The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 14, 1954 Page: 1 of 16
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Hercedes Library
Box 551
Mercedes,
Texas
QUEEN CITY OF THE VALLEY
MERCEDES, TEXAS
FINEST WATER IN THE VALLEY
VOL. xxxxn — NO. 2
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THE MERCEDES ENTERPRISE THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1954
$3.00 PER YEAR
Hill
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Joe Spettigue
irm To Reveal Results Of Survey
On Hotel To Chamber Tuesday
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—Enterprise Staff Photo
MERCEDES’ NEW YEAR BABY—Little Belinda Kay West, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. M. H. West, Rt. 2,
was the first baby born to a Mercedes family during the new year. She was born at 11:45 p.m., Jan. 5, at
the Mercedes General Hospital. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces, she is the West’s third child—all
girls.Th e proud mother and father admire the child as Mrs. Mary Hoffman, nurse, observes.
NOW & THEN
By EDWIN HARVEY
^♦♦^.♦^♦.^.X^X^X^X^X^X^X^X'X^X^X^X^X^X^X^X'-X^X^X’XX4*'
J. C. Deyo is a man who be
lieves in speaking out for that
in which he believes. He also
believes in sticking with a good
thing when he finds it. Friday
night he was presented a pin
for 25 years of perfect attend-
ance by the Mercedes Kiwanis
Club. In accepting the pin, De-
yo added “but I have a perfect
attendance in another organi-
zation for at least 25 years of
which I am more proud the
Methodist Church.” That drew
applause from fellow Kiwani-
ans.
* * H=
Ordinarily this will be a col-
umn of short paragraphs, but every
now and then we come across
something we believe requires
longer treatment.
This item in a column of the
Citizen-News, Hollywood, Calif.,
was called to our attention:
“Bill and Barney met again last
night for the first time in 30
years.
“In this case, Bill is Gen. Wil-
liam F. Dean, who spent 32 months
in a Red prison camp in Korea,
and Barney is the owner and op-
erator of Barney’s Beanery, 8447
Santa Monica Blvd.
“Gen. Dean, who is in Holly-
wood to appear on Bob Hope’s TV
show, washed dishes for Barney
in Berkeley 30 years ago, when
the general was a student at the
University of California.
“When the two met last night,
Gen. Dean threw his arms around
Barney, then drew back and gave
Barney a light jab in the stomach.
“ ‘Gosh, you’re getting flabby,’
Gen. Dean remarked.”
Now the old timers around Mer-
cedes may know who Barney is,
but for the benefit of the newer
set, he is John E. “Barney” An-
thony, born and educated in Mer-
cedes.
Barney founded the Beanery,
where all the great and near great,
where Mr. and Mrs. American fam-
ily dine on the best pea and bean
dishes in the world while visiting
in southern California.
Anyway, if you don’t know Barn-
ey, you should. For he plays host
to such notables as Jeanne Crain,
Jane Wyman, Ann Sheridan, Joan
Crawford and Lana Turner. Better
drop into Barney’s Beanery next
time you’re out west.
* H* ❖
Hope we don’t bog our read-
ers down with so many col-
umns.
Latest to join the Enterprise
parade is Pablo. Along with
the author of Highlights and
Sidelights of Mercedes and
yours truly, he helps round
out the local color, devoting
most of his space to recollec-
tions of bygone days. Turn to
an inside page for his musings
each week.
* sH sis
Like the 5-cents hamburger, 5-
cent loaf of bread and even in
most places, the 5-cent cup of
coffee, the 5-cent weekly news-
paper is becoming a museum piece.
And so it is that The Mercedes
Enterprise this week joins the
parade of the nation’s better week-
lies by raising its single copy,
news stand price to TEN CENTS.
We have received considerable
comment from our subscribers who
are paying $3 a year, pointing out
that the fellow who buys indi-
vidual copies each yeek pays only
$2.60 per year. And so, to correct
this inequitable situation, and to
encourage others to become regu-
lar paid subscribers, we are rais-
ing the single-copy price.
At the same time, we are
offering a special trial sub-
scription rate to new sub-
scribers, for a limited time
only—a $1 day bargain if we
ever saw one. Just slip a $1
bill in an envelope with your
name and address, and you’ll
receive the Enterprise from
now through and including
July 1. If you subscribe this
week, you will get five months
and three weeks. The number
of copies you will receive for
your $1 will reduce each week
you put off sending in your
dollar. So send it in early and
get each issue from now until
and including the July 1 issue.
See the coupon elsewhere in
this issue.
Rabies Control Film
Shown At Meeting
Of Local Rotarians
A film, “Rabies Can Be Con-
trolled,” was presented at the
Mercedes Rotary Club Tuesday by
Program Cahirman Bob Harbour.
The film, distributed by a lead-
ing chemical manufacturing com-
pany. showed the result of a per-
fected innoculation against this
dread disease that so often strikes
man through his own dog.
Many breeds of canines were
shown in this beautiful color film
and dog lovers found the feature
entertaining as well as educational.
Next week Brad Smith of Wes-
laco will be guest speaker with
Clarence Archer as program chair-
man.
Runoff Seen
As Possibility
In Local Race
A runoff may be necessary to
break the tie of two candidates
for a board position in the Hidal-
go, Cameron Water District No.
9, unofficial returns from Tues-
day’s elections indicated.
An unofficial check showed Jay
Dudley led the six-man field with
a vote of 140 for one of the two
vacancies.
For the other post, J. D. Rus-
sell and Harold Hansen appar-
ently tied with 98 votes each. If
an official canvass of the vote
fails to break the tie, a runoff
likely will be required, it was in-
dicated.
It is considered likely the can-
vass will be made Monday.
Other candidates for the two
posts included W. L. Hilton, 40
votes; R. H. Harris, 37; and A. R.
Dillon, Sr., 29. Terms of Board
President J. A. Henry and Lewie
Hoyt did not expire.
In other area elections, returns
were not available for the Engle-
man Gardens district, but re-elec-
tion of the following was consid-
ered certain since there was no
opposition: A. L. Cramer, Mrs.
Helen Engleman Stegle and C. S.
Hood.
At Edcouch, Conly Bell and
James Branham were re-elected
directors and Otha Holland named
to a third position on the board
of the Willacy County Surplus
Water District. The district has
voting in three precincts. In the
La Villa-Edcouch precinct, Bell
was unopposed and received five
votes. In the Raymondville dist-
rict, Branham received 60 votes
and his opponent, Robert Todd, 24.
In the LaSara precinct, Holland re-
ceived 48 votes and his opponent,
M. R. Willamarth, 34.
The Progreso Water District
elected one of its three directors
by write-in vote. He was Clayton
Malone. Other winners were R. L.
Garrett and O. D. Emery, both re-
elected. J. H. Holcomb, only op-
ponent, received two votes. Gar-
rett and Emery got 32, Malone 29
write-ins.
Mercedes Will Be Host School
For Two Interscholastic Events
Schedules were set and other
plans made Tuesday at the organi-
zational meeting of the University
Interscholastic League Tuesday
morning at the El Sombrero.
Chairman was C. F. Cernosek,
principal of the Mercedes High
School. Superintendents, principals
and coaches from Rio Grande City,
Mission, Donna, Weslaco, and Ray-
mondville attended.
Two of the events this spring
will be held in Mercedes.
They are the Literary section,
March 26, 27, and the One-Act
Play, March 22. Mr. Cernosek said.
Schedules for other events fol-
low:
Volleyball—Boys and girls, March
20, Raymondville. Director to be
chosen by host school.
Playground Ball—Boys and girls,
May 1, Weslaco. Director to be
chosen by host school.
Tennis-^—Bill Thompson, director,
April 2 and 3, Raymondville.
Golf—Boys, Woody Ishamm, di-
rector, April 15, Mission.
Track—Boys, April 10, Weslaco.
In charge of sections of the Lit-
erary Meet will be the following:
Declamation—Miss Pat Cook of
Raymondville.
Extemporaneous Speech—M r s .
Sue Tucker of Weslaco.
Ready Writers—Mrs. Eddie Mc-
Nail, Mercedes/
Slide Rule—W. C. Todd, Donna.
Number Sense—H. T. Nance,
Mission.
Typewriting—Mrs. J. G. Mundy,
Raymondville.
Shorthand—Mrs. Ann Swann,
Weslaco.
Spelling—J. L. Akridge, Weslaco.
Joe Thomas Spettigue, 71, re-
tired manager of the Rio Grande
Valley Gas Co., died unexpectedly
at 11 a.m. Sunday at his home,
1417 Missouri, after suffering a
heart attack.
Mr. Spettigue had attended early
mass at his church, stopped down-
town for a cup of coffee and re-
turned home to take his wife to
churth. He was sitting on the
divan in the living room while she
was dressing in an adjacent bed-
room. The attack apparently took
him instantly, friends said.
He had been in generally good
health. Only Friday night, he and
Mrs. Spettigue attended the an-
nual installation dinner and ladies
night of the Kiwanis Club at the
El Sombrero. He was awarded a
pin for 21 years of perfect at-
tendance. Officers and directors of
the club called at the residence
Monday to express their sympathy.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday morning at Our Lady
of Mercy Catholic Church, Father,
Jacobs, OMI, officiating.
Burial was in the Ebony Grove
Cemetery with Stotler Mortuary
in charge. Pallbearers were Gene
O’Shea, Joe Baingo, Bill Heller,
E. H. Williams and Ferg Wood,
Mercedes, and J. R. Welch, Wes-
laco.
Born in Baltimore, Md., in 1879,
Mr. Spettigue entered the gas
business as a pipe fitter’s helper
in Akron, Ohio. He was transferred
to Cleveland in 1903 and later
worked as meter reader, collector
and inspector of the entire system.
From 1907 to 1914 he was em-
ployed by the Kansas Natural
Gas Co. as traveling inspector. It
was in 1909 that he met and mar-
ried Miss Jessie Day Thayer of
Kansas City, Mo.
Mr. Spettigue tried the life in-
surance business for one year in
Los Angeles, but returned to Ohio
as main line superintendent for
the Medina Gas & Fuel Co. In
1928, he moved to the Valley,
settling on a citrus orchard near
Donna.
Not content to stay out of the
gas business, he joined forces with
the Rio Grande Valley Co. in
June, 1929, as a serviceman at
Weslaco. In a short time, he was
invited to become manager at
Mercedes, a post he held for 23
years, until his retirement Jan. 1,
1953. The company presented him
with a gold watch on the occa-
sion.
He was a member of the Cham-
ber of Commerce and had been
active in civic affairs. He was a
member of Sacred Heart Catholic
Church.
Mr. Spettigue is survived by his
wife and two sisters, Mrs. E. D.
Ferrine of Mariana, Fla., and Mrs.
E. C. Magee of Rossville, Pa.
-o-
Kids Due Chance
For Movie Role
Hey Kids!
Want to be in a real movie?
You’ll get a chance to star
in the Mercedes’ own “Our
Gang Comedy” early next week
when Mel Barker, movie pro-
ducer, comes here to start pro-
duction on a talking picture.
Applications for parts in the
show may be sent to the State
Theater. Application blanks
may be found elsewhere in this
issue of The Enterprise. Exact
time for location and inter-
views may be obtained by call-
ing the State. Final details
were not available at press
time.
Boys and girls between the
age of three and 14 will play
the leading roles in the movie.
The director is looking for all
types of children to play these
parts. Singing and dancing is
not necessary.
At the interviews, the boys
and girls will be auditioned
over a mike to determine the
quality of their voices before
being selected for parts. One
parent or guardian is required
to come with each child at
these interviews next Tuesday.
The independent producing
firm is to make the picture
here in cooperation with the
Lew Bray Valley theaters.
The picture will have its pre-
miere showing at the State
Theater sometime in February.
Besides the boys and girls tak-
ing leading parts, there will be
hundreds of other Mercedes
people in this picture.
—Enterprise Staff Photo
PERFECT ATTENDANCE AWARDS—This group of Mercedes Kiwanis members received pins for per-
fect attendance of more than 20 years at the club’s annual installation and ladies night banquet Friday
at the El Sombrero. From left to right are Ed Perry, Dr. Marion Lawler and the late Joe Spettigue, all
with 21-year records, and Judson C. Deyo, 25 years. At right is new president, Ferguson Wood. Mr. Spet-
tigue died of a heart attack at his home Sunday.
Kiwanis Member Presented Pin
For 25-Year Perfed Attendance
Presentation of a 25-year per- president and secretary and in
Land Developer
Of Early Days
Succumbs Here
George A. d’Hemecourt, 60, well-
known Valley Land Developer, died
at 2:30 p.m., Friday, in the Lawler
Hospital in Mercedes after a short
illness. He suffered a heart attack
shortly after Christmas and re-
mained critically ill for more than
a week before his death.
His body remained in State at
the Stotler Mortuary until 4 p.m.,
Saturday, when funeral services
were held at Our Lady of Mercy
Catholic Church with Fathers
Kennedy and Jacobs, officiating.
The body was forwarded Saturday
night to New Orleans for inter-
ment.
Mr. d’Hemecourt was a member
of a pioneer family of New Or-
leans and was a graduate of Tu-
lane University.
He came to the Valley in 1917.
He became interested in Land De-
velopment in 1921, and became as-
sociated with the late Huston
Manley who was already working
with the Progreso Development
Co. d’Hemecourt and Manley later
former the H. A. Manley Co. and
sold for the American Co.
During this time they had vast
holdings in the Valley and owned
and operated the Seay Club House
which is now known as Harmony
Hill. With the passing of Mr. Man-
ley in 1941, d’Hemecourt continued
to operate along the same lines,
later forming his own company,
The Progreso Gardens, Inc. W. B.
Rice of Boston was associated
with the company.
After the dissolution of this cor-
poration, in a few years d’Heme-
court formed his own company,
The Progreso Realty Co., Inc. He
played a very prominent part in
the development of Progreso sub-
division, from its earliest begin-
ning and remained a leading fac-
tor in its continuous development
until the time of his death.
During his 30 years of active
land development Mr. d’Heme-
court brought many colorful and
prominent figures to the Valley.
During the past 8 years he had
acquired and operated large acre-
ages in Hidalgo County. With his
passing is ended an epoch of his-
tory in the development of Valley
land.
Mr. d’Hemecourt is survived by
his wife, Mrs. Euchrist d’Heme-
court who resides at Sproles Apart-
ments in Mercedes; a daughter,
Mrs. Gwen Cordon of New York
City, N.Y.; a son, George A.
d’Hemecourt of Austin, Tex.; three
grandchildren, Jonathon Cordon
and Andre and George A. d’Heme-
court, III; a brother, Jules d’Heme-
court of New Orleans; and two
sisters, Mrs. Herman Doescher,
New Orleans, and Mrs. George
Tucker of Dallas.
feet attendance pin to Judson C.
Deyo shared the spotlight along
with installation of new officers
at the annual banquet of the Mer-
cedes Kiwanis club at the El Som-
brero Friday night.
Deyo, made a member of the
Legion of Honor, has served as
Closing Issue
Ballots Out
Mercedes merchants are voting
by mail ballot this week on wheth-
er stores should remain open or
close for various holidays during
1954.
Chamber Manager Sam Moody
has mailed out ballots, asking that
they be returned by Jan. 31.
“It makes no difference whether
they choose to open pr close on
any or all of the holidays, but
whatever the majority opinion, the
rest of the town should abide by
it,” Moody explained.
It was noted that service sta-
tions, cafes and drug stores are
not obligated to close on any holi-
day because of the essential nature
of their business.
Holidays on which the mer-
chants are balloting include Me-
morial Day, May 30; July 4; Labor
Day, Sept. 6; Thanksgiving Day,
Nov. 26; Christmas Day, Saturday,
Dec. 25; and New Year’s Day, Sat-
urday, Jan. 1, 1955. Space is avail-
able for addition of any holidays
that might have been ommitted.
The ballot also pointed out that
they may elect to close on the
Monday following Memorial Day
and July 4, both of which occur
on Sunday.
-o-
McAllen Clubs Host
At Luncheon Meet
For MOD Leaders
The Service Clubs of McAllen
hosted a luncheon at the Methodist
Community Building at noon Wed-
nesday, Jan. 6 to entertain the Hi-
dalgo volunteer workers for the
March of Dime! Drive.
The invitations were extended to
all general chairmen, city chair-
men and ^ their key workers from
each citydn the county.
The guest speaker was Mrs. Bea
Wright, the assistant director of
Women’s Activities of the Na-
tional Foundation.
Among the Mercedes people to
attend the luncheon and meeting
were Mrs. H. G. George, Mrs. Bill
Cannon, Mrs. Ralph Verduzco, Mrs.
Fito Mondragon, and Mrs. Ismael
Solis, and Mr. and Mrs. Steve Gal-
laway. Mr. Gallaway is District
Chairman and has charge over
seven counties.
numerous other capacities during
his 25 years as a member of the
local club.
He pointed out in accepting the
pin that he was even more proud
of his similar record of attendance
at his church, the Methodist of
Mercedes.
Three other members received
pins for perfect attendance of more
than 20 years.
One of these was the late Joe
Spettigue, who sat with his wife
at the annual ladies’ night affair
only two days before he was fatally
stricken. Apparently in good
health, he died unexpectedly about
11 a.m. Sunday. (A complete obit-
uary will be found elsewhere in
this issue).
The other two were Dr. Marion
Lawler and Ed Perry.
Additional perfect attendance
pins went to the following:
11 years—Donald Stotler.
10 years—Gilson Knapp.
9 years— Roe Davenport, George
Wheeler.
7 years—Charles Erickson.
6 years—Ferg Wood, Tom Ed-
wards.
5 years—A. H. Lovvorn, Raymond
Shotwell, Roger Jones.
4 years;—Gene Bowden.
3 years—Ed Sanders.
New officers were installed un-
der the direction of District Lieut.
Gov. Bob Brovey of La Feria. He
was assisted by Rev. Paul Edgar
of La Feria, district educational
director for Kiwanis. Rev. Edgar
recently was named “Mr. Kiwanian
of 1953” by the La Feria Club.
Heading the Mercedes Club for
the next1 year are Ferg Wood,
president; T. G. “Tom Edwards,
first vice-president; Paul Cayce,
second vice-president, and Roger
Jones, secretary-treasurer. Gene
Bowden is immediate past presi-
dent. Directors are Ed Sanders,
Donald Stotler, Edwin Harvey, A.
H. Lovvorn, H. A. Williams and
J. D. Vollmer.
The program included piano se-
lections by Joaquin Fernandez,
and vocal solos by Mrs. Howard
Clark of Pharr, accompanied by
Miss Virginia Pope.
M. D. Hockenbury, head of a
firm of hotel survey analysts, will
come to Mercedes next week to
report to the Chamber of Com-
merce on the recent hotel survey
made here, Chamber Manager Sam
Moody said Wednesday.
A special meeting of Chamber
board members and hotel com-
mittee members has been called
for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Cham-
ber offices to hear the Hockenbury
report.
The Hockenbury System, Inc.,
was employed by the Chamber to
make a thorough check of Mer-
cedes, to determine if the people
are agreed there is need for a
hotel and if there is enough fi-
nancial support to finance one.
A special representative of the
Harrisburg firm spent several days
here early in November making
personal contacts to supplement
printed questionnaires which had
been mailed to key business and
civic leaders some time earlier.
The representative, Fred C. Bur-
ris, said at that time that early
results indicated an overwhelming
majority of the returned forms
agreed on need for a hotel.
Meanwhile, the firm has been
studying data from the forms,
1 correlating it with information ob-
tained by Mr. Burris during his
personal survey here.
First results of this study are
expected to be revealed at the
Tuesday night meeting.
In case a hotel is recommended,
local sponsors must raise 60 per-
cent of the total cost. The survey
firm will direct the campaign to
sell stock in the locally-owned cor-
poration to help raise funds for
the project.
-o-
Tigers Trounce
Weslaco, 70-62
In District Play
By JIMMY TAYLOR
The Mercedes Tigers defeated
their most threatening foe Tues-
day night, the Weslaco Panthers,
70-62 for the second straight win
of the season in District 32-AA
play.
In the opening district game,
the Tigers defeated the underdog
Mission Eagles 82-45.
The Weslaco game featured a
scoring duel between Jose "Pepe”
Sanchez, of Mercedes, and Wes-
laco’s Bobby Lackey. It was a
rough battle, with both teams foul-
ing throughout each quarter. San-
chez led both teams scoring with
36 points, and was followed closely
by Lackey with 35 markers. Sec-
ond in the Tiger scoring, as usual,,
was John Drew with 12 points.
H. B. Rogers dumped in 10 for
third scoring honors, and Joe Gal-
van had 9. For Weslaco, Cliff
Carter was second with 8, and
Billy Hankal and Robledos had 7
apiece. I
The Tigers led at the end of
all periods, and were in serious
trouble only once. During the final
four minutes, the Tigers were sent
into a partial freeze by Coach Jac’-
Henry. More points were adde ’
during this, as the Weslaco play-
ers fouled Mercedes players in try-
ing to get the ball.
The Tigers rolled over Mission
on rebounding power, and were
very accurate on their shots. The
Mercedes cagers were led by Jose
“Pepe” Sanchez and Joe Galvan.
Sanchez scored 21 points, and
played his usual outstanding game.
Galvan was a close second with
19. His outside shots were deadly
and the Eagle defense could not
stop both Sanchez and Galvan.
John Drew, who is the
ball player to set foot on a Tiger
basketball floor in many a year,
contributed 10.
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The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 2, Ed. 1 Thursday, January 14, 1954, newspaper, January 14, 1954; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1072517/m1/1/: accessed July 7, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.