June 18, 1945
Dear Pal,
Well, it’s been a pretty eventful week in the old home town, so hold your hats and let’s go.
It’s beginning to warm up here again – you know how hot June can be around here. The hottest it’s been this week is 97 and the thermometer has stayed pretty much in that vicinity for the last few days.
We were just crossing Texas Street a few minutes ago and got our shoes smeared with tar. They’re putting a new surface on the street clear from the center of town to Alameda Avenue. It certainly has smoothed out the bumps.
And speaking of heat, like we were a few minutes ago, there was another fire in Juarez this week. You remember the old Market down on Sixteenth of September Street? Well, it burned completely Wednesday night, throwing about 200 persons out of means of making a living. Fire Chief Leonardo Solis thought there might be some defective wiring which started the fire. In the meantime, members of the Juarez Chamber of Commerce have decided to get more equipment for the Juarez fire department and to have more wells sunk.
Dr. Edgar T. Ruff, former professor at Texas Tech, has been named head of the modern languages department at the College of Mines, according to an announcement by Dr. D.M. Wiggins, president of the local institution.
Pat Hargrove, a veteran of both World Wars, has been named commander of the Disabled American Veterans, Borderland Chapter No. 10.
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Some of you may have remembered Roy Culp when he worked for the sheriff’s department a few years ago. Well, Roy has been head of a soldier entertainment committee for the El Paso Junior Chamber of Commerce and has been doing a wonderful job. He has rounded up 75 entertainers and is putting on his 50th show for men in local military installations on June 27.
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James R. Benner, son of Mr. And Mrs. A.V. Benner, Sr., 3605 Montana Street, has been wounded in action off Okinawa. He was on his ship when he was hurt. And you probably remember Bill Cummins, the guy who was such a whiz on the hurdles when he went to Austin High School – he was wounded on Okinawa. He has a fractured jaw and mortar shell wounds in his side.
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Got some pictures the other day from T-5 Francis (Skip) Broaddus, who is now over in Germany. Skip had several good shots of what was left of Herr Hitler’s hideout in Berchtesgarden after the Allies got through with it. It doesn’t look so attractive now, even with a housing shortage.
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Mrs. Horace B. Stevens, 84, who was one of El Paso’s early pioneers died in her home here this week.
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They had to do a little scrambling around in the County Jail this week when some of the juvenile inmates came down with scarlet fever. The sick persons were taken out and the jail disinfected while the other inmates were placed under quarantine.
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The Knights of Columbus elected officers this week. Heading the different groups are: El Paso Fourth Degree Assembly No. 638, Jaymond J. Ahern, faithful navigator; Del Norte Fourth Degree Assembly, Ernesto Valdes, faithful navigator; Del Norte Council No. 2592, Benjamin Louistanau, grand knight; El Paso Council No. 638, E.H. Knopf, grand knight.
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Joe Prensky said he got so hungry that he just HAD to find some place to eat – so he bought Andrews’ Cafeteria, 204 Mills Street, for $12,000.
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Judge Numa C. Grenger, one of the oldest judges in point of service in the Southwest, died Tuesday in his home in Las Cruces. He was judge of the third Judicial District of New Mexico and a native of Socorro. He was 69.
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The El Paso Housing Authority has decided to ask a survey for a housing project in the Smelter District. County Judge M. Scarborough has protested against bad housing conditions in that area.
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The ODT here, objecting loudly to alleged shortcomings in local taxi service, has asked the city to pass a few ordinances making it compulsory for cab drivers to comply with certain wartime restrictions – particularly on taking passengers to and from the Santa Fe Street bridge.
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Charging that the Lower Valley Bus Line has been operating off schedule, the Texas Railroad Commission this week held a hearing in the case. Decision will be announced later.
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A new Catholic church will be built in the Lower Valley and a site has already been purchased near St. Margaret’s Orphanage.
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Maybe we told you that Dr. W. B. Prothro was resigned as head of the City-County Health Unit. He has a new job and said that, anyway, he wanted to make room for Dr. L.T. Cox, who will be coming home from the battlefields to resume his job. In the meantime, Dr. M.D. Hornedo has been named temporary director of the unit.
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A forest fire near Alamogordo has been giving firefighters a tough time lately. Fort Bliss sent up some soldiers to help the forest ranger.
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Curl your little finger and grasp the teacup daintily while we give you a few social notes now:
Miss Barbara Vaughn of Hollywood, Calif., married Curtis F. Corzelius this week in a quiet ceremony in first Presbyterian Church chapel. There have been quite a few parties lately honoring Miss Dorothy Byrne, who will be married to Capt. Owen F. Ladd of Biggs Field Monday. Miss Jeanette Surratt will wed Lt. G.L Haupt of Yuma, Ariz., in a ceremony in Clint Baptist church soon.
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Heading sports news here this week was a highly-touted heavyweight boxing match between Ragon Kinney and Lotario Ramirez. Kinney, a Golden Gloves champion, knocked out the wicked-punching Ramirez in the sixth round in an open-air in the Juarez bull ring. The County Commissioners Court has set a catch limit and fee on fishing in Ascarate Lake now. The home-town ball club is back in town again, but had tough going against Saltillo in the opening game of the series, losing 13-10.
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That’s just about all there is to say right now. We’ll see you next week.
Yours,
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