The Mexia Weekly Herald (Mexia, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 1924 Page: 1 of 4
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TWENTY-SIXTH YEAH—No. 18.
MEXIA, TEXAS. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1924
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MEXIA IS AFTER
ANOTHER ROAD
BEAUMONT
TO WACO
By B. F. STOLLENWERCK
When it i« explained that the rcc-
•kis in the case of the Waco, Beau-
lttont, Trinity & Sabine Railway case
are very voluminous, and that they are
developing a line of testimony that
will likely consume ten days of the
time of the Texas State Railroad
Commission in hearing, it can be
readily understood that the record is
far too large to report on in any con-
siderable detail, unless it were cover-
ed in a series of articles, in fact it
has been decided to cover the matter
in just such a series of three or four
articles, this one being the first.
In the first place there is no de-
velopment in even remote prospect
that is of such far reaching im-
portance to the civic and commercial
development of Mexia, and it is there-
fore apparent that every citizen who
has the interest of the community at
heart sho'jld at least study the
proposition to the extent of familiar-
izing him oi her with the salient
facts. In arriving at complete under-
standing it is necessary to go into de.
tail, but every effort will be made to
avoid tiresome recounting of "dry"
facts that are not pertinent.
The Waco, Beaumont, Trinity &
Sabine Railway has lines extending
from Trinity to Colmesneil, Texas and
from Weldcn to Livingston, Texas.
Get a map of Texas and locate these
PIONEER CITIZEN
OF MEXIA DIES
TUSDAY
Monday afternoon at the home of
Mrs. H. C. Roller, Grandmother
Denning passed away.
Mrs. Elizabeth Price Denning was
born, August 25, 1836, Frederick,
Maryland.
At the age of nineteen years she
was married to Benjamin Denning,
of Hardy County, Va., which place
they resided for four years, after
which they moved to Winchester,
Kentucky. In 1876 they moved to
Freestone County, Texas, and for
the past 34 years has lived in Mex-
ia.
To this union was born seventeen
children, nine of whom survive her.
Living in Mexia are the following:
Mrs. H. C. Roller, Joe Denning, J.
F. Denning, Tom Denning; those
out of Mexia are Mrs. Elizabeth
Patton of Teague, S. P. Denning of
Roswell, New Mexico; B. F. Den-
ning of Beaumont, Texas, Jake Den-
ning of St. Louis, Mo., Dave Den-
ning, of Marlin, Texas. Two sisters,
Mrs. Emma Steele, and Mrs. Jennie
Burdett, of Frederick, Maryland.
Grandmother Danning lived to
know seventeen grandchildren and
three great grandchildren.
Funeral services were held from
the First Presbyterian Church, Wed-
nesday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock,
with all ministers of the city assist-
ing her pastor, Dr. Hudson.
Active Pall Bearers: Charles O.
Denning, Lawrence Hearne, Jno. T.
Sanders, of I/exia, Randolph Patton,
HEAVIEST SNOW
IN YEARS FALLS
IN MEXIA LAST
TUESDAY
two lines. The first mentioned line (Teague; Ligro Dillard, Corsicana; J o
was for years a part of the M. K. & T. /wm. A. Reiter, Dallas, all grand- in .the morning To repair the damage
Citizens of Mexia and surrounding
communities awoke Tuesday to
find the sun shining brightly above a
blanket of snow, which in spreading
out over buildings, telephone and
power lines and over the ground had
occasioned many awnings to collapse,
the W. K. Turner and Son Garage to
cave in, polls to be pulled to the earth
and wires to be crossed in a veritable
net work of wreckage, all totaling a
loss which will mount into the thou-
sands of dollars before cleared and
rebuilt. In parts of the city, no power
or lights were available for several
hours, on account of the lines having
broken under the strain of the heavi-
est snow which has fallen in this sec-
tion in years. The water was also
shut off for several hours, the citizens
resorting in many instances to snow
drip to wash their faces in and to
meet the other necessities of the
moment.
The Gas Company's awning, in
front of tieir down town office on
Main street was one of the awnings
to collapse. The one in front of the
Stanberry Paint and Paper Company
on North Sherman was another.
The Community Power and Light
Company suffered heavy damages, it
being estimated that at least fifty
polls in the city limits were down,
while workmen had been called to
Wortham, Thornton, Teague and
other nearby neighboring points early
system, but in the re-organization re-
cently worked out by that system,
was not included in the reorganiza-
tion scheme, but was sold to Col. R. C.
Duff and associates, and made a part
cf the W. B. T. & S.
The other line from Weldon to Liv-
ingston, via Trinity, was built as the
Beaumont tr. GrSat Northern, was an
independent line and was built with
the avowed intention of reaching from
Beaumont to Waco. The road was
built from Livingston to Weldon, but
during the financial stringency in the
war period, money was so tight that
further construction Northwest of
Weldon was temporarily abandoned,
and that point has
terminus for several years. Recently
Col. R. C. Duff and associates pur-
chased both these lines, which had
passed into the control of the Katy,
and merged them into the present sys-
tem known as the Waco, Beaumont,
Trinity & Sabine, and the purchase
was made with the avowed intention
of building from tide water at Port
Arthur to W aco. This consolidation
was a long and tedious process. It
was first nccessary that a bill be en.
actcd by iho Texas Legislature au-
thorizing 'he purchase and consolida-
tion, it had to have the approval of
the Governor and the Texas Railroad
Commission.
LIMESTONE COUNTY SCHOOLS
ARE IN GOOD CONDITION
sons of the deceased. that was being wrought there.
The Southwestern Bell Telephone
Company is understood to have suf-
fered some loss, too, about a hundred
phones being reported out of com-
A report from the County Superin-j mission early in the day.
tendent of Schools of Limestone Coun-] The heaviest damage of all was
ty, Mrs Cora Ferguson, shows that
the present school year has been a
most successful one for the schools of
Limestone county. One fact, it is
understood, pointing to a successful
year is the low amount of State aid
which, in spite of the many new build-
ing being erected by the different dis-
tricts, has been necessary to maintain
the echools. The county received a
remained the "total of $15,490, it is reported. The
schools receiving the aid are, Frosa,
Locust Grove, Fallon, Watt, Lost
Prairie, Pleasant Grove, Ben Hur,
Eutaw, Horn Hill, Mesquite, Central
Institute, Point Enterprise, Union,
Davis Prairie, Eureka, Farrar, Har-
mony, La Salle, Independence, Mill
Creek, Big Hill, Billington, Prairie
Point, Callina, Marx Chapel, Oakes,
Dale, Willow Springs, Nus, South
Bend, Center ~ Point, Science Hall,
Victoria, Rocky Point, Fort Parker,'
Cowser, Tehuacana Valley, New Hope,
Personville, Beulah, Little Brazos,
Rocky Crossing, Mt. Joy, and two
independent districts, Thornton and
Some months were con-1 Prairie Hill.
'
sumed in the final consummation of
this procedure, notwithstanding no
very apparent opposition existed to
the plan at that time.
The next step was to procure from
the Interstate Commerce Commission
(which body will be hereafter referred
to in the articles as "ICC") permis-
sion to build the road, which is known
as a "Certificate of Public Convenience
and Necessity." That permission
was obtained and the builders of the
line began to work out immediate
plans for the improvement of the ex-
isting lines and further extensions, as
planned, when the Kansas City South-
ern appeared on the scene as protest-
ing the permission to build into Port
Arthur and it seems that legal pro-
ceedure requires that the ICC reopen
the case, which is the case now being
heard at Austin. In this case the
W. B. T. & S. is known as the Appli-
cant and the Kansas City Southern is
known as,the Protestant, fighting the
application of the W. B. T. & S. to
build into Port Arthur.
The Texas Railway Commission is
acting as Examiner for the ICC, and
is hearing the case, ruling on the
admisability of evidence, etc., and the
complete transcript of the case will
be sent to the ICC in Washington,
who will examine all the records in
the case, and render a decision. This
decision will be forthcoming at the.
convenience of the ICC. It may be
thirty to nirety days and these cases
have been known to take longer than
six months.
The different phases of the case will
be described under three heads, as
follows: the next article will relate
to the testimony as concerning Port
Arthur as another port open to the
commerce of Central and West Texas,
the next as related to the probable de-
velopment of that portion of Texas
southeast of Mexia and finally to
Mexia and Waco.
The present article will be concluded
with the natement that Col. R. C.
Duff, the present head of the W. B. T.
& S. is a practicing attorney of con-
New school buildings built this year
by districts in Limestone are, Elm
Ridge, Marx Chapel, Forest Glade,
(brick,) Billington, school for negroes
at Billington, and Woodland, (brick.)
Another evidence of the county
along educational lines, it is said, is
the construction by many of the dis-
tricts of homes for the teachers. This
year the following schools have built
such homes; Shiloh, Forest Glade, and
Woodland. Many of the districts al-
ready have these teacherages and
others are being built every year.
These teacherages, being situated near
the school buildings, enable the schools
to secure better teachers more easily,
it is understood, since it eliminates the
necessity of the teachers having to
find boarding places here and there
and sometimes at inconvenient dis-
tances from their work. They also, it
is po'oted out, relieve the teachers of
much of the expense connected with
teaching and offer inducement to exr
perienced teachers with families.
that at W. K. Turner and Sons
Garage on Palestine street, which fell
in last night about 9:00 o'clock. The
large storage room was chuck full of
automobiles and cars placed there by
various individuals. Practically the
entire building, with the exception of
the front fell in, practically every car
receiving some damage. Some of the
cars, in fact, were severely damaged.
The building, a brick, had been built
only about a year. Damage to the
building vill be practically total,
which probably runs above $7,500
while the damage to the automobiles
will likely amount to several thou-
sand dollars. All of this damage, too,
was not covered by insurance, it is
understood, at it was of the unusual
kind and of a class not covered in
ordinary insurance. It is hoped how-
ever the loss will not be as great as
at first expected. Workmen went to
work early this morning to clear the
wreck and hundreds visited the place
during the day.
All over town men were out with
shovels and on top of buildings as
well, clearing the snow heap. The
snow rapidly melted in the warm sun-
shine.
Between Mexia and neighboring
towns many lines are reported down
and workmen have been sent there
also to make repairs and normal con-
ditions will soon be established again.
Considerable damage was also done
in the oil fields, the extent of which
cannot be estimated.
No serious injuries have been re-
ported.
Maj.John Y. Rankin
Dead at Brownwood
WAS MAJOR IN CONFEDERATE
ARMY AND HELD COUNTY
OFFICES.
Mexia Rotarians
Win Contest
At the Mexia Rotary club luncheon
at noon today, Acting Secretary J. G.
Mcintosh received a telephone mes-
sage from Corsicana Rotary club in
which it was announced that Mexia
Rotarians had won the attendance con-
test which has waxed warm from the
beginning of the race five weeks ago.
The contest covered five meetings.
The Mexia club had four 100 per cent
meetings and the only absence the
other meeting was due to a member
being sick and unable to attend.
The Corsicana club lost, but also
$1,000.00 IN 16 CASH PRI
OFFERED BY MEXIA BUSINESS MEN
To the persons making1 the greatest number of pounds of lint cotton per acre, grown in
1924, on five acres of ground: cotton to class strict low middling or better, to-wit:
1st prize $250.00
2nd prize 150.00
3rd prize 100.00
4th prize 75.00
5th prize 75.00
6th prize 50.00
7th prize 50.00
9th prize 25.00
10th prize 25.00
11th prize 25.00
12th prize 25.00
13th prize 25.00
14th prize 25.00
15th prize 25.00
16th prize . 25.00
8th prize 50.00
There are 16 prizes, totaling $1,000.00 and the person making most cotton per acre on not
made a splendid record. With scarce- more than five acres of ground will get the first prize of $250.00; second prize, $150.00, and so on.
ly one pa cents diffeitnce fiom week purp0se 0f this contest is to induce more intense and rapid cultivation of cotton, for
the more cotton raised on an acre of ground the better profit to the farmer, and releases more
land to either let rest for a year, or else plant in feed crops.
to week, with first one club ahead and
then the other, the contest was very
exciting. The Rotary plan of per-
mitting members to maintain their at-
tendance records by going to another
club in case they missed their own,
kept Secretary Ben Stollenwerck in
hot water for five weeks. It is stated
that he is greatly relieved over the
outcome and termination of his ardu-
ous duties. Having business with the
Chamber of Commerce at Austin,
where he has gone on behalf of an-
other railroad for this section, before
the Texas Railroad Commission, he
was unable to be present today.
The announcement that Mexia was
the winner was received with pro-
longed applause. Joe Jeffers at once
went to the piano and all the club
ctood and sang "Hang Corsicana to a
Sour Apple Tree."
The announcement from Corsicana
also tsated that the club there was
planning to entertain "Mexia Ro-
tarians and their families and friends"
two weeks from last Tuesday.
An interesting program was con-
ducted at the regular meeting today.
The session was called to order by
President Albert Berry and after the
transaction of business was turned i
over to Rotarian Flake as leader for] ^. j agree keep, and furnish to the committee, if requested, a record of date I found
® ay- | first boll weevils, leaf worms or boll worms, and a full record of what I did to control them, and
e newcst Notary Ann, i Irs. Joe, amount of poisoning and the kind of poison, if any, 1 used each time to combat them—giv-
e ers, was introduced and made a jng cjate 0f eac^ application of poison, and about the amount used, per acre each time.
The prizes will be paid as early in the fall as all the contestants have had their cotton picked
and ginned.
COX W. BRODNAX, Chairman,
J. W. STUBENRAUCH,
ROY H. STOKES.
To the Committee Mexia Trade Cotton Contest:
I, the undersigned, do hereby represent that 1 do my principal buying of merchandise at
Mexia, and I hereby enter the cotton contest you are conducting for the year 1924, and I agree
that if it should be found by the committee that 1 do not do my principal buying of merchan-
dise in Mexia, or if the committee should at any time find that I practiced or attempted to prac-
tice any fraud with reference to the contest, or should the committee find that 1 purposely failed
to abide by any rule of the committee, then in either case, I agree that my right to receive any;
prize be forfeited thereby.
I agree to abide by the following rules of the committee, as well as other rules it may here-
after adopt:
1st: It is understood that prizes will be given only to those who make the greatest number
of pounds of lint cotton, per acre, classing strict low middling or above, on one block of ground,
totaling not more than five acres—that the five acres must not be in more than one patch, ex-
cept when divided by a ravine or some other natural division.
2nd: I agree to keep, and furnish the commitee if requested, a record of how I prepared my
land, how many times plowed before planting, the date planted, the kind of seed I planted, date
of each time I worked it, kind of plows used each time, and how I plowed it each time.
3rd: I agree to keep and furnish the committee record of the number of pounds of fer-
tilizer used per acre, and what kind used, and when and how applied to the cotton; also width of
rows, and about how many stalks to the hill, on an average.
BROWNWOOD, Texas, Feb. 21.—
Major John Y. Rankin, 91 years old
last November, died at the family
Mr. and Mrs. Ben Smith returned ihome hcre Wednesday night. Major
Saturday morning from Dallas where !Rankin was 8 ™tive of Missouri and
they had been since Tuesday. !cnme to Brownwood in 1870. He was
I a Confederate soldier and rose to the
,rank of Major. He was a lawyer by
siderable means and influence who has profession, but gave most of his time
been a resident of Beaumont for many to industrial and business affairs. He
years, and is now living in Houston.
No man in Texas stands higher with
his home people and the company he
represents is exceedingly fortunate in
having him at the head of its affairs,
lie bears the reputation in Beaumont
of being n lawyer who would not de-
fend a criminal whom he knew to be
guilty, and whose reputation in other
respects conforms to that. The testi-
money as developed at Autsin seems
to the writer to be overwhelmingly in
favor of the Applicant, and confi-
dential information gathered there
seemed exceeding encouraging to
Mexia's chances to secure the line. It
will naturally take a year or two to
work out all the proposition, but it
will be woith many thousands of dol-
lars to Mexia in the end.
was among those who .built the first
houses in Brownwood, was known as
the "Father of Brownwood," and at
different times held the office of
County Surveyor, County Clerk, Coun-
ty Judge and City Recorder.—Special
in Dallas News.
Major Rankin was known to two of
our old citizens, Capt. C. L. Watson,
and Captain Rado Steele, who served
under him during the war between the
states. He was an uncle of Major N.
P. Houx, of the Mexia Daily News
staff and editor of the Mexia Weekly
Herald.
o
Benton Jones left Friday for Moran
where he is interested in oil field de-
velopment.
beautiful speech which won the hearts
of her hearers.
Visiting Rotarians included Tom
Adams of Holdenville, a guest of
Harcfy Eubanks. He is president of
the club in his town and has a 100 per
cent attendance record.
Mr. Wear, Mexia's newest candy
man, recently establishing his busi-
ness here, was introduced by Leonard
Tidwell.
Lions W. W. Barnett and J. Desen-)
berg were also applauded following
their introductions.
Miss Elsie Desenberg, a visitor,
contributed delightfully to the pro-
gram, giving it a Washington's Birth-
day aspect with her well rendered and
highly enjoyable contribution at the
close of the program.
The program consisted of classifica-
tion talks by Scout Tommy Haines,
and Income Tax Man Flake. Nelson
Forrest presented an address on The
Spirit that Builds Towns.
E. L. Smith Co.
5th: I agree to furnish the committee with a sworn statement in writing with every bale of
cotton sold from the land I enter contest with, to the effect that every pound of the cotton in
the bale was grown on the five acres entered in the contest, it being understood the committee
will arrange some way to give me credit for any remnant I may have at the end of the season.
6th: I agree to aid the committee in every way I may be called on to see that no person
practices a fraud on the committee, but that all contestants do the fair thing.
LAND ENTERED IN CONTEST:
Situated about miles from Mexia. in county,
on the farm belonging to and being about miles from
school house. Date 1924.
My School Community is.
Mail address is
R. F. D....
Contestant.
interested farmers will please cut out and sign and
Makes Statement'return t0 the mexia chamber of commerce, mexas, tex.
The E. L. Smith Oil Company is
today sendinig out letters to its stock-
holders, advisinig them of the recent
activities in the Powell field, of the
plans for the future and fiinancial
status of the company.
The letter confirms statements
previously made that the E. L. Smith
Oil Company had sold its interests
on the Wheelock, Ballard and Ramsey
tracts, at Powell, retaining the 65-
acre Cerf lease and large royalty
interests there. The Cerf now has
one producer owned by the company
and another deep well, the No. 2 Cerf,
is expected in this week. The pres-
ent production of the Cerf 1 is
around 150 barrels daily, while royalty
in the field, owned by the E. L. Smith
Oil Company, totals 250 barrels.
Added to this is the Mexia royalty
which amounts to around 150 bar-
rels daily. This gives the company
a steady daily income, at present
postings, amounting to appriximately
$1,000 per day or $30,000 per month.
The business of the company is
transacted with a very nominal ex-
pense, which fact gives the Mexia
born institution a very gratifying in-
come, according to officials and stock-
holders of the company who are well
pleased with its condition.
The company also plans its future
operations on a conservative basis.
These plans include the drilling of a
test on a block of acreage, secured
for that purpose in Rains and Hop-
kins counties.
The location of the test has not yet
been definitely decided upon, but the
fact that such a test will be made is
verified in the letter now going out.
Th*> financial affairs of the com-
pany are also most gratifying, the
letter stating that the company is
now holding in cash, notes and Uquid
bonds, around $1,200,000 while the
outstanding stock of the company is
$1,800,489.
Both E. L. Smith, president, and
Blake Smith, vice president, in this
connection state, and so say in the
letter, that it is not the policy of the
company to pay out large dividends
and dissipate its assets but rather to
pay a reasonable rate annually. Sus-
cessful oil concerns have tested this
policy and have found that such a
course tends to increase the market
value of the stock and eventually re-
sult in a much larger return to stock-
holders. The dividend rate for this
year will lie announced later, accord-
ing to officials of the company. Since
its organization little better than two
years ago, the company has con-
sistently declared and paid dividends
which easily place the E. L. Smith
Oil Company in a class with the
safest and best paying companies in
the oil industry.
o
FORMER U. STUDENTS
TO OBSERVE MARCH S
Former studnets of the University
of Texas, who are interested in the
banquet for March the 3rd to be held
in Mexia, are invited to be present at
a meeting to be held Tuesday after,
noon at 4 o'clock in the office of War-
ren Dale, over the Mexia Drug Com-
pany, whan plans will be completed
for the annual observance.
Those who cannot be present then
hut who will attend the banquet next
Monday evening are urged to phone
either Mrs. Sam Cox, Mr. Dale or Mr.
Adair.
Hundreds cf clubs throughout Tex-
as and in all parts of the United
States ara planning to join in the
celebrations of that dav.
Self Se
Roscoe Cook named our store and re-
ceived the $19 worth of Groceries.
We carry a full line of Fresh Groceries, Friuts, Vege-
tables, Cured" Meats, Butter, Eggs. etc. Come and see our
place and look our prices over. Any business you will give
us will be appreciated.
PHONE
743
Colon S. Phillips,
Prop.
107 North McKinney St.
Across Street from Mexia
Batery & Tire Co.
Presiding Elder C. A. Bickley
preached at the Methodist church Sun-
day morning and the President of
Texas Woman's College occupied the
pulpit Sunday night. Great sermons
were heard by the big crowd on both |
occasions. Three additions to the
church wera noted.
PHIL HOPKINS JAILED
FOR MUSUSE OF MAIL
ALTANTA. Ga„ Feb. 27.—S. Thil
Hopkins of Houston, former husband
of Peggy Joyce, was jailed here
charged with misuse of the mails in
connection with the sale of oil stock.
He denied the accusations.
The ladites of the Rebecca lodge are
asked to meet with Mrs. Rochelle at
the hall Thursday afternoon at 1:30
p. m. to study the team work. Mrs.
G. W. Hopscn, N. G.
R. E. Gloze of Corsicana wan a
Monday visitor to the city.
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Houx, N. P. The Mexia Weekly Herald (Mexia, Tex.), Vol. 26, No. 13, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 28, 1924, newspaper, February 28, 1924; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth292407/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Gibbs Memorial Library.