1936: Varied Calls Flood Office Of EP Mayor

April 5, 1963 1936

Requests to Find Husbands Or Lower Taxes Are Part Of Daily Routine

Roosters that crow too loudly, neighbors who play their radios all night, and those kids next door who trample the parking: with their roller skates—these are some of the things El Pasoans tell their mayor about.

Dozens of visitors, and scores of phone calls, asking' the mayor to do everything from finding a husband for a lonely widow, to reducing taxes on a lot in east El Paso, are received by Mayor R. E. Sherman.

"Hello — is this the mayor?" a woman's voice asked excitedly over the phone today. "Well somebody just stole my hose!"

"What color were they?" asked the mayor, wonderingly. "How did it happen?" '

All Go to Mayor

"Not that kind of hose—my garden hose," snapped, the caller. And she grumbled when the mayor advised her to report the loss to the police department.

Every day brings its quota of new requests. Salesmen want the city to buy their wares, clubs want the mayor to get them an appropriation to help-in their work, friends want Jobs for their friends.

"I refer them all to the proper department, heads," Mayor Sherman smiled. "It takes patience to explain to many that jobs are given by the department heads, that the purchasing agent buys the city's supplies,  and that there are things the city legally cannot use its money for, good though they may be."

Mail Mixed Up

The most unusual complaint, the mayor thinks, "was received from a woman who said' that a neighbor's children were' taking the mail out of her mail-box, placing it in another neighbor's box, and placing the neighbor's, mail in her box!

"She was expecting an important letter that never arrived, and was sure the children had destroyed it," the mayor said. "I advised her to notify the postal authorities.

Dozens of petitions asking the mayor to see that streets and sidewalks are repaired, graded, or improved, are received almost daily.

Anonymous-telephone calls inform him that there are speakeasies and disorderly houses running here and there—"No, I won't give you my name, but I'm sure they are, and something ought to be done about it."

Bothered at Night

Each rain brings fresh complaints. Citizens want to have the mayor do something about their flooded basements, and the rocks washed down from Mt. Franklin. They call the mayor at his office, at his home, from his meal in the restaurant where he eats, out of bed in the middle of the night.

One man called at 3 a.m. from the Juarez jail, demanding that the mayor come right over and obtain his release.

A downtown hotel guest declared that the railroad company had parked an engine on Main St. near his hotel and the engineer was deliberately tooting his whistle to keep folks awake!

Listens to All

"I try to listen to everyone that comes to my office," Mayor Sherman, said. "No one has ever been refused a hearing, no matter how small his complaint."

Under the glass top on the mayor's desk is a clipping with the following thought:

"No man should undertake to give service as the mayor of any town or city until he has prepared by thought and training to give patient audience to the complaints and suggestions of every person within his jurisdiction.”

Comments

[EP HIST]

RE Sherman was not mayor in '63 - it was either Raplh Seitsinger or Judson Williams. Sherman was mayor in the '30s.

[Trish Long]

Thanks for noticing and you are right I should have typed 1936. Ralph Seitsinger was mayor 1961-63 and Judson F. Williams 1963-69

[Peter G. Sherman]

I read the article about Mayor R. E. Sherman. My name is Peter Sherman and Mayor Sherman was my Grandfather. I didn't know a lot about him, but I've read bits, and pieces about him and some of the great things he did for El Paso and it's citizens while in office, and not in office. I was told that he, and his staff and supporters were very instrumental in trying to keep El Paso from being affected from the devistation and ruin that a lot of other cities throughout the United States were subjected to. I was hoping if you could find out anything else of interest that my Grand Father was involved in throughout his life in El Paso? If you do find any information about him would you please publish it. I'm sure I'm biased but I've heard that Mr. Sherman did many good things for the betterment of El Paso, as did my father, Mr. Ray E. Sherman Jr., who started working for El Paso Natural Gas Co., on the pipeline, and spent his whole life working for EPNG, eventually becoming an Executve Vice President with them, and was instrumental in putting together the Company's retirement, and pension plan, which is still in place today.
Thank You, Peter G. Sherman

[Trish Long]

Thanks Peter, I will find something more on your grandfather.