El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-09-14
THE PASSING
Of THE OLD
WIGWAM
Historic Spot, Once Center
of SOuthwest's Sporting
and Night Life.
TORN DOWN TO MAKE :
WAY FOR PROGRESS
CBy L. H Davia)

-HE dismantling Of the Wigwan
building, on San Antonio street
= removes one of the most interest
ing, historic landmarks Of pioneer days
in FL Paso. It was the first modern
and pretentious two-story business
structure ever erected on San Antonio
street The story Of all the doings
within those old walls would fill a
good sized volume They were typical
OF the open door" or wide open" days
therein ana fame thereof were known
from Denver 70 Mexico City and from
New Orleans to San Francisco From
its inception, 1t was the resort OF rail-
road contractors, cattle kings, bonanza
mining men, commercial travellers OF
the west and Mexico and Of the local
sports and business men, As a palace
Of joy and pleasure for the sporting
fraternity, it excelled any other OF ITS
kind during the early SOS
Originally n woodward.
Originally, says Frank Scotch, who
presides at the Sheldon bar, the half
block east of the alley back OF the First
National bank was vacant ground and
used as a woodward by the United
States troops, when their barracks
were on the corner of FL Paso and
Overland streets.
Early in 1882, Col. Robert F. Camp
bell moved here from Austin. Tex, and
purchased the two lots, so feet 'front.'
age, lately occupied by the Wigwam
and Silver Grill, paying $50 per front
foot, and in the following summer
erected the tWo-story WigWam build
ing thereon. simultaneously, the State
National bank building was erected At
that time the Mexican Central railway
was In process of construction from
Paso del Norte to Mexico and millions
Of dollars were being distributed here
L.
First National and the State National.
Besides, there were genuine mining
booms in Silver City, Kingston, Hills
boro and Lake Valley, N NJ, and in
Chihuahua and Parral; and Fl Paso
was the Mecca OF the railroad men and
the bonanza miners, for here Joy
reigned unconfined-"
The VESTS Finest Saloon.
At this psychological moment, along
came Conant & Hart, a firm composed
rented the whole building from Col.
Campbell and opened up the Fashion
saloon in the corner store room and
the Fashion restaurant in the next
room, lately occupied by the Silver
Grill restaurant. Regardless OF cost.
they installed one of the most elegant
bar fixtures and set Of furniture in
the southwest and full battery of
roulet. faro, poker and billiard ia
bIes. piano, etc. They had a grand
crowd as ever met in FL Paso. Frank
Scotch, then a boy. and Jim Dunno
were head bartenders. The restaurant
was also magnificently furnished. AT
that time" says city clerk C. W. Fas-
sett, Il was clerking in Benneke &
Pierce's hardware store, and remem-
Der We sold Coaant & Hart between
$4,000 and $4,000 worth Of cutlery and
silverware for the dining room"
Dance Hall Uustairs.
In ha n fa5
a free vaudeville and dance hall and
wine rooms They sent to Columbus,
o, and had sent out here for this dance
hall the famous Cincinnati Lady
were accomplished performers and ex-
tremely attractive In those days the
social lines were not closely drawn
and most Of the dancing females were
from the underworld, although the
males were composed Of all classes Of
men There was d real sound of revel-
~ by night and some Of our now ven
cradle and sanity pioneers mingled in
the giddy maze.
On the opening night, Jim Stett-
heimer, a drummer; Ben Schuster, a
merchant, and Frank Norris. a bar
tender, led the grand march. The men
wore swallow tailed coats and silk
hats These fancy dress balls were
CURED nightly Champagne flowed
like water From three to Is cases
OF champagne were opened every night.
The bar alone cleared $500 per month
Big Gambling Stakes.
The gambling room was in the rear
Of the saloon. Here hundreds Of thous-
ands Of dollars were lost and won each
year, over roulet faro and poker
games There was also another or
chestra here also. The house was
lighted from top to bottom by Conant
& Harris own electric light plant, in
stalled in the basement They were
the night bankers OF the town Once. !
when constable Jack Evans attached
the locomotive OF a night passenger
train for little claim of $50, filed in !
Justice Johnson's court, the passenger |
agent Of the Southern Pacific had to |
be identified by assistant city marshal |
ComStock before Conant & Hart would |
advance the money to release the pas /
senger train Ben Moore, one Of the |
original card dealers, still lives here.
building Partially Burned.
In the winter OF 1928, the vaudeville /
and dance hall were stopped and the 1
second story was partitioned into Of |
ices and poker rooms. Soon after, a |
Tire started in the saloon and Quilted I
both stories. Dr. Hoffman and wife l