The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-14
SOUTHWESTERN MINES
Ell PAsO AN IMPORTANT DISTRIBUTE
ING POINT FOR SUPPLIES.
Commercial Gateway to Old Mexico
and Also Pre-Eminent as
Smelling Center.

Ell PASO, Tex, June 10.-Geographically,
the city OF FL Paso is a portion of the ter
ritory OF New Mexico although practically
it is a part of the inland empire of Texas.
The city lies almost epui-distant from the
Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, ana its
interests are more closely identified with
Mexico, New Mexico and Arizona than with
those of the State in which it lies at the
extreme northwestern corner.
Regarding one feature of Ell Paso there
can be little difference of opinion between
people having the normal number of eyes
and ears. The town is certainly wide
open," and the residents scorn TO deny It,
In fact, most of them are proud of it. Ell
Paso is the chosen home of the slot ma
chine, and they are found everywhere in
numbers and variety most surprising. Not
only do the barrooms boast one to dozen
each, but the machines can be found in the
offices of the best hotels-and FL Paso has
some excellent hostelries. The ordinary
nickel-in-the-slot machine predominates,
but the more ambitious resorts have devices
taking quarters and half dollars. So well
trained are these machines that they re-
ject the Mexican silver money, which is at
a discount of about sixty per cent. In FL
social evil all pay tribute to the city and are
openly licensed and run. In cities of
responding size in the East and North
the saloons are licensed. while the other
things named pay tribute to the police, and
the political machine that happens to be in
power. The people of Ell Paso make no
bones about the matter, call spade a
spade, and levy imposts direct.
A few of the saloons are drinking places
pure and simple, with slot machine attach
ments, but nearly all of the more preten-
tious places have open gambling rooms In
connection and these not tucked away
upstairs or in some corner, but are as
prominently located as the bars themselves
The games found in full blast in a single
barroom included stud poker, faro roulette
with both American and Mexican layout),
monte and Chinese policy, while upstairs
keno game was running to care for the
overflow. The honkatonk is also a feature
Of Ell Paso that attracts the curious
minded.
A THRIVING CITY.
The city of FL Paso. which claims 1000
people and has 10000 or more, is a city of
exceptional promise for the future. AS the
name indicates, the town lies in the natural
pass between the mountain ranges of New
Mexico and Old Mexico. 1t is the gateway
for the Southern transcontinental lines of
the United States and is the principal pas
sageway for the large and rapidly growing
commerce between Mexico and the United
States. The customs district ranks ninth
in Importance in the United States and
fourth in the Republic of Mexico. Founded
originally in the days when trade and travel
depended upon prairie schooners and saddle
animals. FL Paso began a more vigorous
growth when the first railroad pushed
through the pass on its way to the Pacific
coast. With the coming of other lines the
city has thriven, and the jobbing trade has
grown to no mean proportions. 1t is now
the principal point of distribution for min
ing machinery and supplies entering New
Mexico and Arizona, competing with Dem
yer, Los Angeles and San Francisco for
this trade. It's Importance and promise as
a distributing point have been recognized
by the leading manufacturers and dealers
in mining supplies. nearly all of whom
have extensive branch houses here carry
ing supplies that enable them to fill all or
binary orders with dispatch.
In addition to the transcontinental traffic
and international commerce, both Of which
have attained large proportions and prom
Use even greater things for the future, Ell
Paso is a smelling point of prime impor-
lance. handling gold. silver, copper and
lead ores from Mexico, New Mexico and
Arizona. limited amount of copper ore
is still received from Arizona, but this is
evidently a trade from which no great in
crease can be hoped, as the copper mines
invariably erect their own smelters nearer
the mines when they become important
producers. FL Paso has certain great ad-
vantages over any and all Arizona points
as smelling center, the principal points
of superiority lying in the possession of
competing rail lines and the possibility of
obtaining much cheaper fuel. The mines
of the Southwest are, as a rule, at the
mercy Of the railroads, and in many cases
the charges are exorbitant, though the
sparsely settled territory through which the
rail lines run justifies the imposition of pas,
senger and freight rates that would be little
less than downright robbery in more ia
vored sections of the country. New Mex
lean ores received and treated in Ell Paso
are of all grades. though lead and silver
probably predominant. New Mexico has
has never become large producer of the
red metal. More is being done now how
ever, than at any time in the past toward
developing the copper resources Of the ter
ritory, and in the Santa Rita and Silver
City districts copper developments are
upon an important scale, while less impor-
tant developments along this line are noted
in majority of the other counties of the
territory.
DRAWS FROM CHIHUAHUA.
One of the principal sources of ore sup
ply for FL Paso smelters has been found
in Mexico, mainly in Chihuahua, though
ore has been brought from States still more
distant. The two northernmost States of
the Republic of Mexico are Chihuahua and
Sonora, and these are not only the largest
i'm area, but are among the richest in min
eral wealth. In fact, il would be impossi-
BILE to select any territory of equal extent
in any part of the globe where more impor-
tant mineral developments have been Sc
cured by a similar amount of work. Sonora
has furnished but limited amount of ore
to the smelters of FL Paso. though railroad
running southwest from this city through
the State of Chihuahua TO the eastern part
tricts accessible from this point. On the
whole. Ell Paso has gained its pre-eminence
as a smelling center from the treatment of
the ores of Chihuahua, and Of these silver
lead ores have been and probably remain