Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, March 4, 1921 Page: 1 of 12
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WE WILL HANDLE UP TO CA-
PACITY OF OUR TWO PLANTS.
BRING US YOUR VEGETABLES.
MERCEDES PRODUCE CO.
Ifibtme
GET OUR PRICES BEFORE
SELLING YOUR * VEGETABLES
MERCEDES PRODUCE CO.
PHONE 74
VOLUME Till
MERCEDES. HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, FRIDAY, MARCH 4, 1921
NUMBER 3
BAPTISTS TO BUILD
CHURCH AT WESLACO
NEWEST TOWN IN TALLEY OR-
GANIZES WITH
SEVENTY SIX MEMBERS
Cash Offering of $1850—Townsite
Company Donates Site for Chapel.
Evangelists Hold Successful Meet-
ings.
Evangelists R. L. Cole and Mr.
and Mrs. J. L. Blankenship, who
have been evangelizing in the Val-
ley for the past sixty days, are in
a greajt meeting at the First Bap-
tist church at Donna, this, the
last week of their stay in the Val-
ley.
It is frankly admitted by the Bap-
tist Pastors of the Cameron-Hidalgo
Baptist association that this splen-
did team has done the most substan-
tial evangelistic work the Magic
Valley has ever had. At Mercedes
there were 48 additions to the Bap-
tist church as a result ,of their work,
at Weslaco, 76 and more than 20
during their first week at Donna.
Perhaps the most constructive meet-
ing 0 the series of five which they
have held, was the one at Weslaco
As a result of one week’s work there
the First Baptist church of Weslaco
was orgariized with 76 members. A
Baptist Sunday school and Ladies
Aid society was also organized, and
a cash offering of $1350 was taken
to apply on the immediate erection
of a Baptist chapel, a site for which
was donated by the Weslaco Town-
site Co.
The pledges to pastor’s salary was
supplemented by a gift of $600 an-
nually by the Baptist State Mission
Board of Texas. This young vigor-
ous church is now looking for a
strong virile man to come toi them
for full time as their pastor.
Each member of the evangelistic
party, have expressed themselves fre-
quently during their ten weeks so-
journing in this section as being
deeply in love with the Valley and
its people. “We can boost the Mag-
ic Valley of Texas,” they say,
“wherever we go.’
Dr. Cole goes to Galveston next
week for a meeting and Mr. and
Mrs. Blankenship to the Firsfr Bap-
tist church of Lufkin, Texas, for
two weeks.
Best and Biggest Extra Vote
- Offer of Salesmanship Club
Race Ends Wednesday Nite
Campaign is now on mighty even basis with none
having sinecure on any one of prizes; interest in
big battle of ballots grows apace and friends of
popular candidates are rallying to support of
favorites. $ 20 clubs of collections now count
200,000 extra votes and candidates are not
limited to number of “Clubs” they may turn in.
New entries today; Ambition and energy wll win.
Parent-Teachers and Civic Club Meet
The Parent-Teachers and Civic
club met in the beautiful home of
Mrs.- F. E. Forbes on Tuesday af-
ternoon. The object of the joint
meeting were: •
First: To devise plans for the
beautifying of sidewalks, parks and
school grounds.
Second: For talks from Mrs.
Woodson, district president of the
Parent-Teachers association, and D.
W. Iiume, federal director of the
treasury department on the advan-
tages of thrift organizations in the
public schools.
Lemonade and cakf were served
to • twenty-four members and two
visitors.
R. L. Reeves and L. O. Garrett
made a business trip to Mission on
Tuesday.
Quite a numbe rof Alamo ladies
attended a joint meeting of the Par-
ent-Teachers association at Donna
on Saturday evening of last week.
The Sunday school of the First
Baptist church met in the new
school building on Sunday of this
w^iek with 70 members, teachers
wercr elected and are now ready to
settle down to work.
R. W. Warren has purchased the
two-story home of Mr. L. R. Holt
and is making preparation<3 to move-
in. Mr. Hob; has built a beautiful
bungalo/w on his farm north .of town
to which he has recently moved.
Music Festival
A five day music festival will be
staged in Mercedes beginning Easter
Sunday. This festival has been ar-
ranged by the Music club, sponsored
by Mrs. C. H.1 Bagg, president of the
club.
In the biggest and best ex-
tra vote inducement of the Mer-
cedes Tribune SALESMANSHIP
CLUB for the handsome' gifts to
be distributed on Saturday night,
March 26th, “CLUBS” play an
important part, and many of
those who are interested in the
success of various Club members
have repeatedly asked the ques-
tion of what constitutes a “Club”
For the benefit of those inter-
ested in SALESMANSHIP Club
dongs; we will state that a
CLUB means subscription col-
lections totaling $20.00, either
.old or new subscriptions count-
ing on a “Club.” For every
“CLUB” of $20.00 turned in by
a candidate or friends of a can-
didate, between now and nine
o’clock Wednesday night, March
9th, this candidate will receive
in addition to the votes on the
subscriptions, 200,000 EXTRA
votes. A candidate may get as
many “CLUBS” as his or her
energy calls for. When they
have built one “club” they can
^ start at once to build another,
and for every one turned in they
will get a special certificate call-
ing for 200,000 EXTRA VOTES.
Just so long as subscriptions
total $20 it constitutes a “Club”
and that means the EXTRA vote
certificate. Never in the life of
the - campaign will subscriptions
or “clubs” count for as much
as they do NOW.
TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS
Pay your subscriptions NOW and
that little word reversed will look
mighty nice after the name of your
favorite CLUB member coupled with
that Ford Sedan on the night .of
Saturday, March 26th. By paying
your subscription NOW it will go
to assisting your favorite in the
gift campaign. Every Mercedes
Tribune subscriber paying their sub-
scription will be entitled to thou-
sands of free votes to help their fa-
vorite in the campaign.
DON’T OVERLOOK OPPORTUNITY
One -of the regrets of life is that
a bright and shining opportunity hag i
been overlooked, and wise candi-
dates in the Mercedes Tribune bat-
tle of ballots are not going to over-
look any aoportunities in the way
of getting votes and subscriptions
from now until the close of the cam-
paign.
BIG “CLUB” OFFER ABOUT OVER!
With only a few more days to
j work for the ,200,000 Extra bonus
I vote offer which ends Wednesday
night, March 9th, ambitious candi-
dates are forging ahead, and the
| chances of any one of several are
1 now even to get that nifty little
Ford Sedan.
“I COULD BYTE WON”
When the race is over March 26th,
1 many will say, “I could have won
that Ford Sedan iust as well as So-
| and So if I had only gone after it
: earnestly.”
DON'T BE A REGRETTER—BE A
WINNER. Keep busy today and ev-
: ery day. Get every ‘ CLUB” that
you possibly can. DO NOT be sat-
isfied with ONE “CLUB” only. When
: you finish die “CLUB” start in on
- another.
No one has a cinch on any one of
these handsome prizes at this stage j
of the game, and don’t let anyone j
tell you otherwise. The race is now !
i on a mighty even basis. The efforts j
put forth between now and the close
of the 200,000 extra vote “CLUB”
offer next Wednesday night will in
a great measure reflect the final
result.
You need VOTES NOW—not next
pummer, and a harvest of votes
await the willing workers. It is
up to you to win—you can if you
want to.
KAMPAIGN KOMMENT
'“CLUBS’ are surely trumps these
days.
How many “CLUBS” will you get?
When you finish one “CLUB” start
right in on anther one.
No candidate can expect to win
anything worth while without the
liberal expenditure of EFFORT.
Equip yourself with a wealth of
resourcesfulness that will meet ev-
ery occasion.
Don’t limit your desire to a minor
prize.
These are the building days:. Build
wisely and well—“CLUBS.”
Don’t blossom forth like a century
plant—once in a hundred years.
The way to success is thru the
land of hustle.
SOME honor will attach to the
winner of that Sedan. *
Miss Lola Robertson wears the
smile that will not come off.
Friends of Mrs. Esther Bovousette
the Donna clubmember make the
assertion that their favorite will
drive that Sedan or they will know-
the reason why.
At that this lady will bear watch-
ing.
The same goes or several others.
Sgt. Bill Bailey says: “Huh; we
will show ’em a thing or two when
we hit our stride.”
Looks like it too.
Ray Ramsey jumps into the cam-
paign today with both feet and the
little start others had deters this
‘dive wire” not one iota.
If you have friends, use them.
Do it now-—for today will be yes-
terday tomorrow .
200,000 EXTRA votes on every
“CLUB” of collections totaling $20.
The number of “CLUBS” a candi-
date may get is limited only' to their
own energy.
Line up some of these long-term
subscriptions.
Is your wishbone where your
backbone should be? If so switch.
People who say it cannot be done
are always being interrupted by
someone ding it .
How many 200,000 vote certifi-
cates will YOU get, Mr. and Mrs.
Ambition.
LESS extra votes after March 9th
Nufced.
The girl with the curl is making
dandy progress.
The same applies to “Brown Eyes”
Miss Chonita Navarro is taking a
back seat from n.o one.
Keep your eye on Miss Emma Rei-
boldt. Out to win.
Miss Pearl Hearing says little
but “saws wood.”
And by the way do not lose sight
of that San Juan candidate. Miss
Oleva Williams may spring a sur-
prise party any time.
Thelma Rollins plugs along and
‘ lines 'em up.”
Miss Margaret Carson and' her
bevy of charming “Hi Skule” friends
will bear watching.
• Anybody’s race at this stage of the
game and the goin’ mighty good.
THE PIG CLUB PAPERS
AREJfOW HERE
And the Boys u Have Invested in
Stock That They May Well Be
Proud of—Pigs Are of Exception-
ally Fine Breeding.
At last the registration papers for
the pigs of the “Boys Pig Club” are
beginning to arrive, and the others
not here yet, will be coming in very
soon. They had to be returned, for
some slight changes.
The papers here, show that the
pigs are of exceptionally fine breed-
ing—Defender, Proud Cherry, Cherry
Chief, and Defenders’ Cherry Chief,
show the splendid blood lines of
these pigs.
The stock comes from such well
known breeders as the McKee Bros.,
Dr. C. E. Stell and William Carpen-
ter. i bought some of the founda-
tion stock for these pigs for C. H.
Plato of Kingsville from Wm. Car-
penter. For one of the sows I paid
$250.00; for each of two others, I
paid $100.00. A year from the time
I bought them Mr. Carpenter tried
to purchase them back at an in-
creased price; but they were sold
to the King ranch.
The boar bought by Mr. Paul Em-
ery also shows fine breeding. He
comes of the Geo. P. Lillard stock.
Mr. Lillard is one of the best known
and most successful breeders in the
state. “Defender’s Wonder Boy,” as
his name implies, combines the De-
fender and Wonder strains.
These pigs are quite an acquisition
to the Valley; and any one wanting
high class stock, need not hesitate
to invest in their progeny. '
DR. H. H. HARRINGTON.
Boys Pig Club.
The boys of the Hidalgo County
Bank’s Pig Club will be interested to
know that Andrew Porter’s Duroc
Jersey sow has 8 fine true to color
pigs and that Arthur Ohls has 10
of as fine little pigs qs have ever
been produced in this community.
It will be remembered that the
Hidalgo County Bank furnished the
boys of the Pig Club with 10 regis-
tered sows about the first of Novem-
ber, and this herd of registered stock
has now increased to the remarkable
total of 67 hogs and pigs. Who
says the hog business does not pay,
and who can beat this record. The
competition is becoming more keen
among the boys and the good natured
rivalry is very interesting and whole-
MR. ELLIOTT RESIGNS AS
PRESIDENT A. R.G. L&I.CO.
R. C. Wilkins Is New President; No
Change to Be Made in the Poli-
cies of the Company; a Spirit of
Cordiality and Cooperation Be-
tween Water Users and Compa-
ny Is Desired
At a meeting of the board ,of di-
rectors of the American Rio Grande
Land and Irrigation Co., held ht St.
Louis last week, the resignation of
Mr. J. J. Elliott as president of
the company was accepted and Mr.
R. C. Wilkins was elected as his
successor.
Mr. Elliott came, to Mercedes as
the president of the American Com-
pany a little more than a year ago
and has resided here since that time
being the first resident president of
the company for ten years. His
administration has been a distinct
innovation and greatly appreciated
by the farmers and residents here.
He early realized the fact that
the farmers and new settlers here
were handicapped by -their lack of
knowledge of conditions peculiar to
this section of the country. Many
of the new comers had no previous
experience in farming and it is nec-
essary for the experienced farmer
of the north to radically change his
methods here. Mr. Elliott was suc-
cessful in securing the resvices of
Dr. H. H. Harrington, conceded to
be the best expert on crop produc-
tion to be obtained, and the services
rendered by him during the year
just past have been of great value
and added materially to the pjros-
perity of many farmers and to the
community in general.
Mr. Elliott also realized that the
most serious and important prob-
lem confronting the farmers here
was that of marketing their crops
when grown. He .inaugurated the
movement which resulted in the or-
ganization of the Valley Amity club
of which he was the president, and
it was through his efforts, assisted
by Dr. Harrington, vthat the Rio
Grande Valley Growers Exchange
was organized. Mr. Elliott has ad-
ministered his office upon the prin-
ciple that the success of the com-
pany which he represented depend-
and added materially to the pros-
perity of the farmers and has en-
deavored to assist them in every way
possible and bis work here is great-
ly appreciated.
Mr. Wilkins, the new president, is
a gentleman of wide experience in
administrative matters. He has been
in Mercedes for the past month dur-
ing which time he has thoroughly
familiarized himself with the con-
ditions here and will continue to re-
side here and devote his efforts to>
the interests of the company and
the land owners.
The polices of the company will'
be continued under his administra-
tion. He assures the farmers and
water users of fair and liberal treat-
ment and asks them to reciprocate
in kind to the end that a profitable
and valuable spirit of co-operation,
may be maintained.
ANOTHER 1RRIGATION
Christian Endeavor
Items
Farmers in Session; Dr.
Harrington S ,
and Will Reside i
DISTRICT ORGANIZED
Retail Merchants to Meet
Monday Night and a Full
Attendance Is Desired
At the meeting of officers and I meeting the executive committee has
board of directors, held Monday last, j asked that each and every member
it was moved seconded and unani- j be on hand.
mously carried that a one hundred j if it jg absolutely impossible for
percent meeting be called, it will j any member to be present, he should
probably be the only meeting of notify the secretary before hand,
the year where the presence of ev- but jf possible, should be represented
ery member is demanded, and the, py some member of his firm,
call should be answered without j Don,t forget. Be at the Commu-
question. Naturally a large attend-; njty House Monday. March 7th. ai
aricclis always , desired, but for this i 8 p. m.
Election' at McAllen Results iu Unan- j
imotTs Vote far Public Owner-
ship.
At an election hgeld Saturday at
McAllen the land owners and water
I users on the McAllen canal voted
an irrigation district. The vote was
! unanimous for the formation of the
district. It will be known as Hi-
dalgo County Irrigation District No.
3. The directors of the new district
named at the same time, are Gor-
don Griffin, Tom Murrow,, Jolir
I Ewing, Frank Freeland and F. H.
Smith. The formation of the Mc-
I Allen district leaves only three ca-
nals in the Valley under private
ownership, viz: Mercedes, Mission
! and Edinburg.
Our District President Mrs. Kent
S. Manning of San Benito, received
word this week that the Valley dis-
trict was the first to get the allotted
number of registered delegates for
the convention to be held in Waco
June 8-12, 1921, and that the Val-
ley district would have banner num-
ber one and would lead the state in
the parade on that occasion.
The Valley district is not yet two
years old and has never failed in
anything that it has attempted, al-
ways paid its pledges in full before
the date set, held its district con-
ventions in due time and in the
right spirit and has always been well
represented in state conventions and
last year held mileage on every oth-
er district in the state. Come on
Endeavorers, let’s go, this year and
go to Waco in a special Christian
Endeavor car.
From reports we ^are afraid that
our meeting last Sunday was not
quite what a Christian Endeavor
meeting should be, there seemed to
be some present that thought it
was a social gathering and failed to
get into the spirit of the evening,
we are sorry for the subject was
fine. How Can We Make Our Lives
Useful, is the question we should all
be vitally interested in, next Sun-
day lets all come with a prayer in
our hearts for the leader, for our-
selves, and above all for the meet-
ing and others.
The subject next Sunday is: Thy
Kingdom. Come iu My Church;
Scripture, Matt. 6:7-15. This is ;
consecration meeting. Come prepar-
ed to give a verse of the Bible in
response to your name at roll call
We are always glad to welcome,
strangers to our meetings and to
have them take part if they feel
so disposed, anyway <■ everyone is in- j
vited to attend these Sunday evening j
meetings and again let me say that1
Christian Endeavor is not a Presby-
terian organization as I have heard
some one say, but it is now, always
was, and ever will be interdenomi-
national. There is now over eighty
different denominations represented
in Christian Endeavor. Come and
meet with us and be one of us.
Thought for the week: If you
would be loved, be loveable.
W. O. MEREDITH, Reporter.
After a long series of meetings
of the Farmers’ Co-operative soci-
ety which have been filled with the
more or less momentous questions
of serious import' to the Valley farm-
ers, the meeting on Tuesday evening,
held in the Community House set-
tled down to the ordinary business
which daily confronts rhe fa ,mer.
President Settles was present and
occupied the chair.
The minutes of the previous meet-
ing were read and adopted and then
the reports of the various commit-
tees were received.
Who Gets the Creamery—Pharr
Don’t Want It.
Mr. Moon on behalf of the commit-
tee appointed to attend the Dairy
meeting at Weslaco on Friday last,
was asked to giye an account, of the
work done. Mr. Moon rose and
stated that while he had received in-
structions from the farmers meet-
ing of last week to vote in favor
of the Valley-Wide Creamery to be
located at Weslaco, he found upon
investigation that perhaps we had
overstepped ihe mark in that we
had instructed a committee to so
vote, as at a previous meeting of the
Dairymen’s association held at Har-
lingen a week or so previous, a sim-
ilar committee had been instructed
to vote for Mercedes as the most
central location for the Valley-Wick
Creamery, and in conference with the
dairymen who had assembled at
Weslaco, he thought that perhaps
the wisest thing to do was to join
his fellow townsmen in voting as
they did—for Mercedes. ' He furthei
stated that alter some deliberation
at the meeting on Fi'iday last,- Har-
lingen withdrew from the running
and in the final vote the location o
the creamery went to Pharr, mud
to the surprise of the Pharr people
who were not evidently expecting it
and according to Mr. Moon are no!
prepared fo-.r it and in his estima-
tion, the Valley-Wide Creamery will
possibly be built at Weslaco, Mer-
cedes or some other more central
point.
No Chance for Lower Freight Rates
The Freight Rate committee con-
sisting of Dr. Rothrock, Dr. Har-
rington and Mr. Riggs, was there
heard from, Dr. Rothrock being the
first spokesman, who stated that:
the possibilities of securing an emer-
gency freight rate were now very-
remote, as the cash buyers had
'spoiled the chances of securing such),
a rate by giving the railroads, am
increased tonnage on increased races;
over last year, and why, he stated:
should the railroads grant an emer-
gency freight rate when they were
getting all the tonnage they could
take care of. Dr. Harrington sup-
plemented the remarks of Dr. Roth-
rock, and further stated that the’
farmers of Eastern Texas were ask-
ing for an emergency freight rate
which, if granted would be extended’
as far as the Valley, but would not
be of much use to Ug in the moving:
of the present crop.
Farmers May Build Gin.
Dr. Rothrock brought up the sub-
ject of the cotton gin. He stated!
that there had been no' further de-
velopments. He would like to see a
gin built in time to gin this sea-
son’s crop, and felt sure that it would!
be a paying investment. He stated:
that the gin at Weslaco, owned by
farmers, made a dividend of over 60
per cent last year and there was no*
reason why a gin owned by f rrners*
at Mercedes could not do just as
well. He knew that there would be
over 3000 acres planted to Durango
cotton this year as well as n large-
nfimber of acres planted to th short
staple cotton and the gin he ad-
vised would be such «as would gin
both long and short staple cotton
and make a good job. This gin
(Continued on page 6)
URGENTI
Special Notice to Farmers on the Mercedes
Canal System
Just as soon as possible come to office in Bank of Commerce
Building at Mercedes prepared to make statement on cost of your
crop during past year and what the crop brought.
Hearing before water board commences Monday, but Wednesday
may not be too late to come. If you do not come by then the wa-
ter rate may be raised without the board’s considering your case
and it will be your own 'fault.
COMMITTEE.
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Hoyt, L. T. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 8, No. 3, Ed. 1 Friday, March 4, 1921, newspaper, March 4, 1921; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth637716/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.