El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-02-12
STORIES OF
THE STREETS


A big job awaits the street commits
sioner. The streets were never in
worse or more impossible condition
and the defects were never more glar
, ing.
In some places mud is half a foo
deep and in others pools of waite
have been formed almost large enough
to float steamboat.
The commissioners work for toda,
consisted in parting the mud at few
of the crossings. like Moses parted the
Red sea. Where this work was done
pedestrians could cross with some de
gree of safety. but at other points il
was impossible to cross except at the
expense of running shoes and skirts OIL
pantaloons.
| Mud was never more in evidence in
this city than it has been in the past
| few days. 1t is black. sticky alkali
mud that becomes as hard as an adobe
brick when it dries and clings tenaci-
ously to shoes and clothing.
One of the most diSagreeable fea-
lures of a muddy day in this city is the
reckless manner in which vehicle driv-
ers patter about in the slush and spat-
ter mud and water on persons who
chance to be near when they pass.
| There are said to be more reckless
drivers in Ell Paso than in any city of
the same population in the United
States and on those days when the
streets are coated with oOze and re-
semble rivers of mud the reckless driv-
| er is in all his glory. He comes
whirling around corners and splits the
thoroughfare wide open, the hoofs of
his horse singing great gobs of mud
right and left. regardless of the fact
that most of it finds a Judgment in the
faces and on the clothing of pedestrians
Yesterday an old man from the rural
districts. who was bewhiskered like a
populist was standing at the corner of
San Antonio and Oregon streets when
one of these reckless drivers dashed
past.
well that do beat ALL" he said. as
he plucked a bunch of mud from his
whiskers with one hand and reached in
his eye with the other and attempted
to remove a wad of sticky black paste
that obscured his vision.
fashionable young man who was
standing near received splash of mud
on his spotless shirt front and another
on his trousers.
The reckless driver had vanished.
I'm your write up of the candidates
for city assessor said county Of
fetal to Herald reporter. this morn
ing, Il notice that you failed to men
ton the name of Ben F. jenkins in con-
nection with the office.
Ben is an avowed candidate and he
will undoubtedly make it warm for
his opponents between now and con-
vention day. He has held many re-
sponSible public offices and has always
been found courteous and obliging and
affable to newspaper men,
treating them all alike. For that rea
son l hope the newspapers will not
overlook him when they are giving his
opponents free advertising
The reporter assured the official that
he had no intention of sighting Mr..
nor of leading the public to
believe that he was not in the race.
The error was simply the result of an
oversight.
With this name added to the list
there are then five reputed aspirants
for the office of city assessor and col +.
lector. They are B. F. Jenkins, Tim
yons. Capt Smith. Joe Grant, and Sam !
Dwyer.
You may say that l am candidate |
to succeed myself remarked Ben Cat /
lin to a Herald reporter. land expect to
be until 1 am turned down. I have !
yet heard of no opposition and there .
may be none"
Last election there was a hot fight !
Tor the clerkship between Catlin and
]. d. Ponder and Catlin won out If
Ponder contemplates entering the po
itical arena again this year he is keep
ng his intentions to himself. 1t is
'aid that the backing he could secure
ust now from a certain person would
make him a much more formidable
andidate this election than last when
lie made the fight practically on his
'wn responsibility.
The office of city clerk pays more
money now than it did during the pre-
'ious terms. for the clerk also attends
o the clerical work of the recorders
curt and draws an additional fat sal
ry for the alleged work incident there
The canine population of Ell Paso
'as never greater than at present. IN
luzzled dogs of all sizes and all breeds l
pam the streets at will. They gener- S
lily travel in punches and prance
round on the sidewalks and hamper l
lie movements of PEDESTRIANS. A rich Il
arvest awaits the official dog catcher ?
nd it is about time for him to begin v
Is annual work. Persons who own
iluable dogs should be required to s
eep them off the streets and those
no own worthless ours should be p
ven cause to mourn. Mexican town
full of wolfish looking dogs that .
metimes show fight. These should 7,
be eXterminated with sulphur fumes .
United States consul general Barlow CT
Mexico City, arrived in Ell PaSO last