In the Labyrinth

A Southwest Madonna Carved by Pierre Menager

I received a most wonderful gift today in the mail from Pinky Werner, granddaughter to Oscar Huber, who once owned the Madrid Mines and was the driving force behind the small coal town of Madrid, New Mexico of the 1920s through to the early 50s. I've written a good deal about Madrid throughout the blog -- partly because my grandfather Pierre Menager worked as an artist to help create the famous life-sized (and even larger than life-sized in some cases) dioramas for the Madrid Christmas Light Show. But so much of what I have learned about Madrid has come from the generosity of Pinky Werner, who when I lamented on the blog that I had no photos of Madrid's light shows or my grandfather's work from the 40s on the project, she sent me a disk with close to 700 photographs from the Huber Family albums on all aspects of life in Madrid between the 20s and 40s. 

Pretty much gobsmacked by the sudden wealth of materials -- much of it unseen by anyone but the Huber Family, I started posting about life in Madrid, including more detailed posts about the Christmas Light Shows, the Miners and their work, their play at baseball, and summer holidays. (You can find links to the albums in the left-sidebar) These posts were discovered by Jerry Dimass -- who grew up in Madrid until he entered the Navy with his twin during WWII. Jerry has generously shared his biography on the blog, and best of all, answered as many of the questions in the comments to those younger generations interested in learning about their great grandparents and grandparents lives in Madrid. Such a treat to be at this wonderful crossroad -- made possible by the internet. 

But today, Pinky, in thanks for having made these photos public (and there are still more posts to come) sent me this gorgeous Madonna carved by my grandfather Pierre Menager -- who was a friend of the Huber family, and admired, both for his tricksterish nature, but also for the stunning work he did on the Light Show dioramas. I can't begin to thank her enough for once more thinking of me, and for sending this lovely Madonna, with her peaceful, smiling baby to me. I feel so blessed and grateful. 

 

 

And here is a small side note: another reason I am so grateful to receive this Madonna by Pierre is because in 1971, a Madonna which Pierre had given my family and which I loved as a child, was stolen from the apartment of a friend in Chicago -- as my mother had placed the sculptures with her friend while she traveled abroad, ironically to keep them safe. If you see her, please let me know. I am willing to believe they are still in Chicago, somewhere. This is the only photo I have of her.  She was painted with great care -- gold gilt on her and the baby Jesus' halos. She is about two feet tall and the detail on her garments, the baby's swaddling are really lovely.  Sigh...I would so love to see her again. 

Jesus on The Fence

In the midst of all my work (and looming deadlines) I received this unexpected gem in the mail and wanted to share it. A gentleman in Madrid, NM had discovered the remnants of the 36 ft wooden statue of Jesus my grandfather, Pierre Ménager built for the Christmas light show in Madrid, New Mexico in the late 30's and early 40s. He sent me a photo of some of what he salvaged in making a new wall around his house. Since I have never seen this piece in color, it is pretty astonishing. (You can see more of the Christmas Light Show photographs from the 30's here...including this one of the statue here and here. )

Madrid's Illiad: The List of Miners' Names: Part III

Getting Ready to Enter the Mine, Madrid, NM circa 1925

Among the many wonderful pieces of information in Jerry Dimas' memoirs is a list of the names of the coal miners in Madrid, NM, compiled from Jerry's elderly parents' memories as well as his own. I am going to include that list here in the hopes that other family members of any of these men might read it and contact me with their stories as well. Jerry has been very hopeful that we might hear from others -- and that after the diaspora of families after WWII, the once tight community, might find itself again in shared memories.

• Celestino Dimas (Jerry's father)
• Manuel Dimas (Jerry's Godfather)
• Primitovo Morales ("Our hero")
• Manuel Ochoa
• Harry Storrs
• Juan Gonzales
• Andrew Gonzales
• John Gonzales
• Herman Sanchez
• Estanislaus Pena
• Fernando Pena
• Ernesto Garduno
• Louie Garcia
• Ysidro Terrazas
• Max Narvaiz
• Lencho Morales
• Daniel Martinez
• Lalo Barreras
• Cleto Gonzales
• George Gonzales
• Joe Comiskey
• Joe Vergolio
• Gene Montoya
• Juan Sanchez
• Mr. Steel (1st name unknown)
• Fidel Lucero
• Joe Longacre
• David Longacre
• Jimmy Longacre
• Juan Mares
• Juan Ramirez
• George Archibeque
• Elias Garcia
• Refugio Sandoval
• Pablo Pena
• Willie Morales
• Felipe Sandoval
• Delfino Montoya
• Librado Montoya
• Mike Halea
• Martin Kangas
• Bill Lemon
• Johnny Garcia
• Felipe Mares
• Tomas Gomez
• Henry Barreras
• Amarante Sandoval
• Arturo Gonzales
• Alcario Jaramillo
• Bruno Peinado
• Joe Valdez
• Arthur Castro Sr.
• Charlie Franks
• Paul Griego
• Chester Smith Sr.
• Placido Urban
• Jose Rael
• Luis Dimas
• Griff Grantham Sr.
• Juan Baca
• Dennis D. Funderburk
• Toby Valdez
• Lalo C. De Baca
• Omogon Sandoval
• Romula Corral
• Luis Corral
• John Tabor

And here is another list -- this one more tragic for it is the names of fourteen miners who lost their lives in the horrific mine explosions of 1932.

• Bony Gabldon, 37.
• Augustine Padilla, 38.
• Angel Ortiz, 34.
• Guadelupe Morales, 23.
• Pablo Escarino, 32.
• Julien Ynostraza, 34.
• ManuelL Cabera, 24.
• Telesfor Macias, 30.
• Damacio Perez, 44.
• Julien Garcia, 45.
• Juan Acosta, 40.
• Francisco Torejo, 25.
• Barzar Oaxaca, 40.
• Euseblo Ramos, 21.

It is worth noting how many of the last names are the same. Madrid was overwhelming Catholic and these were large familes. Jerry was one of 14 children.

The Miners of Madrid, NM: Part II

I want to share more of Jerry Dimas' memoirs of growing up in Madrid, NM, surrounded by the mines, the company town, and the incredible toughness of the mining families to endure adversities such as the Depression, the floods, the fires, and the dangers of the mines themselves. Here is Jerry's recounting of a coal mine blast that occurred when he was in grade school:

Entrance to the Morgan Jones Number four Mine, Madrid, NM circa 1925

"When I was in the third or fourth grade, the Morgan Jones Mine had an explosion. The mine office had an emergency whistle to inform the towns-people that a coal mine blast had happened. The whistle or horn stayed on until the towns people ran to the mine to see if the miners were okay. Our mom and dad told us about some of the men who did not survive the explosion. A member of my father's family was one of the miners killed in the explosion. The father of one of the miners was there looking for his son, but could not find him. The mine was still belching out coal dust and men were coughing and wheezing. As they were coming out, some of the miners were barely alive, some were burned and could not be recognized. One father looking for his son only recognized him by his wedding ring, as the son had just been married a few weeks earlier. He was burned beyond recognition.

Miners at Foreman's Cabin, Madrid, NM circa 1925

"Two of my school mates also lost their father. The principal from Madrid Elementary School went to our classroom and asked these two girls to come to the office, that there was an emergency and they were needed at home. It was only then we that we knew that their father worked at the Morgan Jones Mine and that something had happened to their father.

"The only way the mine office knew that Morgan Jones had blow up was that he was a Mexican man who was the rope rider.** He advised the mine office by some kind of system they had -- like a Morse code or teletype system. And he said in the only words he knew  'Morgan Jones Boom-Boom.'

The Breaker at Morgan Jones Mine, Madrid, NM circa 1925

"For a while the Morgan Jones was shut down till some of the natural gas was removed so the men could go back down again and dig for coal. There were two types of coal -- one was anthracite and the other was bituminous. One was soft coal and the other was hard coal. The coal was used for the war effort. When WWII ended, that was the end of Madrid. Natural gas was the fuel of the future, not coal. Madrid died after that. Families slowly moved out and Madrid became a ghost town. A few families stayed on and eventually they left the town too. Our family left in 1956 when we migrated to California to look for a better future for all of us.

The Tipple, Morgan Jones Mine, Madrid, NM circa 1925

"But I remember the breaker, the tipple, the power house, the locomotive, the mine office, the company store, the town boss Oscar Huber and his son Joe, and other families who lived there. I also remember the locomotive that used to go to Waldo and bring up the water for the town. Us kids would sit along the tracks and watch that locomotive struggle up the hill to haul that large black tanker full of water."

Women Waiting for the Water Train, Madrid NM circa 1925

**Tail Rope Rider: In bituminous coal mining, one who works on trains of cars hauled by tail-rope haulage system at mine, coupling and uncoupling cars, and hooking and unhooking cable to and from trains. Also called tail-rope man.

Many more photos taken of Madrid, NM between 1920-1950 can be found in the albums on the right hand side bar.

The Miners of Madrid, New Mexico 1937

For most people stopping by the blog to read about the Madrid Miners, they are looking for photographs of the Baseball team of the small mining town of Madrid, N.M. However, last fall I received a series of fabulous letters, photographs, and a memoir from Jerry Dimas, who was born in Madrid in 1937, the son of a miner and who grew up in Madrid during the 30s, 40s and 50s. Jerry also sent me the photograph above -- which was so wide that I have it separated into two photos-- left and right. (Please click it on to see a larger version.) A copy of the photo was given to Jerry years ago by a widow whose husband had died of consumption. These are miners of the Jones Mine, Madrid N.M. November 23, 1935. The only name I know for sure on here is Ivan Casey -- down in front who is identified as the foreman. I find this group photo really moving.

Here are some of Jerry's recollections about growing up as a miner's son in Madrid in the 40's.

"I was born in 1937, but I still remember Madrid from yesteryear. I, along with my brothers and sisters, was raised in Madrid and Cerrillos. There were 14 of us kids, plus Mom and Dad. In those days families were large, not like today. My father Celestino Dimas was a coal miner and a night watchman. He was also a “rope rider.” A rope rider is a person who brings up and down the little cars full of coal from the mines. How all these men worked in those dreadful pits, I will never know. Through the years some of our Dimas family returns to Madrid and we still remember the old times. If you go to those little old homes, and you put your ear to those houses, you can still hear the roar of the breaker, the power house, the tipple, the locomotive bringing up the water from Waldo which was a few miles from Madrid. When Tennessee Ernie Ford made the song “16 Tons,” all of us thought it was all about Madrid.

"My father worked at the “Morgan Jones, the 7-Deep, and the #4 Mine. Dad also worked at the “Cash’entry” mine in Cerrillos. Myself and my twin sometimes would go with our father when we were on summer vacation and be with him when he was a night watchman at the power house. It was warm and nice and inside the power house at night. We always promised him that would not fall asleep during the night, but lo & behold, before you knew it, both of us were fast asleep. Most of these men at some time or another got “anthracites” or coal dust in the lungs. They called it “Black Lung.” Dad got it too. In those times during the Depression, the only work available for these men was working in the mines. There were Anglos, American Indians, Slavs, Italians, Greeks, Jews, Spaniards, Welsh, and Mexicans."

Over the new few days I plan on posting more of Jerry's memoirs (he has very kindly given me permission) so stay tuned for more. Once again, I have to give thanks to the people of Madrid who have reached out to the blog and provided me with such a wealth of oral histories and photos of that time. I wll continue to add new photos to the Madrid photo albums on the side bar.