El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-01-22
THROUGH PASS To NORTH GREAT
RAILRODS BRINGEL PASO VEAL TIL
Ell Pasos Greatness Commercial and Industrial Center
Due in Large Measure to Its Great Railroad Systems
Which Pour Population and Wealth Into the City
Daily; Is Railway Gateway to Mexican Republic

system reaches the city And still
later came the Mexico North Western,
which penetrates the great pine forests
Of western Chihuahua and enters the
capital city of that state
Three TranscOnfinentaI Lines.
Three transcontinental lines now
reach FL PasO. These are the Southern
Pacific &C. H. & S A in Tcxas), ex-
tending from the Pacific coast TO New
Orleans: the Texas & Pacific, a part
OF the former Gould system, extending
from New Orleans to EI Paso and con-
Meeting here with the Southern Pacific:
and the FL Paso & Southwestern oper-
ating through trains from Chicago to
the Pacific coast in connection with the
Rock Island
The Rio Grande. Ell Paso & Santa
Fe, a part of the Santa Fe system, is
a branch line extending between Al
buquerque and FL PasO. 1t extends
through the Rio Grande valley and is
an important feeder TO the city.
Gateway to Mexico.
In times of peace in Mexico the
Mexican Central with its lines reaching
to various points in the republic to the
south, is an important feeder TO Ell
Paso and and makes Of this city the
principal gateway to all Of northern
Mexico, both as regards passenger trav-
81 and freight. The trains Of this rail-
road, in times Of peace, enter the city
over its own bridges and discharge and
The Mexico North Western main
tains yards on this side OF the river.
but has its principal offices in JuareZ.
shops and offices Here.
Four of the railroad lines entering the
city maintain shops and large office
forces here. This city is the headquarters
Of the FL PasO &, Southwestern. 4 large
seven story building houses the general
offices while in East FL Paso addition,
large shops are operated, and the rail-
road gives employment to fully 1000
men
The Southern Pacific maintains d.
vision headquarters in the city and
operates shops employing nearly eco
men.
The Santa Tie has quite an office
force within the city and maintains
shops and round house, where fully
200 men are employed
In FL Paso and Juarez fully 1000 men
are employed I'M various capacities by
the railway systems. and salary dis
bursements reach fully $4,000 per
month
Heavy Travel, Winter and Summer.
A large share of the winter travel. as
well as much OF the summer travel 10
and from the Pacific coast, is handled
by the Southern Pacific, FL Paso &
Southwestern and Texas & Pacific The |
southern route is the favored one dur
ing the winter months, for the reason
that il is the sunshine route Northern /
routes at certain times are snoWbound
and at ali times the weather is cold |
During the past year the travel over
these lines was exceptionally heavy on
account OF the Pacific coast exposi--
tons Travellers TO the Pacific coast
frequently vary their trips by select
ing a northern route one way and the
southern route the other
This heavy travel through FL Paso
makes of the city a transcontinental
gateway as wei as gateway TO Mexl-
co. a condition that gives the city a
certain prestige in railroad circles. and
is responsible for the Today stopover
privilege granted on all through tick
cts The stOpover privilege gives traV-
elers an opportunity to spend several
days in this vicinity, visiting Juarez
and other points in northern Mexico. |
investigating the valley, or visiting |
Cloudcroft and other resorts
Occupies Unique Position.
FL Paso is the only city Of consid- |
cradle size in the United States stu !
ated in such close proximity to a for
eign country with language and Gus
toms different, and the stOpOver privi- |
1ege is quite generally taken advantage
Of by tourists, that they may visit
Mexico. The chamber Of commerce. I
through its publicity bureau. is doing
much 10 foster the stopover habit, and
the railroads serving the city lay great
stress in the advertising to the fact
that opportunity is afforded travellers
to see Mexico without additional cost
and under the most favorable condi-
tions.
Have Faith In City.
That the railroads that enter Fl Paso
have great faith in the future OF the
city is evidenced by the fact that all Of
them have provided for expansion OF
their terminal systems. The Southern
Pacific several years ago came to a
realization that FL Paso is destined to
be a very large city and as such was
to become one Of the big shipping
points along its system, and would
eventually outgrOw the present yards,
located in the heart Of the city. Ac-
cordingly. it purchased land for stor-
age yards at Strauss, N II. a few
miles west Of the city. and at Alfalfa
five miles east Of here. Il is intimated
that not many years will elapse be-
fore the railroad will utilize these
properties. The FL Paso & Southwest
ern has taken similar precautions and
has secured land for large storage and
yard room a few miles north of the