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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 1962)
Newsman Just Along For The Ride Finds New Story At Old Scene (Editor’s Note: Battalion News Editor Dan Louis has written a story based on both fact and fic tion. As a reporter on several daily papers in the state, Louis has dealt with the very thesis of this story many times. Read it and feel the way a reporter feels every time he covers raw death.) Albert Davidson had just gotten back from a cup of coffee at Al’s Grill and stepped into the news room just in time to hear the De partment of Public Safety radio crackle. He didn’t understand the entire message, but he did catch one word, “major.” After 27 years in the newspaper business that one word on the DPS squawk-box was enough to spell a TWO DANCES SNOOK HALE SUNDAY, DEC. 23 Music By DEL-FTS WEDNESDAY DEC. 26 Music By DEL-FTS Rock & Roll possible story to Davidson, or A1 to his friends. While he looked around the news room to find someone to cover this one, he thought about the first “major” he was sent out on. Surely his boss didn’t know it was so bad when he made the assignment. A1 could remember that he had to go home after he wrote the story and that he was still too sick to eat the next day. He had never known a human, body had so much blood. He spotted Paul Belton. Paul would be a good man to send on this one, and he knew how to use a camera. A1 looked at the big clock on the wall, it showed 10:23 p.m. Paul would have plenty of time before 1 a.m., when he was due to get off. HE CALLED Paul over. “Check out this ‘major’ with the DPS dis- Pedestrians Face Holiday Hazards Motorists are not the only ones who are killed in holiday accidents. Studies have revealed one out of four Christmas accidents involves pedestrians. Forty per cent of these acci dents occur between 4 p.m. and midnight Christmas Eve and 75 per cent of the total happen dur ing the first 30 hours of the holi day. FREE — FREE — FREE Register For CASH Prizes Given Away Daily. All Aggies, Faculty and Employees of A&M. Ellison Aggieland Pharmacy North Gate College Station patcher and go on out,” he told the 24-year-old general assignment reporter. Paul wheeled around on his heel and went to his phone. A1 knew Paul could handle the job, he had been with the paper about a year and a half and had done a fine job so far. Most important for this job, Paul had become familiar with death. Paul was headed for the door. He’s fast, too, A1 thought. “Hey, Paul,” the veteran called, “I think I’ll go with you.” A1 thought about his first “major.” That was back when the cars didn’t have all the power they do today. He remembered how he imagined the twisted and torn limbs on his way to the scene. There was a mother and child killed in that one. It wasn’t really a child, just a baby, three years old. As he went back over the years he remem bered the little one’s blood as being redder than that of the adults. He also knew that it takes less to crush the little one’s body and spill its insides all over the road. AL HAD NEVER been able to decide which was worse, to see a lifeless child spread out in a bloody mess or to hear an orphaned child cry for his mother and father as they are loaded up to be carried to the morgue. The company car pulled out of the parking lot and headed for the accident, seven miles north of the city limits on Highway 31. Paul was driving. A1 was along just for the ride this time. It had been a long time since he had run a “major.” A1 wondered which killer it would be this time, speed, alcohol or just plain carelessness. It would probably one of them, it usually was. An ambulance screamed past the newsmen. The guys in the ambulance had the rough job. A1 BATTALION CLASSIFIED WANT AD RATES >"rd mum charges—40^ DEADLINE 4 P.m. day before publicatlOB One day . . 24 per w< Mini .... 34 per word ich additional day ». day before publica Classified Display 804 per column inch each insertion PHONE VI 6-6415 FOR RENT Available January 1st, unusually one bedroom duplex apai-tment, across from bedroom duplex apartment, across from A&M Golf Course in College Hills, very nicely furnished, ample closet space, garage, $66.00 utilities paid, after 6 p. m., all day weekend! I >4 c WORK WANTED Student wife wants ironing or baby sitting. VI 6-6306. 41tfn Typing - electric typewriter. Experience; Beer eta ry. business teacher. VI 6-8610. 85tfn LOST Brown Printed briefcase. leather printed on one side, lost at the fountain room, MSU, December 13th. Please return to 810 Fairview, C. S. very important papers MSC, Decembe: $5.00 rewa se i rd. No questions asked. 48t2 CHILD CARE HUMPTY DUMPTY NURSERY Children of all ages, weekly and hourly rates, 3404 South College Avenue, Bryan, Texas. Virginia Davis Jones. Registered Nurse. TA 2-4803. 124tfn Will keep children, all ages, will pick up nd deliver. VI 6-8161. llltfn FEMALE HELP WANTED Waitress—good salary plus tips. Walk ing distance of College View apartments. Telephone Mr. Mullins for appointment, VI 6-9968. Dutch Kettle Restaurant. 46t4 TV - Radio - Hi-Fi Service & Repair GILS RADIO & TV TA 2-0826 2403 S. College AGGIES NOTICE To Rent Brazos County A&M Club Por Mixed Parties,—See Joe Faulk SAE 30 Motor Oils 150 Qt. Major Brands Oils 27-310 Qt. For your parts and accessories AT a DISCOUNT See us— Plenty free parking opposite the courthouse. DISCOUNT AUTO PARTS Brake shoes. Fuel pumps, W®t®r pumps. Generators, Starters, Solenoids, etc. Save 30 to 50% on just about any part for your car. Filters 40% discount AT JOE FAULK’S 25th and Washington TYPEWRITERS Rentals-Sales-Service Terms Distributors For: Royal and Victor Calculators & Adding Machines CATES TYPEWRITER CO. 909 S. Main TA 2-6000 YOUR DISTRIBUTOR FOR • EICO KITS • Garrard Changers • HI-FI Components • Tape Recorders Use Our Time Payment Plan BRYAN RADIO & TV TA 2-4862 1301 S. College Ave. MANHATTAN GRILL 803 W. 25th St. Bryan, Texas Open: 8 a. m. - 12:00 p. m. Good food and service. Can accomodate groups up to 50 for parties, etc. Make reservations in advance for your Christmas Party. SOSOLIK'S T. V., Radio, Phono., Car Radio Transistor Radio Service 713 S. Main TA 2-1941 FOR SALE 1959 Thtmderbird, loaded, all extras. 2-6586, or 1903 S. College. $1860. ury Moi 1903 S. Colle; TA- 1957 TA 2-6586 or 45t5 mdition. portable stereo. Like $100. VI 6-4209, 210 Poplar after 6. 45tfn 4-burner gas range. Good coi $30.00. VM portable stereo. Like new. 1954 Chevrolet sedan, new valves, rings, iattery, generator, regulators, etc. Runs jood. One mashed fender. $850.00. Corner Dexter and Thomas, 4 blocks south of iampus. 40tfn Wash and grease $1.50 with minimum Nei gr ew at 19tfn DR. G SMITH o ^ T O M »=’T.R I S T ; • FaCLALiZiNe In tY* ■XAKINAne** •nd CONTACT L8N«f« BRYAN OPTICAL CLINK. 10b No. M AIN . BR YA'Nv't.PUA i-. HOME & CAR RADIO REPAIRS SALES & SERVICE KEN’S RADIO & TV 303 W. 26th TA 2-2819 • ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURAL SUPPLIES • BLUE LINE PRINTS • BLUE PRINTS • PHOTOSTATS SCOATES INDUSTRIES 608 Old Sulphur Springs Road BRYAN, TEXAS SHIPLEY DONUT & COFFEE SHOP For The Best Coffee & Freshest Donuts ANYWHERE Hamburgers — Short Orders — Fountain Service Cash Available For Books, Slide Rules & Etc. 5,000 AGGIES CAN’T BE WRONG LOUPOTS REPAIRS FOR ALL MAKE CARS Charge Accounts Available CADE MOTOR COMPANY 46 Years With Ford 1309 Texas Avenue. had decided a long time ago that was the job he would least want. They are the ones who get to re assemble the bodies and wrestle with the torn, dirty, sticky chunks of flesh. THE CAR began to slow down. A1 could see the flashing ’ red lights ahead. They came to a halt behind the white patrol car. Two bodies had already been covered by sheets—completely covered. A1 looked hard at the sheets. The blood on one was very red, as red as the blood of the little ones. There was something about this blood. It made him tighten in the pit of his stomach, he wanted to cry. His agony was halted by a familiar voice. It was Don Jor dan, a student at A&M who Al’s daughter Alice dated. Don was going to swing by Alice’s school and bring her home for the Christ mas holidays. A1 didn’t realize they were to be in today. Alice must be at home. Don was talking again. No, not talking, he was screaming and crying. He was apologizing, “I’m sorry, Mr. Davidson, I didn’t want to do it. I’d rather be dead.” Al’s stomach tightened again. He had to work for each breath. He began to cry as he worked his way back to the sheet with the very red blood on it. He knew now that that blood was the blood of a baby. His baby, his only baby, Alice. He knelt by the quiet baby. He didn’t look, he just knelt, cried and looked at Don, sobbing like a child. A1 knew that he had to explain to Don that he understood. But how could he. He didn’t. Ready To Serve You Thousands of ambulances have probably These are the little wagons that pick up the been serviced and made ready for action pieces from traffic victims and take them in anticipation of a bloody holiday season, to be reassembled for burial. World’s Deadliest Battlefield Lies Between You And Home By GERRY BROWN Battalion News Editor At the West Gate entrance to the campus stands a monument Colorful Safety Slogans, Signs Add To Safe Driving Campaign Every ^year traffic safety com mittees and departments of public safety all over the United States launch campaigns to convince the American motorist that it isn’t always the other fellow who gets killed in traffic accidents. One of the more colorful aspects of these difficult campaigns is the safety slogans and signs that re sult. Texas’ own Governor’s Highway Safety Commission has compiled a list of these slogans, from points all over the country. Such as: A sign at Hondo, Tex.: “This Is God’s Country. Don’t Drive Through It Like Hell!” From the Connecticut State Police: ‘He who has one for the road gets trooper for chaser.” New British safety slogan: “Steer Clear of ‘Tavern Fog’.” Mississippi road sign: “Drive Carefully! No Hospital Within 50 Miles!” “You can kill, so drive with skill.” “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice— especially in traffic.” guaranteed gift Sure to please or we will exchange it for another from our stock. THE EXCHANGE STORE “Serving Texas Aggies” * dedicated in memory of Lt. Kyle N. Drake Jr., “who died for democracy on Iwo Jima.” On a metal plaque mounted into the wall of the Memorial Student Center are the names of Aggies who died in the World Wars. In Spence Park a block of granite signifies a tribute to the students and faculty members who fought and died in the Spanish American War. Yet, these represent but a few of the innumerable memorials which stand both on our campus and throughout our nation in memory of the American soldiers who have died in battles from Bunker Hill to Heartbreak Ridge. THE MEMORY of these indi viduals is well* preserved but where are the memorials for the Americans who have died in auto accidents since 1900? Ironically, more people have died on the highways than the total of all the Americans killed in U. S. Wars from 1775 until today. A new nation was forged by the 8,695 Americans who died in the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. The young nation’s survival was assured by the 13,283 U, S. soldiers who were killed in the War with Mexico. When Civil War threatened to split our country in two, 529,332 soldiers gave their lives in the con- j flict and 33 years later 2,446 more died to free Spain’s colonial em pire. DURING TWO World Wars and a Korean “police action” Americans gave their lives in the sum of 578,637 fathers and sons. The total of all these American citizens who wrote their lives on the pages of history stands at 1,130,393. In contrast to this, 1,3 78,851 men, women and children have died as a result of highway accidents since automobiles first appeared in this country slightly over 60 years ago. In mockery to these figures, these same history books which tell of the bloody battlegrounds d war will list the automobile as one of the great inventions of our society. Just remember, the highway is | the deadliest battlefield on this earth. So Far This Year A&M’s ' Record Shows No Fatalities No A&M student has as ye't become a traffic fatality since the beginning of school, but chances are great that this record will be marred before Jan. 3 when classes resume. Four Aggies were already dead when The Battalion printed ics special safety edition last year’. The four lives were taken in three accidents which were iron ically similar. In all three tragedies only the death cars were involved. The three one-car accidents oc curred at night, apparently due to driver error or carelessness, since no contributing factors other than night-time visibility could be ac counted for. The first Aggie killed was Her bert Rogers Jr., a senior from Hebbronville whose car went out LOU and Mrs. LOU Wish Each Of You A '‘Merry Christmas” "Happy New Year” and A SAFE JOURNEY HOME LOUPOTS of control and skidded on a Bryan street Oct. 17, 1961. Ennis R. Holmes, a passenger, receive! multiple injuries. Only four days later, freshman Robert W. Hall of Fort Worth was killed as he and three other Aggies were driving from a dance at Texas Woman’s University during the TCU corps trip. The three other freshmen received minor in juries. The driver was believed to have fallen asleep. Less than a month later, two more freshmen died together in a traffic accident near Hearne when their vehicle rolled almost 500 feet from the roadway. Clebeart H. Jones, of Rosebui and Patrick L. James of Longue^ were killed when their car flipped six times after failing to make a turn. A NEW YEAR A NEW START Winter term begins Jan. 2 Day School Jan. 3 Night School Pick the Modern Road to Success Quick, practical training leads to TOP OFFICE POSITIONS McKENZIE-BALD WIN T BUSINESS COLLEGE Bryan, Texas Dial TA 3-6655 “Sports Car Center” Dealers for Renault-Peugeot & : British Motor Cara 3 Sales—Parts—Service j We Service All Foreign Cars’’j 416 Texas Ave. TA 2-4517;