Still more tales about Spadge,
courtesy of buddy Art Wilson
MEYER CARTOONS BELOW
'SPAGEJO' A NO-SHOW WHEN HIS BEARS PLAYED IN THE ROCK
GETTIN' BY
RON MEYER'S COLUMN
MEET THE WRITER
Ron Meyer
Ron Meyer was the longtime general manager of the Benton Courier during an era in which, as he puts it, “We had some honest to goodness characters in Saline County.” Meyer also was a longtime local columnist and one of the premier editorial cartoonists in Arkansas and the South. It is with tremendous pride and gratitude that we welcome back Mr. Meyer, as former Courier owner Sam Hodges always called him, along with his columns and, on occasion, his cartoons. Meyer’s introduction in his words:
I came to Benton in March 1961 at age 22. The events shaping my life experience really began at that point. Previously, life was, as with most all young males, childhood, education and military. The one exception was my marriage to Miss Jimmy Shores in February 1960, a Saline County resident no less.
My three children were born here (two have died here) and my education in real life forms began here: If you don’t make enough successful sales calls today, food on the table will be gruel tomorrow. I had grown up under my grandparents’ tutelage: Be polite, do what your elders request and do it with a smile. Be nice, be nice!
I didn’t choose newspapers, they chose me – mainly because I needed a job to support my expensive, high-horsepower habit of racing cars. There’s an old saying: “Speed costs money. How fast do you want to go?”
I avoided conflict whenever possible, hid from it. One does not take shelter from criticism by working at a newspaper because you are usually at the center of the vortex.
It doesn’t take long to develop a defensive attitude. Someone approaches and says, “Good morning.” You smile, return the salutation, but that little inner voice says, “I wonder what they want?”
Have I ever used the power of the press to get even? Yes. Not proud of it. You can challenge me all day, take issue with me, but, kind sir, my wife and children had nothing to do with the situation in which you find yourself enmeshed with me. Knock them because you can and we will go to the mat. Been there, done that.
"I know nothing about this new media. I am placing my old, ignorant self at the mercy of others until I get to know the limbs on the trees. This is just another learning experience in Saline County. I hope it turns out as well as my previous education. I didn’t always win, got some lumps along the way, but it has been a fine road traveled.
POSTED MARCH 5, 2010
More stories about the late Jack “Spagejo” Richards, courtesy of Art Wilson. Here we go!“Fayne was perched on the right front fender of a car Jack was driving down a river road. Jack was driving fast and swerving close to trees, trying to knock Fayne off the fender, and laughing all the time, saying, ‘I’m going to kill him!’“I was beating Jack in the back with my fists, yelling, ‘Don’t kill my brother! Don’t kill my brother!’“Jack and Fayne made it through the high school years alive. Fayne quit school to join the Air Force, later earning his GED.“I cannot explain how, but Jack received a football scholarship to the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. He was an excellent football prospect, but attending class was not on his list of favorite things to do. I am not sure how many years he was on the rolls at the UA. Jack never graduated from
any school in his lifetime.
“My next recollection of Spadge was him earning a position with the Chicago Bears football team under George Halas.
Fayne and I surmised he was a member of the team in good
standing. Chicago was scheduled to play an exhibition game
with the Philadelphia Eagles at War Memorial Stadium in Little
Rock. Fayne and I were in the stands, eagerly awaiting to see
our friend ‘Spagejo’ Richards come out onto the field. He did not
show up the entire game. We were disappointed and wondering what might have happened.
“After the game we went down on the field. Fayne asked one of the running backs named Morris if he knew Jack. ‘Yes, in fact he is my roommate when we are on the road,’ Morris said. Fayne asked if he knew why Spadge was not there, Morris said he did not know. ‘He just did not show up!’ Morris said. I saw a flash out of the corner of my eye and watched as Morris landed about five yards from us after being hit by Jack wearing street clothes. Our hero had no legitimate explanation of why he did not make it. Morris asked if he was going back on the team bus. ‘No.’ replied Jack. ‘Papa Bear (George Halas) would probably make me run along beside the bus.’“About 1957, I saw him in dirty, wrinkled wool -- drab Army clothes complete with overcoat and boots, all the typical hobo dress. His scraggly beard had been growing for at least a year. I watched him out of the corner of my eyes. He caused me to take a long, uneasy look as he approached the Colonial Bread truck as I was preparing an order for the bread display at Olin Cates Grocery in Malvern about 7 one morning. When I turned, he grabbed my hand with a grip that brought me to my knees. On my way down, I realized who had just attacked me, the patented handshake of Jack ‘Spagejo’ Richards.“‘Arthur, I want to ride back to Benton with you,’ he said as he reached for a package of fresh cupcakes, popped the package open and devoured them in two hungry bites.“‘Spadge, what are you doing down here looking like that?’ I asked.“‘I am on my way home,’ he explained. ‘I have been on an expedition with Admiral Byrd to the South Pole for the last year. When we got back to the states I spent all my money, had to catch a freight train. I have been riding the rails for days and I am hungry and tired!‘“In shock, I explained to him that I had to work Malvern and it would be around 5 p.m. before I returned to Benton. He said that would be all right, he would stay and ride the route with me. ‘At least you have a truckload of eats,’ he said.“My new helper and I entered Olen Cates Grocery to stock the allotment of merchandise for the day’s sale. While in the store, I introduced Spadge as a former Razorback and Chicago Bears football player to the store owner. Cates was an avid football fan and thrilled to meet him. We were standing at the checkout counter and Spadge asked me if I would buy him two packages of Beechnut chewing tobacco. I agreed and handed Mr. Cates the money. As Cates turned to ring up the sale, Spadge inserted the contents of one tobacco pouch in his right cheek and the contents of the other in his left jowl. The store owner froze with a priceless look of disbelief, then turned to his scraggly guest and said, ‘Well, damn, boy!’“He stood with the look of amazement as Spadge and I left the store. The tobacco stayed in his mouth all day as he ate and drank without removing it. The incident was the topic of discussion at Cates Grocery for the next few months as the owner repeated the story to every interested, and disinterested, customer patronizing the store.“Richards entered every store with me that day helping to carry the fresh loaves of bread when my load was too much to carry in one trip. I don’t know which one of us was the most swollen with pride. I think Spadge enjoyed my flattering introductions and I had the pleasure of his company. By the way, he never paid me back for the tobacco, lunch and all the cakes he ate off the bread truck. I visited him one day in 2008 and reminded him of that fact. I got no response or money.”CLICK GUESTBOOK AND SHARE YOUR COMMENTS WITH VISITORS TO THE SITE
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Happy Halloween!
PUBLISHED OCTOBER 30, 2009
POSTED NOVEMBER 6, 2009
POSTED DECEMBER 1, 2009
Ron Meyer Cartoons
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POSTED DECEMBER 10, 2009
Ron Meyer's cartoon references the recent political fallout for former Arkansas Gov. and Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. A host of political observers said Huckabee's political aspirations may have been damaged beyond repair recently when Maurice Clemmons killed four police officers in Washington state. Then-Gov. Huckabee commuted the prison sentence of Clemmons about a decade ago. Some have called the incident Huckabee's Willie Horton moment. They are referring to the political damage suffered by Democrat Michael Dukakis, an unsuccessful presidential candidate. Dukakis is a former Massachusetts governor and Horton, who was convicted of murder in that state, committed rape and assault while on furlough.
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