El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-11-17
STARTS CITY'S
BUILDING BOON.
Flying Dutchman" First
Big Investor, Says D. A.
Musgrave, of Fl. Davis.

A mere accident a trick OF fate
brought the first big investor to VIVA
Is now the city OF FL Paso. It wa.
about 1850 when a German. known a.
the flying Dutchman." landed fl
these parts with the sum Of $4,000
intending 90 invest IN Ysleta prop
erty, Ysleta being the county seat
then. he couldn't drive a bargain
there and came 10 EI Paso. buying q
tract including the present northeast
corner OF san Antonio and South e
Paso streets There he began 70
build
This bit Of history was related by
ID. q. AusEraTe- 20 years Of age, and
now Of Fort Davis. Texas. He came
TO Fl PasO just a Few months before
The flying Dutclmau" and was en-
gagged by the latter as builder.
When MusEr0ve first arrived here he.
had an outfit OF teams, which had
brought him from Missouri. and
which was worth $3.50. lie was Of
Tered 100 acres OF land, including
what IS now the site Of the First Ma
uOual bank. for his teams, but he said
The land then was not worth the taxes.
Three months later, with the advent
IF the German investor, the site Opp0-
site, now known as the Old First Ma
uonal site, sold for S500o. and the
flying Dutchmau" himself later
bought Il for $4,000.
Nails First Single Roof.
All Of this was two or three years
before the first railroad came 10 El
PasO. Mr.. Musgrave hauled shingles
300 miles, from the terminus Of the
southern Pacific road. being built
from the Pacific coast, and construct
ID the first Single roof ever seen
"a
pasO street
FL Paso was a waste then" said
Mr. Musgrave. who IS spending the
winter here, but We had some good
times gave the first American
dance ever held in this CITY. and Jo-
seph A Magoffiu and myself used to
sit on the grand jury at YsIeta. Where
the Popular dry goods store IS now
located was q one story adobe hut
the home Of Ell Paso lodge $50. A. +. &
A. 9f-, the only lodge in q one story
building I ever visited"
Comes West From st. LOuis.
M 1Iusgrave's investments here
consisted Of seven small tracts at
Esleta, which he bought for his teams.
de remained here seven years. but re-
turned at q later date He started
west IN the years Just after the civil
war, leaving St Louis on the first
railroad started from that city 10 the
great west When they reached
Springfield, No. he grew tired of
waiting for the tracks 20 be laid and
bought teams, coming to San Antonio, J
and later TO FL Paso.
Fights With Gray and blue.
M AusSraTe has war record that I
Jew men can boast Of He carries +
honorable discharges from both Union +.
md Confederate armies. He served I
q voluntary enlistment in the latter 4
and was caught in the Union draft in 4
Missouri little later. He now draws I
a federal pension, but should he de- /
sire TO enter 3 soldiers home, he could I
cheese anyone hs wanted, blue or /
gray. However. he is still hale and +
hearty.
Pioneers Remember the Dutchmau-
g r. NOrehead and Mr.. Magcffin.
both pioneers, cannot recall the name .
Of the flying Durchman-" 1Ir. More ]
head remembers him, however, in the /
same way that M MusErave does.
GUS Afomsel and Park W. Pitman .
said they remembered hearing Of a
man called the flying Dutchmau."
here in the early days. but they
couldn't remember his realty invest
meuts- Search OF records failed to
uncover his name
Mai. E ". Fewel owner Of the San
AntOniO-SOuth FL Paso corner for
many years, is IN Oklahoma at pres
eut. Other old timers said they re-
membered the flying Dutchuan," but
not his correct name