The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, January 04, 1966, Image 1
Thumbin 9 It A&M Hitchhiking Champion Reviews Holiday Trip EDITOR’S NOTE: Aggies may not have discovered the art of hitchhiking, but they have more or less perfected it. Larry Jerden, Battalion sports editor, claims to be the Southwest Con ference champion in this not-so-publicized sport, with more than 23,000 miles to his credit during his three and a half years at A&M. This is the first of a four-part series in which Jerden describes his latest venture: a 1,173 mile trip to Shaw, S. C., for the Christ mas holidays. While there are no official hitch-hiking records, it has long been an Aggie tradition to take to the thumb for transportation when other forms of travel have not been available. Being one to keep traditions whenever possible, and usually without funds for more expensive methods of travel, I have, in my three-and-a-half years at A&M, thumbed it for some 23,000 miles in Texas, Arkansas, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Kansas and most recently through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina. Having already made arrangements for a ride home to Shaw AFB, South Carolina for Christmas, I didn’t bother to put in for space available orders with the Air Force. When my ride fell through a few days before the holidays I was left holding my travel- worn B-4 bag a long way from home: 1,173 miles as the Aggie walks! After talking it over with a couple of friendly professors and doing some all-night writing to get certain papers in early, I decided the only way home open to a guy with 50c in his pocket was the route of the open road. So, on a rainy, very cool Wednesday afternoon, dressed in my Senior boots, Ike jacket and grey trench coat, armed with four dollars chipped-in by my friends on The Battalion staff, I held out my wind-blown thumb for another test of mankind’s pity for a fellow in distress. I was taken to the outskirts of Bryan by our amusements editor, Lani Presswood, in his ailing ’62 Dodge. After a warm handclasp, he spun his blue charger around, shook his head in dismay at what that nut out there was doing, and left me feeling very alone at 1:45 p.m. After being passed by some local traffic, I noticed, a ’65 Olds P-85 tapping its brakes. He sped up, slowed down, and finally made a U-turn about a mile down a rain-slicked Highway 6. Five minutes after I was let out of the Dodge, I was on my way to Hearne with Mr. and Mrs. James Coon, a newly-wed couple on their honeymoon. While we were chatting about the miserable weather, the national anthem was played on the radio, signaling the first rendezvous in space by Gemini 6 and 7. Gemini 6 was to be back on earth before I made it to Atlanta, Georgia! Coon is a truck driver, born in Nebraska and served in Korea with the Rangers. His opinion of the Viet Nam war reflected past experience: “I don’t know, I fought in Korea and we didn’t gain nothin’ there . . . hmmm, say, young feller, want a beer?” I thanked the couple for the ride and was back out in the rain at 2:10, again feeling very alone as they disappeared down Highway 6, full of hope for the future, sipping their Lone Star at 75 mph. There wasn’t much traffic on US 79 that afternoon, but there were enough trucks going by on the wet road to nearly drown me in their giant wakes as they passed. Finally a very loaded-down six- cylinder Chevy stopped, slid around in the mud and once again I entered the warmth of a ride. Mr. and Mrs. Pete Gaynord are an elderly couple from Hutto, where Pete has been running an Humble station for 18 years. The two were on their way to Centerville to hunt and take some presents to friends, and on seeing my Aggie uniform, launched into tales of friends of theirs that had attended Aggieland, and others who are in the service. Gaynord’s opinion on Viet Nam was very strong, since he has a son in the Army in Germany that may be sent there any time. “Let’s either get out of it or do somethin’ mighty quick! Right now we’re losin all our boys and aren’t gain’ anything. It would hurt us to pull out, so let’s get in there and win it.” Pointing to his guns in the back, he warned, “Don’t ever get started deer hunting. I wasn’t going to hunt this year, but this friend of mine invited me and now I go out every day . . . and haven’t hit a thing!” The visability was dropping outside, and fog was mixing with rain. As I sat in the warmth and friendliness of the car, I dreaded getting to the crossroads where the Gaynords would turn off. All too soon, I was again standing in the cold, damp air. I stepped out of the car at precisely 2:59, and 60 seconds later was whisked away in a ’65 Mustang. It was pretty, blue, and powered by the quiet, yet powerful 289 C.I., 225 hp V-8 engine teamed with an all-synchro three-speed. Piloting the little horse was Dean Butler, a 19-year-old worker on the overpass behind the A&M campus. After graduating from high school in Paris, Texas, he had followed the construction work to El Paso, where his girl lives, Wichita Falls, Odessa, Clarksville and College Station. He was out of work for the afternoon due to the rain, and was on his way home to Paris. He has no draft worries, and feels that we should speed up the war and get it over with. As with my other rides thus far, there was country and western music blaring forth on the car radio, offering a topic of discussion dear to my heart, as was his car. Looking out the window, the view was one of bare trees, soggy ground, mud, brown grass, rolling hills and the two-lane highway winding its way to the northeast corner of the state. On a long trip like this one, the hours pass quickly at times, but minutes can seem eternal. Sharing some candy. Dean and I were chatting about life in general, when I noticed a car we passed had Louisiana plates and a Strategic Air Command sticker in the window. Putting these facts together, I surmised he was going to Barksdale A.F.B, near Bossier City, remembering a football slogan “Make Something Happen,” I rolled down my window as we passed and asked him for a ride. I really don’t think he understood me, but was shook enough to pull over to the side. I hopped out, bag in hand, and asked where he was bound. Sure enough, his destination was Barksdale. The grey-haired man behind the wheel of the ’65 Plymouth bore a remarkable resemblance to Barry Goldwater, and his views on life and war seemed the same. A. S. Raudabauge is a retired Air Force officer working for Univac and was on his way from Bergstrom AFB near Austin where Cash Pleads Guilty On Dope Charges EL PASO, Tex. UP> Western singer, Johnny Cash pleaded guil ty last week during an arraign ment on charges of possession of depressant and stimulant drugs. No sentencing date has been set. Cash entered the plea before U. S. Dist. Court Judge D. W. Suttle, who allowed Cash to remain free on $1,500 bond. Cash was arrested Oct. 4 at El Paso International Airport by federal narcotics agents who said he was carrying 688 dexedrine and 475 equanil tablets. Civil Engineers Name Clancy President Edward L. Clancy, a civil en gineering major from Urbana, 111., is the new president of the J. P. L. McNew Student Chap ter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Other officers include Don J. Matocha of Smithville, vice pres ident; Kenneth W. Korb of San Antonio, secretary; Kenneth J. Koch of San Antonio, treasurer; Peter W. Schneider of Las Vegas, Nev., program chairman, and Rogelio Rivera of Laredo, parlia mentarian. he had just supervised the installation of a new computer when he “offered” me the ride. He was going home for a night’s sleep before leaving for Altus AFB, Okla., the next morning. A veteran of 30 years in the service, the retired colonel said about the present war: “I’m with LeMay, I "think we ought to escalate it. The whole trouble right now is that McNamara. He thinks he’s holy, that’s his trouble!” It was getting dark as we rushed through the piney woods of East Texas, but the rain had let up some and we were cruising at a steady 75 mph. As the conversation trailed off, he noticed my calvary boots and asked if I was in the Artillery ROTC. I explained about the senior tradition at A&M. “I was a cadet major in the artillery at Ohio State,” he said, “and graduated in 1933. Had a pair of boots just like that. I guess you know how to use boot jacks to get ’em off!” “No,” I told him, “we use freshmen in Aggieland.” “Well, wish I’d thought of that at Ohio State,” he said. Raudabauge was given a commission in the horse drawn artillery when he entered the Army, but was somehow sent to Chanute Field and ended up serving his whole career in the Air Corps. It was getting dark outside and our speed crept up to 80 as we got nearer the Louisiana line. I noticed a set of headlights approaching us rapidly from behind, and a golden Toronado swept by us at something over 100 mph, disappearing into the cool night. By the time we entered Carthage, around 5:30, the grey sky was turning dark blue and the fog was getting thicker. We crossed the state line at 5:55 and had an uneventful cruise to Bossier City where he let me out on Highway 80 at 7:25. By Larry Jerden' I waited five minutes while a heavy stream of traffic sped by. Then a rumbling 61 Pontiac came to a halt, and I gratefully slipped into the right front seat. A very Cajun accent answered my introduction and identified the speaker as Dr. Paul M. Campbell, an osteopath from Shreveport on his way home for the night. “Ah break de bones for a livin', son,” he said. As we fought the traffic on the outskirts of Bossier City, he patted the dash of his car and bragged a bit. “I got de biggest enjine dey got, with three bnrrells, but I cut two of the thangs out. Say, you writin’ a story? You want a story?” ‘I’ll carry you to ma home, let you gab with ma wife . . . she’s a journ-all-ist, or somethin’ like that. She’s writin’ on a book, I think, bout ancestors and all that which was in the wild west. Why, son, she makes the Hollywood folks back down on some ah dem facts bout dat west. Dat’s right, son, you come on to ma house, I’ll let you eat some good cookin’, get you warm, and ma wife’ll give you all the story you want!” I thanked him just as nicely as I could, but explained that the story I was after was the one about the trip, and that I just had to get on down the road. » “QK, son, here's my card, and the next time you come through Shreveport, spend a day or two at my house and I’ll really give you a story.” “Now, son, Ima gonna put you out in a good spot, don’t you move an inch and I garontee you get a ride in no time flat.” “Thank you,” I muttered, shook hands with him, and stepped out into I believe the darkest spot on the face of the earth! I mean it was B-L-A-C-K! LARRY JERDEN ... champion hitchhiker. Cbe Battalion Volume 61 COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1966 Number 250 Construction Underway On Circle Elimination Completion Date ^ jH TRAFFIC CIRCLE TO BE ELIMINATED " . . . $40,000 improvement project set for completion this month. Set This Month A $40,000 improvement project aimed at eliminating the dangerous traffic circle on the campus’ northeast side will be completed in two or three weeks, Bryan District Engineer C. B. Thames predicted Monday. The long-waited project was begun shortly after the University dismissed classes for the Christmas holidays. The circle at the intersection of Farm Road 60 and South College Ave. will be temporarily replaced by a four way stop, Thames said, but the city of College Station will install a traffic light in the"* near future. Portions of Farm Road 60 will be widened at the var ious crossovers between the circle and State Highway 6 in order to install separate left turn lanes, he added . After widening is completed the depressed medians will be filled to level them with the highway, and then the road and medians will be retopped with a hot-mix asphaltic concrete. Some repair work is also sche duled for the portion of Farm Road 60 from the circle west to the junction with Old Highway 6. Thames warned that the im provements will create safer driv ing conditions but will likely slow traffic at the circle, especially during the congested hours of 8 a.m., noon and 5 p.m. “Students going to classes will probably be delayed more by the changes,” he said, “but the traf fic circle has outlived its use fulness during the peak hours of traffic. “The circle is actually one of the safest type intersections we have,” he continued, “and there has never been a major accident at this circle.” Thames added the signal light will help establish responsibility in minor accidents occurring at the intersection. The light will instantaneously gauge volume of traffic and pro portion time intervals accordingly. The district engineer also said work on the overpass under con struction at Farm Road 60 and Old Highway 6 will probably be completed in the middle of the summer. Professor, Son Return To School After Nightmarish Ski Experiences nasa Gives It was “Back to School Again” Tuesday for Professor T. A. Noyes and his 12-year old son, Terry, after an unexpected adventure in the mountains of New Mexico during the Christmas holidays. Noyes is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at A&M. Terry goes to Bryan Pub lic Schools. With a nephew, Tim Noyes, 15, of Corpus Christi, and a family friend, Randy Jaster, 17, of Aus tin, Noyes and Terry were lost almost 25 hours near Ruidoso. “I’m real tired,” Noyes com mented at his 320 Dunn Street home Monday afternoon. “I feel dragged out. We have been sleep ing ard eating since we got home Sunday. My whole family is re covering from food poisoning we got on the way home.” The rest of the family indues Mrs. Noyes and Valerie, 9. “It was an ordeal I don't want to have to go through again,” Noyes said, adding “We want to give thanks in great measure to everyone who searched for us.” Their ordeal began about 3 p.m. last Thursday high on the slopes of the Sierra Blanca Mountains where the family was winding up a vacation of skiing. They were skiing at the South Central New Mexico ski resort operated by Mescalera Apache Indians. “It was the last ski run we were going to make because we were going to leave for home Friday morning,” Noyes explain ed. “We decided to ride up the gondola and ski down Apache Bowl, one of the ski runs,” he recalled. “As we were skiing to ward the bowl Randy fell, losing his glasses and bruising a knee. About 50 feet further on, we en tered what we thought to be the Apache Bowl. It wasn’t. “About 4:10,” he continued, “Terry decided he should go ahead to tell our families not to worry since we were skiing past the 4 p.m. closing time. Two hours later Terry met two other lost skiers. Together, they forged on until 10 p.m. when they got into the lee of a big rock for protec tion from rain. They stayed un til dawn and were found about 2 p.m. by a search party.” Noyes said Terry’s rescuer, Harlan McCraw of Ruidoso, gave him a shot of whiskey for shock, then took him by horseback down the mountain where he was trans ferred by jeep to a hospital. Meanwhile, Noyes, Tim and Randy spent the night in a crudely fashioned shelter. They enclosed an overhanging rock with a snow wall, using ski poles for reinforcement. “It was a miserable night,” Noyes grimaced. “It wasn’t freezing because water dripped on us all night. “The boys yere absolutely cour ageous,” he said. “We suffered less than parents and loved ones who did not know what had hap pened to us.” While trying to get a drink the next morning, Tim was dunked into an icy creek when his snow bridge collapsed. “He weakened rapidly after that and was hardly able to move forward,” Noyes recollected. “I decided to go down the mountain as rapidly as possible for help. I had gotten about a mile when the boys were found by a rescue party coming down the moun tain.” Noyes was rescued by Ed Wim berly of Ruidoso. “The rescuers found Tim un conscious,” Noyes said. “They built a fire and revived him. Diana Bengal, a ski instructor at the resort, gave him a pair of ski pants and they wrapped him in blankets for the night. An In dian carried him to a “snow cat” the next morning for a 10-mile trip to the hospital.” Noyes said food was the least of his thoughts throughout the ordeal. Not so for Randy. “He said he was going to eat a half-dozen hot dogs when he got back to the lodge,” Noyes com mented. “Our judgment seemed logical at the time,” he concluded. “We did what we though was best. I’m just thankful that the ordeal was no wurse than it ended.” $288,000 Study Grant Texas A&M has been awarded a National Aeronautics and Space Administration grant which could total $288,000 during the next three years. Academic Vice President Wayne C. Hall said A&M received 15 pre-doctoral traineeships in sci ence and engineering fields re lated to space technology, the maximum awarded by NASA. The basic stipend is $2,400 for 12 months, but allowances for de pendents and other expenses could add $1,000 to the annual total. A&M is to receive $3,000 per trainee per year as a cost of education allowance. Fees and tuition for trainees will be paid by trainees from this fund. Applications will be accepted by A&M’s Graduate College through April 15. Formal of fers will be made by A&M after May 1.