Discover Alamogordo
VicuñNA wool the rarest natural fiber in the world
Most people have heard of the prized baby alpaca wool woven to make elegant scarves and warm sweaters. Still, probably less wellknown is the luxurious wool of the vicuña, the smaller camelid cousin of the alpaca that roams wild exclusively in the Andes Mountains. The natural fibers of the vicuña are the rarest in the world due to the strict conservation restrictions on the shearing process. One yard of natural vicuña fabric sells for more than $1800! According to Inca legend, the vicuña was thought to be the reincarnation of a lovely maiden who received a coat made of gold once she married an old, ugly king. Therefore it was prohibited for the people to kill vicuña or wear its fur, a privilege reserved for royalty. Since the time of the Inca, vicuña have unfortunately been victims of poaching, thus
decreasing their numbers to near extinction in the 1970s. Thankfully, today, there are strict rules and national protection measures that have preserved the vicuña population in the central Andes between Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Oddly enough, vicuña are not domesticated animals, mainly because they are master escape artists and exceptionally quick. They are shy, easily startled creatures that can run about 30 miles per hour, making them difficult to herd. Roaming freely in their natural habitat in the altiplanos of the Andes Mountains, vicuña have a high hemoglobin count and a large heart to survive in the high altitudes about 10,498 to 15,748 feet above sea level with little breathable air. It stands only about 1.5 meters tall (5 feet) and typically weighs less than 150 pounds. Vicuñas have an unusually fine and warm coat that protects them from the freezing nights of their natural habitat. Vicuña wool is the finest and rarest natural fiber in the world. One strand of vicuña wool measures between 12 microns, which is 12 thousandths of a millimeter. That is about 7 microns finer than the best cashmere! But this isn’t the only reason apparel made from vicuña wool is so coveted and expensive. One vicuña will only produce about half a kilo (about 1.1 pounds) of wool a year, and the fibers are so fragile that they cannot be dyed or treated with any chemicals typically used in the textile industry.
In May, Tauruses will regain their confidence in all aspects of life thanks to the influence of the Sun. Therefore, it is a great time to go back to things that you have avoided thinking you are not good enough. You may be very pleasantly surprised this time. You will be independent and slightly egocentric, so it will be better to take care of them by yourself. This star also gives people a tendency to subdue and rule others. A better time to think about raising children may not come this year. At the same time, try to keep a good relationship with them. Have you been pursuing a promotion for a long time? Now, it could finally come. Your employer will certainly appreciate your effort, and therefore, you could reap the benefits of your work. If you’re an entrepreneur, May and its energy will bring you opportunities to make more money. Taurus should not forget about family though. Maybe right now, somebody is waiting for you to apologize for a certain mistake you made in the past.
Oro Grande, NM in the News The William McNew Trial April 24, 1899 By Joe Ben Sanders 2019
William McNew The Sacramento Chief, likely still published in La Luz, NM in April 29, 1899 featured this story of prominent Oro Grande rancher William McNew. His early ranch house of white clapboard still sits west of US Highway 54 north of Oro Grande headed to Alamogordo. In 1912, the house was two story- but today it is only one-storied, long lived but now decadent. It is still occupied and a large dirt reservoir is mute testimony to the opulence once sustained here. In the mid 1890’s, William or Bill Mc New and Oliver Lee labored to bring Sacramento River water down Grapevine Canyon. Upper and Lower Juniper Tanks held the precious water needed to water these gentlemen’s vast horse herds. They built Horse Camp of adobe bricks in Grapevine
Canyon. It barely stands today, but it can’t be missed. Then, the water was piped out into the flats from Lower Juniper Tank, and even piped south to End of Line Tank on Otero Mesa, another 15 miles or so from Grapevine Horse Camp. Oliver Lee and Bill McNew, piped water to Oro Grande and to the McNew House where the dirt reservoir provided a swim hole for his growing brood and water for his growing cattle herd. Oro Grande still used their water works for drinking water up into the 1990’s. But, in April 1899, William Mc New was fighting for his life and the Santa Fe Ring was out for blood- and the blood of his two friends, Oliver Lee and Jim Gililland. All three would be arraigned in court and trials convened but in the end all three were cleared by a juries that witnessed the best lawyers The Santa Fe Ring had to offer. The prosecution all serving for free-seemingly intent to convict these Three Texas Cowboys and take their ranches as they did John Tungstall’s Rio Felix Ranch twenty years before in the Lincoln County War. Pat Garrett was hired to go after them. Pat wanted ‘em dead. Pat fudged and his deputy got shot and died shortly after- by Jim Gililland and Oliver Lee at Wildy Well. Of course it was a justified killing. The deputy was shooting at them as they slept in their bedrolls atop the the fire-walled adobe house at Wildy Well. They never were charged.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS MAKE Julie Lloyd, October 2020
This happened sometime in 2012. 911 had been called. The ambulance was on the way. My nebulizer gave out a healthy stream of Duo-Neb mist. It was debatable whether it would get my asthma attack under control and avoid a trip to the ER at the local hospital. Then, just a few minutes before the EMTs arrived, the medication kicked in and my breathing gradually became normal. I was sitting in the living room, waiting, when the young male nurse arrived. He immediately began taking blood pressure and temperature and asking pertinent questions about the attack. In a few minutes, the ambulance arrived. When the two medical personnel arrived at the door wheeling a gurney, the nurse advised it would not be needed. I could almost hear a sigh of relief as they wheeled it back to the ambulance. They came in and
repeated the male nurse’s procedure of taking temperature, blood pressure, getting my name, address, and phone number, and asking if I normally had high blood pressure. I replied in the affirmative but added it usually spiked during and after an asthma attack. “That’s quite a spike,” one said. “It reads at 202/116.” “Give it an hour and it will be back to about 165/90.” They smiled at my reply. After checking my lungs, the young nurse declared they were completely clear with no sign of wheezing. Then he asked, “Do you know who the President is?” “I know who he is right now, but I don’t know who he will be in a few months.” “That’s just a question we are required to ask,” he said, almost apologetically. “You’d be surprised at some of the replies I get when I ask that question. And, most of them aren’t good.” I was feeling a bit smug at the moment, so I asked him, “Do you know what Alfred E. Newman’s middle name is?” He looked a bit confused and confessed he did not know. The fact was, I had found out only a few weeks prior. “It’s Edsel.” He nodded politely and I knew he was lost. “Do you know who Alfred E. Newman is?” Story continues next page
“No,” replied again with that polite way he had. “He is the fictitious mascot for Mad magazine.” “Oh,” he said. Then it hit me. If he didn’t know Newman or Mad magazine, would he know what an Edsel was? It turns out that he did not. So I patiently explained that it was a car made by Ford and named after Henry Ford’s son, Edsel. I told him I thought it was sometime in the 60s.” His eyebrows lifted in surprise and he burst out with, “The sixties? Why my parents weren’t even born then.” That’s when my eyebrows raised as I realized what an old woman I seemed to him. Not just old, but probably a bit crazy, to boot. Things went smoothly after that. I signed a refusal to go to the hospital and my heroes of the day departed, shaking their heads in wonder, I’m quite sure. The bill came today. Since it was a “treat and release” case and I did not go to the hospital, Medicare didn’t cover any of the costs. That’s all right with me. The experience was worth every penny. I paid the bill with my VISA card, smiling all the while at the memory of the encounter between an old woman who doesn’t feel so old and a young man who is certain she is ancient.
April 30, 1910, TULAROSA Tularosa Valley Tribune
Center of Oil Fields May Shift to La Luz The Oil Prospects Company, with a proposed capital stock of $10,000 ($10,000 in 1910 is worth $278,817.89 today) is being organized by businesses men of La Luz and Alamogordo to drill for oil in the La Luz foothills. One of the members of the company, which is to be incorporated later, is understood to be an experienced oil driller from California. The personnel of the company will not be announced until the promotion scheme is perfected. It is the intention to put down a test well and drilling operations will be commenced in the Story continues next page
La Luz foothills as soon as the machinery and a well rig can be secured. Negotiations for an outfit will be made at once. The location of the new test well is stated by J.F. Miller, a United States surveyor, to be the best in the entire country, He has explored the region thoroughly. Two concerns have announced their intentions of drilling for oil at once. A syndicate composed of Tularosa people, who as individuals have filed on over a thousand acres north of the (railroad) station will bring down a drill rig and put it to work immediately. This announcement was made today. The cost of sinking the well will be borne jointly by the Tularosans who have filed on claim. A representative of the Standard Oil Company has arrived and after looking over the situation, has decided to stay here. A Shreveport syndicate announces that a drilling apparatus will be on the way here inside of ten days. It will be set up on the west side of town and a test well sunk. {Tuesday} A California syndicate has offered the pretty little sum of $25,000 ($25,000 in 1915 is worth $655,636.14) for their holdings but the latter think it is too little. {Friday} It is now learned that the bunch supposed to be from Tularosa that formed a company at Camp City were in fact from Tucumcari.
A Creative Window
A COLORFUL DOOR
NEW MEXICO SHADE TREE MECHANIC Story by Junior Thurman, Artesia
My engine icon lit up on my dash in my pickup a few months ago, and worried me a little, however, it didn't seem to affect the operation of my pickup. I checked my oil, power steering, transmission fluid, and water, kicked the tires, but, all seemed okay. A couple of quick scans of the engine compartment also revealed nothing, except a few drops of sweat from my brow onto the radiator. Now I don't know about the rest of you, but when I start sweating, it's time for a break, a cool drink, and possibly, a nap. At wits end, with help from a diagnostic technician, and his expensive diagnostic equipment, at my friendly, local, New Mexico auto dealership, for a small charge, roughly, a monthly payment on my mechanics new jet boat, they located the problem. Isn't it funny how the smallest thing, overlooked in a quick scan, is sometimes the problem.? You say to yourself, "I should have noticed that!” Ready for this? Diagnostic results revealed the "switching valve of the secondary air injection system was stuck on open bank 2," whose primary function is pumping fresh air into the exhaust system, reducing the amount of pollutants emitted by
the exhaust. Embarrassing, huh? I should have seen this. Aaagh!!! I'd have understood it better if it had been written in Chinese....... Using an old line used by auto mechanics to scare young women, widows, and naive clients, in an attempt to add a little levity, unappreciated, I’d add, my mechanic told me, “Good thing you came in, a few more miles and this thing may have exploded in the middle of the freeway.” But, fortunately, my mechanic, in a rare, reasonable mood, noticing I wasn’t smiling, informed me not to worry about it, this system was only required in California, and not in my home state of New Mexico. A smog device.... Now, I've never been to California, never seen smog, however I heard a story about a couple who drove out to New Mexico from California, they stopped in New Mexico, got out of the car, and the husband yelled, “Wilma, get back in the car quick, there's no air here!” A New Mexico native had to explain to the California couple that, unlike California air, you couldn't actually see the air in New Mexico. If this problem occurs with your vehicle, simply check the switching valve on the air injection system. Good luck with that. If you find it let me know. Wish I could tell you what it looks like and give you a hint as to its location, somewhere under the hood, I think.... Story continues
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PS...the battery for a chevy traverse (my wifes' car), is located in the floorboard in back of the front passenger seat. I learned this the hard way. I actually dug the owners manual out of my glove compartment, sat down, munching on a package of old cheese crackers I’d also found in the glove box, under my manual, and discovered it after a couple hours of poring thru 999 pages. You will need a 15 mm torque screwdriver to get to it. A flat tip or Phillips screwdriver, or your pocket knife, a pair of pliers, a hammer and a pry bar won't do it, no use trying. All this, I learned thru practical application, after the exhaustive search thru my users manual, between naps. No use looking under the hood for the battery, “The damn thing ain't there,” I had calmly informed my wife, “how can a bleeping car run without a battery?” It's trying times like these, when I really miss the old days, the old cars and trucks, when you could lift the hood, and quickly locate the carburetor, the spark plugs, the spark plug wires, the generator, the battery, and the starter,.....etc....Nowadays, all that stuff is hidden, and can only be located by an expensive authorized mechanic, aided by the use of a secret map, printed by the auto makers....... Why was all this changed? Okay, here it is, I’ve heard a few years back, a madman escaped from a mental institution, lied on a fake resume and was hired by an auto manufacturer to design
automobiles. He then hid the batteries on the vehicles, then, cackling to himself, hid the jacks and the lug wrench in case of a flat tire, which now can only be located by reading thru the users manual while broke down on the side of a busy freeway with a dead cell phone. Not satisfied, he invented the balloon spare, and hid it in the trunk, or attached it underneath the vehicle using a hoist system. It has also been suggested, by some reliable people, that this sadistic lunatic again, changed his name and is now a politician, serving in the legislature in Washington, D. C., making big bucks on the side running a balloon tire company out of Akron, Ohio. Another PS....if my engine light comes back on, I think I’ll cover it with a piece of black electrical tape, and be done with it.
BAD IDEAS FOR FATHER’S DAY GIFTS!
Deep-Fried Spicy Rattlesnake Recipe Ingredients ● 2-3 pounds of skinned rattlesnake cross cut into 3” sections ● 1 cup corn meal ● 1 cup all-purpose flour ● 3 tablespoons Everglades Heat seasoning ● Peanut oil for deep frying
Cooking Instructions ● Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Mix the corn meal, flour, and Everglades Heat in a large bowl. Toss the snake sections to coat evenly with the dredge. Gently lower the rattlesnake into the hot oil, a few pieces at a time, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. ● Fry for 8 to 10 minutes, until the exterior is golden brown and crunchy, and the thickest part reads 165-degrees internal temperature. Serve with ranch dressing or your favorite dipping sauce. The best way to eat rattlesnake is to peel away the "backstraps" along either side of the backbone. These meaty sections will come off bone-free. After that, use your thumb or fingers to push the remaining meat down and away from the rib bones.
Fried Frog's Legs ● 24 frog's legs, skin removed ● 1 (4 ounce) packet saltine crackers, crushed ● 1 cup all-purpose flour ● ½ cup cornmeal ● 1 teaspoon minced onion ● 2 teaspoons salt ● 1 tablespoon ground black pepper ● 2 eggs ● ½ cup milk ● 2 cups vegetable oil for frying ● 1 cup peanut oil for frying
Directions ● Rinse the frog's legs and pat dry; set aside. In a large resealable bag, combine the saltine cracker crumbs, flour, cornmeal, onion, salt and pepper. Shake to mix. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. ● Heat the vegetable oil and peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. The oil should be about 1/2 inch deep. ● Dip the frog's legs into the milk and egg, then dip into the cracker mixture until evenly coated. Carefully place them in the hot oil. Cook until golden brown on each side, about 5 minutes per side. If the legs start to brown too quickly, reduce the heat to medium. Drain on paper towels before serving.
Green Chile Cheese Bread
● 7+ cups all purpose flour ● 2 Tbsp sugar ● 2 tsp. salt ● 2 Tbsp butter room temperature ● 2 cups milk lukewarm ● 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast or 2 (1/4 oz) packages ● 3 cups Roasted green chile peeled and chopped ● 2 cups cheddar cheese shredded Instructions ● Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cups of warm water. Add milk, butter, salt and sugar. Stir until well blended ● Add the green chile and cheese, mix until well blended. Sprinkle 3 cups of flour into this mixture and using a dough hook (or a large spoon) mix until well blended. ● Add remaining flour to make a soft dough. Place dough in a greased bowl and let rise for 1 1/2 hours. ● Remove from bowl. Place in two greased loaf pans ● Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 45 minutes ● Bake at 375 degrees for about 45 minutes
Guinness Chocolate Brownies
INGREDIENTS ● 1/4 cup vegetable oil ● 3/4 cup Guinness Stout beer ● 2 cups sugar ● 1/2 tsp vanilla extract ● 1/4 cup salted butter, melted and cooled ● 2 eggs ● 1 cup flour ● 2/3 cup cocoa Story continues next page
GANACHE ● 5 oz semi sweet chocolate chips ● 2 tbsp salted butter ● 2 tbsp guiness ● 1/4 cup powdered sugar INSTRUCTIONS ● 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9×9 square baking pan and line it with parchment paper. ● 2. Mix together the oil, guinness, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl. ● 3. Add butter and mix until well combined. ● 4. Add eggs and mix until well combined. ● 5. Combine flour and cocoa in another medium sized bowl. ● 6. Slowly add dry ingredients to the egg mixture until well combined. ● 7. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. ● 8. Bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs. Allow brownies to cool. ● 9. To make ganache, place chocolate chips, butter and guinness into a microwave safe bowl and microwave until guinness gets hot and butter starts to melt. ● 10. Whisk together chocolate mixture until smooth, microwaving for a little longer, if needed, using 30 second increments. ● 11. Add powdered sugar and whisk until smooth. ● 12. Pour ganache over brownies and spread into an even layer. ● 13. Cut into bars.
A Wild Night in Old Fort Sumner by Daniel Conrad Jones (first published in the 2013 Outlaw Gazette)
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hursday, July 14, 1881: It had been a hot day in Ft. Sumner, but, like it does most of the time on summer nights in New Mexico, it had cooled off quite a bit. Pete Maxwell, son of the legendary Lucien Maxwell, was in bed in his room around midnight, trying to get some sleep, and had left his door open to let some cool air in. He probably wasn’t expecting Story continues next page
company, but he got it. Pat Garrett, the sheriff of Lincoln County, strode in through the open doorway. Garrett was looking for Billy the Kid, and he knew he was in enemy territory in Fort Sumner, so he’d been lurking outside of town, and had sent his deputy John W. Poe, who was a stranger there, into town to try and find out if the Kid was there. The townsfolk were suspicious of Poe, and he learned nothing. Garrett was about to give up and head back to Roswell, but Poe convinced him to try one more idea, talking with Maxwell. So they sneaked in to Pete’s house, and Garrett went into his bedroom to talk with him, while the two deputies, Poe and Thomas McKinney, remained outside on the porch.
Pat Garrett (left) and John Poe (right)
The conversation had hardly gotten started when the two deputies noticed a man approaching the house. He was hatless, shoeless, and fastening his pants as he approached. Poe, who
knew no one in town, thought he might have been Maxwell or one of his guests. When the man saw Poe, he covered him with his sixshooter, asking “¿Quien es?” Poe assured him they meant him no harm.
The man went on in to Maxwell’s room, repeating his question “Who is it?” to Maxwell. Garrett, sitting on Maxwell’s bed, recognized the voice as the Kid’s, pulled his pistol, and fired two shots. The first got the Kid in the region of the heart, the second missed altogether. But the first was enough. The Kid fell dead without firing a shot. Within a very short time after the shooting, quite a number of the townsfolk gathered around, some of them bewailing the death of their friend. Several women pleaded for permission to take charge of the body, which they were allowed to do. They carried it across the yard to a carpenter shop, where it was laid out on a workbench. The women placed lighted candles around it according to their ideas of properly conducting a wake for the dead. Garrett, Poe, and McKinney spent the remainder of the night on the Maxwell premises, keeping constantly on their guard, as they expected attack by the friends of the dead man. Nothing of the kind occurred, however. So, what to do next? Nowadays, we’d call the law: the police or the sheriff. But the only law there was Garrett and his deputies, but they were interested parties to the killing, which made them unfit to investigate it. Story continues next page
Someone on the scene, Garrett most likely, knew enough about New Mexico law, which stated that suspicious deaths should be investigated by a Justice of the Peace, who would appoint 6 voters of the precinct to hold an inquest over the body. Witnesses could be subpoenaed, their testimony heard. The jury would then write a report, identifying the victim, cause of death, and the perpetrator (if ascertained), then all of them must sign the report.
So they sent for a JP. The nearest one was a man named Jose Alejandro Segura, who signed himself Alejandro. About 31 years old, he lived with his wife and 2 sons in a little settlement called Arenosa, around 7 miles north of Ft. Sumner on the Pecos. He chose as the foreman of the jury Milnor Rudulph, 54, of Sunnyside. Segura and Rudulph were practically next-door neighbors, by the standards of the time. Rudulph was a good man to have helping in a legal proceeding
Milnor Rudulph
such as this. Born in Elkton, Maryland on August 25, 1826, Rudulph was educated in the common schools in Maryland and then moved to Philadelphia, where he studied mathematics and the classics. Around 1845, he went to Memphis, Tennessee, where he lived four years, teaching school and working in mercantile establishments. Early in 1849 he left Memphis with a wagon train, intending to go to the gold fields in California. Upon reaching Santa Fe, though, Rudulph decided to remain in New Mexico. About 1855, he moved to Rincon del Tecolote (now Rociada), in San Miguel County, where he married a local girl, Maria Candelaria Trujillo, in 1857. They eventually had 5 children together: Charles Frederick, Milnor Junior, Virginia, Matilde, and Emilia. On October 1, 1861, Rudulph signed the muster rolls of the Third Regiment, New Mexico Volunteers; was assigned duty as Regimental Quartermaster and placed in charge of Fort Hatch. Elected to the New Mexico Legislature in 1870, Rudulph was chosen as Speaker of the House. During the years of his residence in Tecolote, Rudulph rendered community service as justice of the peace and postmaster; he taught school and engaged in farming. In 1878, seeking the proverbial greener pastures, Rudulph sold his Tecolote property and moved to a then-unnamed community north of Ft. Sumner. Being the first Story continues
postmaster, he had the privilege of naming it. He modestly named it after himself: Rudulph. This was not against post office policy; in fact it happened often. However, for some reason it didn’t take in this case, so in a month or so he renamed it Sunnyside. Rudulph and Segura proceeded south to Ft. Sumner, where they chose the other 5 members of the jury from among the Hispanics there. The other jury members were José Silva, 59, Antonio Saavedra, 50, Lorenzo Jaramillo, 37, Sabal Gutierres, 31, all from Ft. Sumner, and Pedro Antonio Lucero, 46, residence unknown The jury convened in a room in the Maxwell place. They examined the body, heard the testimony of Pete Maxwell, and probably heard the testimony of Garrett and his deputies Poe and McKinney, although they didn’t record it in their report. The report (Segura, 1881) says in summary: ● The dead man is William Bonney ● He was killed by a shot fired by a pistol in the hand of Pat. F. Garrett ● The killing was justifiable homicide ● Garrett is worthy of being rewarded Then they all signed the report and went home.
Mines & Miners of White Oaks
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n 1879 lode gold was discovered at what became known as the North Homestake mine and soon thereafter the Old Abe, South Homestake, and other claims were located, a small intermittent production of placer gold had been made for 25 years prior to the lode discovery. The total production of the camps is estimated at about $3,000,000. ($3,000,000 in 1870 is worth $60,658,854.96 today)
MAY’S BIRTHSTONE May birthdays fall right in the heart of spring, and the emerald is the perfect gem to symbolize and celebrate this month. Prized for its brilliant and beautiful green color, the emerald is often favored by the rich and famous to wear as statement pieces for big events. But this beautiful gem is just at home in an unassuming pendant as it is in an ornate tiara. As the birthstone for May, the emerald, a symbol of rebirth, is believed to grant the owner foresight, good fortune, and youth. Emerald, derived from the word “smaragdus,” means, quite literally, “green” in Greek. Emerald gemstones were mined in Egypt as early as 330 BC, but some estimate that the oldest emeralds are 2.97 billion years old. Cleopatra is perhaps the most famous historical figure to cherish emerald gemstones. She even
claimed ownership of all emerald mines in Egypt during her reign. The Egyptians used emeralds both in jewelry and in their elaborate burials, often burying emerald stones with monarchs as symbols of protection. On the other side of the world, the Muzo Indians of Colombia had well-hidden and prized emerald mines. These mines were so hidden, it took the Spanish conquistadors nearly twenty years to find them. Today, emerald is a symbol of loyalty, new beginnings, peace, and security, making it not only a beautiful gem to wear, but also a meaningful jewelry gift to be treasured by the receiver. It is still widely prized by the rich and famous, with Elizabeth Taylor’s famous emerald pendant selling for $6.5 million in 2011.
Trash cans like these can save animal's lives, but only if we use them properly. These are specially built to keep wildlife out and stop the food habituation process. If the trash can (or recycling, in this case) is full, pack these items out. Stuffing these cans until they cannot close defeats the purpose and harms wildlife.
Born in 1857, Gouyen was an Apache woman who is noted for her heroism. Her birth name is still unknown but she was given the name Gouyen, a titled reserved for only the most talented and brilliant women of the Apache. The name Gouyen means “The one who is wise”. Her story begins with her husbands ending. Gouyen’s first husband was killed in a Comanche raid in the 1870s. The story about how she decided to avenge her husband’s death, has become legendary in Apache oral history. Getting revenge was not an easy task. Her husband’s father was too old and her male relatives were too weak so she had to do it herself. Because of an Apache tradition, she had to cut her hair because she was now widowed but the knife was taken from her Story continues
straight after. She didn’t have a horse to ride to the Comanche and killing their chief could start a war. If the Apache found out her plan she would have her nose cut off, like the old outcast women. The risk of it all didn’t stop her though. She managed to track the Comanche chief who scalped her husband (leaving him mutilated in the afterlife). For three nights she traveled to the Comanche. She ran during the night, using the technique of her people. During the day she hid and slept. On the fourth night, she finally arrived. When she was finally there she found the chief watching a victory dance around a bonfire, and he was wearing her husband’s scalp on his belt. Gouyen wore a buckskin puberty ceremony dress. A dress that she had only worn twice, once to become an adult and the second time to get married. She slipped into the circle of dancers and approached the chief with her arms outstretched, a traditional communication for ‘dance with me’. Four was a sacred number so she asked four times. She seduced the drunken chief to go with her to a secluded spot. After a struggle, she ended up stabbing the Comanche to death with his own knife, scalped him, and took his beaded breechcloth and moccasins. Stealing a horse, Gouyen rode back to her camp. She presented her in-laws with the Comanche leader’s scalp and clothing as evidence of her triumphant revenge. Later in life, Gouyen was a member of Victorio’s band during their final days evading U.S. and
Mexican troops along the U.S.Mexican border. On October 14, 1880, the group was resting at Tres Castillos, Mexico when they were surrounded and attacked by Mexican soldiers. Victorio and 77 other Apache were killed, and several taken prisoner. Only 17 Apache escaped, including Gouyen and her young son Kaywaykla. Her infant daughter was said to have been killed in the attack. Gouyen married a second time, to an Apache warrior named Kaytennae. He also escaped during the Battle of Tres Castillos. Afterward, Kaytennae was a member of Nana and Geronimo’s band during the early 1880s. In 1883, He and Gouyen escaped with Geronimo from the San Carlos Reservation. During their maneuvers to evade capture, Gouyen saved Kaytennae’s life by killing a man who was trying to ambush him. In 1886, Gouyen and her family were taken prisoner by the U.S. Army, along with others in Geronimo’s band. They were held as prisoners of war at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where she died in 1903.
SCENES FROM ALONG THE “MOTHER ROAD”
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n its heyday, all 465 miles of New Mexico's Route 66 bustled with life and played home to some of the most iconic experiences of American West: herds of antelope on the high prairie, dramatic mountain vistas, and the tribal cultures of New Mexico's native Puebloan people. Today, travelers can still take in the nostalgia of the Mother Road, neon signs and all.
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etween 1901 and 1903, the Southern Pacific pushed through Cuervo and a town was born. Named after nearby Cuervo Hill, Cuervo is Spanish for “crow,” which are abundant in the area. Around 1910, the land surrounding Cuervo was opened to cattle ranching which created a land boom and the town began to grow. When Route 66 came through, the new highway created the additional trade of gas stations and hotels. At its peak, Cuervo boasted two schools, two churches, two hotels, and two doctors, along with numerous other businesses. In the 1930s, Cuervo reportedly had a population of almost 300. By the mid-1940s; however, it had already fallen to less than 150. When I-40 came along, parts of Cuervo were literally buried as the superhighway cut a swath through the residential section of the town. Dependent upon those travelers of the Mother Road, the town immediately began to die. Today the area still supports around 50 people, who primarily live on the south side of I40 and on outlying ranches.
Cuervo lies 18 miles East of Santa Rosa, Directly off I-40
Discover Carrizozo
I don’t try to make art; I let the art make itself. I let the canvas tell me what it wants to be; we artists are the channels. — Cindy Carl Cindy Carl was a Russian linguist in the US Army, serving in Germany. After four years of service she lived a nomadic life, eventually ending up in Okinawa, where she taught undergraduate philosophy and psychology, and was also the Graduate Program Coordinator for the University of Maryland-Asia. After Okinawa, she lived in Ajijic, Mexico for two years, until finally relocating to Carrizozo in 2012, at the recommendation of artist friends. She lives on 12th Street in a bright turquoise house with five friendly cats and an art studio in back. She is often seen cycling or hiking Story continues next page
with friends or at gatherings with other artists at MoMAZoZo. Cindy was born into an artistic family and has always created art. She has worked in many mediums including oils, pen and ink, watercolor, and bookmaking. But her current style was inspired by
unique circumstances. After suffering from treatment resistant bipolar depression, Cindy was prescribed medical ketamine infusions. Special K has done more than alleviate her depression. The infusions expanded her artistic horizons and provided inspiration for her current style of artwork. The first piece in her current style took a year – six months designing and six months figuring out how
to transfer her idea to canvas. Cindy paints on pieces of foam board with liquid and heavy body acrylics. She then glues the pieces onto painted canvas, along with jewelry findings, and other odd objects in intricate abstract designs. Her work has depth, movement and emotion that takes the viewer into another dimension. Cindy has always been inspired by her environment, no matter where she lives. Now she is inspired by the landscapes of New Mexico…and ketamine dreams.
The 2020 NM Magazine Photo Contest Exclusive Exhibition
Issa – Hand Stories Cynthia Whitney-Ward 1st Place Mobile Sheltered Adventure Nancy Haseman Honorable Mention Mobile
Native American Cowboy Branding Shannon Stevens Honorable Mention People
White Sands National Park Richard Larrson 2nd Place Mobile
Pinon trees are small pine trees that grow in the warm climates of Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Nevada and Utah, and are sometimes found as far north as Idaho. Native stands of pinon trees are often found growing alongside junipers. The nuts found in the cones of pinon trees are actually seeds, which are highly valued not only by people, but by birds and other wildlife. According to New Mexico State University Extension, the tiny, brown pinon nuts (pronounced pin-yon) saved early explorers from almost certain starvation. NMSU also notes that pinon was critical to Native Americans, who used all parts of the tree. The nuts were a major food source and the wood was used for building hogans or burned in healing ceremonies. Many area residents continue to use pinon nuts in very traditional ways. For example, some families grind the nuts into a paste with a Story continues
Discover the Sacramentos High Rolls * Cloudcroft * Weed * Timberon * Pinon
Silver Lake
mortar and pestle, then bake them into empanadas. The nuts, which also make flavorful, nutritious snacks, are found in many specialty shops, often during the autumn months Although the word “pinon” is derived from the Spanish expression for pine nut, pinon nuts grow only on pinon trees. Although all pine trees produce edible seeds, the mild flavor of the pinon nut is far superior. Additionally, pine nuts from most pine trees are so small that most people agree they aren’t worth the effort involved in gathering the nuts. Be patient if you want to try gathering pinon nuts, as pinon trees produce seeds only once every four to seven years, depending on rainfall. Mid-summer is usually prime time for pinon nut harvest. If you want to harvest pinon nuts for commercial purposes, you’ll need a permit to harvest from trees on public lands. However, if you’re gathering pinon nuts for your own use, you can gather a reasonable amount – usually considered to be no more than 25 pounds(11.3 kg.). It’s a good idea to check with the local office of the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) before you harvest. Wear sturdy gloves to protect your hands and wear a hat to keep the sticky pitch from getting in your hair. If you get pitch on your hands, remove it with cooking oil. You can pick the pine cones with a ladder or you can spread a tarp on the ground under the tree, and then gently shake the branches to
loosen the cones so you can pick them up. Work carefully and never break the branches, as harming the tree is unnecessary and decreases the tree’s future production capabilities. Story courtesy Gardeningknowhow.com
Pinon Corn Bread
Serving this corn bread in a skillet or rustic cornbread pan is a comforting, homey touch plus the thick cast iron keeps the bread warm at the table. In pioneer days, corn bread was often made in Dutch ovens (also called bake ovens). The large cast iron cooking vessels were imported from Europe and used for cooking foods over campfires or on the hearth next to the main fireplace. As the name suggests, the Dutch oven originated in Holland in the Story continues next page
1600s, but it was later patented and produced in large quantities by Abraham Darby at Colebrookdale in England, one of the first major centers of the Industrial Revolution. In this recipe, the flavors of the sage and pinons, or pine nuts, give the bread a richness and earthiness that evoke the open range and hillsides of the Southwest. Ingredients ● 1/4 cup butter, melted ● 2 tablespoons canola oil or vegetable oil ● 1/4 cup warm water ● 1/2 cup buttermilk ● 2 eggs Dry Ingredients ● 1-1/4 cups cornmeal ● 3/4 cup all-purpose flour ● 2 teaspoons baking powder ● 1/2 teaspoon salt ● 1/2 cup pinon nuts, toasted ● 1/2 cup fresh corn kernels, roasted ● 15 fresh sage leaves, chopped ● 1 small onion, diced Instructions ● 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. ● 2. Whisk together the butter, oil, water, buttermilk, and eggs in a mixing bowl. Set aside. ● 3. Combine the dry ingredients and sift into a separate mixing bowl.
● 4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until completely incorporated. ● 5. Stir in the pine nuts, corn kernels, sage, and onion until incorporated. ● 6. Coat a 10-inch ovenproofcast iron skillet with softened butter (about 2 tablespoons) and heat in the oven for 5 minutes. ● 7. Remove the hot skillet and pour the batter into it. ● 8. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a paring knife or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. ● 9. Remove the skillet from the oven and let cool slightly. 10. Serve out of the skillet.
Nutritional values of Pinon nuts Nutrition Facts Serving Size 20g (Approx. 22.7 servings per lb.) Amount Per Serving: ● Calories 190 ● Calories From Fat 140 % ● Daily Value Total Fat 15g 24% ● Saturated Fat 4g - 18% ● Total Carbohydrate 9g - 3% ● Cholesterol 0mg - 0% ● Sodium 0mg - 0% ● Dietary Fiber 4g -14% ● Sugars 1g Vitamin C 2% ● Iron 6%
The dandelion flower opens to greet the morning and closes in the evening to go to sleep. Every part of the dandelion is useful: root, leaves, flower. It can be used for food, medicine and dye for coloring. Up until the 1800s people would pull grass out of their lawns to make room for dandelions and other useful “weeds” like chickweed, malva, and chamomile. The name dandelion is taken from the French word “dent de lion” meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the coarselytoothed leaves. Dandelions have one of the longest flowering seasons of any plant. Dandelion seeds are often transported away by a gust of wind and they travel like tiny parachutes. Seeds are often carried as many as 5 miles from their origin! Animals such as birds, insects and butterflies consume nectar or seed of dandelion. Dandelion flowers do not need to be pollinated to form seed. Dandelion can be used in the production of wine and root beer. Root of dandelion can be used as a substitute for coffee. Dandelions have sunk their roots deep into history. They were well known to ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, and have been used in Chinese traditional medicine for over a thousand years. Dandelion is used in folk medicine to treat infections and liver disorders. Tea made of dandelion act as diuretic. If you mow dandelions, they’ll grow shorter stalks to spite you.
Here are some interesting facts about the dandelion flower: The dandelion is the only flower that represents the 3 celestial bodies of the sun, moon and stars. The yellow flower resembles the sun, the puff ball resembles the moon and the dispersing seeds resemble the stars.
Dandelions are, quite possibly, the most successful plants that exist, masters of survival worldwide. A not so fun fact: Every year countries spend millions on lawn pesticides to have uniform lawns of non-native grasses, and we use 30% of the country’s water supply to keep them green.
Discover Mayhill
T
he distances involved in pastoring rural churches require a different paradigm from pastoring city churches, said Matt Henslee, pastor of Mayhill Baptist Church in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico. He added that the even greater distances involved in fulfilling the Great Commission around the world require participation in the Cooperative Program, the way Southern Baptists work together to reach out with the Gospel and God’s love for all people. “The Cooperative Program reaches out farther than we can as individuals or churches,” Henslee said. “When I look at building a house, there are certain things I wouldn’t be able to do. I could hit a nail but not do electricity. A house without electricity would be
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hard to live in but you could. However, without nails you couldn’t hold up the walls. Same with the Cooperative Program. “Each church in their own way plays a part with the Cooperative Program. We all have an integral part in working together to advance God’s kingdom.” Mayhill Baptist uses videos and
personal testimonies to keep the Cooperative Program before the congregation. Speakers have included New Mexico’s two NAMB-funded church planting catalysts and international missionaries on stateside assignment. “That helps,” Henslee said. “They can see and hear what CP is, rather than it just being a percentage of the budget. They see that and say, ‘I might not be able to go to Africa or plant a church, but I can give.’ Having the Cooperative Program in front of them gives them a reason to give. They see the reason and what that money can accomplish.” Pastoring a rural church requires not so much strategy as it does presence, said Henslee, who eats a lot of fried chicken at the town’s only cafe. The café also is where he often
studies when not visiting with other patrons. “Having experienced the different taste of big city pastoring [in the Dallas area], I really feel at home in the rural context,” said Henslee, whose church draws members from a hundred-mile radius. “I like the pace of it. I like the fact if I’m going to make a hospital visit like to El Paso or Albuquerque, it takes planning and lots of windshield time. “For me, doing that – the time in the car – you get to think, make calls and stops on the way to visit. It might be inconvenient, but practical for ministry when you’re out of the office. It has made me a better pastor in my opinion.”
Henslee drew from his experiences to coauthor “Replanting Rural Churches: God’s Plan and Call for the Middle of Nowhere,” a book released in August 2019. Henlsee’s focus on missions and “presence” ministry includes volunteering in the community and at the “local” school, which is 10 miles out of town.
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The church also supports a food pantry that is available 24/7 and participates in the USDA’s “Farmers to Families” food box program. These efforts have grown the church to about 100 attendees in winter and up to 160 in summer, when the higher elevation draws RVing tourists. When the Henslee family – wife Rebecca and four children – arrived in Mayhill in April 2017, “We ended up having a slew of grandparents, which was a blessing,” the pastor said in reference to Mayhill’s older members. “We poured into who we had and asked them about their fond memories of years gone by.” He led the congregation, which was founded in 1903, with questions like “’Did you like it when kids were here?’” and statements like, “’We want to do what we can to be open and welcoming and move forward to the future. We’ll get stains in the carpet and we need to be OK with that. The stains, the cries and the growing pains reveal progress.’ “They took that on and ran with it. Over time we started to get a few more and it snowballed into more people. Just out of nowhere we went from six to seven young people to as many as 40 in kids ministry.” It’s common, the pastor said, for members to ask someone in the community, “‘Has anybody told you today that God loves you?’ And invite them to church.” In addition to allocating 15 percent of its budget for the Cooperative Program in 2019, Mayhill Baptist also gives to the Mountain Valley Baptist Association, New Mexico Baptist Children’s Home, Inlow Baptist Camp and others. The church’s missions support totals 53 percent of its budget. “We support missionaries in Africa, Mexico, Papua New Guinea and Austria, and the Tinian Indian
Baptist Church in Cuba, [N.M.],” Henslee said. “I also wanted us to have something relatively local so we could load a van and help with VBS or block parties.” For that, Mayhill Baptist has partnered with First Baptist Church of Roswell, N.M., to plant River Valley church in Roswell, 90 minutes northeast of Mayhill. “So now we can also go with our feet,” Henslee said. “We can have a more tangible ministry and partnership beyond just money.” Mayhill Baptist is growing to the point where it might soon need more than one staff member to handle the needs of the congregation, but the church has chosen to allocate offerings to missions rather than additional staff. “We’re running out of room and one of my greatest fears is that someone could fall through the cracks,” the pastor said. “I see a value of a church of 100-150 people. My prayer is to one day send a group to another church to replant it. Even though we’re reaching people from as far as Alamogordo to Artesia, there still are people on this mountain who need to be reached.” Story courtesy Baptist Church.com
Discover Lincoln County ● ● ● ● ●
Ruidoso Alto Lincoln Capitan Corona
The Ballad of Billy the Kid From a town known as wheeling, west virginia Rode a boy with a six-gun in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande Well, he started with a bank in Colorado In the pocket of his vest, a colt he hid And his age and his size Took the teller by surprise And the word spread of Billy the Kid Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart And he never had a home But the cowboy and the rancher knew his name
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Well, he robbed his way from Utah to Oklahoma And the law just could not seem to track him down And it served his legend well For the folks, they'd love to tell 'Bout when Billy the Kid came to town Well, one cold day a posse captured Billy And the judge said, string 'im up for what he did! And the cowboys and their kin Like the sea came pourin' in To watch the hangin' of Billy the Kid Well, he never traveled heavy Yes, he always rode alone And he soon put many older guns to shame And he never had a sweetheart But he finally found a home Underneath the boothill grave that bears his name From a town known as Oyster Bay, Long Island Rode a boy with a six-pack in his hand And his daring life of crime Made him a legend in his time East and west of the Rio Grande Songwriters: Billy Joel
Quotations attributed to Billy the Kid Truth and History. 21 Men. The Boy Bandit King - He Died As He Lived. Advise persons never to engage in killing. I wasn't the leader of any gang. I was for Billy all the time. If mob law is going to rule, better dismiss, judge, sheriff, etc., and let's all take chances alike. I expect to be lynched in going to Lincoln [New Mexico.] Advise persons never to engage in killing. I like to dance, but not in the air. I don't blame you for writing of me as you have. You had to believe other stories, but then I don't know if any one would believe anything good of me .
L
incoln owes it's existence today to an infamous young man who became known as Billy the Kid. But long before Billy and the events of the Lincoln County War, this area was first home to a group of indigenous people called the Mogollon, followed by the Piros and later the Mescalero Apache. When Spanish-speaking, Native New Mexican settlers from the upper Rio Grande began arriving in the 1850s, the named their new home La Placita del Rio Bonito (the place by the pretty river). In 1869, just four years after the end of the Civil War, the county and town were renamed for the late President, Abraham Lincoln. In 1873, L.G. Murphy established a store in Lincoln
known as "The House" because of it's monopoly over commerce in the county. When an enterprising young Englishman named John Tunstall arrived in Lincoln and opened a rival store and a bank, the autocracy of The House was threatened. Additionally, Tunstall, along with his business partners, Attorney Alexander McSween and John Chism, planned to challenge Murphy's domination of the beef market supplying nearby indian reservations and forts such as Fort Stanton. President Rutherford B. Hayes called Lincoln’s main street “the most dangerous street in America.” In this quiet one-street community visitors can walk in the footsteps of Sheriff Pat Garrett, Billy the Kid, and other infamous characters involved in the Lincoln County War, 18781881. The Old Lincoln County Story continues
Courthouse traces the events as a store, residence, Masonic Lodge and eventually courthouse and jail. The Tunstall Store's original 19th century merchandise is on
display. The Torreon, a defensive tower, continues to stand watch in the middle of town. The Montano Store contains exhibits on adobe construction and the Hispanic culture that was
prevalent during the Lincoln County War. The San Juan Mission Church is open to the public and is still used for services today. The Anderson-Freeman Visitors Center, the only nonhistorical building open to the public, has exhibits in a timeline starting with American Indian prehistory and ending with the Lincoln County War. Special events are scheduled throughout the year.
DAD JOKES ● Why did the man name his dogs Rolex and Timex? Because they were watch dogs. ● What did the evil chicken lay? Deviled eggs. ● What’s the best way to watch a fly-fishing tournament? Live stream. ● My wife asked me to sync her phone, so I threw it into the ocean. I don’t know why she’s mad at me. ● Why is grass so dangerous? Because it's full of blades. ● How do you tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile? You will see one later and one in a while. ● What do you call a dog that can do magic? A Labracabrador. ● Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? Because they’re so good at it.
● What happens when it rains cats and dogs? You have to be careful not to step in a poodle. ● What do you call 50 pigs and 50 deer? 100 sows and bucks. ● Why do cows wear bells? Because their horns don't work. ● What’s brown and sticky? A stick. ● What do you call a fish with no eye? A fsh. ● Police arrested a bottle of water because it was wanted in three different states: Solid, liquid, and gas. ● What do you call a lazy kangaroo? Pouch potato. ● Dad jokes for the foodie dads ● I got hit in the head with a can of Diet Coke today. Don’t worry, I’m not hurt. It was a soft drink. ● Why do melons have weddings? Because they cantaloupe. ● What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta. ● A ham sandwich walks into a bar and orders a beer. The bartender says, “Sorry, we don’t serve food here.” ● Cooking out this weekend? Don’t forget the pickle. It’s kind of a big dill. ● A cheese factory exploded in France. Da brie is everywhere! ● Did you hear the rumor about butter? Well, I'm not going to spread it!
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Why folks “crow” about Tularosa!