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Jerrizozot.hex.
PIONEER STORY.
MAR 1 4 193
I left Ratisbon Germany either the 15th or the 16th of ;an-
uary, 1881, on the steamer Wertha, and landed in New York City the
3rd day of February, 1881. I stayed in New York City about ten days.
I went from there by train to Trinidad Colorado, where I got a job
as clerk in a general store owned by Rosenwell Brothers. I worked
for them a couple of years. I quit this lob to go to work for a
Polish Jew by the name of Cohen. I did not stay with him very long
as he wanted me to go out on the streets end pull the customers into
the store and rake them buy. There were a lot of coal miners from
Starkville end Angleville Colorado who came into Trinidad to do their
buying. I left this job and went to work for the Circle Diamond Cat
tie
Company of Thatcher, Colorado, as a cowboy. I only staid through
one round up, as I knew nothing about cattle and riding. I sold my
saddle, bridle, spurs and bed to the round up cook and borrowed a
horse and rode him bareback forty miles to Thatcher. I met a friend
of mine, John Pfluegen, who now lives at Sante Fe, New Mexico. John
and I were going' to seek our fortunes in Old Maxim,. he got as far
as Albuquerque and both found jobs. John went to work for Ilfeld
Brothers, and I for Spitz and Schuster. I stayed with them fon
awhile end then went to work for E. J. Foal, 44 Company of Albuquerque,
the largest hardware firm in the southwest. The next year I went to
Slnte Fe to work for better wages for Speigle-Berg Company. They were
in the retail and wholesale mercantile business. I stayed with them
until they sold out and went to New York. In March 1886 I met R.
kichales it Santa Fe, who had a store in Carthage New Lexie°. He
offered me the job of helping him move his store from Carthage to
Roswell New Mexico. Xe had two wagon loads of goods drawn by a
span of black mules and a span of grey horses. he camped out at
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night and took turns guarding the wagons and horses, as there was lots
of stealing going on in those days. When we got as far as Lincoln the
prospects looked good so Michele& rented a building next to the old
Courthouse and opened up a general merchandise store. I stayed with
him until I saved up some money and I bought out Charlie Beljean's
interest in the Jaffa Prager Company who handled merchandise and live
stock. I took care of the live stock end of tbe business. 1 sold my
interest to Jaffe Prager Company end went into the sheep business for
myself. I made good money while in the sheep business. I went beck
to Ratisbon Germany in 1890 to see my mother. I had been in the army
in Germany and had a two year leave of absence when I came to New Mexico
in 1881 and as I bed stayed nine years instead of the two, I was a de-
serter. Alen I got beck there I went to see my mother but did not stay
at home for fear some one would recognize me and report ma to the mil-
itary authorities. I saw one girl when I got off the train that I
had gone to school with and I always thought that she had reported me
for the authorities found out that I was back there on a visit.
After staying with my mother for a few days I went to Munich Bavaria
to see Miss Mathilda Speeth. 4ve became engaged and gave a big party
to announce our engagement and set the date for our wedding. About
twelve o'clock the night of the party, my brother in law, John Brunero,
told me to leave the country at once as tho authorities at Retisbon
had found out that I was in the country and were looking for me for
deserting the army. I went at once to the home of my girl's father
and told him just whet had happened. It was very embarrassing for me
to have to do this but it was the only way out for mt. I asked him
for his consent for us to be married in bwitzerland. He gave it and I
went to Rahroheoh Switzerland to make arrangements for our wedding but
on my arrival in Rahrohach I looked up the Uayor and told him that I
I was an American citizen and
wanted to get a marriage license, that
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my girl was a Bavarian. He informed me that we could not marry in
Switzerland as ve were not subjects of Switzerland. When I returned
to the hotel I met en Englishmen who told me I might be able to get
married at the American Consulate at Zurich Switzerland. When I got
there I was told that there had been a law many years ago where an
American citizen could be married at the Consulate but that the law
had been abolished, and that it would be impossible for us to be mar-
ried in Switzerland. I sat down and wrote my girl how things were
end told her that I was going to leave at once for Paris France. I
found out when I got to Paris that I would have to go through so much
red tape that it would be at least six weeks before I could get a
marriage license so I gave up that idea. I wrote my girl that I want-
ed her father to bring her to South Hampton England and that we could
get married there. Her father was afraid to cross the English Channel
so that ended our trying to get married in the old country. I wrote
her that I was leaving Paris on the Normandy, for the United States.
When I got back to Albuquerque New Mexico, I wrote my girl that if
she still wanted to marry me she would have to core to the United
States. I bought a store at Cerrillos, New Mexico. I wrote my girl
that if she weuld come to New York that I would meet her there and
we could be married at once on her arrival. She wired me when she
left Germany for New York, but %ten the tine came for me to leave to
go meet her my clerk quit and I had no one to leave with my store.
I wired a friend of mine by the name of Fletcher to meet my girl and
show her the city eLd when she was ready, to put her on a through train
for lais Vegas, New Uexico. I met her on her arrival at Las Vegas and
we were married in the parlors of the Plaza Hotel, by Chief Zustice
O'Brien, in August, 1890.
Charles Ilfeld, Max Nordhouse and some of the salesladies of the Ilfeld
With L.Orawford
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Company btore were Et the wedding. After the ceremony we went to the
home of Chorles Ilfeld to e big banquet. Je left the next day for our
new hone in Cerillos, New Vexico. 'it) lived, there for one yeer and then
went back to Lincoln New Lexico. I bought out the Jaffa Prager Company
store and run sheep as a side line. I bought the James J. Dolan home
which was one of the nicest residences in Lincoln. ry wife and I had
five children, three girls and two boys, of which only two girls are
left. rre. Lutz died in Carrizozo in 6eptember, 1930.
NARRATOR: Eenry Lutz, Cerrizozo New Wexico. Aged 74 yeers.