Pages past, Sept. 25: Police asked to search for missing cat

On this date …

1914: Model Grocery in Clovis advertised pie peaches for 10 cents per can, 20 bars of soap for $1 and 12 pounds of sugar for $1.

1933: New Mexico Gov. Arthur Seligman died and Andy Hockenhull, a Clovis lawyer, banker and Central Baptist Church Sunday school teacher, was appointed his successor.

Hockenhull, 56, had been the state’s lieutenant governor.

Seligman died after complaining of a sharp pain in his chest, just minutes after speaking at a state banker’s convention, The Associated Press reported.

1941: Clovis police had received a letter from a former resident asking for assistance in locating her cat.

The woman had moved out of town and been unable to find her cat before she left.

Now, she said in the letter, the cat was probably having a tough time without its owner.

The woman asked police to find her cat and ship it to her, or kill it because she “would rather have it dead than mistreated.”

CN-J did not report on whether the cat was located.

1951: The Roosevelt County Fair, billed as the state’s largest, opened with a record number of entries in the livestock division.

The Associated Press reported more than 120 head of dairy cattle were on hand and the hog barn was “overflowing into pens hastily built under shade trees.”

In addition to the livestock competitions, fair highlights included a queen contest, milking contest and rodeos before a parade headlined the annual gathering.

1952: Fire broke out in the Clovis home of Ted and Marie Waldhauser, causing an estimated $4,000 in damage and leaving Marie Waldhauser with third-degree burns on her left hand.

Fire Chief George Maddox said the fire began in a pan of grease on the gas stove. Firefighters arrived on scene about 2 p.m. and had to chop a large hole in the ceiling above the kitchen to combat the blaze.

Fire damaged the ceiling in the kitchen and adjoining living room. The home, at 2901 Axtell, would need a large part of its ceiling replaced, Maddox said.

Ted Waldhauser was among Clovis’ civic leaders from the time he came to the city in 1938. He was president of the Clovis Stockyards Association for seven years, and a longstanding member of the Curry County Mounted Patrol. He would become Clovis mayor in 1961, holding the position until 1968.

Ted Waldhauser died in 1988 at age 79. Marie Waldhauser died in 1999 at age 88. They are buried in Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Clovis.

1956: Housing problems at Eastern New Mexico University were at least temporarily resolved.

Dean of Personnel J.W. Mears said freshmen women were being housed on the fourth floor of the Cal Boykin hotel. Freshmen had been placed in private homes that met university regulations.

Housing shortages were expected to be alleviated when the Harding Hall for women was completed.

1966: A Clovis News-Journal report claimed competing paper boys were making false statements about costs to subscribe to CNJ.

The unnamed competitors were “telling their prospects that they are going up in cost and that the Clovis News-Journal would also.”

The front-page story reported CN-J had no intention of raising the cost for home delivery, which was $1.75 per month, or $21 per year.

1967: A new city ordinance requiring a permit for a garage sale went into effect in Clovis.

The ordinance was passed in an attempt to reduce the number of garage sales in town.

Used furniture store owners and auction company owners complained some were holding garage sales regularly, unfairly competing with their businesses without having to pay taxes.

1984: Pete Hulder had been named director of Clovis’ Community and Economic Development program. He replaced Mike Miller, who became chief of the Portales Fire Department.

The CEDP was formerly called the Community Development Agency, under the direction of Roy Walker.

Walker resigned when the state began allocating funds rather than the federal government.

Hulder’s position was part-time until more funding could be secured.

1990: Portales Lady Rams dropped Clovis, 15-12, 15-4 and 15-5 in high school soccer.

Portales’ season record improved to 3-2, while Clovis fell to 6-1.

“We were not passing the ball aggressively,” Clovis coach Elaine Pyle said.

“We had way too many floor mistakes.”

Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:

[email protected]