The Weekly Corinthian, Vol. XXXXI #43, Thursday, Oct. 22, 1936
  p. 6, c. 5.

    TURNER DIDN'T LIKE
        FARMING AND SPURNED
             "TWO LONG" LESSONS

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        (By Frances Anderson)

          Roscoe Turner was born about nine miles west of Corinth in the
  Jones school community, and moved to the old Turner Home place in McNairy
  county at an early age, returning when his parents came back to reside in
  West Corinth after a few years in the adjoining Tennessee county.
          He lived on a farm during most of his life as a boy, and he
  enjoyed helping his father in the field, but, as most boys, he did not
  like to go to school.  His father's better judgement, however,
  prevailed-- and Roscoe went to school when he was not at work.
          One day when he and his brother Abe were hauling sugar cane with
  a pair of matched mules they became thirsty.  After drinking all he
  wanted, Roscoe decided to give the mule a bath with the rest.  Old Jenny,
  the mule, was not used to iced baths, so she headed for the cotton patch
  with Roscoe on her back.  Gates were torn down, cotton was ruined, and
  everything in the path was completely demolished.  That night Roscoe was
  as innocent as could be when his father questioned him concerning the
  damage.  His father was not to be fooled, however, and Roscoe received a
  good old-fashioned spanking. [Note: this is substantially the same story
  told to me by Mary Emma Whitaker.  She said Cass, who was too young to
  work in the fields, had carried the water bucket to the field for Abe and
  Roscoe.  She used the story to illustrate how impulsive Roscoe could
  sometimes be to try different things just to see what would happen.
  MLS,Jr. 3/25/1993]
          When he was eighteen, he went to Memphis to learn to fly.  He
  received his instruction for flying and was allowed to bring a small
  plane home with him.  He called the plane the "flying ginny" and his
  heart was nearly broken when in attempting to land, he cracked up.  He
  was almost in tears over the broken wing, but his family could give him
  no sympathy in his sorrow.  Roscoe was so upset he turned to his mother
  and said, "Never mind, when I get on the front page, I'll show you!"
  With this statement he started out to make good.
          Turner has flown racing planes longer than any other pilot
  living.  In 1929 he set a transcontinental record with four passengers
  from Los Angeles to New York and then back to Los Angeles.  In 1932 he
  was presented the Harmon trophy for being the premier aviator of the air.
  This same year he broke his transcontinental record in twelve hours and
  thirty minues;  he won third places in the three main races-- the Bendix,
  the Thompson and the Shell Three Kilometer Races.  In 1933 he won first
  in the Bendix and first in the Shell, a record that still stands-- eleven
  hours, thirty minutes.  He also won the Thompson race but was dislocaled
  because of technicality.  In 1934 he won the Thompson trophy and set a
  new transcontinental record in ten hours and two minutes.
          Turner, Pangborn and Nichols flew from London to Melbourne in
  October, 1934, the largest air race in American history.  They flew in a
  "Boeing twin-motored" plane, and finished third but were given second
  prize in the speed division of the race.  With their radio they
  established two long distance records with voice communications.
          In 1936 Turner was on his way to New York for the Bendix races
  when he crashed at Gallup, New Mexico, in the Zuni Indian Reservation.
  Although he did not get to enter the race, his record was not broken.
  After his crack-up, Turner had to ride eighteen miles on horseback to get
  to a telephone.  Turner had made a safe landing but the ground was so
  soft that the plane overturned twice, completely smashed from the
  cock-pit back.  The steel stick would have been rammed through him if it
  had not been for the buckle on his belt.  He was not seriously injured in
  the crash, but his plane was demolished.
          Today, Roscoe Turner is one of America's greatest aviators.  For
  what he is today, he himself is largely responsible.  There have been
  times, however, when he might have failed, but his wife, Carline Stovall
  Turner, helped and encouraged him.  For his fame, Turner gives credit to
  his wife and to hard work.

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   Abstracts (c) Copyright 1993 Stephanie L. Sandy