Community News of Lincoln County, New Mexico

Proposed Forest Reservation
Over Half a Million Acres In Lincoln County Involved.

Advices received from Lincoln county, confirm the fact that has thus far only been surmised that W. H. Buntain , superintendent of United States forest reserves in New Mexico and Arizona, who recently spent two weeks in Capitan mountains, and around White Oaks, Lincoln and Nogal, has picked out 27 townships which he will recommend be set aside as a forest reserve. Mr. Buntain left the east Thursday, presumably to urge the authorities at Washington to withdraw the land from settlement.

The proposed reserve adjoins the Mescalero Indian reservation and takes in the headwaters of the Rio Bonito, Rio Ruidoso and Eagle creek. On the reserve as proposed are situated the county seat of Lincoln and the settlement of Nogal. The Salado coal fields would also fall within the reservation as would the Capitan mountains with their rich mineral prospects. Of course, the formation of the reservation would not stop mineral development, but would seriously handicap its grown in other ways and therefore the inhabitants of that region will lodge a most emphatic protest.

The opponents of the reservation argue that closing over 500,000 acres to settlers will forever stop all growth and progress of that part of Lincoln county, which is at present showing signs of wonderful development. They assert that only a small part of that tract is covered with forests; that the rainfall in that section is much larger than in any other part of the territory; that the timber is needed for the development of the country, and cutting it has not influence upon the water supply. The excellent farms of that mountain region, where potatoes and other crops grow without irrigation, have been made by clearing off the timber.

There is gold timbered land upon the Mescalero reservation and, it is understood, that the forest supervisor will favor opening the reservation in order to have the Indian timber lands included in the desired forest reservation.

There are rich mineral fields on the reservation and find agricultrual lands along the water courses. The Indian authorities will, however, vigorously oppose the opening, it is said.

About a year or two ago and effort was made to have the Sacramento mountains set aside as a forest reserve, but the project for some reason or other never went through.

Source: New Mexican, September 2, 1899 - Transcribed by C. Anthony

Lincoln County.

A good crop of fall fruit is anticipated for Ruidoso.

Work has been started in the new church at Lincoln.

Gregg & Prather are operating their well drill near Weed.

Ruidoso people are done planting crops and are now irrigating.

Miss Mattie Reynolds , of Hope, has opened a writing school in Mahill.

G. C. Tarbell has returned to White Oaks from a southern Arizona trip.

Miss Mahill, of El Paso, is visiting her sister, Mrs. A. M. Coe , in Mahill.

Jake Gregg , of Weed, has rented 70 acres of ground which he will plant in corn.

Mrs. Leon has returned to White Oaks from an extended visit to Trinidad, Colo.

Some rain, pleasant days, cool nights and good health are reported from Weed.

Mr. Crittendon , of Mahill, had a leg broken last week while loading a log on a wagon.

Mrs. A Lawrence is teaching a private school near the mouth of the Aguachiquito.

M. Whiteman has moved his stock of groceries and merchandise from Nogal to Alamogordo.

Ziegler Bros ., of White Oaks, have purchased the 75-foot business block owned by W. H. Wood.

Miss Coe has returned to her home in Ruidoso from Las Cruces where she has been attending school.

J. W. Nations , the Weed justice of the peace, has fined a number of boys for carrying concealed weapons.

Elk residents now go to Roswell instead of El Paso for supplies, on account of the border ruffian scare.

Jesse Vandervoort fell from a roof which he was painting at White Oaks last week and was seriously injured.

The people of Weed have petitioned the chief justice for the appointment of a United States court commissioner.

H. B. Roberts , charged with assault with intent to kill, was bound over to the grand jury, at Lincoln, last week.

The postoffice at Lincoln will be removed to the Hotel Serrano by the new postmistress, Mrs. Serrano.

D. H. Lueras has resigned the position of postmaster in precinct No. 10, Raventon, and Ramon Ulibarri has succeeded to the position.

The people of the Boalto are preparing for a "Fish Fry" on the South Fork in commemoration of Dewey day. The affair will be pulled off June 1.

Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, June 2, 1898-Transcribed by C. Anthony

Lincoln County Happenings. Two Murders Created Considerable Excitement--Social and Political Items--Fire Scare--Test Case Over Poll Tax.

White Oaks, N. M., Oct. 5.--Last week the people of Lincoln were shocked by the killing of Francisco Romero y Valencia, an old citizen of Lincoln county. He was unmarried and lived alone on a ranch near Lincoln. He was shot through the head, evidently by some one from the outside shooting through the window. Robbery is supposed to have been the object of the murder.

News on another and more shocking affair has just been received here. On Tuesday Frank Coe, a ranchman, who lives with his family on the Bonito, shot and killed Irvin Lesnet, of Lincoln. Young Lesnet was a son of Frank Lesnet, who at one time served in the territorial legislature, and later held the office of receiver in the United States land office at Roswell, and from which he disappeared under a cloud. Full particulars of the killing have not been received, but it is reported that a "woman was in the case," and that the woman is a young daughter of Mr. Coe, in which case the killing was probably justifiable.

C. M. Chew, a former resident, and furniture dealer in White Oaks, has returned to Lincoln county with his family, after an absence of more than eight years. He returns for the benefit of his wife's health. His son and another gentleman from Philadelphia, Pa., accompanied them and all will engage in sheep raising. They will locate in the Jicarilla district.

The Democrats are mentioning the name of J. E. Wharton, late county attorney, as a candidate for the territorial legislature. They could not do better than to select him for that position, and it would be a vast improvement over former selections they have made. The Republicans have not yet made any public expression as to choice, but the legislative timber is abundant in their ranks and it goes without saying they will make an excellent choice when the time comes.

The children and young people of this community are taking great enjoyment in nutting expeditions, while the men who love the chase have already begun to bring in the deer and antelope in large numbers. Everybody is making the best possible use of the superb Indian summer that now prevails.

The Woman's club of White Oaks has resumed its meetings and taken up the biographical study of American naval heroes beginning with John Paul Jones.

Mrs. Geo. W. Pritchard has painted a magnificent protrait of the colonel, in oil, life size.

Frank J. Sager, cashier of the White Oak bank, has taken his family for a two months' visit among relatives and friends in Ohio. It is his intention to put his daughter, Lorena, in school there.

Mrs. Roberts, of Nogal, has come to White Oaks to keep house for her son while he attends the public schools.

The White Oaks merchants are kept busy selling goods to the ranchmen, especially sheep ranchers, these days, as the second wool clip has been disposed of.

Genial Albert Ziegler is wearing a smile of happy expectancy these days. His wife and two little daughters, who have been spending the past two months in Los Angelos, Calif., are to home in a few days.

This evening, about 7 o'clock, the people of White Oaks had a real fire scare. An immense volume of smoke and flame was seen shooting upward in the direction of the Old Abe mine. It was soon learned that the fire was the burning of a miner's cabin a short distance this side. A great relief was experienced when it was ascertained that the Old Abe buildings were in no danger.

A rather interesting law suit was held in the justice court here this morning. The postmaster refused to pay his poll tax on the grounds that he was an old soldier and should be exempt. The school board thought differently about the matter and brought suit in order to test it. The case was tried before a jury, who decided that the tax should be paid.

Source: Santa Fe New Mexican, October 8, 1898-Transcribed by C. Anthony.

Near the ranch of Sebe Gray, on the Salado canon, which is about six miles from Nogal, as the crow flies, and about five miles this side of Fort Stanton, Waverly Johnson and Sam Wortley have discovered and opened up a vein of first-class coal.

Source: Mesilla Valley Democrat, November 19, 1889-Transcribed by C. Anthony.
Corona Center of Immense Sheep Industry.
Recent Improvements and Increasing Business Have Made "Crown City" One of the Coming Towns.
(By A. H. Hilton)

Corona, N.M., Sept. 7--At an elevation of 6,066 feet above sea level the highest point on the Rock Island railway system between Chicago and Los Angelos, sits the beautiful mountian town of Corona, the "Crown City" of New Mexico. In age Corona is young, dating back only ten years to the building of the El Paso and Northeastern railroad by Charles ?. Eddy. A more beautiful location cannot be found on the Rock Island route. Corona is on a sloping mountain plateau covered with pine, cedar, pinon, and juinper trees, in the pass between the El Gallo and Camaleon mountains in the extreme northern end of Lincoln county. It is at the head of the El Gallo draw, which drains an immense district of mountains and plains in eastern New Mexico, and empties its waters into the Pecos river some twenty miles north of Roswell. Corona gets its big trade from the ranchment located along this draw. It is estimated that these ranchmen have produced during the past twenty-five years about twenty million pounds of wool. Three miles down lives Joe Simpson, a sheep man producing 30,000 pounds of wool. Eight miles down Baker brothers raise about as much; twelve miles down is Zen Owens, who produces 40,000 pounds and Pope and Valdez three miles further down, on the Bonito, a branch of the El Gallo, is Robert Owen who a few years ago had the largest clip to the country. He shears his sheep altogether with a shearing machine. Thomas Dubois originally from Ohio, formerly in the mercantile buisness here, produces a clip of nearly 100,000 pounds. O. R. Ingram and W. R. Lovelace prodcued about 100,000 pounds each and there are a number of smaller sheep men who range their flocks near the El Gallo and make headquarters there, doing their business at Corona. There are two large mercantile stores here. The Holzman Mercantile company store is managed by Joe and Alfred Holzman, the business being started by the elder Holzman who died only two years ago. The elder Holzman was the pioneer merchant of Corona,. This firm enjoys an immense business in northere Lincoln county and along the railroad.

The other store is a branch house of Crum, Kelly and Company, managed by M. C. Porter, this firm having bought out Mr. Roundtree a year or so ago.

There are three hotels in Corona, the oldest is the Western, managed by Mrs. M. A. Pennies, the Bon hotel on the south side is conducted by J. L. Jones.

Benjamin E. Adams, postmaster, is a veteran of the war, having enlisted from Maine in the beginning of the rebellion, serving on the staff of General Hancock and being wounded in the battle of Spotsylvania. Mr. Adams as recently built a beautiful brick residence here, on the north side, and Mrs. Adams, assisted by her daughter Mary Cecil, has opened part of the new home to the traveling public, rooms and meals. It is rumored Adams may be a candidate for the lower house of the legislature at the coming state election, on the republican ticket.

The railroad agent here is a courteous young man named L. E. Brown.

On top of a hill on the north side and visible for miles, is a handsome $10,000 school house, build of reddish stone, a material plentiful hereabouts. It is a two story building with four rooms and one of the handsomeest in the state. Among the teachers engaged for the coming term are Mill Callie Thompson and Miss Dennis Frank.

The proprieter of a big pool parlor here is J. T. Davidson, a New Mexico old timer who weights two hundre pounds and whose popularity is co-extensive with his avoirdapois. Dr. V. M. Pinkley formerly of Tularosa, is the town physician and druggist.

Lon Jenkins, an old time miner prospector and cattleman of Socorro county has come to this section and opened up a group of mines in the Gallinas mountains ten miles southwest, which he expects to make him the Iron Kinf of New Mexico. This property has been developed for some seventy-five feet and iron are assaying over sixty per cent pure Bessemer is opened up.

Source: Albuquerque Journal, Sept. 10, 1911, Transcribed by C. Anthony