Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-12-27
THE PIONEERS HOLIDAYS.
"Reminiscences II this Festive Season
in the Early Days.

in the Early Days.
The close Of the year is deemed 3
proper time TO review the past. For
this Holiday edition We have sought TO
gather some "reminiscences Of the early
days in Otero county winch should be
preserved as local history and which we
are confident will prove interesting to our
readers.
1.-THE oldest inhabitant" Of Qtero
county is Jos. Graham, living near Cat
Lip. Mr.. Graham came Colorado from
Missouri in the fall Of 1852. Some time
after that he settled at Spring Bottom,
just north Of Catlip, on the opposite bank
Of the Arkansas. Spring Bottom" is 30
named from the character Of the soil
which seems hcney-combed with springs.
Mr.. Graham's first Christmas feast in his
cabin ON the river bank was composed Of
beaver meat and corn bread, He says
that the beaver is good eating when prop
erly cooked. Afterward when he kept
the stage station at the same place, be
Jared sumptuously, at least we presume
he did, as the stage passengers were
charged 81 for each meal. In those days
was 10 cents pound, and bacon rs cents
a pound. His nearest neighbor was 10
miles-a long distance to go to borrow q
trace chain or pound of soda. In the
earliest days the people were too few to
have social gatherings of any kind, and
those who wanted a good time would go
to whatever festivities were held in the
village of Pueblo.
A few years later new settlers came
into the valley, J. W. Potter, with his
big family OF boys, G. w. Swink. ditto,
]. H. Swift and others. The store kept
by Swink & Russell at the old Rocky
Ford was noted place Of resort. The
rock bottom OF this ford made it a favorite
the lines of travel north and south. The
Swink & Russell store attracted trade
from almost all southern Colorado, the
outer edges OF the tributary country be-
ing Hugo, Trinidad end Las Animas, and
there was even competition with Pueblo
in many lines of merchandising. The
store was enjoying splendid trade and
the proprietors felt grateful to their
patrons. This WINS evidenced by issuing
q general invitation to take dinner at the
store about the Holiday times. The re-
sponse was astonishinRly large, the peo-
pie came from distance Of SO miles to
attend that dinner. As the crowd grew
to unexpected proportions Mrs. Russell
cooked for the entertainment Of the
guests would not be sufficient. She was
greatly worried over the prospect, as she
wanted the affair to be first class in every
way. Mr.. Swink told her that he would
fix it 80 that the provisions would satisfy
the appetites Of the big crowd. A half
hour before dinner was ready Mr.. Swink
rolled out barrel of apples worth SlO)
and invited the crowd to partake. When
the fruit had disappeared another barrel
Of this unusual and costly luxury was
rolled out and the head knocked in. By
the time the apples had vanished dinner
was ready, but the wire edge of the sp-
petite was gone and there was plenty and
out the feast did not escape the attention
of the visitors, who voted the plan smart
but liable to criticism.
In the olden time Christmas dances
were frequently held at the home of J.
II. Swift, just north of Rocky Ford.
Men were plenty at the frolics, but
women scarce. This important deficien-
cy in d social gathering was partially
provided for on one occasion by dressing
Will Swink up as a girl. His make up
was so complete as to deceive even g. W.
(By way of parenthesis we may remark
that Will Swink is not as handsome ~
he was then, nnd it would be hard 10 flx
him mp as q girl for dance next New
Years eve.)
After the advent Of the Santa Fe the
store was moved to the present town OF
Rocky Ford. The cowboys would fire.
quently bring in their banjos and have
dance IN the store. But there was one
dance that so far eclipsed all others that
it is one OF the brightest spots in the
memory Of msny Of the old settlers. It
was In '76 or ~, and the men and women
came in from distance Of many miles
IN Response to general invitation. H.
M Fosdick, Jr., for example brought his
girl from Huerfano, distance of 80
miles, and frose his ears on the trip.
There were representatives from Trinidad
Las Animas, Pueblo. and the cattle range
were brought from Pueblo at a cost OF
e125. The caller was paid $40. The
tickets were 43 per couple which included
supper. The festivities continued until
daylight the next morning. One incident
OF the occasion shows that times have
changed. California wine was on hand
but not in sufficient quantities to serve
all. Hence it was reserved for the fair sex.
From the fact that the ladies present
consumed ten gallons OF wine that night
it is presumed that q stimulant was
deemed necessary to enable them to en-
dure the laborious amusement all night.
Henry M. Fosdick, Jr., has vivid mem
ories Of the early times when everybody
was hard up. Peas and rye were used
for coffee and their neighborhood dances
were held in cabins having dirt roof
and floor of the same material. OF
course dwellings in those days had but
one room, and the bed had to be taken
outdoors while the dance was in pro-
gress. Mr.. Fosdick remembers one of
these occasions when the Mexican fiddler
knew only two tunes, one of which suited
for quadrille, the other being schottische
melody. He sawed on these two tunes
all night, resting only while the floor was
being sprinkled TO keep down the fine
adobe dusk No style of dress was at
tempted by either men or women, and
Sunday clothes were not seen. Good sup
pers were served in which antelope, cove
oysters and chicken were prominent. At
most Of the dances there would be Is or
20 men and only four or five women.
This disparity Of the sexes kept the ladies
on the floor continuously and the recrea-
ton was Of a very exhausting character.
But little whiskey was drank on such oc-
caai0na