EL PASO, Cl pa's6, Texas, city, port of entry and county-seat of El Paso County; on the Rio Grande, the, Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, the Texas and Pacific, the Rock Island, Southern Pacific and other railways; on the Rio Grande River in the extreme western of the State. It is opposite Ciudad uarez, Mexico, the north terminus of the Mex ican Central Railway. El Paso is about mid way between the tide water of the Atlantic (Gulf of Mexico) and the Pacific oceans, about 3,800 feet above sea-le.k1 and is central to the rich tributary regions of western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and the northern section of old Mexico; it is 600 miles from any railroad centre that may compete with it. It is the cen tre of a rich fruit and vegetable growing region, the great Elephant Butte Dam (q.v.), costing nearly $10,000,000, furnishing ample water for irrigation. By it 200,000 acres are reclaimed. El Paso's unequaled railway facilities, the proximity in New Mexico of inexhaustible sup plies of fuel coal and the demand for supplies and machinery from the mines, ranches and growing towns of its neighborhood make it one of the most important manufacturing cities of the Southwest. Its most important industry is Smelting the valuable ores of the neighboring region. The El Paso smelters have a capacity of about 40,000 tons of ore a month. The monthly payment to miners for ores brought in averages nearly $2,000,000, a large part of which finds its way into the stores• and fac tories of the city; the pay-roll of the smelters and other manufactories and the rail ways centering in the city is nearly $300,000; and these together give to the financial inter ests a stability that is little affected by condi tions in other parts of the country. It has one of the largest custom smelters in the world, giving employment to from 2,500 to 3,000. Other industrial establishments are a wood finishing and box factory, foundries and ma chine shops, cement plant, railroad repair shops, brick and tile works, sash and door, macaroni and cigar factories, brass works and flour mills. The United States Census of Manufactures for 1914 showed within the city limits 117 indus trial establishments of factory grade, employ ing 2,815 persons, 2,347 being wage-earners, re ceiving annually $1,663,000 in wages. The capi tal invested aggregated $8,666,000 and the year's output was valued at $6,135,000; of this, $3,262, 000 was the value added by manufacture. Many eastern manufacturers, especially of machinery, have large warehouses here. The city carries
on an extensive trade in copper, silver and lead, machinery, livestock, wool and hides and has important wholesale and jobbing interests. El Paso has 10 national banks, with resources amounting to over $27,660,719, and deposits over $22,660,485, as contrasted with $1,500,000 and $750,000 respectively 30 years ago. El Paso is pre-eminently a city of homes. The streets are lighted by gas and electricity, and a well planned electric street-railway system places all parts of the city within easy reach of the busi ness section. The more notable buildings are the Federal building, county courthouse, city hall, post-office, high school, the State School of Mines, Fort Bliss, Carnegie library, Knights of Columbus Home, Masonic Temple. There are 13 public parks. The city has several pub lic schools and parochial (Roman Catholic) schools, a business college, and is the seat of the Saint Joseph's Academy and of the Rio Grande Congregational Training School and Theological Seminary. There are several handsome churches and two well-equipped hos pitals. El Paso is a noted health resort, hav ing many excellent hotels, some of which are open during the entire year. The assessed valu ation in 1916 amounted to $48,736,645. There are within the city limits nearly 60 miles of asphalt streets, 82 miles of concrete sidewalks and 97 miles of sewers. The city adopted the commission form of government in 1907. Its receipts amount annually to about $2,000,000, while its payments reach about $1,800,000. The waterworks system, 'costing $1,500,000, is owned by the city. The Spanish explorers vis ited the site at an early time. The first settle ment was made in 1827, and the town incorpo rated in 1869. During the Civil War it was occupied alternately by Federal and Confederate troops and for a time was the base for opera tions against New Mexico and Arizona. The present charter dates from 1889 with revisions of 1891 and 1907. El Paso has grown more rapidly than any other city in Texas or the Southwest. The city has had no boom, its in crease being healthy and substantial, and in ac cordance with the dennnds of commerce and the development of the natural resources of the country tributary to the city. The total imports in 1915 had an appraised value of $9,149,410, of which cotton, cattle, copper, silver, zinc and lumber formed the principal items imported. Exports were valued in 1915 at $6,146X5, of which coal and shoes, bleached cotton and cotton prints comprised the bulk. Pop. 70,700.