Rondo Whorton's Solo Flight

Lt. Larry Douthit beside Rondo Whorton's Flying Jenny.

Editor’s Note: Since this week has been a little short of news, I’m including below a bit of Roscoe history that I ran once before about five years ago. It involves one of the town’s early characters, Rondo Whorton, and was written by his son, Billy, about 1972. Both were descendants of Roscoe’s original settlers.

The first people to make a home in what we now call Roscoe were the F. M. Whorton family, arriving here in 1888. At the time, there was only one building in the area, a section house by the railroad track that burned down a week after they arrived. Mr. Whorton bought land and immediately built a home in present-day south Roscoe while the rest of the family lived in Colorado City until it was finished. It wasn’t long, though, before other families began to settle in the area, and the community that developed was known as Vista until late 1891, when its name was changed to Roscoe.

In 1893, Mr. Whorton’s eldest son, D. B., married the daughter of the owner of Roscoe’s first general store. It was Roscoe’s first wedding, and their first son, Ronda Hoyt Whorton, born in 1894, was Roscoe’s second baby. Known as “Rondo,” he went to Roscoe schools and lived his life here. He is the subject of the following account written by his son, R. H. Whorton, Jr., better known as “Billy.” The story comes from a Whorton family history donated to the Roscoe Historical Museum by Ronnie Fry, a descendant of the family.

RONDO WHORTON'S SOLO FLIGHT: A ROSCOE MEMORY
By R. H. Whorton, Jr.

Rondo Whorton in 1915.

Rondo, as he was affectionately called, was born May 23, 1894, to D. B. and Willie Belle Whorton at the F. M. Whorton homestead farm just south of Roscoe, Nolan County, Texas. He was the oldest member of a family of three brothers and one sister. He was reared on the farm and attended the Roscoe Schools. In the years that he grew into manhood, marvelous adventures were being developed in the field of transportation and communication. These new ideas intrigued and fascinated him to the point he wanted to be a part of their application to local conditions. He told me of operating silent movie projectors for free so he could learn of their principle. He built crystal radio sets and received signals from Fort Worth and later Abilene.

As a teenager he and his friends would “hop” freight trains and travel over the Texas & Pacific Railway lines. It made no difference which way the train was going as they could always return to Roscoe from Marshall or El Paso via another freight. To him the practical application of electricity in homes was an obsession, and he purchased a set of books from which he could learn the basics of electric science. In later life he used this knowledge to supplement the family farm income by installing electricity in commercial and residential buildings.

The post-World War I years were filled with daring exploits of the young Americans of the roaring twenties. The army during the war had built and found both a practical and a destructive use for the airplane. The combination of surplus airplanes brought on the art of “barnstorming.” Daring young men would buy and fly surplus World War I planes from community to community and “carry up” passengers from the local population.

This type of daring appealed to Rondo, and in 1924 he purchased an army surplus trainer at Love Field, Dallas. The biplane was a wood and fabric Curtiss-Wright with a water-cooled OX-5 engine. It was better known as the Flying Jenny. As he could not fly the plane to Roscoe, he engaged a pilot to fly it for him. After leaving Love Field, he and the pilot were forced to land at Ranger for fuel. The pilot on his final approach overshot the landing strip, and since these planes had no brakes, it crashed through a fence and into a mesquite thicket. The pilot returned to Love Field and Rondo to Roscoe via the dependable T&P railroad. The damaged aircraft was left in Ranger in storage.

Rondo frantically wrote suppliers for parts and finally the Curtiss-Wright factory in Akron, Ohio. The factory advised him to rob parts from some other wrecked plane that was damaged beyond repair. The factory also advised if all other efforts failed, the air frame could be repaired by a skilled carpenter but cautioned that the wood must be of the lightest weight available. The plane was repaired and brought to Roscoe to be parked in a pasture just north of the Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Railway shop.

While awaiting repairs on the airplane, he wrote to Kelly Field in San Antonio, an army training school for pilots, requesting the possibility of some aviator coming to Roscoe to teach him to fly the airplane. His letter was answered by Air Cadet Larry Douthit, who said he was to graduate in a few weeks and he would request a leave of absence for the purpose of coming to Roscoe and teaching Rondo to fly the Jenny. Meanwhile, the airplane at Ranger was repaired, and it and the instructor arrived in Roscoe. We children were quite small, and we were all awed by the Jenny and the army instructor. Rondo and Mary had very recently constructed a new modern house with three bedrooms, and we five children had the luxury of sharing not one but two bedrooms.

The arrival of Lt. Larry Douthit required that we give up the choice front bedroom to him, and we again were allotted cramped quarters. However, he more than made up for this inconvenience by building us kites constructed from balsa wood, fine cotton fabric, and airplane dope. We were the envy of the neighborhood as these kites made from airplane materials were practically indestructible.

After a short period of instruction, Rondo was urging his instructor to let him solo. Lt. Douthit did not believe his pupil was ready and would not allow a solo flight. However, at dawn one morning Rondo very quietly slipped out the back door of the house with his clothes in his hands. I was only about five years of age, but the closing back door awakened me, and I looked from the bedroom and saw my father dressing on the back porch. I hurriedly dressed and slipped outside to find him pushing the family Model T Ford from the garage and down the driveway. Upon seeing me, he motioned me to be quiet and help him push. We pushed the car to the street and about a half block from the house before he started the engine with a hand crank. This was necessary so as not to awaken anyone else in the household.

We then proceeded in the car to the pasture north of Roscoe where the Jenny was staked down. Rondo told me to stay in the car while he took the airplane up for his solo flight. At this point I cried so loud and raised such a big fuss he strapped me in the Jenny’s passenger seat in the front cockpit. He then hand cranked the plane by its propeller and jumped in the pilot’s seat in the rear cockpit. He proceeded to take off from the rough pasture. After flying the plane in a few circles, he flew over the house. After buzzing the house a few times to get the instructor’s attention, he flew very low and dropped a note tied to a pair of pliers.

I don’t recall what the note said, but I can still see the family gathered in the front yard with hands shading their eyes from the early morning sun, watching Rondo solo with his young son as a passenger. Instructor Douthit made quite a sight running back and forth in the street below in pajamas and robe shouting something we could not hear. I did not realize until years later that this act was so daring and so typical of my father.

Lt. Larry Douthit returned to Kelly Field and had a distinguished Air Force career. He retired in about 1960 but made many local friends, and he returned to visit them occasionally. Rondo continued to fly the Jenny until 1926 when he traded it to A. H. Warken of Pyron for a Fordson tractor and an Oliver treble-disk plow. In 1938 he and three other Roscoe men formed a Flying Club and purchased a Piper Super Cruiser and flew it until 1943 when the shortage of aviation gas forced them to sell it. Although he had hundreds of flight hours, he had only an Airman’s Certificate, which was issued him on April 16, 1942, by the Civil Aeronautics Administration.

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SWEETWATER MAN ELUDES LAW AFTER BEING SHOT

About the biggest excitement around Roscoe this week came on Thursday when a Sweetwater felon, James Hearin, 41, was pulled over for a traffic stop about 10am, resisted arrest, and was shot in the stomach and arm by law enforcement as he tried to escape. He then led officers on a high-speed chase from Sweetwater and eluded them in the Champion area.

He then went live on Facebook, making streaming video to say that he had been shot by police and showed his wounds. Meanwhile, as law enforcement attempted to locate him, both Highland and Roscoe schools were put on lockdown. He was found and arrested several hours later on a ranch in Mitchell County with several bullet holes in his pickup.

According to a report on the Big Country Homepage, he was hospitalized in stable condition. He was arrested for outstanding warrants and now faces additional charges.

His Facebook video was posted on the Big Country Homepage but has now been removed.

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SUSPECT WANTED IN KIRKLAND SHOOTING ARRESTED

The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of Yahayra “Heidi” Gutierrez for tampering with evidence in the shooting of former Plowgirl Megan Kirkland at a party outside Abilene last August. Her arrest follows the previous arrests of four others as reported in the Hard Times last week.

Gutierrez gave herself up at the Taylor County Sheriff’s Office on Monday.

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SALES TAX HOLIDAY FOR EMERGENCY ITEMS

The State of Texas is having a sales tax holiday for emergency items this weekend, April 24-26.  It begins 12:01am Saturday and ends at 12 midnight on Monday.

Items include portable generators under $3000, emergency ladders under $300, and several items under $75 including axes, batteries, non-electric coolers and ice chests, fire extinguishers, first-aid kits, mobile telephone batteries and chargers, smoke detectors, tarps, and other items.

For a full list and other information contact the state website here.

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 ANOTHER GOOD COVID-19 WEEK IN WEST TEXAS

It’s been another good week for the pandemic situation in west Texas and especially for Nolan County and Roscoe, which are recording no active cases of Covid-19 for the second straight week.

In the US, the outlook is not so clear as some parts of the country are experiencing increases in new cases and hospitalizations while others improve, and others are mixed.

All adults in every state are now eligible for shots. Over 3 million are still being given every day, even though a pause has been imposed on Johnson & Johnson shots. However, European countries are resuming use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which has caused a few rare blood clots, deciding that using the vaccine will cost fewer lives than withholding it. So, the US may soon follow suit.

In Texas, the numbers remain low. Hospitalizations have leveled off to somewhere around 3,000 with 2,967 yesterday, and new cases also remain at about 3,000 average per day. Monday had 1,073 while yesterday had 3,554. Fatalities averaged 58 daily this week, a drop of 6 from last week’s 64 and of 9 from two weeks ago.

Numbers remain low but mixed in the Big Country. The number of active cases in Taylor County is now at 152, a gain of 9 over last week but still 8 less than the 160 of two weeks ago. Hospitalizations for Covid-19 in Abilene are now at 9 patients compared to 14 last week. However, 1 more death was reported, so the total for Taylor County now stands at 399. The percentage of Covid-19 patients in the Abilene trauma service area is down to 0.90% after last week’s 1.69%.

In our four-county area, the numbers are mixed but still quite low. Nolan County reports 0 active cases for the second consecutive week. Fisher County now has 4 after only 1 last week, and Mitchell County still has 2, but the Wallace Unit now has none in its prison staff. Scurry County is down to 15 active cases, a drop from last week’s 46, and once again, none of the four counties report any Covid-19 deaths this past week.

Here are the Big Country’s estimated active cases (with last week’s in parentheses): Howard, 47 (38); Jones, 34 (38); Scurry, 15 (46); Coke, 13 (12); Erath, 7 (8); Brown, 6 (3); Fisher, 4 (1); Shackelford, 3 (2);Comanche, 2 (3); Mitchell, 2 (2); Eastland, 1 (2); Haskell, 0 (1); Callahan, 0 (2); Stephens, 0 (2); Runnels, 0 (0); Nolan, 0 (0); Coleman, 0 (0); Kent, 0 (1); Stonewall, 0 (0); Knox, 0 (0); Throckmorton, 0 (0). The total of all these counties for this week is 136, 28 fewer than last week’s 164.
 
Selected west Texas counties’ estimated active cases (with last week’s in parentheses): Ector (Odessa) 245 (219), Midland 215 (260), Tom Green (San Angelo) 88 (90); Lubbock 79 (101); Wichita (Wichita Falls) 38 (38). This week’s total for these cities is 665, 43 fewer than last week’s 708.

Texas now has had a total of 2,444,933 cases (2,428,867 last week), 62,555 active cases (64,307 last week), and 48,677 total deaths (48,273 last week).

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VACCINE CLINIC TOMORROW AT COLISEUM ANNEX

The Nolan County Health Department will have a COVID-19 vaccine clinic tomorrow, April 22, from 8:30-11:30am and 1:00-4:00pm at the Coliseum Annex FOR SECOND DOSES ONLY to the people that were administered their first dose on March 17-19 & March 23-25.

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WEATHER REPORT: WINTER CHILL IN APRIL

Yesterday morning's sunrise.

The tundra may be thawing out above the arctic circle and glaciers melting in Iceland, but you wouldn’t know it with the weather we’ve been experiencing here in Roscoe for over a week now. Starting on Tuesday of last week, we had five consecutive days in which the temperature never rose above 58°F.

The days were typically cloudy and misty with forecasters giving us excellent chances of rain. Unfortunately, we got the gloomy weather with overcast skies, occasional mist, and sprinkles but never the downpour or steady rain that the area needs.

The average daily maximum for April in the Roscoe area is 78°F, so this past week’s highs ran about 20 degrees below normal, and they felt even cooler than that because of the strong north wind that often accompanied the clouds and low temperatures. The only day to break seventy was Monday when we endured a sweltering 74°. Lows were around 40° until this morning when the low fell all the way to 33°. At least, that's what it said on the Weather Channel app. I hope the cold didn't damage any of the peach, apricot, or other trees that have been blooming out lately.

Today will also be cool with a forecast high of 55°, but that will change as the week goes on. Tomorrow’s high will climb to about 65°, and Friday’s up to 84° along with a strong southwest wind. Saturday’s high will drop to 79° as the wind shifts to the north, but then Sunday and Monday will both peak at 90° along with a stiff southwest breeze, and air conditioners will once again be necessary.

Unfortunately, the greatest chance for rain will come on Friday when forecasters give us just a 24% chance of showers.

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† BASSETT BUCKLEY “BUCK” NIX

Bassett Buckley "Buck" Nix passed away peacefully at home on Saturday, April 10, 2021, one week after his 88th birthday. 

Born April 3, 1933 in Roscoe, Texas [and known in Roscoe as Bucky], he was an All-State Track & Field champion and Football star. He enlisted in the Marines and was always proud of his service. Buck was a life-time member of Ironworkers Local 75. This work took him to Alaska and back to Phoenix in 1966 where he met his wife, Marcia. They were married for 52 years, living in the same house where he passed away.

Everyone who knew him had a "Buck" story to share. He was a character with a larger-than-life personality, charming even strangers with his big smile. His shock and awe storytelling also left quite an impression on his audience. It wasn't uncommon to hear him recite poetry at parties, favorites being Robert W. Service's, "The Cremation of Sam McGee" or "The Shooting of Dan McGrew." He was a skilled dancer and his love of music and entertainers from country to contemporary was a source of joy for him almost as much as his love of movies. A HUGE movie buff and fan of the Silver Screen, he always preferred the first showing, "a fresh pop" popcorn, and a cold coke in his souvenir Harkins cup.

Buck was a local "legend" around Central Phoenix and, after an early retirement, could often be found in the mornings at AJ's Fine Foods having coffee, exercising at the Christown YMCA, hiking North Mountain, walking the track at Phoenix College, or playing 9 holes at Palo Verde Golf Course. He was also a regular at Turf Paradise "playing the ponies." He never missed a chance to wager a sporting bet, especially if Tiger Woods was playing or a Bob Baffert horse was running. He enjoyed poker games at the Local 75 and at home, Buck loved a good game of Forty-Two dominoes.

Buck stayed athletic and competitive with his participation in the Arizona Senior Olympics well into his 50's, winning six Track & Field gold medals in one day. Ever the gamblin' man, Buck never passed on the opportunity to challenge another in the 100 yard dash.

Buck continued to make happy memories even as the dementia blurred the present. He delighted every party or backyard BBQ with a tale from his storied life. He was especially proud of his daughter and his granddaughter. Some of his best memories were watching Sarah in her Track & Field prime and he never missed a chance to watch Olivia dance.

Buck is survived by his wife, Marcia (Perry) Nix, daughter, Sarah Nix, and granddaughter, Olivia Kennefick. Buck requested his body be donated to Science Care. Services will be held at a later date. May he fly with the Elegant Trogon and keep signifyin' those monkeys.

Published in the Arizona Republic, April 15, 2021.

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