Document text
Awl. Carter
Anthony, N.za 1100 words
JUL 6 193-i
OLD ITIMER\3 STORIES
Bertha Mandell Candler (Husband: Jeff Candler
Interview: June 27,
1937
hhen I called on Mrs. Bertha Mandell Candler, principal of
the La Mesa grade school, she was taking horilOtacation at home with
Jeff Candler and the three little CandlorS.
I love to be at home with Jeff and the kiddies," she said.
It boats going to California, the mountains or anywhere else."
How long have you lived in New Mexico?" I inquired.
May all my life," she said, I was born 14044,,Mps14a.
parents came from Santa Ana, California in a covered wagon in 1674.
My grandfather was Thomas Cased, the man responsible for the first
mowing machine in the valley. In It576 he built the first flouring mill
at idesilla. The building is still standing, though no longer used
for milling purposes, it was operated by water. -Jay grandfataer was
the first farmer to attempt to grow fruit on a commercial scale in the
valley. He set out about forty acres in apples, pears, peaches and
grapes. About the time the trees began to bear the ooddling worm
arrived and distroyed the whole orchard.
Grandfather also introdused the first pure bred Angora
goats and the first registered Polande*Ghina hogs Into tnis region.
As drove the goats from la Mora, New maxioo and hauled the hogs
in wagons. He was so suesessful as a live stook an that he followed
that business the rest of his 11:0. He raised the uexleans' wages
froa twenty-flv0 to fifty *ants* and in Dait he planted the first
field of alfalfa in the valley.
Toe first school I attended was at mesilla ;ayrtle Bailey,
a cousin to ay bailey, or ,Ars. Royal Jackman, was my teacher. I
finished ay education at 3tate College and Won taught sobool, a
profession I have contInued to follow for almost twenty years. My first
venture in teaohlng was at La Union in 1911. 4ith the exception of
one or twoimy pupils were all ,panIsh Amerloan ehildren. I had over
seventy pupils in half of a: sonoolroom and sister Jessie had as many
more in the other half. I tau:ht the primer, first and second grades
while she taught the third and fourth grades. mo had preetteally no
equipment with which to work and the common drinking pails oontaining
a tin dipper stood on a box in the corner. Ay wages were fifty dollars
per month out of which I paid for board and room. 30 stayed at the
home of Mrs. Alvarez. ',:ruz„ icstella and 2;durado Alvarez were my pupils.
I have always liked the Spanish Ameriaan children and their
parents. f4ey were always veryl‘to us and easy to get along with. lire.
Alvarez and are, WWW11,, ware always doing something for as. bobert
Oaldez was also one of my pupils. And ay pupils always felt grleved
If 'teener' as they called me, didn't snare tnelr candy. li.very morning
ay desk was fairly loaded with donations of all sorts. They were
generous to a fault, but I loved every one of them and never gave up
a school without shed4Ing bushels of tears, i seldom found 5 Amnish
child lacking in artiptio ability. .very one of them oould could
sing, dame, recite or draw, and they were invariably good in penmen:1121p.
On Sae Jose day they would take the little Santo, or statue of their
patron saint and visit every house where they had a son by the name of
Jose. fie always went along and were offered refreshments of wine and
other good things to eat and drink. They celebrate here in La Mesa
too, but they only parade around the ehuroh. The La Mesa mission, which
bears the name of San Jose was built in T353, a year before the Gasden
Purchase was signed. The walls are eight feet thick at the base, and it
e
is pretty well papered with bullet holes, for in the early days it was
r.
used as a fort. This house we live in was also built in id53. Khesever
you see adobe walls as thick as ours and tee ceilings zeds with is tillas
and vi /as. you will always know that they are very old.
In the old days there were no bridges across the Rio Grande so
we paid the Uezioans to ferry us across in their skiffs, which they kept
ready for that purpose. If, however, we were going to a party or a
dui's* somewhere, we would ford it with a horse and bum'. One evening
a young man offered to take us girls to a dance over at Anthony. we
made it aoross;eithout any trouble, arrived at the dance in good order,
and had a:Ofd time. Following the dance we discovered that the river
had come up. None of us wanted to remain in Anthony all night so we
decided to rink the Rio Grande. Now I wonder how we happened to escape
with our lives, for the old buggy was cradling us from one side to the
other and it was all we could do to hold on and keep from slipping into
the water. The poor old horse finally struggled through it however,
and landed us safely on tee western bank.
I taught at La Union for a year and then went to Las Grua*e to
teaoh at the Central school waere I remained from 1912 to 1916. In the
latter part of 1916 I was married, but not to the boy I loved.
L4rtitri-b4
fie had a quarrel and Jeff wont away. I taought he wasn't coming
back so I accepted the other Cello,. Jut I wasn't happy and I don't
think ha was. Finally we were diva reed and I was free again. Then
my caildhood sweetheart returned and we were married. I have been very
happy with Jeff aiialer and we have tame wealthy caildron. ale fatner
was a eattleman aad Jeff was broudht up on a cattle r
At the
present tims he' rxin- on tile :orralitas ranch sixteen miles west
of Las Cruaea. ihe dorralitaa aas three aundred and tairtoon sections.
.iarvey iJ3s111, off's boss, just paid twenty-ei6ht taoueand for some
new stook. jeff's pe,ple are from ie)rdia and relatea to saJaadler
tt.0 41000 ola an.
married I o'ntinued to teach beeause I cap: it.
following my second marriage I rested for two years. From 1919
taueht at -swills. 4firk. ilen I returned to :.as -,:;ruces were
from ISM/4 to 19n. in 192d-26.30. ta,..ght at 'air :ores, a
as Jruaia. Nlea I came to a esa sere i am the principal.
"IhiinLIAlne the toacaers called at the aomes of tae school children
to dot aq,.alaAd *ad to cont a better daderstaadind between the pareats
and tea a. _no .xerican mothers were very ,i;racious, but the 4aalaa
Americaa mothera were uelidatad, extended us a aearty weloame aau if
tale' ha,4ene' to be u)kin, tie as a pressik; invitation to ,.1ae with
them. lheir no.iuee were reJlaraably clean aad quite comfortable. Al faun,i
two families in need of assiatenee but taoy were from oklahoma.
is Aoxidan people take an optomistia view of life. little
tJ.n like a national dett ar how the future zAneration ks going to pay
it wAaldn't bother taam like it does tne average American. iney are
rest for credit; tata like Lae kilter* of paying a little bit at a time
°a their bills. omotimes a newcomer in business will daye a fit beca,Ate
a me aative runs a bill on aim end fails to pay up in a aurry. is
Bat
to 0.'4
I taught
arb of
soon learn, however, that the Aixican Is a born installment man, that
he doesn't mind paying a little eaoh week or month, but to pay it all
at once in a lump sum to any :Aeronaut 006AS like hi,Lhway robbery. have
always noticed that they have a way of stating their troubles in a
matter-of-fact way, with no self pity. They are always ready to help,
sympathize and Tiers over others, but as far as taeir own personal
affairs are concerned, well, today may be sad but t,ere is always a
brighter to -morrow --a .ianana or poco t_eap,t
Atay funny tine happen in a schoolroom to break the aonotony.
Jrak day I asked the caildren how many of them owned a toothrush :)",o
many hands were held up that I was amazed.
oberto,' said to a large boy in the front row, 'way
,don' t you hold up your hand?'
'1 ao eot wan brush,' aa eplied.
next day I notioeu .ihat .souerto was elated over somethIne
SD I said;
oberto ia you (Let a
ale teeth he ex,osea for ay inspection were eleamIne Waite, Lid
I was proud to tLank taat j had smethine to do wita the traasformation.
ais next words, however, br ught ae down frou the clouds where I'u been
floating with a Jolt.
no buy the brush,' hu explained, 'set ,,elong to my beeg
brother.'
Carte r
Bertha Mandell Candler was born in Old gesilla, New MosiGoi
Leoember £6, £890; *skier was Sara Via hinkle Casad, daughter of
Tnomas Casad, pioneer farmer of the Metall& Valley, who brought his
family overland in a covered wagon from Santa Ana, California and
located in Old Manilla in 1874;they were not attacked by Indians but
saw numerous fresh graves of people whom they had murdered4 Bertha
mandell Candler las taught school in Dona Ana County for the past
twenty years; one of her former pupils is Robert Valdes, a member of
the Governor's staff at Santa Fe; she was educated in the public
schools of Dona Ana County and finished her education at State College;
Bertha mandoll Candler is the prinolpal of La Mesa Sohool; she is the
wife of Jeff Candler and the mother of three healthy children.