The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 26, 1954 Page: 1 of 10
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Mercedes Area Newspapers and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.
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Mercedes Public Library
Box 551
Mercedes, Texas
lift 61?
VOL. XXXXII — NO. 34
THE MERCEDES ENTERPRISE THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1954
$3.00 PER YEA®
—Enterprise Staff Photo
TRADES DAY WINNERS smile as they consider the enjoyment they
will receive from gifts they won las^, Saturday night in Mercedes-
Mrs. W. T. Schwarz, left, was lucky trades. day queen and received
gome 40 miscellaneous gifts. Mrs. Harold C. Botkin, right, received
the 21-inch television set. In back row are Paul Cayce, co-chairman of
the merchants committee; Mayor Gene O’Shea; Woody Tullis, master
of ceremonies; and Mike Hinojosa, merchants committee chairman.
Record Crowd Attends Activities
On Queen City Trades Day Here
A crowd estimated as the largest -
since inauguration of the current
Queen Ciy Trades Day series at-
tended the trades day program in
Mercedes Saturday and Saturday
night.
And two persons specially were
pleased with the events — the
trades^ day queen and the $275
television set winner.
Selected queen and awarded
some 40 miscellaneous prizes from
Mercedes merchants was Mrs. W.
T. Schwarz, who lives on Mile 11
North. < .
“It’s the first time in my life I
ever won anything,” she said.
She was wondering, however, af-
ter looking at some of her free
E-E Faculty
Plans First
Meet Monday
The Edcouch-Elsa Faculty will
hold its opening meeting on Tues-
day morning, Aug. 31, at 9:30 in
Central Elementary School Cafe-
torium. The meeting will include
welcomes from city officials as
well as churches and civic groups,
with a refreshment period follow-
ing the opening ceremonies. This
“break” will be in charge of the
Edcouch-Elsa Class Room Teach-
er’s Association.
Following the intermission, the
group will get down to the business
of getting ready for the opening
of school with meetings scheduled
in the various buildings to cover
the work planned.
Parents of boys and girls who
are to enter school for the first
time are reminded again that the
birth certificate for the child is
necessary before he or she can be
enrolled. This certificate must be
brought with the child when the
enrolling is done- Children who
are beginning school for the first
time need not come for enrollment
until Thursday morning, Sept. 2,
when school officially opens.
Students in the Edcouch-Elsa
Schools who ride the bus will find
the routes the same as last year,
at least until after school opens
and changes may be necessary.
The town bus will make a trip to
Edcouch as well as Elsa this year
and give the children in both
towns this service. This route will
be changed as the demand calls
for after school opens.
Boys and girls who live in Elsa
and who have been assigned to
the “Overage” school will ride bus
No. 2 and it will load all pupils
living in Elsa at the corner of
Mile 5 and Mile 17, if they want
to ride.
School for the children in the
Edcouch-Elsa School District will
open on Thursday, Sept. 2, at 8:30
a.m. There will be a full day of
school, with the school lunchroom
in operation, and the buses to op-
erate at the same times as last
year. School will be dismissed at
3:30 each afternoon, with the lower
grades out some earlier than this.
gifts, where she was going to get
enough automobiles to take up a
half dozen wash and grease jobs
awarded the queen and some of
which were specified to be used
in August. That leaves her only
10 days.
Winner of the 21-inch console
television set was Mrs. Harold C.
Botkin, a new resident of Merce-
des. Mrs. Botkin and her husband
recently moved to 840 S. Texas
from San Antonio. They did not
have a television set and were spe-
cially pleased with the one they
received. Mrs. Botldn also said it
was the first time she had ever
won an award.
The awards were presented at
7:30 p.m. following the Rosales
show.
Mercedes merchants are looking
forward to a thriving fall season
and already are making tentative
plans for the next big trades day
scheduled Sept. 18.
Chairman Mike Hinojosa and Co-
Chairman Paul Cayce urged per-
sons shopping in Mercedes to ask
for trades day tickets with each
purchase. They pointed out that
busy clerks sometimes overlooked
giving the tickets.
A third prize for next trades day.
will be a $75 savings bond. Since
the first person chosen to receive
the bond was not present last Sat-
urday, $25 was added to the $50
bond.
City Tax Rate
Reset At $2.51)
Per 5100 Value
The Mercedes municipal tax rate
was reset at $2.50 per $100 valuation
at Monday’s session of the city
commission.
The rate, same as last year,- is
the maximum the city may set
under law. Because the city once
went into receivership, one-half of
all taxes collected must go to a
special interest and sinking fund
to retire indebtedness.
In other action Monday, the com-
mission voted to close the alley
behind the North Ward School.
They also heard a report about
activity of the special citizens com-
mittee, headed by T. F. McArthur,
which is seeking to ban undesire-
a’/a comic and crime books from
sale to children.
All five newsstand dealers in
Mercedes have agreed to keep the
banned material off their shelves,
it was reported. (A report on the
committee’s first meeting was pub-
lished in last week’s Enterprise.)’
Mayor Gene O’Shea reported that
J. A. Chapman had tentatively
agreed to allow the city use of a
sink hole in some of his property
ip the Chapman addition as a san-
itary land-fill for city garbage.
O’Shea appointed Mrs. Dewey Ac-
ker and Atty. John Bowe on a
committee with himself to work out
final details and draw up a con-
tract with Mr. Chapman.
Piggly Wiggly
Reported Sold
The Piggly Wiggly Store at 502
S. Texas has beeen closed and will
be reopened under new manage-
ment, it was revealed this week.
Doors to the store were locked
last weekend, and signs placed in
the windows reading;
“This Store Has Been Sold.”
“Will Reopen Soon Under New
Management.”
W. V- Sproles, who has operated
the store for the past several
months, told The Enterprise nego-
tiations were underway for sale of
the store, but that he was not at
liberty to reveal terms of the sale
nor identity of the buyer.
“That will have to come from
them,” he said.
It was understood a large chain-
type super market operation is
planned.
A
DAVID JOSEPH McHUGH
David J. McHugh
Named To Attend
AF Academy
David Joseph McHugh, son of
Mr. and Mrs. F. D. McHugh, 940
South Texas, was advised this week
of his nomination by Congressman
Lloyd M. Bentsen for the new Air
Force Academy, Colorado Springs,
Colo.
McHugh was a 1953 graduate of
the Mercedes High School and
attended Pan-American College,
Edinburg, last year. While a stu-
dent Imre, he lettered two years in
football, three years in track and
was a member of the mile relay
team which placed third in the
state meet at Austin in 1952.
The Air Force Academy, the
“West Point of the Air,” will take
its first class this next year. The
school is under construction at
Colorado Springs and until com-
pletion, instruction is to be given
at Lowry Field, Denver. Three
hundred young men, chosen from
the entire nation, will make up the
first class.
F. D. McHugh retired in 1946
after serving 30 years in the serv-
ice. His entire service, with the ex-’
ception of two years overseas in
World War I, were spent on the
Border, with 17 years at Rio
Grande City.
The preliminary civil service ex-
amination for the Air Force Acad-
emy was taken by more than
50,000 applicants of which more
than 900 were Texans.
Lions To Accept
Donations Here
To MOD Drive
Mercedes Lions Club members
will set up a central telephone
headquarters to accept calls for
donations to the emergency March
of Dimes drive the night of Sept.
5, President Bobby Hollon said
this week.
Exact location and telephone
number will be announced later.
The Valley fund drive will be
concentrated on a telethan over
Station KGBT-TV, beginning at 9
p.m. Sept. 4 and continuing until
2 p.m. Sept. 5. Valley talent will be
used to “sell” Valley residents on
the need for the emergency fund
drive.
Final plans for the big telethon
and the Valley’s part in raising
additional funds to fight polio were
made at a meeting in Harlingen
last week.
The meeting of representatives
of the Hidalgo, Cameron and Wil-
lacy chapters was called by Harold
Bass, Southwestern Regional Di-
rector for the foundation.
Jack Skaggs of Harlingen was
named Drive chairman for Camer-
on County; Roland Schweer of Mc-
Allen, chairman for Hidalgo Coun-
ty; and Virginia Parker of Ray-
mondville, chairman for Willacy
County.
“This emergency March of Dimes
was necessitated by the high ex-
pense of the polio vaccine test
earlier this year,” Bennett ex-
plained. “And the care load — the
people stricken with polio for whom
the Foundation foots the bills, and
the people who have recovered
from polio but need rehabilitation
work — has risen tremendously.”
Schools Order Eight Units
For Temporary Classrooms
| Editorials f
* By EDWIN HARVEY t
VOTE VOTE VOTE
Charges and counter charges have been hurled via
every conceivable media in the runoff campaign in the
governor’s race.
Who is right and who is wrong?
That’s for you, the voter, to decide.
It may be difficult, but that is one of the responsi-
bilities of citizenship. If you make an honest effort to
choose between the candidates and decide in your own
mind who is the best man for the job, then you have
done your duty as a citizen—almost.
After you decide, you must go to the polls Saturday,
Aug. 28, and cast your ballot for your choice. Unless your
voice is heard, you have wasted time listening to speech-
es, reading literature and talking with your friends.
Other important posts are on the ballot. For the
Mercedes area, a new county commissioner is to be
chosen for Precinct No. 1. A state jurist is to be selected.
You will have done only half a job if you voted in
the first primary and skip the runoff. Follow through.
Vote Saturday.
Queen Contest
Set Sept. 2
The cream of beauties from
Valley Farm Bureau families will
compete for the honor of repre-
senting the Valley district in a
state contest during ceremonies
here Thursday night, Sept. 2, in
the High School auditorium.
Slated to begin at 8 p.m., the
program is expected to draw
friends and relatives of the 14
beauties from every Farm Bureau
Unit in the Valley.
Winner of the Valley contest will
receive a wrist watch and she and
her chaperone will get an expense-
paid trip to the state contest at
Galveston, Nov. 8-10. State winner
will go to the national convention
in New York City in December.
The public is invited to the Mer-
cedes program, officials empha-
sized.
Fifty-One Cast
Absentee Votes
Total number of absentee voters
for the Runoff Election Aug. 28 in
Precinct 21 is 18 and in Precinct
1, 33. v
Normally, in a runoff election,
there are four or five absentee
votes cast, according to R. L.
Yearwood, at whose office absentee
voting has been taking place. This
total of 51 compares with a total
of about 35 in the first election.
Student Body Outgrows Facilities
Of Schools In Seven Years
The Mercedes Public Schools
have experienced a tremendous
growth in the student body in the
past seven years, with average
daily attendance increasing from
1579 in 1947-48 to 2291 last year.
These and other figures about
the school system, which has not
been able to provide facilities at
a pace fast enough to meet this
growth, were cited to members of
the Mercedes Kiwanis Club last
Thursday by Supt. L. W. St. Clair.
In 1947-48, there were 59 teach-
ers with total salaries of $154,934.
This year, there will be 100 teach-
ers, with an average daily attend-
ance of more than 2291, and salar-
ies totaling an estimated $343,000—
the number of teachers almost
doubling and the salaries more than
doubling in seven years.
Although 14 classrooms and one
music building have been con-
structed since 1948, classes still are
overcrowded and these must be
thinned down to meet accrediting
agency requirements in Mercedes
Schools are to retain their credits.
Eight temporary ‘classroom units
are being constructed for the cur-
rent season, but only permanent
answer is a bond issue for per-
manent buildings.
The total school budget will
mount to nearly $500,000, with in-
come as follows:
State Per Capita apportionment,
$235,286; salary and operation pay-
ments from state, $110,000; trans-
portation; $5,633 — total from state,
$350,l)19-
Local funds (from tax sources)
will approximate $60,000 for local
maintenance purposes and $30,000
to service outstanding bonds.
A hearing on the proposed bud-
get for the coming year has been
called for 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30,
at the school business office.
School Budget
Hearing Monday
A special meeting of the Board
of Education of the Mercedes Inde-
pendent School District has been
called for 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 30,
for a public hearing on the pro-
posed school budget, according to
President Joe Winston.
The public is cordially invited to
attend this hearing at which the
school’s financial needs for the
year will be discussed and a budget
adopted.
The hearing will be held at the
school business office, 206 Sixth St.
1 Killed
In Crash ^emen Ask Aid 01 Farmers, City
To Purchase Needed Fire Truck
. One person was killed and two
injured, one critically, when the
pick-up truck in which they were
riding went out of control, jumped
the railroad tracks and overturned
just east of Mercedes Wednesday
afternoon.
The car, travelling east, jumped
the Southern Pacific track about
two miles east of Mercedes. Invest-
igators believed all three were
braceros or aliens. One of the
injured was taken to Mercedes
General Hospital by Stotler am-
bulance. The body of the fatally
injured man was at Stotler Mor-
tuary.
tuary. He was identified as Ramiro
Munez Cantu of Old Mexico. The
injured were Gabino Mendez and
German Dias, both of Mercedes.
State patrolman Jim Warner in-
vestigated.
Bicycle Riders Urged
To Add Reflectors,
Lights To Vehicles
Youngsters who ride bicycles
this week were cautioned by Police
Chief Claudio Castaneda to equip
their bikes with proper lights for
night riding.
“We have received a number of
complaints that the bikes do not
have lights.” Chief Castaneda said.
“While there is an ordinance on
the books, we have not been too
strict on the youngsters,” he added.
However, he said, a cicycle with-
out a front light and a rear re-
flector is a traffic hazard.
inU
. - •
■ |H
Si
—Enterprise Staff Photo
MARCH OF DIMES BOOSTERS are these youngsters who set up a
lemonade stand. Funds from sale of the cold drinks, gum and comic
books will go to the emergency March of Dimes. From left to right are
Susan Cayce, Susan McArthur, at whose home the stand was set up,
and Gladys Rhea Traylor. Also assisting them in the project was
Sandra Taylor, who was out of town when this photograph was made.
The stand is at 1133 S. Ohio and will remain in operation the rest of
this week.
Volunteer firemen of the City of
Mercedes will start a campaign to
raise funds for purchase of a
badly-needed fire truck, represen-
tatives of the group told the city
commission Monday.
Appearing before the city gov-
erning body, the group, headed by
Finis Morris, secretary, asked if
the city would participate in pur-
chase of the truck if they (the
firemen) could get assistance from
farmers of this area.
“Between 60 and\70 per cent of
our calls are outside the city lim-
its,” Morris explained. “We already
have assurance from several lead-
ing farmers that they will be will-
ing to help finance a new truck.”
Chief Tom Brammer said that
one of the city’s three fire trucks
is a relic and doesn’t even run. A
second, he said, has a burst head
and cannot be taken outside of
the city. The third does not have
tank or pump capacity for use
where there are no fire hydrants,
he added.
Asst. Chief Johnny Williams was
the third member present.
They explained that a loca\ truck
dealer has agreed to sell them
a chassis at dealer cost and that
total expendiure, including fire-
fighting equipment, probably would
amount to $10,000 or $12,000.
Actually, from a technical stand-
point, the equipment Mercedes now
has is hot adequate for city needs.
“The new truck would have a
750 gallon tank and high pressure
hose,” Brammer said. It would put
out a good sized fire even though
there were no other water supply
available.
Also planned for the new equip-
ment are fog nozzles for fighting
gasoline and oil fires. The city at
present has no such equipment, it
was pointed out.
The city commissioners agreed
informally to participate as far as
financial conditions would permit
in purchase .of the new truck.
The firemen also pointed out
that a new siren is needed because
the old machine cannot be heard
beyond Tenth Street and many
firemen do not hear the alarm.
City Secretary Andrew J. Hagan
was instructed to investigate the
possibility of repair of the siren.
City commissioners also voted to
place the fire quarters and two
paid city firemen under direct
supervision of the fire chief and
his assistant.
This will make for more coordi-
nation within the department, it
was explained.
NOTICE
There will be a called meet-
ing at the Football Stadium of
the Mercedes Quarterback Club
Friday evening at 7:30.
Everyone is urged to come.
The Mercedes Public Schools
have launched a $25,000. program to
construct eight temporary class-
rooms, it was announced this week.
An increase in enrollment even
last year overcrowded present fa-
cilities and the district was not in
position to underwrite enough per-
manent structures to meet the
needs this year, it was explained.
The schools have ordered eight
metal prefabricated units. Floors
and utilities will be installed local-
ly. It is hoped the units will arrive
in time for erection and occupancy
by Oct. 1, said Supt- L. W. St.
Clair.
Two of the units will be placed
at South Elementary school, two
at West Elementary and four at
North Elementary.
The temporary units will remain
in use until such time as a bond
issue may be voted and permanent
buildings constructed.
Eight new teachers have been
authorized by the state on the
basis of increased average daily
attendance last year and additional
classrooms must be provided to
qualify for the additional staff.
Because of a serious shortage of
teachers, several special junior and
senior high school positions still
had not been filled at mid-week,
the superintendent added.
High school students enrolled
Monday and Tuesday. Classes will
begin and elementary pupils will
enroll Sept. 2.
3 Beall Bros. 3
Buy Burr Store
In Mercedes
The Burr Department Store in
Mercedes has been purchased by
3 Beall Brothers 3, R. G. Beal,
president of the ’Company, an-
nounced in a telegram to The
Enterprise late Wednesday.
Formerly owned and operated by
Butler Bros., the Burr Division
handled wearing apparel, white
goods and a general department
store line.
Officials of the Beall Co. will
arrive in Mercedes Aug. 30 in pre-
paration for taking over the Burr
Store Sept- 1. Beall operates a chain
of 26 storey throughout Texas, with
headquarters in Jacksonville. Beall
is pronounced “Bell,” officials said.
An official of Scott-Burr Stores,
here from Chicago apparently to
assist in the changeover, would
make no comment on what dispo-
sition had or would be made of the
Scott (Variety store) division of
the Mercedes operation.
It has been reported that Paul
Cayce, manager of the combined
Scott-Burr Stores here, may be
transferred to the company’s Nor-
man, Okla., store.
-o-
Shivers Backers Plan
Rally Here Thursday
The Mercedes Shivers-For-Gover-
nor committee has announced a
big rally for 8 p.m. tonight
(Thursday) at the old hotel grounds
Speaking in Spanish will be Alon-
so S. Perales of San Antonio.
Speaking in English will be J. E.
Wilkins of Mission and Sid Hardin
of Edinburg.
Mrs. Curtis Speaks
On Library Needs
Mrs. C. L. Curtis, president of
the Mercedes Library Board, was
guest speaker at the Tuesday
meeting of Rotary. She discussed
the Mercedes Public Library, the
use made of its books and the
financial needs of the institution.
Gene Wilder, the club song lead-
er, had charge of last week’s pro-
gram and presented Joaquin Fer-
nandez, well known local pianist,
who played, his version of four
numbers.
At this week’s meeting, there
were 6 visiting Rotarians.
Mercedes Voters Meet Second
Candidate For Governor In Tour
—Enterprise Staff Photo
SECOND CANDIDATE HERE—Ralph Yarborough speaks to Mer-
cedes residents under a large palm tree at Texas and Highway during
his swing through the Valley. At left among the crowd is Mayor
Gene O’Shea, who introduced the candidate.
Mercedes voters now have had a
chance to meet personally both
candidates for the Texas governor-
ship.
Gov. Allen Shivers visited the
city prior to the first primary.
Atty. Ralph Yarborough came to
Mercedes last Thursday during his
Valley swing. He spoke under the
palms on the old hotel lot at Texas
and Highway.
Yarborough spent most of his
limited speaking time challenging
his opponent to an open debate
and chiding him about what he
termed his discrepancies.
“Texas has the only hyphenated
governor in America,” Yarborough
said. He explained that the world
almanac lists governors by political
party from questionnaires sent in
by the governors themselves. Shiv-
ers was listed as Democratic-Re-
publican, he said.
He also claimed that in the first
primary he (Yarborough) carried
both counties in which Allan Shiv-
ers was born. He explained that
the governor listed one county as
his birthplace before the July pri-
mary, now is listing another.
In a more serious vein, Yarbo-
rough rapped the governor’s “let-
ting printing contracts to his own
printing firm at Mission.” He also
claimed that it was the farmers
and ranchers who put him in the
runoff with Shivers — not the'
CIO. (He reminded that this was
the first time a Texas governor
has been forced into a runoff.)
“I have represented farm groups
as an attorney on many occasions,”
Yarborough said.
He also said Shivers was switch-
ing him (Yarborough) from one
cage to another. “At first I was in
the cage of the CIO. Later Allan
put me in a cage dominated by the
big monied interests. That didn’t
turn the tide so now he has put me
back in the CIO cage.”
Yarborough said he had nothing
against the CIO. He also promised
to put a Latin-Ameriean on the
Good Neighbor Commission if he is
elected.
r
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The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 42, No. 34, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 26, 1954, newspaper, August 26, 1954; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1072853/m1/1/?q=%22%22~1: accessed June 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.