On January 16, 1916, Joseph R. Workman of Tremont, Schuylkill County, formerly of Williamstown, Dauphin County, wrote a letter to his pastor, Rev. N. A. Barr, from El Paso, Texas, then considered a war zone on the border with Mexico. Mr. Workman (1836-1916) was visiting his son, Norman Edgar Workman (1882-1961) who was residing in El Paso at the time.
The story of the conflict occurring along the U. S. – Mexico border in 1916 can be found on Wikipedia.
The letter and an explanation were printed in the West Schuylkill Press and Pine Grove Herald, January 15, 1916:
LETTER FROM MEXICAN WAR ZONE
Mr. Joseph R. Workman, who for the past several years has been making his home with his daughter, Mrs. Jacob Fessler, on Pine Street, Tremont, left here for El Paso, Texas, about six weeks ago, where he is spending the winter months with his son, Mr. Norman Workman. As El Paso is the storm-center, on our side of the line of the Mexican trouble, as as Mr. Workman has many friends and acquaintances among the readers of the Press, the following letter written to his pastor, Rev. N. A. Barr, will be of interest to them:
El Paso, Texas, January 7, 1916.
Brother and sister Barr —
I am well and so is my son and his family. Hope you are enjoying the same blessing. Your box with its contents was received, for which accept thanks. Hope you enjoyed your Christmas and New Year. We had a 10 lb. turkey, at 20 cents a lb. with the belongings therein.
Well, El Paso is a lively town; they claim for it a population of 100,000; three railroads through the city; streets paved with cement; street cars, some of them run across the border to Mexico, where they have a race track. Lots of gambling only two miles out of El Paso. We have large apartment houses three to four stories high, banks and theatres four to eight stories. A large number of churches, such as the Christian, Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc., but experimental religion goes begging. Church services are very formal. I miss our services at Tremont very much.
The weather is mild; had one inch snow; some ice in the morning, but the last few days it has been spring like. Had a little sprinkling rain today but they no rain here for three to five months some times. A fine farming country east from here but all farming has to be done by irrigation, and most of it is done by Mexicans. Most of the land hereabouts is cut up into cattle ranches, on which horses, cows, sheep and hogs are raised. There are plenty of rabbits, prairie dogs, deer and antelopes fifty miles out in the country. No fishing, as the Rio Grande River goes dry during a certain part of the year, and we are 800 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, or sea.
All is quiet in Mexico now. There are 5000 soldiers U. S. here watching the border line. Excuse me for not writing sooner, as I have so many to write to. I spend my time feeding sixteen chickens, fixing up around the house and playing with two children. Our best regards to all who may inquire of me. May God bless you all in my prayer.
Your brother,
Joseph Workman
___________________________________________________________
From Newspapers.com.
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