The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1908-08-15
WIDE-AWAKE
CITIZENSHIP
ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTIC
FEATURES OF THE BUSY
TOWN OF MERCEDES.
Added to Her SubtantiaI Buildings
and Active Business Conditions,
the Live, Energetic Business of the
Town Impresses the Visitor There.

1t IS truly surprising to see what
beautiful and attractive little city ha
sprung up almost like magic on tn
great American Rio Grande Canal
even before that great enterprise wa
ready for operation. In addition t.
the handsome forty-room hotel
which is equipped in the most up-to
date manner, and for service, as wei
as appearance, would do credit tt
any of the largest cities in the state
Mercedes can boast of a large mum
Der of fine two-story brick bushes!
buildings, which are all open and do
ing business AS evidence that the
new town is really doing business,
may be stated the fact that the hote1
is filled with guests all the time, and
better still as an indication of activi-
ty in trade, about half a dozen oil
more of the guests are commercial
travellers, those angels of COM
merce," who are so keen at seeming
out a live town.
Numerous pretty and attractive resi-
dences are already occupied by The
residents of the new town, and many
more are in process of erection, or
planned for the near future.
But it is not only the substantial
character OF her buildings that i'm
presses the visitor, but the active, in
telligent and alert class of business
men who constitute the leading citi-
zenship of the place. These men are
the right kind to build up city, and,
given a little more time, they will
show that they can do it.
Among others. it was the pleasure
of The Herald proprietor to meet
President ]. NJ. Johnson of the Mer-
cedes State bank. Mr.. Johnson,
though not of the younger genera
ton of business men, is one of the
ruost progressive and public-spirited
And he is one of the most interesting
men in the town. From his early
career as an orphan boy, when he
journeyed across the great western
plains to California, making his way
as cowboy and farmer, until he af-
forwards accumulated a competency
and became a man of affairs. his life
has been replete with interesting
events, of which he talks most en-
tertainingly. Mr.. Johnson is a con-
sentative business man, and one upon
whose opinion Mercedeans may de-
pend.
DR.. Winfield Scott Chaplain, the
eminent former president of the
Washington University, of st. Louis,
who is now at the head of the great
American Rio Grandeg Canal Com
pany. and making his home at Merce-
des, is anothr power that will count
for much in the up-building of the
town and the whole valley as well.
It is not only as an educator that he
has made a name, but as a railroad
builder and financier. His marked
business ability is of unusual note as
a university president. 1t is placed
to his credit that, the University of
which was struggling al
most in poverty when he assumed the
of it, was one of the
most prosperous west of the Missis-
sippi. with an endowment of S10,-
100000, when he resigned.
DR.. Chaplin having agreed to take
charge of the great Mercedes
enterprise is regarded by the St.Louis
investors who are interested in the
company as a most hopeful indication
for the success of the great work on
which they have spent so much capt.
tai. The fact that man of his abili-
ty and business judgment was so fav-
orably impressed with the project as
to be willing to identify himself with
it assured the speedy realization of
the great ideas underlying its incep-
ton.
Among other enterprising citizens
whom the visitor met in Mercedes,
was L. N. Booth, proprietor Of the
which is as up-to-date and
as any drugstore anywhere.
Geo. S. Freeman, the live land man.
who has played a great part in pro-
noting the sale and development OF
lands at Mercedes, Fred j. Cutting,
the well known lumber dealer, who
has been identified with the town for
over a year past, and is doing all he
can to push it along, VIM. Lingenbrink
another of the active real estate men,
who is secretary of the newly organ
lied Merceds Commercial Club, A. E.
also in the land business,
who moved there from Brownsville,
and who is doing his utmost to pro-