El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-06-27
AMARHLO'S BIG TASK MET IN
A BIG TEXAS WAY. AS USUAL

4 MARnLo, Texas, IS putting through to completion
a project without precedent, so far as known II
Is the entertainment of convention almost equa
in numbers the population Of the town receiving it
Amarillo boasts Of population of 10000 and when II
designated for the 1917 convention of the Ozark
Trails Highway convention, the town found itself under
taking the proposition of housing feeding and otherwise
caring for 5000 to 10000 people.
Think for a moment, what 900 visitors would mean
Thev would mean for the hotels and rooming houses,
that for every person that hotel roong house who
might be considered one of the population Of Amarillo
convention guest must be received. Every apartment
would have to furnish accommodations for many
visitors it contained men, and children Every
in the town would be subject to the conditions
That IS to say, If there were man, wife and four
children that household would have to entertain six
vention delegates if Amarillo to for all the
crowd and the burden be distributed equtaby IN accor-
dance with population.
Cared for in the ordinary way the convention would
have been burden comparable with an invading army.
Here Amarillo solved the problem, and the solution
big feature IN itself, showing that men of large
ideas thought it out
Amarillo is housing small part of that convention in
hotels and homes, but mostly in tent city ten blocks
north of the main business section Of the town. tract
reached by trolley and automobile lines
In this tent city tents for parties and couples,
tents for delegation meetings, tent for the general
assembly of the convention tents for dining rooms tent
kitchens recreation center and tent business houses
The tent cty-it really is city all its activities-s
provided with electric lights water service, bath ToomS
police protection night watchmen, motor supply stores
filling stations drug Stores restaurants and lunch
ters dry goods and clothing stores, camp equipment
stores grocery Stores motor repair shops and barber
shops ms makes city WITHIN ana is the only
feasible way in which town of Amarillo'S sire could
for convention of the sire of the Ozark Trails
organization The tent city plan is ideal for this time
Of year. though it would not be practical for winter
The tent city having been found the solution of the
problem of holding the convention in Amarillo, it
theess true that then the task of caring for the
visitors viii keep Amarillo husng from Wednesday, the
day the convention opens until its close at the week end
Establishing and conducting those tent stores will be
task for the business houses of the town Feeding the
crowds the restaurant tents will be enough to keep
large force of people busy and make the grocery store
clerks step lively The entertainment feature will
neglected the work of caring for the throng Amarillo
has advertised there VIII be something Of interest every
minute during the convention and the promise is to be
made good There viii be automobile excursions to points
Of interest in and around the town. ropng and riding
by cowboys of the southwest automobile parade
with thousands of in line, brass band contest with
ten to 20 bands competing, big carnival night entertain
ments by the lodges and nightly musical revue" in
of the show tents.
The purpose Of the convention assembling at Amarillo
is decide which route shall be selected northern southern
central through the southwest being the suit
able link in the chain of highways known the Ozark
Trails, extending from St. Louis to the Pacific coast
There really two southern routes, the only of
the many proposed In which e Paso is interested The
through Canyon Hereford and FL Paso and the
other through Vega, Glen Rio, Endee Tucumcar Santa
Rosa, Las Vegas, Albuquerque and Santa Fe-
The convention itself Is interesting, and its possible