Document text
Genevieve Chapin.
About 1800 words.
R. W ISSACIE1
Among our prominent and efficient "Oldtimers" we now intro-
duce Robert Wolfe Isaacs, a dealer in Rardware and Implements at
Clayton, Union County, New Mexico.
Mr. Isaacs, or "Bob Isaacs", as he is familiarly and affect-
ionately known here in the West, is a public-spirited man, whose
idea is that whatever benefits the community also, more or less
directly, benefits him individually, and acts accordingly.
He is the proprietor of a thriving business which, as he says,
"you could hardly kill with an axe." /t came into his sole owner-
ship in 1902 --with a floor space of about 800 square feet, which by
1929 had increased to 1800 square feet.
Mr. Isaacs caused much shaking of older and more experienced
business heeds by buying his building and lots, which are on the
corner of Itainand First, and by a great many other progressive ideas
introduced into his business. His slogan is -"The House of Good
Service," and he has conscientiously and consistently lived up to it
thrul a long period of years.
When the Isaacs Hardware and Implement Store began its career
in Clayton, the only farm tools used here were the "breaker" and the
seven-inch plow, and a great excitement pervaded the little commun-
ity when he introduced into it the first modern plow.
At Athatltime, Mr. Isaacs states, Clayton was just a wide place
in the road with a population of three or four hundred. As hersays,
"there was no parking problem then- -"by dropping the traces you could
park parallel, angling, horizontally or vertically."
In those days, trade reached, out toward Kansas, Texas
and Oklahoma and into New Mexico something like 135 miles
the "good old days of the wide open spaces," with drinks at
fifteen cents each, and no nickel cigars.
By 1929, the business had expanded until it employed
eight full time men, and two High School boys, who were work-
ing their way thru' school. At present, the active work of
the store is in charge of Mr. Isaacs' son, "Young Bob," altho'
Mr. /saacs himself is far from being the typical retired busi-
ness 111106
So much for the growth of the business itself. But the
man at the head of it is much more interesting himself than
the business he founded.
Robert Wolfe Isaacs was born in 1859, in Australia, his
parents having come there some time previously, from London.
Here he lived during his earlier boyhood, returning in 1870
with his parents to London, the trip consuming sixteen weeks.
In 1871 the family again crossed the waters, this time to
the United States, where they settled in Cincinnati. Here, as
Mr. Isaacs says, "engaged in the important retail branch of
the newspaper trade," also selling some books at the same time.
In 1892, Mt. Isaaos came West, locating at Trinidad, Colo-
rado, where the family owned the old Phoenix Hotel. Mr. Issacs
states that he landed in Trinidad with a capital of *35.00.
Just about this time, in company with two older and more
experienced Westerners, Mt. Isaaos set out with team and
wagon to prospect for "gold in them thar hills." Their
search lead them first to a lode prospect, where one of the
oldtimers was sure there was a true fissure veins that was
located on or near the Richardson Ranche about fifty miles
Southwest of Dorsey Station on the Santa Fe.
But on arriving there, they found they had forgotten to
bring caps and fuses for blasting, so our hero was dispatch-
ed to Trinidad to get them, one of the men taking him to the
nearest Railroad Station, some 11 miles away,- promising to
meet him there on his return.
After securing the necessary caps and fuses, Mt. Isaacs
also remembered the very abbreviated state of the camp menu,
to which he was not accustomed. So he worked on the sympath-
ies of his sister till she contributed several pounds of dried
fruit of different varities, a whole cheese, and some bananas.
These were disposed over his person, front and back, like a
peddler's pack, and he set forth on his return journey.
Having traveled by train as far as possible, and seeing
no evidence of anyone there with a conveyance to meet himpthere
was nothing for it but to start out afoot to cover the remain-
ing distance. So off he went.
A kindly disposed rancher picked him up and carried him by
wagon a few miles, and, as night had already fallen, urged him
to tarry at the ranch till morning before finishing his journey.
But knowing his partners were anxious for the re-inforcements
for their blasting operations, be plodded on, mile after weary
mile, afoot and alone thrus the dark. The newly acquired boots,
to which his tender feet were unaccustomed, made walking ex-
tremely difficult, not to say painful. And when the pangs of
hunger assailed him, so nobly did he respond to their intima,
tions that when he reached his destination, the cheese alone
remained to embellish the too -meager menu of the mining camp.
Arriving at last at camp, footsore, worn and weary, but
having taken almost a beeline from the railrodd, what wag his
chagrin to find that one of the partners had left camp, as per
promise, to meet him, but, it developed later, lacking our mod-
ern conveniences of guide marks and highways, he had traveled
miles in an exactly opposite direction from that be had intended
to go, finally rounding up to spend the night with the same ranch.
er with whom Mr. Isaacs had earlier refused shelter. Such is life.
Failing to get results from lode mining, they moved their
base of operation to Big Nigger Gulch, opposite Elizabethtown,in
the hopes —vein hopest--of getting results from placer mining.
But, as Mr. Isaacs whimsically adds, all the "gold in them
thar hills" remains there to this day, so far as that expedition
is concerned, as they took none of it out.
In his earlier life, Mr. Isaaos was greatly interested in
athletics, being an instructor -(amateur) in boxing and calis-
thenics. Nor did his advancing years take any great toll of that
Interest. In later years, he "made his hand" on the golf course,
with no mean results.
In 1905 "Bob Isaacs" married Miss Mary Alice Stubbs,
daughter of B. C. Stubbs, of Clayton, formerly of Georgia.
And, as he expresses it, helsogot the same wife yeti" To
them were born two children --a daughter, who became Mrs.
Finis Roberts, of Clayton, and a son --"Young Bob," who is
with his father in the Hardware business oarrying on the
active management of it.
Besides his hardware business, Mr. Isaacs has always.
found time for any service of community interest that came
his way.
He is a writer of no mean ability --is healthfully in-
terested in politics, serving for a time on the City Council_
and is a pioneer in the field of reforestation and water oon,
servation ideas. He also agitated the question of establish-
ing warehouses of Federal, State or Community ownership, for
the benefit of the farmers.
During the war, Mr. Isaacs was a very active agent for
the sale of Thrift Stamps, and a staunch member of tlje Council
of Defense for his community.
Asked a few years ago for the secret of his business suc-
cess he used Mark Twain's twisted version of the old adage
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket" --which runs --"Put all
your eggs in one basket, but watch that baskett"
His business investments are all in Union County and Clay-
ton; he believes that if a community has helped you to develop,
you, in turn, should do your share to help the community to
develop.
Mr, Isaacs has been a very considerable factor in the
growth and development of Union County and its County seat,
and now, in his later years, numbers his friends by the
es. Such men are the bone and brawn of any community.
Sources of Information.
Interview, R. W. Isaacs, Clayton, New Mexico.
R. W. Isaacs dies
CLAYTON: Funeral services were held here today
for R. W. Isaacs, prominent Clayton merchant -add
resident of Union County since lS98.
A stroke caused Mr. Isaacs death Saturday
night. He was 77.
Prominent in funeral services were members
of the Masonic, Odd Fellows and Woodman lodges of
which he was a member.
Mr. Isaacs was a delegate to one National Dem
ocratic convention and this year was an alternate.
Boor-