Mercedes News-Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, June 8, 1934 Page: 1 of 8
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VOLUME XXI
MERCEDES, TEXAS, FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1934.
NUMBER 22.
III
Our Home
Town
By The Editor
WHEN NEXT WEEK’S paper
reaches you, ye editor will be in
Dallas attending the Texas Press
Association convention. We are on
the program to discuss “Promotion
of a Newspaper”. We shall discuss
building goodwill, prestige, selling
the paper as a whole, community
service, and aggressive editorials,
or, at least, these are the points
Deskins Wells, a former college mate
who is chairman of the program
'committee, has suggested. The first
time we appealed on the program
of the Press Association was nine
.years ago while a student of the
University of Texas, our subject be-
ing “Schools of Journalism.” That
year the association met at Tyler.
Since then we have been on the pro-
gram at Wichita Falls and Corpus
Christi. The best vacation you can
take is to attend a convention of
your‘profession. These conventions
are supposed to be educational, but
there never was an educational con-
vention and.there never will be. At
a convention you enjoy the fellow-
ship and friendship of other mem-
bers of your line of endeavor and
often make good and sometimes
useful friends. Everyone ought to
set aside a few days in the year for
friendship’s sake. Then, it is good
to get out of your home town for
awhile. If you are not tired of see-
ing your fellow townsmen, you may
be certain that they are tired of see-
ing you. After .you return-, everyone
feels better.
J. G. LEAR, MERCEDES’ dandy
city secretary, has returned from
Austin, where he got the job, done
to fix up our sewerage disposal
plant. The R. F. C. has been sup-
posed to do that for a Iqng time, but
the inefficiency of the county or-
ganization has prevented. -They
have been saying that the “money
will be here tomorrow”, but tomor-
row never came. Finally, Mr. Lear
went to Austin to the R. F. C. head-
quarters, brought a government man
down here to inspect things, and got
the project officially approved. Work
on the job will really start immedi-
ately. - Mr. Lear is a city secretary
who does not subscribe to the old
adage, “to the victor belongs the
spoils,” but to the more modern and
proper adage, “by their fruits ye
shall know them.”
* * *
THIS BUSINESS OF putting
every no-account fellow on thecity,
county, State, and federal pay roll
is passe. Before President Roosevelt
finishes his first term, this fact will
be recognized everywhere. A person
should feel that the same degree of
efficiency, energy, and conscientious
service is expected of him while on
the public payroll as is expected of
someone working for the Hidalgo
County Bank & Trust Co. or the
Southland Insurance Company of
Mercedes. In the past the govern-
ment never has been conducted on
a business-like basis, but you can
bet your last dollar that it will be
in the future.
* * *
THAT WE ARE BECOMING
more business-like in politics and in
government is emphasized by the
flock of local candidates who have
been electioneering in Mercedes this
week. Bill Lemen, Tom Hester, Bob
Daniel,' Mrs. Fred H. Wright, Bob
Lyon, Judge R. E. Erwin, and Ollie
Bridges are among those we have
noticed. No one has heard any of
these candidates solicit support on
the basis of sympathy or because
they needed the job. They all stress
their qualifications, experience,
economy, and desire to’ be fair and
impartial to all, if elected. Our can-
didates are all friendly and gracious
to the extreme, most of them much
more friendly than they were last
year. Furthermore, in a few years
this former practice of adroitly buy-
ing the votes of many of the Mexi-
cans will be at an end. When the
Mexican boys and girls in the Mer-
cedes schools become old enough to
vote, no one will be able to buy their
votes. When the votes of the Mexi-
cans are solicited upon a basis of
merit, Hidalgo county will be a
. decent county in which to run for
•office. At present, it is treacherous.
, * * *
1 MAX MESTEL, a local merchant
is showing his spunk by haying a
sale in June, while- many of our
citizens are off on their vacations.
Here is hoping it is a success. In-
cidentally, Jimmie Nebenzahl’s New
York Store,' Mestel’s, the- Vogue,
Abe Baum’s, and other dry goods
and clothing stores in Mercedes are
doing a fairly good business,,, and
have done rather well all year. They
say there are more business firms
on a self-sustaining basis now than
(See OUR HOME, Page 8),
Mercedes’ Fisherman
Druggist.
Adolph Zastera, one of Mercedes’
champion fishermen, does not de-
pend on people to believe his fish
stories. He brings back the proof
and as a double check takes a pic-
ture of his catch. He is shown
aboye as he returned from a recent
trip to the gulf.
----------0----------
Cotton Condition
In Mercedes Area
Remains Excellent
Dry Weather Keeps Boll
Weevil Inactive; Ginning
Expected To Start July 5.
The condition of the cotton crop
in the Mercedes area continues ex-
cellent according to reports of gin-
ners and growers. The dry weather
conditions ' have kept the boll weevil
practically* inactive in the Ideal
acreages up to the present time. A
similar condition is reported for the
Valley in general.
One of the largest acreages in
many years is growing in this im-
mediate vicinity. Ginning is not ex-
pected to get under way before about
July 5.
. Both the Hilton Gin and the Tray-
lor Gin have been completely re-
paired and, are now ready to handle
the unusually good crop in prospect
for this season.
Mercedes Oil Well
Reaches 5,793 Feet
Thursday Morning
Drilling in the oil well northeast
of Mercedes had reached a depth
of 5,793 feet early Thursday morn-
ing. Drilling had passed through
the hard sandy shale and is now in
gray sandy shale and lime.
The depth progress for the past
seven days was 243 feet. It is be-
lieved that if oil is found it will be
within the next 500 feet, and the
progress in the well is being watch-
ed with interest at this point. A
complete test is to be made in the
well. The equipment being used is
capable of going 9,000 feet.
L. C. (Bill) Lemen
"Running On Record”
For District Clerk
L. C. (Bill) Lemen of San Juan,
candidate for re-election to the of-
fice of district clerk of Hidalgo
county, states “I am running on my
own record while in this office”, and
cites as an outstandnig part of that,
record his saving of over $340,000
for tax payers by dismissing of
state and county tax suits.
The district clerk’s office should
not be classed as a political office
as there is no salary attached and
it has nothing at all to do with the
financial affairs of the county, the
candidate declared while visiting in
Mercedes the first of this week. The
district clerk’s office is a strictly fee
office and although most of the fees
are derived from tax suits Mr.
Lemen has discouraged, rather than
encouraged the filing of tax suits
and as stated above has had many
tax suits dismissed.
Mr. Lemen has lived in this coun-
ty for the past 12 years having come
here from Kansas. While in the Val-
ley he has been engaged in the
hardware business.
The feeling of his fellow citizens
for Mr. Lemen, is shown by the many,
offices given him in non political
organizations of which he is a mem-
ber. He is a past master of. the
Masonic lodge at San Juan, a mem-
ber of the Scottish Rite, a Shriner,
(See LEMEN, Page 4) .
ALL SHUT-INS TO
RECEIVE FLOWERS
SUNDAY, JUNE 10
All shut-ins of Mercedes and
surrounding community will be
sent free flowers Sunday, June
10 by T. R. Riggs, Mercedes
florist, in observance of the see-
ond annual National Flower
Shut-In Day, inaugurated last
year by the florists of America
under the leadership of - the Flor-
ists’ Telegraph Delivery Associa-
tion.
All churches, lodges and other
organizations are being asked to
cooperate by sending in to Mr.
Riggs a list of their sick and
shut-ins and each of those listed
will be sent a box of flowers Sun-
day. The Boy Scouts of Mercedes
; have offered their services for
; the delivery of most of the boxes,
i Last year more than 150 boxes,
1 of flowers were sent out by Mr.
: Riggs in this community. The
5,000 members of the florists as-
. sociation over the world sent out
150,000 boxes of free, flowers on
; National Flower Shut-In Day last
year.
Mercedes 2nd In
Produce Shipments
For This Season
1229 Cars Moved From This
Station Through June 6;
1001 Cars Of Vegetables.
With the produce season practi-
cally closed in the Valley Mercedes
stands'second among Valley cities in
number of cars of produce shipped
up to and including June 1. San
Benito leads with 1,243 cars moved
through that date and Mercedes
makes a close second with 1,227 cars.
Eight cars of tomatoes were
shipped- from Mercedes in the past
seven days bringing the total num-
ber of car loads of this commodity
moved from here to 213. With the
heavy movement of tomatoes in East
’Texas and the opening of the season
in Mississippi the movement from
the Valley has been brought to a
close.
Mercedes shipments for the season
include 1,001 cars vegetables,
cars of citrus fruit and A cars
mixed citrus and vegetables.
---------0---------
224
of
T. I. Hester Candidate
• For Commissioner, Has
Been In Valley 30 Years
Thomas I. Hester of Donna, can-
didate for Hidalgo county commis-
sioner from district number one, is
a native Texan and for the past 30
years has been a resident of the
Lower Rio Grande Valley, 29, years
of this time having been spent in
the district which he how seeks to
represent in the commissioners’
court. He came to the Valley as a
boy from near Beaumont, Texas.
Mr. Hester is a successful busi-
ness man, has a knowledge of the
value of property in Hidalgo coun-
ty equal to that of, perhaps any
resident of this section, and is well
informed on all phases of road work,
three qualifications of greatest im-
portance in the office of county
commissioner.
Mr. Hester has been a contractor
for many' years and has also been
in the drug business in Donna. His
business experience, has given him
a knowledge of the value of money
so necessary to a member of the
county commissioners court which
must approve every expenditure of
the county. He is the owner of both
farm and city property in this pre-
cinct and has bought and sold many
pieces of land giving him a know-
ledge of the value of property in the
(See HESTER, Page 8)
Mercedes School Students Have Saved
More
$4,500 In Past Four Years
Mercedes school students ended the
1933-34 school year with a total of
more than $4,500 on deposit in the
Wattson Thrift Saving System. The
average individual deposit is be-
tween $5 and $10, but a few run up
as high as $50, $75 and $100. The
$4,500 deposits represent the net
balance accumulated by the students
since, the inauguration of the Thrift
Savings System in the schools here
four years ago. The total amount
deposited throughout the 1933-34
school year amounted to over $6,-
000.
In many instances the savings ac-
count of the school child represents
the only savings account ′ in the
family, and has carried more than
i one local family through brief pe-
riods when the father was unem-
ployed or other emergencies arose.
Attractions At Texas Press Association Convention.
Three of the 20 attractive models who will appear in a special fashion
revue to be staged for the wives, daughters and sweethearts of Texas
editors at the convention of the Texas Press association in Dallas June
14-17. Left to right, they are Sunny, Wallace, Elsie Wallace and Rose
Phifer.
Voters Support Should Based On
Candidate’s Record Says Edgar Witt
1,068 Scouts Are
Now Registered In
The Valley Council
Big Increase Reported At
• Executive Board Meeting
Held Here Monday Night.
• A total of 1,068 Boy Scouts of
America were registered- in the
Lower Rio Grande Valley Council
up to June 1, according to a report
made by W. E. Halstead of .Mission,
general chairman of the .council or-
ganization committee, at a meeting
of the council executive board held
in Mercedes Monday night. Regis-
trations are expected soon to sur-
pass the 1,075 mark, the highest
registration recorded in the history
of the Valley council.
Forty-seven troops are registered,
six sea scout ships and one home
patrol. A total of 340 adults are
registered as Scouters, assisting in
the Scout work in this section.
A big increase in registrations has
been made since the first of March
when a full time executive, John L.
Leslie, was obtained for the work in
the Valley.
R. L. Lyon was elected second
vice president of the council
(See SCOUTS, Page 4)
in
W. Nunn, Commissioner
Candidate, Has Been
In Valley Ten Years
W. D. Nunn of Weslaco, candidate
for the office of county commission-
er from precinct number one, has
been a resident of this precinct for
the past ten years. He is a native
Texan having been born in Rock-
wall county near Dallas. Since com-
ing to the Valley he has been en-
gaged in farming and orcharding.
"I think I understand the situation
in this county as well as any man”,
states Mr. Nunn. “There are prob-
lems here that must be worked out
in such a way as to benefit the peo-
ple of this county and I want to re-
present the people in these prob-
lems.”
Many of the seniors, who had been
saving through the entire four years
in the high school, were able to buy
their class rings, invitations and
clothes necessary for graduation,
with the money
school.
One hundred
saved while ir
and twenty-nine
students have made deposits on ev-
ery bank day during the past school
term for which perfect banking cer-
tificates have been awarded. The
majority of the students made de-
posits during the year, although not
on every banking day.
Two high school seniors received
certificates for having made depos-
its on every banking day for the
past four school years. They are
Irene Jones and Raull Sierra.
Those receiving perfect banking
certificates for the past year include
Honesty and sincerity are taken
for granted as absolutely essential
characteristics to fit a man for the
governorship of the state but it is
the promise given by the past ex-
perience of the candidate which
should determine the support given
him by the voters stated Lieutenant
Governor Edgar E. Witt, candidate
for governor of Texas, in an inter-
view while visiting in Mercedes Fri-
day afternoon.
“To deserve the support of the
voter a candidate should have had
sifficient. experience to give promise
of doing the constructive things he
outlines in his platform”, added
Gov. Witt.
- “It is easy to promise, easy to
write out a program which is de-
serving of the support of every
citizen, but whether or not a candi-
date can bring to pass the things
which he promises in that program
can only be judged by his past ac-
(See VOTERS SUPPORT, Page 5)
-----—0 ------
Mercedes Summer
School Enrollment
Now Twenty-Four
The enrollment in the Mercedes
summer school had reached 24 Wed-
nesday noon of this week. Class
work was started Monday, the cours-
es offered being English, history and
mathematics the first being taught
by Mrs. L. Kirby of La Feria and
the last two courses by W. Ed Perry
who is in charge of the summer
session.
Of those enrolled 14 are from Mer-
cedes, 8 are from Weslaco, one from
La Feria and one from Roma. Those
from Mercedes are Murlea Briscoe,
Mary Ruth Hampton, Orin Johnson,
Robert Garcia, Bette Jane Scott,
Petra Adame, Alfonso Dominguez,
Maxine Allen, Bill Dillon, Maxia
Saenz, Murray Howze, Morris
Brooks, Alden- Smith and Paul Wann.
Those enrolled from Weslaco are
Theresa Bonds, Willard Harrison,
Otie Knowles, Lorenza Aguilar,
Dixie Thrash, George Massey, Thom-
as Ezeikel, and Mardelle Kendall.
Oscar L. Moreno is enrolled from La
Feria and Delia Yznaga from Roma.
the following from the junior and
senior high school: Irene Jones,
Raul Sierra, John Closner, Albert
Fernandez, Mary'Sue Haralson, To-
miko Otsuki, Eugene Rummel, Rob-
ert de la Torre, J. D. Wilson, Ly-
dia Trevino, Petra Adame, James
Drawe, Robert Garcia, Berta Garza,
Lillian Hessel, Idella Hessel, Bill
Jo May, Marcelina Rodriguez, John
Schmalzried, Charles Settles, De-
light Shaw, Betty Jean Shotwell,
Walter Swarner, Sesarito Trevino,
Ernest Allen, Pauline Baumgart,
Erle Bennett, Ernest Fernandez,
Phylis Galloway, Walter Hoekstra,
Flora Jones, Theresa McAuley, E.
V. May, Jr., Frank Martin, Billie
Powell, George Saenz, Areopajita
Sanchez, Josephine Solis, Esther
Swirce, Junior Talbert, Ricardo Tre-
(See SCHOOLS, Page 5)
Sewer Repair. Work
To Be Resumed The
First Of Next Week
Relief Administration Of-
ficials Give Assurance
Of Approval Of Project.
Repair work on the city sewer,
system is expected to be resumed
next week, assurance having been
given by Emergency Relief Adminis-
tration officials that the project
would be approved immediately and
work started again.
J. C. Lear, city secretary and Art
Biel, city engineer, spent several
days the latter part of last week in
Austin in the interest of this work
and were assured at that time that
the project would be approved. On
Monday of this week F. A. Royce,
engineer examiner for the E. R. A.
was in Mercedes and gave further
assurance of the project’s approval
and stated that work could be
started the first of next week.
About 1030 feet of pipe line is to
be laid to repair the break in the
sewer line. About 30 feet of pipe
were laid in March before the work
was stopped. It is believed that the
repair work can be completed with-
in sixty days from the time it is
started.
Mercedes Wins $150
Radio Advertising
As Contest Prize
Ten 30-Minute Programs To
Be Presented By This City
Starting Sunday, June 10.
The city of Mercedes will receive
$150 in radio advertising over sta-
tion KRGV at Weslaco as the first
prize in the radio program contest
conducted by that station last Sun-
day and sponsored by the Valley
chambers of commerce. Edcouch
placed second, winning $100 in radio
advertising and La Feria third, win-
ning $50 in radio advertising.
- The first prize will consist of ten
thirty minute' programs to be pre-
(See MERCEDES, Page 8)
Musical Program Is
Presented At Kiwanis -
Luncheon Here Friday
A musical program was presented
at the regular weekly luncheon of
the Mercedes Kiwanis club held in
the New Manhattan Cafe Friday
noon. Mrs. Elvira Thompson and
Miss Evelyn Redlund of Lyford gave
a group of song accompanied at the
piano by Mrs. Paul Shotwell and
Joaquin Fernandez played a num-
ber of piano solos.
R. R. Talbert, president, an-
nounced that' the attendance record
for the month of May was 95 per
cent. .
Visiting Kiwanians at the meet-
ing were W. H. Privy, Tom Bow-
man and H. I. Koppel, all of Har-
lingen. .
Mrs. W. D. Chadick
Undergoes Operation
Mrs. W. D. Chadick underwent a
major operation at the Medical
Arts Hospital in Dallas Monday of
this week. Word received from
Mayor Chadick Thursday morning
stated that Mrs. Chadick is getting
along very well.
H. G. Mottmiller Has
Announced For County
Commissioner Office
H. G. Mottmiller of Weslaco has
authorized the Mercedes 'News-
Tribune to announce his candidacy
for the office of county commission-
er of precinct number one, subject to
the action of the Democratic pri-
mary, July 28. Mr. Mottmiller makes
the following statement to the vot-
ers:
Pursuant to the earnest solicita-
tion of many citizens of the terri-
tory comprising Commissioner’s
Precinct No. 1 to enter commission-
ers race, I am herewith announcing
as a candidate for that office, and
in so doing fully .realize the grave
responsibilities of this office brought
about by our present economic con-
ditions.
I am originally from Ohio, near
Toledo, where I was- engaged in
general and truck farming for 30
years on the same farm, and which
I still own, and during a part of
that time, I was supervisor of road
construction in my own township.
In the spring of 1920 I moved to
my farm near Weslaco which I had
previously purchased, and since that
(See MOTTMILLER, Page 8)
City Is Now
Eligible For
$66,000 Bldg.
C. OF C. ASKS EARLY
SELECTION OF SITE
$7,500 Allowed For Citrus
Products Laboratory Be-
tween Mercedes, Weslaco.
Mercedes became eligible for a
new $66,000 postoffice, building
Monday with the passage of the ap-
propriation bill carrying a cash out-
lay of $1,178,269,000 and potential
relief expenditures of about $6,000,-
000,000.
The Mercedes chamber of com-
merce is now making every effort to
secure an early selection of a site
for the new building.
Other Valley towns which became
eligible for new postoffice buildings
with the passage of the bill Monday
are Edinburg, $74,000 and Mission,
$73,000.
The bill also carried an appropria-
tion for $7,500 for the citrus pro-
ducts laboratory between Mercedes
and Weslaco.
A sum to exceed $500,000,000 was
provided for the Public Works Ad-
ministration with the further proviso
that the PWA can make a 30 per
cent grant on such projects pending
before it when the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation has agreed to
'take over the 70 per cent balance of,
the loan.
Sixty-five million were ear-mark-
ed for federal buildings and the post-
office department is permitted to
select the buildings to be construct-
ed from the list which includes Mer-
cedes, Edinburg, Mission and La-
redo, the last named eligible for a
$325,000 building.
Seen on Texas
JOE LAMBERTSON preparing
to get sea sick again. BILL ON-
DERDONK getting lots of business
experience. MRS. LULU ROBIN-
SON making vacation plans for the
summer. MISS GAY VANN home
from her teaching sojourn at
Brownsville. MRS. S. P. ELMORE
returning from the Methodist Mis-
sion Society. RAMON CHAPA
preparing for wedding bells. ED
OLSON enjoying his judgeship at '
bank night at the picture show.
The same for KENT WHITNEY ,
and DR. E. G. SMITH. ANDY
TULLIS having a tough time with
the foot disease, but now much bet-
ter. MRS. MILDRED LAWLER
telling of the good time she had at
her old home town of Paris. MRS.
CHARLES THORNTON returning
from a pleasant week-end at the
Alamo City. CHARLIE HUPP re-
turning from Eagle Pass. SUPT.
ERNEST POTEET going to Junc-
tion for a visit BOB KERN re-
palling 10 Mercedes families now
vacationing at Kerrville. MISS.
MAURINE ALEXANDER report-
ing the beauty parlor business im-
proving. MISSES MARY SOW-
DERS and ISTA PRITCHARD and
MRS. ARTIE SUGG' preparing to
leave early Friday morning for an
invasion of San- Antonio. JAKE
(See SEEN ON, Page 5)
-------0————
RFC Buys $25,000
Preferred Stock In
First National Bank
The Reconstruction Finance Cor-
poration has purchased $25,000 of
preferred stock in the First Nation-
al Bank of Mercedes, according to
announcement today by H. B. Seay,
president of the bank.
The total capital stock of the
bank is $100,000. The $25,000 pre-
ferred stock is owned by the RFC.
The comon stock is $75,000. .All
deposits up to and including $2,500
are guaranteed by the Federal De-
posit Insurance Corporation."
Mrs. Joe M. Runnels
Of Donna Candidate For
County Clerk Office
Mrs. Joe M. Runnels of Donna
authorizes the Mercedes News-Trib-
une to announce her candidacy for
the office of county clerk, subject
to the action of the Democratic pri-
mary in July.
Mrs. Runnels is a native Texan,
and lived in Nacogdoches before
coming to Donna seven years ago.
She attended public schools in Nac-
ogdoches county and later was grad-
uated from Tyler Commercial Col-
lege. Ever ’since then she has been
busy as both a housekeeper and bus-
(See MRS. RUNNELS, Page 5)
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Cobb, Moulton. Mercedes News-Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 21, No. 22, Ed. 1 Friday, June 8, 1934, newspaper, June 8, 1934; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1630787/m1/1/: 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.