Tales from the Morgue

1917: College of the City of El Paso Will Open September 28 at the Texas School of Mines

Sept. 23, 1917

By May Belle Kuller

On Friday, Sept. 28, the College of the City of El Paso will open its doors to students for the first time and the handsome buildings of the Texas State School of Mines will be filled with young men and women all eager to answer the call to higher education which, according to President Wilson, is the very best way that they can do their "bit."

Some of these, though they well know that "by pursing their courses with earnestness and diligence, they also are preparing themselves for valuable service to the nation," would, nevertheless, have had to forego a college education were it not for the new college, because a college course would have made it necessary for them to travel a long distance from home.

First Class College Here

In the College of the City of El Paso,however, they have a first class college at their very doors. Then there will be some among the students who had planned to go to Austin or to other Texas towns for their schooling, and still others who had planned to go east. But the founding of a college of the very first rank in their own city has caused them, one by one, to change their plans. There will also be a number of students here from other towns who found the offerings and standards of the College of the City of El Paso such that they felt it was to their advantage to come here for their education, many of them having transferred their grades here from other schools. And together these young people are to form a student-body of earnest workers which promises to be a credit to the school, and which will no doubt make the first year of the College of the City of El Paso one which may be looked back to with pride.

Three Courses of Study

The college offers to its students three courses of study, comprising a junior college course in the liberal arts offered in the college of arts and sciences, the first year of a junior college course in business offered in the school of commerce, and a four-years' normal course offered in the teachers' college.

The course in the liberal arts makes for broad citizenship and a non-vocational culture that will be helpful in any walk of life, the object of such a course being, in the words of President Wilson, "general intellectual training and moral enlightenment." The first two years of a four-years' course are offered here, giving a Texas student two years of work in the environment of his home state, which is in itself both necessary and helpful, after which he may take his grades to one of the large eastern universities and there earn his baccalaureate degree, receiving in the last years of his course the benefits of a foreign environment. Or the student may, should he prefer a degree from his state university, take his grades to the University of Texas.

Commercial Course

The commercial course offered in the school of commerce prepares the students for the world of business, and they receive such training as is demanded by the business world of today, both in our own and in other countries. Courses are offered in economics, accounting and general business efficiency. Only the first year of a junior college course is offered this year, the second year work to be put in next year. Students completing the two years course will receive a certificate to that effect. Those who desire may take their grades to an affiliated college offering a four-years' course and do two years of addition work for a Bachelor's degree.

Teacher's College

The Teachers' College offers a full four years' normal course beginning two years below high school graduation and extending two years above, which leads to a Teachers' College Diploma and the degree of L.I. (Licensed Initiate). This course is offered because of the increasing demand not only in this country, but in the Spanish-American countries for qualified teachers. Even those who do not intend to teach, however, would make no mistake in enrolling in the Teachers' College for the course is a very practical one, combining as it does work on the arts with an educational or professional course which teaches one valuable lessons in discipline.

Courses in Domestic Science, School Music and government also will be offered by the college.

Offers Extension Work

The three courses outlined above are offered to regularly enrolled students; the college also will carry on extensive work. Correspondence is invited, and anyone desiring information that comes withing the scope of the college may feel free to write for it. Extension lectures, open to the general public, will be held from time to time. Then there will be the night school, which opens later at some conveniently located place in the business district. Here classes will be held twice a week for nine months, giving the young business men of the city an opportunity to grasp the principles of "Business Economics." This course will be found helpful to any young man in any business, and though the college has not yet began to enroll students, it is expected that a large number will take advantage of it.

Military Training Available

Like in other leading colleges and universities, military training is available in the College of the City of El Paso to the young men of the college, and Red Cross first aid, offered in the second semester, is available to both the young men and the women. Instruction will also be given in food administration and food conservation.

In conclusion it may be said that the college will be an educational and social unit of the city whose importance can hardly be overestimated, and from which everyone may derive some benefit if but enough interest be taken in the school to learn its scope. For then the many ways in which the college can be of help to every citizen as an individual will at once be apparent.

1916: Closing Exercises Are Held at the Texas School of Mines; Diplomas Were Given To Three

May 31, 1916

Closing Exercises Are Held at the Texas School of Mines
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Members of the first graduating class of the Texas School of Mines, a branch of the University of Texas, received their diplomas Tuesday night, at the close of impressive exercises, conducted in the assembly hall of the School of Mines building, beyond Fort Bliss. Dean S.H. Worrell presided and introduced the speakers.

Speaks of Power of Personality

Rabbi Martin Zielonka delivered the commencement address, taking as his theme: "The Power of Personality." He spoke of the importance of doubting because it made men stop to think, reconsider and readjust. Rabbi Zielonka emphasized the good of listening to the voice of conscience, "Answer its behests," he said, "and your path in life may be somewhat lonesome, but it will be worth while and filled with the satisfaction that cannot be acquired by the possession of wealth." The rabbi said that in the present age we think too much of the material side of things he said, and pointed out that the greatest characters and most domination personalities of the ages had come from the humbler homes, where character was emphasized more than possessions.

Diplomas Presented

The diplomas were presented to the graduates by judge Beauregard Bryan, a former member of the board of regents of the University of Texas, and first to suggest the establishing of the School of Mines of the university in El Paso instead of at Austin. Judge Bryan praised the public spiritedness of the chamber of commerce, in securing this institution for the city of El Paso and dwelt upon the greatness of the opportunities presented to the college here to become in time one of the great schools of mines of the country.

Musical Selections Given

The graduates of the school are Clyde M. Ney, Vere Leasure and Lloyd Nelson. Rev. Miles Hanson pronounced the invocation and benediction at the exercises. Between the addresses a number of musical selections were given. Miss Zula Robinson sang "O Sole Mio," accompanied by Mrs. V.L. Bean on the piano and Miss Ruth M. Augur on the cello. Miss Robinson's encore was "Somewhere a Voice is Calling." Miss Minna Edwards played a violin solo, "Serenade Badine." by Gabriel-Marie, and played Dvorak's "Humoresque," as an encore. Mrs. Bean accompanied her. "La Golondrin" was sung by a quartet, composed of Misses Zula Robinson and Anna Axton, Messers. Walter Davis and Cecil Davis. Mrs. Bean and Miss Augur accompanied them. Walter Davis sang a solo. "Good-By," accompanied by Mrs. Bean. The hall was very attractively decorated with streamers of orange and white paper, the colors of the University of Texas.

1913: To Raise Money For School Of Mines

April 17, 1913

El Pasoans Take Steps to Secure Buildings for the State-Governor Signs the Bill.

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A campaign to raise the necessary funds to purchase the grounds and buildings of the El Paso Military Institute will be started soon. This school must be bought and presented to the state in order to obtain the school of mines, created by the bill which became a law Wednesday afternoon by the act of the governor in signing it.

The grounds and buildings can be obtained for $50,000, the trustees of the school say. This amount includes the purchase of the 12 acres of ground on the mesa adjoining Fort Bliss and the buildings and warehouses, which are a part of the old military school which will be closed at the end of the present term.

The school of mines will mean an expenditure of $75,000 each year, the business men say, and the purchase of the institute property for the school will be a good investment for the city, as the state provides for its endowment and the students and faculty will spend a large sum here each year.

The chamber of commerce is to be asked to consider the plan for getting the home for the new school, the money for the first payment on the property to be raised at once and other payments extend over a number of years.

Aug. 26, 1914: Warm Welcome by General Pershing For Villa and Obregon in El Paso

08/27/1914

MEXICAN COMMANDERS ESCORTED TO FORT BLISS BY GENERAL PERSHING AND CAVALRY GUARD OF HONOR

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STREET THRONGS CHEER TORREON HERO

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AMERICAN OFFICERS TO ACCOMPANY PARTY TO SONORA, WHERE EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO STRAIGHTEN OUT LATEST TANGLE.

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For the first time since March, 1913, when with a handful of men he crossed the line to give battle to the forces of the dictator Huerta, General Francisco Villa yesterday visited El Paso.

Poor and unknown, with barely a half dozen ragged and unarmed followers when he left here less than eighteen months ago, the general returned yesterday the commander of an army estimated at 40,000 men and acknowledged as one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful man in his native land.

Villa’s mission is one of peace, and through his intercession with Governor Maytorena, Provisional President Carranza hopes that tranquility may be restored in Sonora, which remains the only portion of the republic, where armies are arrayed in hostile camps.

Met by General Pershing.

Accompanied by General Alvaro Obregon, commander of the Mexican division of the northwest and of the federal district, General Villa arrived at the Santa Fe bridge about 5 o’clock in the evening. There the Mexican officers were met by General John J. Pershing, commander of the eight brigade of the southern department of the United States army and ranking officer on this section of the border. The American general, who was accompanied by his aide, Lieutenant Collins, extended a cordial welcome to the Mexican officers. A company of the Twentieth infantry and a troop of the Thirteenth cavalry stood at attention as the visitors crossed the line.

Escorted by a guard of honor composed of Troop H, of the Thirteenth cavalry, the party were driven in automobiles to Fort Bliss where they were guest at an informal reception at the home of General Pershing. As the procession, which included some twenty automobiles, drove through the street, thousand who gathered to obtain a view of Mexico’s famous military leaders, cheered heartily and shouts of “Viva Villa” were frequent along the line of march. The Mexicans responded by lifting their hats and bowing and smiling to the assembled throngs.

Obregon Impressed With El Paso

Altogether the welcome was a hearty one, especially to General Villa, who is quite well known here on account of his many visits to the city before. Yesterday was the first time General Obregon had ever seen El Paso, and he was lavish in his praise of the appearance of the city, with its towering buildings and miles of handsome residences.

Villa in Mufti

General Villa and his staff officers were in mufti, while General Obregon and the members of his suite were brilliant in the gold lace and regalia of the full dress uniform of the Mexican army.

En route to Fort Bliss, the party stopped at the country club, where a welcome was extended to them by the directors and members of the club.

Reception at Fort Bliss

At Fort Bliss, General Pershing had arranged a reception in honor of the visitors and the officers of the local garrison were drawn up to receive them at General Pershing’s headquarters. Military band was present and played the Mexican national anthem as Generals Villa and Obregon arrived. Refreshments were served to the visitors at General Pershing’s home, and toasts to the United States and to Mexico, to the chief magistrates of the two countries, to the visiting military commanders and the General Pershing were drunk. The reception was entirely informal and for half an hour the officers remained conversing before they returned to the city. It had been planned to hold a view at the post, but as the party did not arrive until after dusk this feature was eliminated. At the close of the reception the military band played the “Star Spangled Banner,” and with the American officers, Generals Villa and Obregon and their staffs stood at attention.

American Officers in Receiving Line

Among the officers who welcomed General Villa and Obregon at Fort Bliss were, Colonel George H. Morgan, commander of the Fifteenth cavalry; Colonel John S. Parke, commander of the Twentieth infantry; Lieutenant Colonel William L. Kenly, commander Sixth Field artillery; Major E. A. Lewis, commander sixth infantry; Major Charles S. Farnsworth, commander Sixteenth infantry; Major M.M.. McNamme, Major W. Davidson, of the Medical corps; Major Lewis, Major John L. Hines, Captain Charles Lloyd, Captain A.P. Watts, Captain Robert W. Mearns, Lieutenant W.W. Gordon and Lieutenant James L. Collins.

General Pershing and his aide accompanied the commanders to the International bridge on their return to Juarez.

Gratification at the good feeling which exists between the United States government and the new constitutionalist government of Mexico was frequently expressed by the commanders of the armies of the two republics during the journey through El Paso.

Much Expected From Meeting

The meeting of General Obregon with General Villa will, it is hoped, help greatly in bringing about an agreeable settlement of all differences in Mexico. They have had many talks and conferences since they have met and, it is understood, have already reached a better understanding on matters hitherto in dispute.

It was noticeable yesterday that both Villa and Carranza officials fraternized and mingled together, both in Juarez and in El Paso, for the first time since the estrangement occurred last May. Constitutionalist Consul Rafael E. Muzquiz called on General Villa at his home at Juarez, and other Carranza officials paid their respects to the commander of the north. The meetings were cordial and there was not the least appearance of ill felling between the sympathizers of the two Mexican commanders.

General Villa and Obregon arrived at Juarez about noon yesterday from Chihuahua. En route General Villa had the special train stopped at Tierra Blanca, twenty-five miles south of Juarez, and for an hour he and General Obregon walked over the historic battle ground where General Villa and his army inflicted one of the most telling defeats on the Mercado and Salazar and Orozco armies of Chihuahua.. General Villa grew enthusiastic in explaining how his army had overcome the federals and how they had driven them into disorder to Chihuahua, only to leave the state capital a short time later to disastrous flight to Ofinaga.

Generals Qualify and Marksmen

During the trip over the Tierra Blanca battle ground General Villa and General Obregon shot at a target made of bottles thrown away by Villa’s soldiers last December.

On the arrival of the special at Juarez the general were met at the station by Colonel Tonias Ornelas, military commander of the city, and Mayor Juan N. Medina and all other officials, both military and civil, of Juarez. General Villa went to his Lerdo avenue home, while General Obregon during his stay in Juarez made his headquarters in his private car.

Last night the two commanders were the guest of honor at a ball given by military and civil officials at the customs house.

Special Train Due to Leave at Dawn

The special train which will carry them to Sonora leaves El Paso at daybreak today for the Sonora border. The party will travel in the same train in which they left Mexico.

Yesterday at noon a long-distance call was received from Governor William G. McDonald of New Mexico, who stated that he had no objection to the Mexican officials passing through that state. Governor O.B. Colquitt of Texas and Governor G.W.P. Hunt of Arizona had previously given their consent. The permission of the war department and the department of state came immediately after the request had been made. Both departments of the United States government also ordered army and state department officials on the border to extend every courtesy to the Mexican commanders and to assist them in every way on their proposed peace commission.

General John J. Pershing designated Captain Robert W. Mearns, senior caption of the Twentieth infantry, to accompany the Mexican military party as an escort of honor on their journey through the United States. He will be accompanied by Lieutenant W. Weaver and a detachment from company H. Twentieth infantry.

Villa Reticent Concerning Sanora

General Villa was reticent yesterday in regard to the Sanora situation, but expressed himself to the extent that he believed a peaceful solution of the trouble between Maytorena and the Carranza forces could be arranged without the use of force. He said he was anxious to have the entire country pacified as soon as possible, and for this reason had volunteered his services in the Sonora situation. He made no complaint against the assumption of General Venustiano Carranza to the provisional presidency. It is his wish, however, that elections be held at the earliest possible moment.

General Villa was accompanied by members of his staff, among them Colonel Luis Aguirre Benavides, his private secretary; Colonel Medinavieta, chief of staff; Colonel Rodolfo Fierro, Major Joe Martinez and other. He brought only a small escort.

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GENERAL OBREGON EXPLAINS OBJECTS OF PEACE COMMISSION

“Our commission, which has been appointed by General Carranza to offer its services in bringing about peace in the state of Sonora, intends to use every prudent and argumentative method possible in arranging the difficulties between Governor Maytorena and Colonel Calles.” Said General Alvaro Obregon yesterday. “We have come to see what benefit we can do the state in the regard and will avoid the use of force if possible.

State of Conference Not Decided Upon

“So far we do not know where the peace meeting will be held. This must be arranged later when we reach the Arizona border and can get into communication with the Sonora factions. We will probably proceed from El Paso to Agua Prieta and may late go to Nogales, Son.

“The taking of Nogales, Son., by Maytorena’s force will not alter the peace plans in any way, as both General Carranza and myself, as commander of the division of the northwest, ordered Colonel Calles to evacuate Nogales, and not to resist the Maytorena forces.

“What the plans of the commission in bringing about a peaceful settlement in Sonora will be I cannot say at this time. I also cannot say whether Governor Maytorena will be deposed if he does not agree to terms of peace.

Genera Villa Has Equal Power.

“General Villa will have an equal power with myself on the commission. Although he is not commander of any of the forces in the state of Sonora, he has been given full power by the provisional president to act in this case.

“I was greatly impressed with my reception at Chihuahua by General illa and the officers of his army of the north. They have restored perfect order in the state of Chihuahua, and have a finely conducted army.

“Throughout my entire journey from Mexico City I found perfect order existing in all parts. I felt no fear of attack from any marauders and the bringing of an escort of only twenty men shows that there was no need for any alarm. The entire northern country is completely pacified.

Tranquility Prevails In Sinaloa.

“The reports of a revolt on the part of Governor Jose Riveros of Sinaloa are absolutely without foundation. Perfect order exist in the state and General Iturbe, commander of the military forces in Sinaloa, reports to the me daily that there is nothing of consequence happening there.”

General Obregon is accompanied on the journey by General Julio Madero, a brother of the late president of Mexico and who has campaigned with him for the last year along the west coast of Mexico, and a number of staff officers together with the Jalisco military band.

After arranging the Sonora situation, General Obregon plans a trip through Sanora and down the west coast of Mexico as far as Manzanillo. Whether he will return to Mexico City by the way of Guadalajara or come back through El Paso has not been decided as yet.

While working on bombs, Von Braun dreamed of moon

By Trish Long
El Paso Times

Recently, I was asked about Operation Paperclip and Wernher Von Braun.

A group of German scientists, including Wernher von Braun, were brought to Fort Bliss. The secret mission was dubbed Operation Paperclip because a paper clip was attached to the files of scientists chosen to participate in the program.

A 1971 article by Art Leibson, "Famed Scientists First Greeted With Suspicion," tells the story of the Von Braun.

"Soon after the end of World War II El Pasoans began hearing suspiciously Germanic sounds in stores, shops and in the streets. They knew something was up but the government clamped down on any attempt to probe behind the secrecy of the visitors.

"But a quarter-century ago next Friday, the curtain was lifted. El Paso newsmen were invited to White Sands Proving Ground to meet the leaders of a 118-man group of German scientists who had developed the deadly V-2 rocket that came too late to win the Battle of Britain and were working on a bigger and more deadly A-10 that would carry a 30-ton warhead 3,000 miles, far enough to reach New York and beyond for the Peenemunde headquarters in Germany.

"Wernher Von Braun, who helped guide the American space program in the intervening years, was head of the rocketry group that had surrendered to U.S. forces rather than face capture by the Russians at the time the European war ended. Von Braun always insisted he was not interested in producing a weapon of death, but he accepted the money, materials and technical skill to forward his research in space travel.

"At that interview, on an occasion when visiting newsmen also witnessed a firing of a captured V-2 rocket, Von Braun told the El Paso Times that if he had unlimited financial backing, and could call on all available brains, he could reach the moon within 10 years. It all sounded like something out of science fiction, especially as the years seemingly rolled by without any serious effort to reach the moon. But the time came for the spectacular performance that sent men to the moon and back, at a cost a few billion dollars more than the comparative trifle Von Braun wanted -- to drop a metal ball on the moon.

"When the Germans first came to El Paso they were lodged in annex buildings of William Beaumont General Hospital. As it became apparent that they would be working for the War Department for a long time, about 400 of their dependents were brought to the U.S. to be with them, and a start was made on developing White Sands into one of the top rocket centers in the space race.

"In Germany, newsmen were told, there were fewer than 5 percent failures among the rockets hurled into Britain, while those tested at White Sands had a 33 percent failure rate. One later ran wild and landed near a cemetery outside Juárez, where it did no more damage than to create a giant crater. Von Braun blamed the failures here on damage done to parts brought with them from Germany. At the Nordhausen launching site, he said, most of the rockets fired at White Sands never would have passed inspection.

"During a three-hour question period, Von Braun told of the hasty evacuation of the underground laboratory at Peenemunde ahead of the Russians, storming down the Baltic toward the island base. With conflicting orders as to the action to be taken, Von Braun called a council of his 'brain trust' and the decision was made to leave. On the trip to the Bavarian interior, to meet the U.S. forces, Von Braun's car plunged over a 60-foot cliff and his arm was broken in three places. He was recuperating in the Bavarian Alps when the war ended. His arm in a sling, he arranged to meet the Allied counter-intelligence officers and worked out arrangements to bring his team to the U.S.

"Each member of the team was carefully screened as to previous political connections with the Nazis. Finally those given clearance left for America.

"During the interview, an Army Ordinance public relations officer made the statement that in the opinion of the military it would cost about $100 million to place a piece of iron the size of a fist on the surface of the moon. Getting it back again, newsmen were told, was something beyond their wildest guess.

"With the presence of the Germans finally disclosed, they appeared much more in public and began socializing with others in the area. In a year Von Braun would bring his 'hochgeboren' 18-year-old fiancée to El Paso, and there were other marriages.

"And that's the story behind the first successful moon shoot."

Have a question?

• If you want to know about El Paso's history, send Trish an email at [email protected] elpasotimes.com or comment at her blog by visiting elpasotimes.com/blogs
Trish Long is the El Paso Times' archivist and spends her time in the morgue, where the newspaper keeps its old clippings and photos. She shares some of this history in her blog, Tales From The Morgue.

Statue of Liberty replica once stood in Downtown

By Trish Long
El Paso Times

Trish,

Would you consider writing about the Statue of Liberty of El Paso, Texas? I believe an article appeared in El Paso Herald on July 22, 1918.

 Ms. Martha Kuykendall

 El Paso Catholic Historical Archives

Thanks, Martha,

The article you cited was titled "Unveil Statue On Labor Day," and it reported, in part:

"The Labor Day celebration being planned by the Central Labor Union promises to eclipse all other patriotic demonstrations of the year, according to the union men's committee. Every effort is being made to have every labor, fraternal, war work and military organization in this city take part in the parade, which will mark the opening of the demonstration. The unveiling and dedication of the Liberty statue on Pioneer Plaza will close the day's activities. ...

"The Statue of Liberty, a replica of the famous statue in New York harbor, was hoisted to its pedestal in Pioneer Plaza on Sunday morning at 11 o'clock by volunteer manpower. ...

"All of the work, including the final bronzing of the statue, is being donated by the Central Labor Union of this city. The men engaged in the work are bing paid by the union body.

"The statue faces west on San Francisco street, and can be seen from the Union Depot. When complete and the lights installed, it will be a beacon readily seen by incoming passengers as soon as they emerge from the depot building."

And indeed the statue was dedicated on Labor Day, Sept. 2, 1918, and, as promised, thousands turned out to see the parade and dedication of the statue.

"With thousands thronging the streets to watch the mammoth Labor Day parade and Liberty statue dedication, El Paso celebrated on Monday the biggest display of the kind in the history of the city. Bands played and the Stars and Stripes were conspicuously hung from most of the windows and stores in the downtown section. Residences in various parts of the city displaced the national colors and the crowds on the street mingled with the khaki-clad boys of the military and the spirit of 'win the war,' the slogan of the labor organizations, was everywhere in evidence.

"The Statue of Liberty, erected in Pioneer Plaza, was draped in streamers of red, white and blue, and thousands congregated around this statue to witness the unveiling which occurred shortly before noon. ...

"Decorations along the line of march were completed before Sunday noon. Over the City Hall, the colors of the allies were flown, while the porches of the buildings were adorned in red, white and blue. The Popular and White House and other places along the line were similarly adorned.

"Liberty statue itself was adorned with American flags, and presented a beautiful appearance."

The first speaker of the dedication ceremony was Frank Balt, president of the Central Labor Union who presented the monument to Mayor Charles Davis. After a short speech, Davis presented the statue to the Council of Defense. Joseph M. Nealon accepted it on the council's behalf.

The dedication ceremony closed with the singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner."

On Feb. 10, 1919, in a special meeting of the City Council, it was decided to turn the statue over to the Boy Scouts.

"The matter of donating the statue to the use of the scouts was first taken up by the council one week ago, and in order to complete it, a special meeting was called Wednesday, with Mayor Pro Tem J.P. O'Connor presiding. The Boy Scouts were represented by Glenn O. Everman, who called the attention of the council to the necessity of providing some place in which to exhibit relics of the great war. The location of the statue in the center of the city, and the fact that it could also be used as headquarters for the scouts, were taken into consideration by the council.

"According to present plans, all relics and souvenirs of the Great War donated to the city will be placed on exhibit in the big room of the statue. This includes helmets, pieces of shrapnel, chevrons or shoulder straps of Germans and anything that is of value as a relic, according to alderman R.C. Semple.

"The statue will be open all hours of the day as a war relic exhibit."

Sometime before Nov. 17, 1920, the statue lost its arm. This mention appeared in "The Plaza Knocker" column that day, "It's about time the Goddess on top the Boy Scout building had an arm to hold up a torch with. She's a beautiful statue with it; she's a mutt without it."

About that time, a petition to remove the statue from the plaza was being circulated by Downtown businessmen. It was decided that the statue would indeed be moved from the plaza, and the city sent building inspector Percy McGhee Jr. to check the statue. The following ran on Dec. 3, 1920.

"Liberty, on top of Liberty statue in Pioneer Plaza, cannot be saved.

"Percy McGhee, Jr., city building inspector, made a careful examination of the statue, at the suggestion of Mayor Charles Davis, with a view to ascertaining if it could be saved and placed on Scenic Point on the Scenic Drive, but reported that it would not be worth moving.

"The statue is constructed of lathe and plaster, he says, and the elements have weakened it so that the inspector does not believe it would stand removal. If this were possible, he says, further exposure to the elements would soon cause it to crumble. Consequently, it would not be worth the cost of a pedestal to set it up against."

•If you want to know about El Paso's history, send Trish an email at ‹a href="mailto:[email protected]"›[email protected] com or comment at her blog by visiting elpasotimes.com/blogs

Trish Long is the El Paso Times' archivist and spends her time in the morgue, where the newspaper keeps its old clippings and photos. She shares some of this history in her blog, Tales From The Morgue.

1952: 'Gator pays visit to TWC Professor

12/12/1952

Oscar, the alligator who wanted a college education, was back in his San Jacinto Plaza home Thursday night – probably regaling his lazier cohorts with tales of campus life.

Oscar turned up quite unexpectedly Thursday mooring in the office of Dr. H.E. Quinn, chairman of the geology department at Texas Western College.

Dr. Quinn, probably figuring that the department had enough fossils on hand without a live one weighing close to 400 pounds, slammed the door, called police, and went about his business.

Just how Oscar got out of the Plaza’s alligator pond, up to the college, and through a couple of supposedly locked doors into

Dr. Quinn’s office remained something of a mystery. A mystery that had the campus roaring.

The alligator, whose age was set at “close to 60” by City park Commissioner Hugo Meyer, was unceremoniously hauled out of Dr. Quinn’s office and dumped into a city truck for his homeward trip about 10 a.m. – some 90 minutes after the geology head had opened his door to find a wide-mouthed alligator on the floor.

A large crowd of amused students witnessed the removal – but nobody was making any admissions.

City and college officials alike were inclined to dismiss the whole thing – smilingly – as another “student body prank.” Oscar, back in the pond, seemed willing to go along with that view.

Meyer late Thursday said the Plaza watchman reported leaving his pot for a cup of coffee about 4 a.m.

“I was gone about 15 minutes,” he reported. “When I returned, a boy who’d been standing at the pond when I left said that a bunch of youths had jumped in the pool, taken something out, put it in a car, and sped away.”

The incident appeared to have few unsettling effects.

Oscar, who proved himself shy by trying to crawl under Dr. Quinn’s desk when his keepers – and some photographers – entered, showed no ill effects. The office, which had a few chairs knocked about by the alligator’s “wagging” tail, was back in order.

And the professor himself still was unruffled. Aside from his look of surprise when he first discovered his caller, he showed just one sign of nervousness all day: he forgot to call the roll at his 9 a.m. class.

1953: Prank may have caused Oscar's death

1956: Dona Tirza, 106, Finds Young People Are Rude and They Think Life Is One Big Fiesta

May 28, 1956

By Ruben Salazar

In an age when there's much talk about the "Great Future," a sprightly El Paso centenarian staunchly praises the past.

Mrs. Tirza Gonzalez, 106, of 4219 Wyoming street remembers when the French invaded Mexico in 1862, the coming of the railroads and when people were "decent."

But memories are not all of Dona Tirza. Wine, song and dance are still much in the life of this charmingly frank El Paso woman born in 1849.

Born on Ranch

If you're 80 or so years younger than Dona Tirza, and speak Spanish, you'd probably get this sort of greeting:

"Hello. I hope you're not rude like most young people of today. Is there no humility left in this world? You young people think life is just on big fiesta? Sit down. You're welcome here."

Dona Tirza, born in a ranch in Durango, came to the United States from Torreon in 1914. In 1919 she became a widow and went to live with her daughter, Mrs. Julia Gonzalez Rosas. Mr. and Mrs. Vincent Gonzalez, who is Don Tirza's granddaughter, and Efren Gonzalez, a grandson, now also live with Dona Tirza.

She is the mother of three daughters and four sons. She has outlived all of them except Mrs. Rosas and a son, Rosalio, of Bayard.

Reminded of Game

"I must have been 13 when the French invaded Mexico," Dona Tirza said. "They don't bother us in our small ranch near Lerdo, so I never saw them. But I remember the joy I got from being shown where a lot of the invaders fell from Mexican fire. Those Frenchmen went into Mexico like balls of fire, but left with their tails burning."

This reminded her of a game she used to play as a girl 90 years or so ago.

"It was called 'Let's See If I Can't Burn the Paper Tail'," she said. She got up to demonstrate. "A boy would tie a paper tail to his belt and dance around shaking his hips, "like this." She shook like an elderly Marilyn Monroe.

"Then I would follow him with a lighted candle singing a song," Dona Tirza said. She sang the song.. "Darn it!" she said after finishing, "I could never burn that tail. Once I got so mad I poked the candle in the boy's leg. Boy, was he mad. He said I ruined his best pants."

Mrs. Gonzalez thinks the art of dancing has deteriorated. "People don't dance any more," she said. "They just go crazy."

She was going to demonstrate the correct way to dance, but her daughter told her she shouldn't tire herself.

Asked what she attributed her long life to, she shot back, "Good stock, man! Good stock. My father lived to be 95. To live long you've got to eat simply, work hard and drink wine before breakfast. Later in the day you should drink something that rasps the throat like tequila or mescal. I get mad every time someone offers me beer. That insipid and putrid liquid is fit only for sissies and burros."

Her grandson, Efren, says Dona Tirza smokes about five packs of cigarettes a day. "Sometimes we worry about her," he said. "But then we say to ourselves, heck, she never gets sick. Why she sews all day and doesn't even use glasses. Never has."

Dona Tirza misses horseback riding.

"In the old days I used to ride every day," she said. "Recently a neighbor, who had horses, died before I could talk him into letting me ride one of his horses. He was skeptical about it, but I almost had talked him into it before he died."

"I'm glad he never consented," Dona Tirza's daughter said. "You would have fallen off."

"A lot you know about us old timers," said Dona Tirza. "We're not weaklings like moderns. I've got a granddaughter who's going to have a baby soon. You know what she does all day? She sits doing nothing.

"I used to work the hardest just before my children's births. I had to. I had to stock up on tortillas to last all during my confinement.

"People are getting ruder and lazier by the day," Dona Tirza added. "They are always talking about looking forward. People should sometimes look backward and learn a few things from us old timers.

 "Maybe we didn't know too much about books then, but we tried to know our hearts. If modern people start learning that maybe they've still got a chance."

Harvey Girls helped tame Wild West

This article by columnist Nancy Johnson first appeared in the Deming Headlight in March 2005.

"Harvey House brought air of elegance to the Wild West. The first immigrants to this area were Navajo, Apaches, and Comanches, followed hundreds of years later by Spanish explorers. Soon after there came Spanish soldiers, settlers, and priests.

"Trappers, miners and cattlemen joined the mix -- most arriving after New Mexico became a territory of the United States. Along came the Pony Express and the Butterfield Stages.

"Railroads reached the southern part of the state in 1881, and began carrying away ore and cattle.

"Oftentimes, they brought with them homesteaders and those travelers too fragile -- or too wise -- to ride 2,000 miles non-stop on a rushing stagecoach.

"With trains, there was a demand for good food services and clean rest stops for travelers.

"Still later, there was a need for hotels along the way to accommodate early tourists anxious to see the Wild West and its wide-open spaces populated by buffalo, cowboys and Indians. A young Englishman, Fred Harvey, had just the answer for all this with his Harvey House restaurants and hotels, which provided good food, at reasonable prices, served in spotlessly clean buildings by immaculate and efficient waitresses. And the Harvey Girls were born. They became an important part of the settlement and refinement of the heretofore Wild West.

"There probably isn't a single young woman alive today who would agree to work as a Harvey Girl with all the rules, regulations, and long hours. First of all, every applicant had to be single. A six-week training period for the job was their introduction to strict regimentation that the job, and Mr. Harvey, demanded. Classes stressed absolute cleanliness of hands, hair, body, and uniform.

"White aprons worn over their long-sleeved dresses with long skirts must be freshly laundered, starched and pressed daily -- with a back-up apron available in case the first one was soiled during the day.

"A Harvey Girl's hair was to be pulled back into a twist or a bun. No fussy ribbons, makeup, or jewelry was allowed. Shoes were black, high-topped and polished daily.

"Those who passed the class could choose a location and, if there was an opening, they boarded a train for their new job. If they had no preference or if there was no opening, they were sent where they were needed. The contract was for six months in that location.

"In the 1800s, there was a dark prejudice in this country against single working women. Girls who had finished their schooling were expected to remain at home until marriage. Those in small towns could earn a little spending money by sewing, raising chickens and selling eggs or, if the family had extra milk, they might sell butter. The money could buy linens and embroidery thread for their hope chests. Farm and ranch girls were stuck. They had no way to earn money and there was limited availability of single men. All this leads one to believe that only four types of girls became Harvey Girls: orphans with no place to go; girls from impoverished families who couldn't afford another mouth to feed; husband hunters; and those of a rebellious nature, dying to escape the strict confines of home. The last group had the greatest difficulty conforming.

"Imagine a young girl 18 to 25 years of age who most likely had never traveled more than 20 miles from home, and had met few strangers of either sex in her entire life. She has finished training, traveled hundreds of miles by train to a town where she knew not a soul, stepped off the train and walked into a Harvey House to be met by the manager -- and the hostile, suspicious stares of locals who mentally questioned not only her morals, but those of a family that would allow a young lady so much freedom.

"Upstairs, above the restaurant, is a large dormitory where she will share space with her sister Harvey Girls, two to a room, and be supervised by a house mother. The rules, regulations and regimentation does not end here. She must work seven days a week, usually split shifts, and may not date (if it can be called that) any man not approved by management. There was a strict curfew. However, for a husband hunter, the prospects were wonderful. The 1870 census showed 172,000 females to 385,000 males in the Southwest. Her salary of $17.50 a month plus tips, included room, board, and laundry -- which was sent by train back to Topeka -- and a train pass.

"At the end of the six-month contract, most girls used their rail passes to go home to visit family, often persuading sisters and friends to join the sorority. It was not unusual for three or four women from the same family to work for Harvey. When they returned from their vacations at home, many had formed such close friendships with coworkers they were unable to transfer to a new station, no matter how desirable the location. However, if another location had a large affair scheduled, it was not unusual for Harvey Girls to be called in from their posts a hundred or so miles away to help out.

"During the Dust Bowl and Depression of the 1920s and '30s, Jesse and Addie Park worked together in Vaughn, N.M., for a year, then transferred to Barstow, Calif., because they heard that Harvey Girls there were given one day a week off. Jesse later married a railroad man, but Addie lived at Casa del Desierto, the elegant Barstow house, for the next 40 years until she was 61. During that time they had managed to bring their entire large family to California and assist their brothers in obtaining jobs on the railroad.

"Little country girls became well-traveled, sophisticated women thanks to Harvey Girls and the free railroad passes. From their earliest days, these young women helped immeasurably to tame the Wild West. They married farmers, ranchers, miners and railroad men, and their children became the true Western men and women."

Nancy Johnson is a local columnist who enjoys researching the history of this area. Her columns appear in the Headlight every Thursday.

Nov. 10, 2006: Body found ID'd as EP mother of 3

By Tammy Fonce-Olivas
El Paso Times

The woman whose body was found Monday in a desert area in New Mexico a few miles from El Paso's North Hills neighborhood has been identified as a mother of three who was described as a happy and outgoing person, officials and a family member said.

Emely Howard, 31, of El Paso, who was identified after her fingerprints were sent to the FBI, was beaten severely about the head and died from blunt- force trauma, Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office investigator Robyn Gojkovich said.

Officials would not reveal what kind of weapon was used in her death, which has been ruled a homicide.

Investigators suspect an El Paso man identified as Eduardo Duran Estrada, 31, in her slaying.

Estrada was last seen in El Paso on Monday driving a dark- green 2000 Mazda Protege, a four-door car with Texas license plates 868MMR.

Investigators have not determined whether Howard and Estrada knew each other, Gojkovich said.

Howard was last seen on Sunday on Dyer Street. Authorities found her body after Estrada's roommate called El Paso police Monday to tell them he had overheard a conversation indicating a woman had been killed and her body dumped in the New Mexico desert.

He also told police where to find the body.

After his call, El Paso police notified the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office about the tip. Investigators from El Paso and the Doña Ana County Sheriff's Office met in a desert area near War Road in New Mexico. The site was less than a mile from the state line, where Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard turns into War Road.

Howard's battered body was found about 50 yards from War Road near junked cars and a no-trespassing sign. Doña Ana county investigators took over the investigation because the body was found in New Mexico.

Gojkovich said the tipster also told police he overheard that a second body had been left in the desert area near Hondo Pass Drive in Northeast El Paso. Police searched the area but found nothing.

Howard was married and had three children. She and her husband, Kenneth Howard, separated about four years ago but never divorced. Kenneth Howard and their children live with him in Houston.

Kenneth Howard said Emely Howard was born in Juárez and grew up in El Paso. She attended Montwood High School. They married in 1999.

"She was happy and outgoing. And she liked to party," Howard said. "She always wanted to get out and do something."

He said their marriage was strained for several reasons, including what he called her habit of frequenting nightclubs.

After they separated, Emely Howard stayed in El Paso. She lived in the Northeast, Kenneth Howard said.

He said they had spoken on the telephone in recent weeks. He said he learned from his brother that she had been killed.

"That really shocked me. I didn't believe it," he said.

His children are also struggling to cope with the loss of their mother. Kenneth Howard said he doesn't know whether Emely Howard knew the man authorities have linked to her slaying.

More articles:

Nov. 11, 2006: Father says stranger killed his daughter

Dec. 6, 2006: Jury indicts fugitive in slaying of El Paso woman

Nov. 20, 2010: Man sought in woman's '06 death