and we were the ones who were going to conquer the distance laid out before us. As our numbers dwindled, our determination increased. Our path was littered with the frames of spent bikes, removed flat tires, blown-out inner tubes, discarded t-shirts and empty candy wrappers and Coke cans! Like a gang of weighted down hot air balloonists, Continued on page 11...

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

4Texas Conservative ■

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, Chuck Norris - The Man

Not All Presidential Orders Are Created Equal By Chuck Norris

In God We Trust United We Stand

Follow Chuck Norris through his official social media sites, on Twitter @chucknorris and Facebook’s “Official Chuck Norris Page.” He blogs at http://chucknorrisnews.blogspot.com.

MARCH 27, 2012 In his typical duck-’n’-dodge fashion, President Barack Obama spewed his 115th executive order upon the American public on a late Friday afternoon, March 16. Cloaked in one of Obama’s candy-coated, grandiloquent titles, the “National Defense Resources Preparedness” executive order set the blogosphere ablaze this past week. Canada Free Press ran an article titled “Obama Executive Order: Peacetime Martial Law!” An Examiner.com article similarly declared that the order would “nationalize everything” and “allow for a civilian draft.” And the Drudge Report ran a story headlined “Martial Law? Obama issues Executive Order: the National Defense Resources Preparedness.” On the other hand, mainstream media minions and others were quick to quell the hysteria as rumor. William A. Jacobson, associate clinical professor at Cornell Law School, warned: “If someone wants to make the argument that this is an expansion of presidential powers, then do so based on actual language. There is enough that Obama actually does wrong without creating claims which do not hold up to scrutiny.” (Still, Jacobson offers this disclaimer: “I’m not ruling out the possibility that this is more than it seems, but unless and until someone does more than merely state that martial law is coming, I’ll consider this to be routine.”) WorldNetDaily’s Drew Zahn defended the president by noting that “Obama’s executive order is nearly identical to EO 12919, issued by President Clinton on June 7, 1994, which itself was an amendment to EO 10789, issued in 1958 by President Eisenhower, and which in fact, was later amended by EO 13286, issued in 2003 by George W. Bush.” HotAir even conducted a side-by-side analysis of Obama’s order and Clinton’s and added that Obama’s EO is, in Zahn’s words, “essentially just an update to deal with changes in government agency structure.” So, case closed? Not so fast. First, I don’t care how many presidents have issued EOs; if they are flagrant violations of the Constitution, they are wrong in any number or any form. “My predecessor did it, too” is no excuse for reckless unconstitutional conduct. As you will read for yourself in a moment, the National Defense Resources Preparedness EO is a blatant desecration of our Constitution. It is a direct attack on the rule of law, our liberties and private property rights. The astounding audacity in the document itself is that it never limits its execution to a time of war. In fact, it grants the president total command and control of most industries and consumer supplies, even in times of peace. As Alex Jones’ Prison Planet explained, “a key addition to the language made by Obama is that all these industries and means of production can be seized ‘under both emergency and non-emergency conditions.’” Even Edwin Black, writing for the liberal Huffington Post, couldn’t defend the president in this awry executive course of action, confessing the EO’s various constituents: “Part III of the Executive Order empowers the President and his advisers to effect ‘the expansion of productive capacity and supply.’ This includes, ‘Loan Guarantees to reduce current or projected shortfalls of resources, critical technology items, or materials essential for the national defense.’ Any Federal

Reserve Bank is directed to ‘assist the agency in serving as fiscal agent.’ “Section 303 allows the government to ‘enable rapid transition of emerging technologies.’ ... “In the event of an emergency, the Order would empower, ‘the head of each agency engaged in procurement for the national defense’ to ‘procure and install ... Government-owned equipment in plants, factories, or other industrial facilities owned by private persons. “Stockpiling or prioritizing will not require a state of war. In Section 310 entitled, ‘Critical Items,’ the government is empowered ‘to take appropriate action to ensure that critical components, critical technology items, essential materials, and industrial resources are available from reliable sources when needed to meet defense requirements during peacetime, graduated mobilization, and national emergency. Appropriate action may include restricting contract solicitations to reliable sources, restricting contract solicitations to domestic sources (pursuant to statutory authority), stockpiling critical components, and developing substitutes for critical components or critical technology items.’ ... “In defining the civil transportation, the Order covers any possible gasoline rationing and vehicle restriction for vehicles that guzzle too much gasoline. The Order specifies ‘Civil transportation includes movement of persons and property by all modes of transportation in interstate, intrastate, or foreign commerce within the United States, its territories and possessions, and the District of Columbia, and related public storage and warehousing, ports, services, equipment and facilities. It adds, ‘Civil transportation’ also shall include direction, control, and coordination of civil transportation capacity regardless of ownership.’ ...

“To avoid any doubt, the Order covers ‘all forms of energy including petroleum, gas (both natural and manufactured), electricity, solid fuels (including all forms of coal, coke, coal chemicals, coal liquification, and coal gasification), solar, wind, other types of renewable energy, atomic energy, and the production, conservation, use, control, and distribution (including pipelines) of all of these forms of energy.’ “Because any oil interruption would have an immediate impact on the distribution of food, the Order also covers ‘the production or preparation for market use of food resources.’ The Order asserts that ‘food resources’ means all commodities and products ... capable of being ingested by either human beings or animals.” This EO is no simple update of previous presidential orders. Do you think the administration would have slid it under the public and press’s radar on a late Friday if it were? Whether in preparation for war (for example, with Iran) or any other national emergency, the federal government does not have the authority to take over our food and water supply, energy supplies (including oil and natural gas), technology, industry, manufacturing, transportation, health care facilities, etc. And taking the additional preliminary steps for enacting this martial law even during a time of peace is an unprecedented and out-of-control abuse of executive power. This presidential order is another sweeping power grab in a long and dangerous legacy of government overreaches. Our Founding Fathers never would have allowed it, and we shouldn’t, either. APRIL 10, 2012 In my column two weeks ago, “Not All Presidential Orders Are Created Equal,” I discussed some specifics in

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

5Texas Conservative ■

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, Chuck Norris - The Man

President Barack Obama’s March 16 executive order, “National Defense Resources Preparedness,” and how it is a completely audacious overreach of presidential power, especially enacting peacetime martial law. Here I will discuss why analysts are wrong for simply overlooking it as a benign order similar to other presidents’ orders. I finished two weeks ago by saying that whether in preparation for war (for example, with Iran) or any other national emergency, the federal government does not have the authority to take over our food and water supply, energy supplies (including oil and natural gas), technology, industry, manufacturing, transportation, health care facilities, etc. And taking the additional preliminary steps for enacting martial law even during a time of peace is an unprecedented and reckless abuse of executive power. As Alex Jones’ Prison Planet explained, “a key addition to the language made by Obama is that all these industries and means of production can be seized ‘under both emergency and nonemergency conditions.’” This presidential order is another sweeping power grab in a long and dangerous legacy of presidential overreaches. Our Founding Fathers never would have allowed it, and we shouldn’t, either. As James Madison, the “Father of the Constitution,” explained, “the operations of the federal government

will be most extensive and important in times of war and danger; those of the State governments, in times of peace and security.” (It is no surprise that three early presidents -- John Adams, Madison and James Monroe -- issued only one executive order each. In modern times, Bill Clinton issued 364, and George W. Bush issued 291. And the king of EOs is President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who issued 3,728.) Liberals are saying that Obama’s recent EO is merely an update of previous presidential orders. WorldNetDaily’s Drew Zahn said, “Obama’s executive order is nearly identical to EO 12919, issued by President Clinton on June 7, 1994, which itself was an amendment to EO 10789, issued in 1958 by President Eisenhower, and which in fact, was later amended by EO 13286, issued in 2003 by George W. Bush.” Many even are comparing the number of EOs issued by modern presidents as justification for Obama’s recent rash of EOs. But what’s critical with presidential EOs is not only the number of them that each president enacts but also the caliber of the power and edicts invested within each. Not all presidential executive orders are created equal, just as not all punches are the same; some are jabs, and others are packed with explosive and crushing power, damaging our rights and republic. So it is that George W. Bush’s plethora of EOs for his “war on terror”

don’t justify Obama’s 116 EOs so far. Bush’s goal may have been overly imperialistic, but Obama’s goal has been stated clearly from the beginning, to “fundamentally transform the United States of America” from within. If you view President Obama as some benign and benevolent dictator and his “National Defense Resources Preparedness” EO as “routine,” then congratulations; you are drinking the Kool-Aid of this supreme sultan of socialism. I will give the president credit for this: He has perfected the soft-lob political pitch that turns later into a disastrous fastball that creams American citizens and our republic. A perfect example is the Congressional Budget Office’s recently released updated figures that reveal how Obamacare will cost twice as much as the original price tag first soft-lobbed at the American public, from $900 billion to $1.76 trillion between now and 2022. “National Defense Resources Preparedness” is one more softpitched steppingstone allowing the president to test how far he can push the boundaries of his socialisticdictatorial agenda. Mr. President, America is a constitutional republic, not a centralized authoritarian state like Vladimir Putin’s Russia or Hugo Chavez’s Venezuela. Our founders cast a plethora of warnings to any national leader walking in the direction you are. You won’t listen to America’s founders’ wisdom about the limitations of the federal government, but maybe you’ll heed a warning from a global leader about the perils of state supremacy. In January 2009, in the same month that you took office, Putin explained the warning in this way during his speech at the opening ceremony of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland: “Excessive intervention in economic

activity and blind faith in the state’s omnipotence is another possible mistake. True, the state’s increased role in times of crisis is a natural reaction to market setbacks. Instead of streamlining market mechanisms, some are tempted to expand state economic intervention to the greatest possible extent. The concentration of surplus assets in the hands of the state is a negative aspect of anti-crisis measures in virtually every nation. In the 20th century, the Soviet Union made the state’s role absolute. In the long run, this made the Soviet economy totally uncompetitive. This lesson cost us dearly. I am sure nobody wants to see it repeated. Nor should we turn a blind eye to the fact that the spirit of free enterprise, including the principle of personal responsibility of businesspeople, investors and shareholders for their decisions, is being eroded in the last few months. There is no reason to believe that we can achieve better results by shifting responsibility onto the state.” As the adage goes, if we don’t learn from history, we’re doomed to repeat it. Friends and fellow patriots, as a dog returns to its vomit, so our president is repeating the mistakes of the past, but that doesn’t mean we have to as citizens. Remember that EOs become law 30 days after being published in the Federal Register if they go unchallenged by Congress. So if you don’t like one or all of them, write or call your representatives and the president today to voice your opinion about the assault on your rights and liberties. You can call the White House at 202-456-1111 or contact the president by going to http://www. whitehouse.gov/contact/submitquestions-and-comments.

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7@The Ranger Library ■

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, Diana McCullough

I Can Read Art Contest By Diana McCullough

Once again, American Legion Post 553 is partnering up with our library for the Annual “I Can Read” Contest. All school-age children within the Ranger area are invited to participate. It’s easy and it’s fun and here’s what you do: Check out a book from the school library or this library and READ the book, then draw a picture of the part you like best (no computer drawings, must be hand-drawn), and turn it in to the Ranger Library by May 4th. Child’s name, age, and grade needs to be written on the back of the picture. Donald Edwards, Post Commander, has ordered medals for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in five different age/grade categories. Our adjoining Community Room will briefly metamorphose into an Art Gallery! Our library has also been contacted by the Cisco College Library about a Summer Reading Program for children. The current plan is for a “Story Time and Crafts”, on Fridays, starting on June 15th. Arrangements for transportation have not been finalized, but the plan is to have transportation provided to the Cisco Junior College campus from the Eastland and Ranger public libraries, and children MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian, ages 18 and older. Cisco Junior College does not have a “Children’s Section” so participants will be encouraged to check out books at their local libraries. I was asked if I would take a “Story Time” and of course the answer was “Sure!” With the current Texas budget woes, I cannot stress enough how lucky we are to still be in the NEW book business! We have local citizens AND friends of Geneva Lummus and Lorene Oliver to thank. Today Mary Higgins Clark’s newest title, The Lost Years, was released. “Come Home”, the newest by Lisa Scottoline, is ready to go NEXT Tuesday, and Defending Jacob by William Landay also was checked out this week. Yesterday, 12 new titles were ordered, four of which were “In Stock” and therefore expected soon. These are: A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson (this book caught my eye lately at Booksa-Million, an unknown author, but the blurb on the inside of the book jacket was intriguing); Guilty Wives by James Patterson; Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult; and The Fiddler by Beverly Lewis. The other eight books will be expected closer to their release dates. These are: The Accused, a Young Adult selection by John Grisham; Criminal by Karin Slaughter; Wicked Business by Janet Evanovich; Breaking News by Fern Michaels; Let Love Find You by Johanna Lindsey; Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews; The Road to Grace by Richard Paul Evans; and Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen. NOT ordered yet, but anticipated in September, are Shadow Woman by Linda Howard; A Wanted Man by Lee Child; and Seconds Away by Harlan Coben. September seems a long way away, but June is just around the corner!

An author called last F r i d a y morning when our library was in a bit of a lull. The author’s name is Doug Rhodes and he asked me if I had two minutes. He directed me to his book on my computer, titled “Labels & Lore”. He lives in an old house and in 1997 a closet door wouldn’t close, so he went under the house to shimmy up the floor. As he worked, under his house, he saw something shiny a little ways yonder, and upon investigation, found 70+ old jars and vessels from the late 1800’s, in GOOD condition, preserved beneath his house as they were. Some were worth Big Money. His book looked interesting and one that I’d thumb

through if it was within reach, but I explained that BEST SELLING FICTION is our hot commodity and to make a long story short, his price came down, and we expect that book any day. Hope we find “Labels, Leadville, and Lore” a good investment. Time will tell. I am currently reading “Catch Me” by Lisa Gardner. I’m ready to start Chapter 3 on page 33—and so far, it’s good! Bob Davis wrote a one word review: GREAT. I also see A+++. I love how our patrons have turned into book critics! And it all started with…Norma Jean Richardson Carnes. One person CAN change the course of fate, even after death. Norma Jean would LOVE “Catch Me”. How I miss her sometimes. With thoughts of her, a lover of books and of reading, I’ll close with this quote: “In the end, a person is only known by the impact they have on others.” Pretty suitable for Easter, I believe. Hope your Easter was a happy one, my friends, and as always…ENJOY READING! Send Comments to: rangerlibrary@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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■ Good

® Agent Neighbors Neighbors, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm InsuranceGood

Relieving Stress At Work We live in a fast-paced world, and stress can come from just about anywhere. Both at home and at work, the effects of long-term stress – physical health problems, trouble concentrating, anxiety, depression, anger, and even suicide – can be devastating. While marriage, divorce, and moving are often ranked as the three most stressful events in contemporary life, stress at the workplace is not far behind. According to a 2008 American Psychological Association study, 74 percent of people surveyed reported work as the most significant source of stress in their lives. While people can certainly thrive in highstress situations, ignoring long-term stress at work can be damaging to your health and career. That said, stress management is never out of your hands. There are plenty of changes you can make to help control it. Change Your Habits At Work While general pressure, deadlines, increased responsibilities, and fear of termination can all contribute to a generally stressful atmosphere, that doesn’t mean you have to remain passive at the workplace. Here are some modifications you can make that might help: Know Yourself Oftentimes, we’re not even aware of the stress we’re under, or if we are, we’re not sure of the source. Try to stay in tune with your body and your emotions while you’re at work. Does your heart rate spike in certain situations? Note it. Do you find yourself particularly aggressive or angry around certain people? Note it. Is there a certain responsibility that makes you break into a cold sweat?

Note it. Once you become aware of specific triggers for stress, it’s possible you’ll be able to do something about them. Work On Your Communication Skills Talking through your problems with a manager or a coworker in a calm, reasoned manner can go a long way toward repairing interpersonal relationships and ultimately reducing stress in the workplace. If you find yourself in a particularly heated or emotional exchange, consider taking a break and resuming the conversation later. Don’t be excessively negative toward coworkers, even if you disagree with them. And if you have a complaint or a problem to raise, work out beforehand what you want to say. Communicating your thoughts and feelings successfully can be a major relief of stress. Practice Deep Breathing Exercises You might not know it, but when you’re anxious or stressed, chances are your breathing is shallow and irregular. This creates a bad feedback loop, as irregular breathing can cause even more stress. Take a few minutes each day to focus on deep breathing. Not only will it calm you down, but it can clear your mind and help you work. Counseling, yoga, and meditation all offer specific methods of deep breathing, but the general idea is usually the same. While sitting up straight, take in long, deep breaths through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Do this for several minutes – you might try closing your eyes, too. You’ll be amazed how

effective it can be. Change Your Habits Away From Work It’s possible that your daily routines and habits, unquestioned and developed over the years, are contributing to an intolerable amount of stress. Sometimes it’s the simplest aspects of our lives that need to be revamped. Get More Sleep Sleep deprivation and stress go hand-inhand and, in fact, form a vicious cycle, one problem encouraging and contributing to the other. We need sleep to rest and process stress. And yet the trends are moving in the wrong direction. A 2005 National Sleep Foundation poll found that U.S. residents sleep, on average, 2 hours less than they did in the 19th century and one hour less than 50 years ago. In general, adults need 7–9 hours of sleep a night. Exercise More People have a built-in ability to fight stress: physical exercise. Scientists and healthcare professionals are virtually unanimous in touting the benefits of a regular exercise routine. Jogging, biking, swimming, walking, or just about anything else that gets your heart rate up will increase your brain’s production of endorphins and improve your mood. Leave For Work Early You might just think of yourself as always on the go, but rushing to get to work is a bad start to any day. Try this experiment: For a week, leave home 15 minutes before your usual departure time, and see what kind of impact it has.

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9Treasure Hunters: History Series

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, Jerry Eckhart

Treasure Hunters: History Series

TRAILING TREASURE FOR FIFTY YEARS Chapter 1: How It All Began (Part 2) By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

Continued from last month.... About 1955, I stumbled onto a cluster of large boulders behind a neighbor’s pond. I knew they were always there, but never really inspected them until then. As I went over them closely, I discovered a number of carved symbols, some initials and dates. Fortunately, I had the sense to copy and save them. I still have a copy today. There was one symbol that looked like a cocked pistol. I looked in the direction the pistol was pointing and saw a half-buried boulder. On that was an arrow pointing to the southwest. I tried to follow that arrow, but never found another carving. I always wished I had known better how to read them back then. Later, I told my Uncle Slim about these carvings and he became very interested. I then told the boy who lived on the farm that my uncle was very interested in seeing these symbols and would be coming out to look at them. He panicked, went out there with a hammer and chisel and obliterated every symbol. He was afraid Uncle Slim would find a treasure and not give it to him. Now that I have mentioned Uncle Slim, I need to tell you about him. Ernest “Slim” Dillingham was an early day treasure hunter. Every so often, he and his family came to our farm to visit. Slim and my dad would sit for hours talking about lost treasure. Of course, Uncle Slim did most of the talking and Dad did the listening. I did too. I would sit for hours, letting his stories fill me. They were some stories too! He told about how he had searched for Jesse James’ buried treasure in the nearby Wichita Mountains. He went into detail about each carved sign he had found and what was there. My imagination ran wild as he described the James Gang and their exploits. How I wished I could go search for those treasures as Uncle Slim did. Perhaps the most exciting story Uncle Slim told was about how he

and another treasure hunter, Joe Hunter, found part of Jesse James’ treasure. They had searched for a certain location for years. This was the same location that Frank James, Jesse’s brother, had dug for treasure. When they found it, Uncle Slim said that there were so many holes already dug there that it looked like “pepper shake.” I didn’t know what pepper shake was, but imagined it would look as if a bunch of black pepper had been shaken on the ground. He continued by saying, “I was standing on a little ridge of dirt between two of the holes. I was just looking around and wondering what to do next when the dirt under me started to crumble. I jumped down, and out of that dirt tumbled an old iron kettle. We looked inside it and found a watch, a map carved into a thick sheet of copper and a bunch of gold coins.” Those gold coins netted each of the treasure hunters about $5,000 each. He fed his family on that money for more than a year. In 1955, that amount was a good salary for an entire year. Uncle Slim kept

the iron pot and the map. I wasn’t allowed to see the map until after he died. It was about 1979 when my cousin showed it to me. Since then, it has disappeared and no one seems to know where it went. Uncle Slim had lots of adventures while searching for those lost treasure items. He became so well known that other treasure hunters would follow him as he went on his searches. He always had to shake them before he went to his actual location. Uncle Slim used an old World War II jeep he had rigged up to search the mountains. It would barely run and I think he spent more time working on it than he did using it. He was quite a character but he always had time to spend with my cousin and I as we attempted our own searches. He was afraid to let us go with him because we might get hurt. Back a few paragraphs, I told about Uncle Slim talking with J. Frank Dalton. He never said what they talked about, but that was when Uncle Slim really began searching for the lost treasure. I have often wondered if Dalton might have given him some clues. At this point, I need to bring my father into the picture. He was a postman, but he always had an interest in rocks and rockhounding. He sent off for books on minerals and spent hours reading and learning. Within a few years, Dad was one of the best known mineralogists in the state of Oklahoma. It was about 1957 when he got a job as rural mail carrier in a small town 22 miles west of Lawton, Oklahoma. We moved to Indiahoma that summer and I entered Indiahoma High School as a senior. To Be Continued.....

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

10Tumbleweed Smith ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Tumbleweed Smith

, Bob Lewis

Ever Have a Chocolate Tumbleweed? By Bob Lewis

Susie Hitchcock-Hall of Midland has a background as a dance instructor and is now making candy for a living. I’m not talking like in a little candy shop. I’m talking big time. She sells her goodies all over the world. She is quick to admit she is not a discount house and uses the same Belgium chocolate and other ingredients that Godiva and other established upscale candy manufacturers use. Susie loves to use butter. “I’m the local sugar pusher,” says Susie. “I don’t do anything that’s low fat. I tell my customers not to worry, just eat less candy.” She started making and selling candy twenty years ago in her home. “A friend of mine had a pecan grove and wanted to do something with the pecans other than just sell them and I like to cook. So I started my business and called it Susie’s South Forty because it started out on forty acres south of Midland. I had a mailing list of my dance students and told them about my candy making. And I used my church directory. I asked her how her company got so big. She said it was because of the Texas sassy associated with her two stores in Midland and Odessa and that the candy speaks for itself. “People like that homemade flavor. It has ingredients like you find in your kitchen. When I started the business I said I was going to make the best candy you can buy. There are no preservatives in my candy and it’s all made by hand.” Susie is a businesswoman who doesn’t mind working around the clock. Her factory is in a building large enough to accommodate a 747. One long wall is decorated like an old western town, where the administrative offices are located. The rest of the building is filled with cardboard boxes for shipping, tons of plastic packing material, big walk in refrigerated lockers, the kitchen, shelves and cabinets full of labels and assembly lines like Lucy and Ethel used on their TV show. When I was there most of the administrators were working making candy and getting it shipped out.

Susie is the second largest shipper in Midland for FedEx and UPS during holidays, when 30 or 40 people are working in the kitchen. “We make toffee, pralines, caramel, fudge and bark. One of the things we’re really well known for is our Texas Trash snacks. We make a hero chow for our servicemen. Making candy is like having kids. You name them and dress them any way you want to. When I introduce something new I go to one of my fifty or so cookbooks and start experimenting with ingredients to see what works and what doesn’t.” Her latest creation is called Tumbleweeds, made of coconut, chocolate, powdered sugar and Karo syrup. She calls it a coconut candy but it looks like golf-ball size chocolate tumbleweeds. She invited me to be on hand to see the first batch being made from a large mixing bowl. My mouth watered and I couldn’t wait ‘til I tasted one. We took pictures. This was a big deal for me. When I gave my wholehearted approval, Susie beamed and said, “I think it’ll be a

big hit.” It certainly is with me. THAT GOOD TIME OF YEAR

I looked out the window and it was spring. The lawns were coming back to life and leaves were appearing on previously bare branches. The mesquite trees were beginning to show their special shade of green. Most people’s favorite season is the one in which they were born. I was born in late spring so the season of renewal is my favorite time of year. I love to see the earth come back to life, when it purges itself from winter’s darkness and feels cleansed, blessed again. It’s when we witness the season of hope. Spring is when you want to get out and do things you may have never done before, like grabbing a cane fishing pole and a can of worms and going to the lake; or just going outside to watch a bug for about an hour; or just stretching out and staring at your shoes while you contemplate things. You wear fewer clothes in the spring. Shorts and t-shirts replace

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

11Tumbleweed Smith ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline ■ Growing

, Continued...

sweaters, coats, hats, scarves and gloves. And you might even go around with no socks or shoes. The outside beckons and you think about taking a walk. The bicycle that’s been unused for months awaits a rider. You feel the tires to make sure they’re ready. You take it outside to test everything. The fresh air makes you feel frisky and you become a child again. You get out the ice cream freezer and clean the barbecue grill and imagine how the fruits of summer will taste. The earth warms. The sky boils. The wind ceases its relentless howling and settles down to a gentle breeze. No season offers more promise than springtime. And no place shows off its spring wardrobe any better than Texas. When it’s springtime in Texas, fields of blue and yellow and red appear and the air is scented with wildflower perfume. Seeing Texas in the spring is like seeing New England in the fall. We experience the colors and our lives are enriched. Flowers are

arranged between the cactus and rocks in natural bouquets. Texas is the birthplace of spring. The silence of the prairie is broken with the piercing sound of birds. Welcome to the spring, they seem to say. And they show off their colors, too. Mocking birds flash their white tail feathers while cardinals and cedar waxwings provide a spectacular aerial display. A hawk catches a wind current and glides gracefully in the perfect blue of an April sky. The miracle of spring is amazing to observe. The 24-hour celestial parade is a wondrous event. We wake up to a dawn of sunrise pink. Later the golden sun illumines the clouds. By mid afternoon they become active and bounce around like giant white pillows. At sundown the sky is streaked with crimson and gold. And darkness brings its own special magic. Spring makes you glad to be alive. Send Comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com

Up Small Town, Continued...

we left anything too heavy or too cumbersome in our wake and pushed on with unrelenting determination. I won’t say that some of us ended up in nothing more than our underwear and socks, but it might not be too much of a stretch of the imagination to say that it was possible. Especially if it adds a smile to your face and helps to elaborate the story. You can rest assured that if it slowed us down, it got handed off to someone else or it got left behind. Sometime near the 3-o’clock in the morning mark, we rounded the big curve coming into Carbon on Highway-6. Those of us who still had pockets (and change for the drink machine) shared our allowance money with our compatriots so that we all could enjoy an ice cold drink. We took a few minutes to congratulate ourselves before we faced the hard decision of choosing who would call it quits and make the last few hundred yards to the nearest buddy’s house or who was going to face the long trek back to camp. Having accomplished our goal and celebrated accordingly, those of us who were destined to retrace our steps parted ways with our exhausted friends. We headed north on Highway-6, back the way we came. There were only about half a dozen of us by now and we were quickly far enough down the highway that the lights of Carbon faded to black. Not nearly as talkative or excited

on the return trip as we had been on the first leg, the time passed without any memorable events. We were all mostly silent in our thoughts and our own private determination to complete our challenge full circle. The hours and minutes ticked by with every stride and at last we turned eastward into the brightening sky of a Texas spring morning. The rest of the story is a little vague. To protect the honor of everyone involved, myself included, there was a final reckoning of sorts which divided the men from the boys. With the rising sun, there appeared a pickup truck on the horizon and some of us were inclined to assist with the retrieval of our discarded supplies along our route. The rest pressed on, making for the camp with renewed vigor. In the end, we shared breakfast at the camp before everyone packed up and headed home -- back to our mundane, small town lives to finish out our weekend. To this day, if you ask anyone who remembers that camping trip, we all completed what we sat out to do that night -- we all had fun wether we made the whole trip or not. Unfortunately, none of us had a cellphone so we weren’t able to fully document the event with tweets, texts and pics. You kids are just gonna have to ask your dad if he was there and then take our word for it that we really were that crazy. ~mwnorris Send Comments to: smalltown@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

12Treasure Hunters ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Treasure Hunters

, Jerry Eckhart

Golden Age or Goofy Junk By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”

Folks often ask me what is so special about metal detecting. That is kind of a hard question to answer because there are so many different aspects to the hobby. I suppose the best answer would be that you never know just what to expect. Often the only things that turn up are new coins. At other times, a rare collectible item will pop out of the soil, while it isn’t uncommon to find coins dating to before the turn of the century. Old time artifacts stir memories of the glories of a previous time. I often wonder about the people who used and handled the artifacts I dig up. I would (and still do) imagine how a certain item was lost never to be found. Did the wedding ring that turned up in an old Iris bed fall out of a pocket or was it thrown there in the midst of an argument? How did that toy get lost? On the other end of the spectrum is all the goofy junk we find. Sometimes we throw it away, and at other times, we hold on to it, just on the chance something in that junk pile turns out to be a goodie. Frankly, most treasure hunters find more junk than they do jewels. Not too long ago, I got an email from an acquaintance that had just bought a new metal detector. He said, “I hunted all day long on the beach and never found a ring.” Welcome to the club. I too have hunted long and hard on a beach and never found a ring. The next trip may have turned up several. It is kind of a flip of the coin as to what a treasure hunter comes up with, and when the Golden Age will appear. That is what keeps treasure hunters treasure hunting. I do know one thing; you won’t find any treasure unless you look for it. Treasure doesn’t jump out of the ground and slap you in the face. If it did, there would be none left. Perhaps that is why we are called treasure hunters rather than treasure finders. We are always hunting but seldom finding. In spite of that, there is something about the hobby that keeps us going, always seeking and finding just enough to keep it interesting. So, what does the successful treasure hunter do that the others do not? First, he makes a point to know how to use his metal detector. It isn’t

enough to buy one and expect to find money. The treasure hunter must learn his metal detector. He must read the directions time and

again. He must experiment and practice with his metal detector. A good way to do this is to bury a few coins in the yard and go over them

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

13Treasure Hunters ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline What’s Cooking?

What’s Cooking?

, Jerry Eckhart

Mmmmm Fudge courtesy Linda Norris 2 c. sugar 3 tbsp. cocoa ¾ c. milk 1 tbsp. Karo

1 tbsp. butter ½ tsp. vanilla ½ to 1 c. pecans

Mix sugar, cocoa, milk & Karo in a pan Cook until it will form a soft ball when dropped into cold water Add pecans, vanilla & butter without stirring Set pan in cool water & allow to cool Beat until smooth & pour into buttered pan Set until cool and form enough to cut into squares. Serve with milk

Granny Ruby’s Banana Pudding with the detector time and again. Next, the treasure hunter must go where there is a likelihood of finding coins or treasure. If he is searching for gold nuggets, he must go where gold has been discovered. It doesn’t do any good to search for gold where none has been found. Coins and relics are the same way. It is rare that a number of coins are found in a barren field unless you know there has been activity beforehand. Relics might turn up anywhere and again they might not. When you make an effort to learn where coins are found you are doing research. The more you research, the greater likelihood you will be successful. The two facets, knowing your metal detector and doing your research, work together to make a successful treasure hunter. Once you accomplish that, you can reasonably expect to find something of value. That first find will stick in your memory

for some time, but unless it is a tremendously large find, it will be replaced by a better find in your mind. The third bit of advice I can give any beginning treasure hunter is to begin hunting right in your own front yard. I can assure you that you will find something. Should you run into trouble, your instruction book will be handy. Anytime you get confused, read the directions again. There is no guarantee, even for the most experienced metal detector user that he will always make great finds. Most of the time, it is goofy junk. And then along comes that time when the Golden Age holds sway. The best advice is to get out there and hunt. Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com

by Ruby Norris

Nilla wafers 1/3 cup flour 2 eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar 1/4 tsp salt 3 cups milk

Mix ingredients (excluding nilla wafers) together with whisk Microwave 2 1/2 mins Whisk again Microwave 2 1/2 more minutes Whisk again Microwave at 45 second intervals until fairly thick Then add: 3 tsp butter 1 tsp vanilla Layer with sliced bananas and nilla wafers Top with whipped cream or merinque

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

14Love Lessons Learned So Far

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■

, Vicki Stiefer

Love Lessons Learned So Far

MANSLATION Man Language Translated By Vicki Stiefer

Everyday God proves to me that making humans was his greatest entertainment. The Tower of Babel was kids stuff compared to the way he made girl brains and guy brains. Since he is all knowing and has a plan for each and every one of us, I have an ongoing master list of questions that someone will tuck neatly in the side corner of my casket. So when the rapture comes I can grab the list and start picking St. Peter’s mind the minute I hit the pearly gates! He is after all, technical which makes him a killer problem solver so it shouldn’t take him any time to get to the bottom of my list. Some of the questions will involve nose and ear hair on guys and girls. If it is there to block particles and debris, why does it need to grow? I think I just have questions about hair in general. Why does the hair on a man’s head throughout his life make the sojourn to his back? His hair looked just fine on his head right where it was. Hair aside, men and women’s brains are so fearfully and wonderfully made but they are so very different. I thought maybe I would translate a common situation that drive women crazy when trying to communicate with a man. You do not have to be married to the man for him to drive you crazy. It is in his nature and while God is getting a big chuckle out it he did give you free will to make the situation livable.

from completely drying out. You know, the phone call that you hang up from and sound like Carol Channing when you are done. What is the first thing you do if a man is nearby? If he is a good friend or spouse I bet you run to him and want to give him the play-by-play of the entire call. Word for word you can give him the low down complete with voices and sound effects if necessary.

Man Scenario: You hear the phone ring. He mumbles about 3 “yea” or “got it” and he hangs up. He then goes back to doing whatever he was doing. I immediately want to know what the conversation was about. The Situation-The Phone Call. man on the other hand takes in the Woman Scenario: You’re girl friend calls and you chit chat away about this information. He accesses the details, and that until you have run out of breath and need water to keep your throat makes a plan of action in his head and poof! He is done. Even if you ask him the he-said, she-said of the conversation he would not be able to recall. His brain does not work that way. He is a problem solver. Give him the details, tell him what you want and then get out of the way. My husband and I recently moved and I wanted to decorate the place with all sorts of new colors and designs. He went along with it the first couple of trips to the fabric store, but then sat

me down with an earth shattering message. He told me he did not care what the place looked like. He only needs a roof over his head, good food and me to make his life complete. The rest is gravy. My woman brain had a lot of trouble taking that information in and getting it through the processor. I do not want to sit in the living room if I cannot rest my elbows on some throw pillows. He would sit on cinder blocks and flannel and be happy as a clam. Guys are simple. For women that is almost impossible to fathom. Women multi-task. Men do one thing well and then move on to the next thing. So how does a women handle the phone call situation? Ask direct questions and move on. Stick to the girlfriend to girlfriend chit chatting and make your own master list of questions for God. Send Comments to: lovelessons@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

15Star Pride ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Star Pride

, by Ginger Tobin & Laura Quinn

Rising Star News and Events By Ginger Tobin & Laura Quinn

Norma Tucker is shown with her sister, Barbara Medley, and Charlene Rider, who were hostesses for the Easter themed meeting. “An Easter bunny” cheese ball, crackers, veggies and dips and a delicious cake and punch were served to Saturday Club members.

Norma Tucker of Cross Plains, TX was the featured speaker at the April 4 meeting of the Saturday Club in Rising Star, Texas. Norma is holding the kaleidoscope quilt top which she just finished. She explained that the twentyfive block quilt, which has green trim on a black background, was fabricated from a “July 4” fabric. She has taught a class at the Pioneer Quilting Club on the kaleidoscope quilt; and one of the students later entered her quilt in Abilene and won first prize. The same type of quilt was donated to the Abilene Rehab for auction and was sold for $960. Norma said she has been quilting for about 50 years and has done quilts for her grandsons but has never sold one of her own quilts.

they can be better seen. Anyone who would like to be a part of this group whose mission is to make Rising Star a better and more pleasant place to live and conduct business is welcome at regular or called meetings. Regular meetings are usually held on the second Tuesday of each month at 4 PM at the Library. Those who STAR PRIDE HAS PLANNING want better things for our town are especially urged to become Star Pride MEETING members. Star Pride members met at their regularly scheduled monthly meeting on Tuesday, April 10 at 4 PM at the NEW BUSINESS VENTURES IN Rising Star Library. Several items TOWN were discussed, including the annual Nancy Bostick, President of the before-Mother’s-Day cake sale, which Rising Star Economic Development will be held on Saturday, May 12 at Corporation, announced Tuesday: 8:00 AM at Star Grocery. Anyone who The RISING STAR CAFÉ on west would like to contribute to the Star Hwy. 36 (College Avenue) has opened Pride bake sale is welcome; donations as of April 8 and will be open 7 days will also be accepted during the sale. a week from 6 AM-9PM featuring Barbara Medley, Star Pride home cooking. The owner is busy President, updated the group on the planning delicious “specials” which installation of street signs, which has will change from week to week. been turned over to the City of Rising The RISING STAR LAUNDRY Star. Additional signs for some streets on N. Mayben, one block north of will be needed and will be ordered. Hwy. 36 is now open, after having a When installation is complete, it new paint job inside and additional will be easier for visitors and others new equipment installed. It will also not familiar with the streets to get be open 7 days a week from 7AMaround town. Star Pride appreciates 10PM. the assistance of the City crew in ~Ginger Tobin this long-needed improvement in our City. Carolyn Finney volunteered to telephone Texas Department of Transportation regarding a “WELCOME” sign for the City and to find out what is required. Other discussions concerned obtaining trash cans for litter at the Downtown Park as well as the downtown business district and possibly painting the black metal stars on street poles a different color so

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Breckenridge Community Page

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

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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For Sale $1000 CHEAP!

1987 Jeep Wrangler YJ 4x4, 4cyl

Perfect PROJECT or DONOR VEHICLE. INCLUDES: Black Steel Horse 3” Dual-Tube Bumpers F&R w/ Rear Hitch, Custom 300lb Rear Cargo Carrier, Rubicon Black Olympic Sports Rack, Front-Bumper mounted Hi-Lift® Jack, Bestop® Black Upper Doors w/ Sliding Glass, Olympic Safari Tube Doors, Bestop® Supertop® frames and strips ready for new canvas and windows! A bargain with over $1,500 in bolt-on accessories!!! Needs a new home and more tinkering than I can give her, but she’s not ready for the scrap yard just yet. Serious Inquiries Only, you’ll need a trailer to haul it or a set of tires to tow it. She’s been sitting for years, if I tinker with it until it starts then my price is going to triple!!! Clear title. Cash on Pick-Up. Don’t let this one get away!!! See More Pictures:

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Contact: mike@mycounty-line.com

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

18The County Line

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline

■ , Mike W. Norris The County Line Distribution Area

Published by Michael W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Texas 76448 http://www.MyCounty-Line.com info@mycounty-line.com

■ www.puzzle-club.com

Puzzle-Club.com

Mothers’ Day Word Search

A poem for Mother Find the words in the grid. When you are done, the unused letters in the grid will spell out a hidden message. Pick them out from left to right, top line to bottom line. Words can go horizontally, vertically and diagonally in all eight directions. Words may overlap and share 1 or more letters. Poem reads across and down.

how much i love/you i cant say its more than/words can hold youre all at one/my rich red clay my potter/ and my mold yours the words/that shaped my voice/the spirit within mine/yours the will that shaped/my choice my fortune/and my sign how lucky/i was to have had you/ at the core of me/wise and good you always/knew just what/i could be and so i/came to be someone/whom i could be proud of/for this i give my/swollen sum of gratitude/and love

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Rising Star Community Page

***ATTENTION RISING STAR ***

Support Your Local Businesses! -----This “Rising Star Community Page” is provided in association with the Rising Star EDC as a service to Rising Star businesses and residents. If you’re looking for new customers, you have to get the word out! Take advantage of The County Line’s devoted readers and wide area distribution! Our readers are your customers! -----For only $20/month, your business card can be featured here in full color! If you pre-pay for 6-months, get all 6-months at half price!

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

20Out of the Box ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Out of the Box

, Joellen Hodge

Families Are Making a Living in Rural America By Joellen Hodge

You may have driven through a small town and wondered how anyone could make a living in an economy that consists of one grocery store, two cafes, a liquor store and three gas stations. Surely, the people living in that little community are starving to death, you think…or worse, they are driven to criminal acts against city dwellers who happen into their territory! Despite the “gloom and doom” reports of the entire country about to sink into a hole of despair, there is lots of good news about relocating to a smaller city. According to a recent article in Mental Health Digest that rural folks who live and work within a sixty miles radius of large cities are happier than people who live in the cities. Well…forget about that “B” movie script running around your head. Rural American is doing just fine. The U.S. Dept. of Agriculture says people who live in these rustic boroughs may make less money than their urban cousins, but the cost of living is also less. Dollar for dollar, both urban and rural workers get about the same value.

From fashion design and day care centers to machine shop welding and sewer cleaning service, this type of commerce is making jobs for small towns across the nation. The study went onto to report that it is estimated one out of every five people living in rural counties are employed by this kind of company. Do not forget about cottage industries. With many “boomers” heading to the sticks to retire in peace, the ability to put to use all those skills they learned over the years is tempting. From virtual assistance computer based industries to designing and manufacturing surfboards, turning a profit from what you know is hotter than ever before.

Other studies from independent sources show employment is more likely to be in the service industries such as retail than on the farm. Beside clerk and stocking jobs, those who call the country home are finding work at their local independent school districts, and community colleges. Education down on If you are thinking about heading the farm is a sophisticated endeavor. Along with bus drivers and lunchroom home to your hometown, or some ladies, schools need computer savvy techs in the classrooms, special education other little pocket of hidden heaven, paraprofessionals and auto mechanics to keep those buses, and other school take time to check out the local vehicles on the road. business scene. If you are looking for Healthcare is another booming business in the “off-the-beaten-track” area. work, you just might be surprised to With expected trends of baby-boomers getting ready to retire to the country, find your choices are not only varied the population of older members in the rural section could jump from 8 to but quite interesting as well… 14 percent in the next ten years. Ever type of medical occupation practiced in the urban setting can be found in “From breakfast, the country. Private health agencies Send Comments to: outofthebox@mycounty-line.com provide service to home bound patients or noon at the latest, to dinner, and income to tens of thousands of rural workers.

I am mostly on horseback, Attending to My Farm or other concerns, which I find healthful to my body, mind, and affairs.” Thomas Jefferson

Small towns often give the impression of having little or no industry, but one trend that has seen growth despite the recession is the “microenterprise” of rural America. These small business’ have 5 or less employees and start up with no more than $35,000. A report from the Aspen Institute shows that there is great diversity in the products and services of this type of business.

Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

21This Week In Texas History

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This Week In Texas History

, by Bartee Haile

Robert E. Lee Turns Down Houston’s Secret Offer By Bartee Haile

Still wearing the Union blue, Col. Robert E. Lee took charge of an isolated outpost on the Texas frontier on Apr. 12, 1856. As a member of Virginia’s most illustrious family, life did not demand that Lee pull himself up by his bootstraps. He did, however, take full advantage of the doors his famous surname and proud heritage opened and blazed his own path to glory. First in a long line of famous Lees was Thomas, who served as royal governor of Virginia during colonial days. When a fire destroyed his mansion, none other than the Queen of England footed the bill for a suitable replacement. Several kinsmen were influential soldier-statesmen in the American Revolution. LightHorse Harry Lee, father of the general-to-be, gave the British fits as a daring cavalryman and was later elected governor of Virginia. By marriage Robert E. Lee linked his distinguished family tree with the Custis clan. His father-in-law was the adopted son of George Washington. Lee was a brilliant student at West Point graduating second in his class. At age 22 he began a 30-year career in the United States Army. Sent to Texas in 1846 to defend the newest state, Lee became chief of staff for Gen. Winfield Scott. His battlefield exploits in the Mexican War won three promotions in a single year advancing him in rank from captain to colonel. During the peaceful interlude that followed the conquest of Mexico, Lee’s duties were more mundane. In 1852 he was back at the U.S. Military Academy, this time as superintendent, until orders came in 1855 for a second Texas tour. For years West Texans had implored the federal government to keep its pre-annexation promise to protect them from hostile Indians, but their pleas fell on deaf congressional ears. The lawmakers’ tardy response was better than nothing but not by much. Washington could spare only 2,800 soldiers to patrol 1,200 miles of Lone Star frontier. A central figure in this tiny task force, Col. Lee arrived at Camp Cooper in April 1856. The makeshift installation north of present-day Albany was an island in a vast Comanche sea. Lee logged many more miles presiding over the court-martials of military misfits than chasing red renegades. A year and a half later, the death of a close relative called him home to Virginia. Radical abolitionist John Brown seized the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry in October 1859. Lee directed the counterattack that crushed the suicidal scheme to incite a slave insurrection and turned the survivors over for trial. Although Brown’s mad plot perished with him on the gallows, his execution further polarized a dangerously divided nation. A troubled Lee spent the last tumultuous months before the sectional split in the Lone Star State. Returning to San Antonio in the spring of 1860, he did his best to follow

a normal routine in spite of the mounting tension. Lee was far from a secessionist firebrand. He confided to his family in the closing weeks of 1860, “I can anticipate no greater calamity than the dissolution of the Union.” But his ultimate duty was clearly defined. “If a disruption takes place, I shall go in sorrow with my people and share in the misery of my native state.” Those sad words had the tragic ring of prophecy. Meanwhile, an old hero tried to solicit the skeptical colonel’s support for a desperate high-stakes gamble. An embattled Unionist searching for some way to save Texas from the clutches of the Confederacy, Gov. Sam Houston shared with Lee a secret plan to conquer Mexico. The sensational disclosure carried with it an historic invitation for the Virginian to lead the expedition. Lee politely but firmly turned down the offer and added only if Houston were president and his commander-in-chief would the proposal merit his serious consideration.

In February 1861, two weeks after a Texas convention endorsed secession, Gen. Winfield Scott urgently summoned Lee to Washington. He declined command of the northern forces in the coming conflict and resigned from the U.S. Army two months later when Virginia left the Union. Not until 1975 was Robert E. Lee’s citizenship restored, 105 years too late for the universally respected recipient. Nevertheless, he rose above the bloodsoaked bitterness of those times and refused to brood over his post-war persecution. Lee devoted his twilight years to a small Virginia college, which he served as president. To the end he encouraged fellow southerners to put the Civil War behind them and always advised with solemn sincerity, “Make your sons Americans.”Bartee Haile welcomes your comments, questions and suggestions at P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549

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 dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com

23From The Backside ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ April 2012 v5.59 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline From the Backside

, Henry J. Clevicepin

Estee K’s Black Eye & Thank You, Thank You President Obama By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker

Now folks, Spring has sprung in Buzzard Roost. It just cain’t get any prettier than it has been the last few days. The bluebonnets are out, the grass is getting green, the mesquite trees are greening up & even ol Nellie Frecklebelly & the Fudpucker sisters are out sunning in their bikinis….now you can bet ol man winter ain’t gonna show up to see the sight of them ol fat gals laying in the sun!!!!! Now the other morning Ol Estee K. Bibbles, my Buzzard Roost Mule Barn partner, came walking in with a black eye. I ask him, “Estee K., what in the cornbread world happen to you?” Well, he started to explain that he had gone shoppin with his little wifey the night before & he started to put some beer in the cart & his wife proceeded to tell him he didn’t need any beer & anyway, it cost too much. So they went on shoppin & she stopped on the makeup isle & started putting a bunch of makeup in their cart & ol Estee K. ask her why she needed all of that make up…..she replied, that is so I can look pretty for you. Well, ol Estee K. got a little case of hoof in mouth disease all of a sudden & said” well, that’s what that beer was for & it is half the price!!!!” That’s when the fight started!!!! As you folks know, us Buzzard Roost folks have been pretty hard on Obama over this goldarn gasoline going up to nearly $4 & looking like it might go on up to $5 or more. And we know it going to put this ol economy in a tail spin. It’s already making things go up like groceries, beer & nearly everything because the freight is costing more plus all of the things that are by products of gasoline are a lot higher. And we know people are gonna have to start cutting down on going out & cut back on groceries & may even have to cut out driving. Well, we was all settin down at the Buzzard Roost Bar & Grill the other night discussing this situation & the fact that people may have to quit driving…..& BAM !!! it hit us. With Obama & his Energy Secretary Chu saying they really want gas to go to European levels & maybe as high as $10 per gallon, people are gonna have to start ridin a mule to work….& what business are me & ol Estee. K in?????...the mule business….now, you talk about being in the right place at the right time. Thank you, thank you, thank you…Mr President. Now, we know it is a little selfish to try to get rich off of this deal, since we have the only mule barn in the country, but if Obama is gonna push that gasoline price way up trying to

make people drive those little electric cars that nobody wants…we need to at least offer them an alternative…..isn’t that what Obama is always hollering about…. alternative transportation. Well, a mule is shore an alternative…& you talk about sustainable…we can breed them suckers from now on. And they run on a little bit of oats or if you got green grass, well, you just don’t get any greener energy than that…you can even see little piles of green energy all over the pasture. Now they do pass a little methane gas, but not much more than ol Nellie Frecklebelly & the Fudpucker sisters do after eatin a big pot of whistle berries ( beans to you city folk ). So, again, thank you, thank you Mr. Obama. Now about 2 beers later, ol Buzzrd Roost Bubba brought up the idea that people were gonna have to have a place to park their mules in town…well, BAM again. We have designed a 10 mule hitching post to sell to all of the towns. Another new product & more money for us….thank you, thank you Mr. President. And then, about 2 more beers later, Ol Nellie said well them mules are gonna crap all over the city streets….& BAM again…we’re putting together a little mule crap clean up company so we can contract with the cities to clean up mule

crap. Now I know they thought they had a problem with them cars putting out carbon emissions, but they ain’t seen nothin yet… wait til they see what these mules put out ????? Now ol Estee K. is busy getting us a forign corporation & bank account set up, cause we’re purty shore Obama & the EPA are gonna try to regulate this deal, so we’ll just set up our world headquarters overseas so we don’t have to put up with the regulations & we don’t have to pay all of these dang business taxes over here. Well, we got to go clean up Buzzard Roost, cause we’re purty sure Obama will want to come have a little photo op here & let the world know about our mule crap green energy program…hope he don’t step in it!!! Wonder if we could get some of that green energy money that he has been throwing at them companies like Solandrya….now if we could get that money, then we could just bankrupt this sucker & not have to mess with it…..thank you, thank you, thank you Mr. Obama. Words of Wisdom~ “How long a minute is depends on which side of the bathroom door you are on !!!!” Send Comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com

In Sickness and In Health I hope everyone had a blessed Easter this year. Thank you again for keeping me and my family in your thoughts and prayers. When Michael asked me to think about what to put in my article this month, the first thing that came to mind was our last trip to Dallas Transplant Institute. It was the day that Dallas and Fort Worth was hit by all those tornadoes and thunderstorms!!! I was laying on a bed in my observation room, surrounded by DTI staff as they were preparing to remove my central artery port -- the one that I have had in my chest and neck ever since October! We could hear the storm sirens going off outside and several of the nurses out in the halls started talking about moving the patients into the hallways! Everyone was getting scared and I didn’t know Follow Ruthie’s Progress online:

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where Michael was! He had sent me a text saying he was across the street at the park and that was the last text I had received! The doctors went ahead with my procedure even though everyone seemed very on edge and very scared. When they finished and had dressed my wound, I went out into the lobby and there was Michael -- watching the local news channels with everyone else in the waiting room! The rest of the day we spent trying to avoid the thunderstorms and make our way home. We got home about 8pm and I finally got to lay down to get some rest! It was scary, but luckily the part of Dallas we were in was not hit. Otherwise, it was just another Spring Day in Texas! Follow Mike & The County Line:

Love, Ruthie

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Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com