The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 33, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 14, 1996 Page: 2 of 24
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Page 4 — The Mercedes Enterprise
I Pages from the Past
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Check or Money Order enclosed for:
IN THE VALLEY --
OUT OF THE VALLEY --
Boost Mercedes
Queen City of
The Valley
PEL
1 I r
VOTE
Saturday, July 11
Special Election
VOL. XXXXI — NO. 27
THE MERCEDES ENTERPRISE. THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1953
$2.50 PER YEAR — 5c COPY -
Flection CalFlying Saucers
LCCUOi walica 0 .
Spotted Over
Mercedes lues.
Here Saturday
Saaturday, July 11 is election day'
in Mercedes with only one contest
in this Special balloting.
The election was called to fill a
vacancy on the City Commission
occasioned by th'e recent resigna-
tion of a commissioner.
Mrs. Dewey Acker, who received
several write-in votes in last gen-
eral election, is opposed by C. L.
Curtis, operator of the Model
Cleaners and Laundry in Mercedes.
Both candidates have made clear
their stand and each has signified
a clear cut interest in the welfare
of the City of Mercedes and the
entire community.
The single, polling place will be
se Mercedes Fire Station and the
oils will be open from 7. a.m. to
p.m., according to City Secretary
indrew Heggen. 1
■ Campaigning has been confined
by both parties strictly to pe^sohal
solicitation and to newspaper ad-
vertising, each candidate has ads
apearing in this issue of the Enter-
prise inserted and' paid for: by
friends of the candidates. There
has been no ‘machine' politics’ on
either tide, according to observers.
Sea Scouts To
Start Cruise
Sunday Morning
Mercedes Sea Scouts Explorer
Troop 59, will embark from. Cor-
pus Christi on the U. S. S. PCE
842, Sunday, July 12,8 p.m., on a
sea cruise, their destination either
Tampico, Mexico, or Havana, Cuba,
for a six-day cruise.’
Rotary Holds
Pres. Meeting
Tuesday Noon
The Mercedes Rotary Club held
its annual President’s meeting
Tuesday at which time the new
president presides and is also in
charge of the program.
Col. H. W. Isbell used the pro-
gram as a time for announcing
. committee chairmen and announc-
ing date for the official visit of the’
District Governor which will be
July 20. That meeting will be held
at the home of President Isbell
as an evening meeting.
Chairmen announced by the new
president were Club Service —
Meeler Markham; Attendance —
Lloyd Heggen; Classification —E.
L. Park; Magazine—Lawrence W.
St. Clair; Membership — J. E.
Walden Haynes; Program — Robt.
L. Harbour;. Fellowship — Reagan
F. Elliott; Public information -—
Edwin A. De Jong.; Rotary Infor-
, mation — Clarence Archer; Bud-
get -— N. Packard Barton and
Forney Arnold; Vocational Service
"— James P. McElyea; Community
Service — Dr. J. W. Chambers;
International Service — Fred E.
Bennett; Sgt. At Arms — Forney
Arnold.
The board of directors is com-
posed of Col. H. W. Isbell, presi-
dent; Meeler Markham, vice-presi-
dent; E. L. Park, secretary-treas-
urer; James P. McElyea, Dr. J. W.
Chambers and Fred E. Bennett.
Flying saucers were spotted over
Mercedes Tuesday night, with at
least four people watching them for
several minutes.
Hormandin Villarreal, an em-
ployee of the Leonard Home and
Auto store, reports that he and his
brother and two sisters watched
‘something’ flying in the sky and
called to others of the family.
Hormandin, Beatriz and a younger
sister Fanny all watched the craft
in the air.
When first spotted the ‘things’
‘ described by the watchers as about
the size of small clouds, . were
travelling from north- to south.
Hormandin reports that after go-
ing out of sight in that direction
they were seen to come back, this
time raveling from South to North.
He said that no lights were visi-
ble on the craft and that they were
flying very high and very fast.
Hormandin, named the outstand-
ing student in Mercedes high school
this spring, calmly and clearly de-,
scribed what he and the other
members of his family had seen.
The Villarreals live at 124. N.
Virginia.
Formal Opening
Of 1
SWT
00
CONSTRUCTION WORK — Began July .4 on . 16-f oot-high diversion dam as Anzalduas Damsite, south
of Mission by the Republic of Mexico to divert Rio Grande water into the multi-million dollar Mexican
Anzalduas Canal, completed several months ago. Photo shows bulldozers clearing riverbed in front
of Mexican intake structuf,e, preparatory to buildi ng dam of compacted ’ earth, faced with rock.
Mexican dam will be about 600, feet long, 80 feet th ick at the base, about 16 feet thick at the top,
about 16 feet high. Construction is to be completed in about 45 days. ,
* * * * * * * * *
Mexico’s new low-water dam to
divert Rio Grande water into the
Mexican Anzalduas intake and ir-
rigation project is expected fo be
completed within the next 45 days,
but will be removed when the in-
ternational Anzalduas dam and
flood control project is built, ac-
cording to A. L. Cramer of Elsa,
chairman of the Hidalgo County
Citizens Committee for Anzalduas
Dam.
the water passing that point will Section of the IB and WC that
be American water. Any loss be- it proposed to build the structure,
low Anzalduas will mean just that
much less water for the Texas
Gin Efficiency
Study Is Made
Higher mathematics is becoming a part of.
the cotton ginning business with Mercedes
helping pioneer the inovation.
The Mercedes Co-Op Gin, longest gin in the
eiia on"Saturday, July 18. AI
boys will go through Navy routine
on board ship, have 'battle stations :
and watch detail beside Navy boys.
All boys will wear Navyl uniforms
at.all times—whites and dungarees.
All the time will be' spent 100 per
cent Navy way. ..
Making the trip will be Crew
Leader H. B. Rogers, Assistant
Crew Leader Larry Barnum, and
crew, Erle Worley, Keith Bowden,
Bob Swain and Harold Reeves;
Crew Leader Frank Markhan, As-
sistant Crew Leader Jim Taylor,
and crew, Bob, Graf, Leroy‘Ziegler,
Robbie, Farris and Keith Ewing;
Crew Leader Barton German, As-
sistant Crew Leader Kermit Natho
and crew, Carl Cayce, Jack Davis,
Charles Powel and Wilbert Brown.
Assistant Crew Leader Jim Ba-
lay;‘Skipper Jack Hanshaw, First
Mate, Dick Harmon and Second
Mate, Marvin Borchelt.
Progreso Road
Paving Bids
To Be Opened
The Texas state highway depart-
ment will open bids on 438 miles
of highways July 14 and 15, they
report.
These bids will include Farm to
Market road 2067, 1,6 miles, grad-
ing, structures, base and surfacing
from U. S. 281, one half mile east
of Progresso, south to the new In-
ternational Bridge now under con-
struction at Progresso Bend.
Report Shows Total
Of 79,733 Bales
Ginned In Valley
Valley cotton ginning had total-
led 79,733 bales to last Thursday,
according to a report made by the
State Department of Agriculture.
At the time of the first report
last year, July, 11, there had only
been a total of 16,519, however, it
was pointed out that cotton is ma-
turing earlier this year due to the
heat and prolonged drought.
It has been estimated by officials
that this week and next week,
barring rains, will be the heaviest
harvest period of the season for
valley cotton and estimates of the
total crop vary from 250,060 bales
to as high as 325,000 bales, and a
few have placed it higher than that.
Hidalgo county had ginned,
through last Thursday, a total of
20,545 bales, this compares to
14,532 bales on July 11 last year,
which was a date nine days later.
Mrs. Dewey Acker is a candidate
for City Commissioner of the City
of Mercedes in the Special Elec-
tion to be held here Saturday.
Mrs. Acker, housewife, mother
and active club woman, is widely
known for her many civic activi-
ties that culminated recently in
her selection as Woman of Distinc-
tion of the community. This honor
came from the Texas Chamber of
Commerce.
An active church worker, she has
also headed P .T. A. activities,
Federated Clubs work and been
active in Community Chest Drives.
Friends say that her keen' in-
terest in Mercedes advancement
and improvement, coupled with her
proven outstanding ability, makes
her an exceptionally good choice
for this important position and
they are asking votes for her on
that reasoning.
Formal opening of the swimming
pool at Harmony Hill Country Club
last Saturday night, in a setting of
native trees and shrubs, brilliantly
lighted grounds, and the large
crowd of people in attendance
from all over the Valley, was liken-
ed to that of a resort comparable
to that of larger cities, and Jimmy
' and Minne Altiere" owners' and op-
erators of Harmony Hilil Country
Club, are delighted over the huge
success of the event.
•Dinner and dancing was thor-
oughly enjoyed, with music for
dancing being furnished by Harold
Burgess and his orchestra from
Harlingen. Mr. Altiere says that
dancing will be held each Satur-
day night with Burgess furnishing
the music.
The large patio which faces the
swimming pool will seat some two
hundred and fifty people. Also
rooms along the patio, are being
secured by week-end guests.
Bert Brown is serving as life-
guard at the swimming pool .and is
also conducting classes in swim-
ming. His training includes ROTC
life saving and Red Cross swim-
ming* and life saving certificates.
Bill Duncan is in charge of the
Snak Bar at .this popular resort.
Benjamin Harrison was the. last
bearded president of the United
States,
Benefit Barbecue At
Stockshow Grounds
Sunday, July 26
A benefit barbecue will be held
at the Rio Grande Valley Live-
stock Showgrounds in Mercedes
Sunday, July 26.
Abel Garcia Sr., Gus Saldana,
Rudy Garza, R. E. George and
Jake Bauer, the men who under-
wrote the .losses of the local boys
in the 1953 Livestock show, are
taking this means of raising the
balance of the money to repay
the bank loan made by them for
this purpose.
All Mercedes boys who lost
money on their stock at the show
this year were reimbursed by this
group of civic minded men and
most of the amount has been re-
paid, leaving on some balance on
their bank note.
Tickets for this barbecue are
selling at $1.50 each and the men
say that any money raised above
what is actually needed for the
note will be given to Rovs and
Girls Incorporated for their pro-
gram next year.
Mr. Cramer said he had been
advised by the International
Boundary and Water Commission
that Mexico was anxious to go
ahead with the 16-foot, low-water
diversion dam in order to take ad-
vantage of any summer rise on
the Rio Grande, in view of the
desperate drouth conditions
Northeastern Mexico.
Either Mexico or. the
in
United
States is privileged, under the In-
ternational Water Treaty of 1944,
structures, Mr. Cramer explained,
but international storage struc-
tures call for approval by both
countries before they can be built.
"This is another reason why our
Committee calls upon the people
of Hidalgo County to approve the
$250,000 bond issue in- the July 25
election by an overwhelming ma-
jority,” Mr. Cramer stated. “This
money will be used to buy the land
Valley. .. ■
"Anzalduas, therefore, will be-
come an important measuring and
diversion point for Rio Grande
water," he continued, "and it is
plain that it would be far better’
for both countries to participate
in control of that measuring and
diversion point. That’s only an-
other of the many good reasons
why Hidalgo County voters should
approve the bond issue on July
25.”
and had secured prior approval
and agreement for it through the
American Section, as required by
the water treaty between the two
countries. It will be 16 feet high,
of compacted earth with a heavy
rock facing on the. upstreams side.
It will have no control gates, and
if the river should rise above it,
excess water which the Mexican
Anzalduas Canal, completed sev-
eral months ago, cannot take will
simply flow over the dam and on
downstream.
Mr. Cramer also called attention
to the fact that failure to join
with Mexico on the International
'Atmulduab: project might well have
a bad effect on the Valley's future
attempts to secure Mexican co-
operation on such an international
project as the Garza Ranch dam-
site and canal proposal. It might
have a similar bad effect if the
Valley should ever go to Congress
for financial assistance on some
future phase of Valley water
problems. “If Congress looks at
our record of failure and refusal
to join with our State Department,
through the IB and WC, in mak-
ing it possible to build Anzalduas
as an international project,” he
Boys And Girls
Program Closes
Here July 31
The laast day of . the organized
program of Boys and Girls, Inc.,
which started- June 1, and which
lasts nine weeks, will be marked
with “Parents Day,” July 31, when
al Ithe boys and girls participating
in the program will be encouraged
to bring out Mom and Dad to see
what they have gained from the
program. These parents day events
will be held at the respective places
where boys and girls have been
and are still active.
The boys and girls in the 7-11
year ages meet daily, Monday
through Friday at 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
This age group follows the follow-
ing general activities: playground
games, by far the most popular,
softball, basketball, volley ball,
goofball, spudball, touchball and
swimming.
The girls in this age group take
part in arts and crafts, finger-
painting, swimming and various
playground games. There is no 'at-
tempt made in this age grob to
organize too highly. Generally,
this age group does about what it
wants to from story-telling to or-
ganized touch football.
The next age group, 11 and one-
state of Texas, and ex- :
ceeded only by a gin in
California t h at was.
patterned from the
Mercedes gin, has installed time. .
meters to accurately guage the ef-
fectve use of their machinery.
Seeking a way to more efficient-
ly operate they invited the Farm
Credit Administration to help them
solve the problem, Otis T. Weaver
of the Co-op research division—of
FCA came to Mercedes and install-
ed these intricate calculating de-
vices that have only been used in
one other place, that was at Lub-
bock last year, where the ginning
problem is entirely different than
in the Valley. "
These time meters are attached
to the gin stands with each stand
in the two batteries of five stands
each having a separate calculator:
and each battery having a master’ .
calculator.
These mechanical mathematici-
ans will suply at all times the
exact figure of number of minutes
each machine is in production and
when figured with the cotton pro-
cessed will tell .the production
story of that machine, of each
battery and of the entire plant
and will plainly show just where
improvements can be made if any
'are needed. It was emphasized that
this is not a check on manpower,
but on machines, this equipment
does not in any way show the'ef-
' ficiency or non-efficiency of labor
employed, but does do an absolute
check on machinery. 0
half to 14 and one-half, meet daily
from to- a:mttor12-m martatake.) H. Q. Sharp, manager of
on which to build Anzalduas Dam I said, "we may find it impossible
and its flood control works. An-
zalduas Dam will also be used to
divert all of Mexico’s share of Rio
Grande water, whether stored be-
hind Falcon Dam or originating
this side of Falcon and Marte
Gomez Dams.
“We should remember,” Mr.
Cramer continued, “that when
Mexico takes its share of the wa-
ter at Anzalduas Dam, then all
to get what we want. Anzalduas
is the place and July 25' is the
time to -show our good intentions
and to pave the way for solution
of some of our most difficult wa-
ter problems.”
Mexico’s Anzalduas diversion
dam got under way July 4 when
bulldozers and dirt-moving ma-
chinery went to work on the site.
Mexico had notified the American
part in softball, volleyball, basket-
ball, spudball, .touch fotball, swim-
ming and. diving, arts and crafts,
finger-painting. This group is a
little more highly organized than
the first age group.
The next age group is 15 to 17
years, but if there is anyone over
17, he or she will be assigned to
this group. There is room in Tie
program for all interested parties.
This group meets daily f rom 2 p.m.
to 4 p.m. takes part in the follow-
ing activities: Playground ball,
volleyball, spudball, touch football,
swiming and diving, soccer, tennis,
basketball, playground games,' arts
and crafts and finger-painting.
Mercedes Co-Op stated ' that all
SPLITTING HEADACHES
=RUMPE•
WHE AT
= cRo
J BUMPGA
CORM
CPO PAL)
[N:w.w.S.
DOCTOR
EZRA
TAFT
,BENSON
• SECTY.
AGRICULTURE
CHAP
C. T, Curtis, owner and operator
of the Model Cleaners and Laundry
in Mercedes, is a candidate for
City Commissioner of the City of
Mercedes in the Special Election
to be held here Saturday.
Mr. Curtis was recently elected
president of the Valley Cleaners
Association and has operated his
own business in this city for many
years, and has been acknowledged
as outstandingly successful in his
chosen profession.
He attended Mercedes high
school, the University of Chatta-
nooga and the University of Texas.
Friends point to the fact that
he is a property owner and tax-
payer here and is personally in-
terested in the welfare and im-
provement of the City of Mercedes
and urge voting for him for that
reason and because, they say, his
successful business background has
prepared him for the task of handl-
ing City business transactions in a
capable manner.
Vera Barry Hostess
To Church Circle
Vera Barry, assisted by
her
mother Mrs. J. R. Barry, was hos-
tess to the Presbyterian Circle
No. 4 in her home Tuesday night.
8:00 p. m.
Mrs. W. O. Bunton, Chairman,
presided when Mrs. Jack Martin
gave the Bible Lesson and Mrs.
Barr Ewing led the discussion of,
“Let’s Talk About” at the close
of the meeting a social hour was
enjoyed and refreshments were
served to the following: Mrs. W.
B. Lauder; Mrs. Earl Bennett;
Mrs. W. W. Gaston; Mrs. Ferg.
Wood; Mrs. Jimmy Barry; Mrs.
Harold Brewer; and the above
mentioned.
Don’t forget "Mom and
day on July 31.
---------0----------
Leonard Store Is
Forcibly Entered
Dad”
The Leonard Home and Auto
Store was forcibly entered Satur-
day night but Kirk Leonard, own-
er, reports that nothing was tak-
en.
The one or ones forcing entry
made a hole in the roof and kick-
ed off some of the ceiling to enter,
causing considerable damage. Of-
ficers are conducting an invest-
igation but ‘have made no report
of • progress.
Parcel Post Rate
Increase Announced
All domestic parcel’ post rates
‘will be increased by about thirty-
five per cent, according to 'an
order issued by the post office de-
partment.
All foreign parcel post or Inter-
nal Parcel Post will be increased
August First to- 45 cent for first
pound and each additional pound
22 cents.
-o
Mrs. Henry Williamson has re-
ceived a card- from Mrs. R. H.
Johnston that she and her daugh-
ter, Camile, while on a trip to
New York, had gone to Toronto,
Canada, and visited Mr. and Mrs.
Tommy Jones, former residents of
Mercedes.
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Sanders and
children and Mrs. Glenn Hender-
son have returned from a fishing
.'trip to Alexandria, Minn.
Acquiring title to a modern fam-
ily-size farm requires a consider-
able chunk of capital and this is
not always easy to get. Help is
often obtained from the family!
| but major financing comes from
individuals, commercial banks,
life insurance companies and the
■ Federal Land Bank.
The S. K. Blettes have moved
to Weslaco this week after sell-
ing their home near Mercedes.
Mrs. A. G. Acker returned re-
cently from Oklahoma City where
she visited a son and his wife, Mr.
and Mrs. Bobby Steer.
ginnerss and any others interested
are invited to visit their gin and
inspect and study this equipment,
and see what is being determined
for the good of the ginning indus-
try in the Valley. :
This Mercedes gin is reputedly as
modern as a gin can be made and
the estimate of top speed .is a bale
hitting the platform every four
minutes, when all equipment
is operating. No exact figure
was obtained, but up to Monday
morning considerably more than
a thousand bales had been pro-:
cessed this season and ginners from
all sections of the Valley have pre-
dicted that this week and next
week will be the peak loaad of the
season, however Co-op officials are
not predicting the number of bales
they will handle this year. Last
year this gin processed more than
7000 bales is a year that saw a
heavy bollweevil infestation. '
New Furniture
Store
Huge 0
IS
■
iing
Several thousand persons vis-
iting the McQueen Furniture Com-
pany during their formal open-
ing in the building on Texas Ave-
nue formerly occupied by
O’Shea Furniture Company.
Two thousand biscuits,
the
more
than four thousand donuts and
1200 cups of coffee were served.
Twelve hundred G. E. Space Hel-
mets were distributed to the young
fry and many more were request-
ed after the supply was exhaust-
ed. ‘ %
Mrs. Salvador Barja, Jr., 228 S.
Georgie, Mercedes, received top
award in the door prizes which
was a Magic Chef range; Mrs. B.
Cantu of 536 Pirginia Street, re-
ceived the G. E. Fan and Mrs. W.
W. Gaston of 217 Lile Dr., receiv-
ed the Glider.
Many great bargains were of-
fered by this big store during the
grand opening adn many persons
took advantage of the opportunity
to obtain needed household items
at these great savings. E. E. Mc-
Queen, operator of the store, said
many of the values are being con-
tinued for a time to give more
friends an opportunity at the great
savings.
He also announced that he will
continue to operate the Mercedes
Furniture company at its present
location at 4th and Texas where
a large stock of used furniture
will be featured along with other
merchandise.
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The Mercedes Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 84, No. 33, Ed. 1 Wednesday, August 14, 1996, newspaper, August 14, 1996; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1632172/m1/2/: accessed July 10, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.