Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, April 23, 1920 Page: 3 of 8
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MERCEDES TRIBUNE
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MERCEDES TRIBUNE
Published every Friday by the Hoyt
Printing Company
L. T. HOYT........Managing Editor
Subscription
One Year . ....................$2.00
Six Months ................... 1-00
Single copies ..................05
Entered as second class mail mat-
ter at the postoffice at Mercedes,
Texas, January 23, 1914, under the
act of March 3, 18.79.
“WHOSE FAULT WAS IT?”
It is commonly recognized both by
the officals of the Gulf Coast Lines
and disinterested parties in the Val-
ley that the farmers have lost very
heavily this spring in not being able
to secure cars for their cabbage
crop. Perhaps • thirty-three to forty
per cent of the crop has been lost
to the Valley, due to the failure of
the railroad to furnish cars. There
seems to be a disposition on the part
>of some to condone a situation that
has been so disastrous to the farm-
er ;. but a careful analysis of the
facts must inevitably lead one to the
conclusion that the railroad authori-
ties have been at fault, and that they
are directly responsible for the fail-
ure to furnish cars. This statement
is made in full recognition of^the
fact that it was to the interest of
the railroad at the time the cars
were most needed to furnish them,
and that the road would havelidone
so at that time, if the cars could
have been obtained. In fact the of-
ficials of the road appear to have
made every effort they could dur-
ing the weeks of greatest distress
to procure cars.® Why then are the’
officials to be blamed for the failure
to furnish cars? The higher offi-
cials of the road knew even before
the first of January that as soon as
the road should be returned to cor-
porate ownership that they would
again be placed in charge, or con-
tinue in charge, of the duties which
they had previously exercised, by
keeping, or being restored to their
present obligations. They knew in
addition to this fact of the very
heavy cabbage and other truck crop
acreage in the Valley. They were-
advised not only by their own agents
but by agents of the refrigerator
lines as to the probable number of
cars that would be needed to move
the crop. This was the time, in No-
vember or December, that some ef-
fort should have been made to se-
cure cars for the movement of the
crop and not wait until the last mo-
ment, with a complacent expectation
that a freeze or some other calami-
ty would befall the crop and thus
preclude the necessity of cars. Not
only this, but according to the press,
an order went out from Mr. Bush’s
office early in February to the dif-
ferent federal managers of the
southwestern region to concentrate
refrigerator cars in the Rio Grande
Valley. This order was either
ignored by these men, or else they
failed totally to act in concert for
the execution of the order.
It seems they complacently wait-
ed for some catastrophe to befall the
Valley which would protect them
from an expense that would possibly
not need to be incurred.
We have from year to year been
in sympathy with the efforts of the
Gulf Coast Lines to accommodate the
people of the Valley and thus to re-
move to some extent at least, the
prejudice which existed a few years
ago; believing that in the course of
time the road would so improve its
roadbed and increase its sidings ad
vance the quality and amount of its
motive power and rolling stock, as
to obivate the necessity for another
road into the Valley; but the loss
which has been incurred is serious,
and no trifling matter to the farm-
ers of this Valley, and we firmly be-
lieve that it could have been avoid-
ed and should have been avoided by
the higher railroad officials, had they
exerted the proper effort at the prop-
er time to supply the cars.
The Valley has been and proba-
bly will continue to be the princi-
pal feeder of the St. Louis, Browns-
ville and Mexico Railway; not only
as to freight traffic, but also as to
passenger traffic. It has up to the
present belonged to the territory of
Houston, but geographically it be-
longs to the territory of San An-
tonio, and unless the road can give
better freight service in the future
than it has givem this winter, the
territory should be transferred by
the construction of another road to
that city to which it properly be-
longs.
-o-
Members of the editorial staff of
the San Francisco Examiner from
the assistant managing editoi to copy
boys agreed to wear overalls during
working hours, beginning May 1.
The Tribune man adopted this idea
several years ago and has stuck to
it consistently ever since. While he
does not claim to be a leader of fash-
ion or anything of that sort, still
he feels mighty well satisfied to
know that his compadres of the Ex-
aminer, along with a few more mill-
ion Americans, are following him in
this thing.
-o-
The Reds spend half their time in
denouncing this country and the oth-
er half in trying to keep from be-
ng deported frqin it.
CITY COUNCIL MEETS
IN REGULAR SESSION
City Secretary Resigns, Mr. Hoiwze
Appointed in His Stead—Stand-
ing Committees Named
A meeting of the city council was
held at the city hall Monday night
at which the resignation of H. E.
Hager as secretary, assessor and tax
collector was presented and accept-
ed. Jas. Howze was elected to fill
the vacancy.
The mayt>r appointed the following
committees:
Finance committee;—Seibert and
Hadden.
Sewer—Hadden and Mason.
Streets:—Herndon and Seibert .
Sanitation:—-Sewell and Mason.
Buildings and parks:—Mason and
Sewell.
Fire and police:—Seibert and
Herndon.
Councilman Seibert was appointed
mayor pro tem to act during the
^absence of the mayor.
The ordinance making the assess-
ment and establishing the liens
against the property abutting the
pavement was passed and it is ex-
pected that this money or the great-
er part of it will be paid at once.
AMBROSIA
makes the finest, flakiest whitest BREAD, the
lighest biscuits, the most brittle and appetizing
pie crust the most, superb cake,
new supply received.
IF ITIS SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT-IVEHAVE IT
CapisalloushGroceru
cx—f---■ ■---/T
(3 R.H. KERN, MGR.
Mercedes,
Texas
LOCAL ITEMS
CHRISTIAN ENDEAVOR ITEMS
HALT!
LOOK!
STOP!
Listen!
Dress Better for Less
PURITAN
CLOTHES
Styles, Class and Quality
SUITATORIUM
Cleaning and Pressing
WORK CALLED FOR AND DELIVERED
McClelen Byrkit
PHONE 29
Monday evening at 7:30 the Chris-
tian Endeavor society met at the
Presbyteran church in business ses-
sion Mr- Paul Schrank, vice-presi-
dent, presiding. Some very impor-
tant business was taken up.
It was decided to start a class in
expert Endeavor, a text book on
Christian Endeavor work in all of* its
phases, our society already has five
experts, Mrs. E. H. Diehl, Rena
Freeman, Relda Freeman and Oliver
Meredith.
The social committee is planning a
social for Friday evening at 8:00
o’clock at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
E. H. Diehl, we can not report yet
on this but prophesy a pleasant and
profitable evening for- all who at-
tend, we hope to be able to report
on this next weeft.
The regular Sunday evening Chris-
tian Endeavor prayer meeting at the
Presbyterian church is held each Sun-
day at 7:00 o’clock and we are go-
ing to begin on time after this. If
you don’t want to miss something,
you must come early. Promptness
is a mark of progression and suc-
cess, surely you dont want the cause
of Christ and Christian Endeavor to
be on the digression, then come early
be at the meeting by ten minutes to
seven, and let’s get to work on time
The meeting for this Sunday is led
by our able and efficient junior
superintendent, Mr. E. H. Diehl
Subject: Christian Principles in
Personal and Public Health. Scrip-
ture reference, 1st Cor. 6:19-20.
All the young people in the town
and community who are not already
identified with some church society
are cordially invited and urged to
meet with us and become one of us.
Come on and help us, we may be
able to help you some too.
Thought for the week: Christian
Endeavor has taught me to pray. Let
Christian Endeavor do something for
you.
W. O. MEREDITH,
Corresponding Sec.
-o-
NEW WHOLESALE FIRM
FOR RIO GRANDE VALLEY
Mrs. * J. J. Elliott arrived in 'Mer-
cedes Monday from Mississippi to join
her husband who is the president of
the American Rio Grande Land and
Irrigation Company.
The “wear overalls” campaign has
struck Mercedes and the employes of
the camp supply office is- the first
organization to adopt the new style.
A pledge to wear overalls to save
their old woolens until the high cost
of clothing is reduced has been sign-
ed by A. W. Cameron, J. W. Mitchell,
Cecil R. Martin, E. M. Burees, W. D.
Dalferes, Jr., F. E. Laumer, M. B.
Terry, Chas. E. Riggs, P. K. Ruckel,
A. E. Krause, B. T. Cox, Raymond
Cox, and I. S. ChadicH.
Mr. R. E. Lubers of Babcockj Wis.,
was a visitor in Mercedes this week
He is a prominent dairyman of Wis-
consin and is very enthusiastic
about the dairy opportunities here
and is authority for the statement
that a number of the dairymen in
his section will move to Mercedes
next fall to continue their business
under the more favorable conditions
here. He purchased a 40 acre tract
of land on the West tract and will
return here in October to make his
home here.
Mr. F. E. Forbes of the West Mer-
cedes tract has entered the political
field as a candidate for commissioner
of District No. 1, at the democratic
primaries next July. Mr. Forbes has
been numbered amoifg the prominent
farmers of the West tract for the
past two years and is well and fa-
vorably known throughout the dis-
trict. He recently evidenced his en-
terprise and interest in Mercedes by
purchasing a ten acre tract of land
here upon which he is preparing to
build ten houses.
Negotiations have -been completed
whereby Smith Bros., Distributing
Co., a new firm, with central head
quarters at Mercedes, Texas, have
taken over the wholesale distribu-
ting agency, for the Lower Rio
Grande aVlley for International Mo-
tor Trucks, manufactured by Inter-
national Harvester Co.
George H. and Sam J. Smith, for-
mer owners of Smith Bros., Hard-
ware Sales Co., of San Antonio,. Tex-
as, are the proprietors of the new
firm of Smith Bros., Distributing Co.
For the ten months just past,
George H. Smith has been repre-
senting the San Antonio Machine &
Supply Co., in the Valley. He is
well known in this section.
Mr. E. D. Nolen, district sales
manager for the Internationa] Har-
vester Co. and Mr. A. H. Morgan
road engineer for the International
Harvester Co., arrived in Mercede:
Friday, having come overland from
San Antonio with a demonstration
truck train consisting of several
large International motor trucks and
trailers which will be exhibited in
every town in the Valley.
It is the plan of Smith Bros. Dis-
tribbuting Co. to have a wholesale
distributing warehouse at Mercedes,
in the new Diehl building, to $erv
the fourteen International truck
service stations new established in
the principal towns of the Valley
The demand for medium size
trucks and four wheel trailers of
equal capacities is very great among
the farmers for rapidly and careful-
ly handling perishable vegetables,
and it is the purpose of Smith Bros.
Distributing Co. to properly supply
this demand.
Diehls Auto Repair Shop of Mer-
cedes will be the local service sta-
tion for nlternational motor trucks
Buck Hare*, in Combat.
An Australian correspondent des-
cribes “a dinkum stand-up fight” be-
tween buck hares. “They prop upright
on their hind legs and box with their
front paws, sparring, ducking, upper-
cutting in pugilistic fashion, fur fly-
ing in all directions. When one pugi-
list gets winded or passed out he falls
on his back and skies his tail.”
The politicians are more afraid of
one voter who goes to the polls
than a thousand who stay at home
and growl.
Captain J. H. Jacobson, Edward
R. King, and R. C-. Baker have formed
a partnership under the firm name
of the Mercedes Supply and Con-
struction , Company and will engage
in a general contracting business.
They have taken over the lease of
the Queen theatre building and will
carry a full line of electrical sup-
plies and appliances and expect to
soon add a complete stock of au-
tomobile accessories. The new firm
will specialize in the construction of
buildings and will be prepared to
take construction contracts of any
kind.
Cabbage and mixed vegetables be-
gan rolling out of the Valley in good
shape Monday, ten cars by freight
constituting the newest movement
from Mercedes. Tuesday eighteen
refrigerator cars were set at Merce-
des, which supplied in good style
the necessities of the day. The
price of cababge is down, but the
cars of mixed vegetables which are
going out bring very attractive price
The freight embargo of last week
has been practically lifted at all
points, so that further hindrance' to
the movement because of the strike
situation is not anticipated.
A most valuable work is being done
in our city by Mr. Ortega who is
here by direction of the Texas Pub-
lic Health assoication, to assist in the
tuberculosis campaign among the
Mexican poulation. He gave an il-
lustrated lecture at the Empire thea-
tra Tuesday afternoon which was
largely attended by the Spanish
speaking citizenship. Monday he
spok’.e at the three schools on the
north side, and Thursday afternoon
met the mothers of the pupils at-
tending the north side schools giv-
ing them a talk on home care of
children calculated to promote their
healthfulness and better physical de-
velopment. His work here is most
helpful and good results are bound
to come about because of his visit.
The cabbage movement is on again
in full swing since the railroad com-
pany has raised the embargo laid
last week against perishables because
of the outlaw strike of switchmen in
certain large cities of the country.
Wednesday li5 wagon loads of
cabbage were weighed at Mercedes
by the various buyers and shippers
represented here and in addition to
the cabbage movement the mixed
vegetable movement is keeping up
its reeprd of from one to three cars
per day, the latter being moved as
express by the railroad company.
The packing sheds here where the
sorting and classing, of the varieties
of vegetables that go to make up \yhat
is designated “mixed cars” presents
a busy scene, there being employed
large numbers in this work. The
big movement in cabbage will likely
continue until the first of May, after
which it will gradually diminish.
Traffic Truck
The lowest priced 4000-lbs capacity truck in
the world
It takes 10 acres.toi grow the feed a team of horses
'eonsnmes in a year. Traffic Tracks feed on gasoline,
which is cheaper. It costs on an average of $1.20 a
day to feed a team—-for $1.20 worth of gasoline a
Traffic will haul a 4,000-lb load 56 miles in 4 hours.
Figure it out four yourself, brother—and besides, the
Traffic is the lowest priced 4,000-lb. capacity track in
the world. It saves you hundreds of dollars in first
cost and cuts the cost of hauling with teams in half.
See it today.
TRAFFIC MOTOR TRUCK CORPORATION
St. Louis, Mo.
W. W. VANN, Valley Distributor
Mercedes, Texas
Z
raOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOGQOaOOOOOQOGGQQQOQGOOGQOQQQQQOQQQOGO1
BROOM COON SEED
The lennesee Evergreen King
FIRST CLASS ILLINOIS PRODUCT
Germination 90-99 per cent pure
---S E E==
H. G. GARDNER,
; Mercedes
'‘BR00MG0RN, A. L. JONES,
Casa de Palmas, McAllen
L. A. BECK,
Alamo
60QOOOOOOOOGOOOOOOQQOQSX3CXXXKJCX3QCX3CX3CK
¥5
The Tribune has been in pretty
fair demand this month, twice dur-
ing that time it becoming necessary
to put the forms back on the press
to supply the demand. We always
print a large number of .extras, but
week before last the demand was
such that 1200 extra copies had to
be printed and at least 100 copies
more of this edition could have been
sold, but the forms had been taken
down when mail orders for same
reached the office.
Last week the sales over the coun-
ter at the Tribune office were so
large as to necessitate going to press
again. Also the Hadden Pharmacy
news stand increased its standing or-
der by 300% last week.
We print this just because the
Tribune is a part and parcel of
Mercedes and we know naturally
that the people feel interested in
knowing what their paper is doing.
Just as the Tribune is interested
heart and soul in all that concerns
Mercedes.
The booking of regular subscrib-
ers at the Tribune office Wednesday
totalled twenty-eight, the following
states being represented: Kansas,
Iowa, California, Texas, Illinois, Mis-
souri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Ohio,
Wisconsin, Minnesota.
If You Were in my Place
What Woul You Do
—As A Tire Dealer?—
Would you sell shoddy tires on which you
made a large profit with each sale?
Would you sell tires with a guarantee covering
only a limited number of miles?
Would you “fall” for some smooth sales talk
offering you an “exclusive proposition” on
some tire whose worth was not established?
NO, YOU WOULDN’T—
You wouldn’t risk losing your patronage by
indulgence in these practices.
You would sell such well known
standard q u a i 11 y articles as
GOODYEAR Tires.
GOODYEAR customers come
back again. They’re satisfied.
Let us show yo i our complete
line GOODYEAR Clincher Tires
Ford—Chevrolet—Maxwell- Dort
and other smaller cars.
Oliver & Ghadick
MERCEDES, TEXAS
*ss@5S&
We Have oGodyear Heavy Tourist Tubes Too.
Perhaps natuial that jobs are fre-
quently referred to as “berths” since
so many people sleep in ’em.
The politicians are willing to
spend a lot of money in order to
demonstrate the purity of their mo- j human beings.—Buskin
tives.
Wealth.
There is no wealth but life. Lif?
including nil its powers of love, of
joy, and of admiration. That country!
is the richest which nourishes the[
greatest number of noble and happy
THE REST EQUIPPED REPAIR SHOP IN THE VALLEY
The F. F. Holland Company
SPORTING GOOD S, GUN SMITHS
Fine Repair Work on
ACHINES, CASH REGISTERS GUNS, TYPEWRITERS, ADDING M
PHONE 24 SAN BENITO, TEXAS
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Hoyt, L. T. Mercedes Tribune (Mercedes, Tex.), Vol. 7, No. 10, Ed. 1 Friday, April 23, 1920, newspaper, April 23, 1920; Mercedes, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1017469/m1/3/: accessed May 26, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Library.