davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
Slot Machines And Rockets

all income for the slot-machine gang and
gives back to the suckers" only 20 percent
of their nickels in the form of lucky hits.
The annual take" of a slot-machine ring
operating in Jackson county would undoubt-
eddy run close to a million dollars. That mon
ely, almost every nickel of it, would come
from Jackson county pockets, and would
pour into pockets of raeketeers far away
from the economic life of our community. A
few individuals in the county would make
some income or graft out of it, but this would
nowise diminish the drain upon the county;
and it would contribute TO the degeneration
of law enforcement. Jackson county is not a
tourist county. 1t is not Reno, to grow fat on
the gambling business and the tribute of
sucker tourists. 1t is not Bay st. Louis, which
in this sense attempts a cynical imitation of
Reno.
1t is a hard working industrial county.
It's people on the whole dig, and scramble
and sweat for their dollars. And they do
not intend to see an outside ring of gangsters
capitalize on acknowledged human short
sightedness to tap them for hundred of thous-
ands a year.
This newspaper would oppose the intro
duction of slot-machines and public gambling
in the future, as it has in the past. We believe
that the threat of relentless weekly exposure,
backed by solid public opinion, would make
it impossible to permit and shelter such a
racket in this county. We are very happy to
see such a manifestation of this interest as the
declaration of the Pascagoula Council of
Church Women in opposition to such vice.
And we feel confident that in SO far as "the
rackets" are concerned, public opinion and
the press are going to write the tickets. And
that policy will be: no slot machines. We say
this not so much out of elf-confidence in the
power of the press, but out of confidence in
the power of the public and the public's sound
grasp of the issue involved here.
And we trust that these issues will remain
clearly outlined, not only in the present
campaign, or during the coming term of Of
flee, but SO long as this journal is published.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

AS a general thing, We believe in letting the
individual citizens morality strictly up to
the individual and his conscience, so long as
his conduct does not injure the rights of
others or turn himself or his family into a
burden upon society.
With institutions and public policy, as
with individuals, the dividing line is reached
at the point of excess" When an individual,
or a ring begins to conceive of the tavern
business not as the traditional tavern, or
pub, or 'bier-stube" as it has been known
the whole world over for centuries, but as
focal point for vice and racketeering oppor-
t~unities, then a community must protect it.
self and get rid of the trouble spot. 1t is
roughly parallel to the famous foreign policy
of "~quarantining aggressors." Trouble-mak-
ing is aggression, and when an establishment
aggresses upon the peace of the community,
then it very definitely becomes a matter of
public concern and must be removed.
As for slot-machines and organized gambl-
ing, we feel that the overwhelming majority
Of people in this county are agreed that these
practices are rackets by their very nature
and can never be anything but rackets. 1t is
not a question of whether slot-machines lead
to excuses and abuse of the public. They are
abuses to begin with. This is not SO much a
question of saving the soul of the individual
who puts his nickel in the slot and pulls the
handle ;. hardly a grown man could be found
who has not spilled a handful of nickels into
the bottomless pit at some time or another.
1t is a question of defending society, which
lmeans ourselves, against the vicious ring of
racketeers and the corruption that always
will be an inevitable part of the slot-machine
game.
If these sound social and political reasons
were not in themselves a sufficient argument
for an iron-clad prohibition against slot
machines, then cold self-interest should suf-
flee by itself. Look at the mathematics of the
thing; The average slot-machine, as has been
proven too many times in the past for eX-
tended argument now, keeps 30 percent of
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

stories of the flying saucers
increased the number of exeit-
ed people who were able TO
see them
After a few days of these
persistent reports of the Wis
ion appearing on the school
wall. people from various
neighborhoods all over the city
began to make trips to the con-
vent to stand and stare and
Try to see the vision themselv-
es.
In those days automobiles
werZa little less searcer than
they are today and there We're
rarely more than four or five
car owners in each city block.
And in many neighborhoeds,
these cars made several trips
to the scene of the miracle"
bulgine with passengers.
All of this happened many
years ago. when we were about
eight years old. and the details
of the incident have blurred
in our memory. We do not
even remember what convent
was involved or In what part
of the city it was located.
But some of the details re-
main as clear as though the
scene had happened yesterday.
We remember piling into the
car of a Greek businessman
who lived in the neighborhood
and whose son was our play
mate. The car was crowded
and we kids were both excit-
ed and more than a little afraid
as we rode toward the con-
vent through what seemed to
be miles and miles of strange
streets and neighborhoods. A
child believes everything he is
told or overhears. We had not
the slightest doubt that we
were going to see some super
natural event. There was some
thing eerie and fearful about
the whole thing. Children hear
stories of the END Of the
world" and they associate all
such mysterious reports as of
visions, flying saueers, cts, etc.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

with that other mysterious
thing which is too vast for
their young minds-the end of
the world, which is prophesied.
and which will take place some
day since all things undoubted-
" will have an ending.
The car came to a group of
brown brick school buildings
surrounded by a sturdy wire
protection fence. 1t was the
late afternoon, and a crowd of
several hundred people were
standing in the street and ON
the sidewalk and plot of grass
and leaning against the wire
fence. peering through at the
wall of a building
As our party worked its way
into the crowd, we could hear
people telling one another
from time to time such things
as. There 1t is! Don't you see
it? Right between the windows,
right on that brick wall, right
by the ink-stain etc Some
mischievous school child long
ago had thrown an ink bottle
against the brick wall. The ink
stain had weathered and be-
come but a weak discolored
outline ON the dusty. grimy
bricks, Many of the people in
the, crowd let their excited
Imagination fasten on this very
un-miraculous ink stain and
after a half hour of staring had
begun 10 see the outlines of
the traditional image of the
Virgin,
But others in the crowd were
seeing the vision on the dus-
ty window panes of the school
room. Some saw the image on
one window. but some saw it
on an entirely different win
dow.
But one window in the school
wall had been taken complete
" out, The freshly cut ends
Of the sash cord hung down
the side OF the easement. This
was the window where the first
observers of the vision had
seen the apparition.
Needless TO say, the school
authorities were much upset
by this wave of hysteria and
were doing all they could to
discourage it. The rumors and
fictitious ideas that people
dream up and pass on are Just
as fantastic as the visions they
see. Someone had made up a
good rumor 10 go with the Wis
ion. This story had it that a
wealthy parisioner had left
money to the convent to build
a shrine TO the Virgin, and that
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
b, NOLLE T. ROBERTS

What can be done with a
small patch of ground in this
wonderful county of ours is
forcefully demonstrated in Pas
cagoula BY two widowed ladies,
who live just a few blocks from
the business section.
They have converted an 80
by 100 foot lot into a fine fruit
orchard that supplies their
table with both fresh and can
ned fruit, a strawberry patch
which provides them with plen-
ty of those delicious berries,
a playground for the children,
and plenty OF flowers to bright
en- the yard and the house.
All this has been done dur
ing the past six years by Mrs.
G. K. Watson and her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Ethel Gray, who live
at 431 East Convent. Its enough
to make us men ashamed of
ourselves, particularly those of
us who hire d couple of boys
to NOV our thirty square feet
of lawn every month.
For this wasn't accomplished
by a couple of wealthy ladies
who could devote all of their
time to a hobby. Mrs. Watson
is well along in years and Mrs.
Gray has worked at the ship
yard during most of those years
to support her mother and two
children since the death of her
husband.
Apples, pears, peaches, figs,
plums, and grapes abound on
this lot while a dozen hens
provide fresh eggs for the table
and flyers for Sunday dinners.
The lot has an 30 foot front
age on Convent street and is
40 feet deep, but a good por-
ton of the back is too marshy
to be of any value. The or
chard is all in the back yard.
and a well-kept lawn and play
ground for the children is
found in the front and along
both sides of the house.
Swings and other playground
equipment under the shade of
a pecan tree call other young
sters from the neighborhood in
to play with the Gray chill.
dren.
When Mrs. Gray purchased
the house five and one-half
years ago, two pecan trees and
a lot of weeds were all the
growing things On the place,
Now they have three bearing
apple trees, including an early
June and one tree that produc-
es five different kinds of fruit.
There are three grape vines
that furnish plenty of blue and
green grapes for the table and
some for jelly making. Several
fig trees are bearing now, and
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

d peach tree is beginning to
bear. Two orange trees, which
came up from seeds planted,
have not yet borne.
One small area is jammed
with trees and the grape vines
and another plot produces the
Strawberries. The chickens con
sumo the fruit that falls off
the trees, so nothing is wasted.
Mrs. Watson takes care of
The house and the children
while Mrs. Gray is the bread
winner and does the heavy
work around the house. As
Ethel Watson, she was a star
member of the Pascagoula
high schools girls basketball
team several years ago and isn't
afraid to put on a pair of Stacks
and work.
In this section of the country,
we r often told by outsiders
that we do not take advantage
of all of our possibilities be-
cause nature has been too kind
to us; that it is too easy for
us to make a living and that
we live like the grasshopper
in the old. story of the grass
hopper and the ant.
You remember that the grass
hopper went cheerfully along
his way while the ant prepar-
ed for the winter. We are told
that we don't have much win
ter to prepare for and so are
sluggard about taking adj
vantage of the soil and the
climate the Lord has given us.
And 1t is true that the last
two pounds of bacon that went
into our household were pro-
duced IN Minnesota and Iowa
and that our butter still comes
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
Melvin E. Riggs Of
Mobile Dies At
Hospital Here

Melvin E. Rigg died at the
Jackson County hospital Wednes-
day night where he had been con
fined for the past three months.
He was SO years old.
MI. Rigg resided in Mobile but
was visiting his daughter, Mrs.
G. r. Stallworth of 1410 Market
street when he was taken i'll and
he was taken to the local hospital.
He is survived by his widow;
two daughters. Mrs. Stallworth
and Mrs. Z. j. Naples, Mobile;
one son. Harold f. Rigg, Birm-
ingham; two brothers, two sisters;
and four grandchildren. The body
was sent to Higgins Mortuary in
Mobile by Fails Funeral Home
of Pascagoula for funeral services
Friday. Interment will be in Pine
Crest cemetery.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

the money had been used in
stead for a new school cafe
terra or some such object as
that. Now the Virgin was sup
posed to have appeared on the
wall of the building to show
her displeasure. There was
nothing to the story of course,
just as there was nothing to
the vision. The Church, always
on guard against such things,
discouraged the story and had
a carpenter take the window
out of the building in order
to throw cold water on peoples
imaginations.
But this did little good. Peo-
pie began to see the vision all
over the wall of the building.
OF course there were "skeptics"
of a sort in the crowd. But
these skeptics did not deny
that there was an image on the
wall. They said instead that
some mischief-maker was sit
ting IN an attic window with a
lantern-projector throwing the
vision on the wall in an ar
tificial way.
We tried hard to see that
vision, and for a moment adj
mitted that we did see" some
thing in the area of the ink
spot. We were ashamed not to
seem something. Perhaps it was
that way with the others, or
perhaps some peple have the
sort of Imagination which ac-
tually can create visions in
such circumstances.
But we were disappointed
with the whole thing. And our
faith in the reliability of grown
people was shaken from that
day. When they stood there
pointing out imaginary outlin-
es to one another and argu-
ing about the location and the
details of the vision, We knew
that they were not seeing a
vision anymore than we we're.
And they seemed to be quite
as childish as we were, and
perhaps moreso.
Remembering that expert
enc from childhood. We are in
clined to take the reports of
the flying saucerS with the
p%roverbial grain of salt-with
a little Z~atarain'S erab-boil
seasoning thrown in for good
measure. There is no hard and
fast division between the ehild's
mind and the grown-up's mind.
and between the child's mag
ination and the grown-up's
Imagination; or between the
child's "childishness" and the
grown-up's "ehildishness."
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

from the iee-bound midwest as
well as many other products
that could certainly be pro-
duced more economically here.
And it is true that the major
ity of your hard earned pay
check leaves the county and
the state on Friday afternoon,
never to return.
Our theory has been, and
still is, that our best interest
lies in the further development
of our county and section of
the state industrially and the
development of our rural areas
on a sound basis of producing
more of what we eat right here
at home.
The poultry and dairying in
dustry has been high on this
list. Truck crops, beef cattle,
and hogs are only a little fur
ther down the line. The estab-
lishment of several curb mar
kets in Jackson County, so that
the farmer can dispose of his
crops, is certainly a major fac
tor, also, as well as an early
resumption of the County Fair
and a more intensive extension
program.
What Mrs. Watson and Mrs.
Gray have done in only a few
years on a small plot of ground
is another indication of what
we can. do on an individual
basis, regardless of whether or
not we want to farm for a liv-
ing.
We think they should be an
object lesson to a lot of us.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
VANCLEAVE

Old Settlers Reunion, Van
cleave School homecoming, and
political rally on Saturday,
July 10, at the Vancleave
School. All day affair and the
public invited, particularly for
mer students in the Vancleave
School.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
OCEAN SPRINGS

Annual Summer Bazaar Civ
en- by the Episcopal Church of
Ocean Springs at the Town
Hall on Saturday, July IL. be-
ginning at 400 p. M. All can
didates present will be given
five minutes in which to speak
in their behalf.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
ORANGE GROVE

On Saturday, July &c, at Or
ange Lake School beginning at
1000 o'clock. All day affair.
Plate lunches, home made pie
and cake, coffee and cold
drinks. Sponsored by the Or
ange Lake School Parent
Teacher Association.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
WADE

At the Wade School House
on Friday, July 18, beginning
at 200 o'clock, benefit of the
Wade Baptist Church build
ing fund. Food will be sold in
the afternoon and evening and
the public and all candidates in
vited to attend.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
BARIA

On the Community House site
in front of Doc Baria's resi-
dence on Wednesday, July 80,
beginning at 200 o'clock, for
the benefit of the Community
House Building Fund. Fried
chicken plate lunches will be
served and candidate speaking
VIII begii at 500 o'clock.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

pany mill at the Firemen's Hall
in Kreole on Tuesday night,
July 20, at ZOO o'clock. Other
candidates will not be able to
address the group, due to the
time element, but are invited to
attend.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

Rallies
LATIMER

At the Latimer Community
House on Saturday, July IL,
beginning at 800 o'clock. Gum
DO and refreshments will be
sold for the benefit of the Com
munity House.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
KREOLE

Candidates for state senator,
floater representative, represen-
tative, sheriff, and member of
the board of supervisors from
District Two are invited to spak
TO a joint meeting of all locals
of the International Paper Com
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

THE stories Of the mysteri-
Gus flying saucers' which a
num5ar of people have been
"seei . during recent weeks
over most of the United Stat
es have reminded us of an in
cident that hoppened many
years ago, during our child
hood. when we saw hundreds
of people stand in a street be
fore a convent wall seeing
a vision which was not there.
We do not believe that the
flying saucers actually exist.
We think that people have
been seeing other airplares,
birds. or perhaps even eseap-
ed toy balloons which chill
dren are constantly turning
loose. And undoubtedly a good
half of the reports have come
in from craekpots. When one
woman sees a flying saucer as
big as "pie-pans' and another
sees them "as big as a five
room house" somebody is mis-
taken, to put it mildly.
We shall feel very silly our
selves if, before this column is
printed, some scientific or mil
itary authority shoufld state
that such objects are actual
~ being used in experiments
and most Of the reports have
been true. Nevertheless. we T
going to let this column stand
as it is, for the story We want
TO tell is about the human
imagination and its power of
self-deeeption. and this IS a
fact whether or not there r
such things as flying sauc-
ers."
Once during our childhood a
report began to spread about
New Orleans that a vision of
"the Blessed Virgin had APP
peared on the brick wall of a
girls convent which was locat-
ed across the town from where
we lived. Soon this report got
into the newspapers, and pub
lefty gave ii a feverish excite
ment, just as the newspaper
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
MOSS POINT

Outdoor political rally at for
mer barge yard site on the
river front on Wednesday af-
ternoon, July %, 200 to 1000
o'clock. Sponsored by Moss
Point Volunteer Fire Com
pany, proceeds to go toward
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
ST. MARTIN

At the st. Martin Community
House on July 10 and 20. Can
didates given an opportunity
to speak and present their
claims.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
GAUTIER

Barbecue and political rally
at the Gautier School on Sat
urday. August 2, sponsored by
the Gautier Athletic Associa-
ton.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
BIG POINT

At the Big Point Communi-
ty House on Wednesday, July
16, beginning at 400 o'clock
and sponsored by the Big Point
Methodist Church.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

the purchase of an Iron Lung
for emergency use.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
POLITICAL


The following individuals have
formally announces in the columns
of the Chronicle-Sta and Adverfis-
er their candidacy for political Of
flee in this summers Democratic
Primary
HIGHWAY COMMISSIONER
t~SoutheTn Disfrictl
MUNDELL BUSH
JOHN d. SMITH
STATE SENATOR
Jackson. George and Greene Counties
G. L. BEAVERS
r. +. HORNE
J. X. BLACK
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Jackson County
HERMES F. GAUTIER
w. c. Luml OLIVER
r. l.. VAUGHN
FLoATER REPRESENTATIVE
X and Harrison Counties
F. w. ELMER
DREWEY j. KENDRICk
SHERIFF AND TAX COLLECTOR
H. E. CEDl BRoDNAx
r. A. HELM
JOHN d. HENLEY
j. GUY KREBS
NOLLE T. ROBERTS
ED j. SIURUA
LAURIN r.. WARE
COUNTY ATTORNEY
H. A. KRUSE
l.. X. MCINTOSH
MERLE F. PALMER
cHANcERY CLERK
FRED TAYLOR
N. c. EVERETT
CIRCUIT CLERK
JOHN A. GRAHAM
VERTIS C. RAMSAY
TAX ASSESSOR
LAWRENCE GoFF
KNOX GRAHAM
W. C. JOHNSON
A. ROSCOE FLETCHER
NORMAN T. LYONS
SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION
A. FOREST MEGEHEE
CORONER AND RANGER
NJ. c. PORTER
BAYLOUS w. STOKES
-
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
DISTRICT ONE
II. w. COCHRAN
ROY o. CUMBEST
J. l.. Jerry DAVIS
billiard E. JONES
DISTRICT TWO
T. V. tTIMl BLADES
A. W. CAMBLEY
T. j. DICKSON
L. c. tBILLl JOHNSON
EDWARD A. KHAYAT
LESTER f. MACK
J. II. ROBINSON
C. b. WILKINSON
DISTRICT THREE
II. tMAC) BOWMAN
GEORGE b. HAGUE
JOHN J. (JACkl HOLLISTERl
JOE V. KREBS
WILLIAM II. tPIE1 MOORE
EDDIE POND
". ED VIRGINS
DISTRICT FIVE
GEORGE a. CRUTHIRDS
JUSTICE OF THE PEACE
DISTRICT ONE
II. II. PARKER
S. H. SWENDSEN
DISTRICT TWO
b b. HOBBY
DISTRICT THREE
EDWARD W. COKER
KATE DENNY
T. d. tToMMIE) HARRISON
CONSTABLE
DISTRICT ONE
GEORGE E. CARTER
DISTRICT TWO
s. f. BILBO
NJ. c. STEVENSON
DISTRICT THREE
FOSTER BARROW
IEVERT J. Pistol Pete BOSARGE
CHARLES N. FERRER
EUGENE Teddy LADNIER
/ F. tMAC1 MCGOWAN
W. F. tBILLl STEVENS
DISTRICT FIVE
PAUL. c. CTOBYl CARTER
DAVID L. WEST, SR.
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11
TAX ASSESSOR

- HA AooLooOH
GOFF
KNOX GRAHAM
". C. JOHNSON
4. ROSCOE FLETCHER
NORMAN I. LYONS
The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1947-07-11

The following individuals have
formally announced in the columns
of the Chronicles Star and Adverfis-
er their candidacy for political Of
flee in this summers Democratic
Primary
The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1947-10-16
RiChvvood News

Mrs. F. K. Mcdaniel has been
suffering from severe attack of
Iumbago and is confined to her
bed.
Mrs Stanley Bond and fouM,
children, of Springfield, have
come to Redwood to stay indefi-
nitely with her mother, Mrs.
Grant Baker. Mr.. Bond is enl-
ployed in Springfield and will
continue to stay there but suit
able living quarters for the fan1i-
ly could not be found.
Mrs. Davis father, Mr.. D. E.
Drake and step-daughter, Mrs.
The Union County journal. [volume] (Marysville, Ohio) 1875-1951, 1947-10-16

Ruby Miller, of Cleveland, called
on Mrs Davis while enroute to
West Mansfield to visit other
relatives.
Mr.. and Mrs. Robert Morrison,
of East Bloomfield, New York,
were weekend guests of Mr.
Morrison's parents Mr.. and Mrs.
! E. w. Morrison. While here, they
visited at the home of Mr.. and
Mrs. William Morrison, Mr.. and
Mrs Tom Morrison and Mr.. and
Mrs. r, j. Langstaff. On Sunday
Mr.. and Mrs. Dana Spain and
sons, Joel and Tommie, of Colum-