BENTSEN'S PRESIDENTIAL PLANS Pg. 4 A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES JUNE 2, 1989 • $1.50 Locked Out A Bosque County Family Fights to Save A Homestead BY LOUIS DUBOSE Cleburne ANA AND MELVIN Robinson never should have had a million dollars to L lose. One million dollars, in land, cash, or oil leases is not the sort of fortune that typically ends up in the hands of a postal clerk and railroad blacksmith: But they did have it — a million dollars that they had discovered beneath their 100-acre ranch in Northeast Bosque County. A ranch they bought in 1977, when they decided that they ALAN POGUE "didn't want to spend one more day working Lana, Eric, and Melvin Robinson at the gate to their ranch for another man." The Bosque County ranch was the sort hills in the county. From the deck that wraps they have so far declined to do, they might of place that is the dream of every good around the back of the contemporary ranch argue that Melvin Robinson, like others who ol' boy: a garden, a few auction-barn cattle, home it seems that you can see all the way had jumped into the oil and gas business, and a shot at the hardscrabble existence that to Waco. And the Robinsons owned it: the was surrendering his collateral and selling for some still looks a lot better than a land, their home, the stock ponds, a small, personal property to try to stay afloat. And paycheck at the end of a 50-hour workweek. historical stone house out by the highway, if the attorneys involved could state their But before the Robinsons had settled in, they and the prettiest view in all of Bosque case, which they also have refused to do, discovered they were sitting on a rich gravel County. By luck and pluck they owned it they might argue that they were retained deposit — probably left there several all — free and clear. to represent the interest of the bank not hundred years back by the meandering Until an August day in 1985 when Melvin the interest of the Robinsons, who should Brazos river that defined one boundary of and Lana Robinson walked into the offices have had their own legal counsel. their newly-acquired property. So they of a Cleburne law firm and signed over Robinson admits that he owed big money traded their 100 acres — and Melvin's everything except their clothing and per- to First National, where he and a Cleburne services as a middleman between the El Paso sonal belongings to John Kelly, then business partner, Terry Bradley, had fi- Sand and Gravel company and the president of First National Bank of Cle- nanced several oil and gas. exploration Robinson's Bosque County neighbors — for burne. Within months, according to a ventures. Robinson and Bradley were the Fjel Hjem Ranch, located in an old lawsuit filed in Dallas by Mr. Robinson, borrowing hundreds of thousands of dollars 'Norwegian community known as Cranfills the bank even had his family's personal to develop oil and gas leases. And the bank, Gap, 50 miles northwest of Waco. Here was effects, including the red wagon and tiny it seemed, was a willing lender. Though something larger than a working class wooden rocker that the Robinson's 21-year- officers at First National will not confirm dream: 420 improved acres and a house that old son Eric had played with as a child. Robinson's claim that the bank offered him sprawls across the top of one of the highest If the bankers could state their case, which Continued on page 6 _..„--N.......:111 7 --2ar VI - :Xt.' " n!: ..".1113.4>r• ' m1/41 * --- D IALOGUE •0 ttat$ ..,_iii:' IR, 1 (PO II',, , ••=1,34,a, _......40 . '• ---4. 1..-- I-114, 1111- . 1 Note From does indicate that it does serve a very The General important function. The Texas Observer can p.m, THE TEXAS justify' its existence as the guardian of proper You've had your fun and taken your cheap spelling. 11 shots ("Political Intelligence," TO, 5/5/89), We, as conservatives, shall continue to IP server but we'll see if you care about the real issues undertake the role of guardians of liberty. A JOURNAL OF FREE VOICES — working with Mexican law enforcement Stephen P. Munisteri agencies to get rid of murderous drug We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to Houston the truth as we find it and the right as we see it. We dealers and protecting our citizenry. - are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values On June 7, we will be hosting a meeting Blame For • above all interests, to the rights of humankind as the in South Texas to finalize plans for a joint John Tower foundation of democracy; we will take orders from U.S./Mexican law enforcement training none but our own conscience, and never will we over- look or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of conference. The Observer is certainly James Yeager 's piece ("The Case for John the powerful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. invited to attend so that you can see there `Tower - ) in the April 7 issue reminds me Writers are responsible for their own work, but not is much work being done to clean up our 'that when Tower first ran for Senator he for anything they have not themselves written, and in society. I am proud- publishing them we do not necessarily imply that we ofthis work and make -was endorsed by the Observer. That seemed agree with them because this is a journal offree voices. no apologies about it. incredible to me at the time and in the light . SINCE 1954 Jim Mattox of history seems even more so. The reason Attorney General must have been his opponent, whose name Publisher: Ronnie Dugger - Austin Editor: Dave Denison I have forgotten, but still . Tower? Associate Editor: Louis Dubose . Newspapers and journals, I have noticed, Calendar: Elisa Lyles . Bronze Star are quick to correct factual errors but slow Washington CorresPondents: Mary Anne Reilly, With Clutters to the point of unmoving to correct errors Richard Ryan of opinion or judgment. In the name of Contributing Writers: Bill Adler, Betty Brink, Warren Burnett, Jo Clifton, John Henry Faulk, Robert Mosbacher's . "Grand Scheme" (TO. journalistic responsibility, don't you think Terry FitzPatrick, Gregg Franzwa, Bill Helmer, 4/21/89), is a grand story. That Republican, the Observer ought to issue an apology or James Harrington, Amy Johnson, Michael King, Virgil Knox, should get the Observer at least' a retraction to its readers? Mary Leni, Dana Loy, Tom McClellan, Greg Bronze Star with two elephant tusk clusters. Moses,. Debbie Nathan, Gary Pomerantz, John Walter Ligon Schwartz, Michael Ventura, Lawrence Walsh Otto Mullinax Kingsland Editorial Advisory Board: Frances Barton, Dallas Austin; Elroy Bode,. Kerrville; Chandler Rave Davidson, Houston; Bob Eckhardt, Washington, Principle's • D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, Houston; Ruperto Garcia, Review Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, Cambridge, of Grammer Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn, Durham, N.C.; More of James McCarty Yeager, please. • George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly lvins, Your article on the conservatives of Texas He may be able to top his "The Case Austin; Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury (TO, 4/7/89) caused me to chuckle. As I for John Tower," but it will be hard to do. Maverick, Jr., San Antonio; Willie MOrris,' Oxford, Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Austin'," James am a product of liberal education at the Dortha Dee Vaughan Presley, Texarkana; Susan Reid, Austin; Geoffrey University of Texas, any deficiency in my Port Arthur Rips, Austin; A.R. (Babe) Schwartz, Galveston; spelling or education otherwise no doubt can Fred Schmidt, Fredericksburg; Robert Sherrill, be attributable to having received a liberal Another Reason Tallahassee, Fla. education. Second, as I dictate all my Layout and Design: Layne Jackson correspondence which is then typed by Not to Vote Typesetter: Becky Willard Contributing Photographers: Bill Albrecht, Vic secretaries, the mistakes such as the one In your April 7 issue, "Democracy's Hinterlang, Alan Pogue. which occurred in The Conservatives of Decline," Lafe Larson failed to mention a Contributing Artists: Eric Avery, Tom Ballenger, Texas news release are in part attributable connection between voter registration and Richard Bartholomew, Jeff Danziger, Beth to our word processor's spell check Epstein, Dan Hubig, Pat Johnson,'Kevin Kreneck, the jury selection process. Carlos Lowry, Ben Sargent, Dan Thibodeau, Gail capabilities not correcting the matter. Workers paid by the hour, piece-work, Woods. , Perhaps Japanese education is not as far commission, or mile cannot now be exempt Managing Publisher: Cliff Olofsort ahead of us as we thought. due to economic hardship and will not Subscription Manager: Stefan Wanstrom The most amusing aspect of your article register to vote for fear of jeopardizing their Special Projects Director: Bill Simmons is the fact that it too contained a misspelling. weekly paycheck. Development Consultant: Frances Barton It spelled my first name incorrectly despite Would workers on a monthly salary be SUBSCRIPTIONS: One year S27. two years $48. three years 569. Full- time students S15 per year. Back issues 53 prepaid. Airmail, foreign, group. the fact that my name is printed and willing to make such a sacrifice? and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University correctly spelled on the stationery of the Microfilms Intl.. 300 N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, MI 48106. Any current Hazel Bussell subscriber who finds the price a burden should say so at renewal time: no news release.