Remember When?

Jan. 11, 1974

The Texas State Highway Department lowered the maximum speed limit from 70 to 55 mph, effective Sunday, Jan. 20 at 12:01 a.m. to comply with a new federal law signed by President Richard Nixon on Jan. 2 as an energy-saving measure. States that refused to reduce the speed limit to 55 mph would no longer be eligible to receive federal highway funding. In that scenario, Texas would have lost $240 million. The cost to replace 35,000 speed limit signs around the state was approximately $631,100. The commission was to review its action every 120 days, renew the lowered limit for another 120 days or let it expire.

Burglars entered two business places in Ellinger early Wednesday morning but made off with only a few dollars before they were frightened away. Sheriff T.J. Flournoy said a rear door glass panel was smashed to open the latch at the Orsak Shell Station and Cafe, and only about $5 to $6 was stolen. The other entry was at the Gus L. Hruska store in downtown Ellinger where locks on both the front and rear doors were snipped with a bolt cutter. The filing cabinet lock was also cut, but money in a box in the cabinet was not touched. Eight cartons of cigarettes taken from the store were left at the Roy Weishuhn plumbing and electric shop. A small truck dolly missing from the Weishuhn business was left at the Hruska store, leading officers to believe the intruders were intent on carting away the store’s safe. The sheriff added that when the burglar alarm went off at the Hruska home, the phone was dead, so Mr. Hruska ran to the home of Deputy Sheriff Ed Tobias to alert the officer. As they were returning to the store, a vehicle, believed to have been a pickup truck, left the scene. Officers said business places in Industry and Blieblerville were burglarized the same night and there was a break-in at the Kovar Enco Station in Fayetteville where a small amount of money was reported stolen.

Burglars who broke into Dyer’s Pharmacy sometime Monday night or early Tuesday morning left empty-handed. A check conducted by store personnel found nothing missing. Entrance was gained by breaking a lock on a small room housing the air conditioning equipment at the rear of the building. Burglars then crawled through the attic and broke through the ceiling into the prescription area. Deputy Sheriff C.A. Prilop said the intruders were apparently looking for narcotics. The Dyer Pharmacy burglary was the third at the same location in little more than a year. The same night, an attempted break-in had been reported at the West Pharmacy in Columbus and two drug stores in Huntsville were also hit.

Another meeting between United Gas officials and La Grange’s city council Wednesday night left the matter of a gas rate increase still unresolved. The gas company was seeking a 50¢ monthly adjustment in the rates for residences and small commercial users to compensate for employee salary and other increases, along with a service adjustment clause. The council concurred with Mayor L.W. Stolz Jr. in again requesting profit and loss statements from United Gas to reconcile the rate hike. The two statements had been requested when the rate hike had first been proposed several months before. The division manager out of New Braunfels said preparation of the two instruments would cost between $25,000 and $30,000. He indicated that work on preparing the instruments would be initiated, adding that the next rate increase request might be different.

Whether it was the effect of inflation or a new savings and loan branch office here, or maybe both, Fayette County’s phenomenal bank deposit growth during 1973 had sustained a slight crimp. According to figures from the year-end bank call, the total of $66,774,277.78 for the eight banks was another record high. However, the growth from the 1972 year-end call was only $5,437,984.02, compared to $9,030,285.42 the year before. That represented an annual growth of approximately 9% in 1973 versus 17.3% in 1972 and 17.2% in 1971.

La Grange’s Leopards captured a basketball tripleheader in the Edna Cowboys’ gym Monday night. The varsity charges of Bob Johnson tacked on a low-scoring 43-32 victory in the District 13-3A lid-lifter, the jayvees won by a 41-32 measure and the freshmen came out on top by a close 5048 margin. The Leopard hustle was nothing short of phenomenal, overcoming the somewhat unfavorable gym conditions. Johnny Johnson set the pace for the victors with a 14-point effort, while Neal Miller and Tommy Taylor tied for runnerup laurels with 10 apiece. Gary Matocha was top gunner for the junior varsity lads with 18 points in the 41-32 triumph. La Grange was in front 17-15 at the midpoint but elongated the gap in the remainder of the game. The La Grange freshmen elevated their season record to an impressive 11-1 on the 5048 triumph over the Cowboy frosh team. Edna had a chance to tie it at the end when, with no time showing on the clock, a Cowboy lad went to the foul line but missed on the first attempt.

John W. Bouldin was elected president of the La Grange Chamber of Commerce, succeeding J.C. Warhol. Mr. Bouldin was the manager of the La Grange branch of Austin Savings. Mrs. Marian Busch, the owner of the Fashion Dress Shop, was elected vice president.

Funeral services were held for Mrs. Vivian Baumbach, 57, of O’Quinn and Mrs. Josephine Janacek, 79, a former resident of the Dubina community.

Blinn College announced it would operate 15 bus routes in the 13-county area surrounding Brenham in 1974. One-fifth of the student body rode a bus to the Brenham campus.