Document text
Marie Carter 940 words.
Anthony,New Mexico
OLD TIMERS STORIES
Sarah Belle Adams (Mrs. R.O.Adams)
Mrs. Belle Adams, who lives on the family ranche north,
east of Anthony, is a jolly little white-haired lady with a
contagious laugh. When I ask her to narrate how she and her
family factored in the early days of Anthony, she settled
back in her blue tapestry arm -chair and began:
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"Before coming to Anthony we lived in Ohio. That's where
I was born. In the town of Rome --Rome, Ohio," she explained.
"The year was 1860, and the month was September --September
21st. Bob and I came to Anthony in a covered wagon in the year
of 1903. There were only a few white folks here when we came
and most of them were homesteaders like ourselves. We home-
steaded right here on this ranche where we live today. It
wasn't much of a ranche in the early days though. Bob and I
worked hard and made it what it is We homesteaded a 154 acres,
and when we proved up our deed was signed by ex -president Taft."
"Were there very many white people living here when you
came to Anthony?" I inquired.
"No indeed, my dear. Let me see, Mrs Story and Mrs Cole-
man were here. Mr. and Mrs. Royal Jackman —Mr. Jackman was the
station agent. By -the -way, you must get Mr. Jackman to tell
you something about the early days, Well, as I was saying, an.,
other old-timer was Mrs. Alvarez --Cecilia Richards Alvarez. She
was a fine woman; she moved to La Union. Dr. and Mts. Lauson
were here, too. There is another lady I used to know by the
name of Harkey. Her daughter, Mrs. Gardner, lives in Berino.
Mrs. Harkey taught school in the early days."
"Where did you get your water, did you have a well?" I
asked.
"At first we dug a temporary well. That is, it wasn't
very deep. The reason we didn't dig it deeper was because
there was so much talk about highline canal. But gracioustme,
we got sick and tired waiting for it, so Bob, and I had two
deep wells drilled, and we had plenty of water for irrigating.
We put out some fruit trees and when they began to bear we had
some of the best fruit in Anthony. Peaches, pears, plumsop—
ples and several other kinds of fruit. We had grapes,too.
Then the World Wax came along, and oil went sky high and we
couldn't afford to use it for pumping any more; so most of our
fruit trees died. Finally we built a lot of chicken houses
and went into the poultry business.
"I suppose farming was a difficult problem in those days,"
I observed.
"Indeed it was. The ranche folks west of the Santa Fe
tracks had more to contend with than folks east of the tracks.
For the spring floods were a yearly occurrence, and the Rio
Grande a menace to their crops. I suppose you've heard this
before, but then, it won't do any harm for me to tell it again.
It's about the rafts we made out of rough logs to carry us
across the river. Some of the ranchers had skiffs, but most
of them forded across. Finally, when we did get a bridge that
would stay put, it was better then a Christmas tree. Once in
awhile we'd have a community picnic. Then the ladies had a
chance to show off their cooking, good or bad. We never went
to a picnic, barbecue, or party without taking plenty of good
things to eat," she said.
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"Mrs. Adams," I quizzed, "how was Charley Miller related
to you?"
"Why didn't you know he was my son-in-law?" she exclaimed.
"Charley married one of my daughters. He was a fine man, too.
"Charley came here from Texas, long before the railroad, and
when they hauled everything in wagons. He owned lots of land
in the early days. Anthony didn't have much of a school house
when we first came,either, but after awhile they got busy and
built one east of town. You,know, the building the Masons oc-
cupy now, they bought it when the present school house was built."
Mr. Charley Miller, the son-in-law of Mrs. Belle Adams,was
highly respected in the Anthony community, and is often mention-
ed by the rest of the old-timers. He ran the first Valley Mer-
cantile store and the first flour mill. He was a friend to the
root homesteaders, whom be often carried on his books from five
to seven years. Then, when they had proved up on their property
they would reimburse Mr. Miller with land. Hence he became
one of the largest land holders in this district. Following
his death Anthonians were surprised to learn that he had will-
ed them the present cemetary site, east of town, at the foot
of the mountains he loved.
Robert Collins Adams, the husband of 8arah Belle Adams,
lovingly called "Uncle Bob," is another old-timer who has pass-
ed on, leaving a clean path for his worthy sons, fine daughters
and grandchildren to proudly follow.
Mrs,Adams is the mother of Clark Adams, manager of the
Dairy Farm, west of Anthony; Mrs. C. G. Allison of Berino, a
former school teacher of Dona Ana County, and a graduate of the
New Mexico College of agriculture and Mechanic Arts at Mesilla
Park; Mrs. Charley Miller of El Paso, Texas, school teacher and
also a graduate of the New Mexico A. M. College; Robert E.
Adams of 8-oringer, New Mexico, 2nd Lieutenant with the Civil
Engineers in France, during the World War.
Mrs. Adams is the grandmother of Robert Adams, son of Clark
Adams of Anthony. Robert is a teacher in the Anthony Grade
school and a graduate of the same college from which his two
Aunts were graduated, the New Mexico Al& M. Robert's brother
Charley and sister Mary Helen are also attending the A. M. Col-
lege. Peggy Jean, Clark's youngest daughter, whom grandma Adams
calls her "darling," is making a pretty good start, with the A.& M.
College her goal. For at the present time she is a pupil, in the
Anthony Grade School, where big brother Robert is a teacher.
Justice Calvin kismet son of Robert E. Adams of Springer,
New Mexico, is also a gruadson of Mrs. Sarah Belle Adams.
Fanny Adams, who before her marriage was Fanny Ploughman, is
the wife of Clark Adams of Anthony, and the proud mother of
Robert, Charley, Mary Helen and Peggy Jean Adams.
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Mrs. Sarah Belle Adams, wife of Robert Collins Adams,
was born: September 21, 1860 in the town of Rome, Adams Coun-
ty, Ohio; came to Anthony in the year 1903; homesteaded on a
ranche about a mile east of Anthony, where she still lives and
is proud to tell the world that she does all of her own house
work.