Pages past — Feb. 25

On this date ...

1975: U.S. District Judge Edwin L. Mechem declared a mistrial in a case involving Clovis attorney Dan Buzzard. Multiple Clovis liquor dealers, including Buzzard, were accused of price fixing. The mistrial occurred after a witness implicated Buzzard as the attorney of a liquor dealer alleged to have “set up” a competitor who may have sold liquor to a minor. Buzzard was ultimately convicted of the price-fixing allegations and in April 1975 was sentenced to pay a $5,000 fine.

1969: A Clovis News-Journal editorial addressed used automobile tires. “... In general, nothing is more of an eyesore, burden and source of pollution than the mountains of worn out tires that dot the landscape,” the editorial read. “This may not be true much longer ... In recent experiments, scientists obtained surprisingly large quantities of chemicals, oil liquids, gas and tar by heating shredded tires in a reactor. ... This is an example of what is going to have to be the normal thing in the not-very-distant future.”

1954: A fire near Grady in northern Curry County killed 1,600 hens and 1,000 pullets at Bill McCary’s poultry farm. Unofficial estimates placed the financial loss at $7,500. Cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Shoes, and maybe a TV ...

1965: Edwards’ Shoe Store at 512 Main in Clovis was having a 1/2 price sale. Shoes regularly marked $5.99 to $26.99 were being sold for $2.99 to $13.49. Plus, customers were signing up for a free Admiral color TV to be given away in April.

Salute to next generation ...

1958: Curry County Grain and Elevator, Western Machinery, First Federal Savings and Loan, Collins Implement and Fergas Company were among Clovis-area businesses publicly honoring future farmers of America during FFA week.

Pages Past is compiled by Clovis News Journal Editor David Stevens. Contact him at:

[email protected]