El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-13
NNNONNNO

]. B. Wallace, operator and agent Q,
Kountz, Hardin county. Texas, for the
Southern Pacific, today told some In.
teresting stories of the early days OF
Ell Paso and New Mexico.
Mr.. Wallace IL one OF the old phone
ers of this part OF the United States.
He ha, seen is grow up from u wilder
ness owned by Indians, outlaws and
government troops, to what it is today.
&c was 10 she old government tele-
graph service when IL meant something
to be out on the frontier, and the recol-
lecslons with which his mind lie stored
would make thrilling tales 10 be handed
down to the rising generation.
Mr.. Wallace was IN charge OF the 60
vernment telegraph station at Silver
1852 by Mr.. Lane, the head
OF the weather bureau ia FL
Psso, who 10 something of a pioneer
himself. Mr.. Wallace called upon MIR.
Lane yesterday, and the Two recalled
many delix htiul yarns and experiences
of the "esrly days." when adventure
was to be had with bus little search,
and when the characters who roameo
In life except to eat and afford worri
ment, and at the same time, amuse-
ment, to the workers, were OF more
varieties than Dickens could have de
scribed In twice lifetime.
II remember one day, twenty years
ago, thought IL seems almost like yes
terday, which l thought would be my
last" said Mr.. Wallace refiectively
this morning. 81 WAS In charge of the
station at Silver City 81 the time.
News had reached the place of the
burning of San Marcisl, but nobody
knew anything about IL ss we did not
have direct communication. 1t was
believed however that she entire town
was in flames.
~ was receiving a message along 10
the afternoon when all of q sudden the
usual quiet OF the place was broken by
q terrible CHATTER In the front room, Sc
parsted from the Office by q wooden
PARTITION with Q small window cut In
IL, just over the money drawer. L
up, rushed to the window,
and beheld . tall fellow, six
feet and . half to his credit il he
an inch, glaring At me
the opening. His head was
surmounsed by . heavy crop OF flaming
red hair and altogether he was fierce
specimen.
"He wanted to know what the news
from San Marcial was, bus IS didn't
know any couldn't give him any in
formation. That angered him excess
lively, and he became suspicious OF me
1 could see than he
didn't place any trust 10 what l had
told him. He believed that l was
keeping come news cbaok out of nero
Then he informed
me In loud voice that he had home
cisl, and that he wanted to get some
word about them, and that he wanted
IL right away.
"Presently, after storming around,
he left with she promise to return in q
short time and see II had any news
he came paok in about twenty minutes,
and preferred the request. gave him
the same answer.
"'You are q telegraph operator.
Why don't you know about these
things?', he demanded.
81 told him that we didn't have d.
rect communication with San Marcial,
and that besides 1 didn't have any par
ticular interest shere.
"Well have, he roared, and want
to hear from there.
why don't you send message them
said /. Well. he did. He sske all
about the fire and about his wife. aud
won't out. In half an hour he was back,
looking for an answer, with blood In
his eye. told him the answer had not
been received. The red headed s.ran-
ger stormed and fretted around, and
left In towering passion, promising to
return once more.
Nv hen he had fret come Into the
office he had been drinking, and was
In 9 pretty ugly mood, but it was
nothing TO what he became after
making two or three trips to the street
while he waited TO hear about the fire.
He spent the interval when he wasn't
worrying me, In a saloon nearby, and
each time he returned, 10 was with
several more drinks. 1t wasn't long
before he worked himself up into .
splendid fury, and the bad whiskey
made It worse.
"In . short time he came pounding
back. yelling for . message and con-
signing me TO much warmer places
than the Yuma desert for not attend
ing TO him properly, tcld him to file
= complaint with the government,