The Brookshire Times from Brookshire, Texas • Page 1

LOCfAL NEWS of ADDICKS, BARKER, fcROOKSHIRE, FULSHEAR, KATY and PATTISON VOLUME 40 BROOKSHIKfi, WALLER COUNTY, TEXAS Thursday, September 2, 1954 Number 42 Governor Allan Shivers Reelecled Yarborough 9 Scott 11 Brewster 41 Pet. 10, Brookshire, Waller Shivers -277 Yarborough 103 Brewster 207 Scott 136 Democratic Pet. Chairman: W. H. Adams 242 0.

N. Edwards 110 Pet. 5, Pattison, Waller Shivers 98 Yarborough 45 Brewster 72 Scott 53 Texas' Governor Allan Shivers Governor Allan Shivers was returned to office for the third term with a margin of almost 100,000 votes over Ralph Yarborough in the run-off primary Saturday. That was a victory for the conservatives of the Texas Democratic Party. More than 1,450,000 votes were cast biggest turnout in any Texas election.

Few Brewster was elected as Associate Justice of the Texas Supreme Court. Waller County OK's Ad Valorem Tax Waller County voters approved the county continuing the 30c ad valorem tax which was previously handled by the state. The county vote was 796 to 555. The vote in Brookshire was 108 for and 106 against. In Pattison the vote was 74 votes for and 44 votes against.

Unofficial returns of local boxes are: 185 votes cast, Harris Pet. 119, Katy: Governor: Shivers 147 Yarborough 35 State Justice, Place 1: Scott 47 Brewster 99 State Representative, Pos. 5: Robinson 45 Winfree 119 State Representative, Pos. 7: Lemmon 44 Cole 102 State Representative, Pos. 8: Fleming 48 Bates 100 County Court-at-Law, No.

3: Chalmers 89 Johnson 67 Ft. Bend Pet. 14, Katy, 55 votes tabulated: Shivers 46 Brookshire Citizens Asked To Decide Highway Route The Brookshire City Commission is seeking the opinion of Brookshire residents on the plan of the proposed Freeway thru the City. Letters with space provided for the opinion of the proposal or a new suggestion have been posted at a number of business places and commission asks that each person interested take a letter, fill it out and return it to the City secretary. It is hoped that by this means the majority will decide and plans may materialize.

Mrs. Ethyl Breedlove was doing nicely on Monday after undergoing surgery at Hermann Hospital on Saturday morning. She is in Room 554. School Starts Sept. 6-7 Drive Careful Vacation is about over! The school children of our localities and of Texas will start to school next week.

Many of them for the first time. There are a number of last minute things to be done; that last trip to the dentist, vaccinations and shots, shopping for clothes, school supplies, the last several days visit with grandmother, etc. -The Texas Safety Association says that 4,400 children were killed in traffic last year. That is a warning that each should be "safety minded" when school starts. Drivers of vehicles in school zones have an added responsibility.

Pattison school children will start to school on Monday, September 6 at 8:30 a.m. with a full days program that first day. Buses will run on schedule and the Cafeteria will be in operation. The Katy and Brookshire schools will open their doors on the morning of Tuesday, Sept. 7, with a regular days schedule planned.

Registration of the high school students, assignment of lockers, took place on Monday and Tuesday. TUCKER RICE DRYER DESTROYED BY fIRE Teacher's Reception Event For 9th The Katy P. T. A. will have a reception for the Katy teachers on Thursday, 9 at 8:00 p.m.

This reception will be held at the school cafeteria, and all parents and friends are invited to attend. Refreshments Served Opening Day of School The Katy P. T. A. will have a refreshment table in the foyer of both the elementary and the high.

school buildings on opening day of school, Sept. 7. The parents of all students attending the Katy schools are urged to cdme by for refreshments and register with the P.T.A. The membership dues for the coming year can be paid at this time. Pastry Sale Saturday, Sept.

4 The Women's Society of Jhristian Service of the Katy Methodist Church will sponsor a pastry sale every three months. The first sale will be held Saturday, September 4th. 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the ilay Woods Lumber and Supply in Katy.

There will be tasty pies, cakes and cookies at reasonable prices. Come in tomorrow and get your week-end desserts. Katy Schools Expect Ten Per Cent Increase In Enrollment Approximately 675 pupils are expected to enroll in the Katy schools for the new term which will begin at eight-thirty Tuesday morning. Of this number about 200 pupils are expected in the High School'Department. The daily class schedule for grades 1 through 12 will be carried out in full the first day in order to meet the requirements of the Texas Education Agency.

Kindergarten pupils will be permitted to go home after their registration has been completed. Busses will operate on the same time schedule as last year. No changes have been made in the bus routes. Lunches will be served in the school cafeteria Tuesday for the same price as last year. (30 per lunch which includes milk and dessert.

The Times wants your news, HOLIDAY NOTICE On Labor Day, Monday Sept. 7th the local stores will be closed as agreed upon earlier this year. Shoppers are remind ed of the holiday and will pur chase supplies ahead of time. Rocky Robertson spent Monday night with Mickey Brimage. First Football Game FrL, Sept.

10th Large Squad Reports For Practice Katy opened practice the 23rd of August with 46 boys reporting. This is one of the largest squads that has reported for football in some time. Katy has 10 letteraen returning from last years team and two boys that haVe lettered but were ineligible last year. 'This year we have more weight, stronger reserves but need experience," said Coach Ralph McCord. The main problem at the present is the backfield.

At the present running in the backfield is Floyd Hall (160 Ibs.) at fullback and Dale Faulk (140 Ibs.) and Thomas Guyman (132 Ibs.) at halfbacks. Also in the back field we have John West, Buzzy Miller, Roy Lee Mikeska, Jack Rhoads, John Coynes. Coynes will help us very much. He was ineligible last year. At ends we have Loyd Hall (160 Frank Garcia (156 and Ed Longenbaugh (135 Ibs.) At tackle we have Doug Freeman (175 Billy Don Williams (175 Wayne Pearson (150 Jerry Egger (140 and Denins McKeon (160 Ibs).

At guards are John Fisher (155 Raymond Franz (145 Blevins Bundick (140 Ibs.) We have at center David Baker (145 Albert Thompson (165 and Jack Bierman (145 Ibs.) We also have a bunch of boys who are out for the first time and are working very hard. On the squad there are 7 seniors, 17 juniors, 10 sophomores and 12 freshmen. Fred Ruland is assistant coach. The schedule is incomplete: The Tucker Rice Dryer in Katy was a pile of smouldering rubble on last Thursday morning. A fire of undetermined origin broke out at 10:40 on Wednesday night in the huge building that firemen of Katy, Brookshire, Rosenberg, Spring Branch and Sealy fought for hours before all danger to buildings very close, and to the business section of Katy in eminent danger through-out the night, was past.

Several factors were responsible for the fire not consuming the Katy warehouse, across the narrow street, the Negro community to the rear, the- Gulf Station on the right, and the business places on First and Second streets as well as the residential section north of the dryer. A big factor, says the firemen, was the absence of a high wind. Another was the way the building fell in, instead of out, as it gave away, still another was plenty of water which enabled the eight pumper trucks (1. from Brookshire, 2 from Rosenberg, 1 from Sealy and 2 from Spring Branch and the 2 of Katy) to continue operations. The 250,000 gallons of reserve water 50,000 gallons in the regular tank supplied the fighters with sufficient water to save the other buildings.

Most of all, said Erkin Ince, Katy Fire Chief, the Katy firemen were tearfully grateful for the wholehearted co-operation of Katy's neighbors who came and worked to the point of exhaustion to save the town from further tragedy. Three Rosenberg firemen and Leo Goates of the Brookshire Volunteer Fire Department were overcome by the almost unbelieveable heat. They were giveri First Aid at the scene by the Brookshire Lions Resuscitator brought by the Milton H. Schmidt Ambulance and assisted by the Rosenberg Emergency Corps, then taken to Dr. L.

W. Bing's office for treatment until they could be returned to their homes. Schmidt ambulance, the Roenberg Emergency truck, three Harris County Emergency Corps, trucks and Ted Fields, Supervisor of this department stood by until all danger to the fire fighters was past. They were each equipped with respirators and other first aid nec- cessities. Djeputy Sheriff H.

A. Hood and local men, the Ft Bend County officers and Harris County patrol aided in directing traffic around that section of Highway 90 on which the Tucker Dryer was located. The fire which could be seen at the Brazos River, just out of Rosenberg, Sealy and for miles in either direction attracted hundreds ef people to Katy. The streets lined with onlookers, but Mayor Arthur Miller said, thejPwere to be complimented as streets were open to traffic and they did not hinder the workers. Large cinders, which were literally large chunks of fire were flying all over town.

The huge Magnolia, Gulf and Humble storage tanks of gasoline were a constant threat of danger, as all are located within a block of the burning structure. Ft. Bend Steak House and Alexander's Cafe each opened their doors io fire fighters for coffee, during the evening. After leaving part of their equipment for use by the local men, the neighboring firemen were able to return home at about 2 a.m. A shift of Katy Firemen remained at the scene until 6 a.m.

when another group came to stand by throughout Thursday, or until the site was somewhat cooler. The burned rice smouldered for several days. Raymond Barker, part owner and manager of the dryer, said that at about 10 p.m. the day's run had been completed and everything had been shut off. Fourteen thousand eight hundred barrels of rice were in this largest single drying unit of the Katy Division of the American Rice Growers Co-op.

at the time of the fire. Fred Hoyt and Mrs. Tucker had over half of this amount or some 6,600 barrels in the dryer. Others who lost rice are the Peck Brothers, with 4,000 barrels, Roland Busch's 2,700 barrels, Walter Roesner's 6 to 800 barrels and Jimmie Johnson's 700 barrels. Mr.

Barker says that this rice is covered by insurance at the support price which amounts to about $175,000. Mr. Hoyt figures his loss at some $60,400. Although the driers of the area are running almost to capacity, they will dry whatever portion they can of the crops usually handled by the Tucker Drier. The storage is yet to be worked out.

The equipment can not actually be replaced in dollars and cents for what it is worth. he said that he estimates the burned facilities at some $150,000.00. The four tanks left standing against the sky are to gone says Mr. Barker. They were the 3,660 bbls.

of storage of Fred Hoyt, 2000 bbl. storage of Roland Busch and 1000 bbl. storage of Jimmie Johnson. They were the property of these farmers. The Tucker Rice Dryer was built in 1940, by the late T.

B. Tucker. Fred Hoyt says that he dried his first rice in 1943 in the dryer. It was the first dryer of its kind in the south and caused much comment as to the practibility of drying rice other than natures way. In 1944, R.

Robertson built the Robertson dryer beside that of Mr. Tucker. In 1951, Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Barker bought the Robertson dryer and with Mrs, Barker's mother, Mrs.

T. B. Tucker incorporated the three drier units with 45,000 bbls. bin storage into the Tucker Rice Dryer. N.

O. Nash and Otto Busch, operators of the dryer, said that not more than 20 minutes after they had closed the dryer for the night and had gone home, the fire alarm sounded and flames were visible in the east section of the building. When Mr. Barker reached the scene and hurridly drove two trucks out, he could see that it was impossible for firemen to go into the burning building. Soon after there was.an explosion and the buildings seemed to be burning in every corner.

Early there was only anxious hope that all nearby structures could be saved. Mrs. T. B. Tucker and Mrs.

Raymond Barker were in Arkansas at tfye time of the fire. They were assisting in revival church services near Bentonville. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Virnau and Mrs.

Z. A. Boiles visited her mother in Rising Star..