Chicken Little, if you recall from early day reading matter, was poking around in the poultry encampment when something fell on his head.

“The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!” he cried and he Paul Revered the news amongst the other hatchlings.  Pandemonium reigned amongst the little ones, but the old hens and the rooster just clucked in amusement and enjoyed the show.

Welsir, on Christmas Eve of 1996 Ol’ Margaret went under the knife up in Abilene.  She had her heart piping replaced, and came home a different person.  Her sky was falling and mine skipped a few beats in abject alarm.

Deep depression was followed by dementia and the road to Alzheimer's lurked ahead.  My interest in The Messenger and De Leon’s Monitor waned to low ebb, and my combative urges abated.  A ray of sunshine broke through the gloom and the ownership of the De Leon Free Press was transferred to a native son who dwelt in the MetroPlex, and a new century manifested itself on all the calendars.  My five year commitment would run out come July and like Chief Joseph my vow of a five-year crusade would come to an end.  My will to go on with publication dried up like an early morning dew in hot weather.

Jeanette was offered a position in the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and it was far superior to anything I could counter.  Donna was next and the newbie, Georgia Ann, and Tracy showed emigration urges.  Donna went to Stephenville to an office manager’s position, and Tracy opted to add teaching qualifications to her Sociologist Degree.  All went on to better situations, with perks and futures far superior to those at Chupp Publishing.  The die was cast, and I vowed to look out for Ol’ Margaret, in lieu of a publishing career.  Russell Huffman, a new hire reporter and photographer, hated to see the final curtain fall, but he had little problem with finding employment.

Ol’ Margaret was despondent at my decision, but I assured her that she and I needed time to heal up and go into a different line of work, and she was glad to welcome me back into our outsized home for two.

“I’ll be seventy in November,” I assured her, “and that’s too blamed old for me to fight deadlines and worry with a newspaper and magazine.

“Show me where that’s written down’” she smiled.

I sold out to Jerry Morgan in early July, and the following month H.V. O’Brien, the publisher of the Eastland and satellite papers bought The Messenger magazine and it is still being published.

My three Angels are doing well and prospering, which pleases me, and the rest of the loyal force of Chupp Publishing have not missed any meals.

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge that the June 29, 2000 issue announced the sale of the De Leon’s Monitor, and our two awards from TPA.  They were declared ‘State Best of the Bunch’ in the Field of Journalism and Sports Coverage at the annual meeting.

I wouldn’t take a dollar for the journey, and still miss the excitement at times and Ol’ Margaret all the time.

This is a brief recap and most of it is true.

Doing pleasure with you was our bidness!

Let me hear from you.

My phone number is 254-893-5063.

My postal address is 333 W. Ayers, De Leon TX 76444.

You can e-mail me at Charles@CharlesChupp.com.

By Charles Chupp, Copyright ©2008 Charles Chupp