Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. [7], No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, August 6, 1920 Page: 1 of 18
eighteen pages : ill. ; page 20 x 13 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
[eurized Miikd an
Cream
iedes PRODUCE CO.
PHONE 91
Order Brick Ice Cream
for Sunday
MERCEDES PRODUCE CO.
PHONE 91
MERCEDES. HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1920
NUMBER 25
INING HAS
►BEEN HEAVY
BALES OF COTTON
BY SATURDAY NIGHT
'Running at Capacity With Unu-
sually Fine Quality uf Cotton
Coming in.
ire than 300 bales of cotton had
I ginned Thursday afternoon and,
^rding to W. D. Chadick, manager
:he gin, 400 bales will have been
a^V by Saturday night. The pro-
t coming into the gin is excellent,
arding to Mr. Chadick, and there
io local scarcity of pickers,
lanters on the Mercedes tract are
ing $1.50 a hundred /or cotton
fers and few non-residents are of-
[n.'j. more money so there is no
ftation for the pickers to leave.
estimated that, before the sea-
fcloses,. 1500 bales will have been
Ud through the Mercedes gin. An
ft is being made to rush the pick-
before the September rains, s
LIGATOR GONE FROM
CAGE AT MERCEDES HOTEL
>st, strayed or stolen—One alli-
r. Finder please return to the
aedes Hotel.
lere is sadness at the Mercedes
1 this week. It is wrth an effort
Manager Brooks musters a smile
greet the registering wayfarer,
chambermaids go about their du-
listlessly with the strains of
it anguish written upon their
s. The porters wear a melan-
y expression that even the most
;rous tip cannot entirely erase,
rntin, the yard man, is heart-
:en, for he, most of all feels the
Some one has stolen the ho-
yset alligator.
Batin, who in addition to his
es as yard man, acts as valet
his highness discovered the loss
lay morning and immediately
>ad the alarm. Some «ne had
;n the alligator from his box
ng the night. The police force
been notified and the pound mas-
given a description of the dis-
uishing marks and branas but as
no clue to the missing pet has
i found.
lining in the grief of the hotel
f is Postmaster Tucker, the real
Ler of the alligator. The pet was
; Mr. Tucker by his little grandson
Florida and the thief, if he is dis-
ced, is due for a bad half hour
i the usually genial postmaster.
COMMITTEE MAKES
CORN PRICE REPORT
Amity Club Committee Estimates
Cost of Production at $45.85 Per
Acre on Mercedes Tract
A committee consisting of George
W. Hackney, Dr. H. H. Harrington
and E. H. Griffith, of the Valley Ami-
ty club has submitted the following
estimate of cost of corn production
to J. J. Elliott, chairman of the ex-
ecutive committee:
Dear Sir: We, your committee
appointed at the last meeting of the
executive committee of the Amity
club, held on July 30th, to make a
report upon what the committee
considers the price that the farmer
ought to get for his corn, based up-
on cost of production plus a rea-
sonable profit, beg to submit the fol-
lowing:
Per Acre
Interest on investment of land
% of 6% on $400 per acre..$12.00
Plowing ..................... 5.00
Double discing............... 2.00
Harrowing . :................. 1-00
Floating ..................... 1-00
Planting . .................... 1-00
Seed (rather low* estimate).....75
Labor of two waterings ...... 2.00
Six months water rent at $2
flat rate plus $4 each irriga-
tion ................ 9.50
2 Cultivations at 75c each.... 1.50
Cleaning ditches and Tilling cuts
in same twice ..............60
Gathering corn and husking
same (40 bu. at 10c per bu.) 4.00
Hauling corn to market ...... 4.00
Dragging down stalks for next
crop ............•.......... 1-50
MAKING A GREATER MERCEDES
THE AMITY CLUB IS
TO HAVE AN EXPERT
Executive Committee Communicates
With Man Who Organized Grow-
ers Association in California
$ 45.85
Estimating the average yield at .
40 bushels per acre, cost per
bushel ....................$ 1-14
This estimate is based on six
months’ use of the land, and the
water cost is basecY on the average
water rates prevailing, taking the
Alamo rates as a basis. The cost of
water under the Mercedes rates, of
course, reduces the cost of'produc-
tion about $6.00 per acre.
While some crops will average
much above forty bushels, there is
the careless farmer to be consider-
ed whose yield, dile to • improper
handling and the use of poor seed,
will run below forty bushels; so we
think that to take fo,rty bushels as
a general average is about right.
Respectfully submitted,
GEO. W. HACKNEY, Ch’m.
DR. H. H. HARRINGTON,
E. H. GRIFFITH,
Committee.
--o-
Thtje American Legion held its
weekly meeting at the Community
House Wednesday night.
Following a meeting of the exec-
utive committee of the Valley Amity
Club, held at the offices of the
American Rio Grande Land and Ir-
rigation Company last Friday night,
it was decided to invite both legal
and organizing experts to confer
with the club on the proposed truck
growers association organization.
*A telegram was sent to Judge John
Gregg of Austin, Texas, inviting him
to appear before the club and discuss
the legal phases of the organization.
A telegram was also sent to Mr.
Sapiro of California, who directed
the organization of the wonderfully
efficient marketing system in opera-
tion in that state. 'This telegram re-
quested that Mr. Sapiro communi-
cate the terms' under which he would
undertake such an organization for
the Valley.
Dr. H. H. Harrington,* 1 who attended
the Chicago convention of Market-
ing Association delegates made an
interesting report upon his trip. The
meeting was attended by delegates
from practically every town in the
Valley.
-o-
Telephones Installed
A working crew for the Southwest-
ern Telephone Company is this week
installing a number of additional tel-
ephones in Mercedes. The company
has for some time been unable to
furnish the instruments, for which
there is an increasing demand.
-o--
Buys Bruce Home.
R. H. Smith has purchased the
John L. Bruce home on South Mis-
souri avenue and will occupy it as
a home. Temporarily Mr.| and Mrs.
Smith are guests at the Mercedes
Hotel.
-o-
A letter from Mr.' George Arts, re-
ceived Monday states that he will be
with us again when the vegetable
season opens. Mr. Arts is a car lot
broker and is a regular visitor to the
Valley, where every one who knows
him is his friend. He is in Arkan-
sas now in a profitable apple deal.'
His letter of Monday indicates that
he may become permanently inter
ested in Mercedes in a financial way.
S80.000 CONCRETE
FLUME TO BE BUILT
American Company Mill * Replace 800
Foot Structure Over Lake Cam-
pacuas; Materials Assembled
NEW TRACKAGE FOR
WHOLESALE HOUSES
Hidalgo Street on North Side to Be
Occupied by the New Construc-
tion
Materials are being assembled and
prelimniary work started for tbe
construction of a modern concrete
flume over Lake Campacuas. The
flume will be 800 feet long, four-
teen feet wide and 17 feet deep, prac-
tically double the size of the flume
now in use.
The construction will, according
to company engineers, require about
eight months to complete and will
cost approximately $80,000. The work
will be done by the company en-
gineers and workmen. When com-
pleted the flume will have doubled
the facilities for water supply on
this section of the tract, and will be
of such permanent nature as to
supply water for all time to come.
---o-
Farmers Meeting
The Mercedes Farmers association
which meets each Tuesday evening
at the high school auditorium met
with W. H. Critchfield as chairman
in the absence of Mr. E. E. Olson.
The matter of getting the corn shell-
er ready to operate was discussed,
the repairs are being made and some
one is wanted to operate the shelter
and furnish the power. They may
also operate a feed grinder that
would grind ear corn in the husk
which makes a good dairy feed.
The committee on organization re-
ported that enough stock was sub-
scribed and paid for to enable the
organization to secure a charter
which has been applied for. Some
shares of stock are reserved for new
members who wrill wish to join. It
is the intention of the Mereedes or-
ganization to affiliate with other sim-
ilar organizations in the Valley and
complete a good marketing organi-
MERCEDES MAY HAVE
A HOTARY CLUB
Prof. L. K. Bentley of McAllen Club
Visits Local Field; Be Biggest
* Community Asset
Work was started last week on the
construction of the 2700 feet of ad-
ditional switch tracks recently order-
ed by President J. S. Pyeatt of the
Gulf Coast Lines for Mercedes. The
new trackage will be along the street
parallelling the present yards and
d*L application for a franchise cov-
ering this- street is before the city
council for action at its next meet-
ing.
The additional trackage will help
to relieve the congestion which is
especially accute during the truck
moving season and w'ill give Merce-
des rail facilities equalled by few
Valley towns. The construction will
force the movement of some of the
produce houses and scales now on
the right-of-way and a number of
j those affected have already started
securing adjacent locations.
The locating of the switch track
will tend to change the center of
Mercedes’ ever growing wholesale
district. The past plans called for
the growth of the district along
the end of Second street. This, how-
ever, was abandoned principally be-
cause of the oil stations locating
along the track. These, of course,
created a fire menace wholesale
dealers did not care to face.
With the addition of the switch
track it is expected that there will
be a number of house-; on .the branch
houses locating in Mercedes, the
town being more nearly central than
any other in the Valley. Follow-
ing- the construction it is expected
that work will be started on the ad-
dition to the freight depot, promised
by Mr. Pyeat on his recent visit
here.
---o-
cuiuyicte * 5uuu ——s Remember the box supper Thurs-
zation that will properly market all day nigM A g00d progl.am will b0
kinds of produce.
The growing of a fall crop of both
corn and potatoes was discussed and
the middle of August recommended
as the time to plant.
Seeds and planting of other truck
was discussed. Also a committee was
appointed to arrange for hampers
and crates. Every farmer in the
vicinity of Mercedes should belong
to the Mercedes Farmers Associa-
furnisbed by the Epworth League.
City Marshal Henry Perkins and a
large party of friends are enjoying
a fishing trip at Point Isabel.
tion and those recently coming to
the Valley are especially invited to
come next Tuesday evening.
A Mercedes Farmer.
Professor L. R. Bentley of the
McAllen Rotary Club, representing
Lutcher Starck of Orange, district
governor of Rotary, was in Mercedes
Wednesday making a survey with a
view to establishing a local chapter.
A Rotary club, in the . opinion of
local men, would be the greatest as-
set Mercedes could have for its pro-
gram of development.
While a population of 5000 people
is usually required for towns with
a rotary chapter, former governor
R. E. Vinson, president of the Texas
University, recommended that, for
Valley towns, the limits of the ir-
rigation district be recognized as
the boundaries. This recommenda-
tion was acted upon in the case of
the San Benito, McAllen and Mission
clubs.
Rotary is, without doubt, the
world’s greatest business men’s or-
ganization. Its motto is “he profits
most who serves best.” The organi-
zation holds weekly luncheons where
the members are given an opportu-
nity to become more intimately ac-
quainted, to foster this spirit mem-
bers address each other by their
first names wihile in the luncheon
room. While it never initiates civic
activities the Rotary club can fur-
ther any worthy movement, and, as
its membership strives to take in the
“livest” business men of the commu-
nity its help is always solicited.
The greatest work of the Rotary
club, however, is the promotion of
a greater civic spirit among its mem-
bers and drawing them into a per-
sonal relation impossible in the ordi-
nary business dealings.
--o-
Officer a Visitor
E. H. Parker of the department of
justice was a visitor in Mercedes
Thursday. Coming through Harlin-
gen Mr. Parker caught two deserters
from the Fourth Cavalry at San Be-
nito. The soldiers had left their or-
ganization on the previous day. To
Mr. Parker and a newspaper man one
of the youths admitted they were try-
ing to desert and stated that this was
his second attempt.
I1MELY FARM TOPICS
Copyright 1920
By Hoyt Printing Company
All rights reserved
By Dr. H. H. HARRINGTON
Agricultural Director A/R. G. L. and I. Co., Mercedes, Texas
ices for Cotton and Cotton Seed,
ilr. J. G, Baldwin, a large cotton
ntdr in the Corpus Christi district,
[dished in the Corpus Christi Call-
of July 27th an article that is
ifull of good sense and is so nearly
hlicable to our conditions here,
[i I am going to quote from the
icle very largely. I have known
Baldwin for a number of years
d anything that he has to say com-
mds respect and attention where-
6r he is known.
[o the Farmers of Nueces County:
‘I wish to call your attention to
few things regarding cotton aiftl
Cotton seed market. First, I
ph to call your attention to the
ference^- being made in the price
1 cotton*n this vicinity and other
irkets. You will remember that
last season Corpus Christi paid
hvL as much for cotton as any
Wp in the state. She absolutely
several occaisons paid a higher
ice than New York quotations on
tton. No one had any right to
inplaln about last year’s market
to price. While the grades did
n very low, yet I felt that we
d the burden to bear from the fact
at our cotton was classed much
wer than it should have been.
I now wish to call yt>ur attention
the very wide differences that
ievail in the quotation of prices in
puston, Dallas and Corpus Christi.
follows:
‘Houston: Middling, 37.50; strict
ling, 39c; good middling, 41.50.
lias: Middling, 37.85; good mid-
39.85.
Corpus Christi: Midling, 35c;
strict middling, 35.50; good middling
36c.
The facts are that there does not
seem to be any “strict” and ‘ good
middling” in Corpus Christi and the
price of 35c is being paid for all
grades and you will note that there
is nothing'below middling. Now, there
is something wrong. We are not
treated right. Some of our buyers
claim that they represent export
houses, and yet they are buying cot-
ton at 4c per pound less than it. is
worth. They are only offering
and lc up for strict middling cotton,
yet you can see from the above that
there should be a difference of 150
points between fiddling and strict
middling cotton, and 250 points be-
tween middling and good middling.
From the above you can see that the
farmer is losing $25.00 per bale on
every bale he sells, based on these
figures: Houston, Dallas and Cor-
pus Christi quotations.
There is something very strange
when Dallas pays 2 3-4c per pound
more than Corpus Christi, while the
freight Ate is practically the same.
I have the government’s report to
bear me out in this contention, tfcai
the differences in Waco, Texas, were
150 to 200 points on the up grade;
also, that Marshall, Texas, is the
same, with Paris, Texas, 300 points:
which means that strict middling is
150 points on. with good middling
300 points on middling.
I* have been told that cotton at
Mercedes all sells at the came price.
It may be different this year; I was
told this at the opening of the
season, so that I do not know that
the Corpus Christi situation is pre-
vailing at Mercedes. I am merely
calling attention to it for the bene-
fit of the farmer, so thsCt he may be
on guard in the disposition of his
erdp.
Now, as to the price jf cotton
seed: Mr. Baldwin rightly says that
the cotton seed matter is a question
of great importance. I spoke about
this in my article of last week, since
which time the price has increased
somewhat; but it is yet far below
what it should be. Mr. Baldwin says
that “the price of cotton seed is
quite at variance with the price of
cotton seed products. Last year when
seed were selling at a fancy price,
oil was selling at 22c to 26c per
pound, or $1.75 per gallon, while ;t
is now selling for 13c per pound or
$1.00 per gallon. At that time seed
sold for $60.00, yet they are offer-
ing $20.00 per ton now. The price
for products is not on a parity with
the cost of seed. There is something
wrong here.”
I have before me a review of the
cotton seed industry of Texas as
published in the trade edition of the
Houston Post of 1913. Quoting from
that article, we find: “The past sea-
son was the mcLt encouraging one
in the cotton seed products trade, and
indications point to even a higher
range in prices this year. The ben-
efits of the cotton seed products in-
dustry to the grower of cotton is
clearly demonstrated by the fact that
last season (1912-1913) cotton seed
averaged $20.00 to the ton- -at least
that is what Texas mills were forced
to pay for it—while this year it
is thought seed will command a high-
er figure.
“Some idea of what tue sales of
cotton seed mean to the farmers oi
the South may be gained when it is
recalled that according to Federal
statistics the cotton seed mills of the
South paid $131,34O;fiWkO0 tor raw
material in 1911. During the past
season (1912-3913) the mills aver-
aged 38c a gallon for oil. $25.1*0 pet-
ton for cake, $7.00 per ton .for hulls
and, roughly, 2*4c per p«‘»und for
linters. It is thought that the high-
er prices for seed anticipated the
coming season will he the result of
higher prices for product^ of the
seed. At this writing, for instance,
crude oil is selling close around 50c
per gallon.”
Mr. Baldwin, in his article, says
that crude oil is now selling for $L.no
per gallon, with seed selling here at
$22.00 a ton. In 1911 the oi) was
worth 50c a gallon and seed were
selling at $20.00 a ton. ' Comment on
this discrepancy is unnecessary. In
the sason of 1912-1&13 the Houston
oil mills crushed 100,000 tons of
seed, which produced 3,800,000 gal-
lons of oik; or about thirty-eight gal-
lons to the ton. The oil was valued
at $1,444,000.00, which is a little less
than 50c per gallon. The cake was
valued at $1,000,000.00, the hulls at
$224,000.00 and the linters at $200,-
000.00. The mills paid for the seed
$2,000,000.00, or an average of $20.00
per ton.\ Thus it will be seen, by a
little simple addition, that the seed
which cost them $2,000,000.00 pro-
duced a revenue of $2,868,000.00,
| They quote their payroll at $300,*000,
i leaving more than a half million dol-
lars profit, less ^ interest on invest-
: ment, taxes, and insurance. Cotton
seed cake, cotton seed oil, cotton
seed hulls and linters are now worth
very much more than they were then;
: but seed are worth very little more
on the market.
I advised the farmers in last week’s
article to store their seed and wail
for a better price. In the same con-
nection Mr. Baldwin ^ays to the Cor-
pus Christi farmers, “if you can hold
your sped for some ten days or two
weeks, I have every reason to believe
that there will be an improvement in
this situation. The export of lard in-
dicates that the price of oil will re-
main up, and there is nothing in the
situation to warrant the present
ridiculously low price that is being
offered for seed, namely $20.00 per
ton,”
I find in the Brownsville Herald
permanent organization. The farm-
ers present at the meeting said that
in view of the fact that seed were
bringing only $18.00 to $22 '*0 pe
ton, it was worth much more to the'
as feed for their stock.” I can only
reiterate my views expressed in last
week’s issue of the Tribune. Store
your cotton seed until you can get
something like an adequate price for
its value. In my judgment, at the
present price of cotton seed pro-
ducts, cotton seed shoud he worth
at least $40.00 per ton; and I believe
they will go to that price by the first
of October at the latest.
The Government’s July crop report
estimates the cotton crop for the sea-
son at 11,450,000 bales. The Decem-
ber estimate for 1919 was 11,329,755
bales, while the five year average
for 1914 to 1918 inclusive, amounted
to 12,424,000 bales; which shows that
we have a little less than a normal
crop of cotton, and of course a cor-
responding amount of seed. *
The cotton seed and cotton seed
products (reports of the Government
1U. Ill Uic Diuwiiovint; uciaiu jc-----------
in its issue of July 27th the follow-1 f°r the eleven month peiiod, Aug. 1,
ing news item: ‘Farmers of the 11919 to June 30, 1920, shows that
immediate Brownsville vicinity have-: ^ess than one-twentieth of the crude
determined to hold their cotton seed j oU manufactured remains at the
until prices for the product are ■ plants, while the cake and meal has
better; or, if they do not improve been almost entirely disposed of.
they will use the seed for feed for; Do- not store seed in large lots,
cows. This was decided upon at a as they are liable to heat and spoil.
a
meting of farmers of this section
held at the Chamber of Commerce
Monday afternoon. Another meeting
will be held Thursday night at 8
o’clock, at which time there will be
After they have dried out and
“cured” they may be stored in large
bulk; but during the time they are
curing or drying out, they should be
shoveled over if they heat too much.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Hoyt, L. T. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. [7], No. 25, Ed. 1 Friday, August 6, 1920, newspaper, August 6, 1920; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1018221/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.