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Governor narrowly misses chance to meet common
man
By Bill Whitaker
By all accounts, the governor's stop in Abilene last week went
off smoothly, even though George W. Bush almost wound up playing
to a wholly different crowd than the cream of the crop assembled.
Certainly, it would have given the governor a good chance to
determine his popularity among the so-called "common man,"
because that's the kind of folks who get together in the smoky,
rock-infused environment of The Depot, 1700 Industrial Boulevard.
As it was, everyone from local county commissioners to Abilene
Chamber of Commerce officials to business leaders to Christian
bikers were wowed by Gov. Bush during his campaign rally at the
Grace Cultural Center last week, accompanied by the thumping music
of Hardin-Simmons University's Cowboy Band.
Initially, the Bush rally was to have been held right across
the street at the old Texas & Pacific Railway Depot, now restored
to much of its old glory and housing the Abilene Convention &
Visitors Bureau and Cultural Affairs Council.
Only at the last minute was the rally moved to the Grace Cultural
Center courtyard.
For a while, though, the possibility existed that Bush supporters
-- who routinely claim they'll go anywhere for their man -- might
wind up at a small rock 'n' roll bar in southwest Abilene. At
least, that's what one of the Bush rally operatives told me later.
"Well, the people in Austin who were putting together
the invitations for this thing called up information in Abilene
and asked for the address for The Depot instead of the Texas &
Pacific Depot.
"They caught it in the mail room before it went out,"
said the Bush operative, who declined to be identified. "They
were sweating it out, too, because they knew the governor would
have gotten all over them if it'd gone out that way."
John Horton, owner of The Depot, said he certainly wasn't expecting
the guv that Tuesday. The only celebrities he expected were Dallas
guitarist Bugs Henderson, who was due Saturday, and the band Casual
Therapy, two of whose members are with the Abilene Police Department.
Still, John was mighty impressed upon learning his establishment
had almost made Gov. Bush's list of stops.
"Cool," he said. "I could've used the business
that day. But I didn't know anything about it. Now, they did come
and use my drum-riser for him to stand on during the rally. In
fact, I asked that he autograph it, but, of course, he didn't."
HORSE TAKING FLIGHT?
Nobody in nearby Hawley is looking a gift horse in the mouth
these days -- not with the continuing success of the carousel
rocking horse fashioned by Hawley school students as a Christmas
fund-raiser for Toys for Tots.
This year's carousel rocking horse campaign -- revolving around
a horse made from old lumber in Jones County -- is attracting
mucho attention. No less than American Airlines has contacted
Hawley High art teacher Evynne Caffey to propose sending next
year's horse around the nation, courtesy of the Dallas-based airline.
"It's a neat idea and a neat twist," Evynne said.
"They want to fly the horse we create next year around the
United States during the month of November, do a lot of publicity
and sell raffle tickets."
The carousel rocking horse fashioned by students of Evynne
and industrial technology teacher Terry Thompson this season will
be displayed at Goldworks in Anson today and the town's famous
Cowboy Christmas Ball Thursday night. Raffle tickets are $2 each.
A drawing for the horse will be held 9 a.m. Saturday at Toys
R Us.
Because next year's horse will become, in effect, a goodwill
ambassador for West Texas, courtesy of American Airlines, some
changes are in order.
"We're going to make it a Texas pony to show Texas hospitality,"
Evynne said. "It'll be made of mesquite wood, have a real
leather saddle and saddle bags, come with a genuine West Texas
brand and the base will be the Texas flag.
"It'll be Texas all the way."
Bill Whitaker, who got hit up to buy raffle tickets by Evynne
Caffey's kids before he could make a clean getaway, can be reached
at 676-6732.
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Copyright ©1996 or
1997, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps. Publications
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