The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 22, 1955 Page: 1 of 16
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Mercedes Library
Box 551
Mercedes, Texas
Ijfffi 6 A ?.
COPY
10c
QUEEN CITY; OF THE VALLEY
MERCEDES, TEXAS
FINEST WATER IN THE VALLEY
VOLUME XLIII — NO. 5l‘ Entered as Second Class Mail Matter at the Mercedes, Tex., Postoffice
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1955
SIXTEEN PAGES IN' TWO SECTIONS $3.00 PER YEAB
..................
KIDS-KIDS EVERYWHERE, as far as the eye can see. That was the situation last Friday when
merchants and Kiwanis members tried to give oat stockings of candy and toys (some 2,500 of
’em) to Mercedes youngsters. The party got a little out of hand, even with Police assisting, when
older children crashed the lines which the younger ones had formed. Despite repeated requests
for all to form lines, that there was plenty to go round, the crowd remained unruly and the
party* was given up. This week, the gifts were taken to lower grades of Mercedes schools for free
distribution. —Harman Photo
Valley Growing Faster Than Dallas,
Los Angeles, 'Frisco, Survey Shows
The Brownsville - Harlingen - ing areas are predominately in
McAllen metropolitan area
should climb nine rungs up the
nation’s population ladder in the
next ten years from the 61st to
the 52nd largest metropolitan
area in the U. S. according to
figures released this week by the
Valley Chamber of Commerce’s
research department, based- on
recent surveys by the Sales
Management Magazine.
The Valley Chamber of Com-
merce’s latest population survey
for the four-county Valley area
is 395,700. What Sales- Manage-
ment refers to as the Browns-
ville-Harlingen-McAllen metro-
politan are is the thickly popu-
lated central core of the Valley
bounded by these cities.
In the past ten years the Val-
ley jumped 14 places in popula-
tion rank, from 75th to 61st. The
fact that the Valley advanced
14 places up the ladder in the
last ten years and is expected to
advance nine places in the next
ten years does not indicate a
slowing down in the growth rate,
but rather a faster rate' of growth
since the Valley is growing into
some much stiffer competition. .
While the country’s population
was increasing from 139,928,000
in 1945 to 164,782,000 in 1955,
the nation’s growth index .figure
was 120. At the same time the
Valley’s is 160. The Valley is now
growing at a faster rate than
such boomers as Los Angeles
(index No. 158), Dallas (index
No. 159), San Francisco .(index
No. 150) and Washington, D. C.,
(index No. 153.).
Generally, the areas that are
growing fastest are the areas
where people can live and have
more of the good things. Climate
plays a big part as illustrated
by the fact that the fastest grow-
the warm-winter areas of Flor-
ida, South and West Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, and
California. Perhaps the best
gauge of where the good things
lie is in effective buying income
—just how much bacon the aver-
age fellow is able to bring home.
In this all-important category,
the Valley ranks 15th in the na-
tion.
The Valley also ranks 15th in
total retail sales, food store sales
and furnishings, household and
radio store sales. Similarly, the
Valley is high on all other cate-
gories of sales, to add up to the
average of 15th in total retail
sales.
ANNUAL CHRISTMAS
GREETING ISSUE
This is the annual Christmas
greeting issue of The Enter-
prise. The merchants whose
messages appear herein sin-
cerely extend the season's
greetings to all our readers
and send out their thanks
for your patronage during
the past year.
The Enterprise, too, offers its
thanks to advertisers and
readers alike for the privilege
of serving them during the
past year.
Most Mercedes stores will
be closed Monday in obser-
vance of the Christmas holi-
day, which falls on Sunday.
We urge clubs and others to
turn in as many news reports
as possible the latter part of
this week.
San Benito Resident
Is New President
Of Valley Chamber
New Valley Chamber officers
for the 1956 chamber year were
elected at the winter Board meet-
ing last week. R. A. Ewing of
San Benito was named president
to succeed Joe T. Cook of Mission.
Mr. Ewing is District Manager
of Central Power & Light Com-
pany and an active civic leader.
A vice-president was named
from each of the Valley’s four
counties. They are: Stanley
Cfockett, Cameron County; Char-
les R. Johnson, Willacy; Vale
Mayes, H/l d a 1 g o County and
Frank Anderson. Starr County.
The new treasurer is Barry
Trask, of Weslaco, and Brad H.
Smith was elected secretary. The.
new officers. will be-sworn in at
the chamber’s annual banquet
in McAllen'on January 9.
-o-
New Direct Flight
To Dallas Planned
Trans-Texas Airways has an-
ounced the inauguration of a
new Valley to Dallas service be-
ginning Jan. 8, 1956. This will be
in addition to the three flights
presently in operation. The new
flight Will be one plane through
service, Harlingen-Dallas, leaving
Dallas 7:15 A.M. and arriving
Harlingen 11:37 A.M. with tjie re-
turn flight leaving Harlingen
4:55 P.M. arriving Dallas 9:21
P.M. * -■>
In addition to this through
flight, Valley-Dallas service will
now also have a new morning_
connection flight cutting 50
minutes off of the former time.
At the same time these new
flights go into operation Jan. 8,
Trans-Tex’aS will cut 26 minutes
off its Valley-Houston run allow-
ing for better arrival time in
Houston and connections with
many new non-stop flights to
New York, Chicago, etc.
POPULATION
NOW ESTIMATED
AT 13,000
Mercedes has 162 retail estab-
lishments, according to the latest
survey by Dun and Bradstreet.
A total of 1983 mercantile busi-
nesses were recorded for Hidalgo
county. - '
The new Texas Almanac just
published by The Dallas News
shows 195 business firms, and
a n estimated population of
13,000.
According to C. T. Schultz, Dun-
Bradstreet manager at San An-
tonio, these were rated busi-
nesses, since the reference book
lists commercial enterprises —
manufacturers, wholesalers, re-
tailers and other businesses gen-
erally buying on credit. It does
not, however, include some ser-
vice and professional establish-
ments such as real estate brok-
ers, barber and beauty shops,
stock brokers, etc. Thus, figures
for all business in Hidalgo coun-
ty would be higher than the ones
quoted above.
The following are number of
businesses in major cities of the
county:
Valley Quintet
Killed Saturday
In Car Crash
A weekend trip to see the Wes-
laco Panthers play Hillsboro at
Waco in the race for the state
AA football championship end-
ed in tragedy for six Valley resi-
dents early Saturday. Five were
killed instantly, and the sixth,
Miss Alberta Steikermann, 18,
Pan-American College freshman
from Donna, is critically injured.
The dead are Mr. and Mrs.
James A. Holmes and Mr. and
Mrs. Robert E. Martin and their
son, Thomas F. Martin, all of
Weslaco. All were occupants of
a car driven by Holmes north-
bound at the time of the acci-
dent, near Hallettsville.
The Holmes car was in colli-
sion with a car going south, driv-
en by Salvatore Lopez, of Elsa.
Other occupants of the Lopez car
were his sister, Clarisa, 15, Elsa,
and Josephine Luna, 14, Mathis.
All were seriously hurt.
ADMIRING THE TROPHY awarded the Mercedes School by
the Valley Football Officials Association are Principal S. F.
Cernosek, left, and Coach Jack Henry. Mercedes won the Sports-
manship award for District 32AA. This is the third time in five
years for Mercedes to get the award, which is based on good
sportsmanship on the part of both players and boosters.
Mercedes Churches List Services
For Christmas Holiday Week
School Board Advertises For Bids
On New Stadium Near Stock Show
The Mercedes School Board for the stock show portion, it was
has called for bids for construe- understood.
Mission .........
........229
Mercedes .......
........162
Weslaco ........
........226
Elsa ............
........ 52
Donna ..........
........ 95
Alamo ..........
........61
San Juan .......
........66
Pharr ..........
........168
Edinburg .......
........311
McAllen ........
........486
ficers, the Lopez car was on the
wrong side of the highway at the
time of the accident. Skid marks
indicated Holmes tried to stop
and probably realized there was
to be a crash seconds before his
death. There were ho indications
the Lopez car attempted to stop.
Officers said it was difficult to
judge how fast either car was
travelling. Time of the crash was
about 6:45 a.m. •
Mrs. Holmes was an employee
of the Queen City Laundry here
and had been for several years.
Martin was a crew foreman for
Hidalgo and Cameron Counties
Water Control and Improvement
District No. 9 and had worked
for the water district since 1949.
Funeral services for the Mar-
tin family were held Monday af-
ternoon at 4 o’clock in the Wel-
don Martin chapel, Weslaco,
with Rev. H. D. Barlow, pastor of
the First Baptist Church, offi-
ciating. Rites for Mr. and Mrs.
Holmes were at 2 p.m. Tuesday
in the Martin chapel with Rev.
E. P. Akin, Nazarene church pas-
tor, officiating. Burial in each
case was in the Highland Mem-
orial Park.
Mercedes’ churches this week
According to investigating of-.are announcing their schedule of
services for the conclusion of the
Christmas season. With Christ-
mas Day falling on Sunday for
the first time in, a number of
years, some of the churches have
announced a change of schedule.
Our Lady of Mercy Catholic
Church: Hours of Confession:
Friday, Dec. 23 from 4 to 6 p.m.;
Saturday, Dec. 24 from 3 to 6 p.m.
and from 7 to 9:30 p.m. (The
doors of the church will be
locked until 11:30. They will be
opened at 11 if the weather is
bad. There will be Christmas
carols followed by High Mass at
midnight. No children will be
allowed at the midnight mass.)
Sunday Morning Masses: 7, 8:30
and 10:30. No evening masses. t
Sacred Heart Catholic Church:
Hours of Confession: Friday, Dec.
23 from 7 to 8 p.m.; Saturday,
Dec. 24 from 4 to 5 and from 7 to
8. (The doors of the church will
be locked until 11:30. They will
be opened at 11 if the weather is
bad. There will be Christmas
carols followed by High Mass at
midnight.No children allowed at
midnight mass.) Sunday Morn-
ing Mass at 9:00. No evening
mass.
Schedule for the Church of
Christ will' be the same with
preaching at 11:00 on Sunday
morning.
W. S. Brown will preach at the
First Baptist Church Sunday and
KIWANIS MEET
George Wheeler, pastor of the
First Christian Church, Mercedes,
will speak to local Kiwanians
today at their noon (12:15) meet-
ing at El Sombrero on the Christ-
mas theme.
Farm Employers
Reminded of Report
On Social Security
Farm employers are reminded
by R. L. Phiney of the Internal
Revenue Service that social se-
curity taxes apply to cash wages
paid to every farm worker to
whom the employer pays $100
or more cash wages during the
year 1955. The taxes (2percent
employer tax and 2 percent em-
ployee tax) apply only to cash
wages paid to covered farm
workers, Mr. Phinney said.
Every farm employer who owes
these taxes must file a return
on Form 943, and pay the taxes,
on or before January 31, 1956.
Farm employers should file their
returns on time in order to avoid
the penalty . which may be
charged for late filing.
Any employer of covered farm
workers who .has not already
registered witji the district di-
rector’s office should do so at
once. The .registration form SS-4
can be obtained from any Inter-
nal Revenue or Social Security
office.* The ddistric director wiil
mail the necessary return forms
and instructions to all registered
employers.
*—TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY!”
will continue to occupy the pul-
pit until a permanent successer
to Rev. Meeler Markham is
chosen by the congregation.
There will be no change in the
schedule.
The annual Children’s Christ-
mas service, entitled “In Bethle-
hem’s Manger” will be presented
by the Immanuel Luthran Sun-
day School on Saturday at 6:30
p.m. The program will be given
chiefly by the children in recita-
tions and Christmas carols with
the help of a filmstrip selected
for the program. Alfred Thies is
in charge of the program. A
special “charity offering” re-
membering special institutions
of mercy, will be received at the
service.
Christmas Day services will be
at the usual time. The pastor,
Rev. M. J. Cordes, will preach
on the subject: “The Majestic
Visible in the Physical.”
Thursday evening at the First
Christian Church, the annual
Bible School Christmas Tree will
be held at 7:30. Leslie Barnes
is superintendent of the Bible
School and Mrs. E. V. Lyons is
in charge of the program.
Sunday morning schedule for
the First Christian Church will
Remain the same with the pastor,
Geo. Wheeler, preaching. There
will be no evening service.
The First Methodist Church
Sunday School will have its an-
nual Christmas program Thurs-
day evening at seven o’clock.
Mrs. Garland Leavell, Mrs. Seth
Westfall and Mrs. James Kirker
have charge of the program. The
Woman’s Society of Christian
Service has announced a birth-
day cake in honor of the birth-
day of Jesus.
On Sunday, the services Will
occur at a different hour from
the usual schedule. The church
school will meet at 9 a.m. fol-
lowed by the morning worship
at 10 o’clock. There will be no
evening services.
The annual Christmas pro-
gram for the Sunday School was
held at the First Presbyterian
Church on Monday evening. On
Sunday, there will be a brief
service for the Sunday School at
10:45 to observe "the birthday
of Jesus with a family service
at 11 o’clock. The pastor, Rev.
B. W. Downing, will preach.
All Christian churches (if om-
mitted, the Enterprise reporter
was unable to contact persqns in
authority) axe planning services
of special interest to their parish-
ioners this Sunday and mem-
bers, as well as Valley visitors
are invited by the respective
churches to worship at a church
of their choice.
tion of its part of 6,000 seat sta-
dium to be located just west of
the Rio Grande Valley Livestock
Showgrounds.
In an official notice appearing
in this issue, the Board calls for
sealed proposals to be received
until 3 p.m. Dec. 29 for all labor
and material required for the
erection and completion of a con-
crete, steel and wood stadium
structure to be located on school
property in the Silver Subdivi-
sion.
Preliminary work already be-
ing done, includes removal of the
fences and other obstructions at
the site.
The Livestock Show will build
a 2,500 seat stadium adjacent to
that of the school, and will move
the present bleachers from the
rodeo grounds, giving a total of
some 6,000 seats available for
school, stock show or other com-
munity oi> Valley functions. The
advantages of a 50 acre parking
area will make the new stadium
one of the most inviting in this
part of the Valley.
Steel already has been ordered
Tiger Five Lose
To Harlingen
Tuesday Night
A battling bunch of Mercedes
Tigers almost upset a highly-
regarded Harlingen Cardinal
team Tuesday night.
The Tigers battled the Cards to
a 33-26 half-time score in their
fayor, while sharp-shooting John-
ny Bourg kept the Cards in thfc
game.
It looked as though the Cards
were in for an upset, but they
finally found the basket in the
third quarter and pulled ahead
42-39.
In the last,quarter, the hustling
Tigers tried in vain to catch up,
but only saw them foul out and
thus clinch the victory for the
Cards by a score of 64-53.
The Tigers will next compete
in the Weslaco Tournament on
Dec. 29-31.
Mercedes— FG FT
Norris, Jim, f ... .3 8
Norris, John, C ....4
Lauder, Ralph, G . .3
McClendon, Guy, F 1
Terry, Bud, G .....0
Davis, Jack, G____2
Totals—
Harlingen — FG FT F TP
Henderson ........2 0 4 4
Hildebrand .......1 0 2
Rozzell ...........2 5 5
Bourg ...........13 11 1
Westlake .........l l 5
Runnells .........l 0 3
Magdalena .......2 3 2
Totals—
Score by quarters:
Harlingen .......11 26
Mercedes ........16 33
Farm Mystery
Winners
The Farm Mystery winners
and new photographs will be
resumed next week.
Decorations Contest
Draws Five Entries
Five residences have been list-
ed in the Chamber of Commerce
contest to select the three homes
most appropriately decorated for
the Christmas season.
They are the Dewey Ackers,
805 South Missouri; Mrs. Tom-
mye Acker, 637 S. Ohio; Dr. and
Mrs. E. G. Smith, 1445 S. Ohio;
the Ed Sanders, 802 Nevada;
and the Henry Lauderdales, 302
14th.
Houses will be judged this
week and winners announced.
It is the plan of the Stock Show
to have the stadium completed
in time for the 1956 annual show
early in March.
-o-
Quarterbacks
Honor 1955 Team
With Dinner
Members of the Mercedes High
School Football Team, were hon-
ored Monday evening with a
banquet at El Sombero.
Members of the Quarterback
Club, parents of the players, as
well as many of the Tiger fol-
lowers, coaches, the school ad-
ministration, and the school
board were present. S. F. Cerno-
sek, principal of the high school,
was master of ceremonies.
Milton Jowers, coach at South-
west Texas State College at San
Marcos was the speaker for the
evening. The theme was “Team-
work” and its importance to the
football players, to the school ad-
ministration, and the supporters
of the team.
The Quarterback Club was
commended for its outstanding
cooperation in working with the
school and coaches in promoting-
the team instead of working as
an independent organization.
Coach Henry < was presented
with a television set and Coach
Reeh with a certificate for cloth-
ing at a local store in apprecia-
tion of their fine work with the
1955 team.
--0- i
Planting Time
Faces Change
Texas Agriculture Commis-
sioner John C. White this week
announced a shorter planting
period for extreme South Texas
cotton growers to become ef-
fective in 1956 in order to provide
for a more uniform growth of
cotton in the area.
The new planting period for
Zone 1 of the Texas pink boll-
worm control area, including
Cameron, Willacy and the South-
ern portions of Hidalgo and Starr
counties runs from February 1 to
March 31, inclusive. This short-
13 27 22 53J ens 11 days the previous
1 period which ran from January 20.
to March 31.
In setting the new date, Com-
missioner White stressed: that
“since there has been an increase
in infestation this year not only
in this zone but over the entire
state, a tightening-up of regula-
tions is necessary to prevent any
further pink bollworm build-up.
“Additional rule change
other control zones will be forth-
coming shortly in accordance
with their optimum planting and
harvest dates,” White added.
The February 1 planting date
in Zone 1 is the earliest permis-
sive period among counties sub-
ject to Texas Agriculture Depart-
ment pink bollworm control reg=»
ulations.
Junior High Choir
Sings for Lions
The Junior High School Choir,
directed by Mrs. Willie Miller,
sang Christmas carols Wednes-
day for the Mercedes Lions Club
at their regular luncheon meet-
ing at El Sombrero.
Plans were completed for the
club’s New Year's Eve Party to
which a limited number of tickets
will be available. The party will
be held at El Sombrero.
F TP
4 14
2
9
27
3
2
7
22 20 22 64
42
39
64
53
*
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Harvey, J. Edwin. The Enterprise (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 43, No. 51, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 22, 1955, newspaper, December 22, 1955; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1062809/m1/1/?q=music: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.