Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1926 Page: 1 of 12
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SOUTHERN PACIFIC PERMITTED TO BUILD TO VALLEY
Our store and premises al-
ways sanitary and clean. An
enviable reputation.
Kasey’s Drugstore
The Family Store
Stibttttc
Buy Kotex ready wrapped
at our store.
Kasey’s Drug Store
The Family Store
VOLUME xm.
MERCEDES, HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS, THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1926
NUMBER 24
This Week
There is no use of the Valley “kid-
ding” itself, the cotton crop of this
section has been seriously damaged
by the rains which have fallen during
the past six weeks. What the total
amount of damage is, will not be
known until the season ends. Esti-
mates at. this time from farmers, buy-
ers and ginners place it in the neigh-
borhood of 40 per cent provided the
rains stop now. If the rains continue
the damage will of course be in-
creased in proportion.
* * *
What damage has been done can-
not be undone, but growers can take
steps to make their position more se-
cure. Very few farms on the Mer-
cedes canal system have growing a
sufficient amount of feedstuff to car-
ry their stock through the winter.
There remains ample time to plant
cane and secure at least one cutting,
with a possibility of two cuttings if
cold weather does not come unex-
pectedly. With a shortage of feed in
the Valley, a considerable amount
will be saved to the man who has his
own feedstuff on his own place, and
there will always be the possibility
of selling his surplus feed to those
who may come to the country during
the winter.
* * *
In years past, when corn was look-
ed upon as a money crop in the Val-
ley, it was not unusual to see grow-
ers make two crops in one year from
the same land. In some years, when
summer rains fell as is the present
case, the second crop turned out bet-
ter than the first. An early matur-
ing variety of corn, such as Mexican
June, or possibly other varieties, will
still have time to make if planted at
once. Some farmers in this section
are already clearing their ground of
cotton which has gone to the bad, and
are either preparing it for truck or
are planting cane or corn. Their ex-
ample would seem to be one worth
following.
* * *
* And in spite of the fact that cotton
prospects are cut down from what
promised to be a record yield, we of
the Valley should not lose sight of
the advantage which this section
holds over a one crop territory. With-
in five months at the outside, veg-
etable shipments in carload lots will
be leaving the Valley, and early in
the fall the citrus crop will begin
moving. No waiting a solid year for
another crop for the Valley, which is
beginning to make good its boast of
something to market every month in
the year.
* * *
Overshadowing every other race,
the campaign for governor of Texas
assumes a paramount interest this
week. As it draws to a close we find
the three leading contenders all
claiming success. Moody followers
predict a majority for their candi-
date in the first primary. Fergdson
claims a lead of 100,000 over her
nearest opponent for governor, while
Davidson states that he is assured a
lead of 80,000 over the second high-
est. Somebody is mistaken.
* * *
Two of the candidates have visited
the Valley. Lynch Davidson spoke
early in the campaign in all of our
communities, and Jim, governor by-
proxy, also appeared at Harlingen
and McAllen. With the- Hidalgo
County administration solidly behind
his candidacy, Dan Moody has not
found a personal visit to the Valley
necessary, although Marshal Hicks
of San Antonio has made a very able
presentation of Moody’s cause during
the past week.
* * *
The campaign season has been
{featured by the first real contest for
the position held by Congressman
John N. Garner, which the 15th dis-
trict has experienced for many years.
Sid Hardin of Hission has put up an
able fight with all of the cards of pol-
itics stacked against him. His cam-
paign has been based principally on
Garner’s tariff record as shown by
his votes to put onions, cabbage, cit-
rus fruits, hides, wool and mohair on
the free list, or to admit them with
a low tariff rate, as against his record
of having voted in favor of a high
protective tariff for the manufactured
products. John H. Shary of Mission,
land operator, and the political ma-
chine of all of the border counties
are opposing Hardin.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
APPLICATION ENTER
VALLEY IS GRANTED
-.-■*—
The application of the South-
ern Pacific to enter the Valley
has been granted by the Inter-
state Commerce Commission,
according to a telephone mes-
sage received this afternoon by-
Fred Johnston, secretary of the
Mercedes Chamber of Commerce.
No details regarding the decis-
ion were given in the message.
Building operations from Fal-
furrias south to Edinburg and on
to Hidalgo are expected to start
at once, as all preliminary sur-
veying has already been done.
COTTON CROP IS CUT
30,000 BALES-RAINS
HEP INSECT DAMAGE
RAINS AND INSECTS HAVE TAK-
EN NEARLY ONE THIRD OF
VALLEY CROP, GIN OFFICIAL
ESTIMATES — HIDALGO LEADS
IN GINNINGS.
A prospective yield of 175,000
bales of cotton from the Valley coun-
ties of Starr, Hidalgo, Cameron and
Willacy has been cut by rains and
insect damage and root rot to a prob-
able yield of 115,000 bales, accord-
ing to a statement made last Satur-
day by H. P. Boyd, vice-president of
the Valley Gin Co. An increased
acreage in all of the counties named
pointed to a record yield for this sec-
tion, but the rains of June and July
have spoiled all chances, Mr. Boyd
stated. The rain of Wednesday of
last week and Sunday of this proved
the most disastrous of any of the
showers which have fallen, ginners
and growers state.
Through last week a total of 2,600
bales had been turned out in the
Special Pullmans Leave on
July 29th Carrying Valley
People to A. 8C M. for Course
By JOHN W. KIRKPATRICK,
County Agent.
Because of the great interest
shown by the people of the Valley in
attending the Farmers Short Course
at A. & M. College, arrangements
have been completed for special Pull-
mans over the Missouri Pacific Lines
from the Valley to College Station.
Very attractive rates have been of-
fered for this trip, and routing via
San Antonio and Austin with a day’s
stopover in each of these cities. This
gives an opportunity to see some of
the sacred spots of Texas History and
some of Texas most important insti-
tutions. Considering the rates, the
places visited and the week at the
Short Course it seems that the
crowd should be large. Let’s show
the Short Course people some of the
Valley’s spirit by having a big
crowd.
FERGUSON THE ISSUE
SAYS MARSHAL HICKS
SPEAKINGF0R MOODY
SPEAKER DECLARES FERGUSON
MUST BE DRIVEN FROM STATE
—SAYS LYNCH HAS NOT BEEN
FAIR TO DAN — 150 HEAR
SPEAKER.
Declaring that the one main issue
before the voters of the state of Texas
in the present campaign was the elim-
ination of Fergusonism and the plac-
ing in office as governor a man who
was bitterly opposed to Jim Fergu-
son, Marshal Hicks of San Antonio
on Monday night addressed Mercedes
citizens favoring the candidacy of
Dan Moody for governor. The meet-
ing was held in the city park and was
Valley, a figure far below the mark j attended by a crowd of 150 persons,
of last year, but about the same as A concert by the Mercedes municipal
the ginners of 1924. Hidalgo cotton
is maturing earlier that that of the
other counties, and this county is
leading in the ginnings to date.
Root rot and depredations of the
boll weevil and leaf worm are follow-
ing in the wake of the Valley. Rains
and worms have done damage in the
unirrigated sections, but by far the
greater damage among the dry farm
lands has been due to root rot, Mr.
Boyd states.
ALLEGED FORGER WAS
TAKEN HERE WED. PM
Fergus Groves, Cameron County
Deputy, Arersts Man Here Be-
lieved to Have Passed Many
$
Worthless Checks
band preceded the speaker, who was
introduced by Rev. D. Scarborough.
Jim Ferguson, private citizen, was
termed the “proxy governor” of
Texas by the speaker, who outlined
the various happenings of the Fergu-
son administration by reason of
which he claimed that Mrs. Ferguson
should not be returned to office. Par-
ticular attention was paid to the de-
tails of the American Road Co con-
tract. As a private citizen Jim Fer-
guson could not be held accountable
for his acts, the speaker declared,
and yet he is in reality the governor
of the state.
-Charges that Lynch Davidson had
“not been fair with Dan” were made
by Mr. Hicks, who stated that David-
son was not bitter enough against
Ferguson to be placed in the office of
governor.
--o-
Dan’s Race Hatched
At Mercedes, Charge
the arrest here on Wednesday by'flfllfw 17 17 WJilmnnQ
Deputy Sheriff Fergus Groves of Ut LflYS. Li . tj • FT UJTKUIS
Cameron County of a Mexican be-,
lieved to have been responsible for i Charges that Dan Moody s candi-
the passing of a number of worthless dacy for governor of Texas was de-
checks in the past three months. All j cided upon at a meeting held at the
of the checks in question have been , residence of Harry L. Seay, president
rather clever forgeries, and it is be- j °f the American Rio Grande Land &
lieved that the man arrested has been 1 Irrigation Co. near Mercedes early in
j passing the checks, which are! 1^25, were made at Rockwell, Texas,
thought to have been written by a last Thursday night by Mrs. Edith E.
Filling stations and merchants gen-
erally of Mercedes and nearby com-
munities are breathing easier since
The special Pullman will be put on
the regular passenger train leaving
McAllen at 6:50 p. m. Thursday even-
ing, July 29th, arriving at San An-
tonio Friday morning, July 30th at
7:00 a. m. Friday will be spent in
and around San Antonio visiting
many places of interest. The Pull-
mans will leave San Antonio at 10:00
p. m. for Austin, and will be set out
there for the next day, Saturday.
Saturday will be spent visiting places
of interest at Austin. The Pullman
will leave Austin at 11:00 p. m. and
arrive at College Station at 7:00 a.
m. Sunday morning, August 1st. At
San Antonio and Austin the Cham-
ber of Commerce will assist in the en-
tertainment.
Special Rates
The railroad fare over the route
outlined will be $8.98 for the round
trip. Pullman berths will be $6.00
for the lower and $4.00 for upper
for the entire trip going. Two per-
sons using the same berth may divide
this cost. The berths will be used
*three nights going. Meals while at
College Station may be had for $6.00
for the week. Room at College Sta-
tion will cost $1.25 per person, for
the week. The return trip will leave
College Station the night of the 7th
of August for Houston, and arrive
home in the Valley the morning of
August 6th. Pullman fare from
Houston to the Valley will be $1.50
per berth.
This is a rare opportunity to take
a nice vacation trip and to spend a
very profitable week at the College.
Courses will be offered in practically
all subjects of interest to farm peo-
ple. Besides this week of good fel-
lowship and good times is worth the
cost of the trip to say nothing of the
valuable information that may be
gained. People always have good
times at the Short Course.
I
The railway people want to know
i how many Pullmans to send to the
i Valley for us, so they have asked
j those who intend to go, to put the
j money for the railroad fare and the
Pullman berths in the hands of either
Miss Reuben Nuckles at McAllen or
J. W. Kirkpatrick, at Edinburg by
Monday morning, July 26th, so that
the tickets may be made out and the
Pullmans ordered.
FOUNDEUROPE FULL
OF UAT0URISTS
Herman Hartman, Home From Tour
of Old Country, Found Ameri-
cans and American Money
Everywhere He Went
Wilmans of Dallas, one of his op-
been ponents.
! “Mr. Moody tells you that it was
confederate.
Persons whose names have
| forged to the checks include J. O.
i Duncan, a merchant of Santa Maria; only after the scandal in the highway
!g: M. Sawyer and G. T. McCannon, j department and the finding by the
I farmers of Santa Maria, and W. H. | supreme court of the United States
Critchfield of the Mercedes communi- jthat the Archer county road district
j bonds were ivalid that he decided to
| Groves, the deputy who made the jbe a candidate for governor,” Mrs.
I arrest, has been recently appointed to Williams said
that office, and it is believed that
with the arrest made by him that the
forgeries will cease.
-o-
Lynch Davidson
Club Formed Here
Organization of a “Lynch David-
son for Governor” club was perfected
last Friday night, the meeting having
| been called by R. E. Kirkpatrick, who
j is heading the Davidson forces in this
city. Several citizens of the city at-
I tended the meeting.
“Mr. Moody knows that this is not
true. He has had the governorship
bee in his bonnet since a certain par-
ty of people gathered in the Rio
Grande Valley home of Harry L.
Seay, president of the Southland Life
Insurance Company, immediately af-
ter the legislature adjourned in 192 5.
Moody began planning to run then.”
—--o-
Is Enjoying Conference
Miss Mary Lee Kern, who is at-
tending the Presbyterian Sunday
School conference at Kerrville writes
friends in Mercedes that she is great-
ly enjoying the sessions.
No American touring Europe will
become homesick for American faces,
according to Herman Hartman of
Mercedes, who returned the first of
last week from a two month’s tour of
Europe. The presence of Americans
was especially notable in France,
Germany and Austria, Mr. Hartman
states, and in all three of these coun-
tries it was apparent that American
money spent by tourists was taking
the major share in keeping what
there was on the go.
A very pleasant trip was reported
by Mr. Hartman who visited several
old time friends and acquaintances
while abroad. A brief visit in New
York City was made prior to his re-
turn to Mercedes.
Cecil Scarborough
Writes Story for
Her College Paper
A story of a visit to Bird Island,
one of the most interesting points
along the Gulf Coast, is a feature of
a recent issue of the South Texan,
the student publication of Southwest
State Teachers College at Kingsville.
The excellent narrative was written
by Miss Cecil Scarborough of Mer-
cedes, who graduated from the local
high school in June.
Miss Scarborough is taking the
summer course of the college and ex-
pects to teach in the fall. She was
a member of the Tiger staff and of
the girls’ debating team of the high
school last year.
!—
500 Bales Will
Be Turned Out
Here by Night
Approximately 500 bales will
have been ginned in Mercedes
by night, according to figures
given by the managers of the 3
local gins. Three hundred and
seventy-four bales had been
turned out at 10 a. m. and at
least 125 more were expected.
The bulk of the cotton being
brought here is coming from
the Panchita district arrd that
territory around mile 18, gin-
ners state. Land in that sec-
ion is sandy, and the crop is
maturing faster, and not as
much rain has fallen as in other
sections.
The grade of the cotton being
brought in is gradually improv-
ing, it is stated, and ginners
state that—if—-the rain has
ceased, a 60 per cent crop may
be expected. Prospects are good
for the late cotton—if— the
sun continues to shine.
EVERYTHING READY
FOR CIVIC CLEAN
UP INNEXT WEEK
SANITARY INSPECTOR GOING OV-
ER CITY POINTING OUT NECES-
SARY IMPROVEMENTS — RAT
KILLING PROCEEDING THIS
WEEK.
HARDIN SAYS GARNER
VOTE ON THE TARIFF
IS AGAINSTFARMERS
CLAIMS OPPONENT FOR CON-
GRESS HAS CONSISTENTLY
VOTED FOR LOW TARIFF ON
RAW MATERIALS AGAINST IN-
TERESTS OF FARMERS.
Everything is being put in readi-
ness throughout the city for the
grand clean-up planned for next
week, according to Mayor J. E.
Haynes. The sanitary inspector of
the city, A. S. Taylor, has been work-
ing steadily since Monday morning
inspecting the various premises, and
making notes of improvements need-
ed. Mr. Taylor is making a separate
report on each piece of property in-
spected by him, and will notify the
owners of any defects found.
Rat killing proceeded merrily in
the residential and business section
of the city the first of the week, and
many of the rodents were put out of
business by Glynn Davies and his
crew of assistants. In one' building
of the business section over 40 rats
were killed in a very short length of
time. A small amount of gas was
blown along the runways, causing the
rats to seek the air before dying.
Extra teams to haul rubbish and
trash from city premises will be put
-on by the city next week, and all
property owners are urged by the
city authorities to give their holdings
a thorough dressing and cleaning up.
Reiterating his campaign claims
that John Garner, who has repre-
sented the 15th district in congress
for the past 24 years, has consistent-
ly voted against the best interests of
the district on every tariff bill pre-
sented during his term in congress,
Sid Hardin of Mission made a strong
appeal to the voters of Mercedes in
the city park Tuesday night of this
week.
“With Garner voting to put onions
on the free list, he is asking the
growers of the 15th district, who pay
an average wage of $1.50 per day for
labor, and a freight charge of $1.85
to New York City to compete against
Egyptian growers who hire naked
savages for 15c per day and who pay
freight charges of 42 cents per hun-
dred pounds to New York City,” Mr.
Hardin stated.
“Take cabbage,” he continued,
“which is on the free list with the
help of Mr. Garner’s prestige. Valley
cabbage started out at $40.00 per ton
and when the shipment from Den-
mark, Holland and Sweden hit the
United States, dropped like a sky
rocket to $8.00 per ton. Such com-
petition is unfair to the farmer in
this district.”
“Mr. Garner has voted to put wool
on the free list, and yet he voted in
favor of the tariff of 80 per cent on
the manufactured product, wollen
clothing, made in the big eastern fac-
tories.”
Newspapers in the district will not
publish Mr. Garner’s vote on the
tariff, Hardin charged, stating that
certain papers had even refused to
accept a statement of Garner’s vote
as a paid advertisement.
Men like John Shary of Mission,
self styled “King John the First” and
other wealthy persons residing in the
district are against him, Mr. Hardin
stated, claiming that the border ma-
chine politicians are arrayed in favor
of his opponent to a man.
Mr. Hardin will close his campaign
at McAllen on Friday night of this
week, when he has stated he will give
his audience full details of the oppo-
sition he is encountering.
EQUALIZATION
BOARDS, SCHOOL
CITY, WILL MEET
Notices have been mailed to prop-
erty owners and taxpayers of the Mer-
cedes Independent School District
whose assessed valuations for the
year have been raised, stating that
the board of equalization of the dis-
trict will meet onc July 29 and 30 to
consider all objections to the valua-
tions imposed. The board is com-
posed of Oscar Seibert, E. B. Witmer
and N. E. Tucker, and will convene at
the Legion club rooms.
The city board of equalization will
meet at the city hall on August 5> ac‘
cording to T. J. Fikes, city secretary.
This board is composed of Dr. E. H.
Kasey, R. E. Lee and B. F. Byers.
Pioneer Resident
Of City Leaving
Thomas L. Jones, a pioneer resi-
dent and one of the first to buy ex-
tensive property holdings in this sec-
tion, and daughter, Miss Annis Jones,
are leaving Sunday for Portland,
Oregon, where they will make their
future home.
The Jones family first settled in
the Valley in 1903, and later pur-
chased land near Harlingen. When
the Mercedes tract was first opened
they moved here, buying 227 acres of
land. T. L. Jones, Jr., resides in the
Oregon city and will be visited by Mr.
and Miss Jones, who expects to take
up journalistic work there.
DONNA PASTOR DIES
WHEN TIM crashes
Rev. C. L. Ewing Killed When Train
Strikes Auto—Frank Rowland,
Donna Farmer, Died Later
at McAllen Hospital
Rev. C. L. Ewing, pastor of the-
Donna Presbyterian Church was in-
stantly killed and Frank Rowland,
farmer of the Donna community, was
fatally injured when the light auto-
mobile in which they were driving
was struck by the west bound train
Monday morning on one of the rail-
road crossings in Donna. Rev. Ewing
had started to walk to town and was
given a ride by Mr. Rowland. The
car was dragged several hundred feet
by the train, and Mr. Ewing was dead
when it came to a stop. Rowland
wg.s rushed to a McAllen hospital
where he died the following day.
Besides his wife, Rev. Ewing leaves
two sons, Josh Ewing of Donna and
Finley Ewing, mayor of Harlingen,
and one daughter, Mrs. Frank Phil-
lips of San Benito. For many years;
the deceased had preached in West
Texas as a missionary of the Pres-
byterian Church and he was known
and loved by thousands who had met
him in the course of his work.
Mr. Rowland had been recently
married and was coming to the depot
to meet his wife, according to reports.
■-o--
MRS. GILCHRIST, AGE 85,
DIED AT SISTER’S HOME
Mrs. Lydia J. Gilchrist, who has
resided at the home of her sister,
Mrs. Alice L. Holt, since last Decem-
ber, died Monday morning, follow-
ing a short illness. She was 8 5 years
of age, and had lived most of her
life in Iowa. Interment will be made
at Oskaloosa, Iowa, where the fun-
eral services were held from the
Christian Church.
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Buell, Ralph L. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 13, No. 24, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 22, 1926, newspaper, July 22, 1926; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1003910/m1/1/: accessed June 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.