I was about 14 years old. My mom had died in February and I moved to Duncan, Arizona with my Dad. Virden, New Mexico was about six miles from Duncan. I was born in Virden and I went through the 8th grade there. Douglas Merrill was the school janitor at Virden at that time. They burned coal at the school to heat it. They dumped the ashes on the dirt road in front of the school.
Every Halloween the bell was stolen from the school. Douglas Merrill had been a scoutmaster of my borther. He was very mean to my brother. On a scout trip he made my brother cry because he told him what a bad person my father was in front of the whole scout troop. Douglas Merrill was the bad person. He had 8 or 9 kids. He made his wife work and they all lived in an unfinished house. He would take off and leave for months at a time. He didn't work very much. He was worthless. Getting back to Halloween Night, my Dad had just bought a new green Chevy pick up. Being 14 and having a driver's license, Stub Stewart and I decided to go to Virden on Halloween Night.
We went up to the junkyard and found an old junk car with no wheels on it. We hooked up the junk car with a chain and proceeded to go through the town of Virden. The street of Virden were not paved and we made a massive dust storm dragging this car through town.
We went by the school and the chain came loose. I stopped and back up. Stub jumped out and rehooked the old car. Unknown to us, Douglas Merrill was heading across the street from the school to catch any bell thieves. as we started to take off again, he jumped into the back of our pick up. We were doing about 60 miles per hour down the streets of Virden, there was a lot of dust. I slowed down and asked Douglas Merrill what he wanted. He said, "I want out!" He jumped out. Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Stub and I took off again and got on the oiled highway. Behind us that old car looked like a rocket with sparks streaming out behind it.
We went around a curve and the car swung out and wrapped around a telephone pole and came loose from the truck. We just left it.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Dad's Ranch
Dad's ranch was ten sections or 6,400 acres in New Mexico and Arizona's border. It was about 30 miles from Virden, New Mexico. The old ranch house was made out of adobe. It had a couple of windmills that pumped water for the house and livestock. There was no electricity. On our ranch up at Cherry Creek was the site of a gun battle between the Bradberry's and Meanes families. The Bradberry was the sheriff of Clifton, Arizona and his brothers were his helpers. The Meenes were ranchers turned train robbers. The Bradberry's caught up with the Meenes at Cherry Creek and a gun battle ensued. John Bradberry stuck his head up and was shot in the mouth and killed. One of the Meenes was shot in the arm. I met him years later when he got out of prison.
There were a lot of gold mines on Dad's ranch. He told me never to go into any of them. There was one big mine called the "Glory Hole"-the mine was engineered by Herbert Hoover. The "Glory Hole" they found 7 million dollars of gold in the hole. They sunk a deep mine shaft next to it, but they never did find the vein. There was dormitories and buildings there.
When I was a young kids, my dad would have dynamite on our flat bed truck to the miners over this real steep rocky road. One day my dad and I had the back of the truck loaded with dynamite and a box of blasting caps was on the seat between us. Going up the steep part of the road, my dad opened his truck door and had me open mine. He told me if the truck stalled, killed or missed a beat to jump out. We made it okay. I remember sleeping at night in the ranch house and listening to the pumps pumping the water out of the mine shaft.
Burros
Clyde Pace (my cousin who was 2 or 3 years older than me) and I were out on Dad's ranch and two burros had come up to the corral. Dad didn't know whose burros they were. One was an old white burro and one was a young brown burro. We put them in the corral. I got on the young burro and Clyde jumped on the white burro. I was laughing at Clyde because the white burro was kicking up a bit. The next thing I knew I was bucked off and landed on my nose in the horse manure. The young burro was a good bucking burro. We decided to take the burro to Virden. We rode horses and took the burro across the county which was about twenty miles. Dad had killed some quail and cooked them for our lunch. On the way in we stopped at the old Martin Homestead, which was abandoned. There was a spring, so we scrapped the moss back and drank the water. We went up the spring and there was a dead squirrel in the stream. We were eating the quail and the burro acted like he wanted a piece, so we gave him a piece and he ate it. The burro was a big hit with all the kids in Virden because all the kids tried to ride him. I don't know who ended up with the burro. I was about 9 or 10 years old.
Rattlesnakes
Clyde Pace and I when I was about 10 years old rode horses up to a cattle watering area on the ranch. When we got there, there were many rattlesnakes which were crawling away from the water hole. We killed as many as we could kill with rocks before they got away. I had never seen so many rattlesnakes in one spot.
Horses
Dad had a lot of horses on the ranch. He caught this wild horse in the Black Hills and broke him. But the horse was not broken all the way . dad said he was the smartest horse he had ever had. He would get loose every once in a while and Dad would have to go catch him again.
In those days the ranchers used to graze their cattle over hundreds of miles. Dad loved the round up where the ranchers would round up the cows and new calves. They would brand the new valces so they would know who they belonged to.
Dad's horse was such a good cattle horse that all the ranchers wanted to buy him. Dad sold him several times. Because Dad was the only one who could ride him, the horse would throw the new owners off and they would return the horse to Dad.
Dad Roping
Dad was a very good roper. He could rope anything. One day on the ranch he roped a bobcat. As he was walking down his rope to choke the wild cat it bit threw his foot, just missed his toes. He choked the bobcat and hung him over the bluff because he was so mad and never got his rope off.
Fencing
Dad and I used to carry the barbwire out on horses and we would cut cedar posts and put the posts in the ground with shovels and bars. We had to use pack horses to carry all this stuff because there weren't any roads. It was really hard work for me at 10-11 years old. I hated it.
Mule
One day Dad was trying to shoe a mule on the ranch. He wasn't having any luck. He tied up one leg on the mule and still couldn't shoe him. He got so mad he took the claw hammer and showed the mule and then he hit him in the head and scrapped all his hide off his head between his eyes. He went back and then the mule was a perfect genetlemen. He had no problem shoeing that mule from then on.
There were a lot of gold mines on Dad's ranch. He told me never to go into any of them. There was one big mine called the "Glory Hole"-the mine was engineered by Herbert Hoover. The "Glory Hole" they found 7 million dollars of gold in the hole. They sunk a deep mine shaft next to it, but they never did find the vein. There was dormitories and buildings there.
When I was a young kids, my dad would have dynamite on our flat bed truck to the miners over this real steep rocky road. One day my dad and I had the back of the truck loaded with dynamite and a box of blasting caps was on the seat between us. Going up the steep part of the road, my dad opened his truck door and had me open mine. He told me if the truck stalled, killed or missed a beat to jump out. We made it okay. I remember sleeping at night in the ranch house and listening to the pumps pumping the water out of the mine shaft.
Burros
Clyde Pace (my cousin who was 2 or 3 years older than me) and I were out on Dad's ranch and two burros had come up to the corral. Dad didn't know whose burros they were. One was an old white burro and one was a young brown burro. We put them in the corral. I got on the young burro and Clyde jumped on the white burro. I was laughing at Clyde because the white burro was kicking up a bit. The next thing I knew I was bucked off and landed on my nose in the horse manure. The young burro was a good bucking burro. We decided to take the burro to Virden. We rode horses and took the burro across the county which was about twenty miles. Dad had killed some quail and cooked them for our lunch. On the way in we stopped at the old Martin Homestead, which was abandoned. There was a spring, so we scrapped the moss back and drank the water. We went up the spring and there was a dead squirrel in the stream. We were eating the quail and the burro acted like he wanted a piece, so we gave him a piece and he ate it. The burro was a big hit with all the kids in Virden because all the kids tried to ride him. I don't know who ended up with the burro. I was about 9 or 10 years old.
Rattlesnakes
Clyde Pace and I when I was about 10 years old rode horses up to a cattle watering area on the ranch. When we got there, there were many rattlesnakes which were crawling away from the water hole. We killed as many as we could kill with rocks before they got away. I had never seen so many rattlesnakes in one spot.
Horses
Dad had a lot of horses on the ranch. He caught this wild horse in the Black Hills and broke him. But the horse was not broken all the way . dad said he was the smartest horse he had ever had. He would get loose every once in a while and Dad would have to go catch him again.
In those days the ranchers used to graze their cattle over hundreds of miles. Dad loved the round up where the ranchers would round up the cows and new calves. They would brand the new valces so they would know who they belonged to.
Dad's horse was such a good cattle horse that all the ranchers wanted to buy him. Dad sold him several times. Because Dad was the only one who could ride him, the horse would throw the new owners off and they would return the horse to Dad.
Dad Roping
Dad was a very good roper. He could rope anything. One day on the ranch he roped a bobcat. As he was walking down his rope to choke the wild cat it bit threw his foot, just missed his toes. He choked the bobcat and hung him over the bluff because he was so mad and never got his rope off.
Fencing
Dad and I used to carry the barbwire out on horses and we would cut cedar posts and put the posts in the ground with shovels and bars. We had to use pack horses to carry all this stuff because there weren't any roads. It was really hard work for me at 10-11 years old. I hated it.
Mule
One day Dad was trying to shoe a mule on the ranch. He wasn't having any luck. He tied up one leg on the mule and still couldn't shoe him. He got so mad he took the claw hammer and showed the mule and then he hit him in the head and scrapped all his hide off his head between his eyes. He went back and then the mule was a perfect genetlemen. He had no problem shoeing that mule from then on.
Laurence, Sis and Burro
When Sis and Laurence lived in the Smith house in Virden when I was about ten years old. Laurence had gone up into the Borro Mountains near Silver City, New Mexico and caught a little burro and brought him home. He hadd a long rope on him that was coiled at my feet. He asked me to hold him while he pitched some hay to his cows. When he threw the hay into the stall the burro took of and jerked the rope out of my hand. I was standing there watching the burro run away. I was not aware that my foot was in the coil. The next thing I knew I was on my back being dragged across an old fence that was down and into a plowed field before the rope came loose from my foot. Laurence came running out after us. He was really relived when my foot came loose. He was afraid I would be dragged to death.
Thurgason House
Much to my dismay, after Sis was married she spent more time at our house than she did at her own. She was always teasing me. One day while she was teasing me, I grabbed her arm and had it behind her back, twisting it. Mom told me to turn her loose and I was saying no and Sis would giggle. Mom got a belt and would hit me with it if I wouldn't let go and Sis would giggle. This happened several times before I finally let her arm loose.
When I was in the sixth grade, I was supposed to bring a pie to school. My mom was sick or in El Paso, so Sis made a chocolate pie for me to take to school. When the sixth graders saw that ugly pie, they said "Let's give this pie to the fifth graders!"
When I was in the sixth grade, I was supposed to bring a pie to school. My mom was sick or in El Paso, so Sis made a chocolate pie for me to take to school. When the sixth graders saw that ugly pie, they said "Let's give this pie to the fifth graders!"
The Smith House-Virden, New Mexico
Later they (Sis and Laurence) moved into the Smith House which was across the street from the little adobe house that I was born in . They were living there during World War II. Laurence was deferred from the draft because he was a farmer.
Sis and Laurence's first son, Larry, was born while they lived there. Sis was 20 years old. Dad and Mom and I had moved to the Thurgeson House at this time. Sis and Laurence used to play "Hearts" with their friends. One of their favorite songs was "Peg of My Heart". I would be over to Sis' house and Laurence would come home for lunch each day. They would go in the bedroom to take a nap (ha! ha!). I was so bored because I had to sit there with no one to talk to.
When Larry came along, I would be at her house visiting there. I would sit there reading a magazine and she would take Larry's wet diaper and slap me in the face with it. I would forget about it and before you knew it, she would do it again.
Laurence had bought a new green International pick up. One day I was going to move his Farmall Tractor and as I'm passing his new pickup, I noticed it was moving along with me. I hadn't realized that the axle on the rear wheels stuck out further than the tires. One axel had hooked on the fender of the pickup and had put a nice dent in it. Laurence was chewing Sis out for denting the truck and she was denying it. I didn't dare tell him I had done it. I don't think he ever found out.
Sis and Laurence's first son, Larry, was born while they lived there. Sis was 20 years old. Dad and Mom and I had moved to the Thurgeson House at this time. Sis and Laurence used to play "Hearts" with their friends. One of their favorite songs was "Peg of My Heart". I would be over to Sis' house and Laurence would come home for lunch each day. They would go in the bedroom to take a nap (ha! ha!). I was so bored because I had to sit there with no one to talk to.
When Larry came along, I would be at her house visiting there. I would sit there reading a magazine and she would take Larry's wet diaper and slap me in the face with it. I would forget about it and before you knew it, she would do it again.
Laurence had bought a new green International pick up. One day I was going to move his Farmall Tractor and as I'm passing his new pickup, I noticed it was moving along with me. I hadn't realized that the axle on the rear wheels stuck out further than the tires. One axel had hooked on the fender of the pickup and had put a nice dent in it. Laurence was chewing Sis out for denting the truck and she was denying it. I didn't dare tell him I had done it. I don't think he ever found out.
Hay Bailing
When I was about 12-13 years old in Virden, my brother in law, Laurence Smith, bought one of the first one man string tied bailers from International Harvester. He would pull it with a tractor (Farmall by International Harvester) and start the bailer and it would automatically feed the hay, tie it, and let off the bale. Laurence did custom bailing for the farmers in the area and he charged them $3 a ton. He had me take the tractor and bailer to the people's farms and bale their hay. He paid me .25 cents a ton. I could make $2-3 a day, not counting the travel time.
Hoeing Cotton Weeds
When I was 10-13 years old I used to hoe the weed in cotton fields. I would get paid .10 cents a row. Some of the rows were a quarter mile long. When I matured, I was paid .02 cents a pound to pick the cotton. If I worked all day long I could make $2.
Potato Shed
When I was about 12 years old in Virden, New Mexico I worked in the potato shed during potato season. The potato shed is where they sorted potatoes by quality and size into #1 or #2 etc. I was lifting 100 pound sacks of potatoes and working about 13 hours a day. I was getting paid .33 cents an our. I was saving money to get a motor scooter.
Hoeing Cotton Weeds
When I was 10-13 years old I used to hoe the weed in cotton fields. I would get paid .10 cents a row. Some of the rows were a quarter mile long. When I matured, I was paid .02 cents a pound to pick the cotton. If I worked all day long I could make $2.
Potato Shed
When I was about 12 years old in Virden, New Mexico I worked in the potato shed during potato season. The potato shed is where they sorted potatoes by quality and size into #1 or #2 etc. I was lifting 100 pound sacks of potatoes and working about 13 hours a day. I was getting paid .33 cents an our. I was saving money to get a motor scooter.
Glad to Get Rid of Sis-Virden, New Mexico
When I was seven we all lived on a farm outside of Virden. Sis was 16 years old and was going to get married to Laurence A. Smith. Sis had the deluxe bedroom in our home and she even had a cardboard closet. I had always wanted that closet. Laurence and Sis were married at the farm house.
One of Laurence's friends had a walking cane. When Laurence and Sis were walking down the aisle, his friend took the cane and hooked Laurence's leg and nearly tripped him.
After they were married, Laurence's friends had put a siren bomb on their car so that when they started the car a siren went off and a big fire cracker sound went off.
I was really glad to get rid of my sixteen year old sister. When we were driving home to the farm one night and she hit a cow and smashed the fender of the car. She let out her famous little giggle and told me not to tell Daddy how it happened.
Now that she was married and gone, I got to have her cardboard closet.
One of Laurence's friends had a walking cane. When Laurence and Sis were walking down the aisle, his friend took the cane and hooked Laurence's leg and nearly tripped him.
After they were married, Laurence's friends had put a siren bomb on their car so that when they started the car a siren went off and a big fire cracker sound went off.
I was really glad to get rid of my sixteen year old sister. When we were driving home to the farm one night and she hit a cow and smashed the fender of the car. She let out her famous little giggle and told me not to tell Daddy how it happened.
Now that she was married and gone, I got to have her cardboard closet.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Dad in the Navy
Soon after their marriage Dad joined the Navy during World War I. They were stationed in Southern California. after the war was over, Mom and Dad lived in L.A., where Grant was born. Dad was a carpenter there and he worked on a lot of movie stars homes. They lived there several years, but Dad was anxious to return to Arizona and New Mexico, where he was born and grew up. All he could think about was going to the Black Hills and catching those wild horses.
Dad's Birth
Grandpa James Orlando Pace had gone into the Gila Valley of New Mexico, where he owned the Gila River Ranch. He and his wife, Nancy Orpha Boggs had 13 children. Dad was the 9th child. He was born the 19th of January, 1896. Dad's oldest sister was Electa.
Dad's Birth
Grandpa James Orlando Pace had gone into the Gila Valley of New Mexico, where he owned the Gila River Ranch. He and his wife, Nancy Orpha Boggs had 13 children. Dad was the 9th child. He was born the 19th of January, 1896. Dad's oldest sister was Electa.
Mom & Dad's Marriage
When Mom and Dad got married, Mom was 18 and a telephone operator in Duncan, Arizona. Dad was a 24 year old rancher. They fell in love and got married. I think they met at a dance. Dad bought a new Nash convertible and was teaching Mom how to drive. She rolled the car and Dad's nose went through the convertible's cloth top and broke his nose. That was the only casualty.
He roped a snag on a tree to break it off and when he backed up his horse the snag snapped and came back and hit him in the nose and broke his nose again. He ended up with a big nose.
He roped a snag on a tree to break it off and when he backed up his horse the snag snapped and came back and hit him in the nose and broke his nose again. He ended up with a big nose.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Owen Lunt on July 4th
When we were living in the Thurgason house, I went to my cousin Clyde's house to play. I was ten or eleven years old. The next house over was the Harris house and across the street was May Lunt (a widow) and Owen and Tim and Terry's house. It was the 4th of July and every once in a while I could hear firecrackers going off.
Owen, who was about fourteen years old, was using weed burner to burn weeds for Mr. Harris. I heard this big blast and thought it was fireworks, but I looked over and saw flames that went way above the apricot tree. I ran over there. The weed burner had exploded and Owen was just standing there in shock. His shirt was burned off except for his cuffs. His hair was gone. Big pieces of skin were hanging down from his chest. His mother took a blanket and wrapped it around him and put him in the car and took him to Lordsburg, New Mexico, about 40 miles away to the doctors. They later took him to the hospital in El Paso. He was totally scarred and in spite of it he recovered and turned out to be a terrific person.
Owen, who was about fourteen years old, was using weed burner to burn weeds for Mr. Harris. I heard this big blast and thought it was fireworks, but I looked over and saw flames that went way above the apricot tree. I ran over there. The weed burner had exploded and Owen was just standing there in shock. His shirt was burned off except for his cuffs. His hair was gone. Big pieces of skin were hanging down from his chest. His mother took a blanket and wrapped it around him and put him in the car and took him to Lordsburg, New Mexico, about 40 miles away to the doctors. They later took him to the hospital in El Paso. He was totally scarred and in spite of it he recovered and turned out to be a terrific person.
Chapo
When I was very young, around two years old, my dad broke a horse named Chapo. My brother, Grant, had hit him in the eye and blinded him. Chapo was very smart and gentle. He was very cow wise and kids of any age could ride him. Dad said he was the only horse he could trust with little kids. He would do anything to keep a kid from falling off. When he came to a ditch, he would gently step over it. The twins Tim and Terry Lunt would come over and Dad would tease them by putting them on backwards and hanging them over the side. I used to ride Chapo all the time when I was a kid.
Sling Shots and Rubber Guns
When we were kids we made our own sling shots. We cut the Y out of a branch on the tree. We would use red rubber inner tubes to cut the straps and we would take the leather tongue out of an old shoes for the pocket. At this time during the second world war, synthetic rubber tubes were coming out, but they wouldn't stretch so we had to find real rubber tubes.
We would select rocks or steel ball barrings for our ammunition. We also made rubber guns and we would stretch the rubber tubes from the front of the gun to the clothes pin on the back. When you let the clothes pin open, the rubber strap would shoot forward and hit the other guy. You weren't supposed to shoot anyone in the head, but sometimes it happened and it really hurt.
We would select rocks or steel ball barrings for our ammunition. We also made rubber guns and we would stretch the rubber tubes from the front of the gun to the clothes pin on the back. When you let the clothes pin open, the rubber strap would shoot forward and hit the other guy. You weren't supposed to shoot anyone in the head, but sometimes it happened and it really hurt.
Swimming and Fishing in the Gilo River
When spring came around we headed straight from school to go skinny dipping in the Gila River. In 1941, when I was 7 years old, the Gila River flooded. It was about three miles wide in some places. I would go with my older cousins to the river as it receeded. We found a hole where the river current would wash me out to a shallow area where I could get out.
When I was older we would climb the narrow, tall willow trees by the river. We would get someone to chop down the trees and we would ride the trees down.
We went to fish for catfish, suckers and carpe in the river. It was fun.
When I was older we would climb the narrow, tall willow trees by the river. We would get someone to chop down the trees and we would ride the trees down.
We went to fish for catfish, suckers and carpe in the river. It was fun.
The Lunts
May Lunt was a widow and I played with her twins, Tim and Terry. They were my age. May Lunt was the school teacher for the 4th and 5th grades in Viden. We had a kind of bookcase in the back of the room and I opened the door of it so she couldn't see me and I was making faces at the rest of the class. May Lunt was a big woman, about 6 feet tall and 280 pounds. Next thing I know this fist came around the door and hit me on top of the head and she called me a spoiled brat.
I would go over to play with the twins and May Lunt would take a rolling pin and roll it up and down her stomach to make herself belch. Tim was a great big and tall, and Terry was average size. Terry used to tease Tim. Terry was a lot faster and Tim couldn't catch him. Tim was so mad at Terry that he was chasing him with an axe. Luckily, he couldn't catch him.
We all used to pick cotton to make some extra money. One day Terry took a crap in a paper bag and hit Tim over the head with it. Tim was so mad, but he couldn't catch Terry.
Tim and Terry got a new rope for lassoing. They came over to our place and lassoed a ball in our corral. Then they couldn't get their new rope off the ball to take home. They had to wait for Dad to get home to take it off.
I would go over to play with the twins and May Lunt would take a rolling pin and roll it up and down her stomach to make herself belch. Tim was a great big and tall, and Terry was average size. Terry used to tease Tim. Terry was a lot faster and Tim couldn't catch him. Tim was so mad at Terry that he was chasing him with an axe. Luckily, he couldn't catch him.
We all used to pick cotton to make some extra money. One day Terry took a crap in a paper bag and hit Tim over the head with it. Tim was so mad, but he couldn't catch Terry.
Tim and Terry got a new rope for lassoing. They came over to our place and lassoed a ball in our corral. Then they couldn't get their new rope off the ball to take home. They had to wait for Dad to get home to take it off.
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