Besides my cousin, there were my two children, which completed our party of seven. Heading West over the vast expanse of open Texas prairie, I felt something of the thrill those early pioneers must have felt, although the fear of trouble was not present, for being ambushed by Indians was a remote possibility.
Just the same, there was an air of adventure in the journey, for none of us knew what the future held in store for us. We dreamed and hoped.
We completed our journey to Carlsbad, a distance of almost 400 miles, without any serious mishap. Oh, there were the usual little troubles of a sick horse which slowed us up one day, and an occasional steep hill which required we not only get out of the wagon to lighten it, but all help push as well.
Carlsbad had a population of less than a thousand in 1901,[B] and although Carlsbad was the legal name, having been officially changed two years before, everyone called the town by its original name, Eddy, and it was, and still is, the county seat of Eddy County.
[B] Population in 1950, 18,000.
The primary activity in and around Carlsbad in those days was ranching, with a growing interest in mining of various kinds. I noticed many people continually coming and going and thought that, since I would have to get busy at something pretty soon, I would try the hotel business.
So, shortly after my arrival, I took over the Schlitz Hotel, which was located near the railroad station at the corner of Canyon Street and Mermod Avenue. The hotel boasted a dining room, and a large part of the business came from many of the railroad workers, who, it seemed, always had a good appetite and who liked good food and lots of it.
That wasn't the only trouble I had, and after a few months I found I didn't know enough about the hotel business to make a go of it, so I gave it up. The name of the hotel was later changed to Bates, and some time after that it caught fire and burned to the ground.
The saloon business in those days was always good. Ranchers and miners would come into town after a rugged week in the hills and spend much of their pay for liquor. It looked to me as though this would be a profitable enterprise and I decided to give it a try.
My wife didn't like the idea at all and told me so in no uncertain terms. However, I kept at it for a while in spite of her pleas.