Thursday, September 30, 2010

A First Class American Cow

Gov. Bill Richardson isn't the first New Mexico governor to hold an estate sale.

Richardson's spokesman and deputy chief of staff Gilbert Gallegos says he's been reading a book about territorial governors (New Mexico’s Troubled Years by Calvin Horn) and came across this tidbit regarding territorial Gov. William Pile's departure from office in 1871:
On June 3, 1871, as he was preparing to leave the territory, the governor placed some homely advertisements in the Santa Fe New Mexican: ANYONE WISHING TO BUY A FIRST CLASS AMERICAN COW WITH YOUNG CALF CAN BE ACCOMODATED BY CALLING ON THE GOVERNOR. A VERY FINE PIANO. INQUIRE AT THE RESIDENCE OF THE GOVERNOR. Governor Pile auctioned his household goods June 21, 1871, before the Palace. On June 26, he and his family left Santa Fe for the States, by way of Denver.
I'll have to ask, but I'm not sure our paper is still selling "homely" ads.