Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1925-12-10
PEOPLES ice
PLANT ESOLD
TO VALLEY CO.
Gins and Cotton Oil Mill
Are Retained by Firm;
Tucker Not Leaving
Brownsville He Says

Sale of the ice manufacturing end
of the business of the Peoples lee d
Manufacturing Company, Brownsville's
largest individual industry, to the Val
ley Electric G. Ice Company, was an
nounced today by S. c. Tucker, presi-
dent of the Peoples company.
The sale involves only the ice plant,
the company retaining it's three cotton
gins and a cottonseed oil mill. Two
of the gins are in Brownsville, and one
is located about eight miles east Of the
city
The Valley Electric & Ice company
owns and operates a string Of ice man
ufacturing plants in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley, and has contracts at
virtually all points for icing cars used
in the transportation of fresh vege-
tables out of the Valley
The company also owns the electric
power line which traverses the Lower
Rio Grande Valley from Matamoros to
Mission. with lines north to Lyford and
Raymondville. The power is supplied
from giant central plant at San Be-
nito and another unit is under construc-
tion at Mission. 1t serves electricity
to all towns in the Valley with the ex-
ception of Brownsville, Harlingen and
Edinburg.
Serves Many Towns
The Valley Electric & Ice Company
Valley headquarters of. which are at
San Benito, is subsidiary concern of
the Texas Central Power company,
headquarters at San Antonio, which in
turn is owned by the Middle West Utii-
tiles company, known as the insult
Public Service properties which own
electric. gas and other public utilities
in some 400 towns and cities in the
United States.
Among the South Texas cities served
by the company, outside of the Valley,
are Kingsville, Corpus Christi, Laredo,
Beeville, Victoria, where it is building
a large water power plant, and numer-
Gus others. The company also owns
and operates ice plants at San Antonio
and Houston.
Il am not leaving Brownsville, Mr..
TWker saiu. I'VE still have the cot
ton gins and cottonseed oil mills"
The purchase price is not announced.
The Peoples Ice & Manufacturing conf
pany is Incorporated, its capital stock
being S25O,000. Mr.. Tucker is presi-
dent Of the company, John Gregg Is
vice president. and w. A. Putegnat is
secretary. These with John Champion,
and Charles Champion, constitute the
board of directors. All the stockhold-
ers relinquished their interest in the
ice plant.
Made Huge Growth
fab hpl
in 1904 by p f. Blalack, now Of Cali
fornia. Mr.. Tucker. who had recently
come to Texas from Mississippi became
associated with Mr. Blalack in that
year and has been constantly with the
proposition The original investment
in the concern was $4,000, and the
property grew into one of the most i'm
portant individual industries in South
Texas.
Negotiations for the sale of the ice
plant began several weeks ago, and
were concluded on the first of Decem-
Der. The actual transfer was made
yesterday. according to Mr.. Tucker.
The Valley Electric & Ice company
entered the Valley about six years ago.
A little over a year ago it completed
construction Of the high power line
through the Valley. 1t has also ac-
quired most of the individual ice
plants, and has built several. 1t is now
building an ice plant at Edinburg, and
besides its car icing plant at Harlingen
it is also building a plant especially
designed for the manufacture of ice
for home use. This plant is in the
heart of the city, and will be electri-
cally driven. 1t is being constructed
with the idea Of beauty and attractive
ness.
W. Alfred Putegnat will be in charge
of the local ice plant for the present
The business will be conducted under
the supervision of Frank c. Ludden OF
San Benito. who is general manager Of
the Valley Electric & Ice company
properties in the Valley.
~ n II