The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 17, 1951 Page: 1 of 16
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Bofslf Public ^brazy-
Mercedes, Texas *
News Roundup
PHARR — A $300,000 street
paving program got underway last
week.
SAN BENITO — The Greyhound
band and a cappella choir return-
ed from Enid, Oklahoma Sunday,
where they were rated third among
76 bands marching.
EDINBURG — City manager
Henry Griffin was fired Friday
night. The city secretary announc-
ed her resignation Friday.
WELSACO — The city commis-
sion Tuesday night voted to aban-
don the city’s low-rent public hous-
nig project.
■’'ip*-
SAN BENITO — Ralph Agar,
Water District No. 2 manager, con-
tinued his denials Tuesday of in-
direct charges that his district
pumped more water than it was sup-
posed to before the rains came.
KOREA — Two sharp blows by
Communist troops in central Korea
Wednesday and other stepped-up
Red activity indicated that the
awaited big push may be immient
-------------------------------------------------------*---------------------vvvvvvvvvvv^vvvvwvxvvv^vv^vv^^v------|
Building
THE MERCEDES NEWS-TRIBUNE AND
tffg 6iT!§J(P(M53
For a
Better
Community
I VOL. XXXIX—No. 20 MERCEDES, TEX., THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1951
$2.00 PER YEAR—5c COPY
County March of Dimes Total Is
$18,856; Mercedes Raises $7,726
FREE SUBSCRIPTIONS
Beginning this week, families
of men and women in the Armed
Forces may obtain subscriptions
free of charge for their sons
and daughters in the service' to
the Mercedes Enterprise. A
Mercedes citizen has offered to
finance half of each subscrip-
tion The Enterprise will assume
the other half of the cost. Ser-
vicemen and women may be
signed up by bringing correct
addresses to the Enterprise
office.
Stock Cor Races
Friday To Feature
Suicide Event
, EDINBURG — Vegetable sheds
opened for business Tuesday, and
the light, high-priced Valley toma-
to crop began to move slowly.
HIDALGO — The first Mexican
braceros to be processed in (Monte-
rrey reached the border Saturday,
enroute to Mississippi.
RAYMONDVILLE — Voters Sat-
urday approved a $300,000 school
bond issue.
MATAMOROS — The quadrup-
lets allegedly born Thursday disap-
peared with their four brothers and
sisters, father and mother, Saturday.
WASHINGTON — The U. S. has
lost 212 planes in Korea, while the
Communists have lost 149„ the
Air Force announced Saturday.
b
WASHINGTON — The secretary
of offesse gave orders Monday
setting up secret alternate defense
headquarters is case of attack.
WESLACO — Valley Chamber of
Commerce monthly health Oscars
were awarded Monday to San Beni-
to and Elsa.
LONDON — The British govern-
ment haltedl rubber shipments to
Communist China Tuesday.
PINEHURST ( N. C. — A Duke
univeirsfty psychiatrist announced
Thursday that there is an electrical
connection between the moon’s
changes and human moods and emo-
tions.
i «!
MERCEDES — Nine midget autos
and seven stock cars are lined up
so far to complete is races at the
Mercedes Raceway on the Show-
grounds Friday, announced Jack
Skelton. In charge of entries is
Jess Tumlinson, of the Texas Race-
way association.
Time trials are to begin at
the Raceway at 8 p.m. Included
in the stock car events will be a
six-car “suicide race”, in which
three cars will race in one di-
rection, three the other way.
Midgets and drivers entered so
far: No. 3, Dewey Cheever of Mc-
Alles No. 4, Bob Carter of San
Benito; No. 5, Jim Van Blarcum of
Harlingen; No 7, Red Davis of Mc-
Allen; No. 8, Bill Cude of McAllen;
No. 15, Slim Nagy of McAllen; No.
45, Tommy Marlow of McAllen; No-
60. no driver listed; No. 66, Bob
Whistler of McAllen,
stock ears and drivers: No. 5,
Jim Van Blarcum of Harlingen; No.
16, Roy Cameron Of Edinburg; No.
20, Bob Carter of San Benito; No.
99, Duke Harrington of Harlingen;
No. 3 Bob Jordan of Mission; No.
50, Jack Trotter of Harlingen; No.
97, E. B. Waggoner of Pharr.
Others are expected to enter, said
Skelton. • t
MERCEDES — The Hidalgo coun-
ty March of Dimes total now stands
at. $78,8 56, “the largest ever col-
lected during one campaign”, Steve
Galloway, county campaign chair-
inan, announced today.
Mercedes’ share of collections
during the drive, which was offi-
cially conducted from January 15 to
31, was $7,726. W- J- Condon,
chairman of the Mercedes Dimes
campaign, reported that figure, also,
as “the greatest ever.”
Both the Mercedes and the county
totals are commendable, Galloway
said, “in view of the particularly
trying circumstances of the Valley
economy during the Winter and
Spring.”
Placards, pointing out “does” and
“don’ts” of polio, were recently dis-
tributed to school children through-
out the county by county polio head-
quarters in Edinburg.
Rain Drowns Cry
For Water; More
Heading This Way
dinburg Lawyer
Tampico Youth
Ends Spree '
In County Jug
/
old
TULIA — Volunteer Winsome
Victory, a cow, has won the Ameri-
can Jersey Club’s Medal of merit
for achieving the highest milk pro-
duction record! for living Excellent
cows of the Jersey breed. She made
18,362 pounds of milk containing
1174 pounds of butterfat.
WESLACO — The Valley Rain in-
creasing association decided last
week to hire a publicity man to
counteract “bad publicity” given
the $24,000 effort to make rain.
EDINBURG — The box which was
supposed to contain a portrait of
Princesses Elizabeth and Anne, a
gift in return for the bale bale of
cotton- sent the Britsih royal family
last Summer, arrived foom. London
Tuesday — empty.
WASHINGTON — The Senat evoted
Thusday to cut off economic aid to
nations which supply arms to Com-
munist areas.
Delta Legion Post
To Sponsor Donee
At Delta Lake
EDOUCH — The Delta American
Legion post, which is currently con-
ducting a campaign to raise funds
for a proposed new home, is spon-
soring a benefit dance in the Lake-
view hotel at Delta Lake north of
Monte Alto Saturday night.
“The sky’s the limit, and everybo-
dy’s invited”, announced E. J.
Weisser, post commander. Tickets
are on sale for $1.50 per couple.
Roy Erwin’s five-piece Dixie-
land Band from Corpus Christi
will pour out the music, and
there will be a floor show,
Weisser said. The affair is to
begin at 8:30 p.m.
MERCEDES — A 16 - year
Tampico boy named Felipe con-
cluded a whirlwind tour of Mercedes
private property Monday, urged by
local police, and is now resting at
the county lockup in Edinburg.
The young wetback, who told
Police Chief C. F. Barter that he
arrived in the country May 1, got
restless Sunday. He was arrested
by Monday noon, and admitted to
breaking and entering at least five
homes and two automobiles.
F e 1 i p e was apprehend-
ed shortly after pulling his last
job Monday morning, when Mrs.
I. C. Thomas reported to police
that she and her dog had sur-
prised a thief making off
through a window of her home.
Chief Barter, Meterman Arturo
Saenz, Immigration Inspector B. F.
Battenfield and Mrs. Thomas un-
covered clues leading to Felipe's
identity in a, check of the west sec-
tion of the city, and found him home
is his shack, with most of his new
possessions-
More loot was recovered from two
of Felip’s alien friends, one 6x
them, at the time heading for the
railroad tracks with a large sack
on his hack.
Pants belonging to Presley
Allen were found in the home
of another Tampico alien. A
recheck of Felipe’s shack brought
forth two shotguns taken from
C. W. Roe’s automobile while
it stood vacant and out of gas
Sunday.
Before he left for Edinburg, Fe-
lipe admitted taking a butcher
knife and tools from the Joe Miller
home, a portable typewriter from
Joe Ratajacks car parked near a
roadside restaurant, eight suits of
clothes from Mrs. N. P. Barton’s
garage, clothes andi underclothes
from the George Graf Sr. home,
jewelry, clothing and a suitcase
from Mrs. Ben Brooks’ home and an
occupied house behind the home.
To Rotarians
MERCEDES — Sad Hardin. Ed-
inburg attorney, stirred up Rotarians
here at their regular meeting
day with his review of the Siffiffent
war situation, as guest speaker.
The gist of {attorney Hardin’s
talk, according to listener C. P- Mel-
ton: “While the U. S. fights the
war, paying the cost in lives and
Money;, it is supplying materials
and money for the enemy through
England, who dictates the war po-
licy which caused the dismissal of
Gen. MacArthur”. Hardin quoted
European papers in support of his
review.
“He made our blood boil”, com-
mented Melton.
Thirteen visiting Rotarians and
several guests were present at the
meeting. Progam chairman was
Shelly Collier.
City Commission
Relieves Officer
Of Police Dufy
MERCEDES — Roy Collins, who
was apponited to the Mercedes
police department staff as tempora-
ry patrolman last November 13,
was relieved of duty with the force
as of May 15, it was brought out
at a regular meeting of the city
commission Monday night.
The release of the patrolman
leaves the force with Chief C. F.
Barter and two other men.
In other business at the
Meeting, Commissioner Walter
Bazar was named mayor pro-
tein.
The Fred Fattillo electric com-
pany of Mercedes was awarded a
contract to erect a blinker light on
Highway 83 at the entrance to
Queen City annex.
Installation of the light i§ to
complete this week.
Volley Rainmakers
Were Aloft During
Threatening Weather
McALLEN — Valley rainmaker
pilots were aloft Friday, Saturday
and Sunday to seed heavily laden
rain clouds, according to Dan San-
born, Rain Increasing association
publicity agent.
Pilot Bob Wilson, who was aloft
three times Friday, seeded the east-
ern half of the Valley with silver
iodide, working from cloud bases to
114,000 feet.
Pilot Paul Petris was aloft twice
Friday, seeding the northwest sec-
tor of the Valley, up to 9,000 feet.
Wilson and Petris seeded clouds
again Saturday, from 9 a.m. until
noon, and Sunday from 10 a.m. un-
til after 1 p.m. Both silver iodide
and sulphur trioxide were used Sun-
day. Brownsville reported light
showers 30 minutes after Wilson’s
seeding Sunday.
Petris reported an increase in
turbulance and precipitation north-
west of Mission after “three or four
passes.”
The monster roaring up highway
83 Tuesday night from Harlingen
was a tank driven by Jack Humph-
ries, Guard commander. «
Address Book Added
ToC of C Library
MERCEDES — The Chamber of
Commerce has received an addition
to its library in offices above the
Hidalgo Bank building. At the re-
quest of chamber Manager Carl'
Blasig, Sen. Tom Connolly has sent
a book listing the names, titles and
addresses of all U. S- senators,
congressmen, departments and bu-
reaus.
Use of the book, and others in the
C of C library, is available to Mer-
cedians and Chamber of Commerce
membes at any time, Blasig said.
35 CASES COLLECTED TO DATE:
Porchiight Roundup For Milk
To Begin At 7:36 p. m. Friday
New Wafer Tank
May Be Tested
Early Next Week
City Engineer H. L. German re-
poted to the City commission, at a
regular meeting-Monday that the. 500,-
000 gallon elevated water tank under
eMitruetloh by the Pittsburg-I??!
Mdines Steel Tank company should
he complete this Week. The tank
was being painted: inside Wednes-
day.
German said that as soon as the
paint has set, a “feeling out” test
will be run on the new tank and
city water main system. Filling of
the tank will be gradual, said Ger-
man, to test the strength of City
water mains under the increased
pressure.
“There may be breaks in
scattered sections of, very old
water main under the increased
pressure, said German, Breaks,
if any, are to be replaced
fro ma 2800-foot supply of six-
inch main on hand.
“Feeling out” of the system may
take from three to -six days, said
German. Completion of the major
wate’jv* plant rehabilitation project
now under way is tw omonths or
more away, German said.
MERCEDES — The demonstration,
of Valley magic which released tor-
rents of water from the skies early
Friday, also released pounds of pres-
sure from the minds of water dis-
trict managers, proraters and farm
ers chanting the “Ain’t Gonna Rails;
No Mo’ ” blues.
Rain on the Lower Valley ancf
on the, watershed above Laredo by,
mid-week had produced a crest in
the, Rio Grande which reached
Brownsville Wednesday. There was
fresh water in the river below
Brownsville for the first time time
since October Tuesday.
Wednesday morning there <
were 4100 cubic feet of water a. ;
second passing below Browns- j
ville, and El Jardin water dis- \
trict was taking 140 second
feet with all but one of its ■
pumps. (\
Port Isabel pumped for the firs®
time since October this week, and
began to replace undrinkable brina
in its reservoir with fresh Ri©
Grande water. The Gulf of Mexico
was getting a substantial pat of
the flow. ; !
MERCEDES — The Lions Club’s
“Milk For Underprivileged Children
Week” campaign so far has met
-with anticipated success, according
to Dean Garrett, and will continue
until Saturday,.
“Response has been terrific”, Gar-
ret*; announced today. By mid-
week, the campaign had turned up
over 35 cases of canned milk, Which
will he turned over to the Mer-
cedes Welfare League for distribu-
tion to needy children during its
year-roundi program of work. There
are 96 small cans of milk in a case,
and1 48 large ones.
The Wes-Mer drive-in theater,
which turned over the proceeds
of “My True Story” Monday
night to the campaign, collect-
ed better than 20 cases of milk
is admissions.
Mercedes grocers have placed
boxes in their stores to receive cans
of milk bought by customers. Boxes
will remain in stores throughout
the week.
“We expect to exceed our expec-
tations of milk contributions Friday
night”, said Garrett. Friday night
will be “porchiight roundup” night.
Residents who have not contributed
to the drive, or who want to give
more milk, are asked to leave their
porch lights burning after 7:30 p.m-
There will be five crews of
Lions out Friday night to
roundup cans of milk.
Visible results of the campaign
are on exhibit in the window of
the O’Shea Furniture store.
Leopoldo Ramirez, local sign pain-
ter,, donated his efforts to the sigs
which points out the exhibit.
Ghairman of te hmilk drive is W.
B. Lauder.
Legion Post Plans
Membership Drive
MERCEDES — J. A. Garcia Am-
erican Legion post 172 has inaugur-
ated a membership drive for 1951
members, according to Bill Baker,
adjutant.
There are no 171 paid-up mem-
bers, of a possible 275 or 300, Baker
reported. He requested that dues
be paid on or before June 15.
IBC headquarters in Laredo,
worried about the water supply at
Matamoros, could quit hollering
Tuesday. There were an estimates!
3,000 second feet passing that Mex-
ican city. m
Heavy rains from West Texas j
to the Panhandle Tuesday gave ;
birth to a near-record flash rise
at Laredo Wednesday. Art j
Moore, IBWC project engineer 1
in San Benito reported Wednes-
day morning that flow there
had risen frGIT. 2,290 to 37,500'
second feet overnight. ‘ •*
“The Rio Grande may be bank-
full in the Lower Valley in two
days”, Moore predicted.
As the initial crest reached lower
Cameron counity Wednesday, {flow
recoded at Rio Grande City was
2500 second feet, at Hidalgo. 3000
second feet. j
Raymond Smith, manager of 'j
Hidalgo-Cameron county Water ;
District No. 9 in Mercedes, ex- J
pected famers to begin irrigat- ’
ing by the first of the week.
Most of them had enough water
straight from the sky Friday to
supply the demand this week.
Edcouch and the area immediate-
ly south of there did not get as
heavy rains Friday as most other
points”, said Smith. “At no point”,
he said, “was the downpour ©sough,
to cause bad drainage problems”.
The Mercedes district , began
pumping from the river Friday
moning, following an ljpper-
Valley shutdown last Wednesday. By
Wednesday morning this week, saM
Smith, the reservoir was full dnffi
pumps were shut down.
Official rain; guage •‘reading its
Mercedes was 2.40 -irrenes Ifrwsn 4A,
to 10 a-m. Friday, .04 inches Monday
and a trace Tuesday.
-—- ;, ' '
Elected Secretary
Of A & / Group
KINGSVILLE — Carol Peckman
of Mercedes has been elected 1951-
52 secretary of the Wesley Founda-
tion at Texas A&T College. Charles
Holmes, also of Mercedes ,was cho-
sen reporter.
Officers of the Methodist youth
group were installed at the Kings-
ville First Methodist Church Sun-
day night.
30 7 Local Dogs
Are Licensed And
Inoculated Here
MERCEDES — Three
and one Mercedes dogs were
SQUARE DANCE GROUP
TO MEET AT AIR BASE
BROWNSVILLE — The Valley-
Square Dance association will meet
at the Brownsville dance center at
the airbase this Thursday night at
8 o’clock.
Admission will be $2' per couple,
which will also cover association’s
dues for the coming year, an-
nounced Mrs. H. B. Jeffery, secre-
tary of the Boots and Saddle Dance
club.
Elected Treasurer
Of A Sc I Fraternity
KINGSVILLE — Charles Holmes
of Mercedes has been elected 1951
treasurer of Alpha Phi Omega, na-
tional service fraternity, at Texas
A&I College.
Officers were installed last week
and seven spring pledges admitted
to membership in the organization
of former Boy Scouts. Faculty spon-
sors named were Dr. Norman C.
Mohn, J. E. Tuner ,Ben South, and
R. T. Partain-
hundred
in-
noculated and license at the city
hall during dog registration week
last week, city Secretary Harry
Rouse said! today.
The city dog catcher is to begin
immediately picking up and im-
pounding unlicensed dogs this week,
Y Rouse warned-
Dog owners who did not have
their animals innoculated for
rabies while Dr. J. M. Cren-
shaw was at the city hall may
have their dogs treated at the
Border Animal hospital in Wes-
laco. Fee is $1.50
Owners may bring innoculation
certificates to the city hall here to
obtain late licenses, said Rouse-
Unlicensed animals found by the
dog catcher will be impounded
and destroyed after five days.
A. H. Lovvorn, center, owner of the Lovvorn Lumber company
in Mercedes, was host to Mercedes general contractors and paint-
ing contractors at a meeting in company offices last Thursday
evening. Guests of honor were A. A. Svatek of Harlingen, district
salesman for the Sherwin Williams Paint company, and Larry
Best, manager of the Harlingen S-W store. A movie showing the
latest blending and matching procedures in painting was shown
at the meeting.—Harmon - Howell Photo
Kiwanians Stage
Pair Of Plays For
Needy Children
MERCEDES — Some 2 50 people
filled the high school auditorium,
Tuesday night to see a pair of one-
act plays presented for the benefit
of the Kiwanis club’s Underprivi-
leged Children fund.
Proceeds from' the plays are to
go into the fund with which the
Kiwanians attempt to help every
needy child in Mercedes possible.”
The Underprivileged Children
effort, one of the club’is major pro-
jects, has been responsible in the
past for the establishment of the
Mercedes Well Baby Clinic, now op-
erated in conjunction with county
health unit activities. Kiwanians
bought the clinic building, helped
furnish equipment, and contribute
to financing the operation of the
clinic.
The two plays, staged under the
direction of Marie Watkins, were a
pantomine, “And the Lamp Went
Out”, ^ and comedy, “Wilbur Faces
Facts.” General admission was 30
cents.
_ Included in the casts.-and.produc-
tion crews of the two shows were"
Martha Allan, France Jo Bryant,
Max Nameth, Patsy Barter, Walter
Johnston, Freddie Garcia, Martha
Starck, Merry Frances Brown, Man-
uel Morales, Virginia Holmes, Lou
Anne Langford, Martha Pinkerton,
Larry Barnum, Ray Lee Witt, John
Norris, Mary Ann Jtu^hton and
Bunny Jones.
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The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 39, No. 20, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 17, 1951, newspaper, May 17, 1951; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1073144/m1/1/: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.