The copper era. (Clifton, Graham County, Ariz.) 1899-1911, 1902-01-09

are still residents OF the future great,
and some of them faired fairly well,
bat the majority OF them are still nov
ing along in the same old rut; they
have added 10 their years and eXper-
/ ience but little mctninks TO thotr bank
accounts. The more prosperous OF
those doing business there cow came
a few years later. W. II. Small WAS q
I young chap when be landed; he was
| poor but respectable, but he managed
to install himself in the good graces OF
the community, ard now he is compar-
atively af1iuent. He is today one OF the
/ leading merchants OF the place. being
proprietor of the Eagle Drug store with
all its ramitications, which are consid-
erable. The Roberts x Leahy mercan-
tile firm, became the successors 10
Lieberman & Co. but they have en-
larged their premises aud extended
their business. Both were Cliftonites
originally, Roberts being clerk for
L. Fraissinet in North Clifton, and
Leahy being in the employ of the Ari-
zona Copper Co. Roberts died many
years ago. J. Z. Ownby came from
Bakersfield, California, in time TO get
in on the ground floor. He built and
conducted the Ownby House on South
Railroad avenue for several years, but
one day his hotel and contents went
skyward in blaze of smoke and glory.
He afterwards rebuilt on the site OF
the old Ralston House, which had been
consumed by fire several years pre-
viously. The old gentleman is still
living.
George Reeb, who skinned mules on
the Clifton road in the early days, for
years has been keeping the Arlington
Hotel on the east side, and presumably
he is making Il living but not growing
rich very fast. He has had all kinds OF
bad luck, not the least of which is fail
ing eyesight.
Nick Hughes. "Old Nick" as he is
called, not because he in anyway re-
sembles the Evil One, or is even dis
tantlv related TO him, but in contra
distinction to his son Nick, Jr., is among
the oldest of old time Americans, not
in Grant county alone, but in the terri
tory. He came to New Mexico as a
young man in the early COS, and he has
lived here ever since. At one time he
was wealthy, having made big money
as government contractor in the
northern part of the territory. For
the past twenty-five or thirty years he
has been resident of various parts of
Grant county, and at one time, about
sixteen or seventeen years ago, he con-
Quoted a meat market in Clifton. He
was entirely too liberal in dealing with
customers, and carried too many
manara accounts on his books. He
was crowded to the wall as matter Of
leave as heirloom to his children.
The only thing that worries "Old |
Nick" is the fear that his children /
may die in the poor house, but he nan-
ages somehow or other to keep their
jaws going, and up to date none of |
them have died of starvation.
John Robson, an Englishmau by |
birth, foreswore his allegiance to Her
Majasty Victoria, many years ago. and |
swore allegiance to Mary. the eldest
daughter of Nick Hughes. He has re-
sided in this immediate vicinity for the |
past twenty-one years, and he is con-
sidered one of the substantial citizens |
of the burg. He owns property in |
Ordsbur2, is the father of an interest
ing and constantly increasing family, |
and has a goodly bunch of cattle rang |
ing south of town. John is not over |
the only public Office he ever
held being that of hide Inspector for
his precinct.
NJ. w. McGrath. "blowed in" about |
the time the a. & y. NJ. road reached !
this point. Whether he came as ad- |
vance agent, or followed, velvet coat |
Jones, the first rallrord superintend- |
ent, has escaped the writer's recollec-
tion, but he got there, just the same.
He succeeded to the judicial erminc,
when 1T fell from the shoulders of Il. |
(Continucd on Sixth Parcl