You Could Say This Deer Scored an Upset

George Maxwell Jr. of La Grange considered himself a very lucky man after a shootout with a 10-point deer in South Texas. Maxwell was sitting atop a 13-foot hunter’s tripod, using a mesquite tree for a blind, when he shot a 10-pointer at a range of about 80 yards in thick brush. The deer bounded away, and Maxwell, thinking he had missed, threw another shell into the hair-trigger rifle. He was watching the far distance when the deer charged the mesquite tree, sending the tripod flying. Down came Maxwell, clawing for something to grab onto among the mesquite branches. The fall knocked the hunter out, and when he came to minutes later, he found himself staring down the barrel of his deer rifle. Remembering it was loaded and cocked, he very carefully moved the barrel aside. The rifle stock was cracked on both sides of the trigger, but miraculously, the shell had not fired. Maxwell later found the deer dead about 70 yards beyond the mesquite.

The new 13¢ first-class stamps and 9¢ postcards sold at a brisk pace at the La Grange Post Office after the new rates went into effect. The lithographed brown, red, blue and green stamp featured an American eagle with a stars and stripes shield emblazoned on its breast. The wording read, “One Nation Indivisible – Pluribus Unum, USA 13¢”.

The Department of Justice in Washington gave the green light to proceed with a $12 million Federal Youth Center at the old Camp Swift northeast of Bastrop, designed to house 300 to 400 residents, mainly first offenders ranging aged 16 to 25. Bastrop County Judge Jack Griesenbeck said, “It didn’t look like there was as much opposition as some people made it sound like.”

La Grange’s volunteer firefighters were called out twice on the weekend, but neither fire resulted in building damage. The first alarm came in just before noon on Sunday from the former Gerdes place north of La Grange, where an electric fence set off grass and weeds, consuming about 40 acres. The second fire occurred at the Clinton Herbrich farm in the Mullin’s Prairie community, where some grass acreage also was blackened.

Although not a record-setting year by any means, almost a third of a million dollars was pumped into Fayette County’s economy by the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service in direct payments and loans during 1975. The payments went to 238 farm-ers, but involved about 300 producers who qualified for and received disaster checks. The losses were caused by early spring rain that resulted in some crops, mainly corn, to drown and others to turn out very low yields.

Funeral services were held for Mrs. Albina Kollaja, 61, of Fayetteville, and Max Carl Marburger, 96, of Cistern.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that it was delaying the effective date of its federal brucellosis quarantine in Texas from Jan. 5 to Jan. 9.

Mrs. Emil Kana Sr. reported that the Hostyn community received a total of 46 inches of rain in 1975. Mrs. Kana noted the year’s coldest day was Jan. 13, with a reading of 17 degrees, and hottest day July 29, when the mercury hit 103 degrees. She had gauged 67.9 inches of rain in 1974.

Four players from La Grange’s 1975 Class AA state championship team were selected to the annual Super Centex teams of The Austin American-Statesman. La Grange juniors Bert Vasut was chosen as center on the offensive and Curtis Ray as a lineman on the defensive. Johnnie Johnson was named a defensive back, and Kenny Hatfield, who quarterbacked the championship Leopards, was chosen as punter. Also, Schulenburg’s Tom Walker, whose Shorthorns reached the Class A finals, was named coach of the year. Chris Cernosek of Schulenburg was named as tight end on the offense. The Super Centex list was composed of players in all classifications of high school football.

The number of Texas fishing and hunting licenses sold was down 10.5% in the quarter ending Nov. 30, 1975, compared to the same period in 1974.

Mr. and Mrs. Ballard Bennett of Weslaco honored her parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Chupick, on their 50th wedding anniversary. Miss Clarine Bliznak and John F. Chupick were married in Houston on Jan. 14, 1926, at the home of Judge and Mrs. C.H. Chernosky, the uncle and aunt of Mrs. Chupick. The late Rev. Frank Horak officiated at the ceremony. Mr. Chupick began his business career with Schuhmacher Bank, later La Grange State Bank. In 1916, he founded Fayetteville State Bank before entering the land business. He returned to the banking business before serving as supreme secretary of the SPJST for 20 years. Upon his retirement, Mr. Chupick built Balcones Minerals Corporation in Flatonia.

Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Niemeyer celebrated their golden wedding anniversary on Sunday, Dec. 7. The couple was married at Trinity Hill on Dec. 3, 1925.

Karen S. Schramek, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elroy A. Schramek of Schulenburg, was promoted to U.S. Army private first class while assigned to the 13th Corps Support Command at Fort Hood. The private, a finance clerk with the 27th Finance Company to the command’s 1st Personnel and Administration Battalion, entered the Army in 1974. The Schulenburg High School graduate completed basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, and was later stationed at Fort Benjamin Harrison, Indiana.

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Below are ads from 1976

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