Sunday, Feb. 24, 1963

Fleeing deer becomes pet of Garden Lakes children

Wanna be real popular? Then get yourself a deer for a pet.

The A.C. Loftin household was virtually overrun by children Thursday after a young deer got itself into a peck of trouble and was brought to the Loftin home to recover its composure.

The deer was chased out of the woods near Garden Lakes by a bunch of energetic dogs and jumped in the large lake to escape. You might say the deer jumped from the frying pan into the fire because when it attempted to climb from the water to apparent safety, it mired up in mud near the lake bank and couldn’t move.

Walter and Gary Harrison, of 121 Glendale Rd., came to the rescue, however. Wading out in the water and mud, the Harrisons pulled the deer to safety and took it next door to Loftin’s basement.

It didn’t take long for the Loftin children — Fred, 8, Jeanette, 9, and Robert, 6 — to strike up a friendship with the animal. Like wildfire, word spread around the neighborhood and other children beat a steady path to the Loftin basement.

The Loftin children would have loved to have kept the deer as a pet, but with so many dogs in the neighborhood, it wasn’t practical. The Loftins turned the deer over to Dr. Charles Williams, Rome veterinarian, who promised to find it a suitable home.

Monday, Feb. 25, 1963

Tractor-trailer takes long skid in Polk, but egg load unbroken

CEDARTOWN – A loaded tractor-trailer rig skidded 250 feet, after losing a set of wheels near here Sunday.

The driver wasn’t injured. The truck was only slightly damaged. And not one of the 30,000 pounds of eggs it carried was broken.

State patrolmen said James H. Alvin, Warrior, Ala., was driving the truck west on State Route 4 when it went into a skid at about 3:30 a.m. Sunday.

The front set of wheels on the trailer came off the truck, coming to a stop in a pasture. The tractor part of the truck came to a stop in the road, the trailer hanging part on, part off the road.

It took until 2 p.m. Sunday to get the wheels back on the trailer and the road cleared.

Patrolmen listed the rig’s owner as the R. Abbott Egg Farm, Empire, Ala.

Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1963

City that care forgot

NEW ORLEANS, La. (AP) – Almost anywhere else it would be sheer lunacy. But New Orleans calls it Mardi Gras and becomes the “city that care forgot.”

Half a million people – maybe more – throw away their inhibitions today for one big, frenzied blowout. Between sunup and sundown masking is the rule – this year by order of Mayor Victor Schiro. The variety of costumes is endless.

The masked revelers cavort through the city as costumes and makeup turn sedate businessmen into creatures from outer space, kids into clowns, women into harem girls.

Whole families dress in monkey suits, some draped in Spanish moss. Parades are scheduled throughout the day and into the night, starting with the zany antics of Zulu, Carnival deity. Mardi Gras ends officially when the tower clock in historic St. Louis Cathedral strikes midnight and Rex, the king

of Carnival deity, drinks a solemn champagne toast.

Wednesday, Feb. 27, 1963

Annual citywide cage meet opens Thursday

With the championship up for grabs, competition in the annual Men’s Citywide Basketball Tournament is scheduled to get underway Thursday at Memorial Gym.

Neither the Rockets, who won the 1962 title, nor Fellowship Baptist, last year’s runner-ups, were entered in the tourney this year. However, a number of players from last year’s two top squads are vying on other quintets this season.

The upcoming meet is single elimination and is sponsored annually by the Rome Recreation Department.

The 18 teams entered represent three Citywide Adult Leagues that completed regular season play earlier this week.

The ’63 lineup is four quintets shy the record 22 entered last year.

League champions are Westcott, Inc. of the Industrial League, and tabbed the team to best for the tournament crown: DeSoto Park Baptist copped the Church League title, and the Boys’ Club outfit wrapped up the Community League championship. Tourney officials have tabbed Sure-Kill as the “dark horse” of the upcoming meet, with an inside chance of going all the way.

The event will begin Thursday with three games. Action will be suspended until next Monday because of other activities at Memorial Gym. Three more contests of initial round play are labeled for Monday and Tuesday. The first round will not be completed until next Thursday, March 7, when Jennings takes on West Side Wednesday, April 6 will also be an off night.

Finals in the yearly tournament have been set for Tuesday night, March 12.

The annual Girls League Tournament will follow immediately after the finish of the Men’s Tourney, Recreation Department officials said.

Trophies will be awarded the four top-finishing quintets in the Men’s Tournament and to the winner and runner-up in the Girls’ meet.

West Rome Methodist will take on Rome Transit in the lid-lifter Thursday at 6 p.m., followed at 7:15 p.m. by the Shannon-Inland Container scrap. In the 8:30 p.m. contest tomorrow night, Westcott, Inc. will match baskets with Garden Lakes Baptist.

Other first-round pairings: Monday, 6 p.m. – Maple Street vs. West Rome Methodist-Rome Transit winner; 7:15 p.m. – Armuchee Baptist vs. Rockmart Parts, and at 8:30 p.m. Sure-Kill takes on Plainville. Tuesday: 6 p.m. – DeSoto Park Baptist vs. Shannon-Inland Container winner; 7:15 p.m. – Lindale vs. West Rome Baptist; 8:30 p.m. – Boys’ Club vs. G.E.A.A. Thursday, March 7, at 6 p.m. – Jennings vs. West Side.