Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1924-12-21
Scenes of beauty abound in
the Rio Grande Valley as the
pictures above, taken in Mer-
cedes, will testify. This town

school: Miss Bette Clements of the
Harriet Clacomb school and Mrs. Cum
ningham of the North Side school. The
town also has a thriving parochlai
| school.
The scholastic census Of 1924 gives
the town 1901 scholastics, an increase
of 1875 over the enrolment Of 1923 and
more han any other district in Hidal-
go county. Enlarged facilities for the
system are under consideration.
Thirteen churches and religious so.
cieties have congregations in Mercedes,
among them being two Catholic church
es. two Lutheran churches and one each
of the following denominations: Pres
byterian. Methodist. Christian, Chr.7-
tian Science, Baptist and Episcopal
Most of these have resident pastors
and nine of them have splendid build
ings.
A new station, built with a mission
style of architecture. has just been com-
pleted by the Gulf Coast lines a: a
cost in excess CT $4,000. It's red tiled
roef and spacious arches add a beauty
touch to the city much to the salts
faction Of the citizens of the town and
G.. X. King, station agent for the past
Ii years, who has witnessed som.
wonderful progress in the town.
Elks to Build Home
Plans have been approved and a
contract is to be let soon for the cree.
tion of a new $4,000 home for the
Mercedes Elks Club. The building
with two stories, a roof-garden an.
basement, will house the lodge rooms,
library, swimming pool, bowling alleys.
club room and MANY other features
according to H.. E.. Hager, who is IN
charge of the building committee.
The Mercedes American Legion post
is housed in a comfortable building of
its own located in the business section
Ct the town. Both the Rotary and
Elks clubs have large memberships, the
Masons, Old Fellows. Eebekahs and
Eagles are all we'll represented here.
Much of the progress Of the city is
attributable to the activities Of a live
Chamber of Commerce, of which Judge
l.. T.. Hoyt is pres:dtrt and W. T.
Burnett secretary. fTlis organization,
recognized early in 1924. is constantly
on the Job boosting an morve for the
good of the town and lust now is in
vestigating the possibility Of securing
a brick and tile facto'y. for which it is
said there is an abundance of raw
material nearby.
The Mercedes hotel. nestled in a rich
setting of palms and semi-tropicai
shrubbery, long known as a Valley
In o1tu-SnOf hoe ;nct onr,rlnfnl Of
room modern addition, giving the hos,-
lery IS rooms. A gl;~set-'n roof gar
den is a feature of the new addition
and complete telephone syvtem Will be
installed throughout the bu lding in the
near future. The hotel : owned by
Judge Hoyt, Chamber If Commerce
president.
Ruy New Pumpcr
A new LaFrance bumper has recent
ly been purchased by the city and is
expected to be delivered within the
mex few days, accorf :ng to Mayor j..
E. Haynes. The new apparatus is to
cost $1,000. The equipn ent now own
cd by the city will be moved to a new
station to be opened in north Mercedes
and the new equipment will he Install
ed in the present fire house downtown,
giving the city two stations.
Blake Seay, vice pr, sident and resi-
dent manager of the American Rio
Grande Land and Irrigation company,
is completing a SAC. 1000 home on the
company's holdings near Mercedes and
Mrs. Flora Mills Carter. owner of an
extensive citrus orchard and nursery
SIS. expects to move into a new
$50. 900 home on her place west Of
town by Christmas.
Mercedes wonen are especially active
in cleanup and health campaigns and
all civic enterprise. They have done
much to conserve and enhance the nat
ural beauty of the town. They main
tain a local Federation of clubs. A
study club. a music club. the Philan-
thrcric club and many others.
The town has recently been granted
city delivery Of express shipments and