Stories Unfold As Tourists Go Meandering To Meridian wimwm w This is the beach in front of the Hanners' apartment. Overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, it is where D'Lberville landed in 1699. It is a favorite spot for visitors and residents to fish, swim, sunbathe or just rest. (By Father William 0. Hanner, rector emeritus of Holy Comforter church, Episcopal, Kenilworth) I love to dawdle about Mississippi. It is so full of stories. After Tupelo we meandered on to Meridian. I didn't get to Jackson, where during the racial woes of the '60's, I had stepped aside on a narrow drive in the capital grounds for Governor Ross Barnett who was being driven to his office by a state trooper. The governor had stopped the car and stepped out to greet me and bid me welcome to his state. I took a picture of him. In those days he had been much in the papers crowned with the coronet of reactionism by editors and cartoonists and sitters-in. The governor called my attention to two great oil paintings in the rotunda of the Capital where hang portraits of two Miss Mississippis. They have named a lake in Mississippi after the governor. Forty years ago there was a governor who was trying to get the state out of the mud and build concrete roads. The legislature wanted none of this. People in all the States were used • to miry lanes of tran sportation. But this governor, whose name I forget, plagued and drove; hassled, argued and persuaded 'til, in desperation, the legislature voted him one- half the amount the governor needed. His idea was to build the road from Memphis at the Tennessee line down to the Gulf. Now he had enough cash to go half way. Did he build himself half a road? No indeed, my questioning friend, he built the road from Tennessee to the Gulf. He paved one mile and left the next as it was and thus paving every alternate mile he had a road the length of the state. I know this tale is true because forty years ago in November, 1934, when Mrs. Hanner and I were married, we drove on our honeymoon to the gulf coast and we actually traveled that half paved road. The legislature voted him the additional funds at their next session. Mississippi has good roads today. This time as we drove through Mississippi towns of a thousand or two I was delighted with the plethora of stop and go lights. Towns had more than they could possibly need. The red and green lights winked on and off at you all the way through town, slowing you down where there was a lane to cross that bore no semblance of traffic. The lights winked 'til one could think he was driving along a prone Christmas tree. Well, anyhow, we are now in Ocean Springs. We did about 900 miles in four days. We had one bad motel, one excellent and two good enough. Our apartment has two large rooms, a decent and well equipped kitchen, a good bath, twin beds, a large walk-in closet and a room for suitcases and boxes. Outside our bedroom is a magnificent old live oak tree. It is 14 feet in circumference and stands 40 or 50 feet from the window. Yet its branches over-shadow the apartment. It is in leaf of A Large Selection of Poinsetta Plants Terrariums & Tropical Plants-Plus All Your Christmas Arrangements & Corsages PETALS & STEMS 3301 W. ELM STREET McHENRY, PHONE: 385-4747 ILL. UAR£S£'S SMORGASBORD, PUB & STEAK HOUSE MAKE YOUR NEW YEARS EVE PARTY RESERVATIONS NOW ! course, and the branches are host to a thousand tiny firns, while from the same branches trail long full strands of southern moss. Ocean Springs is a pleasant town, particularly in the older part, where streets run up and down hill (little wee hills) and houses are set in forests of giant virgin southern pine with its beautiful mottled bark. Only the beach is a disap pointment for there on Sunday afternoon gather crowds of young people who race cars up and down and drink vast quantities of that beverage that made Milwaukee famous, the empty containers of which, both medal and broken glass, disgrace and mar one of the city's beauties. That this is not necessary is open and plain for the great beaches of Biloxi four miles to the west stretch for several miles wide and clean and well cared for. There is a good deal of litter on some of Ocean Springs streets. It gives the feeling that the growth here has been quick, too fast, un- FORMAL WEAR RENTAL for ALL OCCASIONS Si % Sta® 1214 N. Green St., McHenry planned. I hate to see good spots in a community given over to apartments and multiple housing. The south side of Chicago and parts of the north side and Evanston did this years ago. When the buildings are worn and not so new they lead to slums. Perhaps you don't realize this unless you have seen it happen. Anyway we are happy, we are amongst friends, we have been to the dinner of the Metropolitan Dinner club, had a champagne breakfast at the Keesler Field Officers club which we promptly joined and have our Christmas tree up with ornaments brought from home. Have a Happy Christ mas McHenry, and blessings be on you, your home and schools and churches. R.B. Muellers Wed 39 Years A family dinner celebrating the thirty-ninth wedding an niversary of Mr. and Mrs. Robert B. Mueller of 3009 Cherry drive. Wonder Lake, will be held this weekend. The Mueller's daughter. Mrs. Carl (Margot) Cole will host the dinner at her home in Holiday Hills. Four of the Muellers' children and their families will be present at the celebration. Those from this area are the couple's three sons, Richard, William and Paul, and the hostess. their daughter, Margot. Also in attendance will be Mrs. Hilda Janich. Another son, Robert E PAGE 3 - PLAINDEALER--FRIDAY, DECEMBER M, lt7« Mueller, who lives in Los marr)ed Dec. 21, 1935, in St. Angeles, cannot attend. Luke's church, Chicago. They The Muellers also have five have resided in the Wondter grandchildren. area for the past fifteen The honored couple \*ere years- M' Hi \R\ Pi >I r i i i i i i i i i i • i American Legion Post 491 -RINGW00D ROAD, McHENRY- FISH FRY EVERY FRIDAY (5:00-9:00 P.M.) • PERCH-ALL YOU CAN EAT • OTHER MENU AVAILABLE » OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ENTERTAINMENT IN THE LOUNGE FRI: POLKA MUSIC by ALMEN RAUSCH SAT: BOB and the BLUE TONES THE MCHENRY PLAINDEALER Established 1875 3812 West Elm Street Phone 385-0170 McHenry, Illinois 60050 Published Every Wednesday & Friday at McHenry, Illinois Second Class Postage Paid at McHenry, Illinois By McHENRY PUBLISHING COMPANY Larry E. Lund - Publisher Adele Froehlich -- Editor NEWSPAPER7 NATIONAL NEWSPAPER MWHTiM fmM m Frt«Pms A >ty HNNA SUSTAINING MEMBER - 1974 SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 Year $9.00 i year $12.50 In McHenry and Lake Outside McHenry and ^ County Lake County It's Not Too Late! To faith On Santa's Advice! H: *35°° \ INCLUDES: PER COUPLE • LIVE MUSIC & FAVORS • CHAMPAGNE DINNER FROM 9:3011:30 • ALL COCKTAILS FROM 11:30 to 2 A.M. INCLUDED IN ABOVE PRICE JOIN US FOR A REAL FUN PARTY ADVANCED RESERVATIONS ONLY PHONE: 385-3120 HAPPY HOUR at VARESE'S EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 9 HAPPY HOUR FROM 3:30 to6:30 M0N. thru THURS. ALL STANDARD DRINKS 70' mtses 1266 N. GREEN ST. McHENRY, ILL. 3RR-3L20 stf McHENRY STATE BANK CHRISTMAS CLUB 0 Christmas is one time of year you can't afford to be short on cash and you won't be if you put away a small amount each week in a Christmas Club Account at McHeniy State Bank. And, of course, you'll be rewaided for being a smart saver. -HERFS HOW IT "GROWS"- 50e Each Week For Club Term Pays $25o©0 Plus |nterest •1.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays *50.00 ^'us ,nterest $2.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays *100.00 Plus Interest *3.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays 8 1 50.00 ptus Interest '5.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays *250.00 Plus Invest *10.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays *500.00 Plus |nleies| *20.00 Each Week For Club Term Pays *1000.00 Plus lnterest A FULL SERVICE BANK McHenry State Bank 3510 West Elm Street - McHenry Phone 385-1040