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Newspaper
Silsbee Bee
Location
Silsbee, Texas, United States of America
Date
Jan 12, 1956
Page
1
Silsbee city records show building activity in 1955 surpassing $500,000 with 107 building permits issued totaling $466,796. Comptroller Bill Pennington notes an initial permit miscount. if those first nine permits are included, the annual total likely exceeds half a million. This marks the first year permits were fully tallied.
Members of Pulp and Sulphite Local 801 and Neches Maintenance Local 825 voted to empower their negotiating committee to order a strike if bargaining with East Pulp and Paper Co. fails. Votes were 39 7 and 128 50 in favor of strike action. A 10 day notice would precede any strike while talks continue. The unions have not signed a new contract since the prior agreement.
Silsbee city leaders plan a Wednesday meeting with Houston Natural Gas officials to discuss residential rates. The session also covered planning engineer reports, a Weeks Report resolution to Congress, and a possible sale of revenue bonds through a San Antonio firm to fund future issues.
Mayor H M Dusty Jones designates January 16 1956 to January 22 1956 as Operation Sedgegrass Week urging communities to organize fire prevention programs after noting thousands of lives and large property losses from careless fires and economic harm.
David Geiger a 42 year old Summerville truck driver is charged with first degree murder in the slaying of Mildred Holden of Silsbee. He is held without bond. Holden was found dead in a roadside ditch near Arkadelphia two weeks ago. Geiger admitted the woman rode in his truck but says she shot herself. Arkansas and South Carolina officers cooperated in locating the driver and returning him to Little Rock for a preliminary hearing scheduled this week.
Silsbee B P W Club will run a poll tax booth outside Birdwell's Department Store all day Saturday January 14. A deputy tax collector will staff from 9 a.m. to 5 30 p m reminding citizens to pay poll tax. Two women staff the forenoon and two in the afternoon with a likely second Saturday before January 31.
Earl B. Smokey Stover announces his candidacy for Har din county attorney. He practiced law in Silsbee with Terrell Buchanan for two and a half years and is the first announced candidate to oppose incumbent Herman Reynolds. Stover, UT Law 1953 graduate and Vanderbuilt BA 1950, is a WWII Army veteran, Methodist, married with a son Earl B. Stover III.
Silsbee builder Parke A Hargrove says a private swimming pool will be built this summer on South Highway 96 between the Presbyterian and Assembly of God churches. Construction could start soon with a late April completion target. The facility will include a 100 foot pool of varying depth, a bath house, concession stand, and a 16 by 20 foot wading pool for children.
Silsbee volunteer firemen opened 1956 with full attendance at the first business meeting, 23 members present. Chief John Busby reported 87 fires in 1955, with lower insured losses and a 25 percent fire rating target, noting 60 percent of alarms were outside city limits.
R. M. Martin resigns from Sinclair after 24 years in Hardin County oil work to start the Martin Swabbing Service. Offices will be at his Lumberton Stretch home south of Silsbee and in Beaumont. He previously served 11 years as production foreman for American Republics Corporation and helped drill the Ariola discovery well. He is active in Silsbee civic life as Lions Club first vice president.
Hardin county sheriff William Whitaker releases 1955 figures showing fines of 42,804.74 turned over to the county. Collections split 27,704.04 from justice precincts and county court 15,100.70. A total of 1501 persons were jailed or held, with 125 average monthly jail attendance. 376 or more were laid out, 729 fined after trial. 24 jailed in December with offenses including DWI and burglary. Albert Hamilton of Houston fined 50 dollars for DWI in county court.
Silsbee resident Conley Bradshaw announced he would run for a seat on the Silsbee Independent School District board in the April election. A Santa Fe depot clerk for 14 years, Bradshaw is a Navy veteran and father of three.
Directors of the Silsbee Chamber of Commerce will meet at 7 30 tonight in the school tax office. A W Dainwood president said the session was moved from Jan 5 to avoid the Kiwanis club officers installation.
Mrs W H Fee returned from Crowley Louisiana where she visited her husband who is employed there.
Hardin county officials discussed bond limits and road financing while receiving petitions for stock law votes in Sour Lake. Judge Fletcher Richardson cited remaining jail courthouse bonds and potential for nearly 12 million in road bonds, noting no immediate full issue. The court also planned stock law elections for cattle hogs sheep and goats and advertised bids for Sour Lake streets.
County Judge Fletcher Richardson told the Bee that the commissioner's four stock law election was voided by the county court over technical errors. He cited incorrect description of the political subdivision and field notes describing a different justice precinct. Proponents must start over.
Judge Richardson announced bonds will be issued only as the county's building program advances. A favorable materials market could yield substantial taxpayer savings. The commissioners held a light session Monday morning with coffee and cake served by Sour Lake home demonstration club members.
Residents of the west side of Silsbee may pay poll taxes at Pa-Go grocery store. H. P. Moran, owner, says a deputy poll tax collector will be stationed there for the remainder of January.
Mrs Winifred Bryant and Mrs Elsie Reynolds attended a meeting of the 8 and 40 club in Beau mont Tuesday night.
FAO fellows from Sweden and India toured the East Texas Pulp and Paper Company mill at Evadale, hosted by A. G. Natwick and J. B. Beck. Hoglund attached to the UN in Mexico City and Dr. L R D Guha from Forest Research Institute Dehra Dun met here after a Rome meeting three months prior.
Beta Sigma Phi chapters met January 9 at Mrs Joyce Birdwells home to sponsor the annual Mothers March for the March of Dimes. They will sell tickets for the Houston Natural Gas laundry show on February 10 and distribute prize recipe entry forms for the international cookbook contest with a $25 prize per winning recipe. A needy family will be chosen as a chapter project. The program Music Into Drama and Dance was presented by Jayce Birdwell and Juanita Stover. Next meeting is January 23 at Mrs Betty Skillerns home.
Silsbee car dealer Tom Singletary announced his candidacy for Hardin county Precinct No 1 commissioner. A former Newton and Jasper counties official first elected in 1922, he opposes the courthouse bond election and vows to be the best commissioner yet. His full statement runs in this issue of the Bee.
Silsbee Little League voters will elect officers Tuesday at 7 30 p m. The meeting at 205 S Second Street hosts a nominating committee led by Frank Caskey which will report at the session.
Mr and Mrs R S Farmer returned Sunday after spending a few days in New Orleans La.
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