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vol.5 Issue 56
In This Issue: Growing Up Small Town by Mike W. Norris
Texas Conservative by Chuck Norris
@Ranger Library
by Diana McCullough
Good Neighbors by Clint Coffee
Tumbleweed Smith by Bob Lewis
Featured Local Author “My Stories”
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Don’t Be Shy!
by Nell Files
Love Lessons
by Vicki Stiefer by Jerry Eckhart
The Breckenridge Wall Local Advertisers
Puzzle-Club Word Search
“ Valentine Poem”
Rising Star Bulletin Board Local Advertisers by Joellen Hodge
This Week In Texas History by Bartee Haile
From the Backside
by Henry J. Clevicepin
Ruthie’s Page
by Ruth Norris
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.
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, Mike W. Norris
Elementary Catechism on the Constitution of the United States By Arthur J. Stansbury, 1828 by Mike W. Norris
A catechism is a summary or exposition of doctrine, usually church doctrine. Catechisms are doctrinal manuals often in the form of questions followed by answers. This makes the answers easy to memorize. The following is a catechism of the Constitution of the United States which was used in the early 1830’s as a school textbook. It is now available over the Internet. The author provides the following preface: “That a people living under a free government which they have themselves originated should be well acquainted with the instrument which contains it, need not to be proved. Were the system very cumbrous and extensive, running into minute detail, and hard to be retained in the memory, even this would be no good reason why pains should not be taken to understand and to imprint it upon the mind; but when its principles are simple, its features plain and obvious, and its brevity surpassing all example, it is certainly a most reprehensible negligence to remain in ignorance of it. Yet how small a portion of the citizens of this Republic have even a tolerable acquaintance with their own Constitution. It has appeared to the author of the following sheets that this culpable want of acquaintance with what is of such deep interest to us all is to be traced to the omission of an important part of what ought to be in American education; that is the study of the civil institutions of our country. We prize of them it is true and are quite enough in the habit of boasting about them; would it not be well to teach their elements to those whose best inheritance they are? The following work has been prepared with a view to such an experiment. It is written expressly for the use of [young] boys, and it has been the aim and effort of the writer to bring down the subject completely to a level with their capacity to understand. Whether he has succeeded the trial must show. He has purposely avoided all abstruse questions, and has confined himself to a simple common sense explanation of each article. It is very possible some inaccuracies may be discovered and if that be the case they shall be carefully corrected should the work be so far approved as to reach another edition. In the meantime he cannot but indulge the hope that in laying this little offer upon the altar of our country he has rendered her an acceptable service.” ~ Arthur J. Stansbury
Texas
It’s Like a Whole Other Country. Question: is some government necessary in every country? Answer: certainly without it nobody would be safe not only our property but our lives would be in danger. Question: can not all the people of the country govern themselves? Answer: if every man was perfectly virtuous and knew what would be best for himself and others they might but that this is far from being the case and therefore the people of every country are and must be governed. Question: how is this done? Answer: laws are made which all must obey; whoever disobeys them is punished. Question: who makes these laws? Answer: they are made in different ways under different governments. In some countries a single man makes the laws according to his own pleasure...but where a single man may make what laws he pleases and all the rest must obey him the people are no better than slaves. Question: why do they obey him? Answer: because he has an army of soldiers whom he pays and who force the people to obedience. Question: can not they raise an army also and resist him? Answer: this has sometimes been done and after much bloodshed and confusion the people have
partially succeeded but they have more frequently failed and then they were more oppressed then before. Question: how is this country governed? Answer: it is a Republic and is governed by persons whom the people choose from time to time to make the laws. Question: was it always a Republic? Answer: no, the states were formerly Colonies. Question: what do you mean by Colonies? Answer: when a part of the people of a nation remove to some distant place where they settle but still continue to be governed by the nation from which they came out, these new settlements are called Colonies. Question: by what nation where the American Colonies governed? Answer: by Great Britain, and long after they had settled here they continued to be governed by laws which were made in England. Question: were these laws good and wise? Answer: many of them were but afterwards very unwise and unjust laws were made and such as threatened to destroy all liberty in the Colonies. Question: what did the colony’s do then? Answer: they made complaints and reasoned for a long time with Great Britain trying to persuade Continued on page 10...
Question: in what country do we live? Answer: in the United States of America. Question: why is this country called the United States? Answer: because it is made up of a number of states which were once separate but afterward agreed to unite together. Question: what do you mean by a state? Answer: I mean any district of country whose people are all under one government. Question: had then the different states which united together each a government of its own? Answer: yes, but they agreed to put themselves all under one general government. Question: why did they do this? Answer: because it would promote to their general welfare. Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
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, Chuck Norris - The Man
10 Questions To Find Our Next President By Chuck Norris
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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.
Whom should we nominate to represent the GOP in a fight against President Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election? I believe the name of the candidate that fills the majority of the answers in the following 10 questions (in no particular order of importance) deserves your vote. Based upon the GOP candidates’ character and track records:
of men. Samuel Adams was correct when he wrote in a 1749 essay, “Neither the wisest constitution nor the wisest laws will secure the liberty and happiness of a people whose manners are universally corrupt.” Temptations are abundant when power is combined with position, and none is greater than the presidency. That is why it is mandatory that the next occupant of the White House demonstrate a life mastery over himself and the wiles of evil and corruption. That doesn’t mean the next president must be perfect, but he must be a moral model and have the ability to admit faults and learn from mistakes. I believe what George Washington said: “A good moral character is the first essential in a man.” But I also believe this Washington quote: “We must take human nature as we find it. Perfection falls not to the share of mortals.” Character is a pre-eminent qualification for leadership, but we must never penalize one’s past in such a way that prevents him from progressing forward into a forgiven and fruitful future; lest we forget, some of the greatest national leaders in human history, such as King David of Israel, committed heinous acts of immorality. Indeed, the real dilemma for many regarding this race for the GOP nomination is discerning whether to choose the unblemished and relatively inexperienced youthful 6) Who has clear and present shepherd in the field or the veteran of war who battled Goliath long ago moral fortitude? For our Founding Fathers, moral but slung mud on his own face when fortitude was dependent upon the doing so. liberties of religion, not the laws 5) Who has the best chance
parallels one’s proficiency to lead. As the adage goes, if one doesn’t know history, he is doomed to repeat its mistakes. Knowledge of other nations is essential, too, as it will determine how the next president moves 10) Who is most committed to follow and lead by the U.S. America’s chess pieces on a global Constitution? scale. It’s one thing to take the presidential oath of office, but who has the 7) Who has the best ability to strongest track record of citing and standing by the Constitution? influence a volatile world away James Madison, America’s fourth president and regarded as the “Father from the brink of destruction? of the Constitution,” explained: “The aim of every political constitution is, These are dangerous times. or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to Mexican cartels are clashing at discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of the society; and our borders. Global terrorists have in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them taken their jihad to the borderless virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.” Internet. China has become the new Strictly following the Constitution includes restoring the 10th Amendment superpower. Global markets are balance of power to our states and shifting solutions away from an “only bouncing up and down. The Arab government” savior (to which Obama committed early in his presidency) Spring has sprung unrest across to encouraging local communities, agencies and neighborhoods across our the Middle East. Syria is in utter nation to rally together, strategize and resurrect the golden rule in caring for turmoil. Egypt, Libya and now North Korea have unclear futures. Iran is their own, just as it was done in America’s heyday. determined to add nuclear energy to 9) Who has the greatest ability to rally, unify and mobilize its arsenal, heightening its strained citizens across political and societal spectrums? relations with the West. America Everything rises or falls on leadership, and it’s the quintessential necessity is still in a war with extremists in our next president because of the increasing political and social divisions in Afghanistan. We’re also in a new warless battle to quell violent (including class warfare) across our land and around our world. I believe our country was duped to interpret our current president’s uprisings back in Iraq. Now is not the time for a political charisma as leadership ability. Pitting political parties and polarizing social classes against one another isn’t leadership. America’s woes have been novice, wimp or sheepish patriot exacerbated by Obama’s inexperience and lack of executive leadership, in the Oval Office. More than ever, we need a profoundly wise person and our world also is suffering from it. Thomas Jefferson, who moved More than ever, we need a new president who has a proven track record to like along a flailing new republic while rally a team of Washington rivals, as well as a diversified American public maneuvering a war with Tripoli, or and world. As I’ve written extensively in a previous article, I firmly believe like Ronald Reagan, was savvy that the candidate who extends a public invitation to all his GOP rivals to and tough enough towho build the be a part of the same administration (to fight together) could start a chain economy while toppling the up Soviet reaction leading to his nomination and election. Union and the Berlin Wall.
8) Who has the best working comprehension of America?
John Adams, America’s second president, said, “I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy.” I believe a mastery of American history and politics is a must for any president, for it is a record of how others have led the country since its founding. The degree to which one comprehends America’s ebbs and flows
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, Chuck Norris - The Man
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of beating President Obama, in Absolutely not. To be sure, one more than $15 trillion -- and during solvency comes primarily from the man’s “insider” is another man’s which time the unemployment rate, former and growth from the latter. and outside of debates? “expert.” As Robert Frost once said, “you can be a rank insider as well as a rank outsider.” Though having a presidential “outsider” win the White House has its appeal, where does U.S. capital inexperience cross over to ineptness? And aren’t most Washington “outsiders” at least somewhat restricted by their inexperience and unfamiliarity of the vast web of Washington workings? Longevity in Washington has a tendency to create bad politicians, but we must remember that it also has the ability to refine its good ones. What’s critical here is that the next president has not only a great working knowledge of Washington but also superior experience in getting things done there. Without that, he will spend a large part of the first term in office just learning the ropes and spinning his Washington 4) Who has the best abilities wheels mastering the maze.
Providing the best and worthiest contender to enter the ring against Obama is critical because four more years of his reign certainly would bring the kiss of death to so much that we have held dear. It is imperative that Obama’s GOP rival be very polished and articulate, possess a comprehensive knowledge of America and the world, including societal and political ills and historical solutions, and be able to recall quickly Obama’s failed solutions and promises. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “I should consider the speeches of Livy, Sallust, and Tacitus, as preeminent specimens of logic, taste, and that sententious brevity which, using not a word to spare, leaves not a moment for inattention to the hearer. Amplification is the vice of modern oratory.”
to lead Washington politics and 3) Who has the best plan and politicians? leadership ability to restore Leading in Washington is unlike America’s economy?
leading in any other setting, political or otherwise. That is why I believe we need to be careful how we throw around the pejorative term “insider.” Is all Washington experience negative “insider” politics?
It’s only half the battle that America’s next president has a better economic plan than other candidates and the current administration, under whom the national debt has almost doubled at twice the speed than it did under President George W. Bush -- to
though better than a year ago, has remained at a recession-level 8.5 percent (up from 7.8 percent when Obama took office). The other half of the economic battle for the next president is that he must have much greater leadership skills to have his economic plan be accepted and come to fruition, especially in the midst of partisan polarities. I agree with William Cheney, chief economist at John Hancock Financial Services. He recently criticized the White House, saying it has “often failed to lead with enough vigor to overcome political obstacles.”
2) Who is the most fiscally prudent?
This question is related to the previous one, but I believe it deserves solo attention because of the escalating crisis of our national debt and spending. America is drowning in debt, and Washington is on a runaway spending spree. And President Obama wants to increase the national debt ceiling by another trillion dollars? As George Washington said, “to contract new debts is not the way to pay old ones.” And as Jefferson said, “the principle of spending money to be paid by posterity, under the name of funding, is but swindling futurity on a large scale.” During his first campaign, even Obama himself called that type of fiscal management “irresponsible” and “unpatriotic.” We need to ask, Which candidate has the best track record for making fiscally prudent decisions, cutting what needs to be cut and (re) allocating investments to bring about the greatest yields? It’s one thing to know what to cut but quite another to know where to invest, for
Our next president has to have a great track record for both.
1) Who has demonstrated the highest regard for human life?
Our president leads more than a nation; he leads one of the largest masses of human beings on the planet, and he also has influence over the remaining global majority. Therefore, it is imperative that he has an impeccably high view and value of humanity. The Declaration of Independence affirms the value and rights of “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” for all human beings -something further secured in our Bill of Rights. How one values human life is reflected in one’s adherence to America’s founding tenets, as well as how one has treated others and where he stands on such issues as abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, euthanasia, civil rights and capital punishment. As Jefferson so eloquently put it, “the care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only legitimate object of good government.” And therefore, it is the first and only legitimate object of good leadership, too. For further study of where each GOP candidate stands on these and other critical issues, check out the Family Research Council’s voter guide. 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.
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, Diana McCullough
A Mystery, a Miracle, and a Surprise By Diana McCullough
Tonight I want to tell you about a Mystery, a Miracle, and a Surprise. First, the Mystery…. Last week, a lady by the name of Sandra Thomas called our library. Mrs. Thomas is writing a book, which will mostly be pictures, about the Texas Rangers. She grew up in Eagle Pass, Texas and so did Zeno Smith—the “last of the black hat” Texas Rangers—so she has a special interest in this historical character. When she googled Zeno Smith, she found US. Does anyone know why? I didn’t have a clue, but I was polite. Back on July 9, 1999, Ranger College dedicated the little Memorial Park at the Main and Austin Street intersection (you know—where the gazebo is) to Zeno B. Smith. Mrs. Thomas read a document to me, and in it Linda Wells is given credit; unfortunately, Linda Wells is no longer with us, and her knowledge may very well have gone with her to the grave. Does anyone know WHY Texas Ranger Zeno Smith was honored in Ranger, Texas? I think it’s a fair question! I also think the REASON could be etched into that stone in that rock flowerbed, simply because he was the “last of the black hats”. Please call the library (254/647-1880) if you can provide a clue to solving this mystery for Sandra Thomas. Mysteries are popular at our library. Next I want to tell you about a Miracle… For about the last two or three months, a young mama had been telling me about the Christmas trip her extended family had planned. She and her husband and her baby daughter had tickets to fly to California from Dallas/ Fort Worth (DFW) Airport. Oh that mama was so excited! Transportation WAS an issue but the young mama and her young husband had it figured out, or so they thought. Man plans, God laughs, you know. On the morning of their departure, the young mama walked over to the library and gave me a big goodbye hug—we were BOTH excited about their 4:30 flight! At about 3:30, the young mama returned to the library, in tears. There’d been a bad wreck on Ranger Hill and their transportation plans had fallen through. Her uncle had made another flight arrangement, delaying their flight until 7:30. I looked at the clock, and I, ever the optimistic one, thought, “No way.” Mathematically, I didn’t think it was possible to make the trip to DFW, during rush hour, with Ranger Hill and Interstate 20 blocked, make it through Airport Security, and catch a 7:30 plane when you HAD NO CAR TO GET THERE! So… I looked out the glass door of our library, and thought fast. I took the young mama’s hand, sat her down on the loveseat, and prayed for a miracle. It was a short, concise prayer. Then I sent the young mama on her way and picked up the phone and made a call. Yes, I was in total agreement with the husband—I could SEE the clock! But the wife, she is an ANGEL, and she told her husband, “We’ve got to TRY.” They loaded the baby in her carseat and went the back way through Strawn, down 207. They did not speed. Traffic was not horrendous. They did not know what terminal or gate to go to. But their flight was DELAYED, and they made it! And they had a WONDERFUL trip! I reminded the young mama when she came back to the library, a week later, that we had prayed
for a miracle and we had RECEIVED a miracle and that she ought to thank God AND her Angel. Now for the Surprise! Many, many of our readers have read “The Color of Law” (a title I thought stupid until I read the book—what color do YOU think the law is?) and the other works by Mark Giminez. Besides The Color of Law, Mark has written “Abduction”, “The Perk”, “The Common Lawyer” (which was supposed to have been titled “The Privilege” which would have been a more apt name) and lastly, “The Accused”. The last THREE titles have not been available in the USA although the author only lives about an hour east of us--a little ocean does NOT keep us from the books that we REALLY want! Yesterday I ordered four copies (three for the library) of his newest, “The Governor’s Wife” from The Book Depository, $15.10 each (which is a GREAT price) and no shipping or sales tax charges. I am delighted! I don’t remember the details about this newest book and I wonder how long it’ll take
to arrive; but his NEXT book, the one he’s working on now? He told me that it will be about a University of Texas Law Professor who teaches Karate and rides a Harley. He said, think “Indiana Jones goes to Law School.” Something ELSE to look forward to! 2012 is HERE. I’ll close with a couple of quotes from the 2011 calendar. “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” And “The most important thing about a goal is having one.” Please take care, and as always…ENJOY READING!
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Neighbors, Clint Coffee CLU ChFC State Farm Insurance® Agent
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Sharing the Moments of Life
Families share the moments of life. Moving into your first home. Picking up your son from school. Walking your daughter down the aisle. But, what if something were to happen to a member of your family? You or your spouse. Would you be able to pay the bills? Your family’s other provider. Who would care for your family? Your children. How would you cover their future needs? Life insurance can help you protect the most important people in your life – your family. Family term insurance can help you provide protection for your entire family under a single policy. Now, getting that life insurance coverage has never been easier or more affordable. You can save on premiums, while everyone gets the coverage they need. Initially, term life insurance may fit your ■ Announcement
family needs. You and your spouse can purchase term insurance and pay the same low premium for the term of the policy. As your life circumstances change, you and your spouse have the opportunity to convert your coverage to permanent insurance that may last as long as you live. Optional coverages or riders to help protect other members of your family may be available. Instead of dealing with separate policies, you can get life coverage for your whole family with just one policy. And, the cost of the riders is more affordable than purchasing separate policies for each family member. When sharing the moments of life, it’s comforting to know your whole family is protected. Talk with an insurance professional to help ensure you have the coverage you need and the protection your family deserves. Send Comments to: neighbors@mycounty-line.com
of Upcoming Event, from Eastland County Museum
Work Progressing In Anticipation of Room. A walk through of the rooms County Museum was done in preparation of the February 1 event and everyone was pleased most Opening February 1 With Ribbon rooms were still in great shape. Most just Cutting, Marker Dedication needed a good dusting after the museum had been closed for several months. Board members and volunteers have been working steadily to prepare the Representatives of the following rooms Eastland County Museum for a Grand are still needed: Olden, Morton Valley, ReOpening Ribbon Cutting and Historic Carbon, Long Branch, Gorman, Kokomo, Marker Dedication on February 1. Desdemona. “We’re extremely excited to get the Museum reopened to the public,” said Anne Zoellick museum board member, “it’s been hard work reorganizing the museum basically from the ground up.”
Board members and volunteers will continue working on the museum each Thursday evening at 6 p.m. and Saturdays beginning at 8 a.m. If you would like to help just drop by!
Board members began late last summer The Eastland County Museum is a non moving everything out of the main floor profit charitable organization as designated area in order to clean and redesign the by IRS code 501(c)(3) and operates only exhibits. on generous donations which are tax deductible. For more information check A meeting was held a few weeks ago out and like us on Facebook at Eastland with volunteers who were involved County Museum & Historical Society, or with the Community Rooms exhibits email to eastlandcountymuseum@yahoo. on the 2nd floor of the museum. Rooms com. Our mailing address is P.O. Box represented were the Eastland, Cisco, 1546, Eastland, TX 76448. Ranger, Colony and Alameda/Cheaney Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
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Baylor University Medical Center & Dallas Transplant Institute Annual Transplant Survivors Reunion 2011 -- Ruthie attended her first transplant
patient reunion last year in Dallas. She had her transplant surgery on January 7th, 2011. Ruthie received a kidney and a pancreas from a 17yr-old female donor who died of a brain hemorrhage. To our knowledge, the donor family lives in the Dallas area. January 2012 marks the first anniversary of her gift of life and Ruthie has not had to endure any dialysis treatments or had to take any insulin shots to control her blood glucose for an entire year!!! Pictured below are the Kidney and Pancreas transplant recipients who attended the 2011 reunion.
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10Growing Up Small Town
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, Continued...
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her to act more justly. state are made by the Congress of the their own business so often and so long equally rich and rare? without having the loss in some measure Question: they Great Britain listen United States. In the next place, remember that this to their complaints in repeal those bad Question: do the members of the made up to them, the Constitution says precious Constitution, thus wise, thus laws? Congress of the United States all meet that they shall be allowed a compensation just, is your birth-right. It has been earned to be ascertained by law and paid out of for you by your fathers, who counselled Answer: no, instead they sent over ships together in one assembly when they the treasury of the United States. make laws? much, labored long, and shed their dearest and soldiers to force us to obey them. blood, to win it for their children. To Answer: no they meet in two separate Question: and did we obey? assemblies one of which is called The Skipping around a bit we find the them, it was the fruit of toil and danger Answer: no; the people of the colony’s Senate and the other is called The House following: -- to you, it is a gift. Do not slight it on consulted with each other what was to be Of Representatives. that account, but prize it as you ought. It Question: it is said that no laws can is yours, no human power can deprive you done and at length took up arms, raised Question: who choose the persons be made for the United States except of it, but your own folly and wickedness. its armies as they could, and carried on a war against the hold power of Great who shall be members of The House Of by Congress; may Congress make any To undervalue this gift, is one of the surest laws they please? Britain. With the aid of France they Representatives? ways to lose it. Take pains to know what forced the British armies to lay down Answer: the people of all the different Answer: no; their power is limited by the Constitution is -- the more you study, their arms and surrender and at length, states because the laws of Congress the constitution. That is they have no the higher you will esteem it. The better compelled Great Britain to acknowledge concern all the states and must be obeyed power except what the Constitution says you understand your own rights, the more their independence. by all the people of this Republic. they have. It must always be remembered likely you will be to preserve and guard Question: what do you mean by Question: how is it determined who that the States, when they united to form them. the general government, had full power that? may and who may not choose them? And in the last place, my beloved young to govern themselves and that they gave Answer: I mean that she was compelled Answer: by the laws of each state; up only a part of their power. Whatever countrymen, your country’s hope, her to consent that all those Colonies which whoever is allowed to choose the power is not given by the Constitution treasure, and one day to be her pride and had before been governed by the laws members of the legislature of any state is to the general government still belongs her defense; remember that a constitution made for them by Great Britain, should also allowed by the constitution to choose either to the state governments or to the which gives to the people so much freedom, and entrusts them with so much after that have liberty to make laws for members of The House Of Representatives people of the United States. power, rests for its permanency, on their themselves and obey her no more. of the United States; each state acts as knowledge and virtue. An ignorant people it thinks best. This choice is called an Question: when we speak of this war are easily betrayed, and a wicked people Election. Skipping to the concluding remarks: what would we call it? Question: when a person is chosen “And now my young friends, having can never be ruled by the mild influence Answer: we call it the American to be a member of the House Of gone through a short, and I hope, clear of their own laws. If you would be free Revolution. Representatives how long does he and intelligible view of this Constitution, -- if you would see your country grow Question: what do you mean by a continue so? I have a few parting words to say to each in all that constitutes true greatness -cultivate knowledge -- flee from vice. The revolution? of you. Answer: for two years. virtuous citizen is the true noble. He who Answer: a revolution means some great In the first place, consider how happy enlightens his understanding -- controls Question: when the two years have change of government and we are ever and how highly favored is our country, his passions -- feels for his country’s to remember ours with ardent gratitude expired may he be chosen again? in having a system of government so honor -- rejoices in her prosperity -- steps to God for so great a blessing and with Answer: yes. wisely calculated to secure the life, forth to aid her in the hour of danger -lasting love and reverence for those good, Question: who choose to members of liberty, and happiness of all its citizens. devotes to her advancement the fruits of wise and brave men who went through the Senate of the United States? Had you lived or travelled in other parts his mind, and consecrates to her cause, his such dangers and sufferings that their of the world, you would be much more time, his property, and his noblest powers, Answer: the legislature of each state country might be free. sensible of this, than you can possibly be such a man is one of God’s nobility; he chooses the senators for that state. Question: what was the change Question: how many senators may without such an opportunity of comparing needs neither riband, nor star; his country produced by the Revolution? our lot with that of others. But, as your knows and remembers his name; nor there be? reading increases, particularly in history could any title add to its honor, or to his Answer: the different Colonies became Answer: two from each state. and in travels, you will be able to form reward. each a free state having power to govern Question: when a citizen is chosen a more just estimate of what you enjoy. itself in any way it should think proper. We have seen such men among us; we Question: had not one state any by the legislature of his own state to be When you read of the oppression which hope to see many more. And though the a member of the Senate of the United has been, and still is exercised even in the power over the other? States how long does he continue such? most enlightened countries of Europe; glory of giving to their country such a Answer: none at all -- and the several under absolute monarchs, a proud and Constitution as this, is what none but they Answer: for six years. states might have remained entirely haughty nobility -- a worldly, selfish, have been so blessed as to enjoy, yet you Question: are all the senators chosen and ambitious preisthood -- a vast and succeed to a task, but one degree removed distinct countries as much as France and at the same time as members of the rapacious standing army, and a host of from it, that of preserving what they have Spain. greedy officers of government; and then committed to your virtue, unsullied and Question: you say that in our House Of Representatives are? Answer: no, only one 3rd are chosen turn your eyes on your own happy home, unimpaired.” ~Arthur J. Stansbury Republic the laws are made by certain persons whom the people choose for at once -- two years afterward another a land where none of these evils has any We used to teach these things in our that purpose; who make the laws in our third is chosen -- and two years after that place -- where the people first make the another third, so that every two years one laws and then obey them -- where they can classrooms. Are we not capable of Republic? finding our way back to this level of Answer: the laws which concern only third part of the senators go out of office. be oppressed by none, but where every reverence for our Constitution? What Question: do the members of man’s person, property, and privileges are would our Founding Fathers do if they one of the states are made by those person’s chosen by the people of that state Congress receive anything for doing surrounded by the law, and sacred from were here with us today? Imagine George every thing but justice and the public Washington, Sam Adams, Thomas and when met are called the legislature, the business of the public? the general assembly or the general court Answer: their chief and best reward good; how can you be sufficiently grateful Jefferson or Benjamin Franklin addressing of that particular state. But laws which is the honor of serving their country but to a beneficent Providence, which has your local school board. What would be ~mwnorris concern all the states or more than one as many of them cannot afford to leave thus endowed our country with blessings their advice? 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 ~ January 2012 v5.56 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline
, Bob Lewis
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Art From McDonald’s Hamburgers By Bob Lewis
Ben Campbell calls himself eccentric and tries to live up to that description. He finished his studies at the University of Texas of the Permian Basin a couple of years ago and in the process distinguished himself as the most unusual person on campus. Once he walked around completely covered in tinfoil. He went to class, the library, snack bar, everywhere completely wrapped up in the shiny material. When he checked out a book from the library, the person behind the desk made him show his face to make sure it matched his student ID card. Another time he covered a huge plaza area with about fifty student bodies to form the outline of his face. He had photographers take pictures of it. Get the idea? Ben Campbell does interesting things. He recently had the first showing of his latest traveling exhibit. It took place in the lobby of the gymnasium at Sands High School in Ackerly, just around the corner from where he lives. Another show is scheduled for Lubbock in early February. I’ve never seen anything like it. He bought hundreds of dollars’ worth of McDonald’s hamburgers and French fries, ground them up in a food processor, added some epoxy and used the resulting material to make exceptional sculptures. One is a complete lifesize skeleton, accurate in every detail, including the teeth. It’s for sale at $20,000. See Ben’s work at www.beneverywhere.net. “Mummies and pyramids are very iconic of Egypt,” says Ben. “McDonald’s is iconic of the United States. I want people to see beauty in this kind of messed up situation we’re in and laugh at it. If we don’t laugh at ourselves it’s up to future generations to laugh at our mistakes.” He dried out the food at a low temperature for about two days, then added a clear boat epoxy and poured the material into a rubber mold he made. The result is a McDonald’s Mummy that he says should last for a thousand years. “I used all the stuff that comes in the McDouble hamburger: pickles, onions, mustard, bun and everything, but I ordered them without cheese.” Ben has created abstract oil paintings featuring the McDonald arches and images of hamburgers that start out at $5,000 for serious collectors. He has other paintings in the $200 price range. In 2010, he took a regular McDonald hamburger and a small order of fries and put them in a glass case. Today they look the same as when he put them there. The price tag on those is just $50. “If McDonald’s food is left in a dry situation, it will not deteriorate.” He just used the food for now, but later he plans to make a sarcophagus (coffin
for a mummy) of the paper and cardboard containers that accompanied the hamburgers and fries. The name of his show is TOMB OF THE MCMUMMIES. It includes skeleton heads ($650). “It took quite a bit of research to figure out how to work with the food,” says Ben. “And of course I had to keep my dogs away.” LIVE PERFORMANCE VERSUS VIDEO GAMES
I attended a performance of the Nutcracker Ballet over the holidays and enjoyed it thoroughly. The musicians in the symphony orchestra played the familiar music to perfection and the dancers were at their absolute peak. The sets and costumes were spectacular. Hundreds of people were involved in getting the show on stage, something most of the audience knew and appreciated. It was an interesting audience in my town’s high school auditorium. Along with people dressed for the occasion in sequins and holiday wear, there were cowboy hats, baseball caps, lots of jeans and boots. I sat behind half a dozen teenagers appropriately dressed in slacks and dress shirts. There is no narration in Nutcracker. It is a simple story of a girl falling asleep after admiring her Christmas gift of a nutcracker. In her dream, she and a prince charming go to the land of sweets and experience all sorts of wonderful, seasonal delights. The dancers were able to communicate the story without words. The young people sitting in front of me may not have read the Nutcracker story in the program. Perhaps it was the first time they had seen a live performance audience than theatergoers. Age doesn’t of any type. They were attentive and well matter, as evidence d by Alec Baldwin behaved for the most part, but on occasion getting kicked off an airplane because he they giggled and snorted and let off steam refused to stop playing a game on his ipad. by an over abundance of applause and Passionate players are all over the place. vocal appreciation. My wife Susan is hooked on Angry Birds. Can’t blame them too much. They are She learned to play the game from our members of the video game generation eight-year-old grandsons. It is addictive. and are accustomed to getting their Video games help inspire confidence entertainment by manipulating figures on in working with any type of electronics. a device with a small screen. They are Players are usually excellent on computers, playing a game that has no story line, cameras, cell phones, recorders and just the goal of a high score they try to everything from GPS systems in vehicles reach. I salute their parents or teachers or to home alarm systems. The high school whoever suggested they go to the ballet. and college-age kids today are staying They learned some things about culture up with technology, something prior and how to be respectful in a theater or generations find difficult to do. So auditorium. I don’t know how meaningful many things came so fast it’s practically the experience was for them, but I doubt impossible to keep up. Some adults keep they will forget seeing the outstanding buying electronics they hope to be able to dancers, musicians, sets, costumes, props use someday. and the audience‘s enthusiasm about just being there. Video games probably have a larger Send Comments to: tumbleweed@mycounty-line.com Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
12Featured Local Author
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12
A Special Love
About the author- Since she was a young girl, Nell Files has been writing stories with charming country flavor. She grew up on a farm in Carbon, Texas, only a few miles from where she and her husband now live. They have two children and seven grandchildren. By Nell Files of Carbon, Texas
The paper in my hand shook until I could hardly see the address written on it. I wished with all my heart that I could go back to my car and drive home and that everything would be as it had been three months ago. But I knew I could not go back. My only hope was here. I had traveled for two hundred miles trying to sort things out in my mind every mile of the way. Now I had reached my destination. The huge veterans’ hospital sprawled everywhere. As I started toward the entrance, I kept thinking that the whole mess was my fault. I asked for it all. I was not a kid. I was twentytwo years old and I knew better. I had fallen in love with a man I hardly knew and yet, for the life of me, I could not be sorry. Things were bad now but I still had a memory of being with the man I loved for two weeks. It had all started at the office where I had worked for two years. My boss had a nephew who was home on leave from the Army and we met there in the office on his second day home. His name was Jim and although he was not the pictured Prince Charming I had dreamed of, there was certainly that special something about him. He was not good looking, maybe ugly to some since his nose had been broken and healed crooked and he had a scar on his lip and one over his right eye. Jim and I saw each other every night and at lunch and on every coffee break I had for a week. Then he asked me to marry him and I said, “Yes!” He told me because of Army red tape we would marry secretly and later when he reached his new Post, he would send for me and we could announce our marriage. He asked a friend to arrange for a license and the same friend married us. I took my two-week’s vacation and we left for the Texas coast where I spent the best two weeks of my life. I came home and went back to work, a very happy woman that could not share her secret with even a close friend. I could hardly wait until I received his first letter. It came in a few weeks and he wrote that he did not think I would be able to join him for a while due to housing problems. I was disappointed because I wanted to be with him more than
anything. I answered his letter and tried to convince him that I could live in a one-room apartment, or share one with another couple if I could just be with him. Finally, another letter came and he said he had been placed on a special assignment and I could not come and join him for six months. He was very sorry and did not see how he could be apart from me for that long. I decided I could stand the separation if he could but I didn’t like it. One morning I was in my boss’s office cleaning his desk and he was opening mail when he dropped a stack of letters and a picture fell out. He picked them up, glanced at the picture, looked quickly over the letter it had fallen from and dropped the letter and the picture in the trash. He then turned to me and said, “Jim has gone back to his wife. I knew he wouldn’t get a divorce from a rich girl like her. He enjoys her money too much.” He walked into the other room, and I picked up the picture he had thrown away. The picture was of Jim and a beautiful Japanese girl. I dropped the picture back into the trash and ran to the ladies room and got sick. Later, I told the boss I had taken a virus and left the office. All day I spent walking in the woods near the city lake and I could not believe what I had heard and seen. I began to wonder about housing and the special assignment. He was only trying to get rid of me. I did not go to work the next day but instead went to see a lawyer that I knew in a town several miles away. I could not risk the gossip and rumors yet. I had all I could stand now. I showed him the marriage license and as I had begun to suspect, it was worthless. The next day I went back to work and buried myself in the work that had piled up while I was away. This was not enough, so I took a job in a factory on the night shift. I worked from eight until five as a secretary then from six until midnight as a factory worker. I would then be too tired to worry. I kept this up for almost three weeks until I began to be sick mornings and I felt I was at the end of my rope--not this, not now. I again traveled to city miles away. I saw a doctor and learned that I was pregnant.
“My Stories” by Nell Files Nell possesses a unique dry wit and a remarkable sense of humor. She and her husband share a love of country life and since retirement they enjoy her writing and his love of wood crafting. Nell has recently published her stories in a book titled, “My Stories,” available for purchase on Amazon.com in both print and Kindle format.
Contact info: NBLongbranch@gmail.com 3026 CR 295 Carbon, TX 76435 254-639-2511 I had no one to turn to. My boss was very concerned in the mornings when I came in. He thought I never quite shook the virus. I wanted to tell him everything and see if it would help, but I could not bring myself to say anything. I did not know what to do. I thought I would announce that Jim and I had secretly married but I could not do this knowing I would have to explain to my boss. He would understand and help me, but Jim did not want me and I could only borrow his name for a child he would not want. I decided to leave town and go somewhere else and work as long as I could, saving the money. I had some money saved already and maybe I would have enough to have the baby and not have to work for a couple of months before going back to work to support us. I submitted my resignation saying I was going
Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
13Featured Local Author
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, Continued...
to a larger town where there would be opportunities and perhaps go to night school. He was pleased for me and said he would like to help me if I needed any money to get by on. He said I had only to ask him. He hired another girl and I began training her to replace me. The last day I was at work, a letter for me arrived at the office. It simply said, “Nalene, I know all about you and Jim and if you need a name for a baby come to see me and I’ll give you my name.” The letter was signed, “Steven L. Rinton,” and gave his complete address. He was in a veterans’ hospital. I certainly had nothing better to offer myself, so I packed my car and set out to find this man who was offering to help me, sight unseen. Now here I was, about to meet him. I walked inside the hospital and found the information office. Without saying a word, I meekly handed to the nurse in charge the paper with Mr. Rinton’s address on it. She directed me up one floor. I checked information there and found I was arriving at the rest time, and I would have to wait for an hour. I got a soft drink from a machine and sat down feeling a little more at ease than I had in weeks, yet I would not let myself believe the letter that Mr. Rinton had written. I was almost sure it would turn out to be a joke. After about two hours, a tall red haired boy on crutches came for me and took me to a large room with several occupants, all with faces turned in my direction. I looked at the faces and wondered which one would be Stephen L. Rinton. One of the men rose up on one elbow and called my name. I smiled and hurried toward him, getting more courage now. I extended my hand and said, “Hello, Steven,” as though we were old friends. He smiled and shook my hand. He looked at me for a long time as he held my hand. He was probably afraid to turn loose. I was trembling so much he might have thought I could not stand on my own. He said we would need to talk in private and asked me to go back to the waiting room and he would join me. He came into the waiting room in a few minutes in a wheelchair being pushed by a large nurse. She smiled a nice smile at me and said it would be
all right to take him out into the garden but to have him back in an hour for his therapy session. I wheeled him outside and onto the grounds. We found a nice shade and he motioned me to stop. I sat down on a bench and he looked straight into my face for an embarrassingly long time. He said, “You do need the name, don’t you?” I told him that I did. He nodded and said, “Fine. It will take only a few days.” I felt better already and even happy and I wanted to know more about this person with a pale face and a sweet smile. I asked him why he was doing this for me. He looked away and seemed sad and he said there were three reasons. He began to speak so softly that I had to strain to hear him. He told me that when he came home from Vietnam he was really shot up and had contracted a disease in his lungs that seemed incurable. The girl he was engaged to marry refused to marry him and had since married someone else. The next reason was that he wasn’t being given much longer to live, so he wanted to do something useful. I felt the tears come to my eyes when he said this. He turned and looked at me, saw the tears and said, “Please don’t be sad. They still may find a cure, and anyway I’m not in pain.” For a long time he was silent. I asked what the third reason was. “My sister was once married to your Jim and he broke her heart by running off and living with a rich Japanese woman. My sister had a child by Jim, a little girl, and she died when she was four years old. He would not even come to the funeral. My sister has been in and out of the county mental hospital since that time. It was my fault. Jim and I were in training together and he came home with me and met Sis and it has been nothing but heartbreak for her ever since.” He was quiet for a long time and then he finished. “I saved Jim’s life on the battlefield so he still comes to see me. Even in some ways he knows I hate him but we were once close buddies so he comes, and that is how I learned about you.” I became very embarrassed at the thought of what Jim might have said, and I could feel my face turning red. Steven pretended not to notice and
asked me if I minded going for soft drinks. I left him and went to the hospital entrance for the drinks. We sat sipping our drinks in the half hour that remained of our time outside and we talked about ourselves. I learned that Steven’s folks were very poor and were trying to sell their small farm and find a place to live and jobs for the two of them here where Steven could live at home. Our hour was almost over and I got up and went to his chair. “One more thing, Naline,” he said. “I do not expect you to take me out of here and we live together or anything. You do what you want, go home or whatever.” I was startled and just stood motionless for a minute and then I heard myself saying, “Steven, if you can live outside the hospital, that’s what I want you to do. I’ll find an apartment as close to the hospital as I can so it won’t be so tiring for you to come in for the treatments.” Steven’s face became very bright and a smile came to his lips and stayed there. For the next few days, I was too busy to worry. I found an apartment and when I showed it to Steven, he was very pleased. He said he would spend a lot of time at the window on the east side of our bedroom, looking at the flower garden across the street, and try to paint. We also went to a jewelry store and bought matching wedding bands. On our way back to the hospital, I asked him if his parents would attend the wedding. We decided to stop at a pay phone and call his mother. She was very surprised and excited and said they would come late Saturday afternoon and be there for our wedding. I picked his parents up at the bus station and we went to the hospital. Steven was waiting in a small room, alone. After a moment he began telling my story to his parents. His father said, “Son, you are doing the right thing. Good for you.” His mother smiled at me, gave me a gentle hug, and told me to call her “Ruby.” We married in the hospital chapel and we all stayed in my new apartment until time for their bus trip home. I found a job and told Jim’s parents
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and they decided to move and find jobs there also. Jim’s father got a job where I worked. We rented a much larger apartment and moved in. Steven took his treatments in the mornings; one of us would pick him up afterward, and he would spend the night at the apartment. After a few weeks, Steven’s mom found a job in the hospital kitchen. She worked from four in the morning until noon and was then available to bring Steven home. One of us three would always be there with him. During the following weeks, Ruby and Ray became my best friends. It seemed I had known them forever. They worried over me, thinking I was overworking. The days flew by and soon it was Thanksgiving. Ruby and I shopped for groceries and she cooked. She wanted me to stay off my feet and spend my free time with Steven. Our little son was born on the fourth day of December. We had chosen the name Steven Ray, and would call him Steve. Steven was continuing to improve and the treatments were shortened. He could walk some now and at Christmas time Ray got two wheelchairs, one for Steven and one for me. We all went shopping and it was the happiest Christmas I can remember. Ruby and Ray sold their farm and bought a big, old fashioned, two story house near the veterans’ hospital. They took a bedroom upstairs and we took one on the first floor. We shared the rest of the house. Since there was always someone at home with Steven and Steve, I was returned to work part time. Springtime came and Ray and Ruby put a garden in the large backyard. Steven and I put roses in the front yard. Steven spent hours painting pictures of our beautiful rose garden. The following spring our little girl was born and we named her “Rose.” The last picture Steven painted shortly before his death was of the rose garden with the two babies and me sitting in the porch swing behind the roses. He painted himself in the shadows, going out the gate.
Send Comments to: stories@mycounty-line.com
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
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Flirting and the Feminine Wiles By Vicki Stiefer
I admit I am a flirter, especially when I feel good about myself. I’m a woman so my weight, makeup, and dress make up a big part of my confidence for the day. When all the stars align and I feel great I don’t have any problem winking or finding a man who needs a kind word and a light touch. There are women who immediately accuse me of cheating. So I thought I would explore what is cheating when you flirt and what is acceptable. Most of my flirting is to get information. For example, standing in the big box store I couldn’t find a particular product and I noticed a stocker who looked a little lonely so I turned on the charm, batted my eyelashes and the stocker took me to the exact product I was looking for. Little did I know my husband was right behind me watching my every move. He gave me the classic dirty look and asked who I wanted him to rub out first-me or the stocker. He looked over the matter because I didn’t want anything from the store stocker except to know where the hamburger helper was. Did I do something wrong? I catch my husband and his pals drooling over the latest TV anchor. They feel guilty when I clear my throat because they are busted. It doesn’t bother me that my husband looks at other women. He’s human for crying out loud. He’s also a man. Men are visual and women are emotional. If a woman looks good she has got a man’s attention. I don’t care who she is and to flirt with big box stock boy made me feel good because I got the emotional high. So did I cheat on my husband? Does he cheat on me when he drags his tongue at the sight of a handsome woman? I don’t think so. No matter how civilized we are the caveman inside of us still lives on. It’s nature for the man to bring in the money. It’s maternal for the woman to raise the child. Roles are obviously different today in almost every way but the basics are still there in the shadows. Feminine Wiles are not cheating if you use them innocently. If you do not use your powers for good then yes you walk the line of unacceptable. If my husband actually approached the woman he was drooling at with a proposition, then he’s in serious trouble. In his head he should hear, “Danger Will Robinson, Danger!” Same for me with the stock boy, if I had slipped him my number, I would have crossed the line. For all of the folks who claim the cheating line is hard to see they are not looking. If you love someone and are truly committed to them the cheating
line, the flirting line, the feminine wiles line is crystal clear. Who said you couldn’t have a little fun in your life? Listen, my husband is my world. I walk with the blinders on when I am in public, but I’m not dead and neither is my husband. I do not think flirting and batting my eyelashes is a really big deal. I think it is simple bio chemistry. Even though I am married I still have sparks with other people. I still feel a connection with some men. I still have a type. Have you ever looked at pictures of your old flames and realized how much alike they look and how much your husband favors them? I can safely say all of my old flames and my husband could be brothers or at least distant cousins. I have a type that excites me. Now that I am married I still see that kind of guy and I admire him but I do not want him. I want my husband. He is the man I live for and the man that I
have promised myself to. I do not see anything wrong with a little harmless flirting. I do not see anything wrong with my husband looking at other women as long as it does not get out of hand. I understand that out of hand can take on different levels for different people, but I think a man and woman who are married should not leave behind who they are just because they are married. Send Comments to: lovelessons@mycounty-line.com
Published by Mike W. Norris dba Wolverine Design ● PO Box 1156 ● Eastland, Texas 76448 ● http://www.mycounty-line.com
15Treasure Hunters ■
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, Jerry Eckhart
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Trash for Treasure By Jerry Eckhart To see more of Jerry’s treasure finds, search Facebook for “Jerry Eckhart”
Metal detecting gives you a lot of time to think. As we patiently scan the ground, our thoughts drift along many channels. Then, a signal from our detector jerks us back to reality. The meter says it is a good signal, but when we dig, there is another piece of trash. That doesn’t seem right. When we first bought our wonderful machine, the advertisements said it would separate trash from treasure. Modern metal detectors have made tremendous strides in the past couple of years. True, much of the junk items are rejected, yet often trash still shows up. This is because of the circuits in the newer metal detectors. Where once, metal detectors only showed the difference between magnetic and non-magnetic items, now our units will do much more, but there are still limitations not often addressed in the advertisements or instruction booklets. That means we must adapt to these changes and understand what they mean for us. For the scope of this article, let’s just accept that we will find junk. That is a fact of life for the treasure hunter. Don’t despair. Trash tells us a lot about where we are hunting and how people of the past lived. As a matter of fact, trash tells us more than if we only found coins. When we turn up a pull-tab, an aluminum screw cap, or aluminum can, no matter how old the site is, we know that modern peoples have been there, often in numbers. That doesn’t mean there are no old artifacts, it just means that others were there before you and possible may have either found something or left something else behind. Several of the places I relic hunt contain a mixture of the old and the new. An abundance of metal objects such as; tin can lids, rusted tools or barrel straps tell us that the area is old. The lack of modern trash tells us that we may have truly found an untouched relic heaven. That is a start, but what else will trash tell us? The type of trash we find gives us an indication of the age of the site, who lived there, where and how they lived. Tin cans have been around since before the Civil War so it might be puzzling as to just how to date an older site. There is one clue that will help. The earliest tin cans were made, using a lead seam which held the can together. Later era canners developed a method where the use of soldered seams were not necessary. Usually, those earlier cans, as well as, other iron trash are buried deeply. Because of their age, rusting and depth they often read as good targets. Different types of trash and how deeply they are buried instantly tell us just how old a place is. If you find pull tabs several inches deep, look at them closely. The pulltab has gone through several modifications over the years. An abundance of simple aluminum rings indicate an older site, especially if they are several inches deep. More modern ones are usually on the surface or just beneath it. Tent grommets are generally found in areas where there were few permanent establishments. Many town sites began as tent cities and grew into larger, more stable ones. Near where I live, there was an old town called Red Gap. History of this spot revealed that it was largely a tent city. When the railroad came through in the 1880’s, the townspeople struck their tents and moved a mile east to where two rail lines crossed and the tent city became a regular town. Sometimes the only way to determine the original site is by the trash you find and numerous brass tent grommets are a sure indicator of an early settlement or camping spot. Square nails are an indication of an early spot, as are hand forged hinges. The more ornate an old hinge or door knob is might indicate that you are on the site of an affluent pioneer. Think back to how many times you have seen expensive antique furniture with ornate drawer handles or pull knobs. If you haven’t really noticed, stop by your local antique store and take a look around. You will be surprised. Often those ornate door fixtures bring big money from people wanting to add to their home.
What kind of people lived in a spot can be determined by the types of trash. Broken bottles, although not detectable by your electronic wonder, still tell much. Wine bottles, with indented bottoms indicate folks who might be of foreign extraction because of their preference for wine. Beer bottles can indicate a different nationality or type of resident. Sunpurpled glass is a good indicator of the age because the mineral used in glass making prior to about 1916 was manganese which turns purple with age and exposure to sun. Broken glass fragments are superb indicators of old home sites. They are one of the first clues to look for when seeking new places to hunt. Residential areas also reveal themselves, by antique water faucets, pieces of cast iron water pipe, or gas fittings for gaslights. As you work through a place, the more you pay attention to the rejected or abandoned items you find, the more accurate picture of the place you will develop. When I was a kid in the 1940’s, my grandmother had a dumping place for her used bottles and other trash. That was common in all rural areas. When you find large amounts of rusted trash such as tin cans and tin can lids, you are probably near the dump for the house site, even though there are no surface indications. Most trash dumps were located downwind of the home. That was so the breeze would blow the stink of decomposing trash away from the house rather than into it. When you uncover broken tools, cast away tools, gears, or similar objects, know that you are probably in or near the barn or workshop area. If you are searching for that type of artifact, have a field day. A friend of mine was searching for his grandfather’s blacksmith shop. All he knew was that it was in a particular area
near a large tree. By following the trash trail, Eddie found that spot and recovered enough cast off parts to assemble an almost complete pistol. Don’t ignore the trash, especially if something odd turns up. Take the time to search it completely. Use your imagination. Normally, when we run into those concentrated trashy areas, we immediately go to a different location to hunt. Remember, the trashiest areas may be the ones to hold the most valuable items. It is no secret that when people dig dumps and sift the trash many coins are found intermixed with that trash. Give that trashy spot a second chance to give you some goodies. So, what happens when you come home with your bag filled with trash rather than treasure? A little cleaning and attractive arrangement will make that trash look good to your friends and neighbors. First, select three or four of the items that you think might look good, possibly an old hinge, a button, a drawer pull or even that one lonely coin or token you found. Brush off the dirt, wash with soapy water until as much of the surface dirt as possible is gone. Don’t try to shine them up. No one has ever seen a shiny, new looking relic. In order to protect them, let them dry in the sun for a day then spray with a clear acrylic spray. Once they are dried and sprayed, get a Riker mount or display box and glue or otherwise secure them in an attractive pattern. Label your artifacts (notice they are no longer trash) as to what they are and where you found them. You will be surprised at the attention they will draw. Don’t let trash get you down in the dumps. It has a lot to tell if you only listen to what it says.
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18The County Line ■
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, Mike W. Norris
The County Line 2011 Circulation Figures
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
Print Circulation:
2011 Total Printed Circulation: Print Frequency: Issues Printed (2011): Circulation per Issue: Estimated Average Readership:
Digital Circulation:
2011 Total Website Traffic: Average Visitors Per Month: Average Visitors Per Month (2010): Year-Over-Year Traffic Increase: Google® Verified Unique Visitors: Traffic Sources: Search Engines (Google®, Yahoo®, Bing®) Direct Traffic (mycounty-line.com) Social Media (Facebook®) Other Sources Facebook® Friends (www.facebook.com/mycountyline) Twitter® Followers (www.twitter.com/durfea)
Demographics: Male: 30% Female: 70%
Age Group 45 + Age Group 25-44 Age Group < 25
36,000 Monthly 12 3,000 2,805* 7,380 615 406 +51% 834 43.3% 32.0% 10.3% 14.4% 1,157 282
44% 47% 9%
*Readership estimate based on average uncirculated copies per issue. Uncirculated copies are collected with each printing, counted, and delivered to a collection center for recycling or donated for use as packing material by area businesses.
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20Out of the Box ■
www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ January 2012 v5.56 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline , Joellen Hodge
Spam By Joellen Hodge
Oh My Goodness!!! The year 2012 has arrived…let the hoarding of Spam begin!!! I love end of the world years. They make me feel so free and easy. It is like getting a blank check in some ways. Sort of like being able, to write a check that will never be cashed. Just imagine what you can indulge in this year. It is time to party like 2000 never happened! First, a little backtracking may be required to explain myself. The western world has become unusually and morbidly interested in this year of 2012. All this concentration comes from a belief that this year, (like so many before), might be the last for civilization as we know it. (And how many times have we heard that remark in the movie theater?) This notion is brought to you by your friendly neighborhood Mayan civilization. According to one website, the Mayan calendar that was in use before Europeans disembarked shows a change of some kind for the entire world on 12/21/12. Depending on whom you listen to, the change could range from oddities in the weather to a great understanding of one another throughout the globe or even, (and this is my favorite!) the collusion of the planet Nibiru. I do not make this stuff up…go look it up on the net. Those are the bare facts, if you want to learn more, you can check out the thousands of Internet sites on line, or maybe rent one of the few hundred movies on the subject. It seems to me that most of us are far more interested in being entertained by the idea of a natural happening apocalyptic event than actually living through one. Let’s face it; once the movie is over and we pop it out of the DVD player, the lights go back on. We take a shower; curl up in our nice warm beds and go to sleep knowing it is all just make believe. The fantasy of starting over in a new world with no debts, no restrictions other than the ones we put upon ourselves is attractive. So it seems until we In the coming New Year, both are boiling water to drink and through rubble of the Groundhog Day and digging neighborhood pharmacy for aspirin and antibiotics. the So, to return to my original will share thoughts as I started this article… if you have prescribed to the something to consider... One involves a ritual idea that the world is supposed end, what are you going to do in which we look to an to with your year? insignificant creature of You could quit your job, stay little intelligence for home and watch all those Dvd’s you have been buying at Walprognostication. Mart for five bucks the past few months. Maybe your preference is to go off the diet and live on donuts and half and half until
the Nibiruians show up at the door. Then you will be too fat to be drug out in the yard and sacrificed for the end of the world party like a Hawaiian pig stuffed with poi and a big apple in your mouth. As for me, my plan is to lie low…maybe get a new umbrella or hat. There is a great pair of rubber boots with tread that caught my eye the other day as I was checking out the new titles in the five-dollar video box. That would cover the possibility of a Mayan bad weather forecast. What the heck, I could take a couple of weeks off, watch all those disaster films I have been hoarding over the years. There might be worse ways to spend some time kicking back with some bottled water and a plate of Spam spread on crackers. At the very least, it would keep my mind busy until those pesky Nibiruians show up at the door. Come to think of it, I should probably pick up some extra Spam. They may be hungry when they get here… Send Comments to: outofthebox@mycounty-line.com
State of the Union
The other involves a groundhog!
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21This Week In Texas History
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, by Bartee Haile
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Americans Settle Texas Thanks to the Austins By Bartee Haile
On Jan. 17, 1821, the military governor of Texas finally granted Moses Austin’s wish and gave the bankrupt banker the exclusive right to import Anglo-American families into the Spanish territory. Moses Austin was a Connecticut native, who could trace his New World roots back to the early 1600’s. A rainbow chaser, who pursued every opportunity under the sun, he moved to Philadelphia and Virginia before settling in Spanish-controlled Missouri in 1798. Austin helped to found the town of Potosi, where he became a respected and well-to-do citizen. Life was good for the next 20 years, until the depression that followed the War of 1812 climaxed in the economic calamity of 1819. Austin’s bank went under wiping him out at the age of 54. From friends in Louisiana he learned land was dirt cheap and plentiful in Texas. Driven by the dream of a fast fortune, he rushed to the northernmost Mexican province arriving at San Antonio de Bexar in December 1820. Austin wasted no time in asking Gov. Antonio Maria Martinez for permission to bring Americans by the hundreds to Texas. But a series of intrusions by armed adventurers had convinced the Spaniard that all gringos were up to no good, and he told the petitioner to clear out. His hopes shattered, Austin was preparing to leave when he bumped into an old acquaintance. Felipe Enrique Neri, the self-styled Baron de Bastrop, was a crafty Dutch opportunist who wandered Europe and North America always one step ahead of the authorities. Touched by Austin’s tale of woe, he prevailed upon Martinez to change his mind and to forward the empressario application to his superior in Monterrey. Although Gen. Joaquin de Arrendo was a tough Spaniard from the old school with a deep-seated hatred of Americans, he nevertheless issued the land grant to Austin. This seemingly contradictory decision arose from very practical concerns. Neither Mexicans nor their Spanish masters showed the slightest interest in migrating to Texas, where their combined numbers were steadily shrinking. The Anglo-American settlement of Louisiana, on the other hand, had been an unqualified success without satisfying their voracious appetite for land. Last but hardly least, there were the Comanches who controlled the Texas countryside and regularly raided San Antonio itself. Thousands of combative Americans could be counted upon to rid their hosts of the Indian menace at little or no cost to the government. But the return trip to Missouri turned into a fatal nightmare for Moses Austin. He ran out of supplies, was waylaid by bandits, came down with a bad cold and reached home just in time to die. The sad news of his father’s death caught up with Stephen Fuller Austin in New Orleans. He hurried across the Sabine, and a few months later was recognized by the Spaniards as
the legitimate heir to the grant. Fickle fate legua -- 4,428 acres. The new Texans were could not have made a better choice. required only to swear a paper allegiance to their adoptive country and to pay a The younger Austin had received the tenth the price of public land in the United finest education money could buy at elite States. private schools in the East. Following Until 1828 Stephen F. Austin was the sole graduation from a Kentucky college, he empressario in provincial Texas and as such served as a director of the family bank and held absolute authority over the affairs of won election, while still in his teens, to a the colonists. Under the circumstances a seat in the Missouri territorial legislature. lesser man might well have degenerated During Moses’ Texas quest, Stephen was into a tyrant but not Moses’ remarkable appointed a circuit judge in Arkansas. son. Displaying a level-headed maturity far Austin lacked the political savvy and beyond his years, the younger Austin personal charisma of a Sam Houston, two cleared the difficult hurdles posed by the deficiencies which cost him dearly during foreign bureaucracy and Mexican politics. the Lone Star Revolution, but his integrity As the site for his grant, he shrewdly and administrative skill rarely came into selected the fertile coastal plain between question. Even though his short life would the Colorado and Brazos rivers. The rich end on a disappointing note just eight bottom land was not only ideally suited months after the Battle of San Jacinto, he to a plantation economy but also a safe truly deserves to be remembered as the distance from hostile tribes. “Father of Texas.” The settlers of the original Austin grant, Visit Bartee Haile’s “General Store” at twith.com or list of “Best of This Week in Texas History” known today as the Old Three Hundred, got request collections at P.O. Box 152, Friendswood, TX 77549. the deal of a lifetime. Those that declared their intention to raise livestock rather Send Comments to: farm, which all but 20 did, received a full 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
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23From The Backside ■
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www.MyCounty-Line.com ~ January 2012 v5.56 ~ www.Facebook.com/mycountyline , Henry J. Clevicepin
Christmas In Hi Why Eeee! By Henry J. Clevicepin Collaborated by Nellie Frecklebelly and Agnes & Ophilia Fudpucker
Well, we got by Christmas another year. This ol weather around Buzzard Roost shore has been pretty the last few days. Me and ol Estee K. Bibbles, my mulebarn partner, didn’t even have to huddle up with ol Nellie Frecklebelly and the Fudpucker sisters over the holidays. They’re big ol gals and they help keep us warm if it really gets cold here in Buzzard Roost. Hope everybody enjoyed celebratin the birth of Jesus Christ. Ol Estee K. reminded me the other day that people of all faiths should remember the four great religious truths: Muslims don’t recognize Jews as God’s chosen people! Jews don’t recognize Jesus as the Mesiah! Protestants don’t recognize the Pope as the leader of the Christian world! And Baptist don’t recognize each other at the liquor store !!!!!!!! Now the other day down in the hill country where a lot of the folks speak German, an ol rancher was driving down a country road and noticed an ol boy using his hands to get a drink out of his stock pond. The ol rancher rolled down his window and in German shouted out “Seht angenehm ! Trink das wasser nicht. Die kuehe haben geachissen”. Which means: “Glad to meet you. Don’t drink the water. The cows have crapped in it”. The ol boy hollered back that he was from New York and was down here promoting Obama’s Health Care Plan and I can’t understand what you are saying”. The ol rancher hollered back in English: “USE BOTH HANDS!!!!!!!”
about February. They’re just all running around like a stepped on red ant bed up there and not getting nothing done !!!! And Obama and Mooshell they both fly off to Hawaii in different planes for a little 4 million dollar Christmas vacation. Now wait a minute folks…. as ol Estee K. says …America is so broke that if fat geese was a nickel a pound, we couldn’t kiss a humming bird’s butt…and them yahews are flying off to Hawaii, in different planes, spending 4 million of our tax payer’s money !!!!! Why couldn’t they go to Camp David…. or a Motel 6 where they leave the light on for you !!!! And ol Nancy Pelosi took her a little trip over to Hawaii too and is staying in a $10,000 per night hotel. Now that’s fine except it is costing the police over there somthin like $17,000 a day to guard her.
Now talking about crap. There is still some crap goin on with them And these are the idiots in idiots up in Washington. They kept arguing about extending them payroll tax cuts up til most of them dingalings had left for the holidays and then, Washington that want us to send ol Boehner boy caved into them Democrats that had left town and voted more tax money up there……. for a two month extension, so we’ll be seeing this little cat fight again and now Obama is going to raise the debt limit again. I’m tellin ya, I don’t care if you are a Democrat, On your 2011 IRS Tax Forms, don’t forget: Republican or a Presbyterian……. “List all dependents?” we got to do something about this • 12 million illegal immigrants; bull (half word). !!!!
• • • • •
3 million crack heads; 42 million unemployable people on food stamps, 2 million people in over 243 prisons; Half of Mexico ; and 535 fools in the U.S. House and Senate.
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Well, me and ol Estee K. got to go down to the Buzzard Roost Bar & Grill and drink us a little snort of “ain’t gonna take this no more”. !!!!! Words of Wisdon from Henry J. : Like ol Churchill said…. “a nation trying to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.” You can email ol Henry J at : henryjclevicepin@aol.com Send Comments to: backside@mycounty-line.com From the Backside Sponsor
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www.MyCounty-Line.com --- January 2012
January 7, 2012 Happy New Year, everyone! I can’t believe it’s already been a year since I had my transplant surgery. The time has gone by so fast. We had hoped to spend January 7th going out to eat to celebrate, but I had a little case of deja vu instead. On January 7th, I found myself laying back in a hospital bed here in Eastland Memorial Hospital. We’ve had a few concerns the last few days and the doctors had me in to give me blood because my last two blood tests were showing that my blood counts were too low. I was released before the weekend was over and Michael and I had our celebration dinner on Sunday! Yea! While we were in the hospital, we met with the Eastland Memorial Hospital CEO & Adminstrator, Ted Matthews. It was announced last month that the hospital and local officials are working toward bringing in a new dialysis center to Eastland. We spent some time speaking to Mr. Matthews about my first experiences with dialysis and the difficulties of having to commute back and forth to Abilene and how expensive it is to make that trip 3-times a week; just as so many other dialysis patients in our area still have to do every week! It was hard for us to deal with; it affected my ability to work; it made me feel too sick to drive, so I had to have someone take me every time; and that’s not even touching on the cost of gasoline and wear and tear on your vehicle or yourself. It’s exhausting. We were also able to share some thoughts and concerns about how sudden and shocking the dialysis
Volume 5 Issue 56
experience is for people who have no experience with it. It is heartbreaking and emotional, and unless you are the person in the chair hooked up to a machine then you really can’t appreciate the depth of the emotions of the experience. One day you go to the bathroom like a normal person, and the next day you spend 4 hours hooked up to a machine sitting the middle of a room with dozens of strangers and they p aebook a k orutake p ,a nap! j o i What n tthey he tell you to try to S read don’t tell you is that you are going to cry yourself to sleep if you can stop shivering long enough from how cold you get! Mr. Matthews was very kind and speaking with him while sitting up in my hospital bed made the discussion very personal. I guess that’s my point, this IS very personal for me. I’ve lived through it, I’m still living through it. Michael and I want to help support the new dialysis center effort and we are hoping to see the ground breaking soon. It will help a lot of people in our area. In the mean time, I am holding my first fund raising event for 2012 toward the end of this month on Saturday, January 28th. I am holding a bake sale in front of Louise’s Cafe on the downtown square here in Eastland. All the money raised will go to my benefit fund to cover the costs of medications and travel expenses. We have set a goal for the year for our fund raising and we hope to hold an event each month or two as we work our way to that goal. That’s all I have for now. God bless you all and I hope to see you on the 28th!!!
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