Spearman Reporter Headlines - 100 & 75 Years Ago

100 Years Ago - 7/25/1924

Be Careful How You Park Your Car

Owing to the heavy traffic on Main Street during the past few weeks, the city officials of Spearman are having some trouble with persons who persist in violating the ordinance relating to the parking of cars. This ordinance provides that all cars shall be parked in the middle of the street, at an angle of about 45 degrees, and as closely as safety and convenience will permit. It also provides that the driver shall back out us he drives in and never turn on the street except at the post. The regulations are very simple and should be observed. Traffic on Main Street these days reminds one of Polk Street in Amarillo and if more care is not taken, serious accidents are sure to result. The city officials are dealing kindly with everyone at present, but they have about reached the stage where they believe more severe treatment than just a slight reprimand will have to be restored to. They are particularly anxious that everyone observe the parking ordinance and the general traffic regulations at night, as the traffic is exceptionally heavy about 8:00 o'clock, and there is much danger of serious collisions. Park your car in the middle of the street, back out as you drove in, turn only at the post, use the ordinary signals which are used everywhere, and keep your head, or keep off Main Street during the rush hour is about the way the City Marshal dopes it out, and he talks like he means business. At any rate the Reporter don't intend to dispute his authority. Also, it might be well to mention here that the community is infested with a few speeders. Everyone knows what speeding means, and there is very little sympathy for a guy who will pull it wide open and tear around town like a drunk. No one cares when a speeder breaks his neck or wrecks his car, but there is so much danger of him running over a child or elderly person.

Rodeo at Campo

A number of Hansford County folks are going out to Campo, Colorado, next week to attend the big rodeo to be staged there on August 1 and 2 by Harry Coffee and Dassell Sheets. The Cator boys, Ike Kluttz. Howard Hand, Ab Balentine, Chunk Fisher, Orin Thompson and perhaps many others will go out to participate in the different contests. It will be a nice trip, combining, as it will, a visit to cool Colorado, and an opportunity to see what will perhaps be the biggest rodeo staged in the southwest this season. The managers know the rodeo game and will put on a good show.

Methodist Have Kick-Off Breakfast

The ladies of the Methodist Church were hostesses at a 7:00 a. m. breakfast Wednesday, July 27, to the members of the committee for the victory drive for final payment on the new church.

$21,000.00 is the amount needed to complete this program. This includes the expense for paving, furniture, landscaping and other improvements which will be necessary.

Members of the committee present for the breakfast included C. A. Gibner, R. L. McClellan, P. A. Lyon, George Buzzard, Mrs. C. A. Gibner, H. H. Crooks, Bill McClellan, C. E. Campbell and Clyde Maize.

Election Tomorrow

Everything is in readiness for holding the primary election throughout Hansford County tomorrow. The supplies have been sent out by County Chairman Barkley, and the machinery is all set, ready to be put in motion. Every voter in the county should go to the polls and vote. The candidates are making their final appeal to the people today, and a majority of them are in Spearman. It will be a mighty close race in several of the contests, is the prediction of the Reporter. We will keep posted on election returns, county and state, and our friends are invited to call the Reporter office at any time for election news.

Storage Tank for Sale

The large wooden storage tank, used by the town of Spearman prior to the installation of the new one is for sale. The capacity of this tank is 30,000 gallons, and it is in first class condition. It would make a fine tank for a ranch or farm. If interested, call at the Spearman Electric Light and Water plant for information.

Doctor Here

Dr. Powell, the eye, ear, nose, and throat specialist will be at Hale Drug store in Spearman on Wednesday afternoon and evening, August 20. Glasses fitted; tonsils and adenoids removed. I will be here every two weeks.

Worth Investigating

J. D. Cotter's wheat is testing 62 pounds to the bushel and threshing out 28 bushels per acre. Lon Hays produced 35 bushels of wheat per acre, cut and threshed with a combine. J. R. Collard has a field of 30-bushel wheat. Hundreds of others have wheat just as good and much of it is better than that named above. This wheat is grown on $25 per acre land. In fact, land that will produce crops like those mentioned above can be bought in the Spearman country for as little as $15 per acre. Where can the home-seeker and investor fine more for his money.

75 Years Ago - 7/28/1949

Fire Destroys Consumers Warehouse: Fuel Tanks Saved

Estimated $20,000 Damage - The Consumers Company Warehouse was completely destroyed by fire Monday. The fire was one of the worst in the history of Spearman and could have been by far the worst had it not been for the gallant firemen who bought the blaze to a standstill. The fire broke out at about 9:30 a.m.. Simeon Caldwell, manager of the station, started an electric motor and it is believed that the spark from the motor's brushes started the fire. Simeon burned his left hand and both elbows trying to extinguish the blaze but was unable to stop the fire.

It seemed as though the fire spread throughout the large warehouse in less than five minutes, and by the time firemen arrived and put on the water, the fire was shooting flames 30 feet in the air, the smoke engulfing the south part of town.

Many volunteers fought the blaze plus the regular city firemen. In the above photo, Al Tucker and R. L. McClellan, Jr. are putting the water to the large tanks which were full of lube oil so that they would not explode. A few minutes after this picture was taken the Gruver fire truck arrived and directed a heavy stream of water into the very base of the fire. These two streams plus another hose on the other side kept the station from burning and saved the tanks. Miraculously enough, the closest tanks to the fire were both filled with lube oil. The other four tanks were three gasoline tanks and one kerosene tank which observers believe would have literally wiped out the town had they exploded.

Many people ventured dangerously close to the hot tanks, but the firemen (most of them local volunteers) just forgot caution and fought the fire. No one can figure out how the tanks kept from exploding. They were hot. The heat from the fire was unbearable even 40 feet away.

Fortunately, the warehouse did not have any large drums of gasoline, but the barrels of oil and grease would explode, sometimes five minutes apart, shooting flame and smoke high into the air. The large Equity elevator was completely obliterated several times by smoke when the oil barrels exploded and erupted a black flaming mass of smoke.

The oil tank nearest the flaming warehouse was buckled slightly, but the damage to the gasoline tanks was negligible. When water was first applied to the tanks, large clouds of steam rose into the air, but by putting the water on the tanks and keeping them cool, and explosion was avoided.

Needless to say, no one can feel bad about the fire. The firemen did a remarkable job in saving the large tanks and the station was virtually intact, except for smoke damage and broken windows. Every window at the back of the station was cracked from the terrific heat and the force of the water.

Vester Hill stated that insurance was carried on all the damaged equipment and buildings. Mr. Hill injured a hand while fighting the fire.

Card of Thanks

The management and personnel of the Consumers Sales Company take this means of expressing our public thanks to the many, many local citizens; the fire departments of Spearman, Borger, Gruver, and Perryton for their aid and valiant work in controlling the fire and limiting the fire damage to our warehouse when this building was destroyed Monday morning of this week. Your help and cooperation deserves the highest praise, and we assure you that you have the thanks of every individual connected with the Consumers Sales Company from the manager to the last stockholder in the organization.

Simeon Caldwell, Manager

Football Field Mowed-Watered

Coach Garland Head is already preparing his football field for the coming season. Mr. Head announces that he went over the field with a small hand powered mower this week and that the native grass turf is in fine shape.

The water from the swimming pool is now being pumped out on the field and this ensures the growth of the turf and should make an excellent playing field for the games this year.

Overnight Adventure

Zack B. Fisher, Freddie Hoskins, Tommy White and Burl Buchanan braved the wilderness along the Palo Duro on an overnight expedition Saturday. The boys report many narrow escapes from coons, beavers, hawks, buzzards, snakes, coyotes and tremendous fish that mostly got away. Helen Fisher went too.

Around Gruver

One day last week our Mayor, Clarence Winder, asked if I would be willing to help raise the money to have the city thoroughly sprayed. I told him I would gladly do so if we were going to have a good job done, and not just a repeat of last year. Clarence assured us that it would be a good job. We started out and without any trouble this writer picked up nearly four hundred dollars of the five hundred needed to do the job. We hope that by the time you read this the job will be done, or at least underway.

While we were writing the above the fire siren began to blow and in a few seconds the fire truck went flashing by followed by Deputy Sheriff O. V. Walker. We started to follow but found that the fire was at the Consumers Gas Station in Spearman. We figured they would have plenty of help, and so returned to our chores. We are hoping that there will be very little damage.

Frank Shapley, Sr. informs us that he arrived in this country exactly forty-five years ago on the date of July 22nd. Guess that makes him an old timer or sumpin.

Gruver W. S. C. S.

The Women's Missionary Society of the Gruver Baptist Church met Thursday, July 21, in the church auditorium with 11 members present in the adult circle and 8 present in the junior circle. Mrs. R. H. Greene, the mission study leader, opened the program and the song, "Must I Go Empty Handed" was sung. Mrs. Herbert Hughes led in prayer.

Mrs. Greene's daughter, Mrs. Doris Dowdy, gave a flannelgraph illustration with her theme taken from Luke 12.

Plans were discussed and a committee appointed to furnish and serve hot food for the Youth Nite supper July 23, which will be at the church.

The Sunbeams met and also the boys R. A. The meeting closed with a prayer by Mrs. Mary Fletcher.