Here is a list of happenings published in the first El Paso Times April 2, 1881.
Fare to Chihuahua $25.
Distance there 318 miles.
Population of that city nearly thirteen thousand.
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Five American families, more Germans and a few French, constitute the foreign population, with Ketelsen & Degetau doing at present the bulk of international banking and goods business.
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J.B. Sampael, the Texas Pacific contractor, has left for Mesilla.
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Wm. E. Ross, Cordova, Md., has strayed this far west from the lands of the Calverts.
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Those people who propose to keep up with the times will subscribe to the Times.
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English Kitchen, kept by Mrs. Maxwell. Meals at all hours. Head of San Antonio street.
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Wm A. Lessing, the district Attorney of this baliwick, was in the city this week on legal business.
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Mr. J. Grove, division engineer of the Texas Pacific was in town this week. He lives with Dougher when here.
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Mr. Charles Oates, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was registered this week at the Central. He didn’t sow any.
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W. Croucher, Esq, of San Antonio, is here and praises every body for its kindly hospitality in Dougher’s Central.
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Foul’s day was Thursday last, and yet Hal Wagner can’t convince the hotel people that the Mayor of Fort Worth was in quest of him.
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Mr. Earhart, at Manning’s place is a gentleman naturally without effort – just like his brother at Socorro, N.M. Good stock, both.
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Mrs. H.S. Scotten, of Kansas City, is among our late arrivals. She rejoins her sons here, and will make El Paso her future home.
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Those desiring something neat in the way of clothing should not fail to examine Joseph Schutz’s stock before purchasing elsewhere.
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Rev. Mr. Carter of the Methodist denomination preached a carefully prepared sermon to a crowded audience at Masonic Hall on Sunday evening last.
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In connection with his other business, Henry Raymond has a hotel, where the transient public can be accommodated at reasonable rates.
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Mrs. T.G.A. – No thank you. Spring poetry not received in payment of subscription at this office. It’s too difficult to make the exact change.
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No bailes now in the Old Town for the gratification of American Strangers. – Cause – (Quaresma) Lent – to the Lord and no other security.
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Dr. A. White, the famous druggist on the other side, is just in receipt of new drugs, and would be pleased to see those wishing anything in his line.
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Gen. G.M. Dodge says that at least 8,000 miles of new railroad track will be laid in the United States and Mexico within the next twelve months.
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Don Jesus Escobar, contacted with the Mexican embassy at Washington, is discharging his duties as Mexican consul here. Salary $100 per month.
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What agitates the business mind of our Mexican neighbors most now is, will the railroad cross the Medanos, (sand hills) or swing around by Guadalupe?
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Vendors of the ardent have returned to their old prices of twenty-five cents per drink. It most emphatically “takes money to buy whiskey” here.
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Hickey & Gist have just moved into their new building on Overland st. opposite new postoffice and are now prepared to do all kinds of blacksmithing and repairing.
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The Speigelbergs of Santa Fe, have their business eye on this city with a view of opening a wholesale house. Their representative has been sojourning here the week past.
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Mr. J.G. Woodward, wife and child, (the much admired Arthur,) of Boston, were obliged to remain over till next week’s stage, so crowded was the diligencia for Chihuahua.
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Dr. Alexander has orders to ship east all the wine he can make, upon the completion of the Santa Fe road to the river. There are fortunes numberless for the grape growers here.
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Messrs. Shields & Slocum of the Ojos Calientes ranche near Carrizal, Mexico, have contracted to sink the shaft in their mine forty feet deeper. They have refused a recent offer of sixty thousand dollars for it.
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Moody & Sankey are said to have just closed a successful revival in San Francisco. But we fail to observe the names of any of the bonanza kings or railroad pirates among their list of converts.
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Clinton Rice, Esq., of Washington, D.C., the big mine speculator, accompanied by his private secretary, hailing from the foreign state of New Jersey, left here a few days ago, to inspect this Mexican mineral purchase.
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Who will guard the guardians? is the prime consideration in selecting a suitable Marshal to police the city from the numerous applicants for that position. We want him sober and discreet as well as fearless.
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Capt. H.C. Logan, freight agent of the Southern Pacific, gave us a pleasant greeting, an ad, a prepaid subscription and lots of news concerning his road. We shall always “mourn for Logan” in wishing to find more like him.
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Messrs. L.T. White and A. Lairmore (the latter now en route from St. Louis) will shortly commence the manufacture of adobes on an extensive scale. Adobes “are in pressing demand already, and the building season scarcely begun yet.
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The Lone Star Salon, on El Paso street is one of the best placed in the city to procure first class accommodations for the dinnerman. John Doyle the proprietor caters to the wishes of his customers in a style unsurpassed by any other house in the city. See another column.
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Drummers for California houses are competing from store to store with Chicago and St. Louis agents. With rival markets to buy from, and rail roads obliged to soon begin a campaign of “cut rates,” one will shortly live as cheaply here as on the Atlantic sea board.
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See big ad of the St. Paul, Minn., PIONEER PRESS in another column. It is the ablest conducted paper in the north-west. Mr. Jos. Wheelock, its chief editor, has more square inches of newspaper judgment under his hat than any man we can now recall. It is instructive to read after him.
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The ribbon’s are within any boy’s grasp who desires to go bowling along behind a six-horse team to the end of the S.P. track. It leaves daily at 9 a.m. Seats can be secured by getting acquainted with the only Ross who never got lost – except Charlie. He is the best boy in the country and clerks for the Central Hotel.
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The relentless rivalry between Wells Fargo’s express company and the Adams express management has so reduced rates that their low charges on the line of the Santa Fe look like ordinary freight bills.
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The Health of El Paso was never better since the GLOBE RESTAURANT of Cummings & Co., began its appetizing course of meals. You are invited to inspect their kitchen. It is as clean s a government envelope.
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What “mischievous spirit or elfin prank” mismanages express matter en route her? Dick Hardy has had a package plainly addressed, two months on the road from Denver. He is not the only complainant.
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The money order business at the Post Office here has averaged during the past three months $4,000 per month. But the introduction of banks here will cut this down, to the grateful relief of our Post Mistress.
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Mr. S.P. Young of the Bank of El Paso and his assistants have received permission from the Comptroller of the Currency to organize The First National Bank of El Paso, which they will do at no late date.
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Reber & Co., have removed their business to the new store room on El Pas Street next to Palace Drug Store, where they will be glad to welcome their friends and former patrons. Their stock of Stationery Periodicals, Sodawater, Sarsaparilla etc., will be increased and their facilities for handling the same greatly added to. Call and see them.
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The S.P. Railway
Will soon be here, and then all things will be cheaper. Mr. R. Priest, the Pioneer Merchant Tailor, has taken time by the forelock however, and proposes to make the noblest suits in town at bed rock prices. See his advertisement in another column.
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Messrs. Harrell & Hart would respectfully invite the attention of the public to their new house, the “Bank Exchange.” They keep all known Mexican beverages, such as Agua-ardiente, Tequila, Whiskey and Wines. Also the best brands of Cigars.
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The erection of a Catholic church during the summer months is being canvassed by the members of that denomination here. Padre Ortez of the other side, though belonging to a Mexican diocese, will co-operate in a substantial manner to effect this end.
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Dr. Nicolls, our old time friend whom we have known for years as plain “Al.” Purchased on Wednesday last a fine lot on San Antonio street opposite the Custom house, on which he will immediately commence the construction of a handsome business house. The lot is sixty-two and a half feet deep.
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Dr. H. Dickenson, a distinguished chemist and mineralogist of Boston, in company with F.B. Cotton Esq., of the same city are stopping at the Central with a view to Mexican mining interests as well as Texas lands and city real estate. They have made friends so fast that it is hard to convince us they are not candidates for office already.
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Sgt James Gilletto arrested the second of the murderers of Editor Conklin of the SOCORRO SUN the early part of this week at Sarragossa and took his prisoner to Socorro. He will probably for better protection from sudden violence, be sent to join his partner in crime to Santa Fe.
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Travel to this city is something almost unprecedented. Coaches, lumbering wagons and the odds and ends of all sorts of vehicles, the very bric-a-brac of transportation are running almost hourly to the end of the track, bringing in crowds of new residents and visitors. And the rush proper has not begun yet.
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The new chief of the Lord’s navy here is the Rev. Richard Walsh, and no doubt under his guidance the Baptist church will thrive. Mr. W. is a gentleman of fine attainments, and brings his ordination papers from the college presided over by the distinguished Spurgeon of London. Water as an element of saving grace is something new here, and so far is not subject to any tax.
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We are always glad to note any evidence of energy and enterprise on the part of our citizens, and hence take pride in chronicling the fact that Mr. R.H. Brown, proprietor of the Senate Billiard Hall, who was one of the first to begin improvements in our midst, was the first man in town with a brick wall, shingle roof and brick sidewalk, His house is a model and we commend his spirit of energy an thrift to the public generally. With such men as these in our midst who says that El Paso will not be THE TOWN?
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There is unanimity of feeling which would carry the active support of every citizen here as well as of the American population on the other side, if necessary, in retaining Hon. Chas. Richardson as U.S. Consul there. His open handed hospitality, as well as his kind offices to every American who approaches him, have endeared Charlie to an army of unalterable friends. We but express the universal sentiment, that if any one is to hold a corner of the old flag over American interest across the river, Col. Richardson is the gentleman to do so.
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The EL PASO TIMES makes its initial bow with an issue of 5,000 copies. Outside of regular subscribers, the demand is caused by hundreds of letter of enquiry concerning El Paso and its prospects, and to which the TIMES is sent in response thereto, as well as by the desire of our citizens generally to shed light abroad through this facile medium concerning themselves and the city of whose adoption they are so proud. The personal gratification and business advantages which must result from the TIMES thus acting as master of ceremonies in so extensive an introduction to the outside word, are incalculable.
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N.B. Bear in mind, and paste this in your bonnet for future and correct reference that this is not Franklin, that we don’t live in Franklin and that Franklin so far from being the correct appellation of this city is as dead at the illustrious Benjamin F., he of the electric and printing press. This place is called El Paso officially and municipally. If on the Mexican side, one mile from us, they have an El Paso, that shows their prophetic foresight in adopting our name. Franklin, Texas is the name of a Post Office in Robertson county and as the crow flies is seven hundred miles from El Paso. Hence to reach the seat of trans continental empire build up your letter heads in glaring characters “El Paso,” and receive your returns accordingly.
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We congratulate Dr. Grady upon his recent appointment as Post surgeon at Fort Bliss. The Doctor comes out of the medical colleges of Philadelphia, Pa (a city so celebrated in this department) with blushing honors. His new appointment will not interfere with his city practice.
P.S. since writing the above we learn that Dr. Grady has resigned his position at the post, owing to the fat that his large and increasing city practice would not admit of his being absent from town.
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“My name is Joe Bowers,” etc., in an old song from the classic land of Pike, and we take this occasion to remark that it never was intended to commemorate our Joe Bauer, he of the brick fronts, butcher shops, sate lines water carts, adobe yards, and lodging tent. Mr. B. leaves for St. Louis today.
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It tried hard to rain this afternoon and – drizzled.
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At a called meeting of the City Council last Friday night, two petitions very generally signed, were presented, urging the appointment of Mr. Studemeier and Mr. True for the post of city marshall. The consideration of the matter was deferred till the next regular meeting. A petition was also read from many of our citizens on the subject o the acequia, and Juan Ochoa was appointed to solicit subscriptions from our townsmen to keep the acequia in constant running order.
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Don’t the reader observe that we have no space to waste in display heads.
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Frank Gates’ “trick horse,” from Ottawa, Kas., the subject of so much legal inquiry, would bring a handsome price in this land of mustangs.
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Mules and horses in urgent demand. There is the nest egg to a fortune for any stock man who will supply the market at once.
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The Methodists with their usual aggressive vigor in new missionary fields, will shortly begin the erection of a new church and parsonage, Rev. Mr. Carter, the paster, having just received satisfactory assurances from headquarters of this character.
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The opal cactus are blooming.
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Hugh O’Rorke is on watch as night clerk at the Central. Hugh has made hosts of friends here just as he did at the Fran Central Santa Fe.
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“Father Duchene, on the other side, found in his till an old Spanish real of 1744, with the legend circling it of Frederic V, king of Spain and the Indies.
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Jack Lawren, rises to remark that the multitudinous breeds of bugs famished and fierce, that infest the plazas of nights will learn from his “persuader” if the need be urgent.
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The Banco Luceno mines in Old Mexico will be the gold and silver country of the future. Prospectors can receive full particulars f the rout and their mineral richness at this office.
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“Boss” Shephard of Washington is said to be the model American gentlemen for hospitality in Old Mexico. He is one of the owners of the famous Battopilas silver mine over in Chihuahua.
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The agency of Wells, Fargo & Co., express has been established at the house of Wm. B. Hooper & Co., where Mr. J. Julian can always be found, to attend to the business of the company.
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We don’t like Sec. Blain’s mournful telegrams of nonsensical condolence over the death of that Czar who has now nearly one half million of his subject, untried and unconvinced judicially in Siberia.
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But we do like Blain’s snub of the British Council at Philadelphia, who asserted officially to a syndicate of which he seems a speculating members, that all American hogs now being exported are never diseased with trtohvua.
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Mr. Henry Lyons (“Dublin”) left a few weeks ago for San Francisco and we regret to state has been seriously ill though now recovering. Tucson will be his next abiding place. There are few in the wary turning “department so amiable, big hearted and intelligent as “Dublin.”
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Capt. G.W. Thomas, from San Francisco, and the bosom of his pleasant family, will return here in a few days. We advise him to pack his right arm in a sling before reaching here, as a warning to his innumerable friends not to shake it off in greeting him.
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Maj. N. Rand and his associated from Boston, in Company with J.A. Camerford leave on Monday to inspect the mines and mineral discoveries, what the latter gentleman in connection with Col. Marr has made it the Banco Lucero region of Old Mexico. They will be gone ten days. Dr. H. Dickinson will accompany them to make a successful report.
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Some official noodles on the Mexican side are short-sighted enough to sound the curfew bell at ten o’clock in the evening, and thus place an embargo on any one desirous of coming over here, till eight o’clock the next morning. A town thus kept in a state of siege, will always be a commercial laggard. This freak is more Moorish than anything else. Nevertheless let the stranger distinctly understand that between the hours above mentioned there is neither exit nor entrance to the old town.
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Ed. Copeland is making daily improvements around his saloon, next to this office. He calls it the Occidental. The cool, tasteful archways now being erected at the broad front portals will render this retreat, fashionable as it is inviting. Our Philadelphia friend Thompson (always spelled with a p.) can be banked on at any hour of the day or night to put his patrons in a seventh heaven of amiability.
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Titles to real-estate here are perfect and complete. All the old suits which from time marred the completion of titles have been compromised and satisfactorily arranged so that abstract to title now is as direct, straight and indefeasible as any son’s recollection or history of his mother. No one thinks of property here without a warranty deed.
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President T. Jeff. Coolidge of the Santa Fe road accompanied by a number of the directors thereof and a body guard of handsome ladies left their special Boston car yesterday and drove around both the new and old El Pasos. The faith of such far seeing gentlemen as these experience unstinted capital has made the future of our city secure. Verily they builder better than they knew.
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The stage to Chihuahua is so crowded that passengers are obliged to lie over nearly every week. We know our compadre Provencio is an enterprising Mexican, and we trust he will soon begin running a semi-weekly line to the neighboring capital. It will pay and accommodate the public at the same time. Give us another outfit of ten mules and a carrajo stick, and the traveling public will then be reasonably served.
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Joe Bassett a “typo” and an obliging one at that, is officiating as jailor.
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That quiet, pleasant, business gentleman, W.H. Mitchell sq., of Dallas, came here to stay, and will soon open up a large wholesale house. Of such men are large cities made.
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Mr. Isaac Haas is a new comer of ample capital and has no nonsense about him. He has studied our city’s advantages for months past, and has concluded to open out in Bauer’s corner room, opposite the Overland building, a mammoth grocery store. We reach out both hands to Mr. H. and unreservedly commend him to public favor.
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Don Henry Nordwald, the enterprising merchant of Chihuahua, has been stopping on our midst for the past two weeks, renewing old acquaintances and seeing to the shipment of a heavy invoice of goods from Europe. Mr. Norwald went to Chihuahua in 1866 as a clerk for the old house of Amburg, and per force of business zeal, fair dealing and unpretentious courtesy, has risen to be the head and sole owner of the business. He left with us an order for fifty copies of our first issue for inland Mexican circulation. He turned to Chihuahua by the diligencia of Friday last.
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Our friend Newman, he of the “31” that was, has certainly a most inventive brain or else his correspondent at this place is the wrong man in the wrong place. In his issue of March 26, the following paragraph appears under the head of “El Paso Notes:” “The Mexican Central will go around the sand hills and is now graded to Guadalupe, 28 miles,” This is certainly news. The engineering corps of the above road has located the route to about Guadalupe so we are informed by one of the party, but the first shovel o dirt, in the way of grading, has yet to be thrown. The work will however be commences at an early day and pushed vigorously forward to completion. The other end of the line from the City of Mexico to this place has a large force at work and is coming this way very rapidly. We are sorry it is not as stated in the SEMI-WEEKLY. When the grading does begin, our readers will be informed of the fact and kept posted as to its progress.
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The order from the war department forbidding the sale of intoxicating liquors at military posts has paralyzed the post trade. Hereafter the post traders won't have so much money - and the soldiers will have more.
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The legislature of Arkansas has officially declared that the name of their state rhymes in the following:
The prettiest gall I ever saw
Was on the banks of the Arkansow,
- instead of in the manner indicated in this:
I never saw as pretty a lass
As the gal I saw on the Arkansas.
Now what will the legislatures of Texas and Kansas say to this?
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Joseph Schutz is offering goods at reduced prices to make room for his summer stock which continues to arrive daily.
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Up another column will be found the advertisement of Mr. W.B. Foster, who has opened, in the city of Paso del Norte, Mexico, an elegant saloon, where all of his friends are respectfully invited to call and see him. Mr. Foster has spared no pains to make his house a model of elegance and comfort and we cheerfully recommend him to everyone.
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That clever and genial stalwart of integrity, Father Duchesne, of the Mexican side, seems to possess an unbounded popularity here under his old rag, judging by the number of his cabinet photographs one finds here in the various stores. In these he looks like contentment in handsome repose, or a candidate for office, running solely on his good looks.
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Newman’s Semi-Weekly, of the 26th inst says: “Myer, the little Dutchman who came so near running the Rio Grande Hotel, of Las Cruces, into the ground, got into Bauer to the extend of $100, and then skipped.” Bauer says that’s a mistake and that no Dutchman, either by the name of Myer or any one else got into him for a cent.
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The public will no doubt be glad to note the fact that we will soon have a furniture house in our city. Mr. A.O. Robbins’ card announces the fact and as Mr. R. has been in the business for a number of years he will be able to select a stock which for low prices and good goods are not to be excelled.
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Ex. Gov. Anthony of Kansas, during his recent trip to Chihuahua speaks unstingedly of his reception by Gov. Terrassas, the sate officials and business men of that capital.
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And now the serious question for the diplomatic bodies at Washington is, will this be a hard cider or a Roman punch administration?
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Mr. Dunham is doing a first-class business in the brick line. He has on hand some 40,000, and a kiln of 150,000 burning.
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Kahn has been secured to fill a responsible place in the Quarter Masters department at the Fort K, is a good boy.
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Our population was 963 two months ago, as reported to the Council. We can claim now, with the increase of the past six weeks, at least 1500 of a population. Most of these have souls, and some, if they were to slide down a slick cross, wouldn’t have public spirit enough to mortgage their shirt tail for a personal notice in a decent weekly. The men who don’t advertise will find that Mexican proximity is not lie a mildewy eve, blasting his wholesome brother.
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