The Way It Was:
Rodeo, fair set records on all fronts for attendance
100 years ago
Sept. 24, 1918: SAVE PITS AND SHELLS FOR GAS MASK CHARCOAL
Another way has been found in which the people at home can help save the lives of soldier boys at the front. Everyone is “urged to save the pits, or stones, of peaches, plums, prunes, olives, etc., as well as the shells of hickory nuts, walnuts, pecans and other nuts. From these stones is made the most necessary and only quality of charcoal that can used in the making of gas masks. The smallest quantities of this material must be saved, for without it the masks cannot be made, and our soldiers cannot be insured against the terrible gases of the Germans.
Sept. 25: FATHER ENRIGHT WILL UNDERTAKE WAR WORK
Father Enright, who for five years has been pastor of St. Edward’s Catholic Church, preached his last sermon Sunday and is now awaiting his call to services. The spirit of patriotism that animates him is evident in his congregation where each member, although feeling that loss is unfortunate, is convinced that his many admirable qualities and religious leadership will greatly increase the spiritual welfare of the soldiers with whom he is to work.
Sept. 26: TWO FIRES YESTERDAY; LOSS VERY SLIGHT
Two fires within an hour furnished work for the fire department yesterday. At 11 o’clock, a run was made to 715 West Fourth St. where there was a small fire in a vacant and partially ruined house. This house has been afire three times since it was vacated, owing to the clearing out of the restricted district. The second fire was just before noon, being in an outbuilding on the N. Friedman property at Twelfth and Olive streets. The roof was burned off at a normal loss.
Sept. 27: MAN OFFERS 100 BUSHELS OF PEACH PITS FOR GAS MASK CHARCOAL
“I have 100 bushels of peach pits for the Red Cross. Bring sacks, enough for 25,000 masks.” This message was received yesterday by the Four States Press from A.J. Stevens, superintendent of the A.O.P. Canning Works, Highland, Ark., being the result of the publication in Monday’s issue of the call for the pits of fruit and the shells of nuts with which to make charcoal for gas masks.
Sept. 28:
WITH THE COLORS
Eugene Dorris, formerly an employee of the circulation department of the Four States Press, writes to H.A. Quarles from Camp Eustis, Va., announcing that he is now wearing khaki and that he soon expects to cross the “pond.”
Sept. 29:
EDITORIAL
Acknowledgment of the receipt of one of the Four States Press tobacco kits has been received by R. Mahaffey, 208 W. Sixth St. The soldier who received the tobacco declares the French are great people, accepting the vicissitudes of war without complaint.
Sept. 30: BOY HITS ANOTHER BOY IN THE HEAD WITH A ROCK
A fight between George Williams and Dick Johnson, of Carmichall Hill, at Union Station, caused considerable excitement yesterday afternoon. George used a rock on Johnson’s head, cutting a bad gash, which a doctor sewed up. A large crowd followed the police to the Arkansas side jail as they were taking George to the station.
50 years ago
Sept. 24, 1968: CONTEST AWARDS PRESENTED
First- through eighth-graders were chosen recently in the first Back-to-School Coloring Contest sponsored jointly by Montgomery Ward and Milart Associates Inc. The students were furnished with coloring books, depicting national heroes, by Wards. All first-place winners received $25 gift certificates, and all second-place winners received $15 gift certificates. First-place winners’ books will be entered in the national contest in which $13,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds will be given as grand prize. Winners were Connie Livsey, Paul Grove, Mona Thornton, Cathy Cochran, Wally Mosley, Denise Coker, Natasha Marcum, Donna Clemmer, Kathy Lee Lunger, Casey Claborn, Blake Sanders, Debra Coker, Mary Sorsby, Darla Coker, Kathy Freeman and Teresa Holley.
Sept. 25: LOCAL WOMAN’S ANECDOTE PUBLISHED IN READER’S DIGEST
Miss Ann Jones of 20 Hermitage Place, Texarkana, is the recipient of a $200 check from the Reader’s Digest for an anecdote submitted to the magazine’s department “Life in These United States.” Miss Jones’ contribution will appear in the October issue.
Sept. 26: COLLEGE HILL TO MEET WESTLAWN
College Hill Junior High will meet Westlawn Junior High at Grim Stadium. The starting lineup for College Hill offense will be: end, Wayne Green and Stanley Reid; tackles, Jeff Johnston and Bill Limley; center, Scott Price; quarterback, John Cotton; wingback, Lawrence Smith; tailback, Chuck Meyers; halfback, Billy Kyles. Defense changes will be: secondary, Ricky Loomis and Toney Hartman; tackle, Danny Freeman; nose, Boyd Fultz; and monster, Donnie Douglas.
Sept. 27:
IT’S FOR REAL
Lt. Col. Donald Cross got to show his Air Force Junior ROTC students the real thing Monday when a T-37 trainer was parked on the Arkansas High Campus. The trainer was on display here last week at the Four States Fair, and the Air Force Orientation Group let Col. Cross keep it a few days before taking it on to Tulsa.
Sept. 28: RODEO, FAIR SET RECORDS ON ALL FRONTS
The Four States Fair and Rodeo set records this year as 182,500 persons attended during the sixday run at the fairgrounds. Mrs. Alan Ashley, secretary of the Four States Fair Association, said the rodeo showed an 82 percent increase over the 1967 rodeo. “This year, the rodeo was the biggest in the 24-year history of the fair,” she said. “In fact, the front gate showed a 33 percent increase, the carnival a 31 percent increase and the rodeo 82 percent increase over last year. These major divisions broke all existing records of the fair,” Mrs. Ashley said.
Sept. 29: STOLEN CHURCH STATUE RECOVERED BY POLICE
Texarkana, Ark., police recovered a statue on the steps of the Jefferson Junior High School, found that it had been stolen from the grotto in front of St. Edwards Catholic Church. The statue was discovered on the steps when school opened and police were called to find owners. The statue of a kneeling child was of Saint Bernadette. The larger statue of the Virgin Mary, also in the grotto, was not disturbed. Butler said that the stolen statue had been badly damaged by the vandals. He said the statue was quite heavy and that it took three officers to load it into the car and return it. The theft is being investigated.
Sept. 30: ATLANTA HOSPITAL LAND PURCHASED
The Atlanta Hospital Authority has purchased 21.6 acres of land for construction of a 85-bed hospital. The land purchased from Joe Spearman is located six blocks from the downtown area on Loop 77.