Document text
Marie Carter 2500 Words
Atithoney,
OLD TIMERS STORIES
May Bailey Jackman (Husband: Royal Jackman)
Interview: Mars 30, 1937
Whenever newcomers have occasion to mention, Mrs. Royal Jackman,
Mesilla Valley folks favor them with a blank stare and exclaim: "Oh,
you mean, May Baileyl
May Bailey laughed as the obwerved: "You can't get away from a
name folks have known you by since you were a kid. My parents, Dr. and
Mrs. C.A. Bailey, moved their family from cherokee, Kansas to the Mesilla
valley in 1884. At that time father was the only practicing *hysician
between Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Dr. G.H.
father's brother, came here in the same year. But G.H. liked horticulture
better than medicine so he located at Yesilla Park and started a nursery."
*--;:m***
The Baileys lived in Old Mesilla a year-- then: "We decided to move,"
May Bailey explained. "Father bought a ranch over at Chamberino and put
ten acres of it into grapes. The Mexicans raised the small Mission grapes
but father wanted to try a larger variety so he sent to California for
cuttings. Two years later his vines were bearing and when they were ready
to market he had no trouble disposing of them. He expressed grapes to
northern New Mexico and other points. Farmers didn't ship fruit in ear
loads like they do today. The flood waters from the Rio Grande caused us
lots of worry, for the river would flood every spring. We either had to
be ferried from one side to the other or ford the old stream. Prior to the
building of' the Elephant Butte Dam, the Rio Grande was strong, swift and
very unsafe. It was always best to make sure your horse could swim before
attempting to foie it. Following a flood the water would stand in the
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sloughs draw mosquitoes and start an epidemic of malaria, or as it was
commonly called in the old days, chills and fever. I had it so bad that
my parents sent me back hone to go to school. I remained away two years.
During my absence the rest of the children were so ill that my father
moved the family over to La Mesa.
In recalling some of the old timers living in La Mesa, May Bailey
Jackman said: Major Mossman and his family lived in La Mesa the same tims
we did; also the Mead Family. Meads ran a broom factory. They were the
C.E. Meads. Mrs. Hatton, who became Mrs. Robert Bruce, had two sons, Bob
Hatton by her first marriage and Gado Bruce by her second marriage. Cado
married Eva Mossman and Bob Hatton became County Superintendent of school**
Funny, Too," she laughed. "Bob held an exam' for teachers and I made out
the examinations questions. I took the exam' and passed. You see, there
are more wEys than one, to get a school.
*4144 -11 -#44
When asked the length of a school term in the old days, May Bailey
replied: "That all depended on the
rarely ever taught less than three
I usually managed to work from six
salary was thirty dollars -a month,
amount of money the county had. I
months in each place, sometimes, four.
to seven months out of each year. My
and I never received more than fort
dollars. Some of the towns had what they designated, a school house, a
small one room adobe with a dirt floor, straight wooden benches and a
desk for the teacher."
Regarding her school teaching days, May Bailey explained: "You see
teachers, were scarce and since I was the only one teaching in this part
of the country, my services were in constant demand. As soon as I was
through teaching in one community I was called to another. I first taught
at La Mesa, then, my parents moved back to the ranch at Chamberino and I
taught there. Vado, or Earlham, as it was called at that time, was my next
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venture. While I was teaching at Earlham the Spanish influenra brOlce out
and I was taken down with it. In 1890 I attended the first New Mexico_
College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts at Las Cruces, when Professor'
Hiram Hadley was its president. The college opened in January, 1890 with
thirty-five students and a faculty of eight. This institution is now
located at Messina Park. It is one of the Federal land-grant colleges
provided for in the Morrill Act of Congress, July g, 1862, and is the
oldest of the State educational institutions."
In mentioning her father, May Bailey Jackman, asserted: "The year
of 1890 was the sadest in my life, for the dearest father a girl ever had
took pneumonia and died. Following my father's death the Mexicans crowdOd
into our yard and between sobs repeated over and over, "Por Dios, our
father has left usl' The natives were very poor in the old days. When
they had money they would pay the doctor and when they didn't have money
they would bring the doctor whatever they had to trade on their bill.
Such es beans, fresh vegetables, eggs, chickens chili or Mexican squash.
Whether they had anything or not father took care of them just the sams.
We shipped father's body back to our old home for burial. And the Mexicans,
poor things, whenever they'd have an attack of chills and fever they
would come to our house and ask for 'quinine," meaning quinine. Father
had left a good supply so we dosed them with it as long as it lasted, and
they would thank us and say: "Muy bueno medicinal
In referring to the Rio Grande, May Bailey, exclaimed: "That freakish
riven l It was the bane of our livesl We were always battling that
turbulent stream. It was like playing a game of construction and destruc-
tion. For as soon as our Mexicans finished a piece of work the Rio Grande
would rise and distroy it. Prior to the building of the Elephant Butte
Dam, our spring floods were traditional, we knew just what to expect.
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After father died I undertook to direct the construction of a dam and
the Mexicans were doing their best to complete it before the flood broke.
But progress was slow because the river, which was exceptionly active,
seemed determined to hinder their work. To teal you I was tired would
be putting it mild; I was fairly worn out, for I had been in the saddle
all day, but I didn't hesitate one moment when the workmen told me that
I'd have to find more men or they couldn't finish the dam."
Following a slight pause, May Bailey, resumed: "I wonder now that
I wasn't afraid with night coming on and a treacherous river to ford.
Bending over old Betsey, and telling her it was up to us, away we: sped.
We brought home the bacon though." May Bailey laughingly asserted. For
when we returned from Anthony, where we found several Mexicans willing
to work, we brought enough of them back to finish the dam. How that same
stream factored in my romance I will tell you later," she promised.
Concerning food, May Bailey, said: "Wow days people have more money
but les food. In the old days we didn't run to the grocery every time
we needed a loaf of bread, or phone to the grocer and have it delivered.
We may have worked a little harder during the summer than women do today
but it was well spent. I don't think, however, we fully appreciated our
own work until winter, when we opened the pantry door to gaze with pride
at our well stocked shelves. Row after row of canned fruits, preserves,
pickles, jams and jellies. We cured our own meats; baked our own bread;
we had plenty of milk, butter, eggs, turnips, sweet potatoes, chickens,
turkeys and hay for the stock. In the old days we were not like grass-
hoppers dancing in the summer and wondering what we were going to eat in
the winter. We were more like the common garden ants who work in the summer
to store up food for the winter. Ihe never bought a store cake or cookies
in the old days. As for pies and doughnuts --well, I suppose you think
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your mother made the best pies and doughnuts you ever ate-- that's only
natural." she assured me, with a laugh. "But I feel certain that you
would have changed your mind if you had been lucky enough to taste my
mother's doughnuts and pies."
May Bailey mentioned the )f land, "It was cheap," she said.
Land sold anywhere from three dollars to twent-:-five an acre. We made all
of our own cic,thes in the old days. To go into a store and buy a ready-
made dress was impossible --not to mention --no stockings at all. We had
good times and I think we enjoyed ourselves just as much as the young
folks do today, for we had lots of parties, picnics, barbecues, dances
and ponies to ride. Our party dresses were very much like the long full
dresses so popular at the present time. I recall a party I attended in
Anthony at Charley Miller's house. It was a big Christmas tree party. One
of the guests, who was a youth at that time, became a famous writer of
western stories. His name was Ugene Manlove Rhodes."
In talking over old times May Bailey recalled a sad event. "It was
a tragedy," she affirmed, quietly, "and an unsolved mystery,"concerning
a family by the name of Morley. Mrs. W.K. Morley came from the East,
located in Chamberino and bought the Beggs' ranch. At that time it was
one of the show places of the valley. The Morley family had plenty of
money and kept a stable of fine race horses. The Morley boys, Rowland and
Harold, were my pupils. One day Harold told his mother he was going for a
ride. She was so used to seeing the boys come and go that I don't suppose
she paid much attention to the fact that he didn't return that evening.
But the following morning, when she learned he hadn't slept in his bed,
she becane alarmed and began to make inquiries. Feeling sorry for her,
my -brother, R.C. Bailey, volunteered to search for the missing boy.
R.. had been searching quite awhile and was about to return home when
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he was confronted by the ,ruesome sight of Harold Morley's dead body
dangling formoa tree. Some of the neighbors thought it was suicide,
but my brother thought otherwise, for when he found Harold his hands
were tied behind him."
*-**7:1-11.
Returning to the subject of the Rio Grande May Bailey asserted: "I
have a great deal of respect for that old river after all. For it helped
Royal and me to find each other and to convince me that I was really in
love. An, Romance! Show me the woman --young or old --who will turn her
back on it. I was no exception to the rule, especially, when a certain
young man who had been watching me from the off ice of the Santa Fe
Station, approached holding his hat, (they removed them in the old days)
and introduced himself as 'Royal Jackman, station agent and telegraph
operator for the Santa Fe Station.' You see, I was teaching sob o1 at
Anthony, The river, which had been rising for several days, was pretty
high, consequently, I was marooned on its eastern bank waiting for
someone to coma along with a boat to ferry me to the other side. Royal,
who told me ater, that he had been waiting for an opportunity to serve
me, offered to be my escort. Before parting he asked permission to call
at my homeiri Chamberino; not forgetting to add the customary courtesy
due parents in the old days:
I shall look forward to becoming aquainted with your mother.'
I knew by the inflection of his voice that he expected me to repeat
what he had said to mother, which I did, thereby creating a friendly feel-
ing for Royal even before she had met him. You see, future son -in-laws
weren't slow in the old days. My family liked Royal Jackman from the
very beginning of our courtship, but they were often provoked at me for
making him wait so long. You see, I met him in 1092 and didn't consent
to marry hi a till 18974.1.
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In recalling her wedding day May Bailey remarked: "It would be next
to impossible for me to forget my wedding day. We had planned a June
wedding with a honeymoon to San Francisco. Royal had received our .rail-
road passes and June 30, wasto be our wedding day. But old man river
began to rise and to widen till it was five miles from one bank to the
other. Hence when our wedding day broke my husband -to -be was in Anthony
staumping up and down, with a preacher at his heels. While I, the bride-
to-be, was stranded on the western bank, waiting for my big brother,
R.C. Bailey to launch his new boat and row me across to my waiting bride-
groom. Upon reaching the eastern bank I was told that we barely had time
to get married and catch our train. Then Royal asked me for my baggage;
I meekly handed him a shoe box. My suitcase was in Chamberino. Suddenly
the preacher cried: "'Make haste or you'll mitie that trainl"
Obeying his command we made double haste, by joining hands right
there in the open, on the banks of the bonny Rio Grande. Following the
ceremony three things, which I shall never forget, happened with clock
like precesion. The preacher gave us his blessing; the train signaled its
a7proach, and an old Irish woman opened hir door and called out to us, but
tea minutes too late:
"Why don't yez come into th, house an, be married bike dacent folks?"
May Bailey Jackman was born inCherokee, Kansas; April 17, 1871; Came
to the Mesilla Valley in 1884, where she 'lived with her parents Dr. and
Mrs. C.A. Bailey for a year; Then Dr. Bailey bought a ranch and moved his
family to Chamberino; Bailey family moved to La Mesa where they remained
two years; 1885-1886. During 1885--1886, May Bailey was attending school
in Cherokee, Kansas, when she returned the family moved from La Meaa back
to their ranch at Chamberino. Dr. and Mrs.C.A. Bailey were the parents
of Pearl Bailey of Caniitillot;TeXail-R.C, Bailey of El Paso, Texas;
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Blanch Bailey of El Paso; Eva Bailey (Mrs. W.H. Glenn of Glendale, Calif-
.ornia) end May Bailey, who is Mrs. Royal Jackman of Anthony, New Mexico.
The Jackmans recently moved to El Paso, Texas, but still own property in
Anthony. The former May Bailey became the wife of Royal Jackman in 1897.
Prior. to her marriage May Bailey Jackman taught school in the early days
at La Mesa, ahamberino, EarIdam, (Vado) La Union, Mesquite and Anthony.
Mr. and Mrs. Royal Jackman are the parents of H.H. Bailey of Radium Springs,
New Mexico; Winifred Dearborn Jackman, wife of A.T. Aldro Fibbard,
prominent artist of Rockport, Mass; Alice Aldrich Jackman, wif.4 of A.Ei
Nia;Aionof El Paso, Texas; Royal Jackman, mining Engineer, employed by the
Serro de Pasco Copper Corporation of Peru, with hiadquarters in New York.