El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-01
WILD RUSH To
PAY POLL TAXES
Ring Leaders Celebrate with
a Supper After a
Hard Days Work.

It pays to advertise Thursday there
We're exactly 3431 poll tax receipts IS
sued at the county tax collectors OF
flee, in spite of the fact that but one
day remained for the payment or poIl
taxes. Thursday evening an advertise
nent appeared in The FL PaSO Herald
urging all the anti-ring Patriots TO
pay their poll tax, as there would be
an anti-ring ticket in the field at the
spring election.
Presto! Things started down the city
Esu and county courthouse way There
vas a conference and word went forth
to the faithful ring men that Work
must be done; work in, the trencnes
az the 18th hour. Between Thursday
evening and midnight Friday there
were 1853 poll taxes paid according
to the men who were IN close toucn
with the poll tax payments This IS
a record, even for poll tax paying IN
FL PasO
SO pleased were the ring" masters
at this splendid days work "fOr the
good Of FL Paso" and the Young Men
Democratic club, that the leaders gave
g quiet little supper in the basement
Of the courthouse in honor Of the event
Among those present, according to Ed
were mayor c. E Kelly, jim Conklln,
Lamar Davis, candidate for city treas
urer to succeed his business partner,
L. NJ Turner; DR.. J. B. Brady, manager
o. the Southwestern or Petrolithic Paw
ing company; VIII I. Watson. president
OF the Wild Cat club and county tax
collector. and Roy Barnum, county au-
dftor. There were others to the total
Of the significant number Of Is
But the big story was upstairs In the
Oingy halls OF the old courthouse be-
fore u o'clock midnight. All day there
had been a line of prospective poll
takers lined Up in the elbow OF the dark
hallway leading to the county tax col
lectOr'S office Late Friday afternoon
the line doubled I'D and there were two
lCng lines Of Americans. Mexicans and
negroes lined I'D in the hall At o'clock
there were 81 waiting in line and this
number more than doubled after quit
ting time in the factories and shops
Outside of the courthouse there was a
line of waiting automobiles, carriage
and even Mexican delivery wagons
which had been pressed into service by
the workers to get out the tentative
voters to pay their poll taxes Adrian
Fool, city recorder. Ballard COldWell.
who was nominated by the Young Mems
Democratic club to succeed Adrian @.
man on the ring tickets mayor Q. E
Kelly. also nominated by Y NJ ID. club
(much to his surDrise) to succeed him
self. and Henry Pfaff stood around the
hallway and watched the proceedings
with a disinterested air.
Outside of the courthouse and down
San Antonio street the ring workers
were working like man does the week
before he asks for a vacation or a raise
Voters were grabbed and rushed to the
courthouse like the old days when the
AeAlCdu voters W ere MeEQeQ as SO many
cattle Conspicuous among the ring
enthusiasts was Amos Williams. court
house janitOr. who was busy getting
out the negro vote
The crowd at the courthouse got so
large late in the afternoon that it vas
necessary for the sheriff and his depu-
ties to take charge of the situation The
final figures show that 4S4S poll tax
receipts were issued. including 500 ex-
CmptiOns, or a total OF 4S48 poll taxes
paid