Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
On this date …
1940: Two young male lions were sold to a circus by the Clovis zoo.
Cole Bros. Circus purchased the lions and a monkey in a cash transaction following its Clovis performances, the Clovis News-Journal reported.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
1940: Clovis High School band members needed new uniforms and they were willing to work for them.
Band members said Nov. 9 was going to be “Hobo Day,” during which they would mow lawns, clean up trash, wash dishes or perform just about any other task in exchange for money to help defray costs of their uniforms.
1946: Clovis police said at least three people had been victimized by a “false claim racket.”
Most recently, police said a coat left behind at the Silver Grill restaurant had been claimed by a girl who provided a proper description. A few days later, another girl went to police claiming the coat was hers.
Police said two billfolds had also been claimed recently “by persons other than the owners.”
A headline on the story reported in the Clovis News-Journal read, “False Claim Racket Is Going Strong.”
1955: Montgomery Ward, at 307 Main St. in Clovis, offered $50 off a seven-piece “modern dinette,” whose “plastic top defies abuse.” For $99.88, the dinette sets were available in black and brass or copper and chrome.
1956: Freshmen at Eastern New Mexico University had selected students from Clovis and Hobbs to the cheerleading team.
Sandra Bevell of Clovis and Shirley Maness of Hobbs had been named to the team following tryouts.
Both were secretarial science majors.
1964: The 17th Clovis Cattle Festival had ended with 7,789 head sold between Clovis Cattle Commission and Ranchers & Farmers Livestock Co.
Ken White, co-owner at R&F, expressed satisfaction at sales considering bad range conditions and market prices.
“We were well-pleased with the quality of the cattle and we had a lot of out-of-town buyers and the auction market was a grand success,” he said.
1966: Cartoon characters were going to be the most common outfits for trick-or-treaters, Clovis News-Journal reporter Imogene Baumgart predicted.
“Ghastly, grisly, ghostly gallivanting goblins and ghouls will invade the nation,” Baumgart reported, “but it is expected that there will be ample numbers of Batmen to keep them in line.”
Batman and Robin, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear were expected to be the most popular costumes in eastern New Mexico.
1971: Clovis police reported two youngsters received tainted candy during Saturday night trick-or-treating.
A family on Sunland Drive showed officials a Baby Ruth candy bar that contained a sewing machine needle in its center.
Another report showed a piece of peanut brittle given to a child had been doused with rubbing alcohol.
1975: First United Methodist Church in Portales was preparing to celebrate the career of retired Pastor Robert O. Tomlinson.
He began preaching in 1925 at a mission in Vernon, Texas.
Tomlinson was scheduled to bring the morning sermon at FUMC’s 9:30 a.m. Sunday service. His topic: “Life is good, is hard, is great.”
Pages Past is compiled by David Stevens and Betty Williamson. Contact:
