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With L. Crawford,
Carrizozo, New Max.
PIONEER STORY.
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On July 21, 1879, I was married to Mr. John N. Phillips,
a rancher and we lived in Tom Green County, Texas. TO this union
was born three boys, Wolter, Roy and Pete. Walter and Roy both
died in their early teens and within three days of each other.
Pete is still living.
In the spring of 1885 Mr. Philips drove one hundred heed of cattle
to the Davis Mountains near Tberah Texas, to find pasturage. While
on this trip Mr. Phillips scouted around in New Mexico looking for
grass and water. In the spring of 1886 we sold out in Tom Green
County Texas and started out for New Mexico, coming by way of the
Davis Mountains and picking up our cattle. That was the year of
a terrible drougth and we could hardly find a place to camp on
account of so many carcasses of deed cattle. We found only about
half of ours. de crossed the lint into New Mexico on September
second, 1686.
We traveled in a covered wagon drawn by two horses and
we had a trail wagon. we brought our chickens, four milk cows,
seven head of horses and one hundred seven range cattle. We trav-
eled alone and I drove the wagon. Walter, our oldest boy who was
six rode with his father and helped as best he could with the
cattle. we saw no Indians nor Buffalo on our trip. We started by
daylight each day but stopped a little early atinight for camp.
de picked up sticks and cow chips for fuel. We carried a water
barrel in our trail wegon and did not suffer as many hardships as
some of the pioneers did. We had one funny experience when we
camped at Pecos Station on the Pecos River. We were so tieed and
tdith L.Crawford 2. Worde-869
CarrizosooNew Vex.
work out Mt. Phillips decided that we would stay a der or so and
rest. He wanted to hire some one to look afVsr the cattle while
we rested up, so he took Welter and rode off to see somebody about
that. I had to go to the river for some water. I loft both of
the smaller children in the wagon but when I got nearly to the
river I found that Roy bad followed ne and had his little drinking
cup in his hand. The river was very high and just above where I
WAS there was a whirlpool. Just as I dipped in ay pail Roy scream-
ed, 's, there is Pa." I looked up and saw a man's leg whirling
around in the pool. I dropped my pail in the river and grabbed
Roy up and ran back to camp scared to death. Roy was crying and
calling for his Pa. When Mr. Phillips came beck I told him whet
we had seen. He went out and got some ranchers and they began a
search for the body. The next day they found the body in a ranch..
er's yard where it had been lashed by the high waters of the river.
It was an old Mexican man who had lived in a small hut on the
river bank and the high water had washed the hut away and the old
man had drowned. Not much else happened to us on the trip. It was
long and tiresome. We OSSA on to the Carizo flats as we had heard
there was lots of grass and water there. It was all open country
in those days and we followed the grass and oemped at watering
places. hhile we were drifting around trying to decide where to
buy we camped for a while at the Cottonwood Springs in the Patos
mountains. It was a lovely place, owned by the Anderson Land
Cattle Company and a Mrs. Simms and her son Jimmie were caretakers.
Mr Phillips was very much taken with the place and said that he
hoped the day would come when he could own it. There was a large
whits house there and it was called the "White House". It was not
for sale at that time, but about the year 1918 Xt. Phillips heard
Edith L.Crawford
Carriaozo,N.104.
3. Word s..539
it was for sale and bought it. I still own it.
In the year 1887 we bought a good place on 'Cagle Creek and lived
there for many years. This place was near Alto. We sold out to
the Southern Pacific Railroad Company and moved to a small ranch
we owned on Bonito near Angus. In 1920 we moved to the Cotton-
wood Springs ranch. Xt. Phillips enjoyed this place so much end
always said that we would not move any more. He died in January
1926, end is buried in a small plot not far from the ranch house.
All of my family is gone but Pete, who is married and has four
children. I em still holding on to the Cottonwood Springs ranch
tho' they won't let me live there any more as I am too old now.
I want my grandchildren to have it.
Narrator: Mts. Martial C. Phillips, Aged 82 years.
Carrizozo, New Mexico.