El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-05
WHAT BECOMES Of OLDAUTOS?
WHERE ARE FIRST LOCAL CARS?
Few of the Original Owners Now Know Where Their
Cars Disappeared; the Transmission Of One Is Do
ing Duty as Machinery Shifter in Local
Shop; First Car Here Burned Up.

REQ, which he purchased in 1907 and
which has run approximately $4,000
miles and is still in use. This car has
probably Travelled further than any lit
tie car ever owned in the southwest. It
is still being used by Mr.. Woodwork
to drive daily to and from the office.
Ell PasO's First Auto.
The first automobile ever brought to
FL PasO was owned by the late Frank
Bell, who brought it here in 1901. He
purchased the car from the Locomobile
factory and it was a great curiosity to
the residents of FL Paso. Every time
Mr.. Bell appeared on the streets with
the machine a large crowd would
gather to inspect the new form of To-
comotion. The automobile was only in
its infancy when Mr.. Bell purchased the
car and he did not find it much Of a
pleasure conveyance. AS rule the ma
chine was seldom taken from the
garage without baking a short dis
lance down the street. The machine
burned up in a fire about year after
Mr. Bell purchased 1t.
The First Electric.
The first electric automobile ever
brought to FL Paso was purchased by
Felix Martinez. He states that he pur-
chased the car about 1899 to be used as
a delivery car for the Daily News, since
absorbed by The FL Paso Herald. But,
like the LocomObile owned by Mr.. Bell,
the electric was anything but a success
as an automobile. Mr.. Martinez, in
speaking of the car recently, laughing
said that the machine only moved when
someone had his shoulder against II
and seldom moved on its own locomo-
ton. After several experiments with
the machine. he abandoned it. ana
finally gave it to some boys who soon
destroyed it. The electric cost MI
Martinez $1,000.
Roads Too Rough.
J. A. Smith purchased one of the first
gasoline automobiles in the city. II
was a failure, principally because OF
the rough roads and streets at thaI
time, and he finally sold it TO a Next
can and the car has long since been IN
the scrap heap.
The car was a Cadillac and the ton
neau opened in the back, the passen-
gers stepping up as in an omnibus. me
seats were on either side and in the
back corners.
There were many other automobiles
purchased from that time until 1907,
but there were few of the cars that
were successes. In 1907 the state
passed the automobile license law and
all motorists in the county owning ma
chimes had to have them registered
This is the first record obtainable Of FL
PasO automobiles.
The first automobile license issued
in 1907 by Park Pitman, county CLERK
was taken out by DR.. Frank Thatcher
He secured the license on August l, Tor
a HOlsman automobile, a small runa-
bout He still has the car and drives
it each day. The machine has seen
seven years of continual service.
Quits Engine for Auto.
Billy" Davis, a former railroad en-
gineer, on the 3Oth day of August 1914,
took out the third automobile license
This was his second car, however. HIS
first one he purchased in 1902, when he
gave up his position at the throttle Of
locomotive and put the first public
car into service in Ell Paso. Mr.. Davis
has been driving public machine since
that time. His first car was a Cadillac
his second an Oldsmobile.
The fourth automobile license issued
by the county clerk was taken out by
W. B. Latta for a REQ touring car. Mr..
Latta states that he sold the machine
a lear later, but does not remember TO
whom.
Transmission Still Good.
J. A. Krakauer took out the fifth au-
tomobile license, for a four cylinder
Premier He drove the car for several
years and later tore it down. The
transmission is now being used to shift
machinery in the shops of Krakauer,
York & MOye, sucrs. The frame of the
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