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Sunday, September 27, 2020

Ron Stone reporting in 1962 for KHOU


Here is recently uploaded video to YouTube of legendary Houston news anchor Ron Stone reporting in 1962 from High Island on how Hurricane Carla (1961) was still hurting Texas ranchers.

The YouTube uploader titled this as airing on KPRC, but Stone did not work for channel 2 until the early 70s.  

So this must be Stone's time at channel 11. 

Here is the transcript of the report:

"This is Texas cattle country. Ranchers in this area have made thousands of dollars in the past, and they'll make it again. 

They traditionally have their problems with the weather. It's either too hot like it is today or sometimes too cold. And they're having problems now with the effects of a weather phenomenon of last year.

 Hurricane Carla deposited large pools and some small pools of salt water all over the area. And in them gigantic mosquitoes have bred. And it's the mosquitoes that are giving cattle like these fits this summer. 

So far, the loss has been estimated at somewhere around a half million to two million dollars in deaths of cattle. 

These cattle traditionally are lean and mean, but they're leaner now than they have been. They very rarely stand still. They're always swishing their tail and flicking their ears or stomping their feet to keep dreaded mosquitoes away. 

The mosquitoes have pounced on them in such numbers that in some places the cattle move around all the time and don't have time to eat. And as a result, they die from simply starving to death. 

Farmers have told me that young calves being born are abandoned by the mother because she just can't stand to stay with them. The mosquitoes have driven her away. 

A waterhole where these cattle take refuge from the midday's heat, could be the same waterhole that is spawning the thousands of mosquitoes that are driving them crazy during the day. 

This branch is dry now, but mosquitoes have come from it with a little bit of rain, a little standing water. More can come. 

Farmers and ranchers say the problem is a serious one. The federal government, they say, should help. Some help they say is needed. Something has to be done about the mosquitoes. It's a job they can't take care of themselves. 

This is Ron Stone reporting from High Island on the Texas Gulf Coast."