The Durant news. (Durant, Miss.) 1882-1985, 1949-07-21
THROUGH
HAZEL
EYES
By Hassl Brunnon


passes our own United States
especially some of the natural
wonders of Colorado, Utah, Ari-
IONA and California, many of
which I was fortunate enough to
visit on a recent trip to Salt Lake
City, Utah.
went to Salt Lake City for the
purpose of attending the Gath an
nual convention of the National
Editorial Association, an organi-
cation which represents more than
five thousand weekly and small
daily newspapers in the United
States. The convention was held
at Salt Lake City on July Al and
attended by about $50 editors;
Immediately thereafter we left
for post-convention tour of the
southern Utah parks, Bryce Can
yon and Zion National Park, and
the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Some $50 editors went along on
this tour June 8-11.
A second portion OF the post
convention tour continued from
the national parks to the beauti-
full state of California, visiting the
coast all the way from Tiajuana,
Mexico, to San Francisco, taking
in San Diego, Salinas, Carmel and
the Seventeen Mile Drive along
the Pacific. This trip took another
eight days and 1877 editors went
along.
A third post-convention trip
had been planned that did not ma
terialize quite like planned by the
genial secretary of the Associa-
ton, Don Eek. 1t was a boat trip
to Hawaii in the luxury liner, S. S.
Lurline, of the Matson line. This
would have meant a 5-day cross
ing Of the Pacific in the ship, ten |
days at the Royal Hawaiian hotel, |
and the return trip of five days in |
the same ship.
The longshoremen's strike in |
Hawaii prevented the Lurline |
from ever leaving Honolulu where !
the ship has been tied up since
the beginning of the strike. So |
81 editors, including myself, plan !
ned boat trip to Hawaii that !
didn't come off. Forty-two of |
this number did go on by plane
but elected to come back home !
] wasn't too anxious to 60 to |;
Hawaii at this time, anyway. /
The trip to Salt Lake City was |
extremely pleasant. l rode the
Panama Limited to Chicago
where ! visited friends two days
before leaving on the streamliner,
City of Denver. All the Pullman
space on this train was taken up
by editor friends of the NEA from
all over the east and midwest
and we were told we were riding
on the fastest scheduled train in
the world for the longest haul. |,
All of us enjoyed a two-hour
stopover in Denver where we ar
rived in time for breakfast which
we had on the train. Here we
were joined by other editors who
had come in from all sections of
the west. The entire group made
up a special train from Denver to
Salt Lake City on the Denver
and Rio Grande railroad going
through the Royal Gorge in Colo
RADIO and by way of Colorado
Springs where beautiful Pixies
Peak towers over the earth.
Our short stay in Denver will
be remembered because we got
there just in time for some Of the
group. taking an after breakfast
walk, to witness the suicidal jump
Of 4 gentleman from the seventh
floor Of one Of the buildings in
the main business section. This
was one time when seven wasn't
lucky.
The next stop enroute to Salt
Lake was at Canon City where
Don Hardy, publisher of the Ca
non City (Col) Record, and his
charming wife, were hosts in the
best western tradition. We were
met at the train by friendly
group Of citizens and walked over
q block or SO to visit the famous
Colorado State penitentiary. Mo-
vie fans will remember that it
was here the motion picture,
"Canon City" was filmed after the
big prison break which occurred
December 30th, l947. The pre-
miere showing of this film was at
Canon City July 2, l948, with a
large number of Hollywood not
ables attending. Eagle-Lion had
started the film three days after
the break-even before all of the
IL men who escaped were cap
tured.
Even in the light rainfall the
prison buildings and grounds were
attractive and spotlessly clean. We
ate lunch there in a large dining
hall (where the prisoners eat)
which seats around 1900 persons
at tables. The prison orchestra,
made up of some so prisoners, was
seated on the large stage over
looking the hall and gave very
good nr0prarn of music mhiIe yye