El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-02-09
Is YEARS IN 4
SINGLE OFFICE
DR.. Thompson Vacates the
Rooms Where He Watched
a City in the Making.

After being a quarter of a century
and then some i'm the same office, Dr..
Howard Thompson moved out of the
two rooms that has held him and his
practice and his medicine cabinet for
20 years, to the Carman apartments at
St Nrain and Myrtle avenue. where he
can park his automobile out in front
and not have il tagged by the police or
be told TO move on.
No Money But Much Faith.
The two rooms are the same that he
entered a quarter of a century ago. "I
told Mr.. Morehead then" he said. that
l didn't have any money but / had an
abundant amount of faith in FL Paso.
He didn't say much. one way or the
other and ] set about to establish my
practice and ] nave never since regret
ted the move"
see Town From Window.
AT that time" continued the doc
tor. San Antonio and Oregon street
intersection was the business center of
the city. ] could look out of my win
dow ant get the whole excitement of
the town. And there was some ex-
citement, too. at times. Now the bust
ness center has changed to Texas and
Nesa-Or that's my view Of it. Where
E~verybody's store now stands there
were two small redwood shanties and a
lot Of mesquite bushes. Further up was
nothing but a bowling wilderness.
Street Through saloon.
Texas street then had no business
houses upon il and what lots were used
Judge Frank z. Hunter, one of my
CONTEMPORARIES, had his office where
the Paso del Norte hotel now stands:
while West san Antonio street had not
been cut through at all. Folks wanting
to get west of FL PasO street just cut
#T,r,rr-b 4Ha Com ca1non aud Hha ero ~
bling hall.
Old Timers.
Davis. Beal & Kemp had their Of
fices opposite me at that time, as Beall
d Kemp still have. / sort Of hate to
lose the old neighborliness. Willard
Patterson was practicing as were also
judge William NJ. Coldwell, F. Z. Hun
ter, A. G. Foster. Peyton F. Edwards
and judge Buckler, who later went to
san Antonio. The physicians and sur
geons practiciug when l came to Ell
Paso were DIR. W. y. Villas. who after
wards went to California; DR.. G. II.
Higgins. DIT. s. T. Turner. DR.. Ida
Bishop n a DIT. White, whose initials
l have forgotten.
At MeseaIero.
4 came to Ell PasQ after practicing
four years as n government physician
in the MescalerO indian reservation.
Ny native home was at Franklin, Ind.
Ny wife was the daughter Of DR.. J. II.
Blazer. who had a lumber mill up in
that country. and the lumber for many
Of the old houses Of FL Paso was
brought from there on burrOs. before
the three railroads entered the town.
Port Of Missing Men
AS n matter of fact Ell Paso was a
sort of dropping off place and accord
ing TO my view, is still a land from
which many men never return. From
personal observation ] should say that
more men ave come to this city and
have stranded than any other place in
the world; and I know that more men
have deserted their wives and families
here than any place in the world.
Destined To Be Grent.
but I wasn't afraid. 7 knew that the
town up TO 1881 was nothing but a rem
devious for smuEglers and that there
was n ranch where the Mills building
now stands; and n federal custom
house here because the government
had to place one here. I knew all this
but I knew that. geographically, FL
Paso would become n great city and II
I had had any money then, today I would
be one Of the rich men Of Ell Paso as
7 would rave not hesitated a moment
to make investments.
Empire of It's Own.
What I thought hen as q struggling
young man has all come to pass and I
know well and good that as time goes
on Fl PasO will be far greater. ] knew
Kansas City back in so, but II didn't
have the possibilities OF FL PasO. And
the reason 1 say possibilities is be-
cause this town has no competition to
the west save Los Angeles, none to the
north save Denver. none to the east
save san Antonio and Fort Worth and
certainly none to the south with the
exception Of the City OF Mexico. Nor
will she have any competition in MeXi-
cor for five r-pgFu 10 come as II VIII
take hat time to raise Mexico from its
present chaos.
Lns Cruces n Hamlet
ct first came to El Paso in 1880, ex-
pecting to meet n sister who was COM
ing east. having been in the orient. She
was slow in arriving so I waited and
took i'm the town. Then ] went to the
MescalerO reservation and practlced.
Tn 1880 7 came back and located. ~
that time El Paso had about 10000
people. La Cruces was a hamlet. Ala
mogordo was not on the map, nor was
Carlsbad. Roswell was n village and
Carrizoza was nothing. Pecos was a
hamlet while Maria, Alpine and Nalen-
tine were mere fly specks. In the val
lev were only the settlements of 1sleta
and san Elizario. And what a change
has occurred since them
Mining Center.
Some may dispute the contention
but 7 feel confident that not One-fOurth
Of the mining possibilities in a radius
of 200 miles OF FL PasO have even been
scratched. Each summer I go. out into
the unsettled regions and I am amazed
before the immensely Of all this terri
tory that is eventually FL Paso's trade
possession.
saw National Park.
ct believed in the city and I stayed.
Ana now that 7 am on in years it is
gratifying TO know that everything ]
tb,-~b+ then has come trup Not ou1v
aid I see the possibilities Of the Mesca-
Zero reservation as a national park but.
90 years. ago, wrote the first letter to
the press advocating the creating Of n
national park up there IND now it is
going to be done"