The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1916-02-17
EXCITING EXPERIENCES
OF BASKET BALL TEAM
Where are we going?"
When will we get back ?"
DO you think we will win ?"

These were some of the questions
the girls of the Tucumcari High School
basket ball team had been asking for
two weeks or more. As il happened,
none of the answers: "To Las Vegas
and Santa Fe;" Saturday night" and
yes" was true TO fact. But the
five days of our trip were too full Of
excitement 10 cause much dissatisfac-
tion with results.
At six o'clock on the morning of
Thursday. February 3, there we're as
sembled. in addition to the girls and
their chaperon: Supt. Shadwick, Mr..
Lovclady. Roger Keller. Lucius Shaft,
and two Ford cars. The players were
the Misses Rosie Tarpley (captain), },
Madge Campbell, Rebecca Everest, Jo-
sephine Gentry, Bessie Emler, Doris
Whitmore and Maurine Steckman.
The events Of the trip included a
view Of the eclipse, a welcome stop
for lunch, and "A tramp mp hill whore
the roads grew rugged. We reached
Las Vegas without accident, witness
ed the parade by which the high school
advertised the games Of the evening,
The scores of the games were "A sur
prise to many Las Vcgans as well as
to ourselves. Our defeats 1879 in the
girls game, and 56-l5 in the boys
game may be attributed in part to
the effect of the high altitude upon
the players endurance, and to the alb
sence of regulation goals. Our play
ers showed true Tucumcari spirit by
gritting their teeth and preparing for
the next game.
The boys left with their officials
for Ration early Friday morning. The
destination of the girls was Santa Fe
where game was scheduled for that
night, but owing to heavy SHOWS we
did not attempt the Glorieta Pass.
Our search for a southern route be
came almost A.. arduOus and extend
ed aS that of Columbus for a sea route
To the Indies
Such vivid impressions of New Mex
ico's vast distances, infinite blue noun
tans and wonderful skyline were
etched upon our minds that day that
they still haunt our dreams. But not
all thotS were those of poetry. Roger
watering his car for the nth time,
declared in disgust that the next Ford
he drove thru the desert should have
a camel attachment!
Two main stops were made-one at
Anton Chico, the other at Palma. In
the afternoon we found the mud and
snow increased in our way, Another
distressing feature was the fact that
no matter how long we rode, Santa
Fe was always sixty miles distant.
Minor repairs to the ears caused sew
eral delays in the process Of which
the captain became so impatient that
she declared her intention of getting
out and walking She was dissuaded
only by the cheerfulness of Rogers
characteristic Irish retort.
"All right, that will make one more
less!"
Several times we had 10 push the
cars up "A particularly muddy or snowy
rise, not suspecting that we were
merely getting in training for the
real work of Saturday. As night
came on we gave up hope of reaching
Santa Fe, and at last a loose connec-
ton forced US to abandon one car and
seek shelter in the nearest ranch
house.
This was spacious adobe struc
ture occupied by "a well-to-do family
named Chavez. Nothing more hos
pitable than our treatment could he
imagined After warming ourselves
by the cheerful stove we proceeded TO
spread out on the long kitchen table
the crackers, sardines and canned
fruit which the business manager had
thoughtfully procured at Palma.
Flanked by "lache" and coffee, the
meal seemed an epicurean banquet.
Our hosts hastened TO find chairs
for US, but Madge, called upon to ex-
press in Spanish, the sentiments OF
the company, assured them that we
would eat on ou, feet!
Hurry and wash the dishes, girls,
suggested Mr.. Shadwick. IL set the
water on to heat long ago"
Acting on this suggestion, the girls
rolled up their sleeves and Doris lift.
ted the kettle. The peculiar brown
appearance of the dishes soon con-
yinced the girls. however, that the
superintendents dishwater was mere
ly another kettleful of coffee.
To escape the resultant confusion
that gentleman had withdrawn TO the
other rom 10 make arrangements fol-
payment. When asked what he want
ed in return for his hospitality, Oul
genial host pointed at one of our stal
wart maidens, and said cheerfully
"Grande muchacha."
Unfortunately the proposition die
not appeal to the player in question
but "Grandy" became her nickname
at once, and that is the cause Of IL.
The discovery of phonograph II
the next room put the weary tourists
on the qin vive at once. Tired, de
feated, and disappointed as the!
might have considered themselves
there was only one way in which u
treat this adventure, and that was h
make a clark" out Of il. The sug