CASS CITY CHRONICLE VOLUME 63, NUMBER 13 CASS CITY, MICHIGAN-THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1969 Sec. A FOURTEEN'PAGES Fifteen cents fatal for quaint Robert Rix The Thumb's last advocate of the horse and buggy was killed on M-31 last Thursday. Obituary, more pictures He bad been in the area only on page 3, about three years, but his jovial srnile and wave from his car- riage ha<! earned him the in- signia, * the sweet old man." Ironically, he turned Ms back because they were the only on the auto three years ago kind he could reach. and had not driven since. After his arrival to the area, his ponies made a quick hit Robert Nelson Rix, 74, was , with neighborhood children and unhurriedly jaunting to Shab- his yard was often the scene bona where he lived alone in a of children's laughter. He neat, white house among a clus- adored his ponies, and to the ter of homes at the Shabbona chuckles of his audiences, of- junction, about 14 miles south- ten shared candy and even east of Cass City. tobacco with "Trixt* and "Mack." Loaded up with groceries and dry goods, he was just two miles Living alone, he would often east of Cass City when an auto visit neighbors and reportedly struck the rear of his carriage, loved to chat. During one of killing him instantly. He sus- those chats some months ago, tained a nearly severed broken he told local store clerks a neck, a broken nose, and a badly truck passed his pony and bruised face resulting from a carriage and the pony swerved skid across the pavement. onto the highway. He reported to several friends how the area's He was pronounced dead at roads and highways sometimes the scene of the accident by caused nervousness in the Coroner J. Benson Collon of ponies. Caro. He was the 19th traf- fic fatality in Tuscola County, He loved the past and one of his favorite stopping points was Rix was struck by the auto that of a blacksmith in Argyle of Margaret M. GillisofMinden where he had his ponies shoed. City, an employee of General Cable, who did not see Mr. The pot-bellied stove in the Rix's carriage traveling in the center of the living room of right lane until the car ahead his recently built new home of her pulled out to pass the was a showcase to his steadfast carriage. Skid marks for 150 adherence to the ways of an earlier era, like when he farmed AN OLD FARM AXIOM calls for corn to be knee high by the 4th of July. feet were visible as she at- tempted to stop. the Yale homestead which had A SLOW MOVING vehicle on a state trunkline road spelled disaster Thursday Knee High is good, thigh-high better, but when it reaches the height of this corn been in the family for three grown by Al Merchant no one has a phrase to describe it. The corn is located on generations. for Robert Rix who had turned his back on the auto. He was fatally injured while Margaret Gillis suffered driving his horse and buggy. the southeast end of Milligan Road, two miles northeast of Cass City. Corn is re- shock. In a remarkable escape covering in the area after a late start because of the wet,cold spring. Posing to ill- Local storeclerks often of injury the pony, "Mack*, loaded up his carriage with his ustrate the outstanding field is Mrs. Marilyn Schott of Cass City. The corn is on received only a nick and bruises orders. One said he would the right. on its right hind leg. "use all fours" to get onto the Unionville man 20th carriage, because of a critical "Mack" was one of the two arthritic condition. ponies he owned and had loved. The,:' other, "Trixi*, waited at A local youth who knew him E Sportsman protest kills *-• the gale at the, year of his home .well- told how h© sometimes JL JL '^* that night, and hasn't gone out complained of pain and sore- Tuscola fatalit40v y«/ to pasture for several days. Natives of Cass City and ness when in the midst of a win- most other Thumb small towns ter, he alone carried hay, grain, used to be proud to say that He had owned the tiny farm and water to his two ponies. Tuscola County's second west and struck an abutment in Shabbona for three years, fatality during the Independence at the corner. the chances were good that following the sale of his large Some townsfolk say they ex- A nearby resident, George they knew everyone they were Thumb antlerless season Day week end, and twentieth of apt to meet at any given time farm near Yale. He came to pected it to happen; to others the year, was a middle-aged Sharp, told investigating deputy the area with a new white pick- it was a shocking contrast to Unionville man who was killed he heard a crash about 10 p.m. on any given day. .a stranger up, but sold it when he built his buoyant nature and his love Sunday night, but because he was a conversation topic. while driving alone the evening Not anymore. The odds are Three Michigan game biolo- president of the Cass City and area sportsmen ultimately a new home. of children. of July 6. couldn't see anything, did not What it means to his ponies, investigate. great that a walk down the gists drew fire from, over 120 Gun Club, who said "It went deteriorating. Fred Ernest Heinitz of main stem today will bring you the way it should have". Lapp The group evidenced con- He was often seen by area no one knows for sure. It Unionville, 53, was killed when Sheriff Deputy Jim Wright nadlitajit area sportsmen Tues- investigated the accident after face to face with one or more day night at the Caro Gum was largely responsible for siderable animosity towards persons at horse pulling con- is only known they are still his auto left the fey City-For - tests and he had told one re- waiting at the gate for his the office was called at 5:40 strangers. dub when the Game Division raising the issue at a district Detroit area "city-slickers and estville Road at the junction of porter he had only small ponies return N. Colling Road while traveling Concluded on page six. The old joke about anyone of the Michigan Department conservation club meeting in bums" who shoot indiscrim- who came to town within the <of Natural Resources held a Pigeon' some weeks ago after inately. One man expressed last 15 years being a "newcom- "hearing" on their recom- he discovered the controversial fea,rs unhappy hunters return- er* just doesn't apply anymore. mendations for tine distribution issue had not Ijeen placed upon ing from the north would use With the changing population of 275 antlerless deer permits the agenda. their dee permit to shoot and the auto, smaller commun- ities have become more im- for the expected take of 95 Lapp, a soft-spoken club Thumb doe. Russell Richards: principal personal; the spirit of coopera- deer. president with a long history The group anxiously tion weakened. Angry sportsmen demanded in conservation clubs, ex- chuckled though, when Cass The days of the spirit of a show of cause far the pro- pressed caution that the game City's Lawrence Guinther said "Christmas Town* where near- posed program and after biologists can be 'overruled that a local man he knew ly the whole town pitched in Assistant Regional Game "just as easy as can be, but deliberately hit four deer with because of community pride Biologist Robert G. Strong, I hope not." The final decision a car and "I helped dress two tells challenges of new job are probably gone forever in District Game Biologist will he Friday at the Rig-gins of them out." Cass City. Howard C. Greene, and State Lake Training School. Several times the sportsmen Civic leaders can no longer expect unquestioned coopera- Biologist David A. Arnold Cass City sportsmen were threw verbial barbs at in- Teachers will see a lot of One of the hottest topics key to a good program is the ied to teach it. But in Eau well represented at the meet- surance lobbyists for allegedly Russell L. Richards, the new tion merely because "it's for answered questions and heard facing education in Michigan teacher. Claire there was a doctor who the good of the community*. hunters' comments, Arnold an- ing. A Cass City farmer, Don pressuring the Department of principal at Cass City High today is sex education. Rich- "For example," he said, "I taught the class that was in School, during the 1969-70 Personal self-interest is the nounced, amidst wild applause, Buehrly, stood up and told Conservation to lower the auto- ards says that he believes the certainly wouldn't feel qualif- Concluded on page 3 rule of the day. that the game biologists' rec- the group he felt the antler- deer collision rate tihrough the school year. It's reflected in business, less hunt would result in issuing of antlerless permits. The 34-year-old educator ommendations for an antler- feels that the primary respon- too. I can remember long-time less hunt this fall had been farmer's posting their land An insurance man in the sibility of the principal is see- businessmen in the community rescinded. with the consequence of the group, Donald Harbin of Har- ing that the educational program telling me that they wouldn't No' special reason for the relationship between farmer Concluded on page 5 runs smoothly.