Alamodoso Magazine Carrizozo March 2024

The Magazine of the Tularosa Basin & Sacramento Mountains

Cover photo courtesy of Joan Malkerson and Gallery 408 - See their Ad on page 128

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Cloudcroft Library 90 Swallow Pl, (Lower Level) Cloudcroft highvalleyweavingschool.com

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Jacob, age 92, and Rebecca, age 89, are all excited about their decision to get married. They go for a stroll to discuss the wedding and on the way they pass a drugstore. Jacob suggests they go in.

Jacob addresses the man behind the counter: ' Are you the owner?' The pharmacist answers yes.

Says Jacob: 'We're about to get married. Do you sell heart medication?'

Pharmacist: 'Of course we do.'

Jacob: 'How about medicine for circulation?'

Pharmacist: 'All kinds.'

Jacob: 'Medicine for rheumatism, scoliosis? ' Pharmacist: 'Definitely..

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Jacob: 'How about Viagra?'

Pharmacist: 'Of course.'

Jacob: 'Medicine for memory problems, arthritis, jaundice?'

Pharmacist: 'Yes, a large variety. The works.'

Jacob: 'What about vitamins, sleeping pills, Geritol, antidotes for Parkinson's disease?'

Pharmacist: 'Absolutely.'

Jacob: 'You sell wheelchairs and walkers?'

Pharmacist: 'All speeds and sizes..

Jacob says to the pharmacist: 'We'd like to register here for our wedding gifts, please.'

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ALAMOGORDO 1898-2024

1301 N White Sands Blvd (575) 437-6120

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Meet Idolomantis diabolica, Commonly known as the devil's flower mantis or giant devil's flower mantis, it's not just large but possibly the biggest flowermimicking mantis out there!

This impressive mantis can reach up to 5.1” for females Tom andCharles about Tours3.9” for males. Native to Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Uganda, it's a true marvel of nature with its threat display adorned in magnificent colors – a stunning blend of red, white, blue, purple, and black.

The Devil's Flower Mantis, beyond its size, showcases a fascinating floral mimicry.

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AMETHYST BirthstoneE for February

If you were born in February, your birthstone is amethyst – the purple variety of quartz that has captivated mankind for millennia.

Its lilac to deep purple hues can be cut into many shapes and sizes, and it can be manufactured in a lab as well as mined.

Amethyst, the February birthstone, can be found in the collections of royal families throughout Europe and Asia.

Consider buying a stunning amethyst for the king or queen of your heart – or treat yourself to a royal present.

If your birthday is in February, then wearing an amethyst can also be a symbol of personal empowerment and inner strength.

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The name “amethyst” derives

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A Magical Experience O n N ew Y ork S tr�t

from the Greek amethystos, 11 which means “a remedy against drunkenness,” a benefit long ascribed to the purple birthstone. Because of its wine-like color, early Greek mythology associated the gem with Bacchus, the god of wine.

Amethyst was also believed to keep the wearer clear headed and quick witted in battle and business affairs. Renaissance Europeans thought it calmed lovers overrun by passion.

Amethyst is the gem traditionally given for the sixth wedding anniversary. : Catherine the Great (Empress Catherine II of Russia, had a penchant for the gem and decked herself in amethyst necklaces, earrings and other ornaments.

Historically, royals have admired the deep purple hue of the February birthstone since Alexander the Great.

Amethyst lore also includes several claims to mystical powers, including that it would convey strength and wit to those who wore it.

If you celebrate a February birthday, wearing an amethyst can be a symbol of personal empowerment and inner strength.

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Just as each month has its own birthstone, specific flowers are associated with certain months of the year.

It’s not known exactly how or when this concept started, but it probably evolved from the art of floriography, or the Victorian language of flowers.

During the 1800s, Victorians typically followed strict rules of etiquette. Wearing or sending a flower could send a coded message to a loved one.

“It was like a 19th century emoji,” says Jessica Roux, illustrator and author of Floriography: An Illustrated Guide to the Victorian Language of Flowers. “You could express your emotions with a symbol and communicate at a time when words may have been frowned upon.”

Many early floriography books, such as Charlotte de la Tour’s 1819 book, Le Langage des Fleurs and the 1884 book The Language of Flowers by Kate Greenaway, included lists of flowers and their meanings.

Con�nues page 24

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Cultural History of the Tularosa Basin

By Peter L. Eidenbach, Human Systems Research National Park Service

At the end of the ice age, 20,000 years ago, Asiatic hunters and gatherers crossed the Bering Land Bridge into Alaska. These early cultures pursued dwindling herds of Pleistocene mammoth, camel, horse, bison and other now-extinct species into most of North and South America. Fossil footprints left by these huge animals can still be found on the alkali flats along the edges of Lake Lucero.

By 10,000 years ago, early peoples reached the margins of Lake Lucero, then a permanent salt lake.

For 1,000 years, these

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains ancient hunters stalked bison throughout the basin grasslands. Chipped stone lance points and other traces of "Folsom" technology are found on the shorelines of ancient lakes and throughout the lowlands of the Tularosa Basin.

Lush grasslands and lakes gradually disappeared as the climate became more and more arid. "ScottsbluffEden" tools date to 7,000 to 8,000 years ago, and suggest a more generalized life-style relying on smaller game. Scottsbluff-Eden camps and hunting sites are often found near the more reliable springs on the lower basin floor.

Aridity continued to increase; ancient lakes dried up, except during the summer monsoon season.

Interior basins and river valleys were less affected, and hosted slow population growth, resulting in the Story continues next page

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16 "Archaic" traditions that

spread throughout the west and lasted for the next 4,000 to 5,000 years.

Beginning 6,000 to 7,000 years ago, the generalized hunting and gathering lifestyle of the "Archaic" relied on a variety of "life zones", throughout the Basin and Range.

By 5,000 years ago, this adaptation focused on the systematic use of productive ecological zones on a seasonal basis. Indian ricegrass, the first edible plant to mature in the region, was harvested along the edges of the White Sands by Archaic and subsequent populations, leaving burned gypsum hearths scattered throughout the dunes.

Approximately 4,000 years ago the accelerating drought began to stabilize.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains The earliest appearance of maize agriculture in the region dates to this period.

Evidence preserved in Late Archaic rock shelters and caves shows that wild foods continued to dominate the prehistoric diet.

Domesticated maize and

beans played only a minor role. During this time, human populations remained more concerned with exploiting wild native resources, like deer, mesquite, agave, and yucca.

Preserved deposits at Fresnal Shelter in the Sacremento Mountains suggest a slow, gradual increase in the use of agricultural products.

Domesticated species became a major contributor to the prehistoric diet at least 2,000 years ago.

Dry conditions returned Story con�nues next page

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18 1,900 years ago and lasted

400 to 600 years Local cultures became dependent upon domesticated crops.

Greater numbers of people gathered at locations of higher agricultural potential, forming semisedentary villages. By A.D. 400, small, "Hueco Phase" pithouse villages occupied some of these areas.

About A.D. 700, wetter conditions returned. Small, pottery-producing pithouse villages, identified as the

"Mesilla Phase" of the Jornada Mogollon, were established at the mouths of canyons and on the alluvial terraces along the margins of the basin, where both dryland or floodland agriculture were possible. By A.D. 1000, most of the diet consumed by early villagers came from agriculture.

By A.D. 1100, populations concentrated at larger villages near major permanent water sources.

New technologies improved agricultural production. Solar calendars, irrigation, and new religious practices helped to strengthen and focus community efforts.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Two of the largest villages built during this period, the Lake Lucero and Huntington sites, lie along the margins of Lake Lucero, on the western boundary of White Sands National Monument.

A major drought, from A.D. 1276 to 1299, occurred throughout the Southwest.

For a short period, villages concentrated at more reliable water sources.

Within the next 100 years, for reasons as yet unknown, all major village locations in the basin area were abandoned. By about A.D. 1350, the Tularosa Basin was empty after an occupation which had lasted nearly 10,000 years.

Little is known about the 250 years between the abandonment of these large agricultural villages and the Story con�nues next page

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20 Spanish Entrada. Jornada

Mogollon peoples may have remained in the area, altering their life style and relying on wild native products.

These populations may have been seen by the Spanish in the region of El Paso. Spanish chroniclers tell of small groups of hunters and gatherers farming on a limited basis in the vicinity of small villages of grass or thatched houses.

Mescalero Apaches are the only Native Americans who occupy the Basin today. No evidence indicates that hostile Athabascan groups (ancestral to the modern Apache) were present to force the abandonment of agricultural villages before A.D. 1400.

However, by the time of Spanish colonization in the mid-seventeenth century, nomadic groups of Athabascan speakers were well established in the local mountains.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains century, frequent raiding on Spanish settlements in northern Mexico and the Territory of New Mexico was credited to the Apache. European colonization in the Tularosa Basin was delayed by Apache resistance until the mid1800s, although salt expeditions to the Lake Lucero alkali flats occasionally ventured north from El Paso del Norte during the late 18th and early 19th century, leaving broken "caretta" parts scattered along the trail.

During the 1860s, hispanic New Mexicans succeeded in founding settlements at the mouths of La Luz and Tularosa Canyons on the eastern edge of the basin floor. After the Mescalero Reservation was

established in 1873, the rapidly expanding Western Frontier brought populations from the eastern U.S. and western Texas to the area.

Long abandoned agricultural lands were replowed, and sheep, angora goat, and cattle ranching were introduced. Homesteads Story continues next page

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22 were established to control

perm-anent water sources and agricultural and grazing lands. Livestock was free to range as far and wide as the owners could maintain control.

Several families in the basin owned literally thousands of sheep, goats, cattle, and horses.

The two Lucero brothers, Jose R. and Filipe, who alternated as sheriffs of Doña

Ana county, built neighboring ranches on the west side of the old salt lake, giving it its modern name. Many other notable historic figures homesteaded and ranched this newly opened Tularosa country, including Pat Garrett, cowboy poet Eugene Rhodes, and Oliver M. Lee, whose Circle Cross Ranch became the largest in New Mexico.

This "open range" disappeared shortly after the turn of the twentieth century with the new public land laws.

The leasing of specific

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains tracts of public lands to individuals brought an end to free grazing lands and was the first major step in a shift to a cash-based econ-omy.

The development of mining and timber industries, and construction of railroads and other communication and transportation systems, followed rapidly.

The ancient salt deposits of Lake Lucero once again attracted attention, and dozens of claims were staked, in hopes of a new gypsum industry, which never materialized.

The Great Depression and droughts of the 1930s brought the frontier era to a close.

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Continued from page 13

But depending on the source, the symbolism could differ.

What’s generally accepted is that the concept of flowers as symbols is rooted in a combination of mythology, literature, and folklore, says Roux.

And while there’s no symbolism that’s set in stone for each birth month flower, many have similar meanings gathered from multiple sources.

Depending on what source you consult, the birth month flower for February may differ. However, the most common flower mentioned for February is the violet, which is closely associated with St. Valentine’s Day, says Roux.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains As the story goes, when St. Valentine was jailed, he crushed the purple flowers of violets, which grew near his jail cell, to make ink.

He used this to write a letter to his jailer’s daughter, whom he had healed of blindness. When he wrote her, he signed the letter “Your Valentine.”

The iris often is also mentioned as a February birth month flower, says Roux. Clovis I, King of the Francs in the first century, was said to have won a battle after seeing irises growing; after his success, he and his troops adorned themselves with this flower.

According to various sources, the February birth month flower violet signifies modesty. This may be due to the fact that the flower grows close the ground with its blooms nodding low, like a head bowed modestly over, says Roux.

Irises, with their three main petals, symbolize valor, wisdom and faith, which is likely why they are associated with the tale of Clovis I’s battle victory.

According to legend, these were the traits that enabled Clovis I’s soliders to be victorious, says Roux.

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Holloman Air Force Base is preparing for its 2024 Legacy of Liberty Airshow and the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron, the "Thunderbirds," are making a return.

Holloman Air Force Base will host the Legacy of Liberty Air Show Sunday, June 2, 2024.

"The Thunderbirds thrilled a crowd of 28,000 during our air show in 2022," said U.S. Air Force Col. Justin Spears, 49th Wing commander in a news release.

"We are thrilled to add Holloman to our 2024 schedule. In our efforts to recruit, retain, and inspire, we return to Holloman knowing this base is a very special partner to us as the gateway to the F-16 and a cornerstone of the community," said Thunderbird #1, Lt. Col. Nathan Malafa in the release.

This free one-day event will be open to the public

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains and will showcase the mission and capabilities of the U.S. Air Force and Holloman AFB. Guests will be able to interact with Holloman Airmen responsible for executing the wing’s mission of building the backbone of combat airpower.

There will be a variety of aircraft on static display and exciting aerobatic performances.

The air show will also have food, music, and a variety of activities for the whole family including a kid zone and a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) area.

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“UNDER THE WEATHER” Story by Junior Thurman

courtesy of Tyler Florence on Food network

Dang, missed out on an adventure to the foothills, the Guadalupe's in Southeastern New Mexico, with two “new” exploring buddies. The weather had warmed up, could have been an exciting day, a chance to cruise thru the piñon, cedar, and juniper forests, and retell all my old stories and a few new lies thrown in to a new and captive audience....

"Well, there I was fifteen miles from the nearest major hiway,” I told my captive, attentive listeners, “No cell service, a badly sprained ankle, in three foot of snow, with two flats.

I had a cigarette lighter, two small bottles of water and an old package of cheese crackers I had dug out of the glove compartment.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Darkness was falling quickly! I hurriedly whittled out a crutch with my small pocket knife, and headed down the road, alertly noting a fresh set of mountain lion tracks, and two sets of grizzly tracks, (Here I must note, yes, a rare sighting, I know there have been no sightings of grizzlies in New Mexico in many years, but, there were the tracks), all fresh, all headed in the same direction I was.

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213-590-7063 3199 N Whi te Sa nds Blv d, Ala mogordo Inside the Whi te Sa nds Mall Nex t to Big Lots

Just before dusk, limping along I heard a terrifying scream drifting off the mountain up ahead.

Tightening my hand around my pocket knife, I bravely surged ahead!”

"Holy bleep," my attentive new friends gasped, then what happened?"

But, dad blame it, it ain't gonna happen, flu season, here I sit, in my recliner, watching TV with three prescriptions, a runny nose, a cough, a box of Kleenexes and a bottle of the worst tasting cough syrup I ever Story continues page 34

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Space Murals Museum and Gift Shop, known as, “The Peoples Museum” is located east of Las Cruces on US Hwy 70 East, across the highway from the NASA test facility.

Mr. Louis A. Gariano, President of Moongate Water, decided to depict the areas’ space history in mural form on the newly constructed one million gallon water tank.

Mr. Gariano contacted a local artist Royce Vann and they began the process of deciding what to paint as a mural on the tank in a way that would show the history of NASA and the participation from the area people and businesses that contributed and were involved in the space program.

As the painting began on the murals depicting the progress of the US Space Program beginning from the X15 rocket to the fatal Space Shuttle Challenger accident, people would stop

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by and ask questions about the mural and the tank.

Many of these people had artifacts they wanted to donate or put on loan as a display and share with the public as well.

It was during these conversations that Mr. Gariano decided to construct a small building to house the artifacts.

Story continues page 33

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Continued from page 31

The building was constructed in 1993 and the museum was opened, and rapidly became to small to house all the artifacts people were bringing in to be on display.

Since then the building has doubled in size on two different occasions to its current building size.

The indoor display’s consists of a scale Mercury capsule to showing how much room the astronauts had at the beginning of the Space Program, an Astronaut gallery with lots of signed astronaut photos and a section of model planes and various other memorabilia.

One of the outdoor displays is a 1/8 scale replica of the Space Shuttle Challenger built by Mr. Gariano’s family as a memorial not only to the Space Shuttle Challenger astronauts but also to all of the astronauts, Apollo1, US and USSR who have given their lives for the exploration of Space Through the years Space Murals has been able to continue with “Free Admission”, just as Mr. Gariano wished, allowing Space Murals to share these displays and artifacts with the public.

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Continued from page 29

took a sip of. All sitting on my lamp table, near my Ibuprofen, remote, backscratcher, and cell phone, watching "Dual Survival" on TV, a chance to add a few new survival techniques to my sack full of wilderness lore, between naps.

"Yes, sadly, I missed a chance to teach some wilderness survival tactics to a couple of new guys, which could possibly save their lives someday," I told my wife, “My exceptional knowledge of wilderness survival in our small hometown hasn’t gone unnoticed” I told her, “Nope, I’m not just another pretty face in my neighborhood.” Yep, you guessed it, she rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you could tell em about having to call the fire department to help you get off the roof last fall?" She said.

Ha, women, one isolated attack of vertigo, dizziness, and she'll never forget it. I swear!

Women!

It's warming up now, I may feed the cat, gather up the trash, and head to the alley, at least get outside for a short time. Seems like I've been cooped up all winter. I need to be out, climbing mountains, swimming rivers, exploring, but, I'm stuck here with my wife, who's heard all my jokes, (56 years), got no sense of humor, though I must admit, I still do my best to educate the poor girl every chance I get.

Gettin older, at times, she talks to herself, "Mountains, ha, you ain't climbing no mountains" she said,

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“You’ll fall and hurt yourself, and we'll have to send an ambulance after you!"

"What are you muttering about?" I asked. Yep, I try to help her, educate her, but, what thanks do I get for my efforts, an eye roll, a scoff, ..........maybe I'll head to the lodge this evening, if I'm feeling better. A chance to impress the pretty young barmaid with my life experiences.

Hey, did I ever tell about the time I was thinking about following the rodeo circuit?..... well........it all started with me riding Buck Buchanan's burro everyday after school many years ago, then.....

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Frybread — or Bannock bread as it’s called up north — is food born from tragic necessity. In 1862, the U.S. government and Abraham Lincoln decided to rid the Arizona territory of the Navajo.

The tribe had been fighting European/Spanish aggression for 300 years by this point. Their numbers were severely diminished over the centuries, due to disease and near constant war. By 1860. the Navajo population had dwindled to 25,000 souls Settlers and the U.S. Army needed food and feed for their animals, so they attacked the Navajo.

The Indians retaliated by raiding ranches and outposts to restock their food supplies.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains In 1863, president Lincoln sent in the Army They devised a “reservation” at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, planning on interning 5,000 Navajo there. Leading the charge was Kit Carson. He used a scorched earth policy to drive the Navajo from their land.

The Army burned thousands of peach trees in the orchards of Canyon de Chelly, and killed entire herds of goats, sheep, horses and cows. They burned all of the grazing land and destroyed thousands of irrigation systems that fed corn, beans, and other crops.

An unknown number of towns and villages were obliterated, Then they waited all winter for the Navajo to starve, and thus surrender.

After the Navajo surrendered, some were sold into slavery further west. Ironic given that Lincoln had already given the Emancipation Proclamation.

The rest were sent on what is called “The Long Walk” . A 300+ mile journey from Fort Defiance in western Arizona, across the Rio Grande, to Fort Sumner in New Mexico.

Pregnant women and stragglers were shot. The train of people stretched to 10 miles.

Story continues next page

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By 1865, 9,022 people lived in Fort Sumner, which was designed to accommodate 5,000. Disease would become endemic.

The Navajo planted a crop in the river bowl.

Infestation destroyed it.

They planted again. A flash flood destroyed it. There wasn’t nearly enough wood for fires. The water was too alkaline and not potable.

The U.S. Army had mass starvation on their hands.

The preferred resolution option for the New Mexican governor and the militia was extermination.

Instead, the U.S. Army spent $1.5 million feeding 9,022 Navajo and Apaches interned.

Story continues page 42

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Friends of La Luz Range (FOLLR) supports the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting (SPG) Range in Otero County.

Our non-profit 501(c)(3) private foundation has a mission to financially aid, solicit, collect, and provide funds, receive gifts and bequests, educate on firearm and archery safety, promote shooting competition and the use of the Sidney Paul, Gordon Shooting Range.

To acquire this status and function as an exempt organization our small group of interested users of the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range met to determine if this endeavor is something we could agree upon and form.

At that meeting, the participants selected a FOLLR Board of Directors, an organization name, and a direction for this newly formed group to pursue. The few months that followed and after many Federal, State, and local government forms were submitted, FOLLR received the news we hoped to hear.

Are you interested in helping to improve the Shooting Range?

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) determined FOLLR was a private foundation under IRC Section 501(c)(3) on January 9, 2020, with an effective date of December 9, 2019.

The FOLLR mission is to support the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range.

Attend the monthly FOLLR meeting at 6:15 PM the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

We meet in the classroom at the SPG Range.

Visit the FOLLR.org website for information about upcoming events, range improvements, local gun and knife shows, firearm and archery classes.

Friends of La Luz Range Contact us at follr@follr.org or call 575-437-2421

The FOLLR members started building SPG project lists, committees, and plans for the future of FOLLR and how we would support the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range.

To date, through monthly meetings and activities, FOLLR has received and uses funds from a grant for education, accepted cash donations, provided in-kind service, made presentations to the Otero County Commission, designed with Story continues page 44

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That’s $3,100 per person per year in 2024 dollars for a set of clothes and a ration of food: tinned meat, flour, salt, water and lard.

Frybread was born from this desperation. No one could have predicted that it would become a touchstone of American Indian culture.

By 1867, the Navajo didn’t even bother trying to plant a crop. They were living off of tinned meat and frybread. Not exactly healthy, but — after endless failures and the complete destruction of their entire culture — they’d given up.

In 1868, the U.S. Government nullified the previous treaty, and sent the Navajo home, agreeing to pay $5 a year to each person on the

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

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new reservation for living expenses, provide education and health care (both would turn into debacles of their own), and a ration oftinned meat, flour, water, salt, and lard.

Two thousand Navajo adults made it back home in 1868. The damage to the land was still catastrophic.

Their entire infrastructure was gone. The loss of 90% of their population caused a genetic bottleneck which plagues the tribe to this day.

Frybread remained a cornerstone of the diet.

In 2005, the Navajo opened the Bosque Redondo Memorial in Fort Sumner, New Mexico.

For a time, frybread was the one luxury item on the reservation diet. Eventually, Story continues next page

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44 it morphed into something

entirely different. It became a symbol of culture. Not just a single tribe’s culture, but of Native culture across the reservation system west of the Mississippi.

Navajo Fry Bread Ingredients 2 cups oil for frying 4 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons baking powder 2 teaspoons salt 2 ½ cups warm milk

Directions Heat oil in a deep fryer or large saucepan to 375 degrees F Story continues next Page

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Continued from page 38

Recipe courtesy of Nichols Ranch, La Luz

cost estimate a replacement deck for the classroom, provided event Range Safety Officers, purchased and erected carport style shade structures, designed and printed

tri-fold brochures, reprinted SPG Range Rules, promoted the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range at Alamogordo Evening Lions Club “Gun and Craft Shows”, shooting events at the SPG shooting range, advertised for the SPG shooting range on the FOLLR.org website, contributed to the educational costs for specific safety, instructional, and firearm usage classes, and assisted Otero Practical Shooting Association (OPSA) by awarding a check in the amount of $25,000 to the Otero County Commission to be used for the expansion of the shooting range by adding 4 new general purpose shooting bays.

Story con�nues page 47

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46 Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl; mix in milk to form a soft dough.

Divide dough into eighteen 2-inch diameter balls; flatten or roll each ball into 1/2-inch-thick rounds.

Make a small hole in the center of each round to help keep them flat while frying.

Lower dough rounds, about 3 or 4 at a time, carefully into hot oil.

Fry until rounds have bubbles on the surface and are golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining dough.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Con�nued from page 45

As FOLLR continues to support the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range, we ask for your support through donations, volunteering, and becoming involved with FOLLR. Your tax-deductible donations may be made to Friends of La Luz Range (FOLLR) 19 Rock Cliff Road, La Luz, New Mexico 88310 or by contacting follr@follr.org.

FOLLR will continue to use these donations on new and ongoing projects and educational requirements.

Become a member of Friends of La Luz Range (FOLLR) for $24.00 a year. The monthly meetings are the second Wednesday of each month at 6:15 PM at the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range Classroom.

Businesses may become members of FOLLR, and we offer advertising on the www.follr.org website.

As FOLLR continues to support the Sidney Paul Gordon Shooting Range we will forever encourage the use of this safe and professionally managed shooting range, while participating in the worthwhile and educational events.

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48

HEROES BEHIND THE SCENES

by Joy Quayle, Marketing Manager, Books Revisited Isn’t it true that much of the success of any organization or business is done by its team who work away from the spot light? Books Revisited is beyond grateful to have a good number of such individuals in our team as volunteers--willing to spare a few hours of their precious time to come and work in the bookstore regularly throughout the week.

They do so much of the vital work oftentimes unseen by many but their contribution is what propels us on day after day.

If you haven’t volunteered with us and are curious about it, you may ask, what do the volunteersat Books Revisited actually

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Sort Books - Our volunteers work tirelessly to sort through each and every book donated to us daily (including some holidays). We are thankful for supportive members of our community who think about us when they realize they have a little bit too many books at home or just want to clear out a portion of their personal home libraries.

Our volunteers sort these books and place them in boxes to classify them all according to the genres we have available in the bookstore: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Western, Children’s, Home and Gardening, Health and Fitness, Travel, Biography, Political Science, Literature, etc.

Shelve Books - As books are classified accordingly, our volunteers take those inside the bookstore to place those books in the shelves alphabetically by authors’ names. They make

Story continues next page

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sure that the shelves are wellstocked week after week.

We sure are thankful for those who come to sort and shelve books for an hour or more each week or whenever they can.

Serve as Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) Books Revisited is likewise blessed to have reliable volunteers who are willing to take a four-hour shift in the bookstore to serve customers at the register or to help them locate books.

We even have three volunteers who are willing to cover 2 shifts (or be here for a full business day). Using our POS system is so easy but it can get a little challenging on a busy day when you have 3 or more customers lined up ready to check out.

Nevertheless, we so appreciate how our CSRs are apt to the task and are more

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains than happy to serve in this capacity. All our volunteers are

thoroughly briefed and trained by our Store Manager, Tom Armstrong.

They are equipped with everything they need to know before they start with their assignments.

These amazing individuals share our vision which is to continue to promote literacy and the love for books in the local community and are willing to contribute with their time and effort to this end.

You see, Books Revisited is a non-profit used bookstore that aims to support literacy projects as resources would allow us to. We either contribute financially or donate books where they are needed.

Our volunteers are the unseen heroes who have been making this happen for many years.

Story continuesnext page

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52 If you are interested in

joining our elite group of volunteers, come to Books Revisited in the White Sands Mall or visit our website where you can down-load an application at booksrevisited.store.

Currently, Books Revisited Literacy Foundation, the Board that oversees the bookstore, needs additional volunteer board members as well.

Come see us soon in the White Sands Mall for more information or to simply thank our “heroes behind the scenes” for all they do.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

Words

you never knew existed ACTUAL SIZE

Defenestrate Definition: Throwing a person or thing out of a window.

Use it: 'Howard made me so cross, I had to fight the urge to defenestrate him.'

Nibling Definition: The genderneutral term for nieces or nephews Use it: 'How many niblings do you have?'

Callipygian Definition: Having a shapely bottom.

Use it: 'My new gardener has callipygian features.'

Griffonage Definition: Careless or illegible handwriting.

Use it: 'I can never read Rupert's griffonage.'

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Snollygoster Definition: An unscrupulous, untrustworthy person.

Use it: 'Ooh I wouldn't trust that snollygoster further than I could throw him'.

Dysania Definition: The state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.

Use it: 'Sorry I'm late for work, I suffer from Dysania.'

Hullabaloo Definition: A commotion or a fuss/another word for kerfuffle!

Use it: 'What's all the hullabaloo about?'

Pentapopemptic Definition: A person who has been divorced five times.

Use it: 'Did you know that Frank is a pentapopemptic?'

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Cancatervate Definition: Heaping things into a pile.

Use it: 'Please tidy up properly – don't just cancatervate Pogonotrophy Definition: The act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a mustache, beard, sideburns or other facial hair.

Use it: 'Sue spends a lot of time in Shoreditch as she is such a fan of pogonotrophy.'

Discombobulate Definition: Another word for confuse Use it: 'Well, this is all a little discombobulating!'

Paresthesia Definition: The prickly feeling when your limb 'falls asleep' – also known as pins and needles!

Use it: 'Can you go and get it? I can't – I have paresthesia.'

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CANDIED JALAPENOS Ingredients: 20 large jalapeños 2 cups apple cider vinegar 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon celery seed 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper Direc�ons: Wearing gloves, slice off the stems from the jalapeños and

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains slice them into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Set aside.

In a large pot, combine apple cider vinegar, granulated sugar, brown sugar, turmeric, garlic powder, celery seed, and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the sliced jalapeños and bring back to a high simmer for exactly 4 minutes.

Use a slo�ed spoon to transfer the jalapeños to clean, sterile canning jars, leaving about 1/4-inch space from the top.

Return the pot to high heat and boil the liquid for 6-7 minutes to form a syrup. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Carefully pour the syrup into the jars, ensuring jalapeños are completely submerged.

Use a chops�ck to release any air pockets.

Wipe the rims with a clean, damp paper towel and seal with two-piece lids.

Refrigerate.

Chill for at least 2 weeks before enjoying. The longer they sit, the be�er the flavor.

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Story courtesy of Tularosa Basin Historical Museum and, Ken & Patti’s Blog

Of the many occupations on his resume, the two that Oliver Lee is most known for is as a rancher and then later as a politician.

Oliver Lee was born to a California 49’er from New York and Mary Fletcher Hendrix Lee on November 8, 1865, in Buffalo Gap, Texas. His father died when he was just 12 years old. At 19, he and his older halfbrother, Perry Altman, led their widowed mother and the rest of the family to New Mexico’s Tularosa Valley.

Like many of his time, he lived life by his own rules and his toughness and shooting skills make him both lawman and outlaw, but

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains more than anything he is a man not to cross, or your life expectancy could well be at risk.

Lee’s house: Wildy Well, sits at the base of the Dog Canyon. At its peak, his ranch covered one million acres bringing him into conflict with others who also sought to make a living from the land. Born in Texas, he remained defined by many facets of this upbringing, including his political affiliation, that being a Texas democrat.

These facts put him at odds with the local New Mexico power brokers, who were republican and the majority political party in the area. These Republicans were an extension of the Santa Fe Ring, a secret coalition of lawmakers determined to control public offices in the New Mexico Territory For the first several years Lee, and his half-brother Perry Altman, worked on local ranches to save up their money and in 1893 purchased land in what was Story continues next page

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area was an ideal spot for a ranch as it was a steep, narrow canyon with a flowing stream. Lee first began his ranching operation, primarily raising horses before adding cattle.

He soon became famous for his abilities as a marksman and a cattleman in southern New Mexico.

His entrepreneur skills, already sharp at the age of 22, he organizes the Sacramento Cattle Company in the southern part of the Tularosa Basin.

With his growing success he soon builds an extensive house at his ranch headquarters. Oliver Lee in conjunction with a nearby resident, Frenchy, explored ways to bring water into the dry Tularosa Basin and jointly they created a concrete and earthen causeway redirecting water out of the canyon and into large holding tanks near Lee’s ranch house.

In addition to establishing the Sacramento Cattle Company is he is credited with being instrumental in establishing the town of Alamogordo, as well as for using his influence to attract the railroad into the area.

He also secured appointments as a deputy sheriff and as a U.S. Deputy Marshal, but he increasingly comes under suspicion for various malfeasances.

Though all appeared to be working in Lee’s favor, the ambitious young man naturally finds himself in a

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains conflict with a major local rancher named John Good, one of the Republican powerbrokers.

As the story goes, Oliver Lee sent one of his ranch hands and good friend, George McDonald, into Dog Canyon to round up some stray cattle…George never returned. His body was later found shot dead in the canyon. Lee procured one of the bullets that ended his friend’s life and carried it on a watch chain thereafter.

Lee believed that John Good’s son Walter killed his ranch hand. In mid-August 1888, Oliver Lee and three other men jumped and captured Walter Good, shot him twice in the head with his own pistol and left the body in the desert.

Naturally Lee's view on fair play ethics did not sit well with the local powerbrokers, who were at the time Albert Fountain, John Good and others.

This event set the stage Story continues next page

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Albert Jennings Fountain and Oliver Lee. According to the ranger’s story, Oliver Lee sells some cattle pelts and there are two brands on the hides, one being Oliver Lee’s and another from another rancher.

At the end of January 1896, Colonel Albert Jennings Fountain travels to Lincoln, New Mexico to secure indictments against several men, including Oliver Lee and William McNew for the charge of cattle rustling.

Prior to departing, Colonel Fountain’s wife has a premonition that he will be harmed on this trip, she tells him to bring their 8-year old son, Henry, as no one would harm a boy.

Fountain leaves Lincoln, New Mexico, with his son Henry and heads southwest

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains on a three-day trip toward their home in Mesilla.

It is reported that prior to leaving Lincoln, Colonel Fountain discovers a note in coat pocket, the note says, “Loose this and we’ll be friends, don’t and you won’t reach home”.

Albert, feeling he is safe with his son beside him continues his journey.

Albert Fountain and his son Henry spent the first night of their return trip in the home of Joseph Blazer, as a guest. Blazer ran a lumber mill situated within the Mescalero Apache reservation.

After leaving Blazer’s Mill, Fountain ran into a mail carrier who informed him he was being followed by two horsemen. The men were never near enough to recognize, and Albert continued his trip home. He and Henry spent their last night on Earth in La Luz, at the home of David Sutherland. David Sutherland tried to encourage Albert to stay Story continues page 68

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Continued from page 63

with him longer, so he could retrieve the sheriff. At this time Henry was starting to feel ill and Albert wanted to get Henry home quickly, thus he rejected his friend’s recommendation.

The following day they left La Luz and passed through Tularosa before starting the long stretch to Las Cruces. They now have three horsemen following them. Both Albert and Henry are killed, and the three men ride off in different directions. When Albert was late returning home a search party was sent out.

Fountain’s buckboard left the road just past Chalk Hill where the road cuts through and the banks are high. A pool of blood was found where the buckboard carrying the father and son left the road. Today a historical marker stands just west of Chalk Hill.

The old wagon road is inaccessible as it is part of the White Sands Missile Range.

Story continues page 72

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Alamodoso Magazine - Celebrating 11 years of featuring the art community, Continued from page 68

Albert’s body was found and within his coat pocket is the note he ignored in Lincoln.

Gathering up a posse, the men quickly find the tracks of the three riders, they soon split up and two horses head towards Oliver Lee’s ranch.

The evidence pointed to three men: former deputy William McNew, James Gilliland, and Oliver Lee. The posse splits, one following the trail to William McNew’s ranch, the other follows the trail straight to Oliver Lees ranch.

Here they run into a herd of cattle that are being moved across the exact path that the two horse men were following, thus destroying the trail, and foiling the pursuit.

The Fountains’ murder caused outrage in New Mexico. The sheriff, whose deputies were the prime suspects, was useless. To top it off, his right to the office was being challenged in the courts due to charges of election fraud. Governor William T. Thornton took quick action.

He worked to resolve the sheriff’s contest and then appointed a new sheriff, Pat Garrett. Garrett gained fame 15 years earlier as the man who killed Billy the Kid. He had cleaned up a bad situation before and the governor hoped he could do it once again.

Thornton then called on the Pinkerton National Detective Agency to assign a professional investigator to assist Garrett. The Pinkertons put

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains top operative John Fraser, on the case. Fraser began undercover but eventually brought his investigation out in the open and interviewed anyone with knowledge of the case. Fraser and Garrett did not always get along but managed to work together for the common goal.

The evidence pointed to three men: former deputy William McNew, James Gilliland, who was Lee’s top ranch hand, and Oliver Lee. The problem was that these three men were very close with powerful ex-judge, lawyer, and politician Albert B. Fall.

Pat Garrett was aware of Oliver Lee prowess with a gun and wanted no direct conflict with the man.

In addition, Garrett believed that he would never get a fair Story continues page 77

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Continued from page 73

showing with Fall in control of the courts. As a result, Garrett waited two full years for a change in the political landscape before presenting his evidence to the court and securing indictments against the suspects.

McNew was quickly arrested after indictments were secured. Lee and Gilliland, however, were a different story. Lee claimed that Garrett only wanted a chance to kill him, with a warrant for the murder of Fountain as an excuse.

Supposedly during this time-frame Lee was in town and playing an extended game of poker, Garrett walked in and sat down at the same table as Lee. Nothing happened and the men quickly transitioned to playing cards. Garrett was also quite a fan of the game poker.

Apparently, someone announced they’d heard that someone at that poker table had a warrant out for their arrest and they also Story con�nues page 85

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AT Three Rivers Trading Post!

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Cloudcroft * Mayhill * High Rolls Sunspot * Timberon * Pinion * Weed

DISCOVER THE SACRAMENTOS

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Continued from page 77

understood that the person who had the warrant was also at the table. Lee put his hand down, announced to the room that if someone wanted to arrest him, he’d be waiting in the street for them to come out. Garrett did not leave the table and Lee returned to his ranch.

He and Gilliland remained at his farm thereafter. Garrett finally tracked down Lee at one of his ranches. On July 13, 1898, Garrett approached Lee’s ranch at night, hoping to take him by surprise and avoid a direct armed conflict with Lee. It was a hot summer night, Lee and Gilliland were sleeping on the roof. One of Garrett’s deputies climbed a latter to the roof and began shooting. Lee and Gilliland returned fire, quickly getting the best of the sheriff and his posse. Garrett retreated to beneath a water tower for cover in the ensuing gun battle. One of Garrett’s Story continues next page

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86 deputies, the man who

climbed the ladder, was seriously injured, and would eventually die. It is said that Lee continued to fire rounds into the water tower, drenching Garrett. Lee is reported to have told, Garrett you can stay there and drown, or you can grab your injured man and retreat. Garrett chose to retreat.

Lee and Gilliland would finally surrender months later, under the condition that they would never be in the custody of Sheriff Garrett. This too was worked out by Lee’s friend and associate Albert Fall when he convinced then democrat governor to divide the state into two territories, a new one to be named after the governor of course, and this new territory was where Lee would surrender to the now friendly sheriff.

Despite the fact that everyone in the territory was certain Oliver Lee was responsible, the evidence against Lee was circumstantial. Three years after the murder reporters from national newspapers covered the sensational trial in the little mining town of Hillsboro, New Mexico. After an 18-day trial with 75 witnesses, the jury determined that the men were innocent. Some witnesses went missing, and the defendants’ armed supporters, who packed the courtroom, intimidated others. Not surprisingly a verdict of “not guilty” was found. Lee, Gilliland, McNew, their attorneys, and many supporters celebrated

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains well into the night.

Lee returned to tending his Dog Canyon Ranch. In 1914, he sold out to a group of businessmen but stayed on as manager. Later, he was twice elected to the state legislature, first as a representative and later as a senator. He served as an officer and director of numerous business organizations until his death in 1941 of a stroke.

As a parting point of emphasis to his life’s story, when the park service examined his ranch house during restoration, they found a trap door in his bedroom. The hidden door led to a tunnel down into an underground passage that exited some distance away from the house. Of note, they found six sticks of dynamite with a cord still attached! The belief is that should he need to escape he’d drop down into the tunnel and blow up his assailants and exit safely at the end of his escape passage.

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Coffee jelly is made from sweetened coffee added to agar, a gelatinous substance made from algae and called kanten in Japanese. It may also be made from gelatin rather than agar, which is more common in European and American cuisine.

It is often cut into cubes and served in a variety of dessert dishes and beverages. Cubes of coffee jelly are sometimes added to milkshakes, at the bottom of an ice cream float, or to garnish an ice cream sundae. Coffee jelly is often added to a cup of hot or iced coffee, with cream and gum syrup added. Condensed milk is poured over cubes of chilled coffee jelly in a bowl.

Ingredients: 4 cups VERY strongly brewed coffee (preferably a darker roast) 1/4 cup lemon juice 5 1/2 cups granulated sugar

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains 1 1/3 cups Dutch gel pectin Also needed: 5 to 6 jelly jars with new two-piece lids (8 ounce) Directions: Stir the coffee and lemon juice together in a 4-quart saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar and Dutch Gel Pectin.

Add the sugar mixture to the boiling coffee all at once, whisking vigorously for 2 minutes, or until the pectin and sugar are fully dissolved.

Return the mixture to a full rolling boil, and boil for exactly 1 minute.

Remove the pan from the heat, ladle into clean 8-ounce jars, wipe the rims with a damp paper towel, and screw on new, two-piece lids until fingertip tight.

Use the Boiling Water Bath method to process the jars for 10 minutes.

Carefully transfer to a cooling rack or a tea towel on the counter and let cool, undisturbed, overnight. After the jars are cooled, remove the rings, wipe clean, and label.

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“In 6th grade, I painted a watercolor of a cactus in a pot; I have the painting somewhere,” he said. “It was the first painting I ever did and I was going to Catholic school at the time. The nuns didn’t believe that I painted it, and I got second places instead of first, so I lived with that for all my life.”

Not discouraged, Ward moved to pastels and studied art in high school, taking as many classes as they would let him. After service in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War, he went on to study art in college in New York.

In his Alamogordo studio. the walls are covered with his paintings of adobe huts and mansions; passion and consternation come to life in portraits of imaginary men; and the Irish landscape comes to life

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Much of his inspiration comes from countless hours he spent as a kid watching old television Westerns.

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The Art of Hannah Celeste Dean Hannah was born in Midland, TX, and grew up in Artesia, NM. She moved to Lubbock when she was 17 to go to college, and lived there for 15 years. Since 2018, she live Cloudcroft, with her husband, daughter, and dog.

Hannah has participated in and contributed her many talents to the Cloudcroft community with art classes and involvement in the school activities. You may see her murals in Artesia the Cloudcroft Elementary school library. She has even reflected her art on some of Cloudcroft’s famous dumpsters.

I try to leave paintings in the “ala prima” stage, where I spend an hour or two at most working on them, the paint still wet. Mostly I paint from photographic resources and memory: my own, and found images on Google search. The seemingly arbitrary nature

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains of how images are paired in internet searches inspires my work. For instance, the search “cezanne” brings forth many of his paintings, but also others’ tributary paintings, like someone else’s still-life of avocados. As I rerender the images I find on the screen, my mind envisions the parameters of an algorithm weighing dozens of variables, in comparison to the intense, singular focus of representational painting.

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Geronimo was an Apache leader who continued the tradition of the Apaches resisting white colonization of their homeland in the Southwest, participating in raids into Sonora and Chihuahua in Mexico. After years of war, Geronimo finally surrendered to U.S. troops in 1886. While he became a celebrity, he spent the last two decades of his life as a prisoner of war.

He was a naturally gifted hunter, who, the story goes, as a boy swallowed the heart of his first kill to ensure a lifetime of success on the chase.

He belonged to the smallest band within the Chiricahua tribe, the Bedonkohe. Numbering a little more than 8,000, the Apaches were surrounded by enemies — not just Mexicans, but also other

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains tribes, including the Navajo and Comanches.

Raiding their neighbors was part of the Apache life. In response, the Mexican government put a bounty on Apache scalps, offering as much as $25 for a child's scalp.

While he was out on a trading trip, Mexican soldiers attacked his camp, killing his his mother, wife and three children.

Geronimo rounded up a force of 200 men and hunted down the Mexican soldiers who killed his family. For 10 years he exacted revenge against the Mexican government.

In 1848, the United States took over territory from Mexico, including areas belonging to the Apache.

Spurred by the discovery of gold in the Southwest, settlers and miners streamed into their lands.

Tensions mounted and the Apaches stepped up their attacks on stage-coaches and wagon trains.

At one point nearly a quarter of the Army's forces — 5,000 troops — were trying to hunt him down. in the summer of 1886, he surrendered While riding home in February 1909, he was thrown from his horse. He passed away six days later, with his nephew at his side. on his deathbed Geronimo said "I should never have surrendered,I should have fought until I was the last man alive."

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The Northern Lights Coming to New Mexico?

Auroras are visible when strong geomagnetic storms occur in Earth's magnetosphere. During these storms, a coronal hole – the spots that appear black on the sun – prompts high winds, which in turn, trigger coronal mass ejections, or CMEs. A CME projects plasma and pieces of the sun's magnetic field into its atmosphere.

Magnetosphere A highly asymmetrical region surrounding the Earth, beginning about 62 mi above the surface on the side of the Earth facing the Sun and extending thousands of miles into space on the opposite

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains side. In this region the Earth's magnetic field exerts a significant influence on any charged particles that encounter it. The magnetosphere deflects most of the charged particles in the solar wind, but also traps and deflects some of these particles toward the Earth's magnetic poles, causing magnetic storms and auroras.

Stronger disturbances around the sun can pull Earth's magnetic field away from the planet, and when the magnetic field snaps back, it causes Alfvén waves, which electrons sometimes cling to.

When those electrons reach Earth's atmosphere, they mingle with nitrogen and oxygen molecules, causing visible light that manifests as the aurora borealis.

Sunspot observations, a key predictor of the northern lights, have dramatically increased since 2022.

Scientists say that if the trend continues, the next 18 months will bring the strongest northern lights in decades.

Solar activity is expected to steadily increase until fall 2024, when the likelihood of viewing the northern lights is highest, according to Mark Miesch, a research scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder and NOAA.

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Grandiloquent lofty, extravagantly a

colorful, pompous, or bombastic style, manner, or quality especially in language

Ballhooter [BAWL-hoo-tur]

- A lumberjack who rolls logs down a hill.

- One who drives recklessly on dangerous mountain roads.

Verecund [VEHR-ih-kund]

Extremely bashful, shy.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

Heredipety

[huh-RED-ih-pet-ee]

Legacy hunting; being attentive to an old wealthy person in the hope of obtaining an inheritance.

Gambrinous [GAHM-brih-nuhs]

- Happily full of beer.

- Sufficiently suffonsified swilling stout.

Story con�nues page 112

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FOR YEARS, JESUS PAYAN JR. SPENT LONG NIGHTS in the Tularosa Basin, peering into the darkest corners of the desert sky and watching for lights that evaded explanation.

One night, while he and some friends were stargazing by his house on five acres near La Luz, they heard footsteps crunching on gravel. Payan’s skin prickled. The group gathered fistfuls of rocks Story con�nues next page

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Alamodoso Magazine - Celebrating 11 years of featuring the art community,

108 and threw them toward the noise. The first volley missed, but Payan’s second throw landed. “It went, ‘Wwraaaaahhhh!’ ” Payan roars. “We went, ‘Aaagghh!’ and ran toward the house.”

As he sprinted toward his porch, the creature kept pace behind him.

He reached the house at a sliding glass door.

“A sliding glass door should be easy to open, but at that time it was like a combination lock,” he says, mimicking fingers fumbling the handle. Finally, he flung it open and they threw themselves inside.

What had chased them? Payan thinks it was Bigfoot, an apelike creature most commonly associated with the Pacific Northwest’s rainforests, renowned in tribal lore and campfire tales, and stubbornly unwilling to show its face for any camera. Perhaps, Payan speculates, it was venturing out of the mountains to scrounge nearby pecan orchards and cattle ranches for food.

For more info on Bigfoot in Otero County, please visit: https://www. newmexicomagazine.org/blog/ post/search-for-bigfoot-in-newmexico/

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If you happen to see Bigfoot, here's what the experts say for to do: *Take selfies / photos documenting the event *Go about your business * Do not run toward or away from Bigfoot * Do not yell * Do not try to feed Bigfoot

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This is Billy the Kid’s Black Hill Hideout, located in the Robeldo Mountains Henry McCarty, also known as William Antrim, William H. Bonney, and most famously as Billy the Kid, was among the most notorious outlaws of the Old West.

In the state of New Mexico, where he was in the thick of the action during the Lincoln County War in 1878 and its aftermath, there are numerous locations where you will find Billy the Kid gift shops, historic markers and other signage.

This hideout was a stopover in 1880 for Billy and three members of his gang: Tom O’Folliard, Charles Bowdre, and Dave Rudabaugh. It is nestled in the west side of Black Hill, a prominent formation of volcanic rock. Running along the northern base of

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Black Hill is Faulkner 111 Canyon Road, a seldomtraveled dirt and gravel road leading south through the Robledo Mountains Wilderness Study Area. But in the days of the Wild West, it was a wagon road running between Silver City and Fort Selden, just outside of present-day Radium Springs.

On the rock wall of the hill are markings – “Bonney,” “O.F.,” “Bowdre,” and “DR” left there by Billy and his friends in 1880. Today, after the passage of 127 years, they are nearly obliterated and only barely distinguishable at best.

To the immediate right of the wall with the names is a hackberry tree, a landmark to assist in finding the wall.

Although not a large tree, it is notably larger than the several nearby trees. To the right of the tree, a recess in the side of the hill bears evidence of a long-ago fire that left the rock above it scorched black.

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Continued from page 105

Alektorophobia

[ah-LEK-toh-roh-FOH-bee-uh]

An extreme irrational fear of or aversion to chickens

Crawmassing [KRAH-mas-ing].

The act of picking through those wonderful leftovers of Christmas dinner.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

Grinagog [GRIN-uh-gog]

A person who is perpetually grinning.

Oniomania

[OH-nee-oh-MAHY-nee-yah]

An abnormal, obsessive, or uncontrollable impulse to buy things

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ROSEMARY’S RECIPE OF THE MONTH The Best Classic Chili This traditional chili recipe is just like mom used to make with ground beef, beans, and a simple homemade blend of chili seasonings.

INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 medium yellow onion -diced 1 pound 90% lean ground beef 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder 2 tablespoonsground cumin 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon .cayenne pepper 1 1/2 cups beef broth 15 oz petite diced tomatoes 16 oz can red kidney beans,

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains TOPPINGS 1 tablespoon olive oil shredded cheddar cheese sour cream sliced green onions oyster crackers diced avocado DIRECTIONS Step 1 Add the olive oil to a large soup pot and place it over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 2 Add the ground beef to the pot.

Break it apart with a wooden spoon. Cook for 6-7 minutes, until the beef is browned, stirring occasionally.

Step 3 Add the chili powder, cumin, sugar, tomato paste, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne. Stir well Step 4 Add the broth, diced tomatoes (with their juice), drained beans, and tomato sauce. Stir well.

Step 5 Add grated parmesan cheese and let sit for a few minutes.

Bring the liquid to a low boil.

Then, reduce the heat (low to medium-low) to gently simmer the chili, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Step 6 Remove the pot from the heat.

Let the chili rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

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The twelfth astrological sign in the Zodiac, Pisces, is the Zodiac Signs for people who are born between February 19 and March 20.

Pisces is unique among the signs of the Zodiac. Where most of us have several identifiable attributes, those born under Pisces are actually a combination of all of them.

Able to identify with anyone, their compassion leads the way.

As a child, you excel at knowing what others expect of you. Playing with one group of friends, you intuit what they seek and fill the gap.

As you are always open to the influence of others, you need regularly scheduled alone time.

This is when you recharge your batteries, and you begin to understand your own true nature. As a child, you should have your own room. It is also preferable for you to take baths instead of showers. This allows you to steep in the still waters, which can facilitate and calm your emotions.

You are almost always talented in either music or art.

Able to easily dance with the Muses, you can channel their impulses in the most creative ways. You enjoy soft music and gentle colors. Nature truly soothes you.

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CARRIZOZO

IN THE MIDDLE OF EVERYWHERE!

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Polly Chavez, lifelong resident of Carrizozo creates retablos (wood panel paintings) reminiscent of the religious folk art the flourished in early New Mexico The Spanish colonists who laid claim to New Mexico, brought with them the idea of retablos and bultos (carved saints). The santos served as protectors from misfortune and evils as well role models and friends.

Polly’s brother, George, traced their Sanchez ancestrial roots to the Juan de Onate New Mexico expedition of 1598.

New Mexico santeros, men who did not have formal art training, created stylized representations of Catholic imagery patterned after imported church prints and statues.

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Alamodoso Magazine - Celebrating 11 years of featuring the art community, For the past 23 years, New Mexico Magazine’s annual photo contest has highlighted New Mexico’s natural beauty, culture, people, diversity, and unique charm. Last year amateur photographers from all over the country participated and provided over 1,600 entries for our consideration.

HERE ARE SIX THEMED PHOTO CATEGORIES: People: The characters that make the state.

Landscapes: Our epic land and sky, framed beautifully.

Animals: All creatures with fins, feathers, scales, or fur.

New Mexico Experience: A focus on the unique elements of New Mexico life.

Mobile: If you're capturing the magic of New Mexico through mobile phone photography, this category

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains is for you. Note: Photographs taken with your phone or other mobile device are eligible for entry in all categories.

Nightscapes: Showing off the enchantment of New Mexico at night.

One grand prize winner was chosen for the photograph that captures the true essence of New Mexico.

For the eighth consecutive year, Tularosa Basin Gallery of Photography, in Carrizozo, will host an exhibit featuring the winners.

The opening weekend, January 27-28, includes artist appearances and refreshments. As the largest photo gallery in the state, Tularosa Basin Gallery features the work of more than 40 New Mexico photographers Friday through Sunday and by appointment.

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NEW MEXICO EXPERIENCE: 1st PLACE Hard Days Ride, Jim Shepka

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

GRAND PRIZE WINNER Golden Feather, Pam Dorner "After watching a great-horned owl family near home, I became familiar with their hunting habits.

The father owl loved to hunt for bugs on woodpiles at dusk. I realized there was an opportunity for backlighting.

This took weeks of waiting for the perfect conditions. One night looked promising, so I set up a distance away so as to not disturb the papa owl if he did come. After some time, he flew on the woodpile. As I was watching him look for bugs, there was a flutter in a tree near me.

It was the mother owl. She peered around the tree at papa then looked back to the nest where her two owlets were patiently waiting to be fed. It appeared as if she was trying to figure out if she could see the nest from papa owl’s vantage point. She ultimately chose an almost perpendicular woodpile with a better view of the nest.

Then I had a decision to make.

Both owls were hunting on woodpiles with backlighting potential, but I couldn’t photograph both of them from the same spot and I didn’t want to move around too much, which would disturb them.

I decided to photograph the mother owl as this was unusual behavior for her. She sat on the woodpile for a long time just looking around and I worried that the light would be gone soon.

Just as the last light was fading, she flew away. At that moment, one of her feathers fell to the ground catching the last bit of light on the way down." — Pam Dorner

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126 MOBILE: 1st PLACE Glowing Grace, Shirley Estes

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PEOPLE: 1st PLACE Within Reach, Chanel Flores

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RENOWNED ARTIST EXPLORES THE BEAUTY AND IMPACT OF SEEDS IN SOLO ART SHOW Courtesy of Rendezvous Press Media Highly acclaimed artist, Joan Malkerson, known for paintings, ceramics, sculpture and installations, is set to unveil a captivating solo art show centered around the theme of seeds.

The exhibition, titled “The Seed Woman,” showcases a diverse collection of artworks that delve into the aesthetic and profound significance of seeds in our world.

Seeds, often overlooked in their familiarity and petiteness, shape our environment and sustain life. “The Seed Woman” elevates the humble seed to the forefront of our awareness, highlighting

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seeds’ inherent beauty and trans formative impact on our daily lives, common culture and future viability.

Centered around the artist’s original writing, a mythological origin story of “The Seed Woman,” the exhibition’s thoughtfully installed artworks explore multiple themes including the natural transference of seeds from place to place, their cellular structures, seed banks, human and animal interactions with seeds, and how important healthy seeds

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are to our future food capacities and shelter designs.

From vibrant and evoca-tive paintings that depict the intricate patterns and colors of different seeds in various stages of development to stunning ceramic pieces that bring a tactile dimension to the subjects,each artwork is a testament to Malkerson’s skill in conveying the beauty and power inherent in these small but mighty entities.

“The Seed Woman” will be on exhibit at THE RED DOOR GALLERY from March 2, 2024 to April 13, 2024.

The public opening reception will take place on March 2, 2024 from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, providing art enthusiasts and the com-munity an opportunity to engage with the artist and explore the rich narratives behind each piece.

About JOAN MALKERSON: Joan Malkerson lives and works in Carrizozo, New Mexico and Minnesota. Her art making is exploratory in nature and combines myriad elements including painting, ceramics, sculpture, and mixed media.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy from Colorado 131 College as well as Teacher Certification, and a BFA from Maine College of Art. Her artworks have been shown in numerous exhibitions throughout the U.S. including shows in New Mexico, Minnesota, Alaska, Maine, and Wisconsin.

Joan’s works are held in corporate and private collections in these States and more. She currently owns and curates the J. Malkerson Gallery 408 on Twelfth Street in Carrizozo, THE RED DOOR GALLERY: The Red Door Gallery is located in the Lutz Building at 401 Twelfth Street, Carrizozo. For more information or directions to The Red Door Gallery, call 612.963.1499.

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Discover Lincoln County Ruidoso Ruidoso Downs Lincoln Capitan Corona Tinnie

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Continued from page 121 Polly’s mother, Ramoncita Gurule, was taught Spanish Colonial crafts during the Great Depression at a girls’ camp in Baco Canyon located in Lincoln County. Her grandfather, Juan, was a practicing Penitente, a religious group in Northern New Mexico responsible for the continued interest in santos for devotional purposes.

Polly’s santos have been exhibited in museums, libraries, and art galleries throughout New Mexico and Texas.

Polly is a retired reporter and columnist for the Lincoln County News and Ruidoso News, as well as the art program coordinator and teacher for Carrizozo Schools

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John B. Stetson

ANOTHER BILLY the KID STORY by billythekidoutlawgang.com

What is it about this young outlaw named William Bonney, alias Billy the Kid, that has captured our fascination?

People either love him or hate him—idolize him or condemn him. Who was Billy the Kid really? Billy the Kid was a man of many faces, sometimes he was a good guy and other times he was a bad guy, but he was never all bad. He had good qualities, a winning personality and was loyal to his beliefs.

But how did this good man go so bad? What’s his true story?

Billy the Kid entered this world as mysteriously as he left it.

Tradition has Billy born Henry McCarty on November 23, 1859 in New York City, but nothing proves this to be true. The date and place of his birth, early childhood, and who exactly were his parents remains a mystery.

We estimate Billy was born around 1859-1861, possibly in New York, Indiana or Missouri.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Who Billy’s father was is not known. We do know his 135 mother was an Irish immigrant named Catherine McCarty and she had another son named Joseph. Whether or not the boys had the same father or if they both born out of wedlock is also not known.

Due to recollection by childhood friends, Joseph was husky and large for his size, compared to his small frame brother who looked young for his age, this than could mean they were half brothers.

But what about his name?

A childhood friend claimed that “Henry” was his middle name and that “Billy” was his first. But his mother’s boyfriend, whom she would later marry, was named Billy Antrim. So as not to get the two confused, she started calling her son by his middle name.

Like I said, Billy’s birth, background and early childhood is an absolute mystery and no convincing records have been found. But Billy does turn up in the pages of history in 1870 in Wichita Kansas. Catherine, her sons, and Billy Antrim took up residence in the busy cow town but only for a short time.

Catherine was diagnosed with Tuberculosis and was recommended to seek a better climate. While in living Colorado, the family learned that New Mexico was a perfect climate for consumption sufferers, and not to mention those with silver fever.

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On their way to Silver City the couple was married in Santa Fe. By March of 1873, the new family settled in their new home in the busy mining town. Antrim purchased a small cabin by Main Street, but spent most of his time camping out and mining in the hills.

To help earn extra money, Catherine took in boarders and sold pies and cakes.

Other residents remembered the Antrim family with fondness. Catherine was described as a “jolly Irishwoman, full of fun and mischief.” Her sons quickly made friends and were no more a problem than the other boys in town.

At this time, Billy was about twelve-years old; he had sandy blond hair, clear blue eyes with a light complexion and a baby face. He was average size but lanky, with small hands.

Unfortunately, bullies teased the boy due to his physical stature. But looks can be deceiving, Billy was feisty and had a revengeful streak, and if any one did him dirty he

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains would get even. Billy was 137 said to have been a good student in school, artistic and an excellent reader. He loved to sing and dance, and was an eager participant for school plays. He was polite and well mannered, and adored his mother. No doubt his best memories of her was when they would go to the town’s weekly shindigs.

But times with his fun loving mother would be short.

The consumption caught up with her and she was bed ridden for several months.

Billy Antrim was absent most of the time mining in the hills.

Was it because he didn’t want to watch his wife die or was it because he didn’t care? Whatever the case, he was not there when his stepsons needed him the most.

On September 16, 1874 forty-five year old Catherine died; her husband was not there nor was he present for the funeral.

When Antrim did return, he placed his stepsons in Story continues page 142

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GOD and the BIBLE have NO VALUE in today’s world?

A new study from Pew Research finds that the religiously unaffiliated – a group comprised of atheists, agnostic and those who say their religion is "nothing in particular" – is now the largest cohort in the U.S. They're more prevalent among American adults than Catholics (23%) or evangelical Protestants (24%).

Nones are less satisfied with their local communities and less satisfied with their social lives Pew asked respondents what – if anything – they believe. The research organi-

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains zation found that Nones are not a uniform group.

Most Nones believe in God or another higher power, but very few attend any kind of religious service.

See Page 114

They aren't all anti-religious.

Most Nones say religion does some harm, but many also think it does some good. Most have more positive views of science than those who are religiously affiliated; however, they reject the idea that science can explain everything.

Nones are also less civically engaged than those who identify with a religion – they're less likely to vote.

Within the Nones, however, atheists and agnostics are more likely to be politically and civically engaged, whereas those who responded that their religion is 'nothing in particular' are far less likely to vote.

Pew also found that, overall, Nones are less likely to volunteer in their local communities than religiously affiliated adults.

The survey found Nones are less satisfied with their local communities and less satisfied with their social lives than religious people.

Those who do vote are among the most strongly and consistently liberal and Democratic constituencies in the United States."

And that could change electoral politics in the coming decades.

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Continued from page 137

separate foster families and left Silver City for good.

For a time Billy lived with the Truesdell family and earned his keep by washing dishes and waiting on tables for their newly opened restaurant called the “Exchange.” Even though his mother died, abandoned by his stepfather, separated from his brother, and now working for his room and board, Billy still attended school regularly.

Due to domestic problems in the Truesdell family, thirteen-year-old Billy took up lodgings at Sarah Brown’s boarding house. To pay his rent, he did odd jobs and chores for families and merchants in town. But Billy was hitting rock bottom and was getting desperate for money.

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61 44

Alamodoso Magazine - Celebrating 11 years of featuring the art community, Billy’s first criminal offense was stealing several pounds of butter, which he sold to a local merchant. The town’s sheriff let the boy go with a warning, because not only was his sons friends of Billy’s, but he may have understood Billy’s motive to sell stolen goods -he was poor (after all, why would a boy want to steal butter?).

After promising to stay out of trouble, Billy fell into bad company when he met George Schaefer, alias

Sombrero Jack. A few years older than Billy, Schaefer was a petty thief and a gambler -he wasn’t exactly a proper role model for the youngster- so it was only a matter of time before Billy got in trouble once again.

In September of 1875, Sombrero Jack had stolen some laundry from a Chinaman who ran a laundry cleaning service and gave the bundle to

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Billy to hide. Landlady Sarah Brown came across the bundle of stolen clothes in Billy’s room and turned him in to the sheriff.

Billy wasn’t the only youngster getting into trouble in Silver City; so the Justice of the Peace decided to teach all the troublemakers a lesson by making an example out of Billy.

When the circuit court came to town, almost two months later, Billy would go before a jury and trialed as an adult.

When the sheriff’s family learned about poor Billy’s predicament, the sheriff’s sons and wife protested Billy’s unfair treatment. The sheriff said he would keep Billy locked up for a couple of days to scare him and then he release him.

Billy hated his solitary confinement and the energetic boy was going stir crazy. So the sheriff agreed to allow him free roam of

the corridor in the mornings.

There was a small fireplace in the corridor, so during his freedom in the corridor, Billy squirmed and climbed his way up to the roof.

After finding Billy missing, Sheriff Whitehill would say, “I ran Story continues next page

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Alamodoso Magazine - Celebrating 11 years of featuring the art community, outside around the jail and a

146 Mexican was standing on a ridge at the rear and asked whom was I hunting.

I replied in Spanish, ‘a prisoner.’ He came out the chimney, answered the Mexican. I ran back to the jail and looked up into the big, oldfashion chimney and sure enough could see where an effort to obtain a hold, his hands had clawed into the thick layer of black soot.”

Billy’s life had changed from an orphan working for his keep

to a runaway fugitive. Not knowing what to do next, he headed to the only family he knew: the Truesdell family.

They fed him, gave him new clothes and money. When a stage came by they waved it down and put the boy on it to Arizona.

Billy had hoped his stepfather in Arizona would take him in, but once Antrim learned of the trouble Billy got in, he told him to leave.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Disowned by his stepfather and force to fend for himself, Billy, who was barley fourteen, was completely alone in the hostile country of Arizona.

Being alone in the Arizona desert during those times was a death sentences, if Indians didn’t kill or rob him, cutthroat bandits would.

For almost two years Billy lived like a tramp, he wandered about and found short-term work on ranches, but due to his youth he was discharged.

Needing a horse, Billy stole one in Camp Goodwin and headed to Fort Grant.

Billy managed to get a job as a cook for Miles Wood who was the Justice of the Peace and owner the Hotel de Luna, but a couple of days later he was jobless again.

If Billy couldn’t find steady work as a cowboy or cook, he would try his hand at gambling.

While gambling at the saloons and halls, Billy had met some rough characters; one of those was twenty-seven year old John Mackie. Taking the young boy under his wing, Mackie taught Billy how to make an easy living by horse stealing.

Also about the time Billy turned up in Fort Grant, he ran into trouble with a blacksmith named Frank “Windy” Cahill, a husky and strong man with a nasty disposition.

Cahill took great enjoyment on abusing Billy both verbally and physically. “Shortly after the Kid came to Fort Grant, Windy started to abusing him,” said one local cowboy, Gus Story continues next page

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148 Gildea, “He would throw Billy to the floor, ruffle his hair, slap his face and humiliate him before the men in the saloon.” Under-standability Billy had an immense hatred for Cahill.

When saddles and horses started disappearing and it wasn’t long before the bandits were identified. After being arrested twice by soldiers and both times slipping away , his close calls may have scared him enough to go straight.

Billy returned five horses to the army quartermaster who then let the matter go.

But the justice of the peace Miles Wood did not.

Thinking their problems were resolved Billy and Mackie were back in town.

Miles Wood saw the duo and arrested them. After only one hour of confinement, Billy asked to use the privy, once outside he made a mad dash to get away. But he was quickly recaptured by nearby soldiers and shackled by none other than Frank Cahill, who probably rubbed in Billy’s misfortune.

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains Later that evening, Mackie boosted Billy up the wall of their guardhouse, were there was a narrow opening between the roof and the wall, and this time Billy got away –yes, shackles and all.

You would think Billy would have hightailed it out of Arizona and never look back, but that wasn’t the case. For the next several months, Billy worked doing odd chores for H.F. Smith at a hay camp.

After being paid, Billy bought himself a new outfit and a revolver.

On August 18, 1877, Billy turned up in Fort Grant and went into Atkins’s Cantina.

No sooner did Billy arrive he had a confrontation with Cahill. Hard words were exchanged when Cahill called Billy a pimp and Billy called Cahill a son of a bitch.

Cahill then jumped on the Kid, threw him down, sat on his chest and smacked him repeatedly in the face.

Billy worked one of his hands free, pulled out his revolver and fired. When the smoke cleared Cahill keeled over with a gut wound and Billy got up and ran. Mounting a racehorse named Cashaw, owned by John Murphy, Billy rode off.

Much to the owner’s surprise, Billy had the horse returned.

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Lincoln State Monument the most widely visited state monument in New Mexico is part of a community frozen in �me— the 1870's and 1880's. The monument includes 17 structures and outbuildings, 4 of which are open year round and 2 more seasonally as museums. Most of the buildings in the community are representa�ve of the Territorial Style of adobe architecture in the American Southwest.

Lincoln is a town made famous by one of the most violent periods in New Mexico history. Today's visitors can see the Old Lincoln County Courthouse with museum exhibits that recount the details of the Lincoln County War and the historic use of the "House" as store, residence, Masonic Lodge, courthouse, and jail.

Walk in the footsteps of Billy the Kid, Pat Garre�, and other famous and infamous characters of the Wild West. Trace the events of 1878 through the Courthouse and the Tunstall Store, with their preserved 19th-century atmosphere.

Thurs. - Mon., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday Info: 575-653-4025

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history, and business of the Tularosa Basin and Sacramento Mountains

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Magazine, email us at alamodoso@gmail.com