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Edith L. Cravfor#, Words 1617
Carrisoso, N. Amex.
FLONLA CA -Vic
I cane to America from Coblens Germany, wbich is situated on
the Rhine river. I sailed in September, 1884. The beat was the
Furnesia, of the Anchor lines. We were thirteen days crossing the
ocean. I landed in New Ierk City and left at once by immigrant train
for Albuquerque New Mexico, where my brother Jake Zeigler was clerk
Jut in the store of Jaffa Brothers. Boon after my arrival there
Jaddie sent me to Nan Francisco California where we had some relatives
living. They got me a job clerking in a store And I.vent to night
achool and learned to speek, read and write English, as I could not
s- ak a word of English when I landed in America. The ways of the
people and the country seemed very strange to me. After staying in
California a year I came back to Socorro New Mexico, which was then
in Lincoln County. I clerked for ?rice Brothere during the year of
1885 and part of 1886. While I was living in Socorro I visited my
brother Jake, who was then living in Maisano New Mexico. He and
man named ierman Goodman ran a small store there, selling dry goods,
groceries and liquor. The town of Maisano was a Spanish-American
town. My brother, Mr. Goodman and a fellow by the name of &aunts*
were the only white men living there at the time. This fellow lountss
ran a rewspaper which was called the 'Gringo and Greaser°. He did
not like the Spanish-Americans and was always making dirty remarks
about then in. his paper. One night while he was eating supper some
one shot through a window and killed his instantly. That ended the
"Gringo and Greaser" newspaper. Another incident happened while I
was visiting my brother there. A bunch of Spanish American man were
in the store drinking and a couple of then got drunk. Jake refused
2.
Edith L. Crawford,
Garrison°, N. Mex.
Words 1517
to sell them any more whiskey so the bunch left the fairs. Later is
that eventing twelve sea came back to the store armed with forty-five
Winchester rifles, looking for Jake., 54 had bees tipped ofikend
was hidiag is the hay loft. When they could not fled bin thOY
left, but the next day they got out a warrant for him and had him
arrested and taken before a Justice of the Peace who, was a Spam-
ish American. He fined qsks and made him pay the casts of the court,
all lust because he would not sell the two drank men more whiskey. That
was the kind of law and justice we had is tbs. day.. I left Son4rre
New Mexico in December l$86„ for White Oaks Wow MaXiCe. I want by stage.
coach, which was a buck board drawn by two little Spanish mules. We
left Socorro about tea o'clock in the morning and got to Osannels rands,
which was about half way between Socorro and White Oaks, about six o'clock
in the evening. WS had our supper there at the ranch and chanced the
teas and started on the last half of the journey. It was a bitter cold
night and we arrived at White Oaks about four o'clock La the morning.
There were lots of sandy places on the road end at times the mule.
could only make about two ales an hour. It was a very cold and.tirs.
some trip. My brother Jake and Herman Goodman bad moved to White
Oaks froa Manama, after Jake had the trouble with the Spanish Americans
at /Maisano, and 2ut in a dry goods store in a small log cabin. After I
got to White Oaks I went Ant° the business elk them and the store
was called Goodman, Zeigler A Coapany. The business was small ad in
order to increase it my brother lake often made trips into the surround.
Lag country sad Addled dry goods. We had a wagon and a good pair of
horses and Jake could take quite a load of goods with his on each trip.
The country in those days was not any too safe and be usually task a
Edit* L. Crawford,
Carrimemo, N. M.
Words 1617
man with him to do the driving, as thiNt out at night most
of the time. He had a eau named Ike Smith Who was an oid timer and
knew the country lell who went with him. Once when they mere return-
ing from a trip into the Penasco country, they were coming dean Nova
hill when a masked bandit stArped up to the wagon and drew a gun on
them and said, °turn over your money and be (plink about it.' Jake
and Smith were so surprised that they were rather slow in turning
over the money and the bandit shot at them. The ballet grased Ike
Smith's forehead. About a year after this hold *e Smith died
from the effects of this mound. rata heppened at the foot of Nogal
Rills near Hegel New Aexico, which is twelve miles southeast of
Camisole) New Mexico. After that experience my brother did not
make very many or trips selling merchandise.
We freightcd al/ of our merchandise from 3an Antonio New Mexico by
teams and mostly ox teems. It took them a week to make the trip
from San Antonio to White Oaks. In one of the oth14,4ments of merchan-
dise, I ordered ten gallons of very fine wio*. When the keg come
we were all so anxious to get a good drink, but when we opened the
keg you can imagine our great disappointment to find it filled with
water. Some one had taken the wine out and filled the keg up with
water. There was a an by the name of W. H. Weed, who settled
in White Oaks in 1881. He had a deneral meOlptandise Wiliness and
also sold liquor. His store was a log cabin with a lean to shed on
the back, with a side door entrance. He kept a barrel of whiskey
on tap all the time and when the miners quit work for the day they
mould go by Weed's place and go in the side door and get a drink of
whiskey, or as many drinks as they wished. Old man Weed would charge
them with up with one drink no matter how many the had. He thought
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Edith I. Crawford Words 1617
Carrisoso N. Max.
in this way he would get all the trade of the miners. White Oaks WWI
a booming town in those days, there were about two hundred miners at
work in the mines. I resesber one evening while I was boarding at the
Brothers Hotel, a man by the naae of John L. Wilson 041110 in to supper
with a fine specimen of gold. Be showed it to a man by the name of
8igafus, who was operating the Month Home stake mine at that time.
Wilson asked his what he thought of this kind of ore. I remember very
well that 8igsfUs told him, "just ape ton of this kind of ore and you
will never have to work anymore. Mr. Wilson locatA the South Home
stake mine which later proved to be very rich in gold.
The Worth Bones take mine was located in 1880, by Jack Winters. This
mine was also very rich in gold. The 414 Abe mine was first located
in 1881 by prospectors but none found the rich vein Ohd they let their
leases lapse. In the fall of 1890 the rich 'vein was located by a man
named William Watson. Th. Old Abe mine if; about thirteen hundred
feet deep and is considered the dryest mine in the world. It has pro-
duced around one and one half million, dollars in gold.
The population of White Oeks was about five hundred people when the
rich atrike vas made at the Old Abe mine and it jumped up to fifties
hundred people, with two hundred miners working in the aincs. Although
a hundred miles from the nearest railroad, the social life compared
favorably with cities such larger. On March 9th, 1895, came the most
drastic of all the Old Abe sine fires, in which eight miners lost their
lives. The town people worked day and night to recover the bodies, the
faithful wonen of the town staying on the job all the time, serving
hot coffee and sandwiches to the rescuremsposemay of whoa would be brought
to the top overcome by gas fumes.
When the El Paso, Northeastern Railroad was built from El Paso Tema.
to Tueuncari New I axis*, we had great hopes of it building through
White Oaks, but it left White Oak* about twelve miles to the 'east, amd
now it WInst a ghost town, but we lain have great bops of the mines
opening up again.
Several funny things happened while I was living in White Oaks.
Mrs. Zeigler and I were invited to A dinner party at Nrs. John Neeurtos,
a neighbor of ours. her little son, Bin, about five years old enjoyed
the meat eouree very such. The little fellow beard we talking about the
kind of meet that we had and it happened -to be kid. Re asked us, *What
did they kill the poor little fellow foil'
During the cleveland administration we had quits a few light grey
stove pips hats in the store. A bunch hit Apach. Indians case over from
the Reservation to buy some dry goods. My brother Oaks soldeaoh buck
one of these stove pipe hats. With their blankets and moccaeins and
high hats they were sights to behold. Everyone in the town wee out watching
these Indiana parade the streets.
I have lived in Lincoln County fifty years and have been in the
general merchandise business all these years.
NARRATOR& Albert Zeigler, Oarristiko, low Mexico. Aged 75 years.