From the EditorsBy Stella Perry and Adri Alatorre
I have lived in El Paso for a decade. Prior to that time, I spent 10 years in Germany. Germany was rich with medieval history and tales of kings and queens, but the history we’ve uncovered and researched for Borderlands never ceases to amaze me. In my second year as a student editor, I have learned more local history by reading, editing and researching these articles than I have in the rest of the time I’ve lived here. I never knew that consumer luxury existed here until I read about the White House Department Store with its lounge and tea rooms for the ladies. Even the ads I found on microfilm boasted elegance and style. This issue is also full of excitement and intrigue! We follow a link in history that is politically and socially relevant today. Gambling and prostitution were considered a boon to the growing city of El Paso in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Issues such as water facilities and Sunday or “blue” laws were also dividing factors among El Pasoans. The tension in the city was so extreme that factions drew hard lines in the sand and threatened each other. From the Franklin Mountains to the Organ Mountains, we ventured to check out a student story on Dripping Springs in Las Cruces. It’s the tale of a hermit, a colonel and a doctor. I had the pleasure of hiking to the site where there was once a gushing spring and an unsolved mystery.I would like to thank Ms. Vise once again for this opportunity. My sincere gratitude is also extended to Israel Jacquez, Executive Assistant at the La Tuna Federal Correctional Institution. Thank you for the interview and the tour of the facility and the museum. Stella Perry, Editor I would first like to thank Ruth Vise for her advice, direction, and patience especially on the Repatriation story. She encouraged me to push myself and find the missing pieces and put together the puzzle. Her unending curiosity is inspirational; it is the driving force behind this project. I would like to thank my boyfriend and traveling partner Carlton Pate for making the trips to Tularosa fun and exciting. On that note, I send a big thanks to the Tularosa Basin Historical Society and its gracious staff. What a hidden treasure I found in the middle of the Tularosa Basin! My sincerest thanks and appreciation go out to Bill McNew III and his wife Vergie from Alamogordo . You made it real for me. I send a huge thank you to Claudia Rivers and Anne Alice, along with the entire Special Collections staff at the UTEP library for all their help. Al señor David Pérez López le mando muchas gracias por las fotos y los commentarios sobre el tema de los Mexicanos repatriados. Para mí ese tema esta muy cercano a mi corazón. I would like to thank the staff at the El Paso Historical Society, especially Lynn Russell and Pat Worthington for their diligent efforts. Thanks go to Margaret Althoff-Olivas of Thomason Hospital who graciously took the time from her busy schedule to meet with me. The information package was great! Stella, you are a talented and directed individual who made my job easier – thanks. I am grateful also to Henry Quintana, Jr. for his courtesy and help. My experience on this paper has been one of my most memorable, and I look forward to next year. Adri Alatorre, Assistant Editor
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