THE PAST 100 YEARS

From The Santa Fe New Mexican:

April 22, 1924: Carrizozo, April 22 — Gregorio Ramirez, said to be the oldest native in the state, is now nearing his 104th year, having been born in Mexico, May 9, 1820. Mr. Ramriez says he came to the state when he was a boy 50 years old, entering at Laredo, Texas, spending a few years in the Lone Star state and then coming to New Mexico. He is still in fairly good health although for the past two or three years has walked with a cane. Ramirez attributes his good health and long life to the fact that he has used tobacco for the past 90 years.

April 22, 1949: WASHINGTON, April 22 — President Truman was asked today to attend ceremonies in observation of the 100th anniversary of The Santa Fe New Mexican in Santa Fe, N.M., in September.

The invitation was extended by George M. Reynolds, general manager of the southwestern newspaper which is believed to be the oldest in the West. He is accompanied by New Mexico Senators Clinton Anderson and Dennis Chavez.

The President, Reynolds said, took the invitation under consideration, explaining that he could not make a definite commitment for a date so far in advance.

The visitors said Mr. Truman expressed fondness for Santa Fe, recalling visits here in 1909 and in 1924. He referred to the late J.S. Candelario, museum and curio store operator, and to the famous old Candelario story about a small skull displayed in the museum and labeled as that of Coronado.

April 22, 1974: The three district judges headquartered in Santa Fe sent a higher percentage of convicts to jail in 1973 than any of their black-robed associates around the state, according to a recent report by the New Mexico Department of Corrections.

April 22, 1999: One hundred New Mexico families soon will receive school vouchers that they can use to pay for private-school tuitions — but not from Gov. Gary Johnson’s efforts to get a state law passed.

The Children Scholarship Fund, started with donations of $50 million each from billionaires John Walton and Ted Forstmann, on Wednesday awarded 40,000, four-year vouchers or “scholarships” worth a total of $160 million to low-income families around the country.

The fund said that 5,490 New Mexico families applied — including several hundred from Santa Fe — and that 100 families statewide will receive vouchers.