If you studied your Colonial history, you’ve read about a Plymouth Rock outside Boston. Not far south of South Bend, home of the Notre Dame ‘Fighting Irish,’ there’s a Plymouth Indiana. I scoffed when I drove by the high school football stadium that labels itself ‘Home of the Plymouth Rockies.’ Didn’t sound like a ferocious name. My Abilene high school chose a belligerent mascot, the Eagle. Of course, we weren’t original. And I have no
Author: Dick Elam
Chickening Out
When our oldest of three ‘baby girls’ approached age three years, her main vocabulary consisted of questions: Why? How? What’s that? Asking why her Mommy was expanding at the middle, she was told another little sister was inside, on the way. The next day, she shocked the elderly couple who came to dinner when she asked: “Mommy, is the food you’re eating falling on the baby’s head?” Another time
Earthquake Hilo
Every time I read or hear about another earthquake, I pay close attention to the number quoted on the Richter scale. Hilo Hawaii, 1975, 7.3 Richter scale As I lay in my Hilo Hawaii guest bedroom, surrounded by windows on three sides, the bed began to shake. Then rattle. The clock enclosed in a marble case crashed on the table behind my head. I covered my head with my pillow, shut out the dawn light.
Tailwind, You Win
You can bet your anemometer (altitude measurement gauge) that we old, timid pilots –no old, bold pilots they say–read about the airliner that flew 801 miles per hour. Thanks to a powerful tailwind. Republic Airlines Captain Tom Young said the fastest speed his airliner ever flew was 600 mph. Again, thanks to a tailwind. Tom was a North Carolina University student of this old, private pilot. I became a professor long after I logged 1,600
Honorary Texas Rangers
The two businessmen came from Chicago. The “suits” left for a business convention in St. Louis, but lost their way to St. Peter Street in New Orleans. The three “political experts” drove from Alabama where we went to help a recent college classmate run for Congress. Alex and I wrote speeches, press releases, radio commercials. Phil announced our copy. We were driving back to Abilene. Stopped in New Orleans to buy
“Abilene Forever” Lawyer
As far as I know, the lyrics…and what passed as a tune…belonged to Abilene lawyer named Homer Montgomery. Homer and I arrived at The University at Austin Texas, after World War II ended. I was an 18-year-old undergraduate working on the student Daily Texan newspaper. Homer was enrolled in Law School, cashing in his GI Bill-of-Rights something less than $100-a-month scholarship money. We were both from Abilene, and his song-writing fame preceded him. When we returned home
Remembering Fess Parker
One of my former journalism students responded to my story about my 1949 classmate Fess Parker and his Model-T Ford. However this Elam-trained journalist asks to remain anonymous. Maybe because he doesn’t want anyone to know he’s so old he’s drawing social security? He emailed…. Always remembered that the Davy Crockett/ Fess Parker character relied on the slogan, “Be sure you’re right…then go ahead.” Also the kids in my area memorized the speech in the Disney series in which Crockett/
‘Bama ‘Dema-Goshers’
Appears we’ve got lots of political ‘dema-goshers’ lately. But I’ve yet to hear of any recent political demagogue who matches the theatrical skill attributed to James Folsom, the Governor of Alabama back in the 1950s. A son-of-Alabama, former State Senator Ramsey Neil Metcalf, told me about one “Kissing Jim” (nickname acquired after some lady filed suit in an Alabama court) Folsom appearance that I still remember. On that Saturday, a crowd gathered at a county courthouse
Science Fair Family Feud
The Elam and Crutchfield families were the best of friends. But once a year friends became the worst of enemies—when the Abilene city schools sponsored the Science Fair. On the run-up to that annual event, the Crutchfield father of five let his chicanery slip. While sharing a libation or two, John bragged he and son Joe had installed laboratory equipment to help grow experimental ‘cultures’ for the upcoming Science Fair. Holy Pasteur—what were the odds my
Famous Christmas Givers
Annie was a great gal. Her only niece Margo remembers, as I do, a ‘cornucopia’ of Christmas presents that Anne Van Buren mailed from Colorado to our homes. However my sister-in-law insisted on specific Christmas tree rules. To wit: NO presents opened before Christmas morning. Excepting when the northern cat smelled the ‘nip’ wrapped and sent by the Colorado feline who always signed as ‘Claws.’ ONLY one present from ‘Auntie’ or ‘Sister.’ All other wrapped presents