Document text
:-obert Golen
Juae220.93t
Frances Totty
Ely beys in rant County
words
JUN 27 103 8
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We left Juarez, Aileo InWTO and eaae to Grant Contr in a
on tl-ain. Our first atop in the county was at Hudson hot bprtnge,th.
present Paywood Hot ,prings.In the early daps peeple bad to xiks for known
water holes as water was scarce in the territoryahe Mambres a ver was
known elc, the lost river for there were only eertnin pleeet that it flowed
nbove the ground.Many travelers missed the river and some vire known to
perish from thirst.The ftyw000d Not #priwAl in the early days ven‘o very
hot. We tied a string to tome meet and dropped it into the sprint tnd it
we soon cooked acon was 000ked by sticking a piece on a sherp stick Ad
beir,g held J.; the springd4 'Then the springs was cemented in 1893 by
A.R.Orsham 4, he pumped part of th-, water out of the springs end f.:und
many relics .Araone them werE atone hammers, flint and bone ialolcrAente
copper spoons, anti earthern ves'Aes.Human bonee were folld „vrt tittt jw
bone, a Skull" There have been a number or stories told about tho 4prings,
One that the Indians took their viettio as well as the members of their
tribe that they wishe to dispose of and thre them in the springs,There
is soils doubt that the stories is true ,but it is a feet thrl at one time
lg eaV Ali eiry ad was detfilled to go to the springs to warn a 'Luteh family
tit the indtans were near ,as the Apaches were heeded toward the old Dottier'
home steed.The cavalry trooped camped at the springs and the Indiana
not knowing that th• soldiers were in the vicinity. About dnylieht the
band of savages swoopiel dow from the edjeeent hills ezpocting to
surprise the autch family f but the surprise came the other wmy for the
cunning sevelps were net with a warm reception a by s volley fro La the soldiers
One Indian fell WOU ded near the springs whle the other -.o-inded were
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carried away bY the Indians they were unable to get the Indian that
fell near the springs.A soldier ELAN' the Indian lying near the springs,
and before any one could stop the soldier he picked up the Indian and
threw him in the springs.The soldier was court martialed for this
cruel offence but was acquitieltd.The Indians in the early days went to
the springs for bathes when they were itl and it was said that the tribe
once a year all capped at the springs a tookl*at bathes ,by building ab
adobe house and plating hot rocks on the inside then throwtne blankets
over the hot stonesond then the patient went into the room and laid on
the hot socks until began to prespire freely;
When we eameon tb the Cienga, the present Silver Citysthere were
a few J'exican people scattered arolnd. Alarge spring was where the B14.
Ditch is today, and where main street was in the 1701s. At the east end
of Broadway v:here the armory now stands, the Indians would creep
up and try to kill the people that camped at the spring.There was a
standing reward that every time anyone brought in the head of an Indian
or other evidence thF,t he had k:lled an apache he wcylld get ten dollars.
The Indians caused a great deal of trouble during the early
days ,but we early settler.s caused them quiet a lot of worry after we
became used to their customs.
Where the Masonic all now stand s was the town carrbl, all
of the stock in the town was placed in this corral at night for protection;
In l841 the Indians slippec up tb the corral one night and by the means
of pouring -water ov r the wall and drawing a rope back and forth cut
an ppening tn the wall and drove all of the stock away. A party was
formed at once to go after the stockaohn dullard wadalled and the present
Bullard i'eak is where he was killedseBullard was killed when he_etoepped
over an Indian to sees if he was dead 0 the Indian raised up and took
and shot Bullard through the heart.
The town never was able to keep many horses around as the Indians
usually got them by some means.
Robert Golden