The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1969 Page: 3 of 10
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Mercedes, Texas, Thursday, June 19, 1969
BIBLE LANDS, No. 14
Still in Athens
(An account of_ a post-
Christmas tour of the Bible
Lands continues ... by the Rev.
O. W. Sumerlin, pastor of the
First Baptist Church.)
We continue our tour of
ancient Athens in the com-
pany of the Apostle Paul.
If confusion and bewilder-
ment reigns in the presence
of the Parthenon, there is a
compounding of it at the
smaller temple, the Erech-
theon. This temple, like-
wise on the Acropolis, was
built in the 5th century B. C.
to house the shrines of the
most ancient worship.
In one of the rooms is an
altar to Butes, whose des-
cendants are shown In paint-
ings on the walls of the
room. But who could Butes
be? And what is the mean-
ing to be attached to a large
bronze lamp, the flame
which never goes out? And
what is one to make of the
legends of Poseidon's salt
water spring? What means
the marble statues of Athe-
nian women guarding the
tomb of Kekrops, an early
Athenian king? And why is
so much value place on a
little wooden altar to Athe-
nia Polias?
All of these idols of gold
and ivory, of silver and of
wood, do they not contradict
the claims of the Athenians
to superior wisdom? Are not
they evidence that the Athe-
nians stand in need of a re-
velation from God since by
wisdom they know not God?
Here in the holiest of all the
Grecian shrines, every bit
of space is crowded with
proofs of the haunting fears
and superstitions of the peo-
ple regarding gods that do
not exist. And just in case
some god has been over-
looked, there is an altar
erected “To the Unknown
God.** It is this “Unknown
God** that the Apostle is so
anxious to declare.
And declare Him, he must.
So distributed were the phil-
osophers by what they heard
from Paul that they called
him a “babbler** (King Ja-
mes Version). The Epi-
cureans of the day held to an
atomistic view of life. They
said that the atoms that con-
stituted the soul flew apart
at death and joined some
other form of matter. The
Stoics believed that at death
the human soul became a
part of the universal soul
in an impersonal sense.
These teachings were far
removed from that of the
Apostle. So they called him
a “babbler** (spermologos
in their language).
And what was a “bab-
bler?” A knowledge of it
may give some idea of how
the Christian faith was
thought of in that day. Ac-
cording to Sir Willaim Ram-
sey, an authority on that
period of history, a babbler
was “. . . a worthless fel-
low of low class and vulgar
habits with the insinuation
that he lives at the expense
of others, like those dis-
reputable persons who hand
around the markets and
quays in order to pick up
anything that falls from the
loads that are carried
about. Hense, as a term
in social slang, it connotes
absolute vulgarity and ina-
bility to rise above the
most contemptible standard
of life and conduct; it is
often connected with slave
life, for the 'Spermologos*
was near o the type of the
slave and below the level
of the free man; and there
clings to it the suggestion
of picking up refuse and
scraps, and in literature of
plagiarism without the cap-
acity to use correctly . . .
there lies the idea of one
who is 'out of the swim,*
out of the inner circle (not
“in** as we would say to-
day), one who lacks a tho-
rough knowledge and prac-
tice in the rules of the game
that mould the whole char-
acter and make it one’s na-
ture to act in the proper
way and play the game
fair.**
The philosophers of that
day are gone and so are
their philosophies. The
glory of ancient Athens lies
in ruins, but the Christian
faith lives on. But now the
"C hristian** philosophers
are seeking to do what the
Apostle never thought of do-
ing—making it conform to
secular ideas in order to
make it acceptable to pre-
sent society, the space age
at the moment. These would
tone it down, take away the
miraculous, shear it of its
power. So, thus Christian-
ity has moved into the realm
of the universities and be-
come emasculated. Ah,
Christianity, you have come
a long way, Baby!** Or
have you?
Last MF
Session To
Be June 26
The Mercedes Farm Bu-
reau will meet for the last
meeting of the year with an
ice cream social Thursday,
June 26, at 7:30 p.m. at the
lower level of the Merce-
des Civic Center.
Guest speaker will be
Paul Riherd, Area Entomol-
ogist of La Feria, who will
speak on current insect
problems.
Members will also select
a young lady as Farm Bu-
reau queen candidate and a
talent representative.
Any member's daughter
who wishes to participate
in the queen contest or talent
contest may contact Ray
Jones, president, at LO 5-
1035 prior to 7 p.m., Tues-
day, June 24.
DEPARTMENT STORES
Shoe
Clearance
REGULAR
7.00 VALUES
n°w499
NOW
ENTIRE
STOCK SPRING
FLATS, DRESS
AND CASUALS
(EXCEPT SANDALS-CANVAS)
REGULAR
5.00- 6.00 VALUE
3.99
REGULAR
8.00- 9.00-10.00
VALUES
6.99
This is it . . . the shoe sale of the season. Our entire stock of spring and
summer popular price shoes (except canvas and sandals) have been dras-
tically reduced. This collection includes our own Miss Jennifer label as
well as other top labels. Choose from assorted heel heights, colors and
styles to suit your summer mood. In Broken sizes, narrow and medium
widths.
REMEMBER TO SAY "CHARGE IT”
Mercedes Is...
a community fighting
a flood
by Bob Sanders <
squeeze
One of the best magazines of its type is the 'Tip-O-
Texan*, published by the Rio Grande Valley Chamber of
Commerce, with Marjorie Johnson as editor.
Marj does real well with the 'Tip*, just as she
does with publicity on the RGV Livestock Show and Ro-
deo, another of her many annual accomplishments.
MEMBERS OF THE VALLEY CHAMBER, and many
of its friends, receive copies of the magazine and all
should appreciate it for the unusually good production that
it is.
********
Pleased also with the leadership S. H» Collier of Mer-
cedes is exhibiting for the Valley Chamber this year. His
personal influence is evident in dozens of projects now
being pushed by that organization, from flood control to
sugar production.
MR. COLLIER IS DEEPLY CONCERNED with flood
control, as a prominent Valley citizen and as a Mercedes
resident who weathered the vicious blow of Hurricane Beu-
lah with the rest of us a year and a half ago and who then
watched floodwater rise in the Floodway to perilously
near the disaster stage. He was one of many wondering
if this community would be totally swept away by the
flood water which rushed south, west and north of us
through a Floodway system that had us trapped at the
fork of the channel.
He also wondered where most of us would go in case
of a flood disaster: Low-water F-M 491 was sealed to the
south, the new Expressway 83 was closed to the west,
Baseline Road was flooded to the north and there would
have been nothing but flooded highways through other-
flooded communities to the east.
HE IS TRYING to do something about springing those
traps, as is the Mid-Valley Community Committee—com-
posed of Chamber of Commerce people in Mercedes, Ed-
couch, Elsa, Weslaco, Donna and Progreso. Almost cer-
tain in the near years ahead is raising of the low-water
Expressway bridge across the North Floodway in Merce-
des to a high-water status and extension of Mile 2 West
across the Main Floodway channel southward to the Mil-
itary Highway and on to the Progreso bridge across the
Rio Grande. Safety and good business are significant fac-
tors in both projects.
May they all keep pushing.
********
On a related subject, letters from the Mercecjes
Chamber of Commerce to Senators Tower and Yarbo-
rough and to Representative de la Garza have produced
the following responses:
Yarborough and de la Garza pledge complete support
for restoration of $3.6 million originally allocated to the
International Boundary and Water Commission for first-
year expenditures in a five-year plan to flood-safe the
Floodway system, but removed from the budget by Pres-
ident Nixon for economy reasons. Tower says the pro-
ject is vital to both Texas and Mexico, but “it is import-
ant that government spending be held to a minimum”, so
he is asking the Senate Appropriation Committee to split
the difference and to place a total of $1.8 million in the
federal budget for the IBWC for the 1970 fiscal year.
WE*LL TAKE WHATEVER we can get, but we*d like
the full amount. Expenditures not dependent upon Con-
gressional appropriations already have been applied to
raising Floodway levees at Mercedes and re-defining the
division of flood waters to be sent in the future along the
Arroyo channel and up the North Floodway channel, but
many millions of dollars worth of Floodway improve-
ments remain to be made for the comfort and safety of
all Valley communities.
As S. H. Collier says in the current issue of the Val-
ley Chamber's 'Tip-O-Texan*: 'We are for economy in
government, and reduction in taxes and opposed to var-
ious give-away programs*, but “There are different kinds
of spending”, and Floodway renovation is too important,
to be slowed down by false economy.
********
It*s time for local school-type youngsters to call,
write or deliver their requests for summer work to the
Enterprise. We'll list your abilities and your willing-
ness in free ads, and hope that local citizens call upon
you for grass-mowing, baby-sitting, snow-shoveling, etc.
If you plan to be in school in September and if a few hours
or weeks of work this summer will help keep you headed
in that direction, we want to help.
PUBLIC NOTICE
NOTICE TO BIDDERS
Resurfacing of four (4)
Tennis Courts at 10th and
Ohio Street.
Mercedes, Texas
1. Sealed bids addressed
to the Mercedes Independent
School District will be re-
ceived at the Board Room at
the Mercedes Independent
School District Offices,
Mercedes, Texas, until 7:30
p.m., Tuesday, July 8, 1969,
and then and there publicly
opened and read aloud, for
the Resurfacing of four (4)
Tennis Courts, in accor-
dance with plans and specif-
ications prepared by the
Mercedes School District.
2. Plans and specifications
may be examined without
charge in the office of the
owner.
3. The contractor shall
state in his proposal the
date on which he will start
on this project and the num-
ber of calendar days from
date of starting to comple-
tion.
The owner reserves the
right to reject any or all
bids and to waive all
formalities.
Mercedes Independent
School District
By: N. K. Fitzgerald,
Superintendent
ltc-25
Day Care
Openings
There are openings for
10 additional 3, 4 and 5-
year-olds at Taylor Day
Care Center, and the Center
has a job-opening for a
cook, says Mrs. Grace Gar-
za, director.
Thirty youngsters have
been registered for daily
care there by their work-
ing mothers. The Center
has facilities for ^0 chil-
dren.
Children are entertained
and educated by trained per-
sonnel at the Center from
7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Mondays
through Fridays for work-
ing mothers of families with
'poverty - level’ incomes.
Poverty guidelines begin at
a maximum of $3,300 per
year for families of four.
Families of six may have
incomes of $4,400 and still
qualify.
And a lunch cook is need-
ed at the Center, to work
six hours a day, five days
a week.
Eligible mothers with
children they want to en-
roll, and cook prospects,
may obtain further infor-
mation from Mrs. Garza at
the Center, 120 Taylor
Drive. Prospective cooks
should apply between 3 and
5 p.m.
New Rule
On School
Transferees
Senate Bill No. 435, pas-
sed by the Sixty-First Tex-
as Legislature, changes the
regulations covering student
transfers from one school
district to another school
district. The new law pro-
vides that parental applica-
tions be submitted to the
receiving school district
with the receiving school
having the final authority
to approve or reject each
applicant for a transfer into
the district.
Due to delayed passage of
the law the State Board of
Education has extended the
regular date for the current
year to July 15, 1969. Par-
ents wishing to transfer stu-
dents into the Mercedes
School District should apply
no later than July 15 at the
Mercedes School Business
Office, 206 Sixth Street.
Further information may be
obtained by telephoning the
superintendent’s office, or
business office, Mercedes
Independent School District,
LO 5-2427.
UR Grant
First of Kind
The first Replacement
Housing Grant Payment by
the Mercedes Urban Renew-
al Agency was made this
week to David Elizondo
whose property was pur-
chased by the Urban Renew-
al Agency. Mr. Elizondo
received a grant in the
amount of $2,845. The grant
when added to the price paid
for his property in Urban
Renewal Project Tex, R-57
assisted Mr. Elizondo to
purchase a 'suitable stan-
dard dwelling*.
Mr. Elizondo purchased
the former home of Mrs.
Lena Terry, 228 South Vir-
ginia Avenue, in Mercedes.
Purpose of the Replace-
ment Housing Grant, provid-
ed by Congress, is to pro-
vide assistance to a dis-
placed owner-occupant to
purchase and occupy a suit-
able replacement dwelling.
Grants are not to exceed
Tie Mercedes Enterprise — Page 3
■jr
'DREAM GIRL' AT N. T.S.U-. -- Bertha Zuniga, a
North Texas State University junior and daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Joaquin Zuniga of Mercedes, was
chosen 'Dream Girl' of Theta Chi fraternity at a
formal dance shortly after the end of the school
year. She will be featured in the 1970 yearbook.
She is a member of Alpha Phi Sorority. ABOVE,
Bertha shows her 'Dream Girl' trophy.
Model For Conventioners
Four Mercedes high
school homemaking students
modeled garments at Rich-
ard's Sun Valley Motel in
Harlingen Saturday, June
14. The students modeled
informally around the
swimming pool for Texas
News Broadcaster's wives.
Janet Wood wore the gar-
ment she made in class at
Mercedes junior high school.
Janet won the seventh and
eighth grade division of the
All-Valley Schools Cotton
Sylvia Martinez modeled
the ensemble that won the
group prize of the Home-
making III Division at the
All-Valley Schools Cotton
Style Show.
Alma Banuelos, a Home-
making II student modeled a
sports outfit.
Mary Ann Garcia model-
ed a school dress which she
made as a Homemaking I
student.
The students were ac-
companied to the style show
by MHS homemaking teach-
All Merc
handise |
CLOSE
-OUT
Everything
Must Co! |
Our Entire Stock 1
Priced at Cost! |
THE MERCEDES WESTERN AUTO STORE
IS CLOSING ITS DOORS FOREVER. ALL
STOCK MERCHANDISE WILL BE SOLD AT
COST. BUY NOW SUCH ITEMS AS RADIOS,
PHONOGRAPHS, CAMPING AND BOATING
EQUIPMENT, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD
SUPPLIES AND MUCH MORE. OUR LOSS
CAN BE YOUR GAIN IF YOU ACT NOW.
SHOP WHILE SELECTIONS ARE STILL
GOOD AT WESTERN AUTO IN MERCEDES.
WESTERN AUTO
224 S. TEXAS
MERCEDES
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 54, No. 25, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1969, newspaper, June 19, 1969; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1105426/m1/3/: accessed June 23, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.