Las Vegas daily optic., 1907-04-09

Rio Pee0S wOrghy of mtRaAua. &EG
whose lives and early accomplish
Reats the saa'a Rosa Sun sAoaa1
ocmmeHOrato 2y series ot veil pr
pared articles
The pAoaeeFs In TIE states where
the great forests grew. who with ~
In hand hewed ouR farms and paved
the way for civilization deserve vel
@: the eountEy,
The early settlers of the plains.
who with the rife for their protection.
moved out with wife ana ehilaren 20
the frontier posts. On the outside bor-
hers Of the settlements. to make
honass and blaze the way for others.
are entitled TO praiseworthy mention
Their memory and deeds should b.
preserved for future generations
Such are the true heroes Of life.
Their acts Of heroism have not been
done On battiefelds where the blare
o. tramDets and roar Of cannon gave
prominence and glory TO their deeds.
. but In the quiet Of every day life. Off.
en- mid dangers from the lurking In
dians or dangerous outlaws. with no
writer near 10 give them place on the
pages Of local history. Fragments of
their early lives are yet known AMI
they should be gathered and presery.
e.
Among such along the middle val
ley Of the Pecos. I mention James NJ.
Giddings. father Of VIM D. Giddings.
now living six miles below Santa
Rosa on the old farm where his father
settled In 1852. when buffalo roamed
on the plains and Indian war parties
scalped white men and women on the
outposts.
He was followed by Don Lorenzo
Labad!e. whose son Tranquillno Laba-
lie and other sons are now living.
He planted the first orchard In the
middle Pecos valley. where Mr.. ELL.
son NOW lives and named the place
Santa Rosa. from which the present
towns takes It's name.
About the same time came Don
celso Baca. yet living. on the Aqua
Negro. adjoining the present town OF
Santa Rosa.
These three were all leaders OF men
and pioneers in settlement. In the
prime OF their lives. They were all
highly respected and welded large
influence.
Don Lorenzo Labadie lived and died
democrat true to the faith, while
Don Celso Baca was and Is a repub.
iican. Both were leaders Of their
party. Both were honored with of.
hcfal position. They are both In.
separable parts Of the early history,
OF the trials and struggles OF that
region Age and experience has soft.
ened Don Celso. who now takes a
broader view Of life than In the ear.
Her days. He is dignified. courtly and
hosp1table. and should now In the
leisure OF age and prosperity write a
history OF his earlier days. The old
farm house of James NJ. Giddings is
standing, but In ruins.
AS stood there recently and In
imagination went back to the begin.
ming OF the fffties. l felt veneration
for the pioneer. who a man of educa.
tion. had isolated himself from th.
world to found a home for his family.
He is gone. but his children live, a
credit to their father An orchard of
seven acres Of beautiful fruit trees of
all kinds marks the spot of his selec.
ton as the most lovely home in the
valley.
Here am at the end of a long com.
munication. and yet have said bu:
little OF the new comers, the new set.
Elements, the new elements of pros.
perity, the advance agents of the tidal
wave sweeping into New Mexico to
make it grand and great
| intended to tell, but must reserve
1t for the future. of the houses and
tents and wagons OF the new men
and women. of the evidences on eyerv
hand Of the great fiood of emigration
pouring in from all sections OF the
country to build homes. and plow and
plant lands, in every nook and corner
lof the lower country.
Their presence and expenditures
thelr home making. tells of the com.
bined Judgment and faith of ten thou-
sand people ready to prove by their
works the faith that is within them
These home seekers have the con.
Victions and energy which have con-
verted the Great American Desert into
i'u''iui heids' E. V. LONG.
Pneumonia's Deadly Work