Arizona republican., 1922-05-14

better not to know. Since We were
so long on the road our provisions
gave out and we had to use the same
food provided for the MeXicans -
beans. bacon flour, coffee and dried
fruit. One night we camped near a
white family who were going in the
opposite direction; the man had killed
a bear and gave us. some of the meat,
which we enjoyed. These were the
only white people l saw after leaving
albuquerque, and we passed through
no towns except little Mexican plazas.
Lost to Friends
Mr. Chandler had told us what
! route We would take and the towns
we would pass through so / could get
mail, but after we started he changed
his route twice and ! had not a line
from anyone for almost three months.
My people back in the old home,
! thinking we We're at the mercy of
half savages, as they judges the Mex
leans to be, were very anxious, and
! lnyhuSband was anxious, too: all
though he had confidence in the
| mans promise to bring us through
| safely. Fortunately we were per-
| fectly well all the time. If any one
of us had been seriously i'll nothing
could have been done One Mexican
did die one night in the wagon next
| to ours. We heard him moaning and
calling or God to help 1t was bit
| terly cold and no one went TO him,
The next morning they seemed very
| much surprised to find him dead We
! had to stay over one day so they
could carry the body TO little plaza
and lay 1t in conseCrated ground.
thought it would have been more hu-
man to have taken care of him while
he was alive.
The train moved so slowly that we
would taFe turns walking in good
weather and could easily keep up
with the wagons. The children gath
cred quantities OF pinon nuts and in
the evenings the men helped to roast
! them. We passed many hours in
| cracking and eating them as we
! moved along.
The first word I had from my hus-
| band was a note sent by some team
| sters. This message reached me so
miles out of Silver City. Two days
| afterwards he met us with a light
wagon and team of large mules. That
! was a Joyful meeting and we gladly
said goodbye to the plodding old
| oxen. 1t seemed that we We're flying
| as we boWled along the first % miles
! to Silver City, where we arrived at
| o'clock in the evening to find our
! little adobe house all ready for US
Even the wood was laid ready for
| fire in the Mexican fireplace in one
! corner of the room. How good it
| was to feel a floor under our feet
| and TO have q comfortable bed on
which to rest. My husband was
very proud to think | would under
| take such journey to be with him,
| but I told him to make the most of
= I ii
| never do it again alone.
/ have made other Journeys equal
| ly as tiresome and dangerous when
one was afraid Of Indians behind
| every tree or rock. If We were trav-
! cling by night we imagined every
! soap weed was an enemy running,
| but he was with us and told us never
/ to look for an Indian because We
| would always hear the shot first.
| Silver City where we arrived the
! last of December, 1877, was quite a
| small place then. 1t is the county
| seat of Grant county. New Mexico.
| and at that time the silver mines
were in active operation. There were
/ also many large and small cattle
/ ranches and sheep herds scattered
over the country and a number of
| small farms or ranches, as We call
| them in his western country These
/ were located in the valleys around
/ and all We're drawing their supplies
/ from Silver City, which trading made
| the town a very flourishing and pros
porous place. 1t is beautifully sit
uated and has a fine climate.
Starts for the GiIa
| We remained In this place, where
my husband was engineer in the
smelter, for over two years Then
! he took a herd Of cattle on shares
| from Harvey Whitehill, sheriff of the
| county, and moved them out on the
! ella river, only a few miles from the
Arizona line. After the cattle We're
| located he returned for the family
! and We again embarked in wagon;
! but this time it was drawn by horses.
We were only two days making the
| trip over the Continental divide,
! through tn, Burro mountains by way
Of Knight ranch. There we saw the
! burned remains Of a wagon. house
| hold goods and wearing apparel scat
| tered about where the Indians had
/ massacred a family a short time be-
fore. We passed on over a long,
| dry mesa to crossing on the Gila
and drove down the valley past a
| few scattered ranches TO the cattle
| ranch where we were to live for a
year in a Jacel house. made by set
| ting posts close together in the
ground and daubing them with mud.
1t had dirt floor and roof.
While we lived at this place
taught school in one of the rooms.
having an enrolment of nine chill
/ dren, including my two. With the
/ proceeds of this venture / bought my
first sewing machine. After a year
we moved IA miles down the river
into Arizona and settled on govern
ment land, which is now called York
Flat. There were a few shacks on
the place, and my husband soon had
built a large adobe house with a
shingle roof. windows and floors,
which We're real luxury.
Here we felt at home once more.
Our house was a stopping place for
H travellers going from the railroad at
Lordsburg TO Clifton and the Long
fellow mines, which were owned and
controlled by the Lesinskeys. We
entertained a number of interesting
people: men who would be welcome
guests in any society We're more than
welcome to US. They We're very corr
dial and friendly and made an effort
to give us the news of the outside
world. Some of those | like to re-
4 member We're Colonel Lee and Gov
ernor Sheldon of Santa Fe: III. W.
I4awton, General John A. Logan; the
i Churches, who We're the first own
ers of the mines a. Morenci; many
army officers, and Archibald Clayer-
ing Gunter. story writer who wrote
profusely.
The Indians were hostile and made