El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-04-18

IT HE Mexican population in ri Paso
IS estimated at about. %. 600. The
main portion of it is located in
that section of the city bounded on the
north by Overland street on the south
and west Dy the Rio Grande and on The
east oy. the Cotton addition.
IN TINS main Mexican quarter there
are believed TO be 20, 900 people.
The population becomes more con-
geSIed ana more distinctly Mexican and
The unsanltary conditions OF living
more deplOrable as YOU aDproach rbt.
river. That portion known as Gamma
huita, lying between the Franklin
canal and the international border. is
as pltlable as one would find anywhere
in Mexico itself
Besides this main Mexican quarter.
there are two other sections having
2 majority OF Mextcans in the pOpula-
The smelter district has perhaps
250O MeXicans ana the conditions OF
living especially in that section lying
along the river bottom and outside OF
the companys property, are almost
equal In filth and congestion to those
in Chihuahua.
The other principally Mexican quar-
ter IS located east Of Cotton addition
and chiefly within about two blocks
on each side Of the Franklin canal as
far as Washington park, and then
north OF the G. H. tracks, from Stevens
street (the brewery east to Val Verde
T. his AdlLEE 6GELAOn IS more WlQelX
extended than the others and has
scarcely any Of the congested and IN
sanitary features Of the other sections
mentioned. There may be 1900 Next
cans in this part of the city.
Besides these three principal Next
can sections, there is a small group Of
Mexican dwellings, on the mesa above
the city and other families of Mexicans
are scattered throughout the city, pos
sibly 1000 people in all.
The normal Mexican population is
augmented considerably at the present
time by hundreds OF refugees from
across the border in Mexico. There may
now be $4,000 to $4,000 Mexicans alto.
gether in the city.
Religious Work On Behalf of Me1ieans.
The denominations having work on
behalf Of the Mexicans in El Paso are
the Baptist church. CongregatiO NJ.
z. church, Methodist church, south,
Presbyterian church Of the United
States and Church of the Nazarene.
These denominations have all located
their churches and schools in the north
ern and least crowded half Of the main
Mexican section. Six Of them are
grouped close together within a radius
of four blocks, while the larger and
darker population is without church
or school and almost wholly neglected
in religious work.
Outside of the main Mexican quarter
there is a Methodist church tsouth) and
a Catholic church in East FL PasO and
a Catholic church at the smelter. There
is no Protestant work IN the smeIJer
district
The Baptists have the most imposing
structure of all the Protestant churches
in the Mexican section. It is located
on the corner of Fifth and Stanton
streets, built of white brick, at a cost
of SIS, 900. There is a day school car
ried on in the basement of the church
with two American and one Mexican
teachers. There is a Mexican pastor.
The membership is small, and is said
to be about so.
The Methodist church, south, is do
ing good work It has a stone church
on the corner of Fourth and Stanton
streets, with a membership Of about
100, a girls school in the basement Of
the church and a teachers home and
settlement house in the rear There
are four American women teachers ana
a Mexican assistant This property is
sal dto be worth $4,000 or more.
The Southern Methodists have also
just completed the erection Of a splen-