Albuquerque evening citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1905-1907, 1905-12-02
MAYOR WHITING
IS CELEBRATING
Today the Sixty Ninth Ami.
verSary Of Birth in a
Very Quiet Manner.
AN INTERESTING LlFE'S SKETCH

A representative of The citizen
found Major II. r. Whiting in ms den
at his snug little cottage on Main
street in the old town of Albuquer,
que, this morning, celebrating his
sixty-ninth birthday in a quiet man
ner. Being in a reminiscent mood, he
consented to an interview;
yes. | served in the Union army
during the wal of the rebellion, ana
after its close and the muster out OF
my regiment at Detroit, dritted 10
New York and engaged In newspaper
work, but later, took Horace Greeley 5
advice, and reached New Mexico In
November, 1866, astride a horse, on
which | had come by easy stages from
Fort Leavenworth. Luckily, the plains
Indians were very good at mat time,
but the Utes, in the neighborhood OF
Trinidad, were beginning to make
trouble. At Fort Union | first met and
became acquainted with the late Hen
ry V. Harris, forming a friendship that
ceased only with his death. At santa
Fe [ found three old friends, Major
Bob" Kinzie. paymaster, and Surgeon
Mckee, both of the United States
army, and Colonel John II. Hender-
son, at that time agent of the Pueblo
Indians of New Mexico. They, (the
officers, not the Indians), made things
decidedly lively for me for a while.
During my stay at Santa re | MADE
1.-THE acquaintance of General Christie
pher Carson, more Familiarity knoWn
as Kit Carson: General James IL,
II - - A.. ltCtf In nT1fahnI pnn.
tlemen. in both military and civil life.
with my employment as cor
respondent for the New York Herald
and in write-ups of New Mexico foI
many other papers, | passed the time
until about March IL. 1868, when
came to Albuquerque as clerk of the
United States court for the Second
Judicial district, the district then
consisting of the counties of Santa
Ana, Bernalillo, Valencia and Socorro
Hon. Perry e. Brosshus, of Baltimore
being judge.
"Of the so-called Americans who
were living in Albuquerque when
first came, | can recall Franz anC
Charles Huning, merchants and mil
lers; Cooper & Blair, wholesale gro
; GERS: Hon. H. S. Johnson, w. II
TlCnIlC, btuJdhllH oNONCho az oNA
} Duncan, attorneys; A. and l.. Zeck
} endorf and William Z~eckendorf, mer
chants: ]. c. Hill, former clerk of thu
court; E. l.. Smart, matchmaker; Nor
ris Miller, saloon keeper; Hon. Wi
liam T. S%trachan, widely known a
Doc Strachan, merchant and hote
T keeper; William McGuiness, printer
, Jacob May, general utility man; Hen
w. C,pinnar ,nnrnh mt. yNiIliann Ernni
merchant; William Branford, hote
keeper and gardener; Joseph House
ley. (c~olored). farmer; Frank Leonard
gardener; William Reagan, farmer
William Brown, barber; DIR. d. c. d
Leon. and John S. Hutchinson an
: Miner. Captain Santiago L. Hubble
:. lived at Pajarito, south of Albuque
" que, and Leonard Skinner, Henr
y Carpenter, Henry Colwell and Willial
Pool in the mountains.
f "Of the foregoing. all are dead,
: think, except two of the Zeckendorfi
Smart. McGulness, Reagan. Hutchaso
II and Skinner. McGiness is the oni
one now living in the old plaza VIII
: was here when | reached it,"
The major was asked if he had ne
served in several official positions i
r New Mexico. and responded:
$ "Oh, that is not a matter OF genera
interest" but mis- interviewer insis
Y ing, responded:
-; We'll as ear as / can remember.
served as clerk Of the United State
district court for about ten years, pr,
bate clerk and ex-oficio recorder {
Bernalillo county n year; probat
s clerk, eX-oficio recorder and ex-off
clio assessor two years; assessor Nv
years; master in chancery of the di
trict court eight years; United State
commissioner about t~hirty-five year
= and justice of the peace n year"
n When asked as TO his health, III
l. major responded:
1T is fairly good. | am able to ef
heartily, and enjoy smoking and reaI
~ ing as well as ever. | quit attemp
u ing poetry when a kid at school
New Hampshire. My verses to TT
II Maid With Violet Eyes fell into til
g. hand of the old man with steely gra
a. eyes instead of the hands of h
n daughter. My muse took a tumbl
and has never recovered from II
% shock"