The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 22, 1992 Page: 2 of 26
twenty six pages : ill. ; page 23 x 15 in. Scanned from physical pages.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
1
Mercedes, Texas 78570 Wednesday, April 22, 1992
Page 2 -- The Mercedes Enterprise
Check or Money Order enclosed for:
Name
Address
Citv. State, Zip
he
yews
No. 48
MERCEDES, TEXAS, FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 1929
VOL. VI
A DUD
1.
2.
5.
L.
6.
and
7.
8.
9.
Against Fruit
V
driver, said to be
_ of
Pagesfrom the Past
Two years, $17.50
Two years, $21.00
APPROPRIATIONS
WITH COMM IT TEES
Funds For Use Between
Now and Sept. 1 ; Us-
ual Funds Increased
ALL FORCES
EMPLOYED IN
PEST FIGHT
LEGISLATURE
BUSY WITH
J. T. ROBISON
Solons Appropriate
$15,000 For Fight
PRODUCTION
STARTED IN
PLANT HERE
WATER RATE
HIKE ASKED
BY COMPANY
Mediterranean Fly Is
Most Serious Problem
Since Boll Weevil
Flower Tree And
Shrub Prizes Are
Awarded Winners
This reproduction of a page from an Enterprise file issue
reflects news and lifestyles from Mercedes1 rich past
Citrus Fruit Box Was
Discussed At The
, Gathering
&
$1,729,243 OFFER
HAS BEEN REFUSED
One of the most recent additions
to the senior high school lawn is a
very attractive lawn seat purchas-
ed with the prize money from the
Business and Professional Women’s
Club in the yard beautification con-
test plus a donation from the local
Girl Reserve Club.
The senior high school lawn won
the title of the most beautiful school
lawn in the entire Mercedes school
system. An additional prize of $3
was won for the most beautiful and
attractive beds of orange lantana
in Mercedes.
The planning and planting of the
senior and junior high school lawns
has been under the supervision of
Mrs. G. G. Commons assisted by
Mr. Keelty.
audience.
Introductory exercises—Exalt-
ed Ruler and officers.
Prayer—chaplain.
Song, “Columbia the Gem of
the Ocean”—High School Cho-
ral Club. >
“History of the Flag”—R. H.
Kern.
Song, “Auld Lang Syne”—Of-
ficers and members. ..
Neither the date nor the place for
a hearing on the application of the
American Rio Grande Land and Ir-
Response—Exalted Ruler
T. Hoyt. .
Altar Service—Esquire
officers.
Californians Say
Valley To Benefit
By Fly Quarantine
Valley Should Grow Its
Own Produce During
Summer Months
School Yard Prize
Money Buys Piece
Of Lawn Furniture
Company Officials Say
Rates Asked Based on
6 Per Cent Return _
New Operator At
Local M. P. Depot
We hope you enjoy this Enterprise feature, as well as the rest of your
hometown paper. If you would like to subscribe or send a gift subscription,
fill out the form below and return it to The Enterprise, P.O. Box 657,78570.
When truth or virtue an affront
endures,
Th' affront is mine, my friend,
and should be yours.
—Pope, in Epilogue to Satires
Manufacturers And
Shippers Meet At
Harlingen Monday
eradication IS
ONLY SOLUTION
Borderland Is Now
Remodelling Store
Recently Vacated
250Witnesses Summon-
ed in Impeachment of
Commissioner
The program in full follows:
Song, “America”—Band and
Esteemed Pioneer Citi-
zen Dies at Horne Here
After Brief Illness
WANT ADS IN
THE “NEWS” ALWAYS
BRING RESULTS
Elks Will Have Flag
Day Program in Park
Here Friday Evening
Flag day will be observed here by
the Elks club with a patriotic pro-
gram to be given this evening in
the city park, beginning at 8 o’-
clock. The program will be preceded
by a band concert by the club band.
Hon Chas. Mayfield of Harlingen
will deliver the principal address.
Boy Scout Troop
Three Will Have A
Meeting Tuesday
Factory Expects To Be
In Full Production
By July 1
RENEWAL
NEW
SUBSCRIPTION
B. and P.W. Club Gives
Final Awards In
Contest
Emigrant Labor Agent
Bill May Be Amended
By Solons
State Board Sets July
8th for Hearing On
Application
Weslaco Firemen
Attend Convention
Brownsville Plans
- Elaborate Fourth of
July Celebration
IN THE VALLEY -- One year, $12.50
OUT OF THE VALLEY- One year, $15.50
rigation Company for an increase
Airs”— in the irrigation rates for the lands
embraced by the system had been
10. Patriotic Address—Hon. Chas.
Mayfield, Harlingen.
11. Song, “Star Spangled Banner”
band and audience.
Funeral Services
Held Thursday for
Judge J. P. Gause
First Buttons Manufac-
tured in Texas Are
Turned Out Here
FACTORYEMPLOYS
30 LOCAL PEOPLE
The Texas avenue building next
to the Borderland Hardware Com-
pany, which belongs to that con-
cern, and was recently vacated by
Baum and Westerman, is being ex-
tensively remodelled.
The front has been torn out and
will be replaced, a new ceiling is
being put in, and the walls and floor
will be refinished. It is understood
that the Borderland will utilize the
building although E. E. Johnson,
the manager, stated Thursday that
no announcement was ready at this
time regarding the property.
Felosion posts and Boy scout troops
from every city in the Valley will
take part in a huge parade which is
to be formed in Brownsville Thurs-
day, July 4, in connection with tile
second annual Valley-wide Indepen-
dence day celebration.
First announcement of the prelim-
inary program was made today by
Harry L. Faulk, chairman of the
committee in charge. More than 200
members of the Legion and Boy
Scouts as well as veterans of other
wars, will take part in the parade
and a barbecue to be held on the
banks of the Rio Grande in Fort
Brown.
An exhibition at the muncipal air-
port, details of which are now being
worked out, is expected to be one of
the outstanding attractions. Stunts,
- daylight ‘fireworks display, and par-
achute maneauvers, will be included.
“The Court of the Far East” is
the title of an oriental water pag-
eant which is to be the feature of
the night program. Ten elaborately
decorated floats will participate.
Every city in the Valley will send
a duchess to be picked from the
prominent, families. The duchess and
her attendants will take part in the
pageant and other functions.
More fireworks at night, a dance
at the El Jardin hotel, to honor the
queen of the pageant, are among
other features.
G. E. McCord arrived Monday
from Opelousas, Louisiana to take
up his duties as operator at the
Missouri Pacific depot taking the
place of H. C. Landry who has been
transferred to Opelousas.
Mr. McCord has acted as .opera-
tor at the Missouri-Pacific depot
at Opellousas for the past two
years, having formerly held a posi-
tion as agent on the Southern Pa-
cific Lines in Riverside, California
for sixteen years. Mr. Landry has
been the operator at the Mercedes
depot for the past three months.
A number of Weslaco firemen
left Sunday evening to attend the
State convention of Firemen which
is being held at Galveston this week.
Those attending are: Chief E. D.
Ford, C. H. Perkins, Mack Gal-
braith, Irby Ford, and V. B. Ross.
They also expect to attend a school
of instruction which will be held
immediately after the convention.
The long heralded ar-
ticle in Collier’s Weekly on
the political situation in
Hidalgo county has at last
appeared. It is what we
would call a dud. It does
nothing more than rehash
a lot of stuff that has
been milled over for the
past several years and it
has been revivified in ev-
ery election until now it is
fully grown over with
moss. It is something -
that people away from
here do not care anything
about and locally they are
tired of hearing that stuff
over and over again.
It is our judgment this
is about the poorest ex-
cuse we have seen for an.
article in a national week-
ly.
By HARRY L. SEXTON.
Washington, June 12.—The Med-
iterranean fruit fly presents the
most complex problem and the great-
est emergency with which the Unit-
ed States Department of Agricul-
ture has been confronted in all the
years that have elapsed since the
boll weevil invaded the cotton belt.
Officials of the plant quarantine
board frankly admit that eradica-
tion of the pest, one of the most de-
structive known, presents a problem
of incalculable magnitude. Every
resource of the department has been
mobilized for the battle, but they
are' fighting a- terrific handicap, with
no definite knowledge as to the ex-
tent of the infestation or where the
enemy will next appear.
Approximately two-thirds of the
Florida citrus fruit crop had been
marketed before the Mediterranean
fruit fly was discovered and report-
ed, and to what extent the larva of
the pest was distributed over the
fruit belt of the Southland is un-
known. To the credit of the plant,
quarantine board of the U. S. De-
partment of Agriculture it,must be
said' they acted promptly. 3 There
was. no delay when the pest was dis-
covered. Within an hour after the
report was received from Orlando
by Dr. C. L. Marlatt, head of the
•plant quarantine board, the tele-
graph wires to Florida were busy.
The Florida state plant board was
assembled within 24 hours, and the
state had promulgated its rules, and
the call by the federal board for a
hearing was issued within two days
after the momentous discovery.
There can be no criticism of the
manner in which Dr. Marlatt and
his aides have handled the quaran-
tine. They have mobilized in Flori-
da and adjoining states the largest
force of workers and inspectors ever
assembled by the department. Every
avenue is guarded; the plant quar-
antine force, both in Washington and
in the field, are waging the battle
day and night, but as to what the
outcome will be only time can tell.
Infestation May be Widespread.
There are two factors replete with
potential danger to the fruit indus-
try of the entire. Southland-the
fact that heavy shipments had been
made prior to discovery of the pest;
and, second, the fact that unlike the
Morelos fruit: fly, the new pest will
attack almost every variety of
fruit and vegetable indigenous to
the Southern area of the United
States. The fight to eradicate the
Morelos fly in the Valley, while it
presents numerous problems, is a
mere skirmish in comparison with
the battle now being waged to erad-
icate the Mediterranean fruit fly.
Investigations .by the Department of
Agriculture, extending over a per-
iod of 25 'years, reveal that while
the latter pest propagates princi-
pally in citrus fruits, it will, when
such fruits are not available, attack
almost all varieties of other fruits
and vegetables.
Establishment of a quarantine on
citrus fruit alone will not win the
battle, and the plant quarantine
board has recognized this fact by
(See ALL FORCES, page 14)
Austin, June 13.—For fighting the
Mediterranean fruit fly in Texas be-
tween now and September 1, an
emergency appropriation of $15,000
will be available.
The senate Wednesday passed the
Montgomery - Johnson - Dunlap bill
making this appropriation, the house
having passed it a few days before.
For the same purpose after ’Sep-
tember 1, when the next fiscal year
-begins, an amendment has been
adopted by both houses, raising the
regular $12,500 yearly appropriation
providing for inspection and eradica-
tion of citrus canker and Mexican
fruit fly, to $25,000 per year for the
biennium. The language of the
measure was changed to include also
the Mediterranean fly.
Representatives W. R. Montgom-
ery of Edinburg, A. P. Johnson of
Carriza Springs and E. D. Dunlap of
Kingsville sponsored both of these
measures in the house, and Senator
Archer Parr of Benavides handled
them in the senate.
The ' emergency appropriation
gives the state department of agri-
culture $15,000 to be used “as an
emergency fund to pay, salaries and
traveling expenses of inspectors and
general office expenses of the de-
partment, and to pay damages for
fruit destroyed because of infesta-
tion of the Mediterranean fruit fly,
and to pay for labor and other claims
in the destruction of infested citrus
fruit.”
As reason for the emergency
clause, it is recited that Florida fruit
containing the fly has been widely
distributed over the state, requiring
additional inspectors to trace and
find the fruit and destroy it.
It is considered virtually certain
that both the emergency appropria-
tion and the $25,000 addition to the
department of agriculture appropria-
tion will be approved by the gover-
ndr.
Judge John P. Gause, 64 years of
age, esteemed pioneer citizen of
Mercedes, and the Valley, and the
oldest member of the Hidalgo coun-
ty bar, died at his home here 'Tues-
day morning at 7 o’clock after a
very brief illness. Judge Gause be-
came ill Monday morning-and re-
mained at his home during the day,
although his condition was not con-
sidered .serious. Early Tuesday
morning his condition became se-
rious and he died a short time aft-
erward..
Funeral services were held yester-
day afternoon at 4 o’clock from the
Methodist church, of which he was
one of the stewards, with Rev. M.
H. Keen preaching the sermon, and
the Elks, conducting the . services.
Hundreds of friends from all over
the Valley were present. Active
pallbearers were E. H. Kasey, H. T.
Tidmore, C. A. Carlson, G. K. Watt-
son, W. F. Shaw and H. J. Menton,,
all of Mercedes.
Honorary pallbearers included the
following:
Mercedes—D. W. Glasscock, Fred
E. Bennett, Jas. H. Anderson, H. D.
Lauderdale and W. F. Stedman.
Weslaco—R. E. Erwin, M. L. Dew,
M. F, Armstrong, Chas. Thompson,
and Luther Hughes. . •
Donna—Harry M. Carroll and
Walter Weaver.
San Juan—Oliver C. Aldrich and
W. H. Gossage.
Pharr—L. J. Polk.
McAllen—E. A., McDaniel, R. M.
Bounds, Gordon Griffin, B. D. Kim-
brough, J. E. Leslie and Cecil Ful-
ton.
Mission—C. F. Dohrn, D. F.
Strickland, Vernon Hill, H. F.
Bishop, Roy Buckley and J. Q.
Henry. - 1
Edinburg-—George P. Brown, A.
W. Cameron, Hood Boone, Neal A.
Brown, J. F. Carl, W. R. Montgom-
ery, J. C. Epperson, Earnest Smith,
A. F. Buchannan, Jr., and W. H.
Sadler.
Harlingen—DuVal West, Jr., A.J.
Rabel, A. W. Cunningham and Chas.
Mayfield..
Brownsville—Jas. A. Graham, F.
W. Seabury, V. W. Taylor, Oscar
Dancy, A. M. Kent, J. C. George,
John Kleiber, Herbert Davenport,
William S. West, H. B. Galbraith,
Joe Wells, F. W. Kibbe and J. T.
Canales.
Judge Gause was born in Lauder-
dale county, Tennessee, and came
to the Valley 18 years ago from
Memphis, Tenn., in the capacity of
general counsel for the American
Rio Grande Land and Irrigation
Company, the position be held from
that time until 1925. He was con-
sistently connected and identified
with the development of Mercedes
and the Valley, being active in all
civic and community work. He was
one of the' most popular attorneys
practicing law in the Southwest and
had an intimate knowledge of the
Valley and its early history.
Judge Gause was a member of the
local Elks lodge and active in that
work; he also was a member of the
Odd Fellows and Knights of Pyth-
ias lodges; the Kiwanis club; and
was recently elected president of
the Tennessee club of the Valley.
At the time of his death he was the
senior member of the law firm of
Gause and Kirkpatrick.
He is survived by his wife, two
daughters, a brother and a sister.
The daughters are Miss Minnie Elma
Gause and Mrs. Walter Gorman of
Memphis, Tenn. His brother is H. C.
Gause of Tunica, Miss., and his sis-
ter Mrs. W. M. Palmer of Memphis.
Austin, June 13.—Beginning of
the Robison impeachment investiga-
tion by the house, and virtual com-
pletion of initial passage of the gen-
eral appropriation bills by both
houses, are the principal chapters of
the legislative story written by the
second called session this week.
The “grand jury” hearing of char-
ges lodged in the house against J.
T. Robison, aged commissioner of
the general land office, was begun
Thursday morning by that body, sit-
ting as a committee of the whole.
About 250 witnesses have been sum-
moned, including Governor Dan
Moody, former Governor James E.
Ferguson, who was impeached him-
self in 1917; Attorney General
Claude Pollard,, and other notables.
While general expectations 'are
that the investigation will require
considerable time—probably as long
as two weeks .or more—Speaker W.
S. Barron has expressed the hope
that it will not delay legislation
very much. The appropriation bills
have been pushed into free confer-
ence committees, and the commit-
tees may work on them while the
main body of the house is hearing
testimony; The hearing began in
regular legislating hours, but prob-
.ably will be continued mostly at
nights and perhaps other spare
hours. .
Meanwhile, most of the other ma-
jor legislation before this. session is
virtually at a standstill, and the
concensus of opinion among the law-
makers is that few of the import-
ant matters submitted by the gover-
nor will go boom unless a third ses-
sion is called to act on them. In
this category are prison concentra-
tion, public utilities regulation, in-
come tax, blue sky law revision, and
highway revenues. The last men-
tioned issue probably stands the best
chance of action, with a prospect of
motor registration fees being re-
duced 35 per cent, and the gasoline
tax boosted to 3 cents per'gallon.
Public utilities control already has
been killed in the senate by an ad-
verse committee report, and steads
little chance of being passed even
should the house pass a bill on the
subject the senate hardly would do
anything with it.
Despite Governor Moody’s warn-
ing last week that even the lower
set of appropriation bills offered in
the house exceeded the prospective
state income for the ensuing bien-
nium, the house has. proceeded to
add about a quarter million to the
measures. And the senate bills,
which exceed those of the house by
more than $10,000,000 in the aggre-
gate, have likewise been augmented
materially on the floor. .
First final passage of the money
measure is only the initial step; The
big. fights will come when the con-
ference committees essay to recon-
cile the vast differences betweeri
them, and the houses then try to
agree on the committee reports.
Both houses have agreed upon an
additional appropriation of $25,000
for the next two years to fight the
Mediterranean fruit fly, as well as
a $15,000 emergency appropriation
to make up for regular funds which
it has been necessary to spend al-
ready to meet the Florida fruit sit-'
uation.
Another measure of interest to
the Valley which is making progress
in the legislature and probably will
be enacted, is a pair of companion'
bills sponsored by Representative A.
P. Johnson of 'Carrizo Springs, to
replace the emigrant labor bill pass-
ed during the first called session.
These bills are designed to over-
come objections, possibly fatal, rais-
ed against the original measure in
the injunction suit filed by the
Michigan Sugar company, to restrain
Texas from enforcing it.
One of the objections is the huge
state license fee of $5,000 levied
upon those who take Mexican la-
borers from Texas for use in other
states. It is considered possible
that this fee might be held uncon-
stitutional, as being prohibitive. So
in the new bill the fee is fixed at
only $1000, which Mr. Johnson feels
will accomplish practically the same
purpose.
The other bill meets objections to
the provisions of the original meas-
ure relating to interstate commerce.
The house of representatives re-
sembled a district court room Thurs-
day morning as the impeachment
investigation got under way. A spe-
cial platform has been constructed
(See LEGISLATURE, page 9)
Executive Board
Of B. and P. W. Club
Has Last Meeting
The executive board of the Bus-
iness and Professional Women’s
Club held its last meeting Thursday
night in Miss Ettie Ivey’s cottage
on Virginia avenue. Mrs. R. Meeker
presided in the absence of Mrs. H.
E. Sugg, president. Plans were made
for the installation of the new offi-
cers at the next monthly meeting
of the club. Miss Julia O’Brien of
Brownsville, first vice-president of
the state federation will act as in-
stalling officer at this service. The
remaining business of the year dur-
ing which the present officers have
served was discussed and will be
presented to the club members at
the next banquet.
The new board, presided over by
Miss Beth Garrett, president-elect,
will meet Wednesday night July 3.
“California growers are unan-
imous in the opinion that Texas
is too lax in it’s inspection ser-
vice to prevent the Mediterran-
ean fly entering the state,” W.
L. Bradbury stated Wednesday
morning upon his return from
the National Shriners Convention
at Los Angeles. Mr. Bradbury
was gone about ten days and
during that time has visited many
sections of California.
“Even the porters on the trains
are searched when, they enter
California and the people there
seem aware of the dangers of
infestation from Florida, for they
are certainly taking every pre-
caution,” Mr. Bradbury continu-
ed. “Californians say that if Tex-
as does not become infested veg-
etables and fruit this winter
should reach new high levels,
and as most of the fruit is rais-
ed in the Valley, it will mean
prosperity for this section.”
Troop three of the local Boy
Scouts will have a meeting Tues-
day night at 8 o’clock. The follow-
ing program has been planned for
that time: Scout oath led by Philip
Lentz; roll call; business; twenty-
minute Scout school, including ques-
tions, contests and tests; games;
and watermelon feast.
set by the State Board of Water
Engineers late Thursday afternoon.
The petition was filed with the board
several days ago and July 8 had
been tentatively named as the date
but this was withdrawn later.
The company has asked for a flat
rate of $6 per acre on the entire
system and $3 per acre for each
watering of $3 per acre foot where
meters are used. At the present
time the charge is $4.50 flat rate
per acre per annum with $1.50 per
acre per irrigation and a charge of
$2 per acre foot for water where
measured.
In the petition to the water board
it is set out that the present rates
were fixed in 1922 when the board
placed the valuation of the property
at $2,946,498 and that since that time
the company has spent approximate-
ly $1,000,000 on improvements to
the system and that the rates asked
for will approximate a six per cent
return on the investment;
“The offer of the Board of Direc- -
tors of this writer district of $1,-
729,243 was refused promptly upon
presentation to the officers of this
company,” H. B. Seay, vice-presi-
dent, stated Wednesday. “As the
offer stated it was a final one, the
American company has treated this
as ending negotiations and has filed
this application for an increase in
water rates. - The rates fixed by the
Water Board in 1922 were supposed
to pay our operating expenses and
provide a six per cent return on the
investment of approximately $3,000,-
000. Since then we have spent about
$1,000,000 in betterments on, the
property. These rates fixed in 1922
do not pay us a six per cent return
on a* $3,000,000 investment, much
less $4,000,000, and it is our purpose
in these proceedings to so increase
the rates as to give us a reasonable
return on our investment The of-
fer of the Board of Directors is so
low that it is ridiculous and ab-
surd.” .
' It is understood that the Board of
Directors were inclined to assume a
more reasonable attitude regarding
the valuation of the district but
that they were influenced by the so-
called "Committee of Fifteen,” ap-
pointed during the time the farmers
of the district were fighting a rate
increase through the courts last year
and later acted in an advisory ca-
pacity in forming the irrigation dis-
trict. This committee has not dis-
banded..
The farmers on the system desire
to purchase the property because
they believe better results could be
obtained from a farmer-owned and
operated system, and it is the general
opinion among the landowners of
the district, to place a reasonable
valuation on the property but the
course of proceedings is now ‘affect-
(See WATER RATES, page 14)
Closing Exercises
Of Bible School To
Be Held Tonight
The closing exercises for the
daily vacation Bible school which
has been conducted at the grammar
school building by the First Presby-
terial Church for the past two weeks
will be held in the grammar school
auditorium tonight at 8 o’clock. The
program will demonstrate the na-
ture of the work done by the school.
The total number of children en-
rolled in the school was 106 and the
teaching staff consisted of Miss El-
la Hesse of San Antonio, who had
charge of the school: beginners de-
partment: Mrs. Walter Collier, Mrs
William Copeland, Mrs. Ed Yates, i
and Miss Sylvia Ewing; in the pri-
mary department: Mrs. L. D. Mat- i
thews, Mrs. W. W. DeCell, and Miss
Mary Lee Kern; in the junior de- :
partment: Miss Hesse and Miss !
Dorothy 'Edwards; intermediate de-
partment: the Rev. C. P. Owen, pas-'
tor of the Presbyterian church and
Rev. Tom Massie, pastor of'the
First Christian church. Other as-
sistants are: Mrs. Ruth Shotwell, in
charge of the music; Mrs. T. H. Pol-
lard and B. F. Byers in charge of
the handicraft work; Mrs. C. P.
Owen, Bible story telling; - Ernest
Schrank, Bible story illustrator; and
Miss Helen Lick, secretary of the
school./
Car and Liquor Are
Taken By Officers on
Military Highway
An automobile with a full cargo
of liquor aboard was seized and the
With a force of 80 people at work,
the first buttons ever manufactured
in Texas were turned out at the
plant of the Continental Button com-
pany here last week when that com-
pany began actual ■ operations. Of-
ficials of the company have been in
the Valley since the early part of
the year, had leased their building
on Illinois avenue, near Fourth
street, purchased machinery, and
for the past two months have been
engaged in placing and setting up
their machinery. Much delay was oc-
casioned by machinery arriving here
in a damaged condition. :
At present the company is oper-
ating 24 of their 48 machines but
as fast as the workers can be trained
other machines are placed in opera-
tion. From six to twelve new work-
ers are added weekly and by July 1
the plant is expected to be operating
at full capacity.
At present the plant is not equip-
ped with machinery to punch eye-
lets and- put the high finish on the
buttons so the local product is being
shipped to Muscatine, Iowa, the but-1
ton center of the United States, for
finishing. This finishing machinery
will be installed as soon as : .the
workers here become expert in the
operations which they now perform.
The buttons are being manufac-
tured from mussel shells collected
from the canals, lakes and resacas
all over the Valley. Concessions have
r been obtained to remove the shells
from these different bodies of wat-
er, and from 50 to 60 men comprise
the field force collecting the raw
materials. These men wade into the
water and gather the shells from the
bottoms. Where a body of water
is deep diving , helmets are used. The
shell is loaded into trucks and
- brought to the plant here.
The first operation in the plant
s is placing the shells into large vats
^ where they are boiled until opened.
— They are then placed on tables and
the inside meat is removed, after
, which a drying process is gone
through, which makes the shell brit-
tle. In order to soften them enough
for cutting purposes they are placed
• in large vats of water to soak. When
softened sufficiently they are dried
by means. of machinery and then
are ready for the cutting machinery.
Each machine resembles a lathe
somewhat. The saws are circular,
. .the size of the button to be cut, and
revolve very rapidly. The shell is
placed in large forceps by the op-
erator and held between the saw
. and a backstop, the saw being then
pushed through the shell. All the
time fine sprays of water pour onto
. the saw and shell to prevent heating.
- The sawed out button drops into a
container below the machine, and is
later sorted for size again by ma-
chinery.
p An interesting side operation is
.. (See- PRODUCTION, page 14)
The meeting which took up,
among other things, the standard-
ization of' the Texas citrus box,
turned out to be an almost all-day
affair. It was held at the Reese-
Wil-Mond hotel in Harlingen, and
lasted from ten in the morning un-
til three forty-five that afternoon,
with an hour off for lunch. Mr.
Bordelon, assistant freight manager
for the Missouri Pacific Lines, act-
ed as chairman, being assisted by
Mr. Wilson' of the' Southern Pacific
Lines. In addition, there were also
present J. A. Lawson, representing
the Service Bureau, of the Interstate
commerce commission, Mr.. Grady,
secretary of the Association of
American wooden-box manufactur-
ers,, and Mr. Lorian of the Freight
Container bureau.
In general the meeting took up
three main topics; changes and ad-
ditions to the container tariff, load-
ing rules on various packages, and
discussion of citrus fruit containers.
Under the first topic the discussion
centered mainly around different ty-
pes of boxes; their merit and faults.
It was agreed that there should be
an estimate made of the average
weight pending any weighing tests
which might be conducted. This was
done in order that there might be
something to put into tariff on the
subject. Furthermore, it was de-
cided that these tests might be made
during the coming season at three
different periods.
There was very ’little discussion
over the loading rules, contrary to
the expectations of many who at-
tended the meeting,, and the talk fi-
nally turned to the subject of the
citrus fruit box. Here it was brought
up that there are three types of
boxes used in the Valley, in gener-
al.’These are the Florida; the Cal-
ifornia, and a hybrid which has
something of the characteristics of
the two others. The Florida and the
California boxes have resulted in
fewer claims than the others, their
rate being far below the average.
At this point it was decided that
it would be highly inadvisable for
any attempt to be made towards ev-
olving a distinctive type of box for
Texas; that is,, it would be best to
retain the inside dimensions of 12x
12x12. The meeting at last took up
the subject of standardization, but
found that any efforts to arrive at
such would be impossible' at pres-
ent. -
In connection with the discussion
of the citrus fruit box some of the
railroad men present called the at-
tention of the shippers present to
the fact that a car of citrus which
arrived in the hands of the receiver
in good shape brought a better price
than a car which had been badly
and inefficiently loaded. It was al-
so shown that efficient loading
methods raise the efficiency of re-
frigeration to a marked degree.
Mention was made of the fine
cooperation which had been given
the Freight Container Bureau, the
Interstate commerce commission,
and the railroads concerned by the
shippers of the Valley. About sixty
shippers and box manufacturers
were present at the meeting.
Music, “Southern
Band.
Prizes for the most beautiful in-
dividual flowers, trees and shrubs in
the yards entered in the yard beau-
tification contest sponsored by the
Business and Professional Women’s
club of this city were mailed out to
the winners the latter part of this
week.
■ The list, of prizes announced by
the judges,William Coe, H. T. Tid-
more and E. B. Witmer is:
$10, Purple Bougainvillaea—Mrs.
H. E. Hager.
$10, Poinsettias—Mrs. Oscar Ro-
man.
$10, Hibiscus—Mrs. Ray Tolson.
$5 to individual planting greatest
number' hibiscus during season, Mrs.
G. K. Reiss..
$10, Yelow Cosmos—No beds wor-
thy of prize.
$10, Zinnias (Best effect with bed
in relation to rest of yard)—-Mrs.
M. Agnew.
$5, Zinnias—Mrs. Bill Anderson.
.$3, Zinnias (Best individual spec-
imen)—Mrs. J. P. Gause..
$5, Best planting of trees—Mrs.
S. H. Collier.
$10, Best rose garden (uniform-
ity and the relation of the garden
to the rest of the yard was consid-
ered)—Mrs. Paul Wolf.
$5, second prize for rose garden
—Mrs. C. E. Blankenship.
$3, for best individual specimen—
Mrs. Jack Trollinger.
$5, for the best planting of palms
this season—Mrs. G. K. Reiss.
$3, most attractive window box—
Mrs. T. W. McQueen.
$5, nasturtiums—Mrs. T. W. Mc-
Queen.
$3, most beautiful hedge-—Mrs.
John Herndon.
$5, most beautiful' lawn—Mrs. J.
E. Haynes.
$5, wild olive planted within the
past two vears—Mrs. E. E. Johnson.
^u, Queen’s wreath—Mrs. Hughes
Evans.
$2, Honeysuckle—Mrs. C. A.
Rouse.
$3, Morning Glory—Mrs. R. J.
Meeker.
$5, Sweet Peas—Mrs. Paul Wolf.
, $3, Hollyhont-s—Mrs. M. Agnew.
, $2, Turk’s Cap—Mrs. Oscar Rom-
an.
$5, Plumbago—Mrs. N. E. Tucker.
$5, Verbenas—Mrs. R. W. An-
drews.
$3, Petunias—Mrs. J. H. Free-
man
$2, Periwinkle—Mrs. C. E. Blank-
enship. ..
$5, Geraniums—Mrs. D. T. Camp-
bell.. .
$5, Balsam—Mrs. Joe Brooks.
$5, Phlox first prize—Mrs. Chas.
Saladino.
$2. Water Lilies—Mrs. H. E. Ben-
net.
$2, • ative Laurel-—Miss Beth Gar-
rett.
$3, Larkspur—Mrs. Fred Bennett.
$3, Snapdragons—Mrs. G. K.
Wattsoa,
so, - lame Vine—Mrs. Wallace Al-
len.
$3, Dahlia—Mrs. Bill Coe.
$5, Ferns—Mrs. Mary Marrow.
(See FLOWER TREE, page 8)
this city, was arrested Wednesday
afternoon when custom officers in-
tercepted the consignment on the
military highway near the baseline
road south of Mercedes. The liquor
was being brought to Mercedes. .
The car contained 210 pints of
Mescal, 4 quarts of Habanero, 11
quarts of Aguiente, and two 5-gal-
lon tins of Mescal. Custom Inspec-
tors Marcus Hines, Roy Harrell and
'John Pace made the seizure and ar-
rest. This is said to be the third
time that * ... has been arrested
for transporting liquor.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 81, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, April 22, 1992, newspaper, April 22, 1992; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1614168/m1/2/: accessed July 9, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.