SCENE IN PASSING
MARIE WHITEHEAD
Let's step back 35 years in time. It was 1972 and at this point in December, we were trying to pack a "batchin' it bag and box" for the Better Half. He was going to Austin. He had been elected to the House of Representatives and he had one or two projects he hoped to help happen. Little did he know. Tucked in the inside pocket of his coat he had a list with TSR at the top. There were other things, of course. But TSR was No. 1.

And now, three and one half decades later, it is still No. 1 on our "think list." It was a near miracle in the first place that our antique, steam train was given new life. History was saved. Economic growth and development had a future. It is equally a miracle today, that it has been resuscitated and we can look forward to a continuation of the original purpose - preserve our history and expand the state's third largest industry - tourism.

There is a parallel in two areas of our past. The first is the miracle of our ghost town, New Birmingham. A sewing machine salesman, Mr. Blevins, visited East Texas and saw it with fresh, new eyes. He saw the iron ore and furnaces. He envisioned a "new" Birmingham to honor the first Birmingham in Ålabama (which received its name from Birmingham, England). It came to pass but it didn't last. Those folks allowed negative thinking and fear to stand in the way of helping Mr. Blevins accomplish his goal. We know the ending to the story. Historians were to later write, "It died a'bornin.'"

Emmett Whitehead,Jack Stone and Charles Wilson survey the proposed site of the Texas State Railroad in this file photo from 1973.

How fortunate we were unwilling to let negative thinking and fear block us from our God-given future. Tomorrow has never looked more promising.

Now to make the connection between past and present. Mr. Blevins came and went. Another dreamer came in the 1960s, Leon I. Edwards. The manager of the Rusk Chamber of Commerce called himself "a Çhristian soldier." He and many others citizens almost brought the TSR to a new reality. It was doomed to earn the epitaph, "died a'bornin."

You could say that the folks around here had cut their eye teeth on playing "winning and losing." Life had brought hard-earned experiences in the town's first 100 years. But when the right people shared the same idea and pulled together, good things happened. What is hard to remember in life is this: "Even your worst moments are moments for learning ... and for making memories."

I would be a liar to say that these words are coming easy. But to not collect these words into some kind of a coherent comment would be to allow emotion to overrule opportunity.

In this photograph, you see a scene from our historic past that may be one of the most significant and important pictures I ever took. From left you recognize the Better Half, Jack Stone and Charley Wilson. These three became a triumvirate for a time, until they got it done. As a new member of the Texas House, my husband was fortunate to have with him for the journey, the friendship of the Price family (newspaper people and former governor). To work with House Speaker Price Daniel Jr. was good fortune for him, because he was named by the Speaker to serve on the Appropriations Committee. Our Wells banker friend, Jack Stone, was at that time a member of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission. He was later named chairman of this group. The third face in the photo is that of our soon to become even more famous State Sen. Charley Wilson. You can see how these three from their respective positions of service, were the right guys at the right place at the right time ... and a train was born.

One can almost say today (one CAN say today) that it is a miracle we have the train back on track, ready to roll with a promising future. As an observer, may I say what a merry Christmas this is going to be. The dates in '05 and '06 were bleak, stressful. Today we have hope for regrowth in the rebirth of a valued piece of our history.

I hope that all of us can agree, "God is good." Then we can celebrate the real reason for the season. Merry Christmas to all of you from my grateful heart. Keep smiling until next year? herald@mediactr.com