El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-09-02
JUAREZ To De
4 MODEL TOWN
Mayor Juan Medina Inaugu-
rates Cleanup and I'm
provement Campaign.
D. .. ID. sHADBOLT.


\. Medina was mayor OF Juarez, he
started in an extensive cleanup and
Improvement campaign in the border
city. The work was well underway
when a revolution came along, jum5led
politics almost beyond recognition, and
Medina quit the mayors ctIiGs- Juarez-
with a sigh OF relief, settled down to
its wOnted calm and dirt
A few weeks ago Medina again be-
came mayor He simply stepped into
his old office, opened a drawer where
the last reports or city improvements
were filed three years ago, and
promptly started the campaign again
just where it had been left OF
This time, however. the improve
ments are being carried on on a larger
scale than any yet dreamed OF and
hundreds of dollars are TO be spent IN
making the city clean, sanitary and
beautiful Those who DO now know
every crooked little street IN the Dor
der town viii find. in few months. a
strange and much cleaner city The
town will probably lose much OF its
picturesQueness but the monthly health
reports will be written without the aid
of an adding machine.
To Make JuareE Clean.
"Juarez is going to be a clean city"
said the mayor. i am going TO Keep
at it until we viii have as fine a town
here as any in Mexico. There viii be
no let up in the campaign There VIII
be no 'mananaS' So much will be done
each day; no more and no less, and no
putting it Of until tomorrow"
DO it now" has become the policy OF
the administration and the mayor is a
charter member Of the DO II now"
club. Each morning he goes out on
tour of inspection If the work has not
been done at all or done Improperly, the
mayor asks questions. Then he replies
to the questions. He seldom has TO ask
questions Of the same man again
The first work that was taken up
was that Of making the streets SAM
tary- In many places water had been
allowed to accumulate; breeding place
for disease The steam roller was put
in action and the streets were soon
in good order. 1t is now up to the
citizens TO see that stagnant water
does not remain in front OF their houses
Next in order came the sidewalks In
many places it was found that the cor
ners of streets did not allow Sufficient
room for wagons to pass. The result
was that nearly every sidewalk corner
in the city has now been rounded with
an iron guard rim to protect the cement
from wagon wheels In other places IL
was found that sidewalks We're badly
needed Hundreds Of feet have already
been las or are contemplated
Widening the Streets
COMPLAINTS were received that many
Of the streets that have large traffic
were too small The mayor investi-
:
cipaI streets, walls and parts OF gar
dens are being Topped off, broad thor
oUEhfares being the result A case IN
point is LerdO avenue, up which street
the cars run when entering the city
From Concrete street to the National
railways station this is TO be Wldened
and sidewalks laid The widening VIII
necessitate tearing down all OF the
west wall Of what was formerly Cow
boy park The work has already Deen
started.
All Of these improvements have not
been made without plenty OF opposl-
ton There were many protests. for
/ instance, when the widening Of streets
was first taken up The result was "a
, campaign Of education Mayor Medina
called on the hOusehOlders. showed
them that a small. sacrifice OF land
would mean better streets along their
property. more traffic and a general IN
crease of values The mayor now has
the town with him
Utility First Objective.
Utility was the first objective but the
: beautifying of the city has been by no
means overlooked Probably the
/ greatest single Improvement, the plans
for which are already underway, IS the
beautifving of the city owned property
around the BenitO Juarez monument
/ When this improvement is completed
! the park that will be made VIII rival
any such municipal Improvement along
( the border.
municipal building, which was burned
during the Madero revolution, is TO be
4 torn down. Grass VIII be planted upon
! the site of the building and all around
/ the monument, making a huge park
| acres IN extent Cement paths will be
| laid, trees VIII be planted and wrought
iron benches will dot the park In front OF
I the monument an ornamental fountain
| viii be built Stone masons are already
I at work upon the blocks that VIII be
( used in its erection The stone IS part
! Of that which was ordered, In the days
Of Diaz, for the municipal building.
The park, as at present contemplated,
will extend beyond the present street
that runs out TO the race track and II
! is probable that the street car tracks
! will be moved. thus removing the :
curve that is now made
Light Standards Arrive
/ Monday the first of the big iron light
poles that are to be installed alonG
] Concrete and the other prlnclpa!
! streets. arrived in Juarez- These VIII
I he Installed in the next few days and
win do away with the swinging over
/ head arcs Many Of the poles that are
I used to support the street car trolley
wires are being moved 50 that all poles
will be at uniform distance from the
| sidewalks.
It was suggested to mayor Medina
that all of the Improvement work would
cost a lot Of money.
"The improvements now under way
I and contemplated ne LHpA4G4t eAAC cav
I will be made, as we have funds VIII
| which to make them. Juarez IS not
going to run into debt. But improve
ments are absolutely necessary and
! am going to exert myself to the utmost
| to see that the city gets them There
| is no reason why the principal border
| port of Mexico should not be a credit
| to Mexico"
Wants Junrez to Grow.
But it is not only in municipal I'M
| provements that Medina hopes TO help
! Juarez. He is a true progressive and
| his ideas 90 much farther What
| Medina hopes to see is Juarez as a
| manufacturing center There are hne
! opportunities for the establishment OF
| a shoe. glass and iron factory in the
| border town. according to the mayor
I and every inducement viii be offered
| for the establishment OF these and
| other industries Then. too. the mayor
, hopes before long TO secure Tor Juarez
its own fire department and modern
| sewerage system
| Medina is no dreamer and the way ne
/ has started gives ample indications
I that he viii get what he IS going a1ter'
! PRUITT is MADE
GENEP AT, MANAGER