The County Line - October/November 2012 v5i65

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Volume 5 Issue 65

National News and Opinions mixed with Local Small Town History and Story Telling.

Representing the small-town conservative viewpoint of what makes this country great!

~Mike Norris, Owner & Publisher

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

Monthly Issue

October/November , Town

4 Texas Conservative 5 Words of Ronald Reagan

7 @The Ranger Library 8 Treasure Hunters 10 Tumbleweed Smith 12 Good Neighbors 14 Love Lessons Learned So Far

15 Huddle Up! 16 Breckenridge

Community Page

18 Puzzle-Club.com 19 Rising Star Community Page

20 This Week In Texas History

23 In Sickness and In Health

COVER ART: The Delaware and Maryland Regiments fought in the Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn, on August 27, 1776. It was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the first battle in which an army of the United States engaged, having declared itself a nation only the month before.

Today, the 175th Infantry Regiment, Maryland Army National Guard, preserves the legacy of the 1st Maryland Regiment. The 198th Signal Battalion, Delaware Army National Guard, perpetuates the proud lineage of the Delaware Regiment.

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for All. B:510-152550100200

C:255075150300

vol.5 Issue 65

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“A TIMERonald FOR CHOOSING in 2012” - Part 4 Reagan gave this speech on October 27, 1964

In This Issue: 3 Growing Up Small

2012

Please Visit Our Website

If he were giving this speech today, perhaps it would go something like this. ~mwnorris

think we Conservatives are for an international organization, where the nations of the world can seek peace. But I think we’re against subordinating IAmerican interests to an organization that has become so structurally unsound

that today you can muster a two-thirds vote on the floor of the General Assembly among nations that represent less than 10 percent of the world’s population. think we’re for aiding our allies by sharing of our material blessings with those nations which share in our fundamental beliefs, but we’re against doling out money government to government, creating bureaucracy, if not socialism, all over the world. o government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth. ederal employees—which numbered almost 3.2 million in 2010—with their thousands of regulations have cost us many of our constitutional safeguards. How many of us realize that today federal agents can invade a man’s property without a warrant? They can impose a fine without a formal hearing, let alone a trial by jury? And they can seize and sell a private citizen’s property at auction to enforce the payment of that fine. s a former Democrat, I can tell you back in 1936, Mr. Democrat himself, Al Smith, the great American, came before the American people and charged that the leadership of his Party was taking the Party of Jefferson, Jackson, and Cleveland down the road under the banners of Marx, Lenin, and Stalin. And he walked away from his Party, and he never returned til the day he died—because to this day, the leadership of that Party has been taking that Party, that honorable Party, down the road in the image of the labor Socialist Party of England. ow it doesn’t require expropriation or confiscation of private property or business to impose socialism on a people. What does it mean whether you hold the deed or the title to your business or property if the government holds the power of life and death over that business or property? And such machinery already exists. The government can find some charge to bring against any concern it chooses to prosecute. Every businessman has his own tale of harassment. Somewhere a perversion has taken place. Our natural, unalienable rights are now considered to be a dispensation of government, and freedom has never been so fragile, so close to slipping from our grasp as it is at this moment. ur Democratic opponents seem unwilling to debate these issues. They want to make you and I believe that this is a contest between two men— that we’re to choose just between two personalities—Obama, the great symbol of hope and change, or Romney, the great symbol of wealth and priviledge. ell what of this man, Romney, the one that they would destroy—and in destroying, they would destroy that which he represents, the ideas that you and I hold dear? Is he the brash and shallow and trigger-happy man they say he is? Is he so far out of touch from you or I simply because he has experienced the American Dream first-hand? Should a man’s success be a disqualification to hold the Office of the President?

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Continued on page 5...

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

3Growing Up Small Town

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Growing Up Small Town

, Mike W. Norris

3

Learning as We Go...

Buying Your First Firearm! - Part 2

by Mike W. Norris

Shopping and Research Continues From where I left off last month, I am still researching and shopping for my first firearm purchase. My favorite handgun, has always been the M1911 -- that is mostly due to the fact that as a kid I had a Daisy 1911 Colt CO2 pellet gun...not just once, but I’ve actually owned a few of them over the years.

Unfortunately, I was surprised to learn that the “real” 1911 handgun has some features that I seriously don’t like. First of all, the grip safety is very awkward for me and second, because of the recoil guard it’s almost impossible to de-cock the hammer with your thumb. It basically requires both hands to de-cock the hammer.

Of course, I understand that the weapon is designed to be carried in the “cocked and locked” position, thus making it a single-action handgun. So that brings up another feature of the 1911 that I was not aware of.

Even though there are several features of the 1911 that are a disappointment, I still would like to have one. I will probably look into getting the 1911 in a smaller caliber so the cost isn’t so prohibitive. Since I’m on such a limited budget, this might very well be the handgun that I end up going with first. But I found out that when you look at other models you can get larger calibers for the same price point as the 1911 just because of the 1911’s popularity.

Let’s say we have a budget of $300. Depending on where you are shopping, this budget is going to limit your selection basically to the smaller calibers of handguns -- ie: .22LR, .25ACP and .32ACP. On average, once you start looking at a .357 and up, your budget may have to move to the $400 range.

This applies to most of the research I’ve seen for semiautomatic handguns. But this is far from being a universal constant. I’ve actually seen the Taurus TCP .380 model PT738 for under $200! The downside to this pistol is the fact that it’s little. “TCP” stands for Total Concealed Pistol and this thing is about the size of a plastic water gun that we used to buy in the toy store for $0.99! You can find pictures of guys holding this pistol with both hands on the Internet, but all you can see is the top of the slide mechanism, about 1-inch of barrel and the trigger guard. This thing is small enough to fit in your pocket and I’ve seen smart phones that are bigger.

But if that’s what you’re looking for, then $200 is a sweet deal for a 6-shot, semi-auto pistol.

The Taurus TCP is not alone in the .380 “pocket pistol” market. Cheaper Than Dirt has several .380’s starting at just over $100. There again, if you’re looking for a small frame, pocket pistol, then your options are very open and the price point is very affordable.

The .40 caliber handguns are where size and stopping power starts coming into the range that I’m interested in. $200 to $300 price points for .40’s are out there, but there

again, you may have to do some legwork to find those bargains. Most of my research shows the price range for the more popular, full-size .40’s to fall between $400 and $500.

This is also the caliber size where I have located my first real candidate as a buyer’s choice.

The Taurus 100 .40 S&W From the Taurus website: “Based on the time-tested 92, the 100 offers .40 caliber stopping power in Taurus’ exclusive forged-alloy frame, and an ambidextrous three-position safety that allows ‘cocked-andlocked’ single action carry or the convenience of decocked double action. Available in fixed sight model 100, it’s an unprecedented mix of dead-on firepower and custom features that the other guys just can’t touch.”

What I like the most about the Taurus 100 is that it somewhat resembles the 1911 but it doesn’t have the grip safety and it features the ability to fire in both single-action or doubleaction modes. You can still carry the pistol in “cocked-and-locked” mode, ready to fire or you can use the built-in de-cocker to carry it in double-action mode.

The Taurus website also details a built-in

security feature that I like the sound of: “Taurus family of semi-auto pistols now feature the Taurus Security System, which provides instant-ready defense with builtin ability to secure your pistol and make it inoperable at the turn of a key. When the Security System is engaged, the pistol cannot be fired or cocked and the gun’s manual safety cannot be disengaged. As with our revolver Security System, the device is part of the firearm and cannot be lost, and the same special Security Key works for both the revolver and pistol Systems (two keys come with each gun). To engage: simply insert the Key into the button on the rear or side of the pistol and rotate one-quarter turn clockwise.

This engages the Security System. The manual safety cannot be moved and the trigger cannot be pulled. To disengage: simply rotate the key one-quarter turn back. This releases the Security System, yet leaves the pistol’s manual safety in the “safe” position until you are ready to release it yourself and fire the gun.”

This eliminates the need for an external trigger lock or some sort of add-on safety device to safely keep the weapon in the home.

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 ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ October 2012 v5.65 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Texas Conservative

, Chuck Norris - The Man

4

In God We Trust United We Stand

By Chuck Norris

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.

True Patriots

The third definition of “patriot” in the Oxford English Dictionary is “A person actively opposing enemy forces occupying his or her country; a member of a resistance movement, a freedom fighter. Originally used of those who opposed and fought the British in the American War of Independence.”

The term first was used in the U.S. by Benjamin Franklin in a 1773 letter.

It referred to people who stood in opposition of those pledged to the British Crown -- the Tories aka loyalists.

On Oct. 7, 1780, American patriots prevailed against loyalists in the Carolinas and won their first Southern battle. The Battle of Kings Mountain is a victory not often highlighted today but was a critical win nonetheless.

It shows the importance of patriots everywhere persevering in every battle against adversarial forces -- even against those born on American soil.

The cable network History documented how a loyalist militia under Maj. Patrick Ferguson, largely made up of South Carolina frontiersmen, was defeated by a patriot militia under Col. William Campbell at the Battle of Kings Mountain in North Carolina near the South Carolina border.

Ferguson warned the patriots to lay down their arms or watch the loyalists “lay waste” to their country “with fire and sword.” But 1,000 patriot militiamen, including Davy Crockett’s father, John, courageously confronted Ferguson’s loyalists, who were positioned on the rocky ridge of Kings Mountain.

Losing the upper hand to what he called the “band of banditti,” Ferguson tried to intimidate the patriots by sending a wall of loyalists blitzing down the mountain, but they were cut down in a hail of patriot bullets.

Ferguson soon followed a similar fate.

As History explained, “the patriot success was the first against the British in the South and convinced Gen. (Charles) Cornwallis to stop his march through the territory.”

The toll on the loyalist militia at Kings Mountain was 157 killed, 163 wounded and 698 captured, while the patriot militia only suffered 28 killed and 60 wounded. Of the 2,000 total militiamen in battle for both sides, 1,900 were born on American soil. Only Ferguson and 100 of his redcoats, whom he had trained personally, were Britons.

Feels a lot like how we patriots are often outnumbered in modern cultural and political wars and elections, doesn’t it? Surrounded by bands of adversaries born on American soil?

Nevertheless, like the patriots who fought at Kings Mountain in that distant October, more than 230 years ago, we must not shrink back by the intimidation of others.

Gone are the days when patriots such as Isaac Shelby, Charles McDowell and Elijah Clark led attacks against loyalist posts during the Revolutionary

War. But present today are many other great patriots, aside from the one in the presidential race -- such as Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn.; Rep. Allen West, R-Fla.; Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz, R-Texas; Rep. Todd Akin, R-Mo.; Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, “Joe the Plumber,” R-Ohio; and Judge Roy Moore, R-Ala. -- who are fighting worthy battles in state election arenas at this very moment.

What’s critical for victory in each of these political rings is that every one of us patriots gets out of the bleachers and onto the battlefield, too.

My wife, Gena, and I might not be running for public office, but we always give our patriotic best to fight for God and country, locally and nationally. That is why we produced our recent political video, titled “God & Country,” which has gone viral and become one of the top political videos in this presidential race. In the public service announcement, we remind people of faith everywhere that Barack Obama won his first election in 2008 by 10 million votes when 30 million evangelicals stayed home on Election Day. We patriots, Christian and otherwise, must not allow that to happen Nov. 6, 2012! As the adage goes, “fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

It’s time for patriots everywhere to rally together again and take back America. As patriots did in the battle on Kings Mountain, we must take a stand in local and national elections and wage war again for our republic.

And as our adversaries charge us descending down the hill, we will

barrage them with a hail of votes.

As Thomas Jefferson declared, “should things go wrong at any time, the people will set them to rights by the peaceable exercise of their elective rights.”

This is our solemn duty and the sacred path to America’s reformation and restoration.

Alexander Hamilton explained it this way: “A share in the sovereignty of the state, which is exercised by the citizens at large, in voting at elections is one of the most important rights of the subject, and in a republic ought to stand foremost in the estimation of the law.”

So as you cast your ballot this November, remember the words of Samuel Adams: “Let each citizen remember at the moment he is offering his vote that he is not making a present or a compliment to please an individual -- or at least that he ought not so to do; but that he is executing one of the most solemn trusts in human society for which he is accountable to God and his country.”

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. 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.

©CHUCK NORRIS DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM - Reprinted under license by Mike Norris

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

5What Would Ronald Reagan Say?

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, the words of Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States

Words of Ronald Reagan

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“A Time For Choosing”, Part 4 of 4 (continued from page 2) October 27, 1967 rev. for 2012 This is the final installation of a four-part series in which I have taken the original words of Ronald Reagan, as given in his original speech televised October 27, 1967 in support of the Goldwater campaign, and have updated them with current facts and figures as they would apply if he were giving this speech today. ~Mike Norris

Those who would trade our freedom for the soup kitchen of the welfare state have told us they have a utopian solution of peace without victory. They call their policy “accommodation.” And they say if we’ll only avoid any direct confrontation with the enemy, he’ll forget his evil ways and learn to love us.

All who oppose them are indicted as warmongers. They say we offer simple answers to complex problems. Well, perhaps there is a simple answer—not an easy answer—but simple: If you and I have the courage to tell our elected officials that we want our national policy based on what we know in our hearts is morally right.

We cannot buy our security, our freedom from the threat of terrorism by accommodation. Alexander Hamilton said, “A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.” Now let’s set the record straight. There’s no argument over the choice between peace and war, but there’s only one guaranteed way you can have peace—and you can have it in the next second—surrender.

Admittedly, there’s a risk in any course we follow other than this, but every lesson of history tells us that the greater risk lies in appeasement, and this is the specter our well-meaning liberal friends refuse to face—that their policy of accommodation is appeasement, and it gives no choice between peace and war, only between fight or surrender. If we continue to accommodate, continue to back and retreat, eventually we have to face the final demand—the ultimatum. And what then? Someday when the time comes to deliver the final ultimatum, our surrender will be voluntary, because by that time we will have been weakened from within spiritually, morally, and economically. How many Americans are willing to live on their knees rather than die on their feet?

You and I know and do not believe that life is so dear and peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery. If nothing in life is worth dying for, when did this begin—just in the face of this enemy? Or should Moses have told the children of Israel to live in slavery under the pharaohs?

Should Christ have refused the cross? Should the patriots at Concord Bridge have thrown down their guns and refused to fire the shot heard ‘round the world? The martyrs of history were not fools, and our honored dead who gave their lives to stop the advance of the Nazis didn’t die in vain. Where, then, is the road to peace? Well it’s a simple answer after all.

You and I have the courage to say to our enemies, “There is a price we will not pay.” “There is a point beyond which they must not advance.” And this—this is the meaning in the phrase of most Conservatives: “peace through strength.” Winston Churchill said, “The destiny of man is not measured by material computations. When great forces are on the move in the world, we learn we’re spirits—not animals.” And he said, “There’s something going on in time and space, and beyond time and space, which, whether we like it or not, spells duty.”

You and I have a rendezvous with destiny.

We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness.

We will keep in mind and remember that our Founding Fathers had faith in us. They had faith that you and I have the ability and the dignity and the right to make our own decisions and determine our own destiny.

Thank you very much.

Publisher’s Note: Visit the MyCounty-Line.com website to view the last three issues in order to read the complete “Time For Choosing In 2012” feature speech.

Or if you would like to request a complete copy in an easy to read format, send an email request to: features@mycounty-line.com

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

6

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7@The Ranger Library

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@The Ranger Library

, Diana McCullough

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By Diana McCullough

It was a privilege to attend the Texas Library Association’s District 1 Fall Meeting on September’s last Saturday in San Angelo. It rained all the way there, and most of the way back.

Our meeting, on this wet day, started at 9 AM in the Sugg Community Room in the Stephens Central Library, within the Tom Green County Library System. I waited politely and held the front door open for a woman wearing a raincoat and carrying an umbrella. She and I rode the elevator up to the third floor together and I learned that she was from the ACU Library in Abilene and she was on the “nominating committee”. Before the meeting started, she invited me to be District 1’s Secretary and Treasurer, which I swiftly declined, honestly admitting, “Ranger is nearly more than I can handle”.

The meeting started out, as most meetings do, with Business. Not my favorite part, but necessary. The boring By-Laws became the new and exciting Operating Procedures, through a simple cut and paste procedure, and that’s enough on THAT subject!

Larry Justiss, Tom Green County Librarian, gave the Legislative Report, and we were encouraged to speak up for learning, literacy and libraries. It’s time, he said, that elected officials realize that libraries are important to the success of Texans. And what did Texans lose in the last legislative session?

Homework Help, College Preparation, Research, Job Searching, and Career Assistance.

The most interesting session, to me, was a program entitled “West Texas Collection Overview” by Suzanne Campbell, Head of the West Texas Collection. The women on each side of me, sat back and enjoyed listening but I took notes! Dr. Duke of Angelo State University initiated 27 Depositories in Texas because our County Courthouses were being filled up and papers were being tossed. Suzanne defined “Archival” as “worthy to be kept”. When she first got her job in 1996, there were boxes and boxes and no system of finding anything. Suzanne and her helpers created “finding tools” and they learned stories from the past as they did so. She told us, “You never know what you’ll find!”

Suzanne focuses on pre-1900’s because those papers are the most fragile.

She urged, “Read old court records when you have time.”

The court system in Tom Green County was established in 1875. One of the first judges reportedly said, “To Hell with the law, it’s justice we want.”

Suzanne can tell stories, and tell them well. She told of Judge Swain and how she learned to “take what is offered”. She called Judge Swain a “conspiracy theorist”. He believed that John Wilkes Booth had been an English teacher in Eden, Texas and had been killed by Jesse James in Enid, Oklahoma. X-rays showed broken bone in the dead man’s leg, substantiating the Judge’s suspicion.

Another note of mine, thanks to Suzanne, is the value of a name. Way back when, a goat rancher was selling, or trying to sell “Canned Boiled Mutton”.

She said he was more successful when he renamed his product “Chili Con Carne”.

Also interesting, at least to me, was some of the history of ranches in West Texas. The Tweety family had been tea-tasters in New York and came to Texas to ranch. At night in their tents, these educated people would write in

their diaries or write letters to the folks back home—preserving their stories with their ink.

Suzanne spoke of the Mexican Revolution and how everyone thinks they had a relative that fought for or against Poncho Villa.

Suzanne talked of how the old collections overlap and one collection is valued at half of a million dollars, which includes plats and architectural drawings. We all know that towns sprung up or died because of the railroad. She pinpointed Ballinger, and said that it was known as the “City on Wheels” because people were given city lots to move their houses to the town.

Another note, Suzanne told us to “be friendly, but don’t ask too many questions, because people will tell you more than you want to know.” Perhaps what I’m doing now.

A number of others also spoke during this meeting, and I took notes on what THEY said, too. I took numerous notes when Kleopatra Hidalgo from Howard College (San Angelo) spoke. She said Howard College is literally bursting

at the seams now, with nearly 3,000 students. If it weren’t so late, I’d tell you more.

The 2013 Texas Library Association Conference will be held in Fort Worth and celebrating its 100th Anniversary with the theme, “Promoting Our Values, Proving Our Worth”. One of the speakers will be J.R. Martinez who was hurt by a landmine in Iraq. Some of the past speakers that I’ve heard before are Julie Andrews, Dave Barry, Liz Carpenter, Isabelle Allende, Brad Meltzer, and Paula Poundstone.

I totally enjoyed Sandra Brown’s newest novel, Low Pressure; then I enjoyed Trust Your Eyes by Linwood Barclay EVEN MORE. I am now on page 92 of Harlan Coben’s Stay Close—another good one! Iris Johansen’s Sleep No More is on my desk, set to release next Tuesday. John Grisham’s The Racketeer and Debbie Macomber’s Angels at the Table are set for release on October 23rd.

The Colorado River flowed fast and high, as we crossed the bridges back to Ranger. Thank God for the rain and His bountiful blessings. Please take care, and as always…ENJOY READING!

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

8Treasure Hunters ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ October 2012 v5.65 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Treasure Hunters

, Jerry Eckhart

8

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

Spookiness does not always mean treasure..

Many treasure stories carry an element of unworldiness. Some are permeated with ideas that ghosts guard some treasures. Others say that spirits of those who hid the treasure abound around it. J.Frank Dobie recorded a number of these in his several books. Although he never claimed these stories to be true, he left the door open to speculation.

As that time of the year approaches when it is popular to glamorize the unworldly, I thought I might offer a few thoughts and experiences I have had in my fifty some years of treasure hunting. I want to emphasize right off the top that I don’t believe in ghosts.

In spite of that, I have had a fascination with collecting odd and unusual folklore that sometimes pertained to ghosts. Those who told these stories firmly believe in the supernatural from a ghostly standpoint. With that in mind, let me relate a few of the unexplained incidents that I have seen, or that folks in my family have seen.

I spent a lot of time treasure hunting in the desert of the American Southwest in the past. Sometimes, I was out alone, or far from my companions, when I had the strange feeling that someone was watching. I would look around and nothing would be there, not even a bird. Still the feeling would persist. It was so strong at times, that I would literally get goose bumps on my arms. At times, I quit searching and sought out my companions for mutual company.

I never figured out just what brought on this feeling, but in my historical research, I came upon tales which mirrored my own. I also learned that many of the legends of the southwest desert involved that of a parallel universe with doorways where one could travel from one dimension to another. These legends described the event as first beginning with a feeling of being watched, then, at a distance, the terrain would take on a shimmery look and distant objects would become indistinct. I saw a lot of places take on that appearance, but always attributed it to rising heat waves. I cannot logically explain it, but that feeling of being watched was all too real.

Back in the 1980’s, while living in Wichita Falls, I formed a crime scene search team from metal detector users in our club. One search we were involved in was that of searching a thick, brushy spot at the very edge of a residential area. This unoccupied spot was about halfway between the houses and an elementary school.

A little, 12-year-old boy had been waylaid by his stepfather and apparently murdered by him. Although the stepfather had not been charged at this point, he was the prime suspect. The boy’s body was found in a pool of blood right in the middle of this acre sized thicket. The police called us in to see if we could locate the murder weapon.

They had no idea as to how the boy’s throat had been cut.

There were six of us who assembled at the bloody spot where the child died. It was gruesome. The blood pool was about three feet in diameter, and had hardly soaked into the ground at all. We cordoned out lanes and began to search. Whenever something that appeared to have the potential for a weapon, the officers would claim and bag it.

This went on for about an hour as a number of sharp, jagged pieces of tin cans were found. Until forensics could test them, there was no telling. One of the treasure hunters and I worked farther away from the main group, until we came to an area where we suddenly stopped. It was September, and the temperature was still in the nineties, but when we entered a small clearing, the temperature dropped until it was almost cold. We stopped after a few steps into the clearing and looked at each other.

Both of us felt the unusual temperature change. John, who was more of a believer in the supernatural than I said, “There is either a body here, or this place was used for a Satanic ritual.

We stood there for a few minutes and looked around. The sky had clouded over, and it looked as if it were going to rain. We heard the officer call everyone to gather again. He thanked us and dismissed us, saying that they would test what we found and let us know.

Although we left, that uneasy feeling of walking into a cold spot stayed with John and I for days. I still cannot explain that eerie feeling. A few days later, they arrested the stepfather, who confessed the murder of the boy and turned over the murder weapon. It turned out to be his own pocket knife and he had carried the thing, with the boy’s blood still on it in his pocket all the time.

The following story, although incomplete covers some of the ideas our forefathers had about the spiritual world.

I found this is one of my late uncle’s notes. He was Robert O. Woodward and was a collector of interesting folklore as well. Here it is.

It is entitled, “Woodward Sagas, Great Grandmother Haycraft’s Spiritual World – as Remembered.” It is presented as it was written.

“In a child’s formative years there are numerous wild fancies of the brain that particularly attract the attention. One of the early years’ stories of this writer, as initially told by his mother, Nellie Essa Arnett Woodward, and remembered as a truism, was my mother’s grandmother’s concept of the hereafter and spiritual world. It was impressive when first

heard at the age of four or five years as it intertwined with many of the “boogerman” stories a child at that age is exposed to as a later arrival in a large family. It borders on superstition, mythology, magic and perhaps several other areas of imagination.

A story of this type would hardly have a place in a family history book if it had not been consistently repeated, and finally discovered in several mythology writings.

The mystery surrounding it is heightened by the discovery of these very similar realities when one asks ”From whence did Grandmother get the story?” A very simple, unlettered, western Illinois maiden who probably never attended school beyond the equivalent of seventh grade--her husband, however was supposedly an English Merchant Marine who jumped ship and reared a family in Pike County, Illinois.

Our mother elucidated upon this story to this writer’s recollection. It was also repeated to him by an uncle and several aunts in separate accounts some 800 miles removed from where my mother reared her family. If it were not for the intrigue of the story, the repetitious manner in which it was received and the relationship of the procreator, it would hardly have a place among the Woodward Sagas.

Mama would frequently tell us siblings of our kith and kin, and usually connect many of them with unusual events or happenings. The setting for these discourses could be many; sitting around the supper dishes still on the table, huddled around the wood burning stove in the front room on a cold winter night, or while chopping cotton which seemed to be a 45 day detestable annual job. The siblings would probably prompt her into Continued on page 12...

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Beautiful day at the flying field! Competitors and spectators alike lined up at the Seabee Park ARCS Flying Field for the 2012 Abilene R/C Society Chopper Madness Fun Fly. Flyers came from all over the southwest to compete and enjoy the exciting hobby of radio-control model aviation -- “R/C Flying!” The event featured helicopters from as small as palm-sized up to “90-sized” aircraft weighing over 10lbs.

Pictured here is the People’s Choice 1st Place Scale model Bell UH-1 “Huey” Helicopter.

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

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10Tumbleweed Smith ■

www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ October 2012 v5.65 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline Tumbleweed Smith

, Bob Lewis

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By Bob Lewis CHICKEN SCRATCH ART

Lonnie Edwards of Salado is an artist.

“Actually I’ve experienced practically every form of art there is,” he says, “paintings, photography, sculpture, pottery, and I do decorative metal pieces.”

He has chickens in a variety of colors. They run wild around his place. He doesn’t feed them.

“It’s healthier that way. Their natural diet of worms and bugs is better than chicken feed. That’s the reason I got those chickens in the first place, to improve my diet.”

Lonnie combines his artistic ability and his chickens to create colorful paintings using a different kind of brush.

“I have a little cage that I built. I stretch some canvas and put primer on it, lay the canvas in the cage and squirt some paint on it, then I’ll throw in three or four chickens and start playing some music. They walk all over that canvas and produce art.”

He has canvases of chicken art in several sizes.

“I can do a canvas three feet by seven feet if I wanted to. My cage is that big.”

Lonnie started his unique project three years ago when a newspaper reporter was doing an interview with him about his artistic ironwork.

“While the photographer was there, my chickens walked through the shop.

He asked me where I got all the colorful chickens. I told him I raised those chickens because I’ve always wanted to do chicken paintings. I said I probably never would do them and if any would get done, the chickens would have to do them. Well, he put that in the newspaper just like I said it.”

A man who owns a string of restaurants read the article and ordered ten

paintings to hang in his eating establishments. So Lonnie got busy and learned how to create chicken paintings. Soon he was producing them on a regular basis. So far he has sold forty-five of them. He says that helps pay for the chickens. His chicken art has brought more attention to him than anything else he’s done in the art field.

“Once I was running low on chickens so I borrowed three from my neighbor and put them in with my hens and that was a mistake. They fought. I really came out with some wild paintings that time. A lot of times they look like a Jackson Pollock but these looked like a Matisse.”

A video of his chickens creating the caged art is titled CHICK FLICK. A book of the chicken art is out now titled THE CLAW CAN DRAW. A reception was held to introduce it.

“We served deviled eggs.”

DON’T MESS WITH MY CORNCRIB

Thurman Ray Newkirk Senior of Sulphur Springs weighs only 122 pounds. He says that’s so he can move around good. Growing up around Pickton, he helped his daddy do farm work.

“He was a share cropper,” says Thurman. “We moved every single year. We went hunting and ate what we got. My daddy made a chore out of hunting. He’d give me so many shells and if I happened to miss, I had a shell or two short next time I went hunting.”

Making that ammo count made him a good shot with a rifle. When he was in the Army he got a three-day pass for being the best shooter in the company.

Thurman got his first bicycle in 1947 when he was fourteen years old.

“One day Daddy told us kids we were going to pick cotton. He told us he’d give us all the money we earned that day. We made us enough money

to buy us a bicycle. We went to the bicycle shop in Sulphur Springs in our wagon and team, picked one out and daddy put it in the bed of the wagon.

When we got home I took it out of the wagon and started riding it on these dirt roads. I really didn’t have to learn to balance. It just seemed natural to me. I put a lot of miles on that bicycle.”

Thurman can remove warts and witch for water, something he learned from his grandfather. He was at his grandfather’s house one morning when a man was stealing corn from a corncrib. He got his arm caught between the wooden boards.

“He was standing there with a tow sack on the ground. My granddaddy walked up to him and said ‘good morning. How you doin’.’ The guy said he wasn’t doing too good.”

Thurman and his grandfather went to do the morning chores: milk the cows, feed the chickens, hogs and horses. They went back to the thief and invited him in for breakfast. The man said he had his arm hung.

“Grandfather said, ‘O, I do see that you have your arm in my corncrib.

I want to know how many eggs you usually have for breakfast?’ The man said four. Granddaddy told me to go tell my grandmother to cook four extra eggs and put an extra plate of biscuits on. I took the message to my grandmother, then went back outside to see what was going to happen next.

“Granddaddy told the man, ‘let’s go to the house.’ The man said he couldn’t, that he had his arm hung.

We pried the boards apart so the guy could get loose. When he got free, he picked up his tow sack and said he would move on. Granddaddy said, ‘no you’re not. You’re gonna eat breakfast with us this morning. I want you to go wash up, you’re a little bloody.’ The man washed up and we had breakfast.

After the meal, granddaddy filled up the man’s tow sack with corn. He told the man ‘if I ever see your tracks on my farm again, I’ll kill you.’”

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11Growing Up Small Town

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■

, Continued...

The Taurus 100 .40 S&W comes in two styles - a Blued frame style and a Stainless Steel frame style.

Either style can be purchased with a 10-round capacity or an 11-round capacity, plus one in the chamber. (ie: 10+1 or 11+1) The Taurus 100 has a built-in Picatinny accessory rail for add-ons such as tactical flashlights or laser sights. I looked at some of these little gadgets over at the Abilene Indoor Shooting Range and I think the tactical flashlights are awesome and what guy could pass up a cool sci-fi laser sight?

Speaking of laser sights and accessories, did you know that you can buy a lot of gun stuff through Amazon.com??? That means you can get a Tom Clancy novel and a tactical green laser compact pistol sight all from the same place!

Mossberg FLEX 500/590 Shotgun For those of you who said that a shotgun was the best weapon of choice for home defense, let me just say that those suggestions did not go unheard.

I spoke to Mr. Lindley Clayton of Clayton’s Guns in Desdemona and he had some excellent advice for the gun buyer who is mostly interested in home defense. He pulled one of his pump-action shotguns off the shelf and said, “This is the best thing for home defense you can imagine...”

He then pumped the shotgun loading mechanism and it offered up an authoritative “Shick-shick!”

Mr. Clayton said, “All you have to do is pump it one time -- the bad guy knows what that sound is -- and believe me, in the dark...it’s gonna get their attention real good. If they have any brains at all they will get out of

there without you ever firing a shot!”

I have to admit, that would dang sure get my attention. So I have been looking at the Mossberg 500 Shotgun as another item to put on my wish list. And with my recent interest in tactical gadgetry, the FLEX versions of the Mossberg 500 and 590 Tactical Shotguns are really cool.

They feature a tool-less locking system with interchangeable stocks, foregrips, and barrels.

As quoted from GunsAmerica.com: “The Mossberg 500 and 590 series shotguns are the most popular shotguns on the planet. They come in every configuration and color you could imagine, and Mossberg has just introduced a new system called “FLEX” that allows you to make your 500 or 590 into any other configuration you want with no tools.

You just have to buy the parts, then they clip in based on a new attaching system. The buttstock, foregrip, and pistol grip can be swapped in and out with no effort at all. And as with all 500/590 guns, the barrel is easy to swap out. So you can go from a duck gun to a home defense gun in about 30 seconds, all on the same receiver.”

Next Issue: In the next issue, I hope to report on actually getting my hands on some of the firearms that I’ve been looking at. I hope to get in some range time at a shooting range but my time and money is on short supply. So if I can’t get it together for next month then I promise to come back with Part 3 as soon as possible.

Until then, happy shooting!

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12Treasure Hunters ■

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, Jerry Eckhart

these stories as it was not only an historical event, but also slowed down the laborious task at hand and made things seem easier.

Another setting could be when hoeing and weeding the garden which was also laborious and a competitor with the cotton chopping. Mama seemed to relish telling these family events as most of them was a trip back to her happy, more secure childhood days.

Grandmother Haycraft’s spiritual story could be easily set aside if it had not been repeated to this writer on several occasions, and also a partial verification of the concept is found in mythology writings. A second person to repeat her story was Uncle Otis Arnett in 1933.

I had driven my mother and father, two sisters and a nephew to Pike County Illinois to attend the funeral of Mammas’ youngest brother, Thomas Arnett when a short discussion between Mamma, Aunt Cora Godfrey and Aunt Fannie Hart was overheard. The topic was whether Tom’s spirit would take the form of Grandma Haycraft’s little people. Again, in 1946, when Pappa, Mamma, Teresa, Wayne, Nancy and myself spent Christmas in Pike County I heard the story again. The 1946 retelling will be recorded later, as it was

between the four Arnett sisters, as well as Teresa and I. Both of us were listening.

This was the heavy weight of all the stories. Further, the mythology writings adds another dimension to it.

Grandmother’s saga centered around a concept of life and activity after death.

It was not contemporary in that the soul leaves the body, ascends into heaven, and remains there unto joined by others.

In this story, the spirit never leaves the environs and friends known in life, but it exists as an invisible figurine some 12 to 14 inches tall. It can be seen by other figurines (spirits), can see everything about it, but cannot be seen by living people. It uses limited amounts of food and liquids, sleeps, talks to other spirits, is mischievous, provokes levity, and supposedly can often be heard laughing in some remote corner of the room. It wears a pointed witch type hood, its face is withered like a prune and its feet look like chicken feet. It lives on top of book cases, on upper moulding in rooms, or on bare rafters. It can jump from the floor to the ceiling, or across two or three rooms in one leap. Each one adopts one living person to protect, something like

■ Good

a guardian angel. Other spirits will do their utmost to intimidate or aggravate the other spirist protectorate, making them stumble, hit their finger with a hammer while driving a nail, make them burn their mouth because the coffee is too hot.

This is a source of laughter to the spirits.

They also do good things about the house or field like bring in wood or water, and perhaps wash windows. They sometimes do mischeivious things like letting the gate down so the cows get out at night.

Supposedly, they stay with their adoptee for life. (This sounds like the modern description of a poltergeist.)

This syndrome was very impressive to a four or five year old boy—these animal things you can’t even see and them being so ornery too. Increased evaluation would be made of dark places, booger holes, the dark outside and sleeping without your head being covered. In the early years it was even thought that if you would whirl around suddenly you might get a glimpse of one. An older brother and this writer had a stop put to this antic by our mother when we would bump or break fragile items in the room. Normally it would seem that a person could discount all this

as a wild story if it didn’t keep cropping up in the most unexpected places. It was almost put to bed, until an interest in genealogy and a desire to leave something about the family for posterity.

Grandmother’s spirit animal might be considered as a Teutonic spirit called the Kobold. There are many things that coincide for it to be disclaimed.”

Uncle Bob kind of stopped his story in midstream. I suppose he always meant to continue but for some reason never did. Family stories of these kind seem to prevail among the older generation.

Perhaps they were, as Uncle Bob implied, designed to frighten younger children into being good and to keep them out of mischief. They may have worked on me because I had a healthy fear of the dark until about ten years old.

To date, I have never found even one coin in places where there is supposed to a ghostly treasure. Nor, have I had any ghostly experiences other than the two I related in any of my treasure hunting escapades.

Send Comments to: treasure@mycounty-line.com

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

6 Reasons to Boost Your Financial Literacy What you don’t know about money can hurt you.

If you don’t know how to create a budget, fix a poor credit rating or invest in a 401(k) plan, you’re missing out on opportunities that improve your odds for financial stability and success.

Financial literacy—an understanding of credit, banking, savings and more—offers you the tools and information you need to improve your financial health and wellbeing. Here are just a few of the things that’ll be easier once you have it: (1) Establishing a budget. If you don’t know where all your money goes each month, you’re not alone. Find out how to create a budget and stick to it.

It’s a fundamental step in money management.

(2) Managing debt. Carrying some debt is normal, but too much debt can overwhelm your budget. Learn how to address your most expensive debt areas, particularly paying off high-interest credit cards.

(3) Buying a home. A home is the single biggest purchase most people make in their lifetimes. Find out how to save for a down payment, obtain financing and understand the details of a mortgage so you can make the best decision about this major investment.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offers information for potential buyers on its site.

(4) Saving money. Whether you’re 16 or 60, knowing the best ways to save money will help you achieve your goals. Learn about basic savings accounts, retirement accounts, and how to make compounding interest work for you. Start with basic banking tips from CNNMoney’s Money 101 series.

(5) Getting a loan. Whether you’re going back to school, buying a car or remodeling a room, you might need to take out a loan. How much can you really afford to borrow? Learn how your credit report has an impact on the availability and cost of a loan, and how to fit loan payments into your budget.

(6) Planning for emergencies. We’ve all been faced with expenses that can’t be put off―the car needs a new transmission or the plumbing needs more extensive work than you were expecting. Find out how to plan ahead for these unwelcome surprises and keep your budget intact.

Sources for Improving Your Financial Literacy Go online to find resources that can help boost your financial knowledge. MyMoney.gov, for example, offers basic financial information gathered from a wide array of sources.

Take a class or workshop about a financial topic that interests you, appropriate to your level of financial knowledge. State Farm® partners with programs around the country that promote financial education, including the State Farm Financial Literacy Lab at Florida International University.

Financial professionals are in the business of helping people manage their money. The National Association of Professional Financial Advisors can help you find a professional in your area.

Visit statefarm.com® to run the numbers. State Farm offers a variety of online financial calculators that can help you manage your money.

Comments: neighbors@mycounty-line.com

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Above: Pilots prep their aircraft before taking the field to show their stuff. From novice beginners to professional flight demonstration teams, you’re limited only by your enjoyment of the hobby!

Below: 2009 Las Vegas Master’s Class 2nd Place competitor, Jamie Robertson, demonstrates the unbelievable maneuverability of the sport’s most agile aerobatics.

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14Love Lessons Learned So Far

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■ Love Lessons Learned So Far , Vicki Stiefer

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By Vicki Stiefer

Gut Check on Key Roles in Marriage

My husband and I have some couple friends who are getting ready to tie the knot. After many congratulations they are starting their pre-marriage counseling. At a celebratory dinner the discussion turned to roles in marriage.

It turns out there is some confusion on what the roles of a husband and wife are in a marriage. A lot of people were giving the advice that marriage is a 50/50 partnership. I am sure that billions of couples swear by this particular percentage.

When I got married 3 out of 5 couples gave us this advice. The 50/50 percentage theory is flawed. If I only gave my husband and my household 50% , I would only get things halfway done. I might unload the dishwasher but not load it back. I would take the kids to football practice but not pick them up. What I am saying may sound crazy but just think about it. Now if my husband provided the other 50% he would come behind me and load the dishwasher and then pick up the kids from practice, but what about his duties within the household. They get neglected and vice versa.

What if a couple were to each give 100%? That sounds a whole lot better to me to get daily things done, but what about the big decisions? I know every woman has heard of the bible verse that says women are the weaker sex. Millions of women burned their bras and Helen Reddy sang, “I am woman...” to prove this verse wrong. The one thing all of these women were missing is that they are the weaker sex but it is not a bad thing. Women are to be celebrated! Men cannot live without us and the world as a whole needs the analytical feminine touch. So armed with what my husband and I know about roles in a marriage and the information our couple friends came up with, here are the roles in marriage that celebrate women and provide men with the strength they need to be successful.

Men need to do 3 things in their lives and in their marriage. First, they should provide. The basics are the first things that come to mind. A man should provide shelter, food and be the spiritual leader of the household. He should also be able to make serious decisions and be the wise referee to keep peace. Second, he should have recreation with and without his family. A man who cannot maintain friendships with other men has a serious problem. He needs a hobby and guy friends to relax with. Finally, for a man he needs to be able to please his wife and have the ability to communicate. He does not have to be Dr. Phil but he should be able to form a sentence. With these tools he will be successful and raise a positive God-fearing household. His wife and

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If a wife wants to receive the admiration of her husband and kids she also has 3 things that she can do that are integral. First for her, she should also provide. She should provide an inviting home life. A man doesn’t need stress at work and stress at home.

She can handle the food, the laundry, and organize the activities. Second, she should also have female friends and a hobby to help her relax. Lastly,

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she should also be able to please her man and communicate. Some women have a hard time being honest and just saying out loud what they want and need. Women have to learn to break this. If you do not ask for what you want then you will never get it.

It is always a good idea to keep God first and you will never go wrong.

Look over the big 3 listed above. Here is your gut check. Is there something more you could be bringing to your marriage?

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15Huddle Up! ■

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, Matt Swinney

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By Matt Swinney The Evolution Of A True Fan

What does it take to be a true sports fan? First, we need to find out what the definition of the word “fanatic” is, in the sports realm, which “fan” is short for.

According to Webster’s dictionary, the word “fanatic” is: marked by excessive enthusiasm and often intense uncritical devotion. Can a person be too much of a fanatic? Absolutely!! Recently, Kansas City Chiefs starting quarterback, Matt Cassel, was injured and was laying on the ground in a game against the Baltimore Ravens. He got hit in the head and had trouble standing. When the fans in the stands figured it out that he was injured, instead of being quiet and solemn, they were laughing and cheering that he got hurt. Is that what being a true fan is, happy that someone got hurt? I would really hope that’s not the case. In another example, in 2011, Bryan Stow, a paramedic, father of two and a huge San Francisco Giants fan, was attending a baseball game, where his favorite team, the San Francisco Giants were facing their rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers. On his way back to his car, he was attacked by two Dodger fans. He was beaten up so severely that he was placed in a medically induced coma. It’s an answered prayer that he survived the attack. These two examples aren’t what it means to be a true loyal fan.

There are many more examples that I could give you as to when fans go too far and are too out of control, but I want to give you ways to curb that behavior. This goes to all levels of competition, from T-ball all the way up to professional sports. Every parent of every kid that plays sports thinks that their kid will be the next Josh Hamilton, Tony Romo, or Dirk Nowitzki. But, the reality is that only a small percentage of kids will be pro athletes. Parents are the biggest fans for kids, but parents need to be supportive of their kid no matter if they do good or not do good.

They don’t need to berate their kids, no matter if it’s at home or in front of their teammates. Being a true fan starts at home. When you happen to attend a high school football game, make

sure you continue to be that true fan by cheering on your team, no matter if they’re winning or losing because the athletes appreciate the positive reinforcement. Also, if you happen to see them after the game with their head hanging down in shame because the outcome of the game didn’t go as planned, make sure you pat them on the back and tell them that they did a great job.

Finally, if we give these young athletes constant positive reinforcement, then they will grow up to be a true loyal fan.

If you see people around you saying insulting things to the athletes, tell them that they’re not being a true fan and that we need to build them up not knock them down.

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No matter which team you’re rooting for, you can create your own custom team sports apparel and accessories!

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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!

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HELP WANTED The County Line is looking for parttime, work from home sales person(s) to help expand our marketing and advertising sales territory.

Responsibilities will include making face-to-face sales calls and developing ongoing relationships with current and future advertisers and clients as well as participating in monthly billing and collections procedures and paper deliveries as needed.

Computer and Internet experience and access is required. Good reliable transportation, excellent phone and communication skills are highly beneficial. Sales experience is a plus but not required. Graphic Design experience is a plus.

Excellent opportunity for enthusiastic individuals and self-starters.

If you want to become part of the greatest little newspaper in Texas, then send your resume to: County Line PO Box 1156, Eastland TX 76448 -orVisit our website at: www.MyCounty-Line.com No phone calls please.

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18The County Line

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■ , Mike W. Norris The County Line Distribution Area

■ The

Puzzle-Club.com County Line Word Search

Published by Michael W. Norris d.b.a. Wolverine Design

ELECTION DAY IN AMERICA

P.O. Box 1156 Eastland, Texas 76448 http://www.MyCounty-Line.com info@mycounty-line.com

Get Out and Vote!!!

AMENDMENTS

FEDERALISM

POLICY

BILL OF RIGHTS

FILIBUSTER

PRESIDENT

BUREAUCRACY

IMPEACHMENT

REPUBLICAN

CABINET

INITIATIVE

RIDER

CITIZEN

ISSUES

CITY

JUDICIARY

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

COMPROMISE

LEGISLATORS

CONGRESS

LIBERAL

CONSERVATIVE

LOBBYING

CONSTITUTION

MAJORITY LEADER

COUNTY

MEDIA

DEMOCRAT

MINORITY LEADER

DISTRICT

PARTIES

ELECTIONS

PARTY PLATFORM

STATES SUPREME COURT TERM LIMITS VETO VOTE WHITE HOUSE

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Rising Star Community Page

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20This Week In Texas History

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■

, by Bartee Haile

This Week In Texas History

By Bartee Haile DIPLOMAT KIDNAPPING PUSHED U.S. TO BRINK OF WAR

The kidnapping of an American diplomat in Mexico on Oct. 19, 1919 pushed the nervous neighbors to the brink of war.

With 60,000 soldiers already deployed along the international border from Brownsville, Texas to San Diego, California, the United States was poised to invade.

The memory of Venustiano Carranza’s pro-German intrigues during the First World War was infuriatingly fresh, when the Mexican president suddenly moved to nationalize American oil holdings. A deep sense of betrayal coupled with the fear of losing precious petroleum created a groundswell of support for immediate intervention.

To make matters worse, Carranza appeared indifferent to the safety of U.S. citizens. Guerrillas loyal to Pancho Villa and ordinary bandits, impossible to tell apart in most cases, were robbing and killing Americans with frightening frequency in the strife-torn north.

Although Carranza would have been smart to cool it, he was more interested in impressing his own people than playing nice with the gringos. He deliberately insulted his American counterpart by preventing the passage of a resolution in the Mexican senate applauding the post-war peace crusade of Woodrow Wilson.

Ambassador Henry P. Fletcher recommended a strongly worded ultimatum to bring the Mexicans back to their senses, but the president rejected the bare-knuckle approach. He persisted in the belief that a hands-off policy of “watchful waiting” would eventually prove successful.

While Wilson watched and waited, military strategists proceeded with contingency plans for an invasion of Mexico designating El Paso, San Antonio and Galveston as bases of supply. Franklin D. Roosevelt, then assistant secretary of the navy, choreographed the role of the fleet in the seizure of the Tampico and Tuxpam oilfields, while Gov. William P. Hobby urged federalization of the Texas National Guard.

In the midst of these hectic preparations, the villistas launched a surprise attack against the government garrison at Juarez on the night of Jun. 14, 1919.

Many artillery rounds landed in El Paso causing extensive damage and killing several inhabitants.

The U.S. Army responded by sending 3,600 troops across the Rio Grande to engage the villistas. After routing the rebels and restoring order in Juarez, the Americans returned to Texas 24 hours later.

Congress gave the action a standing ovation and added that the chaotic conditions clearly called for more of the same. Rep. Claude Benton Hudspeth of El Paso claimed Carranza was too busy playing up to the German Kaiser to put down Pancho Villa and protect Americans.

Then on Oct. 19 William O. Jenkins, the consular agent at Puebla, was kidnapped by bandits and held for $150,000 ransom. U.S. officials demanded that the Mexican government secure his release by any means necessary, including coughing up the cash if it came to that.

In an ironic version of an identical policy Washington would adopt decades

later, the Carranza regime refused to meet the abductors’ demand on the grounds that to pay the ransom would only encourage more hostage taking.

Meanwhile, Jenkins bought his freedom with a small down payment and his personal IOU for the balance.

Instead of rejoicing at their good fortune, the Mexicans compounded their problem by arresting Jenkins for collusion with the kidnappers.

“I have sought to avoid coming to an open rupture, hoping that sense and decency would finally penetrate the thick skull of President Carranza,” secretary of state Robert Lansing told the Mexican ambassador. He warned the emissary in writing that his country was courting catastrophe.

But the Houston Post, echoing the editorial opinion of most American newspapers, expressed contempt for the kid-glove treatment. “The latest Lansing note to Mexico indicates that if Mexico doesn’t come to terms more quickly our government may put several hundred more typewriters in action. We will simply write Mexico’s life out of her.”

Day after day congressional leaders tried to gain access to Woodrow Wilson, bedridden since suffering

a stroke on Oct. 2, but could not get past the First Lady. Mrs. Wilson was determined to hide the truth that her husband was in no shape to run the republic.

Finally, on Dec. 5, 1919, two senators succeeded in seeing Wilson.

As they implored him to take a hard line against Mexico, the White House doctor burst into the room with the news Jenkins had been released.

The crisis passed overnight. In the confused aftermath, congress and the press reluctantly bowed to the presidential prerogative on foreign affairs, and President Wilson had succeeded in buying himself enough time to complete his crippled term.

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Above: Another pilot takes to the air...

Right: Jamie Robertson, 16yr old national “Masters Class” aerobatics competitor, walks back to the flight line after completing a high-speed demonstration flight. Video of the flight is on our Facebook @ http:// www.facebook.com/mycountyline.texas Below: Abilene’s own pilots come in small packages! ARCS member proves that he has nerves to hover his several-hundred-dollar pride and joy right down on the deck -- “trimming the grass” inverted!

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October Update

Hello everyone.

I used to like the month of October, leaves changing colors, the weather being cooler, the smell of pumpkin candles and decorating for Halloween. And I loved dressing up for Halloween. Me and Sherrie used to dress up alike. It was so cool when we got to do simple things. But now the month of October for the last three years hasn’t been that cool.

On October 1, 2012, I woke up with no nausea thinking it’s going to be a good day. I even did my hair and make-up, so you know I was feeling wonderful.

It was a typical day at work, somewhat busy but everything going smoothly and then it was time to go home. Monday, Wednesday and Friday I would work open to close so I am ready to head home. When I got home, I started feeling a little nauseous so I laid down on the couch.

Don’t laugh, but Mike watches “General Hospital” with me every night. We record it so when I get home he will come in the living room and watch it with me.

He’s so sweet.

After the show, I went to take a shower. When I got out of the shower, I was badly nauseated and I couldn’t breath. I called for Michael, but he was too far away from me in his room. I was finally able to make my way to his office and I told him I was going to bed.

When Sherrie got home, I called her into my room and told her something was wrong. She went and got Mike and I started throwing up again, this time I threw up blood. I couldn’t breath again and I was scared. Mike and Sherrie were scared, too and they called mom to come up from Carbon.

When mom got here, she helped me get cleaned up and get dressed. Mike was trying to coach me on my breathing and we drove up to the Eastland ER. We were there just long enough to decide to go on to Abilene. So we got back in the truck and headed to Hendricks.

On the way, I wasn’t sure if this was going to be my last evening with my family. How sick was I? When

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are we getting to Abilene?

After getting to the ER, everything is a blur. I remember waking up at some point and having a ventilator tube -- I was not a happy camper!

I didn’t know it, but I had suffered a heart attack.

I remember Mike telling me that I was going to be OK but I’m quite sure I believed him at the time.

Mike has the details of the story on his Facebook.

On the day they were going to release me from the hospital, Mike asked the nurse about my blood sugars. When they checked, it turned out to be over 700!!! No way!!!

They thought I was rejecting the pancreas and put me back on insulin.

I already lost the kidney and back on dialysis, just had a heart attack and now I might be loosing the pancreas. Don’t even ask me at this point what I’m feeling or what’s going on in my mind. Because I can tell you it’s not the Ruthie that you know.

We went to Dallas Transplant and they talked with us and ran some tests. It’s confirmed that I lost the pancreas. That news was just too emotional for me, everything is too emotional. I just want to cry and hide under my cover.

While all this was going on, I decided to resign from Goodwill. My health right now has me so worried and I believe the store needs a manager that can be there 100%. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done -- to turn in my keys. I loved my job.

Loved my customers...there are so many of ya’ll that I love to see and speak with. It was the best part of my job. And I also loved my coworkers. I’m going to miss all of it.

I’m getting tired of writing. I’ll let Mike continue this story if he wants. Thank you all for being there for me. My family and I appreciate all your phone calls, visits, cards, letters, thoughts and prayers.

Thank you all so much.

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In Sickness and In Health

Donations may be made to: Farmers & Merchants Bank

Ruth Norris Benefit Fund

930 East Main Eastland, TX 76448 (254) 629-3282

Donations can be made instantly via PayPal at:

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