Pages past - April 6

On this date ...

1972: Clovis firefighters responded to a house fire at 504 Hickory St.

Officials said no one was injured but structural damage was "moderate" and some of the residents' belongings were destroyed.

A 9-year-old boy playing with matches in a closet was blamed for starting the fire.

1957: Three Clovis High school boys and two airmen from Clovis Air Force Base were suspected of pouring salt over the "beautiful lawn and shrubbery" belonging to the Clovis High principal.

The Clovis News-Journal reported 16 pounds of ice cream salt were used in the vandalism at the home of Lewis Norman, who lived at 313 West Plains.

"In trying to save his lawn and shrubs, Norman used his vacuum cleaner in an attempt to pick up the ice cream salt," the newspaper reported. "He only succeeded in ruining his vacuum cleaner, it was reported."

Criminal charges were filed against the boys and were pending against the airmen.

A high school girl who drove the others to the principal's house and waited for them while they spread the salt was not charged.

"(S)he thought it was just a prank .. (and) didn't know the salt would kill the lawn and bushes and also make the soil sterile," the newspaper reported.

Pages Past is compiled by Editor David Stevens. Contact him at: [email protected]