Smyrna times., 1937-01-07
SMYRNA BOY IN
TUCSON, ARIZ.
Joseph E. Wells Revisits His
Former Home i'm the
South West
GIVEN A RECEPTION

Joseph E. Wells, who recently
paid his old home town, Smyrna,
brief visit, sends the enclosed clip
ing which may give his friends in
Smyrna some idea of the thrills he
is experiencing in his old happy
hunting grounds in Arizona. Tue
son, where he is located for the
winter, is now a thriving city,
everything modern to the Nth de-
gree, quite different from the Tue
son of 18S8-93, when he knew it as
a hustling, bustling hell-bent-for-
election, rip snorting, COW and min
ing town, with dust six inches deep
in the main streets (of which there
were eight being constantly stir
red up by galloping cowboys, wad
ding Mexicans, and skulking In
dians, who, in those days, were
compelled to be outside of town
limits at sundown. No more does
one see the roulette wheel, faro
table, keno, black jack, and other
games of chance being conducted
in the open. During the five days
since his arrival he has not even
seen or heard of any street lights
being shot out by hilarious cow
boys, just for the fun of it. Neither
has he seen or heard of mescal-
crazed 'Greaser" (Mexican) test
ing the keenness of his newly
sharpened stilletto in the back of
a "Grengo" (American). No, this
part of the West is not like the
Old West of his harum-skarum
youth. 1t seems scarcely possible
that such a wild and woody place,
such as Tucson was in 1898, when
every man felt completely nude
without his Winchester or his Colts,
could ever be changed to the beau
tiful, thriving, law-abiding city it
isc today. Mr.. Wells expects to
return East on February 5th by
way of New Orleans, La, arriving
in Smyrna about March 5th. He
extends his hearty holiday greet
ings to his Delaware friends, and
best wishes for the New Year.
The Arizona Daily Star publishes
the following article from the pen
of Jack Meadock: Early Tucson
ghosts walked one afternoon just
before Christmas in the Arizona
Daily Star Office. Spirits of the
late sos and early COS were re-
called to people again the streets
and business houses of the Old
Pueblo. 1t was Joseph Edward
Wells of Port Jefferson, L. T.,
former Smyrna, Delaware, boy,
who performed the magic. For
Joseph Edward Wells of today, a
short, sturdy man with silver hair
and twinkling eyes, is none other
than Shorty" Wells, who, from
1888 to 1898, was foreman in the
room of the old Star.
L. c. Hughes was its editor and
puDilSuCI dlO 1uic. L. -. I1uS uCSy
then heard of the w. c. T. u. in
Arizona Territory, was the power
behind the throne.
The return of Shorty Wells
had behind it a purpose other than
a mere desire to see the place
where he served as a member of
the 4th U. S. vavalry and later as
one of the organizers and members
Of the Arizona militia. 1t was the
effort of an honest man to vindi-
cate his reputation for veracity in
the intimate circle of his family
and friends. For Shorty" Wells
Of today has been for some years
recalling the hectic scenes of the
period in Tucson which Shorty"
Wells of 1883 knew so well. The
only trouble was that in very few
Instances could he get even his wife
to believe him.
Disdaining the opinions Of the
remainder Of the skeptical eastern
group, Shorty" Wells decided that
to reinstate himself in the opinion
Of his wife, whose good opinion he
held in high esteem, he would bring
her to Arizona for a visit, and here,
On the site Of those tales OF the
early frontier, prove, as he phrased
It, that I'm not such a darned liar
as I've been accused of being"
Thus far the junket has been a
huge success. With Phoenix and
Tucson as points of departure.
Shorty" Wells is living again in
the days of early Arizona. digging
up old friends and intimate Incl
dents, seeking old establishments
Or the spots where they were, and
is having a wonderful
time.
As he sat in the Star office, name
after name fell from his lips as the
former printer recalled the days at
old Fort Lowell when the 4th cav
airy garrisoned the post, just pior
TO its dismantlement as a military
unit.
With Emanuel Drachman, now
dead, Wells had aided In the or
oroo n i1o f{op ~ tho rj1ovo v,,tlfffu