USA > New Mexico > History of New Mexico : its resources and people, Volume I > Part 67
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The Deming Advance, founded in 1892 by Frank Galloway, existed only a short time.
The Deming Graphic, a weekly Republican paper, succeeded the Herald, which was founded by P. J. Bennett in 1900. N. S. Rose bought the Herald subscription list and started the Graphic in March, 1902. October I, 1904, he sold to the present proprietor, A. L. Sangre. P. J. Bennett published the Hillsboro Advocate before coming to Deming.
George L. Shakespeare, editor of the Headlight at Deming, came to Grant county in 1876 and has resided in this section since. He is a native of Ohio, but was reared in Illinois and Wisconsin until fourteen years of age. When still a young lad he responded to the country's call for aid in the Civil war, enlisting at Evanston, Illinois, and in 1864 was a mem- her of the Seventeenth Illinois Cavalry. He saw active service in Missouri,
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Kansas and on the border, the regiment being largely engaged in sup- pressing the movements of the Quantrell Bushwhackers in that sec- tion of the country. After the war Mr. Shakespeare spent some time in the west and northwest and finally came to Deming in 1876, since which time he has made his home here. For three years he was in the regular army, following the close of hostilities between the north and the south, and he also engaged in freighting and mining upon the western frontier. For some time he drove a stage and was government wagonmaster, and his familiarity with the experiences of the west has brought himn broad knowledge of the history of this section of the country. His attention is now given to the publication of the Headlight, which is an enterprising journal in touch with modern ideas of newspaper publication. He has been active in support of various movements, plans and measures for the general good and was active and untiring in his advocacy of the division of the county and was active in the fight which Luna county won in 1901 after a contest of sixteen years. His political support is given to the Democracy.
A. L. Sangre, editor of the Graphic at Deming, came to New Mexico in 1882 from Chicago. He was a native of Ohio, born September 15, 1840, and became connected with newspaper work as a writer on the Chicago Journal in 1858. His war record connects him with the Sixth Missouri Regiment. He was a recruiting officer for Fremont's body- guard and was stationed at Benton barracks. Later he was with Grant at Donelson and Pittsburg Landing and participated in the campaigns in Tennessee and Mississippi. The first year, however, he was engaged in bushwhacker fighting in Missouri.
After the war Mr. Sangre traveled throughout the west for the bene- fit of his health, and came first to New Mexico in 1882. He afterward went to California in 1885 and devoted his time between that state and New Mexico until 1888. Subsequently he spent most of his time in Cal- ifornia until 1897. He has resided continuously, however, in the Terri- tory since 1900 and has been correspondent for many papers in the west. In 1904 he became editor of the Graphic, which he now manages and pub- lishes, making it one of the leading papers of this part of the Territory. In addition to his newspaper plant he owns some mining claims. Mr. Sangre voted for Fremont when only sixteen years of age and has since supported each presidential nominee of the Republican party, but is not active in official life.
The Guadalupe County Democrat, established in October, 1902, by Manuel Martinez and W. C. Burnett at Santa Rosa, after the election continued under the management of Crescenciano Gallegos and W. C. Burnett until the fall of 1905, when it was purchased by T. D. Morse. January I, 1903, the plant was moved to Puerto de Luna, then the county seat. The legislature that year changed the county to Leonard Wood and moved the county seat to Santa Rosa. The paper returned to Santa Rosa in 1904 and the name was changed to Santa Rosa Sun.
When the railroad came to Santa Rosa E. C. Cooper started the Santa Rosa Star, about 1901, but suspended in the spring of 1903 and moved the plant to Tucumcari.
In October, 1905, J. E. Curren started the Sunnyside Sun at the new town of Sunnyside on the Santa Fe cut-off.
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
La Vos Publica was established in Puerto de Luna in 1898 by Placido Baca y Baca, and was moved to Santa Rosa in June, 1901. It is issued weekly in English and Spanish.
The Las Vegas Optic originated in 1879 with the establishment of the Optic at the town of Otero by R. A. Kistler, who six months later moved the plant to Las Vegas. The weekly issue was continued a few months, but November 4, 1879, the first issue of the daily appeared. Mr. Kistler was succeeded in 1898 by the Las Vegas Publishing Company, who turned over the paper's management to L. R. and C. W. Allen. In 1903 the Optic Company was incorporated, with James G. McNary as president. The politics of the paper, previously Democratic, now became Republican. The new company bought the Las Vegas Record, merging its interests with the Optic, and increased the issue from a four to an eight page paper. Mr. McNary continues as president and manager of the paper, and is besides incumbent of the office of public printer for New Mexico.
La Vos del Pueblo was founded at Santa Fé in 1889 by Nestor Mon- toya, but about a year later, a controlling interest having been purchased by Felix Martinez (now of El Paso), the paper was moved to Las Vegas, where it lias continued a weekly issue of four pages, and entirely in Spanish. In 1892 Mr. Martinez bought out all his partners and became sole owner. In 1900 the Martinez Publishing Company was incorporated, the stock being owned by Antonio Lucero, E. C. de Baca and Mr. Mar- tinez. The present officers are: Editor, Felix Martinez ; associate editor, E. C. de Baca ; business manager, Antonio Lucero. The paper has always been Democratic in politics.
E. C. de Baca, associate editor, who was born in Las Vegas November I. 1864, is a lineal descendent of the family who were the original grantees of what is known as the Las Vegas grant. Educated in public schools, with four terms at the Jesuit College, he taught school three years in La Cuesta and other places, and in 1891 became associate editor to Felix Martinez on La Vos del Pueblo. He has not held this position continuously, since he was chief deputy of Mr. Martinez during the latter's four years' term as clerk of the United States district court, and he was also absent from the editorial chair during the years 1903 and 1904.
El Independiente, at Las Vegas, was established March 24, 1894, by Enrique H. Salazar, and has been published always as a Spanish paper en- tirely. For two months in 1903 a daily issue under the title of Advertiser appeared. It is a Republican paper. Secundino Romero is president and Mr. Salazar ís general manager and editor.
The first paper at Lordsburg was the Advance, which, to use the popular mode of expressing the fact, "went busted." The Western Liberal was founded November 14, 1887, by S. D. Dye and Don H. Kedzie, the former being succeeded by W. H. Small, and a year later Mr. Kedzie became sole proprietor, and has conducted the paper to the present writing. During his proprietorship every other paper in the Territory has changed control at least once.
The Rio Grande Republican at Las Cruces was established in April, 1881, by C. J. Hildreth, who conducted it two years. Since then the changes have been frequent, some of the publishers being Hall F. Wagner, J. S. McCrea, J. A. and R. A. Whitmore, F. C. Barker, Mr. Hunt, Allen
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J. Papen, G. W. Baird. It has always been maintained as a stock com- pany, and those mentioned have been managers.
The Las Cruces Citizen, a Spanish and English paper, was estab- lished June 30, 1902, by its present editor and proprietor, Lawrence La- point.
The first paper published in Lincoln county was the Golden Era, at White Oaks, the first number of which appeared December 18, 1880. Jacob A. Wise, now of Juneau, Alaska, was the publisher. The plant was moved to Lincoln in 1885 and published intermittently under various names and managements until 1902, when J. H. Lightfoot moved the paper to Nogal. where it was issued as the Nogal Republican from May, 1902, until the election was over in the fall.
The second newspaper of the county was the Leader, established October 1, 1882, at White Oaks by L. H. Rudisille, and was conducted about twelve years. September 8, 1904, the Outlook was founded at White Oaks by Mr. Rudisille, and is still issued weekly, Republican in politics.
Mr. Rudisille, for so many years editor and publisher at White Oaks, came to the site of that town in 1880, being attracted from Santa Fé by the gold excitement. He has been interested in mining in this vicinity ever since. He is county superintendent of schools, having been elected in 1901. Born in southern Ohio and reared at Toledo, he served four years in the Civil war as a member of Company H, Thirtieth Ohio Infan- try.
S. M. Wharton, another newspaper man of Lincoln county, came to the Territory in 1892 and became associate editor of the White Oaks Eagle in July, 1895, and in 1896 assumed entire control as owner and pub- lisher. At the same time he bought the Lincoln County Leader and all the newspaper interests in the county and consolidated them as the Capitan News, managed by the Eagle Printing Company, which also owned the Alamogordo Journal. S. R. May was president of the company and Mr. Wharton secretary. After disposing of the subscription list of the Ala- mogordo Journal to W. S. Sheppard and the Capitan News to John Haley in April, 1905, he took up his residence in Tucumcari.
The first paper in Capitan was the El Capitan, founded in 1900 by W. M. Clute. During the same year the Capitan Miner was begun by J. H. Lightfoot. The two papers were merged in January, 1901, as the Capitan Progress, under the control of Mr. Lightfoot and C. G. Nuckols. The entire management soon after falling to Mr. Nuckols, he continued the publication until the grand merger of Lincoln county newspaper interests took place in January, 1903, under the Eagle Printing Company, as above mentioned. The chief incorporators were: S. R. May, S. M. Wharton and J. E. Wharton. J. A. Haley was admitted to the company in July, 1903, and two years later he purchased the entire property and has con- ducted it individually.
A Spanish paper, entitled El Farol, is also conducted by J. A. Haley, C. Hightower and G. A. Chamberlain, at Capitan.
J. A. Haley, publisher of the Capitan News and also of a Spanish paper called El Farol, has been a resident of Capitan since 1903. He was reared in his native state, Texas, and in 1893 came to the Territory, set- tling first at White Oaks, where he was an employe of the White Oaks Eagle. Later he managed and edited the Lincoln News, with which he
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
was connected in 1896, 1897 and 1898. He then returned to the Eagle and after a short period spent in Alamogordo he removed to Capitan, where he has since lived. In 1903 he became the publisher of the Capitan News and in connection with this paper publishes the El Farol. Having devoted his entire life to newspaper work in one department or another, he is thoroughly familiar with the mechanical processes and at the same time is an able writer of editorials, giving to the public a well conducted news sheet. In politics he is active in the ranks of the Democracy, supports the party through the columns of his paper and is now treasurer and secretary of the county central committee of Lincoln county.
H. B. Ryther is a well known representative of journalistic interests in New Mexico. He came to Portales in 1903 and established the Portales Times on the 17th of February, 1903. This is the official paper of Roose- velt county and has a weekly edition published on Saturdays. It is inde- pendent in politics and is devoted to the dissemination of local and gen- eral news and to the furtherance and exploitation of the interests and resources of this section of the Territory. He is a native of Michigan and he brought to his new home the enterprising spirit which has been the dominant factor in the rapid and substantial upbuilding of the middle west. Here he took up a ranch. which he is now operating in connection with his journalistic ventures. His political views are in accord with Re- publican principles and he is a stalwart advocate of the party and its policy.
The Socorro Daily Sun, started about 1880, continued to 1885. The Evening Advertiser, also a daily, ran about three months in 1885. The Miner had a brief career, being discontinued in the spring of 1883. The Bullion, which started as a pamplilet, became a regular weekly paper late in 1884, its editor and founder being Charles Longuemare. It discontinued in 1887. The Advertiser, started by John Mccutcheon in 1887, lasted till 1891.
The Socorro Chieftain, which began as a daily in 1883, under the management of A. A. Helphenstein, who soon associated Judge De Baum in the enterprise, was conducted by Helphenstein's brother in 1887-88, then for three years by Williams and Leicham, then by Williams alone two or three years, and under the editorship of Clem Hightower and Anton Mayor, each eight months. The Socorro County Publishing Company was organized March 3, 1900, and the paper has since been edited by Profesor Emmet Addio Drake, with Anton Mayer as business manager.
The Tucumcari Newes was established by S. R. May in October, 1905. In the following February the Tumcumcari Printing Company was in- corporated, with S. R. May president, S. M. Wharton secretary and A. D. Pankey treasurer, Mr. Wharton being editor.
Henry Hammond Howard, deceased, a journalist and political leader who left the impress of his individuality upon public life in New Mexico, was a resident of San Marcial, Socorro county. His birth occurred near Montreal, Canada, October 22, 1863. He learned the printing trade in early youth and was engaged in newspaper work in Canada and in the eastern part of the United States. A. T. Hunt, his brother-in-law, estab- lished the San Marcial Bee in 1891, conducting it until 1892 or 1893, when Mr. Howard come to New Mexico and purchased the paper. In October, 1904, however, the office was washed away in a flood and he never re-
HH How and
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sumed the publication of the journal. It was about that time that he was taken ill, and his death occurred October 15, 1905. As a journalist and private citizen he exerted a strong influence in political circles, and as the champion of Republican principles advocated his cause through strong argument and well written editorials. He was elected to the last two ses- sions of the Territorial legislature and his labors were a valued factor in many constructive measures.
Fraternally Mr. Howard was connected with the Odd Fellows, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Woodmen of the World. On the 28th of February, 1897, he was married to Dora Winifred Hunt, a daughter of Rev. A. M. Hunt, now of Omaha, Nebraska. For the past eight years Mrs. Howard has been serving as postmistress of San Marcial.
The Roswell Register, established in 1888 and now owned by C. E. Mason, established a daily edition March 2, 1903, under the management of R. S. Hamilton, but it lasted only a few days.
The Roswell Record was established March 6, 1891, by J. D. Lea, and ran as a daily until March 2, 1903, when the daily appeared under the direction of C. E. Mason and H. F. M. Bear. Mr. Mason is now business manager and George A. Puckett is editor. The weekly edition is also maintained.
The Roswell Tribune, a weekly, was consolidated with the Register in February, 1906.
The Otero County Advertiser, weekly, published at Alamogordo, was established in December, 1899, by - - Benson, from whom it passed to S. S. Waller, and a year later to Morgan brothers (H. A. and C. W.), its present proprietors. It is Democratic in politics.
Wilmer S. Shepherd, editor of the Alamogordo News, published at Alamagordo, Otero county, and one of the most widely known men in southeastern New Mexico, was born in Washington, D. C., where he was reared and educated. As a young man he was active in local affairs in his native city. His brother, ex-Governor Alexander R. Shepherd, was for many years one of the best known figures in political circles in the United States, wielding a wide influence in councils relating to national progress and national policy.
In 1872 Wilmer S. Shepherd went to Chicago, Illinois, where he re- mained for four years, after which he proceeded southward to Batopilas in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, where he was interested in mining with his brother, remaining in that country for six years. In 1885 he came to New Mexico and engaged in operating in real estate and in conducting a live-stock business in Tularosa and vicinity. Upon the organization of Otero county he became first probate clerk, and when Alamogordo was laid out by the railroad company he and others started the Alamogordo News, which he still controls. He has taken a deep and active interest in public matters and through the columns of his paper and as a private citi- zen as well has contributed in large and substantial measure to the wel- fare and improvement of this section of the Territory, recognizing the pos- sibilities of the new city and county and advocating its upbuilding along safe and substantial lines.
The first paper published in Sierra county (then part of Socorro county) was started during the early fall of 1882 at Robinson, a little settlement about three miles from Chloride. The Black Range, as the
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paper was called, from the neighboring mountains, was moved, after the ephemeral existence of Robinson, to Chloride by its manager, Vincent B. Beckett. W. O. Thompson purchased the plant in the summer of 1885 and continued the publication of the paper until August, 1897, when the mines closed down and the paper discontinued. Mr. Thompson purchased. the Sierra County Advocate in 1900.
W. O. Thompson, editor of the Sierra County Advocate, published at Hillsboro, was born in Canada October 18, 1858, and was reared near Richford, Vermont. In 1878 he made his way to northwestern Canada and visited various other parts of the west. In July, 1881, he arrived in Chloride, New Mexico, where he engaged in prospecting and in conduct- ing a paper, the former, however, being regarded as his more important business interest. In 1885 he purchased the Black Range, a weekly news- paper, which he conducted at Chloride until the mines were closed down in 1897. In 1900 he purchased the Sierra County Advocate from P. J. Bennett and has since been editor and proprietor, making this one of the leading newspapers of the Territory, having a large circulation list and good advertising patronage. Mr. Thompson is a member of Hillsboro Lodge, No. 12, A. O. U. W. He was married at Chloride in 1885 to Miss Frances J. Harbison.
The first newspaper in Raton was a short-lived sheet, vigorously op- posed to the Maxwell land grant.
The Comet was established at Raton by Adams Brothers, who sold it to George W. Geer, a banker, and from the latter it passed into the hands of June Hunt, who changed the name to the Range. The Range has been under the control successively of Mr. Hunt, Captain T. B. Collier, F. B. Morse, C. E. Stivers, and the present proprietor, Orrin A. Foster, who on June 19, 1905, converted it into a semi-weekly. Part of the plant was formerly owned by the Maxwell Land Company in conducting a pa- per at Cimarron.
The Raton Reporter, weekly, was established April 15, 1889, by George B. Beringer, who is still editor and proprietor. It is a Democratic paper, and for six months in 1898 was published as a daily and for four years, 1892-96, was issued every other day.
P. A. Speckmann, editor of the Estancia News, came to Estancia, New Mexico, from Colorado in October, 1903, and in October, 1904, estab- lished the paper which he is now publishing. It is published in both English and Spanish, and is issued every Friday. It is all home print, and is devoted to the welfare of Torrance county and to the dissemination of local and general news. It is the official paper of Torrance county, and is Republican in politics. Mr. Speckmann is manager, editor and proprietor, being ably assisted in his work by his wife, and has made this one of the leading country journals of the Territory. He is a native of Illinois, born of German parentage. He received his schooling at Ann Arbor, Michigan, and came west in 1898, not like so many have been compelled to do, on account of loss of health, but merely following Gree- ley's advice.
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THE CHURCHES
LEADING CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS.
CATHOLIC.
With almost every event of New Mexican history, up to the begin- ning of the nineteenth century, is connected in some manner or other the activity or influence of the organized Christianity known as the Catholic church. During this period no distinction is possible between purely po- litical and religious history, for it is not an inexact manner of statement to assert that the actual government of the country was hierarchical in practice, no less than in theory. The church was pre-eminent in influ- ence and power among the native and mixed races of New Mexico. Where great power is wielded there are the greater opportunities for evil. The civilization of an entire people was left to an ecclesiastical system, which, without the checks and restraints that come from responsibility to the gov- erned, easily became corrupt and a burden rather than an uplift to the people. But when this is said it is time to look on the other side. The civilization of New Mexico, found at the time of the American occupation, was due above all to the work of a zealous church. The Catholic mis- sionaries who had lived and worked among the native people from the days of Coronado were, in the main, possessed of that same religious ardor for the conversion of souls and the establishment of the Holy Roman faith over the world as has marked the representatives of that faith in every period of modern history. Their courage and sincere devotion are unquestioned facts, and must be held to more than offset the bestiality, the ignorance and greed that too often marked the individual members of the priesthood in New Mexico and elsewhere.
The relations of the church and political and economic affairs being so closely interwoven, it is unnecessary in this chapter to speak of the church except in its career during the last century. The relations exist- ing between the Mexican church and the Pope were interrupted by the revolution of 1821. The kings of Spain had always been faithful defend- ers of the Church of Rome, maintaining its power with care in Mexico. The Pope consequently looked upon the revolution as calculated to intro- duce not only political but ecclesiastical liberty throughout the American colonies of Spain. Hence the famous papal encyclical letter of September 24, 1824, directed to the heads of the American church, in which he author- ized the doctrines and principles underlying the revolutionary movement. At the time the encyclical was written the Pope had not yet seen the first constitution, one article of which permanently confirmed the Roman faith as the established religion, to the exclusion of all others; and when he did learn of this provision he evidently was reassured, for he received the rebellious nation into the flock on the terms that existed during the Span- ish dominion.
Vol. I. 31
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HISTORY OF NEW MEXICO
On May 12, 1826, a college was opened in Santa Fé, under the pro- tection and direction of the vicar general for the institution of young men. In the same year the missions of Taos, San Juan, Abiquiu, Belen and San Miguel del Bado were made parishes and provided with secular priests. Peace having been fully restored the work of the church now proceeded with little interruption.
But the work of the church was very deficient during the period between the revolution and the American occupation. In 1850 it was found that many of the twenty-five churches and forty chapels were in a ruinous condition ; that the priests, all Mexicans, were few in number and ill-equipped for their duties ; that in those thirty years the church had experienced great losses, had neglected its educational work among the people, and that its progress had been retarded by political turmoils along with the material and intellectual advancement of the people.
New Mexico had always been regarded as an outlying province and was correspondingly neglected by the church authorities at more populous centers. Not until 1832 was there a vicar's residence within the Terri- tory, when Juan Felipe Ortiz was appointed vicar for the bishop of Du- rango, with residence at Santa Fé.
By decree of July 19, 1850. Pope Pius IX made New Mexico a vicariate apostolic, and four days later appointed for it, with the title of Bishop of Agathonica, Rev. Jolin B. Lamy, from the diocese of Cin- cinnati. He was consecrated in Cincinnati November 24, 1850, and took up his work in New Mexico in the summer of 1851. Bishop Lamy was born October II, 1814, at Lempdes, Department of Puy-de-Dome, France. He took a classical course in the preparatory seminary at Clermont and his theological course in the grand seminary at Mont Ferrand, where he was' raised to the priesthood in December, 1838. In 1839 he received permission to answer the call of Bishop Purcell, of Cincinnati, to engage in missionary work in the latter's diocese, and for several years labored with great zeal in Ohio and Kentucky until, to his great surprise, he was notified of his appointment to the newly created Vicariate of New Mexico, which then included all the territory ceded to the United States, by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, with the exception of the towns of Doña Ana and Las Cruces. These towns were added to the jurisdiction in 1859.
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