Document text
40nevieve Chapin
About 1040 words.
3-'411440410 ONY:SOWILITIE3 DURO* TIME IF, 011VSLOPMXIT.
liers,in the beginning of this article,we wish to pay
tribute to those self-styled "common -place* lives which lie
a the foundation of our national well-beingZot all of us
rd celled upon to occupy p)soes in the limelight of stirring
eventsan every epoch of our history there have been these
quiet...sometimes seemingly monotonous lives whisk,neverOthe-
less,furnished foundation timbers for the structures of county
stAos and rvItion.
And sow, ring the *glory of the plodder; -those men
irld women whose lot it hts been to keep up the grind of dsy
,fter day,month fter month,and .yovir after yenr ttsks tht
wake ap the round of the averge settler in te
Row =Illy times in the past week have we met with some-
ting like thin -."0--I didn't do mnything worth writing up
jet stayed out on the Naos and v;ised n few chickens,'n
some cattle,'n frijoles."--4411,some one hA to raise the
chickens,na catle,'nd frijoles -so why was th,-A not just
se important fie killing q few Indians Find chasing a few
buffalo!
30 we ,xes recording a few of these rare recent--perhyps
more "co%_ onplace--biograplies vith full ,ense of what we
owe to such lives.
241'801181i i
1.0ont.
MR .MA! B.BL=LXT.
In Heroh of 1911 ccus the family of mrs.mAry BaSakeley,
of Clayton,New Mexlco,f1rom Oklahoma.The family at tlmt time
oomiisted of Mr.end Mrs.B1pkeley,Francia Bl*keley,Rszel Blake.
Icy and Donald Blakeley,who w -s t th6t tine juat N small bOly.
The BlLkeleys came directly to Clayton,in Union County,
which et thht time %tYls considerably smmller than _t the pros—
eht.Nrs.Blal:eley recalls thi;; of the firms still doing business
in Clayton,only N few of the original number remain.The Bklind
Hotel,Isaac's IVrdetre Company,the Big Jo Lumber Company and
Bersetein's Store were Eimong those here when she consols°
the Tixier store.Among the professional men,lawyers Toombs
nnd lasterwood remein,of the etaily number.
The only church building now standing that was in use
as suoh at that time is the Mvsonic Lag. RA1 on and and
Aalnut
100/0 streete,while the oldest portion of the Worth building
of the 'test Ward sohol,on the squnre between let end 2nd,end
Oak arid Pint stre ts was the only school building•Part of the
present C.Ig.3.Depot vas in us. Uen,and there were only a few
sections of old board sidewals,here and there about town.
After %bout n yin's residence in Clbyten,the Blakeleys
flied on a oliim b miles 4eot !Tut 2 miles South on what is now
tLe Springer RiThiu,y,and Mrs.B1rAceley nnd t! -Al children moved
onto itddr.Blqkeley remaining 17 town ut such work f;e5 might
he h d.
Personalities,cont.
And for for the next thirteen years ensued for Mrs.Blakeley
-e t* round of "raising chickens,in frijoies"--schooling
the children,snd the mixture of hardships,simple pleFisures
And monotony th,At go to the making of the ,-:verage pioneer farm
fnmily's
When Arked concerning the spectnoulr side of it --any
dangers encountered ,for instalace--Wealakeley only reculled
the time When Donnid,then nged five,was knocked flat in the
g,rden by a Union County Jack rabbit,fleeing for life from
the dogs that pursued it:
During these yenrs an the frim,the Blakeley twins,Clyde
and Clrenoe,were bornaLaterein order to have better school
adv?,ntflges,Mrs.B1Lkeley end her fcmily moved back into Clay—
ton,where by manna of the help of one grown son,she managed
to school the younger members of the frally,gradusting them
all from High School, nd t.ing rewarded by seeing thew all
mRking useful citizens of t7:_erAselves.
7rs.B1-keley,during tLis time,operted one restaurnnt;
for seven yers--first,for ',,Irsaltnoke Jenkins,who sold it
to Mrs.(31,1 Johndon.Then Mrsalekeley 1-iter bought it herself.
3oncurrently with her restaurant work,lirs.Blakeley has been
wiretsker the Wade Hall the vat eigLt yep,re,and,in spite
of theme m. -y c lie upon her tile Ald strength,has alweys,c_s
now found time to extend t, helping h,.nd crld a lift to the
other fellow.
versoniilities•oont.
.4.
mR.AND AgS.N.L,LXIGHTJN.
Another worthwhile family is that of r.sM Mrs.X.L.Leighten
of 411 Walnut 3t,Clayton.New Maxim)*
These substantial °Means recently celebrcted their
golein wedding anniversnry with appropriate festivities end
the good wishes of their many friends,and,despite their years,
which have dealt kindly with themMrs,Leighton at the steering
wheel,er r.Leighton in the saddle,im no uncommon sight in
our midst.
The Leighton family came here from Woodward,Oklahoms,
locating in Union County 4 miles south Yeat of Cleytonvon the
Perioo Creek.
Here,in 1914,11r.Leighton bought from A.L.Ratoliffe soma
1320 sores of lnnd,which he used as a nucleus for his holdings
ding to it from time to time till at the present he oontrels
9000 noree,deeded land,heeides the 2000 sorsa which he has
lensed.
He drove his cattle throe from *codwsrd-.8 herd of 200
row oows--tenking t.h; trip in 21 days and nrriring et his
pinoe on Fovember lbth,1924k,
Ur.Lei11ton and his family Ere primrrily "catTle wino"
having IA present only some 140 acres in cultivPtion.
Cnreful and conservntive methods nd herd work have
helped them "hold their on" better,perhapen rany of the
old time rancherahall we say fortune smiled on hem --or call
;;'ersonalitiesecont.
.b.
it luck --or the rewrd of wtolifulness Lnd ht -rd work?. -but
it is 2 eignifierAnt fsct tht the blizzard of 1910.whioh dealt
many of the cattlemen so much grief4mennt to the Leighton herd
the loss If only one ye_rling,elthot the cf,ttle walked out
over the snow which covered the tops of the five -board fences
and dristod,blinded snd lost,with the storm.
During the recent droutt yearm,the rnnge 'cease" so depleted
thAt for to sessons they shipped their cattle outside the state
for ptisture.In the spring or 1934,the Leighton' shipped 400
head to Akwhaska,Oklshoma,s!A it took the proceede, from the
sale of 100 of these oows ntillb per head,to psy the expenses
on this move.
In 1928,dr.and ,Irs.Leighton moved into ClAyton.which has
been tleir home ever since except for one summer spent on the
rnch near Clnphaw. From this pcint las.Leighton still keeps up
an otive interet in his ecttle busines,in connection with his
sons -Jid sons-in-lnri.
Bibliography
Interview; Mre.Mary Balakeley,01”ton New Mexico
Interview;Ur. ind Mraa.L,Leighton,Clnyton New Mexico.