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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (May 11, 1988)
Wednesday, May 11, 1988/The Battalion/Page 5 rt e d>”saidlt a crime | he gets.” v er be dol i. who siiit| 1 Carolina e alive an^ this will he;.: i -- I enough;, ts innocet ie rest of b nation,” hM — the straJ at s becaust® All my Ip ingthat." 1 o succeede:; -'ution for (| action said 1 ; refused totl nith wasoJ s own choitfl •as assured:C e Court be:: challenge tt| Austin begins collection of unpaid fines AUSTIN (AP) — City marshals have taken to the streets for the first time in 64 years as officials launched a drive to collect some $13 million in unpaid fines. In the past four years, about 156,000 outstanding Class C mis demeanor warrants — most for traffic-related offenses — have accumulated, Lt. Dell Shaw of the Austin police warrant division said. Shaw said that if every fine were paid, the city would collect $13 million. “We have so many outstanding warrants on our files,” Shaw said. “We hope this program will re duce that number.” In 1924, city marshals in Aus tin were responsible for peace keeping duties in the city, officials said. Their jobs later were as sumed by the police department. The three new marshals, who are paid by the city’s legal depart ment, will concentrate solely on serving the warrants. “They are commissioned police officers, but they will not be doing any patrol work,” Shaw said. Currently the marshals are as sisted by a seven-member police warrants task force, which even tually will disband after more marshals are commissioned, Shaw said. By October, there should be 16 city marshals, he said. Ruiz may return to Texas prison by end of month HUNTSVILLE (AP) — A prison inmate whose handwritten com plaints led to sweeping reforms within the Texas prison system may be returning to the state’s custody by the end of the month, officials said. David Ruiz, 55, was transferred to a federal prison in 1979 because of fears for his safety at the Texas De partment of Corrections, but U.S. District Judge William Wayne Jus tice has ordered that he be trans ferred back to Texas. Prison officials received the order late last week, said Carl Jeffries, as sistant director of classification. That office will be responsible for assign ing Ruiz to one of the 26 prison units. But Nancy Juren, an assistant at torney general, said Monday the state has not yet decided whether to appeal Justice’s order. The order requires Texas prison officials to accept Ruiz by May 31. The state has until May 25 to ap peal the decision. Some state officials said they are worried about the return. Ruiz, who is being held at the fed eral prison in Terre Haute, Ind., asked that he be moved back to Texas so he could be closer to his family and attorney, Juren said. But moving Ruiz to state custody could cause several problems, Jef fries said. “Our biggest concern is other in mates who have been in the system a while who may have a cause in their mind,” Jeffries said, indicating there were some worries Ruiz might be harmed. One of the major changes that Ruiz’s lawsuit wrought was the elimi nation of “building tenders” — in mates who had reached a position of authority and were allowed to help guard other inmates. At issue is whether Ruiz waived his one-time right to be returned to state custody, Juren said. The state contends that right ap plied only to his first transfer to the federal prison system in 1979. She said he was reassigned to a federal penitentiary in 1985 for a subse- ? [uent offense and did not seek con- inement in the Texas prison system. Ruiz was serving a 25-year sen tence for a 1968 armed robbery con viction when he filed his lawsuit 15 years ago. octor turns train station nto retreat on canyon rim ') - A >oy who to four son has go® tying tki rs sent to iessaid. | ; DAUGHTERY, Texas (AP) — • i. docw lfrains don’t stop at the old Floydada i‘ v., Itation house any more. In fact, the I aanta re stationhouse is no longer v. someli , i • .-I i j i i • ” xi diet , B t)Calec in floydada. Instead, it per ches on the rim of a canyon almost 15 miles away; trains passing through the area are a puff of smoke lervices. : r . , on the horizon. I “I waited four months after I read ‘ 14 JB 11 the paper that Santa Fe was phas- ° V " |ng put small stations in the area be rime to lief t' nrun g > n the next year,” explained bed out oialB r ' Richard Morgan, Plainview op- m ofhispa Sl omelrisL * reasoned that 1 still had i ...u eight months to bid on one of the ideied toas» ». ^Itationhouses. go al treatmen: an for the h exanderLis , Charlotte ™ “When I called, I was told that the lale Center station had been do- dni nd ' nate d to a museum and that all the Blithers were gone — except for the ■tation at Floydada. I said 1 wanted Po bid on it right then and there — Hiver the telephone.” It was probably fortunate that the Hdoydada station was the one avail- Hble since it was closest to the site be- ■ween Floydada and Matador where I Hdorgan planned to move it. I “I called Dewey Henry (Plainview Blouse mover) and he gave me an im- Hnediate quote,” Morgan said. “He Hlready had been contacted for an ■stimate by someone else interested in the structure.” I The logistics of moving the station ■rom Floydada to Morgan’s ranch were staggering. B The site he selected first proved to | jbe too difficult to reach, so he re- Wised his plans. | It now rests on a flat piece of ground at the edge of a canyon, overlooking the historic Burleson Blanch. I “When they set the building Mown, the neighbors came over to look,” Morgan said. “I think I can Bnagine how they felt. They had I'lpeen out here isolated forever — then suddenly there’s this house overlooking their ranchland. i “I think it would be like someone in town building a skyscraper next door to you where they could look into your windows and backyard — out here where they’re used to open space for miles, just having a neigh bor overlooking your canyon must Seem like an invasion of privacy.” I Morgan purchased his small fanch nine years ago as a place to get away — a weekend home. Named Arroyo Seco, he explains (tongue in cheek) that his brand is an AS on the left hip, devised so his city-bred wife, l||haron, can tell the cow’s head from il’s rear. I Naturally, she denies his asser tion, adding that although she grew up in Illinois in a rural town, she can tell the difference between the cow’s head and its tail. She does add that she considers herself a “city girl” and isn’t too fond of the outdoor life. “Television reception out here is poor — especially with the little rab bit ear antenna we have,” she ex plained. “I read a lot, but I don’t really enjoy hanging around the house while Richard is plowing or hunting.” A confessed movie buff, she muses, with one eye on her hus band’s reaction, that maybe she needs to buy a VCR so she can while away the hours watching movies. “When they set the build ing down, the neighbors came over to look . . . They had been out here isolated forever — then suddenly there's this house overlooking their ranchland. — Dr. Richard Morgan Besides being a place to raise a few head of cattle, Morgan enjoys taking friends to the ranch to hunt. He has photos taken near the sta tionhouse of deer, including one of a buck with an impressive rack of ant lers. Rabbits, turkeys, quail, pos sums, raccoons and porcupines pop ulate the area, along with rattlesnakes. The Morgans spotted a cougar last year on top of a neighbor’s hay stack. “Its silhouette was visible against the sky,” Mrs. Morgan said. “We first thought it was a bobcat, but the tail was too long.” An abandoned apparatus used for mining diatomaceous earth stands alone a few hundred yards from the house, visible evidence that early res idents used every resource on the land. “The neighbors tell me that a man came up here every year and mined the earth, then sold it to garages to sprinkle on their floors to absorb oil,” Morgan said. “Then he just quit coming. No one seems to know what happened to him.” Improvements to the station started with the bathrooms. The men’s restroom is used for the bath and retains the original toliet with a high overhead tank and pull chain. Finding a small clawfoot cast iron bathtub proved to be a problem. “I took a tape measure with me when I was looking,” Morgan said, laughing. “I knew I had seen one somewhere. I was mowing the lawn at my mother-in-law’s house one day and looked over the fence into the . neighbor’s yard. There was my tub.” The women’s restroom is now a tiny efficiency kitchen, complete with microwave oven. Heat for the main room, formerly the office and waiting room, is provided by a hand some burgundy enamel wood stove. “That stove was the one we had at home when I was growing up just north of Plainview,” Morgan said. “It’s in perfect shape, except for a nick at the base near one of the han dles.” A built-in desk where the station- master and telegrapher worked re mains in the living area, at home with Morgan’s collection of railroad memorabilia. Santa Fe safety posters hang alongside lanterns, railroad prints and photographs. Large sliding patio doors were added behind the massive sliding wood doors in the baggage room, one framing a breathtaking view of the canyon and one facing a rugged pasture dotted with mesquite and wildflowers. A loft is used for stor age now, but Mrs. Morgan says it would be great for grandchildren to play in someday. Graffiti, autographs and com ments remain where they were writ ten years ago on the walls beside the doors and a faded railroad crossing sign hangs on one wall. An old Hil ton Hotel doorway sign hangs over the three-step stairway leading down into the waiting room. “Richard’s father and Porter Mor gan (no relation) were partners in the hotel at one time,” Mrs. Morgan said, explaining the hotel sign. “Richard’s father gave him the old sign that used to hang over a door at the hotel.” A foundation for a deck is laid outside the front window, waiting for Morgan to continue work on it. “First I have to get the haygrazer planted,” he smiled. Railroad ties are stacked to form a rambling fence around the station- house, partly for decoration while at the same time keeping cattle from roaming in the yard. A friend gave him a mile sign “836” that was on the rail line at Daugherty, 3 miles south west of his place. “The sign desig nates 836 miles to St. Louis. I think it was on the Burlington line,” Morgan added. He said the sign is now just a few miles from where it was origi nally. The Morgans live a busy profes sional life (she owns Plainview New comer Greeters) involving complete personal involvement. Their “home away from home” is ideal — a com pletely different environment close enough in miles to enable the couple to “get away” often, yet still offering a “laid-back” atmosphere free of pressure. The best of both worlds. MANOR HOUSE Motor Inns | AGGIE BUCKS \ Parents Visiting? Manor House Motor Inn 2504 Texs Avenue South • College Station • 764-9540 MANOR HOUSE Motor Inns This coupon good for j^TWO FOR THE PRICE OF ONE" STA Y THE FIRST NIGHT FOR $40.00 SINGLE OR ^ $45.00 DO UBLE PL US TAX, AND SPEND THE SECOND NIGHT FREE. sfSr NOT A VAIL ABLE ON SPECIAL DA TES. Present certificate when checking in. Only one certificate may be used per week. Airport transportation available, cable T. V., free local calls, 24 hour restaurant, health club facilities. 1-800-231-4100 Lv CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF ‘88! Have fun celebrating... but be careful on the road BEIIW0RLD BACCHUS &c Center for Dru|r Prevention & Education 845—0260 TEXAS A&M GRADUATES QUALIFY FOR *15,000 PRE-APPROVED CREDIT As a graduating senior you have earned more than a degree... you’ve earned admiration, respect, and at Myer’s Courtesy Ford you’ve earned pre-approved credit and a purchase rebate of $400. Call or come by today and take advantage of this factory sponsored program and drive home your new Ford. r *400 PURCHASE REBATE ^ ON NEW FORD CARS & TRUCKS 3401 Garland Rd. North of LBJ Next to HyperMart 278-9581 « y m ■ COURTESY FORD j Have a fun summer and celebrate sensibly! BACCHUS Sc Center for Drue Prevention Be Education B4&-0280 Expires 1/1/1989 r // (Minimum value $40.00) Authorized by: Jeanne W. Calhoun, general mgr. CALL BATTALION CLASSIFIED 845-2611 For FAST Results