Manuscript Page 24

I graduated from high school in 1930 and attended one quarter of college when the Great Depression hit and the school closed. I understand it opened again in 1936 but that did not last long. It was purchased by the Catholic Church and used to train priests from Mexico during a time when the Mexican government was trying to lessen the influence of the Catholic Church there. Today there is an International Academy which provides schooling for high school pupils from fifty different nations around the world. Armand Hammer donated nine million dollars to this institution and Prince Charles of England is on the Board of Directors. However, the "Old Victorian Castle" has been condemned due to structural deficiencies and is standing vacant awaiting its fate. It will be either torn down or rebuilt but it has served its purpose and will always be revered by those of us who lived in it.

When Montezuma closed in December 1930 I had no place to go. I could not go home because the road over the Mogollon Rim was not open in winter. Since there were students from Alamogordo in school with me, I caught a ride with them to Alamogordo and from there to Cloudcroft to my grand parents, Mr. and Mrs. Shelby Davis. They were still busy moving cattle from summer range down to the "flats" to winter range so I went to work with them and with Uncle Bodie, working cattle. When we finished with the cattle I bought a ticket on the Southern Pacific to Globe and hoped my parents could get out there to pick me up. Dad did meet me and I was home for Christmas where I played Santa Claus at the community Christmas Party.

There is one incident that I want to mention that occurred during my time at Montezuma. I received a routine letter from my Mother and there was nothing unusual about it except that it had a number of lines that had been erased. Now Mother was a good writer and it was not often that she erased anything in a letter. I managed to hold the page up to a light and read what had been erased. It said, "I bet you will be surprised when you get home and find that you have a new--." Well it did not take a genius to figure out what I had at home. I had a new brother or sister and I was already surprised but I was able to appear surprised when I got home and saw my sister Anne for the first time. She arrived in our family at about the same time I moved out but she was the "pick of the litter." She was a real joy to Mom and Dad in their last years and an inspiration to all of us who enjoyed watching her grow up.