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Lines from the LoboBY KAREN ROACH INDIANS BACK IN WEST TEXAS Although not swooping down from the mountains on a spotted pony, painted with war colors and yelling a chant at the top of his lungs, there is a real Indian on the campus. He is an Osage Indian and is ta k ing, of all things, pottery and ceramics!His name is Carl Ponca (Indian name Wah-sis-tah Po,n-ge W'ah-ti-anka) and he and his wife. Barbara, are managers of the a s t r o n o m ers' dorm at the McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis. They have an 8-year old daughter named Wendy.Carl was ra ised on an Osage Indian reserva t ion in Fairfax, Okla. and gra d uated from Andrews High School.Barbara is originally from Austin, Texas. She received her BFA in interior designing from Kansas City Institute of Technology and Design, she has practiced interior designing in Kansas City, Mo. and also in San Francisco.DEGREE IN SCULPTURING Carl also received his BFA in sculpturing and industrial designing from the Kansas City Institute. He has w on numerous honors with his sculpture and painting. He sculpts on the architectural level--big things for big rooms.Carl oncetook a course in class blowing in California from one of tiie top glass blowers. He has done portrait paint ing, sign painting, has worked with ceramics, jewelry and just about anything and everything else.The Poncas have two motorcycles and once went to Mexico bv way of motorcycles! They also own the Ponca ranch whicn is back on the Osage reservation in Oklahoma.When the Poncas were in the Haight-Ashburv district several years ago, Carl was in the Peace March in San Francisco. Back then it was different.People really had a good thing going, Carl said. Everyone was acutely aware of the possibility of an earthquake, so the attitude of the p e o p I e was just great . Sort of a 'live for today*attitude.The Peace March was very orderly and beautiful with no rioting. Carl blames the rise of hippies to publicity. Before the journalists came in, everything was fine.WENT TO PARTIES How did Carl and Barbara become interested in each other? They were both attending the same school, but Barbara was engaged to a boy from Missouri State and Carl was engaged to a girl from Andrews. Not being two people who wanted to miss out on the fun of college carousuig. Barb and Carl decided to go to the parties together. Tney teit that it was sale since they were both engaged. But, lo and behold, Garland Barbara found tliat they had more in common than just being engaged !Barb anJ Carl saw two interesting houses while in California a few years ago. One was a 50-room mansion which rented for $90 a month just to keep the hippies out! It had stables, a heated pool, and was filled with brass and marble. Laterthe house sold for $5,000,000!SEVERAL HIDDEN ROOMS Another old house in the Petula Valley belonged to a sea captain.I here were several hidden rooms, and one wall revolved to reveal a bar!'The Poncas saw a $12,000,000 home in Dallas which has its own steam baths, a gym, bathrooms big enough for a bedroom and the wall cover ing was cloth which was especially woven in Portugal.Why did the Poncas come out here? Asa Yo u ng boy, Carl worked as a counselor on the Boy Scout Ranch between Fort Davis and Balmorhea. Ile loved the beautiful country and so decided to return to West Texas and live here for awhile.As for future plans, the Poncas plan to go to Mexico and live there for a few years.
Newspaper Details
Alpine Avalanche
Alpine, Texas, US
Thu, Feb 27, 1969
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Susun W.
USA 22 Aug 2017
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