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Vol 8, No 12

January 12, 1883

Friday Evening

Railroad connects San Antonio to West Coast

Today in Sports
Clemens Un-retires to pitch for the Astros
HOUSTON  (2004)   Following his announced 2003 final season in baseball, which saw Roger Clemens receive standing ovations in every American League Park in the nation, the "Rocket", Roger Clemens signed a one year contract with the Houston Astros on this date in 2004. Eight years before Red-Sox manager Dan Duquette opted not to re-sign Clemens, stating that Roger was in the "twilight of his career." Since leaving the Red Sox, Clemens has continued to break one pitching record after another. Clemens joins close friend and former Yankee teammate, Andy Pettitte in Houston.   

Born This Date
Country Star Ray Price born in Wood County
QUITMAN   (1926)    On this date in 1926, Country Music star Ray Price was born. He graduated from Adamson High School in Dallas at the end of World War II. His "Cherokee Cowboys" band was once home to such country legends as Willie Nelson, Roger Miller, and Johnny Paycheck. His hits include "For The Good Times", "Release Me", "Night Life", and "Heartaches By The Numbers"
Tex Ritter born in Panola County
HENDERSON   (1905)   On this date in 1905, Woodward Maurice "Tex" Ritter was born at Murvaul in Panola County. His hits include "Rye Whiskey" (1931), "Boll Weevil" (1945), "Wayward Wind," and "You Are My Sunshine" (1946). He father two sons, Thomas, and actor, John Ritter (1948-2003)   
Silent Screen Star Mary Guinan born in Waco
WACO   (1884)    On this date in 1884, Mary Louise Cecilia Guinan, Queen of the Night Clubs, was born in Waco. She learned to ride and rope at an early age, but preferred acting. Discovered in New York, she took on the name "Texas Guinam" and played the self-reliant, gunslingers type rolls in her movies, which included "The Hellcat", "The She Wolf", "The Gun Woman" and "Little Miss Deputy." Eventually the glamour faded and returning to New York began to emcee at clubs. Her trademark introduction "Hello, Suckers!" made her a hit with the clubs around New York, and earned her the title "Queen of the Night Clubs". During the depression she toured Canada, and while in Vancouver, she developed intestinal problems and died November 15, 1933. She was 49.   

GH&SA meets the SP
LANGTRY (1883)  On this date in 1883, the Galveston, Harrisburg and San Antonio Railroad met the Southern Pacific Railroad 227 miles West of San Antonio just west of the Pecos River near Langtry. GH&SA President, Thomas W. Peirce drove a silver spike on the Western edge of the bridge of the Pecos.   
This line opens a new route across Texas for the Southern Transcontinental Railroad. Now Houston and San Antonio were connected to the West coast. Two years earlier, the Texas and Pacific met the Southern Pacific (as the GH&SA) near Sierra Blanca in West Texas to complete the nation's second Transcontinental railroad.   
This southern route connected Houston, San Antonio (and soon New Orleans) with the trans-continental route (LA to St Louis via Dallas). Southern Pacific would lease the Texas portion of the line to run the Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Los Angeles, and the GH&SA was from that time referred to as "The Sunset Route." In the 1970s, Amtrak would use the same route to run it's Sunset Limited from Florida to Los Angeles in America's only train ever to run from Atlantic to Pacific.

Technology Desk
Drive from Eagle Pass to San Antonio in 13 hours
SAN ANTONIO   (1904)    On this date in 1904, Gus Roghfuss drove from his hometown of Eagle Pass to San Antonio - a distance of 165 miles - in only thirteen hours. That's an average of 12.7 MPH, excellent speed for his day, especially considering that the roads of the day were little more than wagon ruts. On the journey, he used only nine gallons of gas. That's over 18 miles to the gallon.