El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-02-24

the engine can pull the cars across,
but I cannot see how the cars are
going to pull the engine back"
The First Deep Well.
In 1888 a deep well was sunk on the
mesa about three miles from town
After discovering a freshWater leach.
which removed all doubts as to the
Permanency Of the water, other wells
were sunk
A year later a tract Of land near
by was planted in fruit trees and
an attempt WIS made 20 establish
a little town called La Noria. How
ever the jaCk-rabbits ate all the bark
off the trees, and the wind and sand
finished their destruction Since
then, with the exception of the post.
City waterWOrks and a scattered
ranch or two, the mesa remains the
same.
There is an old deed that records
an interesting transaction OF prop
erty in 1877. Two acres of land be
low Overland street near Kansas.
then covered with brush and willows.
for one black horse" This same
property is quoted today at S1G0 600.
The "salt Lake, War.
In the late 70s, the county OF Fl
PasO was very much excited over an
incident known as the salt Lake war.
For years the MeXicans had obtained
tnelr SAT- from some saline lakes,
situated north Of San EliZariO. at a
distance of so or 40 miles Howard.
a district judge took possession of
these lakes and refused to grant the
MeXicans permission to take any salt.
This made the Mexicans extremely an
CRY; Howard was warned to keep
away from San Elizario. However. he
dlsregarded the warning and with two
Americans arrived in the town. The
three Of them were killed by the
MeEcanS and for sometime race feel
ing was very bitter, but gradually
died out.
FL Paso. being on the natural high
way between the east and west, the
following trails passed through it:
The Butterfield trail, over which
the star route Of the same name used
to run, went over the following route
BY the HuecO Tanks to Sierra Alta,
then crossed in a straight line by the
CanutO mountains, then northeast by
Crow Springs to Dog Canyon across
the Guadalupe mountains, and into
III Paso over the present HuecO road
IL is still very distinct in the noun
tains- The terminal Of this trail was
az the old Pew shoe store on Texas
street, between Oregon and Mesa
another, known as the Overland
Trail" ran from FL PaSO to San An
tonic, south Of Sierra Blanca. about
ten miles through Eagle mountains.
and Eagle Springs, then down the
Rio GTande. This is the old "San
Antonio and FL PasO stage route"
o. Las Cruces. San Antonio street
vas named from this trail. The
stage coach stopped at the Overland
block at the corner Of South FL PasO
and Overland streets The street nat
urally took its name from this trail
The trail from chihuahua, Mexico,
came by way of Samalayuca to PasO
del NOrte, Mexico. changed in 1888
to Juarez, then crossed the river at
the ferry at South Ell PasO street or
the Stanton street ford.
The road leading from the smelter
to Las Cruces is called "Doniphan's
Drive" in honor of colonel Daniphan
who fOUght the Mexicans at Brazit0.
about where the toWnsite of Canu-
tllO now IS Later, this officer crossed
the Rio Grande and captured Juarez.
After the close of the war be-
tween the States" more Americans
began to settle in and around the lit
tie town and the land adjoining the
original Ponce grant Homes were
built where formerly rabbits and
coyotes rOamed through mesquite and
saEe brush; and this closed the first
chapter of FL PasO's history
Not one of the old settlers ever
dreamed that Franklin should become
the Queen City Of the Southwest"
the CITY of Ell PasO.