Beloved Labs
I have just finished reading Camille Wheeler’s article [“The Lab Who Ate the House,” July 2013]. In fact, I’ve read it twice. It really got to me because I, too, have owned Labs—one black, one yellow and a half-Lab, also yellow. Even though he was a half-breed, Luke had all the wonderful characteristics of a full-blood without being nuts. My other Labs, Dinah and Tess, were typical in their behavior until maturity took over and they settled down and became sensible housedogs. Oh, how hard to give them up when it was time.
I’m 84 years old now and could not handle a Lab puppy, so there will be no more.
Elanore Boone | Rusk County EC
San Juan Hill
While much is attempted to be made of the Rough Riders, the recruitment of those folks in a San Antonio bar, etc., the fact is that the San Juan Hill fight was immaterial and irrelevant [“Roosevelt’s Rough Riders,” July 2013].
San Juan Hill was a fight in which fewer than a thousand Spaniards held off over 3,000 Americans for the better part of a day. This fact is never mentioned in Martha Deeringer’s article.
We need to jettison the jingoism about this conflict. A balanced approach is always more correct and instructive.
Arthur Seiderer | Cherokee County EC
Sheldon Reservoir Memories
I remember one of my best friends, Mike Gucker, and me riding our bicycles from where we lived in Galena Park North Shore out to what we then called Sheldon Reservoir to go fishing. We spent many wonderful hours fishing from the bank, piers and wading the shallows for bass and bluegill and the occasional catfish or bowfin. The reservoir also had a healthy population of gators, which, thankfully, we never encountered. This was in the late 1960s.
Thank you for the story [“Hit the Road: Houston,” July 2013] that brought back great memories of some of the most fun times fishing I can remember.
David Dorris | Guadalupe Valley EC
Glamorizing War
I was appalled to see the June 2013 cover and the article [“Engaged in History”] it portrays, celebrating the revolting and largely inexplicable (to one like me who has gone to war) practice of re-enacting the most deadly, violent and, by many modern estimates, unnecessary war in the history of the United States.
Neither Mark Wangrin nor the editors of Texas Co-op Power can be held to account for the adolescent behavior of those morbid wannabe re-enactors, but they are accountable for glamorizing their offensive games.
Dave Collins | Pedernales EC
A good issue, as always, and the bees story [“The Real Crop Dusters,” June 2013] was the best. But I nearly spit out my coffee when I saw you had put a Yankee on the cover.
Don Houser | Comanche EC
Sheriff with an Ax
I am disappointed that “The First Madam Sheriffs” [June 2013] by E.R. Bills failed to mention the first (and only) female sheriff in Montgomery County—Fannie Pearl Surratt, who was sworn into office on August 1, 1949, after her husband, Sheriff Hershel Surratt, died in office. She served out the term and earned a reputation for destroying gambling machines with her ax.
Larry L. Foerster, Montgomery County Historical Commission | Conroe
Don’t Trash East Texas
I found myself taking umbrage with Scott Powrie’s letter “This is Messed Up” [June 2013] and his statement that “those living in the country are OK with lining their roads through the East Texas trees with garbage.”
Excuse me, but we are not OK with that situation or thoughtless people who throw trash, paper products from fast-food restaurants, feed sacks, drink cans and whatever in the back of their pickups and don’t give a thought to what they do when the wind starts whipping them around.
We don’t like it, but until people stop being careless, we will continue to have this problem. I’m sure that much of what Mr. Powrie and his brother pick up is donated to his roadside in the same way. So when he finds a solution to his problem, let us in East Texas know.
Alice West | Deep East Texas EC
Thank you to Scott Powrie for his efforts to keep Texas beautiful. However, please don’t be so quick to judge country folk for littering or assuming they are OK with it. I live in the country and see people driving to the country to dump just about anything.
Several years ago, someone kept dumping in a tree-hidden area on our farm. After the trash was examined, the culprit was identified, located and confronted. He was a professor at a prominent university in our county. He reacted with anger to the accusations and declared he had the right to dump wherever he pleased. Thankfully, after the confrontation, he didn’t use our farm anymore for his dumping.
I am sure most of those country folks in East Texas are not any happier about the litter on their roads than anyone else.
Everyone working together can make a difference. Of course it all boils down to pride, respect and doing the right thing.
Erline Lott | Heart of Texas EC
Girl Talk
What about Victoria, which is in Victoria County [“Congrats! It’s a Girl,” April 2013]?
Thomas Kotch | Bremond
Editor’s note: Good question. As it turns out, Victoria County was named for Guadalupe Victoria, the man who became Mexico’s first elected president in 1824, according to the Texas State Historical Association. Angelina County is the only one of the state’s 254 counties named after a woman or girl.
A Difficult Topic
Thank you for the wonderful article “Parenting Your Parents” [May 2013]. I just got back from visiting my parents (ages 79 and 82), and I took this issue with me to ask these tough questions (or so I thought).
My parents have all of their affairs in order, and now I, as the oldest daughter, know this for future reference. I wrote all of the information down and have placed it in my lockbox. Thank you for the list “Concerns That Need To Be Addressed.” You helped to make a difficult topic approachable with my parents.
Debbie Gauntlett | Bluebonnet EC
