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OF the Clarendon Junior High Band, along
their director Garry Bowen, accept the first place trophy
the parade at the Hedley Cotton Festival ,Saturday.
by Richard Allen]
WHO DID odd jobs on the weekend remarked to a
"but I never work on Sunday, except for the Lord."
the pay?" his friend asked.
said the weekend worker, "the pay isn't so hot, but
beat the retirement plan."
)W how many of you know anything about world
but I've been saving a chapter of it to put on you ever
arrived in town nearly two years ago.
I had never been to Clarendon until I started
a newspaper to own. A friend of mine told me about a
he knew of that would make good newspaper towns,
mentioned Clarendon.
1 asked him. "Do you mean Clarendon,
0, stupid, I meanClarendon, Texas, up in the Panhandle,"
believe I'll look into that place," I told him, "because
:ance in my family history."
was just like home to me.
my great-great-great grandfather was the Earl of
That's Clarendon, England. Ever since I was
to a grasshopper, my grandmother told me that I was
the royalty of England.
" she would say, "you're a part of royal family. Your
great-great grandfather was the Earl of Clarendon, and
of the most powerful and influencial men in England.
e have that royalty in our blood today."
how my gleam when she told of her proud
ms. Her father had come to America only a few
she was born. He had fled to America for the
life that he had heard so much about. He wanted to be a
of the free enterprize that he had been told existed in the
VOrld.
the never lost his pride in the royal family he came from.
my grandmother taught me that I should be proud of
royalty in my blood, and that the memory of having a
relative back down the line was worth something.
i was proud. When I started to school, one of the first
1 told my teacher and my classmates was that my
randfather was the Earl of Clarendon. Every
I started to school l told the kids that my grandfather
Earl of Clarendon.
! warn well until I entered junior high school, and told my
teacher and my English class that my great-great-great
the Earl of Clarendon, and that I had royal
always got to be a smart guy in the crowd, and
tt was no exception. One of my classmates brought an
to class the next day, in which there was an
about the Earl of Clarendon, William Hyde.
I told turned out to be true. There was an Earl of
and his name on my grandmother's side. •
the part about him was a little more complete. Seems that
of Clarendon, who was indeed my grat-great-great
had been deported from England, ad sent to exile
island off the coast.
think we better throw him out of class, since that's
did to his great-great-great grandfatheri" some smart
my feelings were hurl I had been told that my
grandfather was a noble man of royalty in
England, and now that crazy encyclopedia saysthat
a crook who was deported from England.
was one to give up easy, though, so I searched the
over to find more information about William Hyde. It
lot of searching, but I finally found the truth.
deported from England, but he did it as a voluntary
duty for his country. There was some early-day spy
needed to be done on this island away from England,
Hyde agreed to publicly be deported, so that he
a good excuse to do this spy work. He did a
job for his country, and died a hero, though some
books didn't tell the whole story.
) proudly showed this information to my English class
my pride was restored. And I knew that my
grandfather was a gallant Earl of Clarendon.
hen I decided to move to Clarendon, I realized the
that while I couldn't take over the family duty and be the
maybe I could restore family confidence and
"Dean" of Clarendon. And so I am.
sure there are some who would like to re-create
and have me deported from Clarendon just as my
grandfather was.
guarantee you, I ain't leavingl I t
for world history.
The Clarendon Press, October 18, Page 9
IGHLIGHTS
OF '73 HED EY COTTON FESTIVAL
The queen
and
her
court.
Lions Club
Float.
°
t
287 Cafe Float.
/(! i/iiiill i i l !!!ii!i! i iiiiii!i/iii!il l iil i ii
Donley County Feed Lot float.
Security State Bank float.
Highlights provided, by these firms
The Singing Sweethearts.
which
are proud of Hedley
and its successful festival.
THE DONLEY COUNTY FEED LOTS,INC.
Professional Care of Your Cattle
ERNEST KENT TEXACO WHOLESALE
Your Friendly Texaco Wholesale Dealer
THE FARMERS STATE BANK & TRUST CO.
e
Member FDIC
THE CLARENDON PRESS
Donley County's Largest Newspaper
!
