The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 47, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 2, 1962 Page: 1 of 10
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MERCEDES PUBLIC LIBRARY
BOX 866
CITY XXX
SINGLE COPY
PRICE
The Merce
nterprise
SINGLE COPY
PRICV
U*
Mercedes, Texas, Thursday, August 2,
1962
G0ES WILD—This cotton trailer came loose from the truck pull-
1,® ll* T^e trailer struck a 1952 pickup driven by Jose Bocanegra after the break
The accident occurred late Tuesday of last week at Ohio and Second The DickuD
mrnHonmHwv31^ from Oh^ hY Aurelio Loredo, police reported. He attempted to
f° , ° Hwy. 83 from Ohio when the trailer came loose. Police charged Bocaneerra
with failure to yield right of way and driving without a license. ^
Livestock Show Lets Contract
For 9,000 Sq. Ft. Hog Arena
A contract has been let
to the Morris Welding Ser-
vice of Mercedes to build a
new hog and poultry arena
on the Rio Grande Valley
Livestock Show grounds at
Mercedes, according to.
L. W. Clifford, Livestock
Show president.
The firm had the low bid
of $7,515.00 to construct the
9,000 sq. ft. corrugated met-
al building with corrugated
sheet iron roof. Utility con-
nections and bleachers will
bring the cost to approxi-
mately $10,000.00, Clifford
said.
"Our board felt the add-
ition of this new arena was
a ‘must’ before another show
was held on the grounds,"
Clifford said. "This facility
will enable us to judge more
than one event at a time.
It has been almost impos-
sible to crowd all of the
judging events into the fivea
day show period.”
The hog and fryer auctions
will also be held in the new
arena. With the new facil-
ity, which will be located
between the present hog and
steer exhibit bams, hogs
can enter directly into the
arena. With the present fac-
ilities, temporary alleys
from the hog barn to the
main arena were used, mak-
ing it difficult to handle the
animals, and inconvenient
for visitors.
Clifford said the nev ac-
ility was the first of sev-
eral improvements under
consideration by the live-
stock show board aimed at
providing better facilities
for breeding and other an-
imal exhibits.
Dates for next year’s
event, which will be the 24th
annual Rio Grande Valley
Livestock Show, are March
20-25, 1963.
High School Band
Starts Rehearsals
The Mercedes High School
band will begin rehearsals
tonight (Thursday) at 6:30
p.m., according to director,
Avie Teltschik.
Regular rehearsals will
continue each Monday and
Thursday night until 'the
opening of school.
Name The Hotel Contest Gets
Underway For 1,100 Stockholders
Valley Map Revised
** For Tourist Use
The Valley map published
by the Valley Chamber of
Commerce and distributed
by the thousands all over the
United States, Canada, and
Mexico, is being revised and
brought up to date.
Otis Shumate of Harlingen,
chairman of the VCC Public-
ity, Advertising, and Tour-
ist Committee, said the re-
visions will include many
extensions and changes in
numbers of farm roads and
the addition ■ of several
points of interest.
The expressway route also
> is included.
* The re'verse side of the
map contains a brief history
and description of major
Valley communities and
nearby places of interest.
The map is included in the
information packet sent to
the thousands who reply to
VCC advertisements in na-
tional magazines and major
Midwest, Canadian and
Southwestern newspapers.
Weather Report
Date
Hi
Lo
July 25
96
75
July 26
97
75
July 27
97
78
July 28
97
76
July 29
94
74
July 30
95
76
July 31
98
75
"Name The Motor-Hotel
contest began this week for
over 1,000 stockholders of
Mercedes’ new 40 unit Mo-
tor-HOTEL.
Dr. Marion Lawler, pres-
ides, said "just write the
name suggestion on a card
or letter and mail it along
with your August 1 stock
payment to the Motor Hotel
Headquarters.”
He also said the name
should most likely be des-
criptive of the Valley or
perhaps tied in with some-
thing historical.
"At any rate", he con-
tinued "the name should be
one that will be clever enough
and different enough so that
it will be easily remembered
by tourists and other trav-
elers".
In an interview with this
newspaper, Larry Lidstrom
had this to say regarding
Mercedes after an absence
from the city of six months.
“I’ve surely been in a lot
of areas and cities during
my career in the Motor-
Hotel business but I have
never ■ seen any city that
could ‘bounce back’ from
adversity of hard luck bet-
ter than Mercedes”. He con-
tinued, "there seems to be
an air of excitement around
town and a qui<% determina-
tion to go on and build a
bigger and better Mercedes
than anyone ever dreamed
possible”.
“According to reliable
forcasts, Texas will rank
third in population growth
during the next 8 years in
the entire United States,”
said Lidstrom, and the Rio
Grande Valley will get its
share of this prize. Howe -er
the important thing is,
‘which city in the Va.:.*y
will attract the most new-
comers’? Mercedes itself as
a progressive people build-
ing their own ‘way’.
Now, with the wonderful
civic center, the proposed
armory, the proposed First
National Bank building, and
the most vital the new Motor
Hotel where guests can stay
in comfort, this city of Mer-
cedes can become a great
economic stronghold in the
Rio Grande Valley”.
In conclusion he said, "I
have liked this Valley from
the first time I ever saw
it, I have nothing to gain
financially by coming here
at this time during my sum-
mer vacation; but because
I do like Mercedes, the Val-
ley, and the people who live
here, I am willing to give
you the benefit of my ex-
perience in order to make
certain you get this much
needed, yes, all important
Motor-Hotel.
"This will be my com-
pensation; when the doors
are opened for business and
you register your first guest
and serve your first meal---
then I will take pride in know-
ing that I have had a hand
in helping a city to become
a better place .to live.”
The executive commit-
tee held its first meeting
with Mr. Lidstrom Wednes-
day morning at the El Som-
brero.
Plans were made to step
up the campaign of bringing
all stock subscribers up to
date on their pledges. An-
other committee meeting is
scheduled at the El Sombrero
at noon Friday.
Mercedes Night Held
At Knapp Hospital
An enthusiastic group of
public spirited citizens from
Mercedes gathered at Knapp
Memorial Methodist Hospi-
tal on Monday evening, July
30, to participate in "Mer-
cedes Night”.
Following a dinner served
in the hospital cafeteria,
"Ty" Cobb, president of the
honorary board of gover-
nors, welcomed the guests
and introduced Orval Stites,
president of the board of
trustees, and Marcus Drewa,
Administrator of the hos-
pital.
A film was shown depic-
ing some problems of op-
erating a hospital today and
stressed the importance of
having modern up-to-date,
equipment. Following the
film Drewa displayed some
portable equipment used at
Knapp hospital, and spoke
of the charity program and
the necessity of supporting
the charity program in or-
der that all those in need
of medical care could be
properly cared for.
Among those attending the
meeting were: J. M. Rey-
nolds, Mr. and Mrs. Gil-
son Knapp, Mr. and Mrs.
Marvin Schwarz, M_ and*
Mrs. Mike Clifford, Rife -
berto Salinas, Mrs. L. S.
McMicken, Mr. and Mrs.
Shelly Collier, Sr., Mr. and
Mrs. S. M. Hinojosa, Mr.
and Mrs. George King, Jr.,
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Voll-
mer, Mr. and Mrs. Floyd
Langford, all of Mercedes,
Mr. and Mrs. "Ty” Cobb,
of Weslaco, and Orval Stites,
of Donna.
Cotton Gins
Going Full Blast
All Over Valley
The 1962 cotton harvest
has Valley gins working
around the clock and the 94,
638 bales ginned this past
week brings the season total
to 200,656 bales, according
to the fourth weekly survey
conducted by Valley Farm
Bureau.
Breakdown of ginnings by
counties is as follows:
County This Week Total
Cameron 44,488 90,217
Hidalgo 29,544 62,205
Starr 1,237 2,991
Willacy 19,359 45,243
On the same date in 1961
the total ginnings were 182,
297 bales and in I960, the
total was 118,115 on July 30.
Bob Lilly, Executive Man-
ager of Valley Farm Bureau
said that the high total this
early in the season would not
necessarily alter the final
anticipated 400,000 bale
crop, but believed it to be
due largely to the exten-
sive increase in use of mech-
anical harvesters much
earlier in the harvest season
than in previous years.
Some gins are running as
high as 95% machine har-
vested cotton, and an over-
all Valley average is near
50% machine harvested to
date.
Mercedes gins reported
6,218 to date, 3,800forMer-
cedes Co-Op Gin and 2,418
for Ross Gin Co.
The Valley Farm Bureau’s
survey is the only official
survey of gins conducted in
the Valley. Therefore, Val-
ley ginners are called only
once a week* every Monday
morning during the cotton
season fo? this information.
The Valley Farm Bureau
office maintains records of
Valley ginnings as far back
as 1920 and the following
is a complete listing:
1920 — 29,258
1923 -- 90,186
1926 — 169,289
1930 — 88,214
1932 — 33,346
1936 — 71,000
1937 — 143,000
1938 — 115,864
1939 — 93,296
1940 — 96,264
1941 — 54,385
1942 — 94,352
1943 — 105,571
1944 — 126,077
1945 — 116,311
1946 — 205,392
1947 — 257,508
1948 — 322,619
1949 — 542,720
1950 — 328,312
1951 — 632,610
1952 — 315,763
1953 — 267,651
1954 -- 412,157
1955 — 392,200
1956 — 402,746
1957 — 284,854
1958 — 407,223
1959 -- 467,093
1960 — 362,263
1961 -- 342,113
With some 400,000 to 500,
000 acres planted to cotton
this year in the 4-county
area, the harvest is expect-
ed to yield well over400,000
bales. Many observers have
predicted the 1962 crop will
be much larger than the 1961
crop due to the January
freeze of this year which
delayed early season insect
infestation. Others feel that
the scattered and untimely j
showers, early in the sea-
son, have reduced the over-
all gain in production this
year.
*
. . :
-- JLA ' - r'
,,
'ft '
:•
ONE OF THE LAST TRAINING EXERCISES at Fort Polk saw these members of the
b0at landingS- <0th-Ph°“s °» the
ATTENDS SCIENCE CAMP
f
A Mercedes resident,
Wray F. Garza, attended the
University of Wyoming's
summer Science Camp con-
cluded recently.
Stalk Plowup
Deadline Aug. 31
Farmers are reminded
that the cotton stalk plow-up
deadline on August 31, as
usual, has a two-fold pur-
pose this year. The primary
purpose is to destroy stalks
and eliminate over-winter-
ing places for the costly pink
bollworm, boll weevil, and
other cotton insects. An-
other reason is to be as-
sured of receiving the $7.50
per bale cotton escrow
money being held under State
Department of Agriculture
supervision to insure stalk
destruction.
Commissioner of Agricul-
ture John C. White has in-
formed the Valley Farm Bu-
reau that there will be ade-
quate personnel assigned to
the Department of Agricul-
ture office in Pharr to as-
sure a prompt field inspec-
tion and refund of escrow
money.
Over 2,000
Use City Pool
In First Week
The new Civic Center pool
did a booming business dur-
ing its first week of opera-
tion, Manager Bill Savarino
reported.
Some 2,000 persons swam
in ghe pool for an income of
$600 Monday through Satur-
day. And the pool was closed
one day for minor repairs,
in the pool for n income of
over $600 Monday through
Saturday. And the pool was
closed one day for minor
repairs.
It looks like this really
is going to be an attraction,
Mr. Savarino said.
There is considerable in-
terest in the special features
being offered which include
the junior life-saving from
7:30 to 8:30 p.m., the wo-
men’s hour from 9 :30 to
10:30 a.m., and the begin-
ners class from 10:30 to
11 a.m.
The women’s hour will
continue throughout the sum-
mer and others are invited to
attend. Missing of the first
few days will be no handi-
cap, it was pointed out.
Mrs. Roger Young, Red
Cross instructor, is in
charge of the special events
including the women’s hour.
The pool opens to the pub-
lic at 11 a.m. and closes at
10 p.m. However, Mr. Sav-
arino said there was very
little demand after 9 p.m.
and that closing time might
be advanced shortly.
Pfc. Jack Denny
Now At Fort Polk
Army PFC Jack P. Denny,
son of Mr. and. Mrs. John
P. Denny, 709 N. Preston,
Ennis, Tex., is being re-
assigned to Fort Polk, La.,
following his graduation
from the United States Air
Force technical training
course for air traffic con-
trollers here.
Pvt. Denny was trained in
airport traffic control and
radar approach control op-
eration techniques.
A graduate of Ennis High
School, the private entered
the service in January 1961.
The private’s wife is the
former Carolyn J. Brothers,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
J. A. Brothers, 624 E. Sec-
ond, Mercedes, Tex. Mrs.
Denny is presently residing
with her husband’s parents
at 709 N. Preston, Ennis.
LUCKY VALUE
DAYS START
THURSDAY
Twenty - six Mercedes
merchants have joined hands
in a city-wide promotion de-
signed to attract shoppers
from far and wide.
Called “Lucky Value
Days,” the monthly promo-
tion will be held for the first
time this Thursday, Friday
and Saturday.
On page 7 of this issue
appears a page advertise-
ment with 26 coupons. When
properly filled out and de-
posited in the respective
stores named in the coupons,
they may mean the reader
may win one or more of the
26 gifts ranging from toast-
ers to picnic chests. The
coupons may be deposited
any time Thursday, Friday
and Saturday.
The total retail value of
these gifts is well over $250,
said Oscar Torrez, retail
merchants chairman.
Drawings will be held
Monday morning and winners
will be notified. It is not nec-
essary to be present to win.
Many merchants are sup-
plementing the gifts with
money-saving bargains in all
departments of their stores.
Individual ads elsewhere
in this issue from women’s
shops, department stores,
supermarkets, hardware
stores, drug stores, dime
stores, boot shops and men’s
stores and others offer the
shopper a wide selection
from which to choose. Some
lines are reduced as much as
one-half for summer clear-
ances.
“We really believe this
is the greatest promotion we
have ever offered the shop-
ping public,” Mr. Torrez
said.
Stores participating in-
clude:
C. R. Anthony Co., The
Vogue, Queen City Pharm-
acy, O’Shea-McQueen Furn-
iture, Bazar’s Service, Beall
Bros. Dept. Store, Mercedes
Drug Co., Dominguez Shoe
Center, Salinas Food Store,
Leal Electric, Mercedes En-
terprise, Baum’s Men’s
Wear, Borderland Hard-
wear, H. E. B. Food Store,!
Hanshaw’s Store, J. & Ji
Discount House, Minimax,
Saladino Lumber, Valley
Boot Co. H & H Frozen
Food Center, Cotter’s Mobil
Service, Farris Lumber &
Supply, Reynolds Jewelry
Co., Arguelles Dept. Store,
Mercedes Oil Co., Ripperts
Gift Store and Ferg Wood
Food Center.
School Board
To Study Budget
Thursday Night
Mercedes school board
members will take their first
official look at the proposed
budget for next year Thurs-
day night.
Supt. S. F. Cernosek will
submit a suggested budget
for their study.
After the superintendent
and trustees get through,
they will hold a public hear-
ing at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 14
on the budget before final
adoption. After that, they
will set a tax rate based on
the^ present tax rolls suf-
ficient to bring in funds need-
ed for the adopted budget.
Supt. Cernosek said Wed-
nesday he still had not filled
the principal's post at Trav-
is school but hoped to have
a recommendation for the
board Thursday night. Sev-
eral resignations are to be
presented. He said this was
routine because Aug. 1 is
the deadline for teachers
who do not wish to return.
The board has scheduled
a special meeting at which
bids are to be opened on the
building expansion program.
It will be at 7 p.m. Aug.
9 to open bids on Taylor and
North Elementary class-
rooms, restrooms and of-
fice.
The second project will
be bids on an agricul-
ture building on the high
school campus.
School opening activities
are being stepped up and
Band Director Avie Telts-
chik announced rehearsals
will start tonight.
Mercedes Students
Degree Candidates
At Pan Am Rites
Several Mercedes stu-
dents are candidates for de-
grees at summer graduation
exercises of Pan American
College Aug. 26.
They include Odilia Bris-
eno, John H. Dominguez, Jr.,
Sara Garza, Francis T, Grif-
fiths, Evangelina L. Mar-
tinez, Thomas Richard Mil-
ler, John Z. Norris, Lola
Clair Robertson and Ann H.
Warner.
From Elsa are Margaret
Ayala, Santiago A. Perez
and Santos Reyna. FromEd-
couch are Dorothy Dorsett,
Diana Gutierrez and Maria
Isquierdo.
Weslaco Joins In Welcome Plans
For Guard Units Reluming Home
ticYpltfrrSa XT I Chant’S *e
monies for the Mercedes-
Weslaco unit of the 49th
Armored Division next
Thursday, Aug. 9, it was
announced Tuesday.
Oscar Torrez, chairman
of the Mercedes Retail Mer-
; * *
■
Advance Unifs
Of Guardsmen
Head For Home
Advance parties of Texas’
49th Armored Division roll-
ed back across the Sabine
River into the Lone Star
state Wednesday, heading
home after 10 months on ac-
tive duty at Fort Polk, La.
Some 650 members of the
10,000 - man division will
serve as a quarter-in party
to prepare unit armories
to receive the main body
which convoys home Aug-
ust 6-7.
The massive move will
duplicate the trip to Fort
Polk last October which pro-
ved to be the largest and
most efficient military move
of its kind in the United
States in recent history.
Elaborate homecoming
ceremonies are slated
throughout the state for the
Texans, called to active duty
last fall as the perils of the
Berlin Crisis mounted.
Everything from barbecue
to community holidays have
been set by civic leaders in
the 74 Texas towns where the
Lone Star Division has 95
units.
Convoys, ranging in size
from five to 20 vehicles,
began leaving the Army post
in the wee hours Wednesday.
The movement will be com-
pleted by late Thursday. Rail
transportation of heavy track
vehicles starts Thursday.
Transportation officers
have been coordinating with
local law enforcement offic-
ials along the routes of
march to insure prompt and
safe movement of convoys
through cities for both the
advance and main bodies.
Mustering - out cere-
monies will be held Thurs-
day, August 9, in each of
the unit hometowns at 4:30
p.m. for men of the division
at which time they will re-
ceive the long-awaited com-
mand, "Dismissed,”
agreement was made after a
coherence with C. A. Nor-
ton, r>-esident of the Wes-
laco Chamber.
All Valley towns are plan-
ning a big welcome back pro-
gram for their units which
are returning from Fort
Polk, La., after being called
up for active duty for the
first time in peacetime his-
tory.
A parade-motorcade will
escort the guard members
down the main street of Wes-
laco at 4 p.m. Then the
group will move down Texas
Ave. in Mercedes at 4:30.
It will proceed out Hwy.
83 to the new Civic Center
where the Guard will have
its final muster and release
from active duty.
It was emphasized that
these ceremonies are open
to the public. Members of
both the Weslaco and Mer-
cedes bands will be on hand
for appropriate music and
city officials from both cities
will make welcome address-
es.
After the ceremonies, fac-
ilities of the center will be
turned over to the guards-
men and their families for
recreation including swim-
ming and a barbecue.
It was pointed out that
Weslaco has members in
both the Mercedes and Donna
units and is assisting in both
welcome programs.
Weslaco will aid in pay-
ing for the costs of the.
barbecue.
The 49th Armored Divi-
sion was called to active
duty last year during the
Berlin crisis by President
Kennedy, Since then, they
have participated in an ex-
tensive training program at
Ft. Polk, Louisiana.
August 9 has been desig-
nated as separation day for
the 49th all over Texas.
Sings have been erected on
many bill boards throughout
the state officially welcom-
ing the men home.
PLANNING STARTS
FOR MEMBERSHIP
CAMPAIGN
Annual ' Farm Bureau
membership drive time is
approaching and County
Farm Bureau Membership
Committees are already hold-
ing meetings to discuss and
outline methods for setting
up an effective membership
drive for obtaining new and
renewal members in the Val-
ley Farm Bureau for the
1962-63 year.
Jay Dudley and Henry Ka-
wahata will serve as County
Membership Co-Chairman
for the Hidalgo County Farm
Bureau Membership Com-
mittee. Serving with them
will be Bill Busch, Homer
Davis and W, Edward Hart.
They will meet on August
1, to formulate their plans.
The Willacy County Farm
Bureau Membership Com-
mitte will be headed by Lar-
ry E. Franks, Jr., as Chair-
man, and his committee will
be Ramon Leal, Charlie
Hoot Victor Berg, Melvin
Walls, Herman Gerdes, and
Bruce Gilbert. Their meet-
ing was held on July 31.
Brad Crockett, Chairman
of the Cameron County Farm
Bureau Membership Com-
mittee, met with members of
his committee on July 30
and outlined theirprocedure.
Local Road District
Tax Rate Reduced
Residents of the Mer-
cedes-LaVilla Road District
will get some tax relief next
year.
County commissioners
have set the tax rate at $3.06,
down from the previous
$3.21.
Several Youngsters
Take Junior Course
In Water Safety
Several youngsters are en-
rolled in the American Red
Cross Junior Life-Saving
classes now in progress at
the Mercedes Civic Center,
according to Bill Savarino,
manager.
The course is being con-
ducted by Mrs. Roger Young,
Red Cross water safety in-
structor, and Sharon Lom-
bard, Red Cross safety aide.
Enrolled in the 15-hour
course are: Gene McQueen,
Mike McQueen, Jim Bob
Wilt, Connie Edgeman,
Larry Herold, Chip Wilt,
David Norman Cass Hall,
Orrin Olson, Jenabeth Allen,
Billy Anderson, Larry Chan-
dler, Randy Aldridge, Car-
olyn Williams, Jim Kellar,
Kristin Olson, Linda Coats,
Buddy Heald, John Erving,
Robert Peynado, Rene Pey-
nado, Billy Irving and Chip
Sparrow.
Jesse M. Lancaster
Resident Nine Years
Succumbs Tuesday
Jesse Murry Lancaster,
95, died Tuesday night at
Ervin Courts, where he had
made his home for the past
nine years.
Born in Tennessee, he
came to the Valley in 1937.
He was a Mason and was
a member of the First Chris-
tian Church.
He is survived by a daugh-
ter, Mrs. Rachel Crail,
Muskogee, Okla,
Funeral services will be
held at 4 p.m. Friday in
Stotler Chapel with the Rev.
Conrad Kitchell, pastor of
the First Christian Church,
officiating. Burial will be at
Restlawn Memorial Park
with Masonic rites.
KIWANIAS MEET
Mercedes Kiwanians wil
hear a report on the Urban
Renewal project at their noon
meeting Thursday at The El
Sombrero. Director Gene
O’Shea will be the speaker.
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Harvey, J. Edwin. The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 47, No. 31, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 2, 1962, newspaper, August 2, 1962; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1091777/m1/1/: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.