The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-11-13

tnelitutun whose functions are poutt-
ina Tor The fuiuge. AZ the Commercial
club Of Albuquerque H. ~oreaniEcd 90
90. Bat at his time, on what may be
called the twenty nth Anniversary OF
is life. q appeared 80 the president
o. the club appropriate that some
thing be said OF the early history
81 ~ organisation BY one OF The orig
inal organizers that would be 81 IN
tcrest. Therefore ! have been asked
10 make some remarks along the lines
Of - origin and organization.
Along IN the early Sos there was a
social club organized called the Aztec.
About that time a Board Of Trade was
organised and they both outlived their
usefulness ana died n natural death.
For about four OF five years the city
drlftod along without either a club or
a board of trade.
In March. 1890. eighteen New Mex
leo cattlemen went 10 a cattle con-
ventior az Fort Worth, Texas, as
guests OF the Santa Re railroad c.. l..
Brooks. 8 NJ. Fulsom n myself rep
resented Albuquerque, every
where we went we were entertained
by some organization. commercial
club, chamber OF mmerce or board Of
trade. I do not recall what names
they went under. but their business
seemed 60 be 10 entertain the strang
err within their gates. We became
30 impressed with the success 81 the
organisations OF wichita. Fort Worth
and Dallas that on the way home we
decided 10 start one Tor Albuquerque
AZ soon as We reached home. and
from the date OF our incorporation
n 49, - 49,. ..sk. 40 rsnfa
may know how quickly and how well
VIC did our work. This idea from the
outset was to combine the functions
OF a social club and a chamber OF
commerce, and 10 further make Il
something hat would be enduring q
was decided to build our own building
30 the members would take a personal
pride In the club and not lose inter-
est. as had been shown In Inc two
organizations mentioned that had
died.
The original building as planned
was to cost ss0.3 o 10 ss5.0 00. two
stories high, but AS the building grew
our ideas grew. until we had three
stories, quarter-sawed oak and mar
bic instead Of redwood as planned,
and about $4,000 additional cost
above the original estimate.
Strong 4 Hesselden were the con-
tractors, and ! have a suspicion that
they are really responsible for the
third story on this building. ! see
they are both here. and as you all
know them you win readily zee they
would not overlook a bet like that.
Things went well, for a while. The
first thing OF a public nature UNDER
aaNa.. -. 49,. mfs.N aam. O.. N...s. 80. .afss
build a sewer, and thfbtgh the infu-
nee OF the club the bonds were voted
for our first sewer costing $50. 600.
From h beginning OF the New AL
buqEeraue we had been but a whist
ling station on the Santa Fe railroad.
Not a train crew. not an engine crew
layed off at Albuquerque. Mind you.
this condition had existed for over
ten years. True. we had the Atlantic
4 Pacific and its shops and general
Offices. but the Atchison. Topeka a
Santa Fe was an independent road.
and routed their freight and passen-
ger business south through Deming
until In the late SOS. SO the club went
after the division poiHt IND stock
yards. then located az Wallace, after
ward Thornton n now Domingo. al
committee was sent TO Topeka 10 see
what could be done. / had the honor
10 be one OF the committee. We
made a deal which tho city admins
tratlon ratified and passed an ordl-
nance cinohing the contract. and the
division was moved nt least five years
sooner than II would otherwise have
been done. OF course we know now
that Il was bound to come. but this
was soma four years before the re-
eeivership and the consolidation of
the Santa Fe and the Atlantic q Pal
eihc.
But the social features seemed tol
predominant, and many little things
cropped up 10 in1ure the business USE
fulneas OF the club. business mem
were blackballed because Their wives
did not measure up 20 the high social
standard Of some Of the members, so
the club began 10 lag behind in It's
useful work OF boosting for the city.
think Il safe 70 say IL il had not
been for the building that We were all
proud OF, the club would have died "a 4
natural death, but the patriotism OF
the officers and directors would not
allow IL TO die while that particular
board and officers were in charge. sol
II was kept alive,
The spirit Of the West that alltl
the city and contributed 30 ub,rhlly'
toward the building rf the CLUB did
not put their money into his huild-
Ing as an Investment to Yield "a return
IN cash but rather looked 20 the tue.
ture upbuilding OF the community
through It's efforts fot their returns
And think Il SAFE 20 Say that they
have received returns man times
greater than their Investment They
lost their money like gentlemen. anu
l believe Few II any rrgret 90
Now Just one word more and 7 am
done.
Their has been, nj times. talk that
the club building should be sold Nov
] want To say that the officers and di-
rectora have no moral right 10 sell
this club building. You did not build
u and o ala not create .ho debt ON
g. The club building b. "a quasi en-
tailed estate, and you are f. kind of
nduciary tenant Your obligations
are 20 keep the spirit tina built the.
club alive. pay the fixed charges and
pass n on Co your succcsfors uuim-
paired. that tho community may on