Document text
Edith L.Crawford Words -1272
Carrizozo,N.Mex.
4
MAY 241938
el. -^-1"
was married to George Madison Hughes, October 22, 1882, in
:unction City Texas, ten children were born to this union two
girls and eight boys.
We lived on a ranch seven miles north of funotion City on the
north Llano river, we raised hogs for the market and had a few
head of cattle. Our ranch home was in the woods on the Llano
river, where there was plenty of feed for our hogs and cattle.
The country was wide open in those days, there were no
fences, our hogs fattened on percens and acorns.
All of our children were sick most of the tile, so rr Hughes
decided to move to New rexieo, as we had heard about the wonder-
ful climate, and that it was awonderful cattle country.
In the spring of 1902, we sold our ranch and hogs, kept eighty
head of cattle ten horses and three hound dogs.we loaded our bed-
ding clothing and provisions into three covered wagons, and left
function City Texas, the twenty second day of August 1902 for
New Vexico.
One wagon had a chuck box in the back end where we kept our
dishes and food, we had a pow hide streched under the wagon to
carry our cooking utensilis and our water kegs were tied on the
sideof the wagon, this wagon carried our provisions and bedding.
The other two wagons were for the family, I drove a spring
wagon and had a pair of bed springs in the back of the wagon for
the smeller children to play and sleep on during the day.
Edith L•Crawford 2 dords-1272
Uarrizomo#11.11ex.
The three oldest boys were the cowboys and drove the cattle Mr.
Hughes and one of the other boys drove the other two wagons, we
traveled very slowley on account of the cattle, we slept out in
the open at night as the weather was very worm when we left Texas
and it was awful dry, we spread a wagon sheet down on the ground
end made our beds on this and had another wagon sheet to spread
over us in case it rained at night, it only rained on us twice
during the whole trip.
did all the cooking with the help of the oldest girl
we made biscuits and corn bread and baked them in dutch ovens
I used cream of tarter and soda to make my bread with, we had
three cows in the herd with young °elves the boys milked the
cows and we hed plenty of fresh milk for the children to drink.
:Te brought all of our mast that we had smoked before leaving
Texas, we also brought a ten gallon keg of home made syrup that
we traded hogs for we lost a lot of our syrup while crossing the
plains it got to worm and boiled over.
The only two towns that we stopped in between ;unction City
Texas and Eddy New ?Lexie° which is Carlsbad New Mexico now)
was an Angelo and Garden City Texas, we stopped to stook up
on provisions the boys drove the oattle around the towns.
Then we stopped to camp at night the children would run
wild on the flats, we were always afraid they would get bit
by a rattle snake, as we saw so many on the road during the day.
Our stook suffered quite a bit for water and feed while we
were crossing the plains, one day in patiouler I remember the
cattle were badley in need of water we noticed a ranch house in
the distance with a wind mill and tent we drove by with the wag-
ons to see if they would let us water the cattle, but when the
Edith L.Crewford
Carrizozo,N.Mex.
5 4ords-D-;72
horses smelled the water they mede arun for the tank we just
couldenet hold them beck and about that time two women came
out cf the ranch houee and ordered us off of the place they
aaiethey only had water enough for their own stock:
coulden't get the horses away until they got enough to
drink, we didn't even ask them to let us fill our water keps
after they acted so rude towards us the children all got a
drink and we drove on I vioAght those were the meanest two
women that I over heard of.
e drcve en and found a watering place that night it was
the uoneho river end we camped on the banks of the river for
two days and let the cattle rest and get all the water they
wanted. drove on across the plains with the cattle when
we struck the line between Texas and New Ifexico they quarad,
ntined our cattle on account of ticks, and we had to leave
them in a pasture. came on to hunt a location before the
weather got to cold.
As we croesed the line into New Mexico we met a family by
the name of Turk, and they traveled with us as far as Roswell
New lexico, we struck the ''ecos itiver at Eddy New exico we
camped on the river several days and rested our selves and
team. and I did the family washing.
There wes lots of herd work and responsibility for me on
this trip lcoking after ten children keeping them clean and fed.
But the trip was well worth all the hardships that we had
as the children became healthy end tailed.
One eyeing while we were camped on the Pecos River we were
cooking supper, I heard a shot and a woman scream I told rr.
Edith L.Crawford 4 itrds-1272
Carrizozo,N.Vex.
Hughes to run quick as I just knew acme one had shot Yrs•Turk7
Yr. Hughes went over to the Turk cemp found that one of the Turk
boys had shot a big rattle snake that lied coiled and was just re-
ady to strike his mother on the ankle when he shot.
moved our camp that night for we were afraid there was anc-
ther rattle snake around.
A, left IMdy and ces.e on to cswell New Lexioo. where we camped
for a fww days, we decided we had rather be in the mountains than
on the plains so we we followed the Hondo River until we osme to
the Capitan l'euntisns so we crossed over to the north side of the
mountians and cemped foe the winter, rr. Hughes and the three
oldest bcye went beok to the state line after our cattle and
brought tho ck tr. the Capiten Yountians and turned them loose
for the winter.
Yr. Hughes began to lcck around for us a place for us to live
he found a place on the Bonito River three miles northeast of
Angus New Pexieo, which is located twenty six miles southeast of
f3arrizozo Few rexlco, we moved our cattle over to this place and
turned them a leose as the ranges were wide open in those days.
e did some terming end sent the children to school at Angus
we also got our mail at ingus, the children rode horse beck to
schcol. We lended on the Bonito :1137. 1;2,1903; we lived on this
place about four years.
As needed better schccls'for our children so we sold our
place and cattleend moved to Carrizozo,New Lexie° in 1907, where
I have lived ever since.
I was born twelve miles north ct Dallas Texas, on term Zenuary
22, 1E5/, kr. uhes was born in Ashville Vcrth Carlonie October
27,1E51, died in Cerrizoze4New Yexico November 7,1916.
Narrator: Ile.Lereh Yughes, Age S1 Cerrizozo,New Vexico