Tales from the Morgue

1939: Special Tours To Bring 2200 Visitors Here

May 25, 1939

Many Travelers will Remain In El Paso For Day And Night

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Thirty-two organized tours and three special trains already lined up will bring 2200 visitors to El Paso this summer. Seven hundred of that number will spend an afternoon, night and the following day here.

Two hundred over-night passengers, who will come here on a special train, will stop at Hotel Hilton. Six eastbound Berry Tours and a special train will bring 500 who will stay at Hotel Cortez.

First Due June 27

The first special Rock Island-Southern Pacific train, carrying 200 delegates from Chicago to the annual convention of the National Education Association, July 2-6 at San Francisco, will arrive here at 9 a.m. June 27 and will leave after midnight for California.

A special NEA train, carrying the same number of passengers retuning from San Francisco, will arrive here at 2 p.m. July 10. The visitors, who will register at Hotel Hilton, will be here until 8:30 p.m. the following day.

The third special train, being the second section of the Californian will arrive with 200 visitors from California at 7:10 p. m. Aug. 17 and they will be here until 7:35 p. m. the next day. The arrivals will stay at Hotel Cortez. This is the Wallace Homestead Tour, which originated at Des Moines, Ia. The travelers will be going home.

Three hundred passengers on six eastbound Berry Tours will stop at Hotel Cortez.

Railroad officials estimated each of the 32 organized tours will bring an average of 50 visitors. Those are: Berry Tours, westbound, arriving here on the Californian at 8:35 a.m. June 19, July 3, 17 and 31 and Aug. 14 and 28. The tourists will depart at 7:35 p. m. the same day on the Sunset Limited.

Remain Over Night

The eastbound Berry Tours will arrive in El Paso on the Californian at 7:10 p. m. June 28, July 12 and 26, Aug. 9 and 22 and Sept. 6. The travelers will remain in El Paso until 7:35 p. m. the next day, when they will leave on the Californian. The Berry Tours will originate in Kansas City, Mo.

The westbound Cartan Tours, starting from Chicago, will arrive on the Californian at 8:35 a. m. June 19 and 26, July 3, 10, 17, 24 and 31 and Aug. 7, 14 and 21. Each group will leave at 7:35 p. m. the same day on the Sunset Limited for California.

The Golden Gate Tours, organized at Memphis and Little Rock by Harry Buchanan, formerly assistant to Carroll Huff. El Paso general agent of the Rock Island Lines, will arrive here on the Californian at 8:35 a. m. July 3, 17, and 31 and Aug. 14. The visitors will leave at 10:55 p. m. the same day on the Golden State Limited. Mr. Buchanan was transferred from El Paso to Memphis.

Powers Around America Tours, originating in Chicago, will arrive from California at 9 a.m. June 30, July 14 and 28, Aug. 11 and 25 and Sept. 8. Passengers will spend the day here.

1907: No Cars For Livestock

September 23, 1907

RAILROADS USING THEIR CARS TO MOVE BEETS AND COAL

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Not a Sheep Lost Out of Five Thousand Dipped – Cows and Sheep of the Hunt Purchase shipped Out of El Paso Yesterday – We’re Fed Here

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There was plenty doing at the Union stock yards yesterday. Five thousand head of sheep and 400 head of cattle were loaded there for Fort Collins, Colo. Sheep and cattle belonged to the big purchase recently made in Mexico by Col. Charles Hunt. Not a single sheep was lost by the dipping, though a year ago Mr. Torrazas lost 200 out of 6,000 from dipping.

The sheep were dipped and fed here. The cows were also unloaded and fed here. The last train load of sheep was sent out yesterday morning and last evening the 400 cows, ten carloads, left for Colorado.

“There is no telling,” said Col. Hunt yesterday, “when I will be able to get the last of my purchase of 55,000 head of cattle and sheep out of Mexico. The railroads are treating live stock men very shabbily just now. They come out openly and say they do not want our business. But the live stock shipper will have their inning when the present rush is over and the roads are again soliciting business.

“At present the railroads do not want to handle perishable goods at all for the reason that they have enough of the other kind to tax their hauling capacity. In Northern Colorado and Utah the roads have removed the tops from their stock car and are using them for hauling beets, while in Southern Colorado the stock cars are being used for handling coal and coke.

“But some day this rush will be over and then the railroads will be appealing to the live stock men for bussiness, and then we will have the talk to make, and it will be made good and strong.”

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1907: Chief Campbell Explaining Reason for Absence of Gold Teeth

May 29, 1907

WERE NOT JARRED LOOSE

Chief Campbell Explaining Reason for Absence of Gold Teeth From His Mouth Recently

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Chief Police Campbell is kept busy explaining that the bridge to his upper set of gold teeth came loose of its own free will and in the natural course of events, and the recent characterization of him as “Gold Toothed George” had absolutely nothing to do with the matter.

By a strange coincidence, however, the day following the issue of the dodger criticizing his methods and reforms, in which he was called “Gold Mouthed George,” the bridgework of his gold teeth came loose and many of his friends have chided him about getting his teeth jarred loose.

He has been in the hands of the dentist the last two days and his gold teeth will shine as resplendently in a day or two as ever, he declares.

1960: Blind Switchboard Operator Takes Calls For Goodwill

April 6, 1960

“Good morning, Goodwill Industries. May I help you?”

These or similar words are used many times daily by an attractive brown eyed, brown haired young lady named Joan Cox who is a switchboard operator at Goodwill Industries of El Paso.

What’s unusual about this? Well, for one thing, Joan is blind. She has been blind since birth. For another thing she is the only blind switchboard operator in El Paso and one of the few in the entire United States. She has been employed at Goodwill since January. Since that time she has learned much about switchboard operation, people, and the pleasure of being employed and independent.

Joan’s training and subsequent skill at switchboard operations amounts to one of the major successes of Goodwill Industries in helping handicapped persons find useful, happy work.

Like most success stories this one was a long time in coming. Ever since the Federal Service Commission requirements were amended over a year ago to include blind switchboard operators. Goodwill Industries has been wanting to have a special Braille switchboard installed. Hearing about the idea and need the East El Paso Lions Club came to the aid of Goodwill by offering to pay the additional cost of one year of the Braille board.

The board was subsequently installed by the Mountain States Telephone Co. The only mechanical addition to a standard board is the Braille board to the left which holds steel plungers that pop up when calls are received from outside or when an outside line is needed by someone in Goodwill offices. Braille lettering is attached to the board beneath connection plunges.

Mrs. Eva Elliot, training supervisor of the telephone company, helped Joan get started. “I am amazed at the capable way in which Joan has learned to operate the board,” she said.

Although employed to act as switchboard operator, Joan has since become proficient enough to take calls from Goodwill patrons who wish to make donations. For a blind person living in a seeing world this involves two steps. First, she must get the caller’s name and address and other information about the donation which is being made to truck drivers will not make a mistake when they call at home for the item. This means that Joan must take down the data in Braille, using her slate and stylus. To a blind person this would be adequate, however, the person who is in charge of the truck routing at Goodwill is not blind. Therefore, there must be some way for the Braille information to be interpreted. To do this Joan uses a typewriter with paper fed into it from a long roll. She retypes all information and passes it on to the truck routing supervisor.

Joan has a large notebook filled with truck schedules, permanent names and addresses and other information which she has inscribed in Braille and keeps handy at all times.

Joan is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Cox of Monahans. She is a graduate of Texas School for the Blind and Abilene Christian College where she was a voice major. She took some switchboard training at the Lighthouse for the Blind in Houston before coming to Goodwill Industries.

Since coming to El Paso Joan has joined the El Paso PBX operators Club and a singing group at the Montana Street Church of Christ.

Unusual? Yes, at least to the ordinary person. To Joan? Well, it’s a job. A job which she enjoys very much. “Being a switchboard operator lets me enter into my work more fuller than many other jobs would,” she said. “Every day I meet people who are friendly and interesting. I enjoy my work very much.”

1967: Righteous Brothers Star Visits Family In Van Horn

October 4, 1967

Four generations of Medleys are celebrating a reunion in Van Horn this week.

The household of 91-year-old W.T. Medley was filled with an added joy and happiness when his namesake and grandson, W.T. “Bill” Medley of the Righteous Brothers, flew in here from Hollywood Sunday night to visit his grandfather and join his parents, Emma and Arnold Medley who have been here for the past week.

Bill Medley had not seen his grandfather in several years and he was determined he would make time from his busy schedule to be with his grandfather while his parents were visiting in Van Horn this time.

He flew from a concert engagement at the University of Illinois, Champaigne-Urbana,, Ill., to Los Angeles Sunday morning; picked up his wife, Karen, and his son Darrin, 2 and flew to El Paso Sunday night where he was met by his parents and grandfather. This was the first time the senior Medley had met his great-grandson Darrin, and Karen.

Bill Medley and his partner, Bob Hatfield, have been doing a series of college concerts for the past three years on weekends. They performed the first two of the season at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., last Friday night, and at the University of Illinois Saturday night. They have two more months of weekends booked for the college concerts.

They are scheduled to appear on several television shows this season and just finished taping an appearance on the Pat Boone Show for release sometime this fall.

The Righteous Brothers made their first hit record in 1962, called “Little Latin Lupe Lu,” and are the founders of a whole new style of pop music called “Blue-Eyed Soul.”

Bill Medley with his wife, Karen, still reside in their hometown, Santa Ana, Calif., where they both grew up. They tried living in Hollywood for a while but moved back to Santa Ana and Bill commutes. He said they are more at home in Santa Ana and their families reside there.

1953: Sheriff Jails Itinerant Salesmen

December 15, 1953

Sheriff W.O. (Jimmy) Hicks Tuesday announced operations of three sets of itinerant magazine salesmen had been halted in El Paso County recently, and warned citizens of the County to be cautious before buying subscriptions or anything else from out-of-state promotion crews.

Managers of two crews were jailed in the County this week, Hicks said. Sheriff’s deputies picked up a crew manager in the Upper Valley several days ago and he was fined $25 for having out-of-state automobile license while working in Texas.

Unable to raise bond, he is in the County Jail, Hicks said.

Two state Highway Patrol officers Tuesday arrested another operator, in the Lower Valley, and he too was jailed.

Hicks said the traveling sales crews always are operating at this time of year and frequently complaints are received from citizens who pay money to the groups and receive no merchandise as promised. He advised that subscriptions and other things sold by the traveling groups be bought from local salesmen.

Chief of Police John C. Risinger said City police had not been bothered with similar problems because of an ordinance which forces the crews to post $1,000 bond with the chief of police.

The company for which the crews work post the bond and each crew chief must register each of his salesmen with police. Persons having any doubt as to the authenticity of traveling salesmen should call the office of the chief of police and check to see if they are registered, Risinger said.

Persons not registered are subject to arrest, he said, if the bonded companies fail to deliver the promised merchandise, the citizen may obtain a refund from the bond posted with police.

“People are good about keeping us informed of the activities of these crews,” Rislingr said. “By checking the addresses of the persons who call in to check on the authenticity of the salesmen, we can keep in constant touch with the neighborhood where the salesmen are working.

1916: School Tax Rate Will BeE 49 Cents

November 11, 1916

Reduction of One Cent Agreed Upon by Trustees at Special Meeting

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Mayor Lea Offers Medal for Neatest Appearing Cadet During Remainder of Year

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The discovery that probable revenues will be about $5,000 more than was estimated when the budget was made up led the school board, in special session at the Bailey school last night, to tentatively agree upon a tax rate of 49 cents on the $100 valuation instead of 50 cents, the rate fixed at a recent meeting.

It was stated that about $6,000 would be available from the county instead of $3,000, as had been estimated, and that tuition and other revenues would run the total to about $5,000 more than was figure on. The $5,000 would bring the total revenues for the schools to $383,004, and it was believed that the schools could be run with $378,004.

The valuations of city property total approximately $50,700,000, and the lowering of the tax 1 cent per $100, based on these valuations, will lower the school revenues about $5,000.

No formal action was taken at the meeting, but the secretary of the board was instructed to prepare a resolution, fixing the tax rate at 49 cents, which resolution will be adopted at a meeting next week.

Will Insist on 49-Cent Rate

It was the unanimous opinion of the board that there can be no lowering of the rate under 49 cents, and that under no condition will there be a recession from the stand taken. The resolution will be presented to the city council as representing the final action of the school board in the master of tax rtes for support of the schools.

The formal opening of the high school for inspection by the public will be held soon. Superintendent R.J. Tighe and A.H. Hughey, principal of the school, were instructed to arrange for the formal opening. The plan is to set a date upon which the public can come to inspect the building.

The board allowed $37.80 to purchase additional necessary equipment for the gymnasium.

The petition from the N.E.C. class, asking the privilege of giving a carnival dance in the new high school, was denied.

The Daughters of the American Revolution were granted the privilege of using the stadium or auditorium of the high school for the annual exercises it being understood that the privilege has been granted in the past.

Mayor Lee Offer Medal

In a communication addressed to the board, Mayor Tom lea offered a medal to the best appearing cadet throughout the period from November 1 to the end of the school year. The matter of determining who is the neatest cadet, he provided, shall be left to the cadets themselves. Superintendent Tighe and Professor Hughey, the principal of the high school.

The application of the Woodmen Circle for use of the auditorium at Alta Vista school was denied. The organization sought the use of the auditorium for an affair.

The request of Miss Bessie Hall for a Victrola for the high school was referred to superintendent Tighe, and the board voted to rent a piano for the stage of the high school.

Hereafter, applications for the use of the high school building for concerts and entertainments outside of strictly school affairs will be referred to President E.M. Whitaker and A.L. Hawley, chairman of the finance committee.

Only Agent Can Make Purchases

It was unanimously voted a letter be addressed by the secretary to all principals and heads of departments, including the kindergartens, advising that no purchases of any nature for the schools shall be made by any employe of the schools except the regular purchasing agent. All merchants are put on notice that in case any purchase is made by any other than the purchasing agent they must look to the purchaser for payment, as the school trustees will not be responsible.

Several petitions from school patrons asking that a truant officer be appointed were filed. The matter of employing a truant officer was recently referred to Superintendent Tighe.

No School in Government Hill

Superintendent Tighe reported a number of residents in the Government Hill addition, recently voted into the city, had advised him that the school maintenance by the county had been compelled to stop by reason of the fact that the house used as a school building was wanted for other purposes. Between 50 and 60 pupils, he stated, have no place to attend, as a result of this condition. He replied to the school patrons, he said, that as far as it is possible the children would be taken care of in the city schools. The schools are limited, however, and he expressed doubt that all could be accommodated.

1968: No Flag Is Flying On Federal Courthouse

February 20, 1968

Is there a steeplejack in El Paso?

He is badly needed at the U.S. Courthouse where no flag has flown for several days for lack of a steeplejack. Richard Mansfield, building manager for the General Services Administration, Monday said the halyard holding the flag broke and there was nobody available to climb the pole and replace the halyard. The pole was not erected in such manner that it could be lowered to have the rope holding the flag replaced. Mansfield said consideration had been given to having the Fire Department’s snorkel truck used but it would not reach the top of the pole. Unless local help can be found, he said, a steeplejack may have to be brought in from outside El Paso to get the flag flying once more.

1910: $400,000 FOR LONG FENCE

October 28, 1910

Appropriation for International Boundary Fence

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It was learned yesterday that an appropriation of $400,000 has been made by the federal government for the building of a barbed wire fence along the Mexican border between El Paso and San Diego. But little is known concerning the project by federal officials in this city other than that the appropriation has been made.

It is said that the fence will be built under the direction of the agricultural department, it being especially intended to aid the work of the department of animal industry.

It is possible, however, that the work may be done jointly by the agricultural and treasury departments, as the latter department is now losing large sums in duties by reason of cattle straying back and forth across the line. So far as known, no surveys have been made and it is not know when work will commence.

One wire of the fence will be a telephone wire so connected that if the fence is cut or opened at any point the fact will be instantly communicated to a station. The fence will be built 60 feet north of the line at the outer edge of the neutral strip. At Douglas, Naco and Nogales the fence will be built through the streets, with only gates for passageways.

In the event of the fence being built, it is altogether likely that El Paso will be made the base of supplies for a larger territory.

1953: Smelter School Makes Plans For Expansion

A one-million dollar expansion program is being planned by the Smelter School District, L.W. McConachie, superintendent, announced Monday. The proposed expansion program calls for the construction of a new educational and recreational center on a 54-acre tract near White School and near the junction of Highway 80-A and Highway 80 in the Upper Valley.

At present the Smelter school district consists of White, Courchesne and Smeltertown grade schools with a population of 3500 persons, according to McConachie. The center would include, a new senior high school; a new elementary school; conversion of the White School building into a junior high; a community recreation center, a health center, and a field house, football stadium and other athletic fields.

“However,” McConachie pointed out, “the entire expansion program depends on the Smelter district withdrawing from the County Common School District and forming a new independent district. Sketches of the proposed center already have been drawn by the firm of Monroe, Licht and Higgins, architects and engineers. The plans show the proposed grade school west of Highway 80-A, the high school to the north on Mesa Highway, and an underpass for the safety of school children beneath highway 80-A.”

A petition already is being circulated in the district calling for an election on creating an independent school district. The petition is scheduled to be presented to County Judge Hugh McGovern in the next two weeks.

McConachie said that a big residential district will open if the city brings water from its Canutillo wells along the Mesa Highway as it has been proposed. If this project materializes, then the community educational program will be a must, he said.

McConachie added that Canutillo may want to merge with the Upper Valley Independent School District.

Feruary 3, 1953