February 28, 1906
El Paso’s New Union Station Costing $300,000 is Inspected by Great Crowds
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SPEECHES A FEATURE
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Douglas Band and El Paso Orchestra Furnish Music For the Dancing in the Dining Room
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TRAINS RUN IN THURSDAY
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Facts about El Paso’s new Union station, opened last night
Work started January 1st 1905.
Completed February, 27, 1906
Bull by six roads.
Cost, $300,000
Twenty-two passenger trains daily.
Built of Texas brick and Texas lumber.
El Paso labor.
El Paso contractor.
Finest in Texas.
Largest south of Denver.
Ten thousand persons last night inspected El Paso’s new Union station and rendered a unanimous verdict of approval. The fines Union station in Texas, the largest in the Southwest, the product of a year’s work and the expenditure of $300,000, the structure last night rendered a good return of the money and handiwork put into its erection.
Last night the doors of the station were thrown open at 7 o’clock, and shortly after that hour crowds on foot, in carriages and street cars thronged won San Francisco street toward the building. When the lights were turned on there were a number of persons in the station and others were hurrying in streams down San Francisco street. Look, look, see how beautiful it is under the lights, the crowds said.
The building shone from the plaza and El Paso street like a beautiful caste, studded with diamond windows, with the sun’s rays pouring on them. From every window in the building including the topmost looking in the dome, the white lights were shining. By 8 o’clock the deport waiting room and the entire first floor, including the private waiting rooms of men and women, the offices, dining room, kitchen and baggage rooms were filled by the immense crowd.
A little later, as the crowds continued to pour into the station, the stairways on either side of the main entrance were filled. The crowd was going into the balcony. Soon the upstairs was as crowded as the lower floor.
Shortly after 8 o’clock two band of music arrived. One of threes was the Douglas band, which came down last night at the invitation of the Southwestern officials to be present at the opening, while the other was Concha’s orchestra. The band was stationed in the main waiting room, where it pleased the crowd with popular selections, and in the large dinning room adjoining the orchestra played for the entertainment of the crowd.
Judge Edwards Speaks
At about *.30 o’clock a table was taken to the center of the floor in the main waiting room, and W.W. Turney, a member of the board of directors of the station, rapped for order. In a few brief remarks congratulating he people of l Paso n the completion of the station, which meant a step forward in the progressive march of El Paso, he introduced Judge Peyton F. Edwards, who made the official speech of the occasion.
Judge Edwards said that El Paso had every reason to congratulate itself on the occasion of the opening of such a handsome structure, which would serve as the coming and going point of all the passenger trains of the railroads entering the city and he said he was glad to se the station filled with so many enthusiastic admiring El Pasoans.
Texas Materials Used.
In speaking of the station Judge Edwards said that it was constructed of Texas brick, Texas lumber and other Texas material. And El Paso labor and an El Paso contractor built it,” he added. That brought forth much applause.
The opening of a railroad station such as the one just completed marked an epoch in El Paso’s growth, said the speaker. It made El Paso, more than ever a city, the metropolis of the Southwest.
Following Judge Edwards, M.D. Slater was called upon and made a short speech, in which he told of the difficulties attending the early work in connection with the launching of an enterprise of the kind.
“People told us we could never get the railroads together,” he said, “but with genuine El Paso persistency, enterprise and push the little handful of men who started out to get a union station kept up their work, and soon there was results.”
After the speaking the crowds wandered round through the station at will, inspecting the huge structure with the minutest care. Everywhere were heard words of praise, nothing but praise.
Dancing was started in the dining room about 10 o’clock and the throng moved about, jostling each other at every turn, so packed was the building. Upstairs and down, every room had been left unlocked so that the crowd could wander at will, and they moved about from office to office. Superintendent Martin’s private office, on the second floor over at the northeast corner, was visited by many during the evening.
After leaving the balcony, hundreds of the crowd climbed the stairs to the last lookout in the dome of the station and looked down over the city.
Station Well Lighted
It is doubtful if there is another union station in the country that is s well lighted as the El Paso station will be kept and was lighted last night. The ceiling of the main rotunda is studded with many incandescents, set in between the crevices of the ornamented ceiling and shining with a lustre against the pure white background. In the center of the four sides re colored ornamental windows, back of which are lights which cause a brilliant coloring to be diffused. At the top of the seats also incandescents are arranged. In the dining room the lights are studded while in the rotunda and offices many lights shine.
Along the platform where the incoming and outgoing trains will start many large and small lights were places, transforming the place into day.
It was 12 o’clock last night before the crowd departed. Then the janitor, whose services have not been needed before, performed his first official duties by turning out the lights and closing the doors of the station.
Owing to the fact that the day of the opening had been set in advance one day from the original date, none of the railroad officials who were expected, reached here for the opening. E.P. Turner, general passenger agent of the Texas & Pacific, wired his regrets, saying that sickness prevented his attendance.
Today there will be meeting of the directors of the station. General Manger Ripley of the Santa Fe, Superintendent Ward of the T&P Superintendent Provence of the Mexican Central and possibly other officials will be here.
The latest details in connection with the opening of the depot for traffic tomorrow will be made. Today all the rods are preparing to move into the new home and the first train will enter the station after midnight tonight.
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The first bus to the new union depot last night was that of J.J. Longwell, driven by J.A. Miller, the old reliable bus driver and for 12 years a driver in El Paso.
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