Houck & Dieter enjoyed a virtual monopoly
within the soft drink industry of El Paso, although their reign was briefly
challenged in 1884 by G. Edwin Angerstein (see section on Single Year Bottlers).
Their first real competitor was another liquor dealer, R. F. Johnson, who
decided he wanted to branch out into the "chaser" and family trade.
Johnson, who had married in California, returned there in 1895, leaving
his business in the care of Henry Pfaff. Pfaff took such good care
of the business that he bought Johnson out near the turn of the century,
later selling his interest to the Southwestern Liquor Company. Southwestern
remained in business until it fell victim to Prohibition in 1918 (the relationships
between the three firms was first noted by Angus & Harris 1993:144-146).
R. F. Johnson & Company (1891-1898)
Robert F. Johnson, the youngest son of W.
S. Johnson, was an early El Paso politician during the post-railroad period.
He served as Deputy County Treasurer of El Paso County in 1886 and was
appointed Mayor of the City of El Paso by the City Council in May 1894
to replace A. K. Albers who had been elected but chose not to serve.
Johnson filled the mayoral slot until the following year. He married
Teresa Trescony of Salinas, California, on October 14, 1889, at a ceremony
performed by Father Sorrentini in the bride's hometown. Teresa gave
birth to their son, Robert F. Johnson, Jr., in El Paso on September 28,
1893 (Beard 1995:III-312; Metz 1993:124, 283; Donnichsen 1968:355; EPCD
1886; EPT 2/3/1939 5:3). The El Paso Times noted the event:
| Robert F. Johnson, Jr. arrived yesterday morning and the amount
of champagne popped at the wholesale liquor house of Robert F., Sr., was
so great that hack loads of it was (sic) distributed to various sections
of the city--under vests (EPT 9/29/1893 5:2). |
 |
| El Paso Times - 5/23/1884 |
Johnson went into partnership with another politician,
John Julian, in 1882 to form the firm of Julian & Johnson, wholesale
liquor dealers, successors to William B. Hooper & Co. Julian
was County Treasurer in 1885. A May 23 ad places the establishment
of the firm in 1852, but that probably refers to Hooper's company (EPCD
1885; EPT 5/3/1884 4:5; 5/23/1884 4:3). The firm carried "Imported
and Domestic Wines," including "California Clarets and Brandies," along
with " Val. Blatz Wiener Beer, Milwaukee . . . Cigars, Bar Fixtures and
Glassware" at No. 15 East San Antonio St. (EPCD 1885).
On February 9, 1891, Johnson struck out on
his own as R. F. Johnson & Co., wholesale liquors at East Overland
Ave. and South St. Vrain St. Johnson boasted the he was the successor
to Julian & Johnson (EPH 2/9/1891 1:1) and claimed "that the Reputation
earned by JULIAN & JOHNSON, I shall maintain by HONEST DEALING and
FAIR PRICES" (EPT 4/6/1892 1:1). Johnson first entered into competition
with the city's only other carbonated beverage bottler, Houck & Dieter,
on August 19, 1892 when he opened the El Paso Bottling Company. The
firm advertised "Sarsaparilla, Vichy, Seltzer, and All Forms of Mineral
Water" and noted that "Families [are] Supplied With Sodas" (EPT8/19/1892
1:1; 9/29/1893 1:1). In addition, Johnson distributed Manitou
Table Water and Ginger Champagne. On February 13, 1895, Johnson expanded
his operation, opening a branch in Cíudad Juarez, although the branch
may only have been in operation for a short time. At the same time
he stopped advertising the El Paso Bottling Company (EPT 2/13/1895 1:1).
Although Johnson moved to Salinas, CA, in 1895, his associate, Henry Pfaff,
continued to run R. F. Johnson & Co., gradually increasing his power
in the firm (the first crown-finished bottles contained the R. F. Johnson
company name along with the initials, HP, in the center), until he bought
out Johnson's interest in 1898. Just prior to the change in ownership,
Pfaff advertised R. F. Johnson & Co. in the city directory as "Manufacturers
and Wholesale Dealers in all kinds of Mineral Water." Johnson remained
in California until his death in San Francisco on January 23, 1939 at the
age of 78 (EPCD 1892-93- 1898-99; EPT 2/3/1939 5:3).
Henry Pfaff (1898-1907)
Henry Pfaff was born in Saxony, Germany, on
September 8, 1862 (although the census gives his birth as September 1860).
He was educated in Dresden, Germany and went to Mexico in 1883 to engage
in the coffee business. Three years later he migrated to Abilene,
Texas (the census states that he applied for American citizenship in 1883),
and from there to El Paso in 1893. Active in real estate investment
in addition to his activities as a soda water bottler, he was a member
of the Church of St. Clement, the Toltec Club, and El Paso Country Club,
along with being a 32nd degree Mason and a Shriner. He was married
on October 7, 1896, to Ida Beaumont of Victoria, Texas. By 1900,
the couple had had one child who had died in infancy. Both were literate
and owned their home on Mesa Avenue between El Paso and North Oregon Streets.
Pfaff listed himself as "Wholesale Liq deal" in the 1900 census (12th census;
EPT 7/1/1927 1:4).
 |
| Alamogordo News - 3/1/1900 |
Pfaff was not listed in the City Directories from
1885 to 1892-93, but managed R. F. Johnson & Co. after Johnson's move
to California (1895). Pfaff's first advertisement as the new proprietor
of the business appeared in the El Paso Times of December 6, 1898. The
ad proclaimed:
| Henry Pfaff/Successor to R. F. Johnson & Co./Liquors/Brandies,
Wines & Clarets/Sole Agent for/Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association,
St. Louis Mo./Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wis./Manitou Mineral
Company, Manitou, Colorado . . ./Dr. Alexander, Ciudad Juarez, Native Wines. |
He took over the "factory and beer vaults" at St. Vrain St. and Overland
Ave. and established an office at 108 San Antonio St. Like the other
early bottlers in El Paso, Pfaff was mainly involved in the liquor trade,
along with cigars, wines, and ice, although the firm also distributed beer
from Anheuser Busch and Joseph Schlitz. In his earliest ads, Pfaff
listed only soda and mineral waters, but became more specific in 1906,
announcing the availability of Manitou Mineral Water & Buffalo Lithia
Water (EPCD 1896-97-1907). In March 1907 (the date of his last ad),
he sold his liquor business to Southwestern Liquor Co. He continued
to invest in real estate for the rest of his life, and had an office (in
1918) in the State National Bank Building. Aside from filing a major
suit for $2,812.50 against Duey & Overlock, former stock brokers in
Douglas, Arizona, Pfaff was rarely in the news until his death on June
30, 1927 (EPCD 1918-1926; EPH 1/16/1908 5:3; EPT 7/1/1927 1:4).
Southwestern Liquor Company (1907-1914)
Southwestern Liquor Company took over at 108
San Antonio St. in 1907 under the management of A. L. Longneckard.
Longneckard was unlisted in the city directories prior to 1906, when he
was a stenographer for Henry Pfaff. The following year he was a salesman
for Pfaff, apparently learning as many facets of the trade as possible.
Longneckard remained manager of Southwestern Liquor until 1914, when he
was replaced by his former secretary/treasurer, George A. Gould.
Gould had been with Southwestern since 1910. Although Southwestern
continued to operate in the liquor trade under Gould until the onset of
Prohibition (in Texas) in 1919, it ceased to be a bottler or distributor
of non- alcoholic beverages after 1916. Like its predecessors, Southwestern
was a wholesale distributor of liquors, wines, and cigars, as well as selling
ice, and manufacturing soda and mineral waters (EpCD 1904-1918).
When Southwestern Liquor Company dissolved its soda and mineral water production,
it broke the chain that was forged by R. F. Johnson, Henry Pfaff, and A.
L. Longneckard from 1892 to 1916. |
